Before Luo Wei could speak, Jane blurted out, "Senior Kael, actually, Luo Wei already has a gold membership. She has 50,000 points on her card, equivalent to five unused gold coins!"

Who would give away an empty membership card without any points?

Not to mention Luo Wei, even Jane herself had a silver membership card.

A silver membership could be obtained by depositing one gold coin, offering a 10% discount. She came today intending to upgrade to gold membership by depositing ten gold coins, as the 20% discount would make indulging in cakes even more economical.

The staff had mentioned that gold members could also unlock the privilege to customize birthday cakes, designing their own cake patterns. She had been eagerly anticipating this for quite some time.

Jane touched her newly bulging money pouch, her expression somewhat dreamy.

It was peculiar. The more she pondered, the more Senior Kael's earlier words made her want to bury her face in embarrassment. It made her want to dash upstairs and hide, though she couldn't quite understand why.

Jane had never heard the term "secondhand embarrassment." If she had, she might have grasped why she felt the urge to hide.

However, Jane's words had once again put Kael in an awkward position. His lips quivered twice, his cheeks turning slightly blue.

"Ha... ha, so you already have one too, junior. Haha, what a coincidence..."

The repeated social faux pas left him weak-kneed. The neurons in his cerebral cortex had become sluggish due to overstimulation, causing him to utter such stiff words.

Kael's face contorted for a moment. He clenched his fist and looked at the cashier maid: "Don't you have any higher-level memberships here besides gold?"

The maid answered reflexively: "Yes, we have four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond VIP. If you deposit 100 gold coins on the spot, you can obtain the Diamond membership card."

100 gold coins!

Kael clenched his fists. This must be a racket!

100 gold coins, she might as well rob him!

Despite the fury boiling in his heart, Kael had to feign nonchalance: "100 gold coins is trivial. But carrying so many gold coins is cumbersome. Do you accept alternative forms of payment here?"

He puffed out his chest, showing no trepidation whatsoever.

When he entered the shop earlier, he had noticed that patrons buying cakes only paid with gold and silver coins. The maid's cash box also only contained these two types of currency, so she would surely answer "No."

If she said no, then it wouldn't be his fault.

He had plenty of wealth. Any jewel plucked from his belt would be worth thousands of gold coins!

The maid indeed hesitated for a moment, but instead of directly declining, she inquired: "Sir, what form of payment did you have in mind? We accept any tangible goods, but we don't support credit or loans."

During their training, the owner had informed them that some great nobles dislike carrying money. They might casually toss out a gem or a few pearls. In such cases, barter could be accepted, so they shouldn't be too rigid.

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Of course, Luo Wei had never witnessed such a scene in reality. She had only seen it in novels and on TV.

Rich young ladies used gold beads for slingshots, shooting them out without a care. Some young masters would toss gold and silver ingots when buying wonton at a street stall, never having counted copper coins.

Perhaps this game world was just like those novels and TV shows, where nobles liked to throw gold into water just to watch the splash?

The maid didn't offer an easy way out, and Kael nearly ground his silver teeth to dust.

"Can I pay with gems?"

His chest heaving, he suddenly yanked a blue sapphire the size of a fingernail from the middle of his belt and placed it on the counter: "Look, is this sufficient to purchase your diamond membership?"

The maid had no expertise in appraising gems, so she looked to Luo Wei for assistance.

"A exquisite sapphire," Luo Wei casually leaned forward, "Blue with a hint of purple, clear and pure, with a vibrant color. Like a blue cornflower. Such a substantial one must weigh four or five grams."

Jane's eyes were also transfixed: "Such a brilliant blue. This must be a top-tier treasure from the Suo River region. A one-gram gem is worth 100 gold coins!"

The three spoke loudly enough, and since they had been blocking the front without moving, a long queue had formed behind them. Hearing about the blue sapphire, a large group of people gathered around.

"Heavens, it's a sapphire from the Suo River!"

"Isn't this caliber of sapphire exclusively for the royal family?"

"Sometimes kings award them to beloved subjects. One is enough to purchase a title in the Southern Principality."

"So it's Senior Kael. There have always been rumors that he's of royal descent. No wonder he can produce such a precious sapphire!"

"My goodness, is Senior Kael using a gem to recharge for the supreme membership? Escari has been open for so long without a single supreme member. Am I about to witness the birth of a supreme member today?"

"As expected of the noble royal member Senior Kael. He just casually gives away a top-tier sapphire. Wah, I'm so envious."

"Me too, I covet one so badly. It would make such a stunning necklace!"

Kael listened, feeling as if he were floating on cloud nine. All the humiliation he had suffered earlier dissipated in this moment, even giving him a sense of vindication.

"Senior, such a precious item, perhaps we should reconsider?" Luo Wei glanced at Kael, mischievously adding fuel to the fire, "I doubt this shop can afford to compensate that much. We're just here for a meal, there's no need to deposit so much."

Her words only exacerbated the situation. Kael's chin immediately lifted skyward: "Deposit? Why not? It's just one gem. I have plenty more!"

Today, he absolutely must become a Diamond VIP member!

Fearing that the maid might obstruct his path to becoming a supreme member due to insufficient funds, Kael waved his hand grandly: "No need to compensate. Just exchange it for the membership at the price of 100 gold coins."

Luo Wei brushed her hair behind her ear, and the maid promptly agreed: "Certainly, sir!"

She carefully wrapped the sapphire in a handkerchief and placed it in a box. Then she took out a wooden case and presented it to Kael with both hands.

"Esteemed Diamond member, this is your waist token. Please safeguard it. The token is engraved with a unique serial number and cannot be replaced if lost."

Kael accepted the wooden case and opened it before everyone, extracting a warm white jade token. A ripple of emotion flashed in his eyes.

He hadn't anticipated that even a small dessert shop would craft such an exquisite membership card.

It was a round cloud-patterned token carved from white jade. It was suspended with a diamond knot cord and four-turn pan-chang knot fashioned from gold and silver threads, designed to be worn as a jade pendant at the waist. Silver thread tassels cascaded from the bottom.

"Wow, the supreme member's card is so beautiful! The pattern on the cord is so unique, and that knot resembles a butterfly!"

"It's gorgeous! Is this truly just a membership card? I want to purchase one to wear around my neck. It would complement my puffy dress perfectly."

Amidst the crowd's discussion, Kael proudly hung the waist token on his belt, perfectly concealing the empty spot where the gem had been.

As he walked, the long tassels swayed gently, adding a touch of elegance and making him appear even more statuesque.

The envious gazes from those around him greatly satisfied Kael's vanity. He shook out his clothes and looked nonchalantly at Luo Wei and Jane: "Junior sisters, shall we proceed upstairs?"

Hmph, take that! Now these two women would surely be head over heels for him!

To be continued