Chapter 205: I Foot The Entire Bill
Chapter 205: I Foot The Entire Bill
As they chatted, Steven and his group finally arrived on Rhodes Island’s deck.
What was usually a spacious and empty area had now transformed into a bustling festival-like gathering.
The aircrafts had been moved aside, freeing up a massive space, nearly the size of several soccer fields. The deck was now packed with people walking around freely, enjoying the lively atmosphere.
On the side, tables had been set up, displaying a lavish spread of food and drinks—all provided by Steven, completely free for anyone to take.
For some of the infected nobles who had been sent here by aristocrats, this felt no different from the luxurious parties they used to attend in their past lives—except now, the guests weren’t high-society elites, but infected patients from all over the world.
Of course, these wealthy patients were only a small minority.
Most of the people here were common infected, rescued by Rhodes Island from the harsh realities of the world outside.
To them, being able to freely enjoy such beautifully crafted delicacies was nothing short of a dream.
The exquisite presentation of the food, the rich aromas of drinks and wine—scents they had never encountered in their entire lives—created a surreal, almost fantastical experience.
Yet, when they finally took a bite, and the rich flavors spread across their tongues, filling their empty stomachs, their smiles became genuine—pure, undeniable happiness.
At that moment, the deck no longer felt like the waiting area for some competition.
It had become something more like a massive banquet, where most people were simply lost in the joy of food and drink.
For the vast majority of infected patients, this was heaven.
Thoughts of the upcoming competition?
That could wait.
Right now, being able to enjoy such a feast was more than enough to make them feel blessed.
Watching the massive crowd before him, Steven found himself momentarily stunned.
He had never realized just how many people Rhodes Island had taken in.
At the very least, Kal'tsit hadn’t slacked off when she promised to spread word about the event.
She really had brought almost everyone on the island here.
“Not gonna lie, this is the first time I’ve seen Rhodes Island this lively.”
“I never knew we had this many patients.”
At some point, Gavial had arrived beside him, taking in the scene with awe.
Meanwhile, Ceobe, who had been standing next to Steven, had already bolted off like an unleashed husky, darting between tables, indulging in the endless ocean of food.
Steven squinted at the crowd.
“Yeah, there must be at least a thousand people here.”
“Good thing I prepared enough.”
He was used to seeing Rhodes Island’s population in smaller, enclosed spaces, so it was never obvious just how many people lived here.
But now that they were all gathered together, it was hard to ignore—Rhodes Island was massive.
And then, a sobering thought crossed his mind.
These infected here—they were the lucky ones.
The ones who had been rescued, who had a chance at survival.
But what about those who weren’t so fortunate?
How many were still suffering outside, waiting for a miracle that might never come?
This world…
Was even harsher than he had imagined.
Gavial glanced at him, then asked suspiciously:
“So, what’s your real identity?”
“Are you secretly the heir to some massive financial group?”
“Or maybe even some prince from a royal family?”
She narrowed her eyes.
“According to Closure, you paid for all of this.”
“And judging by the sheer cost of everything here… we’re talking about a fortune.”
She stared at Steven, still struggling to figure him out.
She had already been shocked multiple times by his unbelievable skills.
And now, here he was, pulling off yet another surprise.
But wait, if he was really that rich, then why did he go out of his way to extort her the first time they met?
Gavial’s eyebrows twitched.
As she recalled that unpleasant memory, she glared at Steven.
"What? It’s my money, I’ll spend it how I want."
"Maybe this looks like a fortune to you, but for me?"
"It’s just pocket change."
Steven smirked proudly, tilting his head slightly.
He was curious, why did Gavial suddenly shoot him a glare?
Did he do something wrong?
Or maybe this little crocodile just couldn’t handle this kind of food and wanted something heavier?
Sashimi, perhaps?
“Hmph. Well, anyway—good job."
"I don’t think I’ve seen everyone this happy in a long time.”
“Though honestly, only a fool like you would willingly cover all these costs.”
Gavial rolled her eyes at him, but then her expression softened into a bright, genuine smile as she looked back at the infected and operators, all lost in the joy of food.
Seeing this lively and harmonious scene reminded her of home—of the tribal gatherings during festivals, where everyone would come together.
Of course, back in Acahualla, there were no luxurious dishes or fancy wines, but the atmosphere was just as vibrant and warm.
Rhodes Island was great in many ways.
But if there was one thing it lacked, it was moments like this—where the entire community could truly relax and enjoy themselves.
