Chapter 1 / Course 1
Andrew finally received his invitation. He'd been expecting it every day since he submitted his application 2 months prior. Fen Zhou's is a very in-demand restaurant, so he should've known it would take a while for a spot to open... especially for the exclusive dining experience he was seeking. Fen Zhou's, named for the founding chef, is an exquisite dining experience even for its typical patrons but Andrew was not a typical patron. He had received an invitation to Madam Zhou's private, secret, and highly exclusive dining experience. Only a select few even qualify to be invited. And even then it's up to luck if one's name is drawn. But for those who seek and get the opportunity, it is a one of a kind dining experience unparalleled anywhere in the world.
Andrew first learned of Madam Zhou's exclusive dining experience from his friend with similar deviant tastes. Ever since Andrew has been obsessed with getting the opportunity to experience it for himself. It was a difficult application process just to get on the list of potential invitees. Andrew had to provide the contact information for at least 10 close friends, family, and/or colleagues. He also had to provide medical history and financial records. Good physical health and a very healthy net worth are required to qualify for Madam Zhou's experience. Andrew is an entrepreneur who recently sold a start-up to a large tech company. So he is newly wealthy and very healthy making him a prime candidate. He also had to write a history of his experience in fine dining... restaurants he's eaten at, his favorite food pairings, what he prefers to eat for different occasions, etc. Madam Zhou doesn't invite those with under-developed palates.
Andrew had his invitation in hand for most of the week before his appointed day finally arrived. He was so eager he arrived at Fen Zhou's an hour early and waited in his car until time to enter. Per the instructions in the invitation, he got a table at the restaurant and ordered only the green salad with mango in plum dressing and a water. Andrew then paid the check and, as instructed, tipped the waitress exactly $222.00. Following the instructions, he remained at the table, despite having paid, and waited for the server to come back and ask if he needed anything else. When she returned. Andrew did as instructed. He handed her the receipt and said the phrase "Compliments to Madam Zhou. I look forward to tasting her other dishes". The server looked at the receipt, saw the tip, then smiled amusingly and gave Andrew a keycard that read "Door 222. Basement level". Andrew thanked her before leaving the table to make his way past the public restrooms to a door that opened to a stair well. He took the stairs down to the basement level and found the door marked 222. He swiped the keycard and went in.
It was a very ornately decorated bathroom. There was a plush white rug on the floor. And not prints but actual Caravaggio paintings hung on the walls in carved mahogany frames... Andrew thought they must be really convincing copies rather than originals otherwise it would mean there's tens of millions of dollars on the bathroom walls. There was a single toilet (with built-in bidet), a beautiful antique vanity with carved hardwood legs, a large basket in one corner, and a small antique table next to the toilet with wet wipes, a selection of magazines, a UV sanitizing/phone charger combo, and a container filled with matches and incense sticks. There was also a featureless mannequin head on a tripod on the other side of the toilet. The tripod had an arm that extended from the base to hold an assembly that appeared to contain a small projector, a camera, and what looked like either a Raspberry Pi or Arduino board of some kind.
A set of instructions printed on beautiful letter-sized cardstock sat on a small table just inside the door. The instructions directed Andrew's attention to a hatch in the floor adjacent to the toilet. As he approached, he noticed the toilet was not connected to any plumbing other than the water supply for the built-in bidet. The toilet simply sat above a hole in the floor. Andrew leaned down for a better look and saw through the hole that there was another small room beneath the bathroom that had an elevated platform which rose up to just beneath the opening under the toilet. Andrew opened the hatch to see a small ladder leading down into the sub-room. He looked back to the instructions which read...
"Completely disrobe and put all your belongings in the basket except for your phone.
Place your phone in the charger/sanitizer on the table next to the toilet.
Next, stand at the red line marked on the floor in front of the tripod with the camera/projector assembly.
Look directly into the camera and say "Alexa, take my photo".
After Alexa responds "Photo successfully taken", proceed down through the hatch to the sub-room."