The last minute of Poverty

chapter 7

Everyone turned to Jason, their faces plastered with mocking grins, fully expecting him to make a fool of himself by asking for the cheapest house blend.

Instead, Jason didn't even look at the menu. He simply met the sommelier’s eyes and calmly said, "A bottle of Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon. The 1992 vintage, if you have it."

The sommelier’s polite, practiced smile broke for a fraction of a second, his eyes widening in genuine surprise. He immediately bowed with deep, deferential respect. "An exquisite choice, sir. I will retrieve it from the cellar immediately."

Sitting across the table, Matthew frowned. He actually knew very little about fine wine. He only knew that Jason had just confidently ordered a bottle with a name he had never even heard of.

Before Matthew could say anything, Charlotte leaned forward, looking directly at him with an innocent expression.

"Matthew, do you mind if I order something else?" she asked softly. "I'm not quite used to the taste of the wine Jason chose. Could we perhaps get something... better?"

Matthew hesitated. He wanted to show off, but he was already nervous about the room’s minimum spending limit.

Seeing Matthew’s reluctance, Jason instantly played his part. He slumped his shoulders, his calm demeanor vanishing as he put on a flawless act of a humiliated, timid outcast who had just been publicly embarrassed.

"Never mind," Jason muttered, looking down at his empty plate. "I guess it was too much to ask."

Seeing Jason’s fake frustration, Matthew completely lost his composure. The sheer thrill of crushing Jason in front of Charlotte was too intoxicating to resist.

"Nonsense!" Matthew practically shouted, waving his hand aggressively at the sommelier. "Bring us something even better than whatever garbage he just ordered! Bring us your most expensive bottle! Price is not an issue!"

The sommelier bowed again, masking his shock. "Right away, Mr. Bening."

The private room instantly erupted into flattering cheers. The classmates showered Matthew with praise, hailing his incredible generosity and massive wealth.

Sitting quietly, Jason laughed inwardly. The bottle Matthew had just blindly ordered was frighteningly expensive.

it was a bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild 1787.

Across the table, Jason and Charlotte briefly exchanged a glance. Without saying a single word, they understood each other perfectly. Together, they had just dug a massive pit, and Matthew had swan-dived straight into it.

As the luxurious meal began and the wine was poured, the classmates started discussing their post-graduation plans. Naturally, Matthew took the opportunity to commandeer the conversation.

"I plan to start my own firm right out of the gate," Matthew boasted, swirling his dark red wine. "My family is providing me with a hundred thousand dollars in start-up capital. No point in working a nine-to-five when you're born to be a boss."

Everyone immediately flattered him, praising him as a genius with a starting line far above ordinary people.

"Actually, I'm already in talks with John Starr," Matthew continued, name-dropping with a smug smile. "We're going to do some business together. If things go well, I'll take the company public within five years."

Hearing that he had direct connections with the untouchable Starr family, the class admired him even more. Several students practically begged him for jobs.

"Don't worry," Matthew laughed, waving his hand generously. "I'll make sure to reserve a few entry-level positions for my classmates."

Jason sipped his water, sneering inwardly. The Starr family? Gina’s financial strike had already caused the Starr family’s stock to plunge into a catastrophic free-fall. By tomorrow, John’s father would be fighting just to keep his company from going bankrupt. These people clearly hadn't checked the financial news yet.

Matthew then turned his attention to the prize he actually wanted. "Charlotte, what about you? If you join my company after graduation, I'll promise you the Vice President position on day one."

Charlotte didn't answer him directly. Instead, she turned her head, fixing her beautiful eyes on Jason.

"What do you think, Jason?" she asked softly, her tone carrying a subtle, ambiguous warmth that only the two of them understood. "Should I take the job?"

Matthew’s face flushed red with jealousy. Charlotte was openly accepting his expensive food and wine, yet she was deliberately flirting with the class's poorest loser right in front of him.

Desperate to regain control of the room, Matthew spent the next hour trying to impress her. He suggested moving to an exclusive karaoke bar later, and even offered to book her a suite in the hotel so she could rest. Charlotte politely, but firmly, rejected every single offer.

Having completely lost face, Matthew grew embarrassed and furious.

"Alright, we're done here," Matthew announced abruptly, standing up. "Waiter! Bring the bill!"

The waiter entered the room, carrying a sleek black leather folder. He placed it delicately on the table in front of Matthew.

Matthew casually picked up the receipt, trying to maintain his relaxed, wealthy persona. But the absolute second his eyes landed on the total number at the bottom of the page, all the color drained from his face.

The private room f*e, the exorbitant service charge, and the luxury steaks were already ridiculously high. But the bottle of wine—the one he had aggressively ordered without asking the price—made up a terrifying eighty percent of the bill.

Matthew’s fingers stiffened. His heart hammered violently against his ribs. it was a staggering $200,000 bills waiting to be paid. the last drink alone, costs $165,000.

Only now, staring at a number that vastly exceeded the balance in his bank account, did he realize what had happened. Charlotte and Jason had set a trap for him.

Jason leaned back in his chair, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips. "What’s wrong, Matthew? Can’t afford it?"

Matthew’s face turned a livid, ugly shade of purple. Panic and humiliation warred in his eyes. He slammed the leather folder onto the table.

"You're the one who suggested ordering the wine first!" Matthew barked desperately, pointing a shaking finger at Jason. "I'm not paying for your extravagant tastes! The bill gets split down the middle! You pay half!"

As soon as he said this, the entire room turned to Jason.

The flattering cheers from earlier vanished, replaced by cruel mockery. They laughed at the delusional, broke loser, waiting excitedly to see him humiliate himself when his card inevitably declined. Even Colman sat frozen, entirely stunned by the astronomical number printed on the receipt, temporarily losing the ability to think.

Jason only smiled faintly.

Without a word of protest, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek, jet-black metal credit card. It was the exact same card Gina had slipped into his coat pocket that morning in the hotel suite, whispering, "Just in case you need to remind someone who you are."

He casually tossed the matte black card onto the table. It landed with a heavy, expensive *clink*.