The prices displayed on these last two pages were a stark contrast to those on the previous ordinary pages, differing by a factor of ten, even a hundred.
However, seeing this price discrepancy, Cao Baming showed no surprise, and the server was quite pleased. Generally, this was a clear sign of wealth; such high prices didn't register as significant to them.
The price of a single dish here ranged from approximately 500 to 2000 pounds. Looking at these prices, Cao Baming felt no sense of extravagance, having eaten countless dishes far more expensive than these.
Sometimes, price doesn't dictate taste. He had eaten delicious food in low-cost, humble restaurants, while expensive meals in high-priced establishments were merely adorned with a high price tag, their taste quite ordinary.
As for this particular restaurant, Cao Baming was unsure. It was in a secluded location, and this was his first time here, so it was an entirely new experience.
After only a few seconds of thought, Cao Baming made his decision. Seeing the server waiting expectantly beside him, he directly read out the dishes he wanted to order.
"I'll have this page, and this page… plus this page. Quickly, whatever can be served fast, bring it first!"
The server's expression was unfazed. He had encountered customers who ordered by the page before, but Cao Baming's straightforwardness was exceptional.
"Certainly, don't worry, I'll bring it out quickly. I know you must be hungry at this hour. Looking at the pages you've selected, some items can be prepared relatively fast, though the portions aren't large."
"It's fine. Let's settle the bill now. I don't wish to see you again; I'd like to leave quietly."
Hearing Cao Baming's words, the server felt a momentary sting of insult. But then, he reminded himself that this person was a customer, and his request for solitude shouldn't be overthought.
Nodding in agreement, the server turned and left, menu in hand.
At this moment, Cao Baming paid no mind to the server's inner thoughts or whether his words had caused offense.
A few minutes later, as expected, some dishes began to be served. The ones bringing the food were mostly young, attractive waitresses. The previous server was indeed gone, likely back at the entrance to attend to other guests.
Everything proceeded smoothly, and not much time had passed, only a few minutes. Cao Baming picked up his cutlery and tasted the newly served dishes one by one, satisfying some of his hunger.
Not bad, but the layers of flavor could still be improved.
This was the condensed essence of Cao Baming's evaluation. His criterion for whether a dish was good or not was always the richness of its flavor profile.
If all the dishes he had ever eaten were ranked, the cuisine of this restaurant would likely fall somewhere between fifty and sixty.
Subsequently, the rest of the ordered dishes were served, including those from the two golden pages.
Although the taste wasn't drastically different, there was a subtle sense of uniqueness. After all, the price difference was tenfold, even a hundredfold, and they were served on golden plates with cutlery made of pure gold.
One steak was even coated with a layer of gold leaf. Although edible, Cao Baming had tried it a few times and found it added no particular flavor.
It merely elevated the appearance of the food, making it seem more luxurious, and its price multiplied several times over.
Seated at his spot, to his left was a floor-to-ceiling window. Through it, he could see the crescent moon high in the sky, and below it, the distant sea, the very area he had driven to earlier.
At this moment, everything felt perfect, a precisely balanced feeling. He wished he could engrave this moment into memory.
After eating his fill, Cao Baming quietly turned to leave. No server attempted to stop him along the way, nor did anyone strike up a conversation with him. He simply walked out the front door.
This was all due to a single sentence he had spoken earlier: "I'd like to leave quietly." In fact, afterwards, the server had relayed this to all staff members. The owner himself had been informed and had specifically instructed everyone to let Cao Baming leave without notice.
The reason for this was to leave a good impression on Cao Baming, hoping he would return, perhaps even bringing his wealthy friends. After all, Cao Baming's friends were all billionaires; their patronage could sustain the restaurant for a year.
He then embarked on his drive home. It was on the way that Cao Baming began to recall the unexpected, time-limited mission the system had given him.
Upon Cao Baming's further inquiry, the system once again detailed the mission.
"...Mission limited to 10 days, target average of 2.66 goals, current average is 2.60."
This made things clearer. Only a difference of 0.06, it should be quite easy!
"System, calculate for me how many goals per game I need to average over the next ten days to achieve this target?"
"Ding! Calculation complete for the host. Over the next ten days, an average of 3.8 goals per game is required to achieve the final mission objective and receive the reward! Host, keep going!"
What the hell???
Cao Baming was momentarily bewildered. That's so many! An average of 3.8 goals per game essentially means scoring four goals in almost every match!
What was the point of the system's final encouragement? It felt like mockery!