Chapter 1 Who is Zhang Zuting?

Pei Qian's first reaction upon seeing the message from Lin Wan was confusion.

Had he heard of this person?

A quick search on Qiandu revealed that he was a has-been Hong Kong star.

Lin Wan continued messaging: "President Pei, we also considered several Hong Kong stars, some of whom were demanding high prices, exceeding five million. We didn't think it was cost-effective, so we found Zhang Zuting. Although his current fame isn't what it used to be, we can hire him for around two million."

Pei Qian was immediately displeased.

After all his nagging and reminders, why were they still pinching pennies over two or three million?

Five million was fine!

But on second thought, he decided to let it go. After all, the more popular Hong Kong stars demanded higher prices, and they brought their own traffic. If they actually brought in a large number of players and reduced Pei Qian's losses, that would be counterproductive.

Two million it was. He'd find other ways to spend the saved money.

Lin Wan messaged again: "President Pei, Zhang Zuting will probably arrive in Jingzhou the day after tomorrow. Are you still planning to be on site to watch the commercial shoot?"

Pei Qian immediately replied: "Yes, I'll watch. I heard this guy is an old pro, even won Best Actor. I'll observe his acting up close."

"Wait, how are the reception arrangements coming along?"

Lin Wan: "Don't worry, President Pei, everything's arranged. A business car will pick up him and his agent, and accommodation is in a five-star hotel. Definitely won't be skimping on quality."

"What about meals?" Pei Qian asked.

Lin Wan: "Uh... tentatively planned for meals at the hotel, and we've ordered high-end working meals for the duration of the shoot."

"Too careless. Guests from afar deserve the best. Although we're just in a normal business relationship, we must show proper courtesy. Here, I'll give you the number of Manager Lin from Ming Yun Private Kitchen. Make a reservation. When Zhang Zuting arrives, take him to Ming Yun Private Kitchen for a welcome dinner before discussing the shoot."

Pei Qian figured that business reception was a legitimate reason to eat at Ming Yun Private Kitchen, right?

Of course, directing all business receptions to Ming Yun Private Kitchen might pose some risks, such as… word getting out.

But Pei Qian had already thought of ways to mitigate the risks.

Lin Wan: "Ah, okay, President Pei. I didn't consider that thoroughly enough. I'll make a reservation right away!"

...

...

August 14th, Saturday.

Zhang Zuting stepped off the plane, setting foot on Jingzhou soil for the first time.

As a second-tier city in the mainland, Jingzhou's presence wasn't very strong. Zhang Zuting's understanding of Jingzhou was also limited.

However, since he could earn two million for one trip, he wouldn't find it a bother.

Zhang Zuting was already over forty years old. Although he was a handsome young man in his youth, he couldn't resist the ravages of time. Now, he was gradually honing his acting skills and transitioning into an old pro.

Of course, due to the massive changes happening in the film industry, their generation of movie stars was becoming less and less popular, inevitably becoming outdated.

Therefore, Zhang Zuting found it difficult to refuse similar money-making opportunities.

Unlike some popular stars and young idols who traveled with entourages, Zhang Zuting was relatively low-key. He only brought one assistant with him this time.

After all, they said that the commercial could be shot in one day. He'd arrive in Jingzhou on the 14th, rest for a night after the welcome dinner, shoot all the commercials in one go the next morning, and then take a plane back in the afternoon.

Zhang Zuting didn't have high expectations for this trip to Jingzhou.

After all, what kind of big company could a game company in a place like Jingzhou be?

Shooting this commercial was just going through the motions.

"Mr. Zhang, please get in the car. Our President Pei has prepared a welcome banquet for you."

Lin Wan said with a smile next to the business car.

...

Ming Yun Private Kitchen.

Getting out of the car, Zhang Zuting was a little dazed.

What was this? Where was this?

Before him stood a villa that didn't seem to have any special features. Although Zhang Zuting thought the house was large and spacious, and the decoration was luxurious, he also knew that such houses weren't uncommon in the mainland. It wasn't strange that a game company owner could afford such a house.

But the problem was, why a welcome dinner here?

Could it be that this boss was going to entertain him at his home?

While Zhang Zuting was still confused, Lin Wan led him inside and all the way to the best private room.

The private room was on the third floor of the villa, with a large floor-to-ceiling window offering a view of the sunset.

The setting sun was slowly descending, and the golden sunlight was shining on the infinity pool outside, reflecting a faint golden afterglow.

The surrounding mountainside was covered with lush trees. Hidden among the trees, the entire villa area could be seen in the distance, giving a feeling of being on top of the world.

In the center of the private room was a dining table, not the kind that could accommodate a dozen people, but just enough for four people.

The room was obviously carefully decorated. The chairs, the paintings decorating the room, and the napkins and bouquets on the table were all extremely harmonious with the environment.

This was the result of the Ming Yun Private Kitchen staff's careful arrangement after the reservation.

Zhang Zuting suddenly realized that this wasn't a private residence, but a unique high-end restaurant!

Pei Qian stood up to greet him and shook hands with Zhang Zuting. "Mr. Zhang, welcome! Jingzhou is a small place, and there's nothing special about it. I can only treat Mr. Zhang to a simple meal. Please, have a seat."

Zhang Zuting returned the greeting warmly and sat down with his agent.

There were only four people at the table: Pei Qian, Lin Wan, Zhang Zuting, and his agent. In addition, there were waiters coming and going, serving dishes to everyone at a certain time and frequency.

Pei Qian had considered inviting a few more people to accompany them so that they could eat more, but too many people would make it chaotic and might create a sense of pressure. So, after thinking about it, Pei Qian decided to keep the number of people small so that Zhang Zuting could enjoy the food without any pressure.

Everyone ate and exchanged pleasantries.

Pei Qian didn't know anything about Zhang Zuting, not even what dramas he had acted in. But that didn't matter. Anyway, Zhang Zuting didn't know what games Pei Qian had made. Everyone was just exchanging pleasantries and didn't need to take it too seriously.

Fortunately, Lin Wan had done her homework and chatted casually about Zhang Zuting's glorious years, making him feel great.

After taking a few bites, Zhang Zuting was surprised to find that the dishes here were too abundant.

Over the years, he had attended many banquets, whether invited by friends or for business receptions, and had eaten a lot of delicious food.

But he had rarely eaten such wonderful food as he was eating today!

Of course, this deliciousness came more from the deliciousness of the ingredients themselves than from various seasonings and additives. This was an effect that could only be achieved by using high-end ingredients.

The more Zhang Zuting ate, the more shocked he became.

Who would have thought that such a hidden restaurant could exist in the small city of Jingzhou?

This President Pei was treating him to such precious dishes. This was a lot of sincerity!

Zhang Zuting wasn't the kind of celebrity who would throw his weight around. He was always known for being approachable. Now, he was eating and chatting with Pei Qian, and the more they chatted, the more enjoyable it became.

The early dishes were small and exquisite. After they were eaten, the waiter would immediately remove them and replace them with other dishes.

Although they were also delicious, they were somewhat unsatisfying.

But soon, the main course arrived!

After tasting a few exquisite appetizers, the waiter brought in a huge king crab, estimated to weigh about ten pounds based on its size. The price of the ingredients alone was probably six or seven thousand yuan!

Zhang Zuting was fine, after all, he was a man who had seen the world, but his little assistant obviously hadn't seen such a scene. His eyes were wide, and he looked like he wanted to take out his phone to take a picture, but he felt it wasn't appropriate.

Pei Qian said with a smile: "Only by tasting carefully can you not miss every bit of deliciousness of the ingredients. Once you take a picture, the taste will change."