A price increase?
The price is already ridiculous enough! How crazy would it get if he raised it again?
Tommy and Kermit immediately started griping, but it was half-joking. After all, if the price got too high, they just wouldn't come back—no need to make a huge fuss.
Dexter chuckled and played along for a moment, then turned to Veronica and the others. "You guys go ahead and eat. Don't wait for me; I'm going to get their meals ready."
Veronica was already drooling, but she grit her teeth and insisted on waiting for Dexter to finish up.
"Come on, you're the star tonight. Besides, the food won't taste as good cold, so just eat," Dexter insisted.
After a few back-and-forths, Veronica finally gave in.
Dexter said no more and headed toward the kitchen.
Fiona subtly turned her head, watching Dexter's retreating back, her mood... indescribably complicated.
She couldn't help it.
On one hand, Dexter was seriously amazing—his cooking was out of this world.
On the other, and this was the most crucial part, she had calculated the money countless times by now...
One meal for $128 meant the server would get at least $12.80 in tips. Usually, a customer would just tip $13, not worrying about the twenty cents...
If the restaurant continued like tonight, selling ten meals at lunch and ten at dinner, that would be twenty meals a day. The two servers would split $260 in tips, which is $130 each...
That's almost $4,000 in tips a month! Plus a base salary of $5,000!!!
If she were working here, her monthly income would be around $10,000!
Ten thousand dollars!
What would she be able to do with that kind of money? What would happen to the Gallaghers?
Instead...
Because of that idiot Lip, she had to give up this job and go back to doing minimum-wage temp work that was either soul-crushing or physically exhausting...
'What did I do?' Fiona felt a wave of dizziness wash over her, and she hated Lip all over again.
At that moment, Veronica noticed Fiona staring at Dexter and saw the complicated look on her face. Without even having to think, she knew why. Veronica had done the math too and knew how much she was going to be making.
Veronica let out a silent sigh, her mouth moving as if to speak, but she had no idea what to say, so she just lowered her head and quietly ate her food.
Dexter reached the kitchen door but didn't rush in. He turned and subtly looked at Fiona.
He had already noticed Fiona's strange behavior and guessed the reason.
To be honest, he was thrilled.
This was his goal.
Hiring Veronica, and then happily letting Fiona come over...
He wanted to hit Fiona hard, make her realize what she had given up, worsen her relationship with Lip, and make her regret her choice...
Only then could Fiona wake up faster, realize she needed to think about herself, and cut the cord with the Gallaghers.
The truth was, this restaurant was fundamentally a tool. From the beginning, his idea was for the restaurant to primarily help him complete his missions and, secondarily, help Kevin and Veronica live better lives...
As for making money, come on, he wasn't short on cash. Why bother?
Sure, putting Fiona through this torture might seem a little cruel.
But what choice did he have?
He had tried the gentle approach before, offering Fiona a job, but she insisted on self-destructing and made the wrong choice.
So, he had to try a different method.
Dexter smiled, pleased with Fiona's reaction, pushed the door open, and got busy in the kitchen.
---
Clang, clang.
It didn't take long. Veronica and the others, who were completely focused on the amazing food in front of them with no time for conversation, devoured every last bite.
"That was good! Seriously good!! I've never eaten anything this good before!" Carl put down his spoon, licked his lips, and offered genuine praise.
Kevin immediately nodded in agreement. "Me too. I never thought rice could taste like that. I feel like everything I ate before was garbage!"
Veronica laughed. "We're screwed now. After eating something this incredible, what are we gonna do? Can we even eat anything else?"
Kevin hadn't thought about that, and the reminder shocked him. "Oh man, the prices here are so high..."
Then, Kevin's face suddenly lit up, and he grinned widely. "Wait, I almost forgot! Dexter said I never have to pay to eat here!"
At that, Carl's eyes widened instantly. "Seriously? That's a thing?"
Kevin nodded proudly. "It's totally a thing."
Carl heard him, and a huge shock ran through his little brain. "What do I gotta do to be like you and eat here for free?! I want to eat here every day!"
"..." Kevin was stumped. "Uh, I don't know either. Maybe ask Dexter later?"
"Okay!" Carl nodded vigorously, his face serious.
Fiona overheard this and, with a complex feeling in her heart, intervened. "Carl, don't be ridiculous. Dexter runs a business, not a charity. Don't go asking him that."
Carl ignored Fiona completely.
Debbie spoke up at this point, firmly taking Fiona's side. "Honestly, the food was just okay. It's not better than a three-dollar burger. You guys are exaggerating."
Hearing that, Veronica and Kevin exchanged a glance, shook their heads, and didn't say anything.
Fiona, of course, knew why Debbie was saying this and felt a little embarrassed. "Debbie, don't talk nonsense. Dexter is treating us to a meal. How can you say something like that?"
Debbie put on a tough little face. "I can't tell the truth?"
"No, stop talking," Fiona shook her head.
Ian also thought Debbie was being disingenuous, and it wasn't cool. "Debbie, you shouldn't do that."
"If this restaurant keeps up this quality, it's going to blow up in Chicago in just a few days," Steve interjected, changing the subject. "I bet people from all the other neighborhoods will be flocking here."
When Kevin heard that, he immediately thought of Dexter's earlier suggestion and got excited. Dexter's cooking was this amazing, and soon, customers would be pouring in... And the Alibi Room was right next to Dex Restaurant...
If some of those customers, especially the ones from other neighborhoods, walked into the Alibi...
The money would just keep rolling in!
Kevin was seriously thinking about buying the Alibi Room and his thoughts started racing.
Veronica looked at Kevin and was deep in thought herself.
V decided to rub her full belly, said nothing, and just happily watched everyone, finding it all very entertaining.
Two minutes later.
Dexter delivered the final meal to the customer who had been watching everyone else scarf down their food and was practically losing it waiting.
"My apologies for the wait. Please enjoy."
With that, Dexter walked over to Kevin and the others and asked with a smile, "So, how was my cooking?"
Debbie was about to speak.
Fiona anticipated it, gave Debbie a quick glare, and jumped in first, forcing a compliment. "It was absolutely fantastic, Dexter. You're seriously talented."
After that, the praise, naturally, came pouring in.
Even the other customers nearby—Tommy, Kermit, and the rest—joined in, complimenting him nonstop.
"Boss Ding, this was totally worth the money! You can't raise the price!" Tommy was set on being a regular and said it with sincere seriousness. "If you raise it again, I really won't be able to afford it."
"Haha, Tommy, you make good money, no need to be modest," Dexter laughed, then added, "But don't worry, the increase will just be a small bump, nothing major."
Tommy: "!!!! You're actually going to raise the price!!"
"Of course! I have two gorgeous waitresses here. If I don't raise the price, what will they eat and drink? How will they live the good life?"
Tommy: "??????"
Veronica: "??????"
V: "😊"
Fiona: "..."
Fiona couldn't take it anymore and wanted to bail.