Chapter 357 My Stomach Has Never Been Very Healthy!

As Mark and Brian entered the banquet hall, Mark greeted Ryder with a warm smile. "Mr. Clark, I've heard so much about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. You truly are as impressive as the rumors say!"

Saying this, he extended his hand to shake Ryder's!

Naturally, Ryder stood up and shook Mark's hand. "You flatter me; compared to you, Mr. Davis, I am still far behind!"

Mark laughed and said, "Don't be so formal. We're all in the Houston business circle. If you don't mind, just call me Mark, haha!"

Ryder didn't stand on ceremony. "Then I'll take you up on that! Mark!"

"Mr. Clark, please have a seat!" Mark gestured for Ryder to sit down.

Ryder sat down.

Mark sat opposite Ryder, with Sandra between them.

Rex sat to Ryder's right.

As for Brian, he stood behind Mark and did not sit down!

Seeing this, Ryder asked, "Mark, you said there would be a banquet tonight. I thought there would be quite a few people. Why is it just us? No one else?"

Mark answered calmly, "I'm getting old and don't like crowds much. I don't have many friends, so I thought fewer people would be simpler!

"Of course, the food will definitely satisfy you!"

Saying this, he gave Brian a look. Brian nodded in understanding, turned around, and left the room to instruct people to serve the dishes!

After a while, tall, beautiful girls brought dish after dish to the table!

But these dishes didn't look appetizing!

The plates were filled with dishes that looked far from fresh, their presentation uninspiring.

Mark poured a glass of red wine for himself and Ryder.

He said, "Mr. Clark, the food is served. Shall we toast?"

He stood up and raised his glass to Ryder!

Ryder raised his glass to meet Mark’s in a light clink, both taking a generous sip.

"Impressive drinking capacity," Mark said, giving Ryder a nod of approval. He then squinted slightly, his expression turning more serious. "Shall we start eating?"

Ryder glanced at the dishes on the table and smiled. "The host hasn't eaten, so I’d feel more comfortable if the host began the meal first."

Mark replied, "It doesn't matter; in our house, we don't follow those old customs!"

Ryder said, "Even so, some basic courtesies help maintain order. Please, go ahead and start eating first."

Mark shook his head. "As the saying goes, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' I asked you to eat first, so you eat first!"

Ryder remained composed. "As the saying goes, 'Ladies first.' I think it's not appropriate for either of us to start. How about letting Sandra start?"

"What?"

Sandra looked bewildered!

She came tonight just to see Ryder make a fool of himself!

She didn't expect Ryder to shift the focus to her?

If it were a good thing, she wouldn't mind!

But these dishes looked very unappetizing!

So Sandra quickly declined, "I really don’t think this dish is suitable for me..."

Before she could finish, Ryder interrupted, "Oh? So you’re choosing not to show respect to Mark?"

As he said this, he deliberately acted as if he was about to get angry!

Sandra’s face flushed with frustration, and she shot a pleading look at Mark.

Mark didn't expect Ryder to shift the focus this way either.

But he couldn't find a reason to refute Ryder, so he went along with Ryder's suggestion. "Mr. Clark makes a good point. Sandra, you should take a bite first!"

"Alright!"

Sandra reluctantly nodded.

For a moment, Sandra was at a loss. The dishes on the table were individually acceptable but, combined, they looked quite unappetizing.

Just as she was about to pick up her fork, Ryder suddenly sighed softly. "Kenneth would have loved such delicious food!"

At the mention of Kenneth, Sandra’s gaze was drawn to his photo at the far end of the room.

The dim lighting cast eerie shadows over the photo, making it seem as though Kenneth's eyes were fixed directly on her.

"Oh my god!"

A chill ran down Sandra’s spine. She gasped and, overcome with fear, dropped her fork with a clatter that echoed in the silent room.

Seeing this, Mark asked, "Sandra, what's wrong?"

"Huh? Nothing, just a little hand tremor!" Sandra answered guiltily.

Worried that her odd behavior might draw attention, quickly composed herself. She forced a smile and said, "No problem, I'll just get a new fork and eat!"

Saying this, she took a new fork from the side, picked up a piece of meat calmly, and took a big bite, praising as she ate, "Wow! This meat tastes great, absolutely amazing!"

Her expression switch was fast enough!

It didn't arouse Mark's suspicion.

But Ryder noted this reaction in his mind, though he didn't dwell on the topic!

Sandra finished the meat, showing a satisfied expression.

She turned to Ryder and said, "Ryder, I've eaten. The food is delicious. Now it's your turn!"

Ryder smiled and shook his head. "I just remembered, I probably can't eat this meal!"

Sandra frowned slightly. "What do you mean? Are you trying to disrespect Mr. Davis?"

"I don't mean that at all!" Ryder responded, looking apologetic. "It’s just that my stomach has always been sensitive. The doctor advised me to be cautious with my diet. So, unfortunately, I really can't eat this meal!"

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