Chapter 116: Lunch at Rudi Restaurant
Afternoon in the city of life, Lein's car moved through the busy city streets. He observed the bustling city from inside the car, feeling pleased that everything was going according to plan—perhaps even better than the initial plan he had devised.
The five-meter-wide asphalt streets were filled with luxury cars hovering slightly above the road, sleek S-shaped bicycles zipping along the sidewalks, and cheerful pedestrians with smiles on their faces. The residents of the city of life lived in great comfort, all their needs were met, they felt no external threats from monsters, and their rights as citizens were well protected by the government.
Initially, the government officials chosen by Nita tried to employ the same deceitful and corrupt methods they used back on Earth. However, Lein was always watching, and with his overwhelming power, he swiftly executed or imprisoned those corrupt officials. Of course, what the public saw was Nita reporting them to the media, while Lein worked behind the scenes, known only to high-level individuals.
"Sir, we will arrive in five minutes," the driver in the front seat broke the silence inside the car.
Lein snapped out of his reverie, looking at the familiar buildings they were passing. He noticed several roadside shops selling various ready-made foods and unique food carts along the sidewalk offering various snacks.
Lein nodded in response to the driver and continued observing the small roadside shops.
Five minutes passed quickly, and Lein's car finally arrived at a building with a large sign above it that read "Rudi Resto." Yes, this was Lein's favorite restaurant. This restaurant offered a variety of traditional Indonesian dishes, representing hundreds of ethnic groups with their unique cuisines. Such a restaurant with such a vast menu was rare in the Divine Sky Realm since people had migrated.
The car parked in a lot next to the restaurant, and Lein got out, walking leisurely towards the restaurant. As he approached the door, he saw a security guard with a scanning device in his right hand. The guard was shocked and couldn't believe his eyes when he saw who was approaching.
"Please, come in, Island Owner," the guard said, bowing and gesturing towards the door. He didn't check Lein, who was arriving.
Lein politely replied, "Thank you," and continued walking through the door with ease.
While Lein entered Rudi's restaurant, social media was abuzz with a post about a photo of Lein getting out of his car and entering Rudi's restaurant.
"Wow... the Island Owner is at his favorite restaurant," posted someone named Gerald on a social media platform called "ULINK."
In just a matter of minutes, the post had garnered thousands of reactions and hundreds of comments.
"What? Is there still an empty table at Rudi's restaurant?" commented an account named Dika.
"I saw the Island Owner walk past my table too; his aura is intimidating. His status panel shows he's already Tier-3. Very powerful," commented an account named Kaleb.
"I'm here right now. The Island Owner is very handsome. Unfortunately, we can't approach him," commented an account named Siska, attaching a photo of Lein sitting inside the restaurant near a window.
As Siska mentioned, Lein had already made a statement that people were not to approach him like a celebrity. He preferred to be treated like an ordinary citizen, albeit within certain limits. Because of this restriction, it was rare to see people approaching Lein with a book, shirt, or shoes in hand for an autograph.
In response, people only discussed Lein on social media. And whenever someone posted about Lein, that post would undoubtedly trend for several days.
Back at Rudi's Restaurant, Lein looked at the food in front of him with an excited expression. He was a bit hungry at the moment, so he couldn't wait to dig in. In front of him were several plates of food with various dishes. The first was a plate of rice, salted egg, roasted meat, and brown-colored jackfruit. Yes, this was a traditional dish from Yogyakarta, Gudeg.
Then there was a bowl of brown soup; Lein stirred it and found minced meat inside.
"Rawon... hmm," Lein said, drooling a little.
For a drink, Lein ordered bandrek, a brown beverage with a strong ginger flavor. Lein loved this drink because it refreshed his throat after drinking it.
Without waiting any longer, Lein started with the main course, Gudeg. The slow-cooked jackfruit of the Gudeg was very delicious, so Lein ate that first, followed by the rice, meat, and egg.
"Delicious..."
"The jackfruit is thoroughly cleaned. It's very comfortable to chew."
In between bites of the food in front of him, Lein couldn't help but express words of praise and gratitude for being able to eat comfortably. Every time he dined at a restaurant, Lein was reminded of the tough times on Earth, having to save his monthly salary to pay rent and Nita's school fees.
The remaining money wasn't enough to allow him to eat in a luxurious place like Rudi's restaurant where he was now.
Because of those bitter experiences, Lein was always grateful for the good life he now had in the Divine Sky Realm.
After finishing the main course, Lein moved on to the Rawon. Not to be outdone by the Gudeg, Lein thoroughly enjoyed the Rawon in front of him. The minced meat inside had a smooth texture and a slight warmth from the spices.
Feeling a bit thirsty, Lein drank the bandrek that had been untouched until now.
"Ah... delicious... refreshing..."
Just like that, Lein enjoyed his meal to the fullest.
***
Sacred Star Academy - Leader's Room.
At that moment, the leader of the Sacred Star Academy, an old man with a long white beard, was discussing something with several Teachers in front of him.
"Mr. Yusuf, is what you're saying true?" one of the teachers asked the academy leader.
Hearing the teacher's question, the other teachers also paid more attention. They had only recently arrived at the leader's room, hastily summoned by the leader himself for a meeting.
"Yes, I also received the information unexpectedly from the Island Owner himself. He will be visiting our academy in 20 minutes," said the academy leader named Yusuf.