Once they arrived at the 3rd floor, the air surrounding them seemed somewhat heavy.
A woman again stopped them at another reception. "I'm sorry sir, but only members are allowed to take their belongings within the premises," she said, motioning for him to leave his things by the reception.
Augustus nodded and placed his old phone with many cracks into a valet box, their expressions dropping with a frown.
Then he pulled out his debit card, and after looking at the bank's name, the receptionist glared at Michelle, her frown deepening.
Augustus smiled, noticing their reaction. Then, in the end, he finally pulled out his iPhone 17 Ultra, its golden 'Limited Edition' gleaming in the light. He gently placed it down.
"That is all I'm carrying," he said with a soft smile.
Both of their eyes showed stunned expressions. Even if Augustus didn't know much about the phone, the staff were trained to recognize such important products at first glance. After all, being one of just 170 people spoke volumes.
Michelle exhaled a sigh of relief. Bringing poor people to the 3rd floor was a no-go.
Augustus received the green signal with a nod and entered an almost endless glass room. "Private training sessions are one-on-one," Michelle explained as they walked.
"All trainers have elite military or Olympic backgrounds."
Augustus looked around, noticing someone grappling with an ex-soldier. Turning his head, he even noticed someone recovering in the cryo-chamber.
Damn, this place has medical recovery, expert guidance, and with all these top-grade facilities... this place is heaven for gym rats, he mused after taking in his surroundings.
This place wasn't just a gym. It was a war prep center for the rich and famous.
"3-Star members have 24/7 access, full discretion, and a private chef if requested."
Augustus smirked. Not bad. I thought monthly $6000 was way too expensive, but this looks worth every penny.
As he was walking by, "Wait, is that Bella Simmons? And the one she's talking to is Truett McCullough?" he asked with furrowed brows. One was a famous model while the other was a boxer.
"Haha, yes, sir, we have many celebrities here. After all, this is Bridgemont City's main branch," Michelle encouraged with a delighted smile.
Augustus nodded with a thoughtful look, then glanced at Michelle. "Alright, I'll take the 3-Stars membership," he said with a small smile.
Michelle's eyes lit up with happiness. "R-really, sir?" he asked excitedly. After all, with every 3-star sale, he would get a commission of $500.
"You can call me Augustus, and yes, I'm in. Let's go and get the billing done," he affirmed, looking at the $250,000 reward with a small smile.
They both walked toward the receptionist, and Augustus swiped his card. Moments passed, and after completing some procedures, he was given a blue card, at its center were three small whales.
"Here is my number, Augustus. You can find me on floor 2 as a trainer. And with this blue card acting as a pass, you are given full freedom within any WhaleFit branch," he said and questioned, "Will you start from today?"
I wanted to complete the 3 sessions quickly, but because of those 100 pushups task, my body is still aching, he thought and shook his head. "I'll join from tomorrow onwards," he mumbled.
"Alright, you will soon be assigned a personal trainer," Michelle said.
***
Augustus stepped out of the WhaleFit building, and the city again buzzed with life. Many top model cars passed by, and every now and then, there were also luxury sports cars.
Growl…
Although I have eaten, for some reason I'm feeling hungry again. His stomach growled, but having been used to being hungry, he had ignored his hunger most of the time.
Don't forget your roots, Augustus, he mused as if that growl had been a stark reminder of who he truly was.
"Nonetheless I'll live my life to the fullest," he mumbled with a determined expression and took a step to go to a well-known restaurant.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Task #08:
[×] – Dine at a 3-star Michelin restaurant and eat to your heart's content.
| Penalty: For the next day, all food tastes bland and unappetizing.
Indulge without guilt. Taste the joy of a life you've gotten.
| Reward: $100,000 + Bill amount + Satisfaction.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
"Haha, I love you system. My frugal mind could never think of eating there. You truly understand how one should live," he beamed with joy.
Then with a thoughtful look "and is it just me or your starting to become generous with your rewards. Whatever the more the merrier" He mused. And immediately pulled out his iphone to search '3-star hotels nearby.'
