A silver knife gently sliced through the foie gras—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. The rich, savory flavor of the foie gras blended with the mild taste of caviar, exploding on Huang Ning's taste buds. She nodded in satisfaction.
*Heavenly delicious!!!*
Though foie gras was high in fat, Huang Ning adored it. Wherever she went, she made sure to try the local foie gras.
"Madam, this beer is complimentary from our restaurant. Enjoy your meal."
A server placed a golden-hued beer on her table.
"Complimentary beer?" Huang Ning raised an eyebrow.
In all her years, this was the first time a restaurant had offered her a free beer.
"Is this the restaurant's house brew?" she asked curiously, picking up the glass.
"No, madam," the server explained warmly.
"This is Little Fortune God's newly developed Autumn Fantasy Golden Beer, currently exclusive to our Langyi Hotel restaurants."
*Autumn Fantasy Golden Beer?*
Huang Ning examined the glass.
The crystal-clear beer glass was polished to perfection, free of even the tiniest scratch. Through its pristine surface, she could see the beer's condition—tiny, dense bubbles rising like fish blowing streams underwater, popping softly at the surface to form a frothy white foam.
She took a small sip.
Instead of the usual bitter beer taste, she was greeted with a light, fruity sweetness reminiscent of autumn harvests. After the fruity notes came the rich aroma of golden malt.
That single sip was packed with sunshine, sweet fruitiness, and the warmth of malt. Her tongue tingled with the lively dance of tiny bubbles—an utterly delightful experience.
"This is amazing!" Huang Ning exclaimed, staring at her glass in surprise.
Due to her work, she often attended social events, making alcohol consumption a regular affair.
A beer of this alcohol content was like water to her—just another beverage.
But this "beverage" was *delicious*!
Though pairing foie gras with beer… was a bit unconventional~
Huang Ning couldn't resist ordering a bottle of Little Fortune God's Autumn Fantasy Golden Beer.
And she wasn't the only one.
Many blue-eyed, blonde-haired foreigners in the restaurant also had bottles of the golden beer in hand. They chatted quietly, enjoying the ocean view through the windows while savoring their meals, their faces radiating contentment.
"Nanjiang sure has a lot of foreign tourists," Huang Ning mused, glancing around.
After a satisfying meal, she stepped out of the restaurant.
A sky full of stars stretched overhead.
Langyi Hotel's nightscape was even more enchanting than its daytime charm. Coconut trees swayed in the breeze, dotted lights twinkled, and laughter mixed with the soothing strum of a guitar by the poolside.
Beside the Poolside Bar, under the coconut trees, stood a small stage.
An Xia sat on it, lazily plucking bluesy tunes on his guitar. The golden, purple, and blue lights cast a dreamy, ambiguous glow over the night.
On a small table near the stage, Langyi Hotel's signature desserts and snacks were arranged in colorful, artful piles.
Through the bar's entrance, a well-groomed middle-aged man in a tailcoat vest could be seen skillfully mixing cocktails.
The autumn night carried a slight chill, but compared to the day's heat, it was nothing but pleasant.
Huang Ning ordered a cocktail and sat at a table, her gaze once again settling on An Xia.
*This guy… really has potential.*
In her years of scouting new talent, few had caught her interest twice. Those who did almost always made it big.
And the hotel's ambiance was truly exceptional—comfortable, beautifully decorated, and private.
*If we could hold our annual party here…*
Huang Ning sipped her cocktail, her eyes lingering on An Xia with a mix of interest and calculation.
Though "Never Expected This" Film and Media Company was just an entertainment firm, its employee roster was vast.
Beyond the usual finance, PR, marketing, and planning teams,
their most crucial "employees" were the A-list celebrities themselves.
Yes!
No matter how glamorous those stars appeared on screen, off-camera, they were still company employees.
Year-end was usually when celebrities were busiest—flying around for film shoots, variety shows, awards ceremonies, and commercial events.
So "Never Expected This" held its annual party during a relatively quiet mid-year period.
More importantly, their venue had to offer extreme privacy.
Celebrities were human too.
After a year of hard work, they wanted to gather,
away from flashing cameras and obsessive fans,
to relax, joke around, toast their bosses,
express gratitude for the year's opportunities, and discuss future projects.
Thus,
high privacy, luxury, gourmet dining, and a stunning environment were Huang Ning's top criteria for venue selection.
And Langyi Hotel… fit the bill perfectly!
Her mind was made up.
Since she'd be in Nanjiang for two more days, she'd thoroughly inspect the hotel before finalizing negotiations with Chen Jianhai.
---
The Nanjiang Little Fortune God Beer Symposium flew by in three days.
By 4 AM, Langyi Hotel's kitchen was already brightly lit. The hum of machines, the rhythmic chopping of knives, and the slapping of dough against countertops echoed down the hallway.
No job was tougher than kitchen work.
Though other departments had it hard, kitchen staff endured three to five times the workload and pressure.
Being a chef demanded both physical stamina and immense responsibility.
Not only did dishes need to be perfected, but they also had to analyze leftovers daily to adjust recipes based on customer preferences.
