"Use it! You absolutely have to use it!" Emily Cooper answered resolutely.

David Clark gave a wry smile, then glanced at Yvonne Foster again, a trace of anger flashing in his eyes. He sighed and picked up that bottle of Lafite...

Chapter Fifteen: Rules

Seeing the troubled look on David Clark's face, Robert Miller was secretly delighted. Originally, Yvonne Foster had blamed him for something, which had left him quite annoyed, but now he took the opportunity to push David Clark into the spotlight, basically setting him up to make a fool of himself, which actually helped Robert Miller.

Yvonne Foster was just as outstanding as Emily Cooper, and now that she was helping him, Robert Miller couldn't help but let his imagination run wild. If he could win Emily Cooper's heart and also win over Yvonne Foster, that would be the ultimate pleasure. He glanced at Emily Cooper, then at Yvonne Foster, feeling quite pleased with himself.

At this moment, Emily Cooper deeply regretted her earlier impulsiveness. If she hadn't pushed David Clark forward, at worst he would have just been mocked a bit. But now, if David Clark messed up, she would lose even more face. Most importantly, seeing the troubled look on David Clark's face, she really had no confidence in him at all.

"Hurry up, everyone's waiting to drink," Jessica Brooks urged David Clark repeatedly. The thought of David Clark making a fool of himself, combined with Robert Miller's promise, made her unable to wait another moment.

David Clark hung his head low, ignoring Jessica Brooks's words, his eyes fixed only on the wine bottle in his hands. He gently rotated it, carefully examining the various patterns on the bottle.

"What are you doing? Do you think you can find something special on the bottle?" Jessica Brooks had practically become Robert Miller's spokesperson, constantly criticizing David Clark.

Many people found Jessica Brooks's reproach annoying, but everyone could see she was now on Robert Miller's side. Having received many benefits from Robert Miller today, who would want to offend him?

"A 1993 Lafite. Though it's aged, it's not exactly a rare treasure," David Clark, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, and his first words were to point out the wine's shortcomings.

"Even 1993 isn't good enough for you? Are you kidding? Stop pretending to know what you're talking about. Even a '95 costs tens of thousands," Jessica Brooks retorted, proud of her knowledge of Lafite's price. David Clark's first comment contradicted her, so she couldn't accept it.

"Lafite is ranked first among the world's top five châteaux. All the grapes are estate-grown, with minimal use of pesticides or chemicals, and the annual production is limited. Due to weather and other factors, the quality of the grapes varies each year. The best vintages are '82, '85, and '90, followed by '94 and '95. In 1993, the weather was poor—drought and little rain—so the grape quality wasn't great. The Lafite produced that year is just average. The '95 Lafite is indeed worth the price you mentioned, but the '93... at most it's worth eighteen thousand," David Clark explained.

He never looked up while speaking. After finishing, he gently set the bottle down, his movements delicate, as if an artist carefully placing a work of art.

Everyone was stunned. Although they didn't know if David Clark was right, being able to talk about Lafite in such detail was already beyond them.

Emily Cooper had been very worried, afraid that David Clark was just pretending to know. But after hearing his explanation, even she was eighty percent convinced, which put her at ease. A faint smile appeared on her lips; David Clark's good performance gave her face as well.

"You're just bluffing. Don't think anyone will believe you! Would Robert Miller bring bad wine? Just because you read a bit about Lafite somewhere, you think you can show off here," Jessica Brooks quickly retorted, sensing the mood shift.

David Clark glanced at Robert Miller, smiled faintly, and said, "The '93 Lafite isn't bad. Compared to other reds, it's still top-notch. It's just a bit inferior among Lafites."

"In that case, Mr. Xu, why not open the wine?" Yvonne Foster asked with a bright smile.

Without even looking at Yvonne Foster, David Clark replied calmly, "Lafite, the queen of wines, should be enjoyed in a noble atmosphere—soothing music, no noise, soft tablecloths and gentle lighting. But right now it's noisy and the lights are glaring. Opening the wine here would be an insult to its status, so it's better not to open it."

"Oh, come on, opening a bottle doesn't need all that ceremony," Jessica Brooks sneered, clearly not believing a word David Clark said.

The others were also skeptical. Given how Robert Miller and Jessica Brooks had made things difficult for David Clark earlier, it seemed natural for him to say these things to get back at them.

"Clap clap!" Yvonne Foster gently applauded, her eyes sparkling as she looked at David Clark, her face full of admiration. "Mr. Xu is absolutely right. I used to think you just needed to pay a little attention to the atmosphere when drinking Lafite, but now I realize it should be like this. I've really learned something new."

As soon as Yvonne Foster spoke, even those who had doubts immediately fell silent, lest they ruin the mood for opening the wine.