1. **State the problem:** There are 123 people at a meeting, and each person's meal costs 13.81. We need to find the total cost of all meals. 2. **Formula used:** Total cost = Number of people $ \times $ Cost per person 3. **Apply the formula:** $$\text{Total cost} = 123 \times 13.81$$ 4. **Calculate the multiplication:** $$123 \times 13.81 = 1698.63$$ 5. **Interpretation:** The total cost of the meals for 123 people is 1698.63. 6. **Answer choice:** The correct answer is C 1698.63.