“So… who is Zhang Zuting?”

Upon seeing Lin Wan’s message, Pei Qian’s first reaction was bewilderment.

He’d never heard of this person.

After checking Baidu, he learned that Zhang was a past-prime Hong Kong star.

Lin Wan continued messaging: “Mr. Pei, we’ve looked at quite a few Hong Kong stars, and some asked for quite high prices, over 5 million yuan. We felt the cost-performance ratio wasn’t good, so we went with Zhang Zuting. Although his current fame isn’t what it used to be, we can get him for around 2 million.”

Pei Qian was immediately displeased.

After all his careful instructions, why were they still trying to save two or three million in costs?

If it’s 5 million, then it’s 5 million!

But on second thought, he decided to let it go. After all, the higher the asking price of a Hong Kong star, the more popular they were, bringing their traffic. If they truly brought in a large number of players, causing Pei Qian to lose less money, that would be somewhat counterproductive.

Two million it is. He’d find other ways to spend the remaining money.

Lin Wan sent another message: “Mr. Pei, Zhang Zuting will arrive in Jingzhou the day after tomorrow. Do you still plan to come to the set to watch the commercial filming?”

Pei Qian immediately replied: “Yes, I’ll come. I heard this man is a veteran actor who has won Best Actor awards. I’d like to observe his acting skills up close.”

“Wait, how have you arranged the reception?”

Lin Wan: “Don’t worry, Mr. Pei, everything is arranged. A business car will pick up him and his agent, and we’ve booked a five-star hotel. It’s appropriate for his status.”

“What about dining?” Pei Qian asked.

Lin Wan: “Um… tentatively planned for meals at the hotel, with high-standard catering during the shoot.”

“That’s too casual. Our guests have come from afar, and although this is just an ordinary business relationship, we must observe proper etiquette. Here, I’ll give you the number for Chef Lin at Mingyun Private Kitchen. Make a reservation, and when Zhang Zuting arrives, first welcome him at Mingyun Private Kitchen, then slowly discuss the filming details.”

Pei Qian reasoned that business reception was a legitimate reason, so having a meal at Mingyun Private Kitchen shouldn’t be excessive, right?

Of course, directing all business receptions to Mingyun Private Kitchen might involve some risks, like… word getting out.

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

Lin Wan: “Ah, yes, Mr. Pei, I wasn’t thinking thoroughly enough. I’ll make the reservation right away!”

……

……

August 14, Saturday.

Zhang Zuting stepped off the plane and set foot on Jingzhou soil for the first time.

As a second-tier city in mainland China, Jingzhou’s presence wasn’t particularly strong, and Zhang Zuting only had a vague understanding of it.

However, since he could earn two million yuan for making the trip, he didn’t mind the trouble.

Zhang Zuting was already over forty. Although he had been the epitome of a handsome young actor in his youth, he couldn’t resist the ravages of time and was gradually refining his acting skills to transition into a middle-aged character actor.

Of course, as the film industry was undergoing massive changes, stars of his generation were becoming less popular and inevitably fading from the spotlight.

Therefore, Zhang Zuting found it hard to refuse money-making opportunities like this.

Unlike certain popular celebrities or fresh faces who traveled with large entourages, Zhang Zuting was relatively low-key and only brought one assistant for this trip.

After all, the other party had said that the advertisement could be completed in one day. He would arrive in Jingzhou on the 14th, rest after the welcome dinner, complete all the advertisement filming the next morning, and leave by plane in the afternoon.

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

After all, what kind of major company could a gaming company in a place like Jingzhou be?

This advertisement shoot was just going through the motions.

“Mr. Zhang, please get in the car. Our Mr. Pei has already prepared a welcome banquet for you.”

Beside the business car, Lin Wan smiled as she spoke.

……

Mingyun Private Kitchen.

Getting out of the car, Zhang Zuting was a bit confused.

What did this mean? Where was this?

In front of him stood a villa that didn’t look particularly distinctive. Although Zhang Zuting considered the house spacious and luxuriously decorated, he knew such houses weren’t uncommon in mainland China. It wasn’t surprising that a gaming company boss could afford such a house.

But the question was, why welcome him here?

Could it be that this boss wanted to entertain him at his own home?

While Zhang Zuting was still puzzled, Lin Wan was already leading him inside, straight to the private room with the best view.

The private room was on the third floor of the villa, with a large floor-to-ceiling window that offered a perfect view of the twilight scenery.

The sun was slowly setting, golden sunlight spilling onto the infinity pool outside, creating a pale golden afterglow.

The trees on the surrounding hillside were lush and verdant. Beyond the sheltering trees, the entire villa area was visible, giving a sense of overlooking everything below.

In the center of the room was a dining table—not a large one that could seat a dozen people, but one perfectly sized for four.

The room had been meticulously arranged. The furniture, decorative paintings on the walls, as well as the napkins and flower arrangements on the table, all harmonized perfectly with the environment.

This had been carefully prepared by the staff of Mingyun Private Kitchen after the reservation.

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

Pei Qian rose to welcome him, shaking hands with Zhang Zuting: “Mr. Zhang, welcome to our city! Jingzhou is a small place with nothing special to offer, so I can only invite you for a simple meal. Please, sit down.”

Zhang Zuting returned the greeting warmly and took a seat with his agent.

At the table were only Pei Qian, Lin Wan, Zhang Zuting, and his agent. Apart from them, servers came and went, bringing dishes to everyone at set times and frequencies.

Pei Qian had considered inviting more people to join them—more people meant more food consumed—but too many people would make things chaotic and might create a somewhat oppressive atmosphere. So after some thought, Pei Qian decided that fewer people would allow Zhang Zuting to enjoy the food without pressure.

Everyone ate and exchanged pleasantries.

Pei Qian knew absolutely nothing about Zhang Zuting, not even what dramas he had acted in, but that didn’t matter. After all, Zhang Zuting had no idea what games Pei Qian had made either. They were just engaging in mutual flattery for business purposes, nothing to take too seriously.

Fortunately, Lin Wan had done her homework and casually chatted about Zhang Zuting’s glorious younger days, putting him in a great mood.

After a few bites, Zhang Zuting was astounded by how sumptuous the dishes were.

Over the years, he had been invited to many banquets, whether by friends or for business, and had eaten plenty of delicious food.

But he had rarely tasted food as wonderful as what he was eating today!

Of course, this deliciousness came less from various seasonings and additives, and more from the inherent flavor of the ingredients themselves. This effect could only be achieved by using high-grade ingredients.

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

Who would have thought that small Jingzhou city would hide such an exceptional restaurant?

For this, Mr. Pei’s treating him to such precious dishes showed tremendous sincerity!

Zhang Zuting had never been the type of celebrity to pull rank and was known for being approachable. Now, as he ate and chatted with Pei Qian, he was enjoying himself more and more.

The initial dishes were small and exquisite. After being consumed, the servers immediately cleared them away and brought other dishes.

Although they were delicious, they somehow left one wanting more.

But soon, the main courses arrived!

After tasting several exquisite appetizers, the server brought in a giant king crab that must have weighed around ten pounds, judging by its size. Just the cost of this ingredient alone would be six or seven thousand yuan!

Zhang Zuting maintained his composure, being a man of experience, but his young assistant clearly wasn’t used to such lavishness. His eyes widened, and he looked like he wanted to take out his phone for a photo but felt it might be inappropriate.

Pei Qian smiled and said, “Mindful tasting allows you to appreciate every subtle flavor of the ingredients. Once you take photos, the flavor changes.”