Then again, she also understood just how difficult it was to organize something on this scale.
Even setting aside the astronomical costs, just procuring all this food and drink would have required Rhodes Island’s entire logistics team to work at full capacity.
And that meant—Kal'tsit had to approve it first.
Convincing that ever-serious Feline doctor to agree to an event like this?
Yeah, probably only Steven could pull that off.
Even if someone else had the money, they still wouldn’t have been able to get Kal'tsit’s approval.
"So... can I take this as a compliment?"
Steven’s grin widened.
Of course, who else could pull off something like this?
If Rhodes Island ever wanted regular parties, they’d have to rely on him.
Not that he minded—he was happy to do it.
Even if this wasn’t profitable, it was worth it.
“Tsk, let’s just say you barely deserve it.”
“But yeah, you did good.”
Gavial gave him a thumbs-up, her eyes filled with genuine respect and gratitude.
“That said, don’t think this means I’ll go easy on you in the competition.”
“We’re rivals now, remember?”
“I heard you’re competing too.”
Her smile quickly disappeared as she tilted her chin up, looking at him with a proud, competitive glint in her eyes.
Steven blinked.
"Wait, you’re competing too?"
"I thought you’d think this whole thing was... childish."
Honestly, he hadn’t expected Gavial to join a championship like this.
Then again, considering the prize, maybe it wasn’t so surprising after all.
“Hah, don’t get the wrong idea.”
“I’ve been competing for years—I even joined the last two championships."
"This is one of the very few forms of entertainment for Rhodes Island operators."
“Besides, the previous championships weren’t nearly this grand.”
Gavial squinted her eyes, looking smug.
She wasn’t here for the prize.
She was here because it was fun.
“Looks like we’re rivals, then.”
Steven nodded, then immediately put on an exaggerated "battle-ready" stance, turning to face the girl beside him as if she were a formidable opponent.
“Do you really have to act like that?”
“Listen, don’t think you’ve got this in the bag just yet.”
Gavial rolled her eyes at him.
“Let me tell you something—when it comes to swivel chair-racing, there’s one elite operator you definitely shouldn’t underestimate.”
She raised a slender finger, pointing towards a small group of elite operators who were happily eating and drinking together.
She then gave Steven a knowing glance.
No matter how impressive he was, there was no way he had some crazy talent or special gadget that could help him dominate in a swivel chair-racing contest.
That would just be too ridiculous.
But among the elite operators, there was someone who had already won two consecutive championships in this event—a truly formidable opponent.
“Who?”
Steven followed Gavial’s gaze, looking in the direction she had pointed.
His eyes landed on a young Sarkaz man with strange twin horns on his head.
At the same time, as if sensing Steven’s gaze, the handsome Sarkaz turned his head and locked eyes with him.
For a brief moment, the two men simply stared at each other.
Then, almost instinctively, both softened their expressions into friendly smiles and gave each other a polite nod.
Steven then casually shifted his gaze away.
“Huh… A guy whose looks can actually rival mine?”
“I’m afraid… I can’t let him live.”
Steven stroked his chin, muttering under his breath.
It wasn’t that he had any particular opinion about the guy.
But at the very least—he had to admit the man was good-looking.
More than that, though, what really caught his interest was the aura surrounding him.
That faint yet undeniable presence—an unmistakable "main character" vibe.
It was the kind of energy you’d expect from the protagonist of some power fantasy novel.
Of course, Steven wasn’t actually hostile toward him.
Anyone who could mingle with that group of elite operators definitely wasn’t some ordinary person.
And let’s be real—winning two consecutive swivel chair-racing championships?
That alone made him suspiciously unhinged.
All things considered, Steven’s first impression of the guy wasn’t bad.
Maybe this was what people called mutual recognition between handsome men.
Gavial, on the other hand, rolled her eyes yet again.
At this point, she had long since given up on expecting Steven to show even an ounce of humility.
Meanwhile, back in the group of elite operators—
As the handsome Sarkaz man retracted his gaze, a burly figure sitting beside him also noticed the exchange.
Ace, still in the middle of devouring a large piece of roasted meat, glanced up and asked,
“Logos, what are you looking at?”
Logos—his name now revealed—smiled slightly.
Then, in his deep, magnetic voice, he replied,
“I just saw someone I don’t know.”
“But just by looking at him, I can tell—”
“He’s definitely going to be interesting.”
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