Rebirth: I have Monopoly System

After leaving the Patek Philippe Mansion, Wu Yun drove his little frog, made a direct left onto Nan Suzhou Road, crossed the Waibaidu Bridge, and headed along the Bund toward Baiyulan Square. (PS: I was craving steak, so I picked a fairly famous steakhouse. Also, Baiyulan Square was completed in 2017—if I hadn’t said anything, maybe no one would have noticed, but now that I have, someone is bound to call me out on it, haha!)

Wu Yun had booked a table at a fairly famous American steakhouse called Wolfgang. A meal there cost a little over a thousand per person, provided you didn’t order any expensive wine.

Baiyulan Square was less than a kilometer from the Patek Philippe Mansion, just a few minutes’ drive away.

Since it was only four in the afternoon, they still had some time before their dinner reservation. So, he accompanied Qi Fei as they began to wander through the mall. Qi Fei would look at this and touch that, but she never bought anything. Wu Yun was somewhat relieved by this, glad he didn’t have to trail after her carrying a ton of shopping bags.

Wu Yun felt that after wandering around for nearly two hours, he was going to need an extra steak tonight just to recover.

"Welcome to Wolfgang! Do you have a reservation?" a hostess in a uniform asked as she approached.

Wu Yun gave his name and phone number, taking a moment to scan the restaurant’s decor. The interior was vast, with walnut floors, white jade chandeliers, an open bar, and a wine cellar holding a thousand bottles of fine wine... ’It has a very classic American West vibe.’

Of course, for someone from the year 2022, it would be considered a very mainstream decorating style.

The two were led to a window seat with a direct view of the Huangpu River and Lujiazui. However, since it was only around six o’clock, the city lights hadn’t come on yet.

Because Wu Yun had made a reservation in advance, a long table had already been set up, large enough to seat more than ten people.

Qi Fei sent the table number to the group chat for the dinner party.

Not long after the two of them sat down, a young couple walked over.

"Feifei!" A beautiful woman, whom Wu Yun’s appraisal scored at 90/89/85, walked over, pulling her boyfriend along.

"Yunyun! Come sit over here." Qi Fei said, grabbing Wu Yun’s arm. "This is my boyfriend, Wu Yun!"

Then she turned to Wu Yun and said, "This is Zhang Yun, she’s in my class. Her boyfriend is a third-year in the directing department, named Lin Fan."

Wu Yun smiled and nodded at the two of them. "Hello. Please, have a seat. We’re still waiting for some other people."

’In his past life, he’d seen this Zhang Yun in some movie, he just couldn’t remember which one. She probably only ever landed forgettable minor roles. Her skills were decent, but without dedicated effort to improve, she would likely never make a major breakthrough.’

However, Wu Yun discovered something very interesting, which made him much more curious about Lin Fan.

Lin Fan, Age 21, Appearance 70, Skills: Master of Time Management, Master of Photographic Photography, Introduction to Directing!

’What the hell has he been learning for the past three years in college!?’

’Ah, a kindred spirit! We’ll have plenty to talk about later.’

’Seeing the Rolex on Lin Fan’s wrist—he didn’t recognize the model—he guessed this was another rich heir just "experiencing life." How else would he have the guts to chase a 90-point goddess?’

Qi Fei stepped out to greet the rest of their party.

Wu Yun watched as Zhang Yun and Lin Fan found seats and began chatting quietly. Not wanting to disturb their private conversation, he took out his phone to message Bai Yue and Wen Meng, sending them a picture of the scene as well.

He was upfront with Wen Meng about the situation, but he only told Bai Yue that he was taking some company employees out to dinner.

Wu Yun planned to head to the Capital City once he wrapped things up in Modu. The battle against Little Yellow Car was about to begin. He hadn’t mentioned his travel plans to Bai Yue, though. He wanted to surprise her and, at the same time, fulfill a promise he had made.

A short while later, Qi Fei returned, leading a group of six beautifully dressed young women, immediately drawing the eyes of many men in the dining hall.

Trailing behind them were three handsome and stylish young men.

Instantly, Wu Yun’s table became the center of attention in the Wolfgang dining hall.

"Sisters, this is my boyfriend, Wu Yun. Xiaoyunzi, this is..." Qi Fei then introduced the other three girls to Wu Yun. They all rated at least an 88 in appearance, and one girl named Kuang Xin had three base stats of 91/90/90—all above 90.

Next, Qi Fei introduced Wu Yun to Li Yao’s boyfriend and the boyfriends of the other two girls. They were all handsome guys who scored 85 or higher. ’As expected of the Art Academy,’ Wu Yun thought. ’The concentration of handsome guys and beautiful girls is way higher than at a regular university.’

After nodding to greet each of them, Wu Yun waved over a server. "Excuse me, we’re ready to order!"

Then he said to everyone, "Order whatever you’d like! Get anything you want."

Seeing that everyone else was still looking at the menu, Wu Yun decided to start. "I hear your dry-aged steak is famous," he said to the server. "What’s the difference between dry-aged and a regular steak?"

The server smiled. "Sir, dry-aged steak refers to beef that has been placed in an environment with a constant temperature of 0-2°C, a constant humidity of around 68-82%, and a specific air velocity. The surface layer is allowed to air-dry and harden, which lets the meat inside break down naturally and develop flavor. This process loosens muscle fibers and softens connective tissue. The ATP in the muscle degrades into inosinic acid, or IMP. Since inosinate-type umami agents are aromatic heterocyclic compounds, the aged beef develops a rich, fragrant aroma."

"After the dry-aging process, the steak’s exterior forms a thick crust, which locks the savory juices inside. When it’s time to eat, we trim off that crust, revealing an interior that is exceptionally tender and soft. It’s an excellent method for enhancing a steak’s aroma and texture."

"Dry-aging is a preparation method, not a type of steak. It has very demanding requirements for temperature and humidity, so there aren’t many steakhouses in all of Modu that can perform this process."

The server continued with a smile, "And as it happens, Wolfgang is one of the best at it!"

"Sir, if you’d like to try this kind of steak, we currently have a 90-day aged option. I recommend the tenderloin, served medium-rare or medium. Cooking it any further would compromise the texture of the beef!"

Wu Yun nodded. "Alright, I’ll have that steak. Medium!"

Having ordered, Wu Yun turned to Qi Fei, who was still browsing the menu. "What about you? Want to get the same thing?"

"No way! Medium is still too bloody! I want mine medium-well! I’ll have this... and this..."

The two of them quickly added some sides like bacon, mashed potatoes, and crab cakes, along with two of the house specialty drinks.

Only then did the server move on to take everyone else’s orders.

"Alright, ladies!" Qi Fei stood up and clapped her hands. Once she had everyone’s attention, she announced, "Xiaoyunzi invited you all here today because he wanted to get to know you. And now, let’s welcome Mr. Wu to say a few words!"

The way Qi Fei was acting today was a stark contrast to how she usually behaved in front of Wu Yun. She shed her cute, girlish demeanor completely, appearing poised and magnanimous, which made the guys who had just arrived look at her with newfound appreciation.

Qi Fei’s words drew a round of applause. They had all heard Wu Yun’s name before, but aside from Qi Fei’s three roommates, who knew the general situation, the girls from the other dorm only knew that Qi Fei was dating a guy younger than her.