Fortunately, there was one just 200 meters away. He smiled and began walking toward the restaurant.
Stepping inside the Markers restaurant, he marveled.
The restaurant's interior was elegant and rich, with golden chandeliers glowing softly from high ceilings. Polished marble floors, velvet chairs, and crisp white tablecloths gave the space a calm, expensive feel. Quiet music and the scent of fresh flowers completed the perfect setting.
Augustus walked toward the reservation manager and asked, "Hello, can I get a table please?" with a light smile.
"I'm sorry, sir, but all the tables are full," he said and walked away, not even waiting for any sort of negotiation.
"Ohh," Augustus mused with a dull tone and thought, What do I do now? I need to eat at a 3-star restaurant to complete the task, and I'm sure other restaurants at this level are also full.
He was right to think that way, as the sun was setting and these were the peak hours. Getting a table was almost impossible unless you booked earlier or had connections…
Connections… Augustus's brows shot up; he quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Michelle's number.
"Hello Augustus, how can I help you?"
"I wanted to eat in the Markers restaurant, but here all the tables are full," he explained.
"Ohh, that's easy. Just show your WhaleFit membership card to them. You can access one pre-reserved table per month, and not only that, there are many more benefits."
"Alright, thanks Michelle," he thanked and cut the call.
So the card isn't just for gym flex, he smirked and glanced at the manager. "Excuse me, sir," Augustus called again.
"Like I said, we're full right now—"
"I have a reservation through WhaleFit." The manager paused and turned around with a surprised look. "Could you please show me your membership card?"
Augustus smiled, "Sure," and flashed his card in the manager's face.
He narrowed his brows, then said, "This way, sir, please follow me," politely leading him to a table.
Augustus was given a window table with a view of the city. With a turn of his head, he marveled at the restaurant and its calm and slow vibe.
On the other hand, he could also easily see the city view as every now and then a superbike or car passed through the window. It was an extraordinary experience.
"Hello sir, what would you like to order?" A waiter questioned mannerly and began, "Tonight's experience is our 14-course seasonal tasting menu by Chef Élan. Are there any dietary restrictions we should be aware of?"
"Can I order whatever I want?"
"Ahh, yes sir. Customization is possible. Would you prefer that?"
Augustus looked at the menu. If I'm going to eat any fancy food, that would be of my choice, he thought, looking at the menu, though with all the fancy names he had no clue what they meant. He scanned the menu and pointed out most of the expensive things.
The waiter nodded with a forced smile and walked away. Then after a few minutes, "Here you go, sir. Your starter: Lobster Bisque with Cognac Foam," he skillfully placed it on the table.
Without hesitation, Augustus took his first bite. "Mmmmm," his eyes widened. The poor tongue, which only knew the taste of noodles, was assaulted with the rich lobster flavor with a creamy, salty-sweet aftertaste.
And before he knew it, the porcelain bowl had been emptied out. However, he didn't wait for too long, as the main course was served soon: A5 Wagyu Striploin with Charred Asparagus.
The steak melted in his mouth. Regretting that he had finished the starter too quickly, he slowly and quietly chewed the meat, savoring its juices with every bite.
Soon the dessert was also finished: Valrhona Chocolate Sphere.
He even repeated a few dishes, eating to his heart's content while sipping on an expensive Château Pétrus Pomerol wine, sir.
But just as Augustus lifted the wine glass for the last sip, he saw a couple arguing with the reservation manager. Tilting his head, he focused on them. Did they not get a table like me? he thought and stood up.
After walking toward them, "What is happening here, Manager Kendrick?" he questioned.
The manager who was arguing with them looked at Augustus. "Nothing for you to worry about, sir. Please enjoy your dining experience," he said with a forced smile.
However, the woman who was arguing chimed in, "We booked a table 15 days ago for our anniversary, and I wanted to surprise my husband with a nice dinner. But now this man says he didn't get one," she said, looking at the manager with an angry expression.
"Dear, let's go. We will eat somewhere else–" her husband said in a dulled tone.