Yet seeing their creations devoured and praised brought unparalleled pride.
Love and hate, all at once!
Every morning, they wanted to smash their alarms and quit.
But on payday, they'd swear to cook at the hotel until death,
pledging eternal loyalty to Chen Jianhai!!!!
For three days, the foreign guests had feasted on meat-filled dumplings, shredded pork in garlic sauce, and braised pork balls. The breakfast and dinner buffet's dumpling trays were always empty.
Today's itinerary had Little Fortune God leading the group to the brewery for a tour,
so the kitchen staff could slack off—no lunch prep needed.
"Brother Johnny, what's for dinner tonight?" The wok chef finished prepping ingredients and turned to Xu Bo.
"Any ideas?" Xu Bo asked.
"Something light?" The wok chef sounded uncertain. "No idea how their stomachs handle all this greasy meat daily."
"They'll be at the brewery all day. Maybe something light for dinner would help?"
"Overthinking it!" The chopper interjected while slicing potatoes.
"They drink milk straight from the fridge. Could you do that without getting diarrhea?"
"These folks eat beef steaks and roasted pork knuckles daily. Our dumpling filling's nothing compared to their butter, cheese, and cream."
"Besides, our oil's clean. No issues."
Amid this crude but earnest discussion about digestion and grease, Xu Bo pondered.
"Light works!"
"Let's do a seafood pot tonight—something fresh and soothing. And braised boneless ribs."
"They can choose soup or meat."
The prep cook blinked. "Brother Johnny, why boneless? Won't that ruin the ribs?"
Xu Bo explained, "Foreigners don't like bones. No matter the dish, we debone it first!"
"Plus, if they chip a tooth here, it'd hurt our reputation."
"Better safe than sorry—debone those ribs!"
"Got it." The prep cook sighed, exchanging a look with the chopper.
The chopper shrugged: *Let's do it, bro.*
---
After breakfast,
the suited-and-tied foreign delegates boarded Blue Sky Travel Agency's luxury tour buses.
Today's schedule was simple.
Before the midday heat, Ning Youyou would guide them around Nanjiang's Coastal Road attractions, giving them a primer on the city.
At noon, they'd head to Little Fortune God Brewery for a factory tour.
Once done, Ning Youyou would drive them back to the hotel.
To Chen Jianhai's surprise, Ning Youyou was not only fluent in multiple languages but also had professional audio translators on the bus, converting Mandarin into various languages.
The high-tech setup left Chen Jianhai wide-eyed.
Meanwhile, Huang Baichuan had been juggling hotel and company duties, drinking with the delegates nightly to build rapport.
Though the Poolside Bar was lovely, its tranquil vibe didn't suit the foreigners' tastes.
So Huang Baichuan had to take them to Nanjiang's livelier bars, returning exhausted in the early hours, collapsing into bed without even washing up, only to wake two hours later for the next day's events.
While the foreigners seemed made of steel, Huang Baichuan was running on fumes.
By the time he herded them back to the hotel for dinner, his eyes were glazed over.
But to his surprise,
Chen Jianhai was also dining in the Chinese restaurant, looking equally drained—as if he'd pulled several all-nighters.
"Go ahead, I'll catch up," Huang Baichuan told his foreign friends before heading to Chen Jianhai's table.
"Boss Chen~" He slumped into the chair.
"Brother Huang~" Chen Jianhai responded weakly.
They exchanged glances and sighed in unison.
*Business… isn't easy.*
Huang Baichuan lamented internally.
Between the symposium and company duties, he was utterly spent.
Chen Jianhai, clearly also busy with hotel matters, was no better off.
Noticing Chen Jianhai's dark circles, Huang Baichuan asked half-concerned, half-curious:
"What've you been up to lately?"
Chen Jianhai yawned, tears welling.
"Don't ask. Just got into a new game. Been up all night fighting guild wars…"
Huang Baichuan's spoon froze mid-air.
Oblivious, Chen Jianhai shoveled rice into his mouth, muttering:
"Exhausting, really…"
"Need coffee soon, or I'll collapse during tonight's battle."
"Brother Huang… wanna join? I'll carry you."
Huang Baichuan: *…Goodbye.*
He grabbed his plate and returned to his foreign friends without hesitation.
As draining as they were,
they were still better company than this infuriating bastard!
Both were bosses,
yet while he was working himself to death entertaining clients,
Chen Jianhai was gaming all night.
*Life wasn't fair!!!*
Unbeknownst to him, his foreign friends were also struggling—with their meals.
"Wow!! Delicious!!"
"Huang~ what is this?"
Huang Baichuan glanced at their plates.
White rice drenched in golden-red meat sauce, topped with generous chunks of boneless ribs and garnished with scallions and cilantro. A bowl of clear broth sat beside it.
The foreigners, newly adept with chopsticks, had been enjoying using them.
But for this dish, utensils proved inadequate. They grabbed spoons and forks, shoveling rice into their mouths with gusto.
Their lips gleamed with grease, as if coated in glossy lip balm—unintentionally seductive.