C3 Five Hundred Thousand Yuan a Meal

The young ladies regained their composure, their faces flushed with shyness.

"May I have my meal now?" Gao Chi inquired, brandishing his newly minted, elegant membership card with a flourish.

"Absolutely!" A waiter eagerly nodded. "Right this way, Mr. Gao!" she said, stepping briskly around the reception desk to lead Gao Chi with enthusiasm.

After Gao Chi entered the elevator, the previously baffled security guard approached the other waitstaff. "What's going on? Why did you let him through?"

"Mr. Gao just signed up for a five-star membership!" The waiters were still pinching themselves in disbelief.

The guard's eyes widened as he realized the gravity of the situation, silently relieved he hadn't inadvertently crossed Gao Chi. He couldn't help but suck in a breath sharply. "Hiss…"

The waiters chuckled at his reaction. "Looks like you're contributing to global warming too!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" The guard was perplexed, failing to see any connection between himself and global warming. "I'm just a security guard!"

Meanwhile, Gao Chi was escorted by the waitstaff to the hotel's 68th floor.

The floor was split into two sections: a sprawling hall over 3,000 square meters, currently hosting a charity soiree, and, just around the corner, a second area featuring eight opulent private rooms designated for the hotel's five-star members.

Once in private room number eight, the waitress presented Gao Chi with a tablet for ordering. "Mr. Gao, please select your dishes," she said with deference.

Clueless about such formalities, Gao Chi gave the tablet a cursory glance. "No need for that. Just bring me a few of your signature dishes! I'm not picky!"

"And a bottle of your finest wine... Hmm, I've got a class later this afternoon, so let's make it red wine."

The waiter felt his head spin at Gao Chi's casual request. A student, too?

Yet she maintained her composure, simply nodding in agreement. "Certainly, Mr. Gao!"

With the waiter gone, Gao Chi exhaled in relief. Truth be told, this was his first time splurging in such an upscale establishment, and he couldn't shake off a touch of nervousness.

Now alone, he rose from his seat and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows to gaze out at the ocean.

The sea lay before him, an endless expanse that instantly soothed his spirit with just one glance.

Shortly after, a waiter arrived with a pot of freshly brewed tea.

Regrettably, Gao Chi was no connoisseur of tea; he drank merely to quench his thirst.

Minutes later, the dishes he had ordered began to arrive in succession.

"Mr. Gao, your wine has been properly decanted!" the waiter announced, pouring Gao Chi another glass of red wine.

Once the wine was served, she stepped aside. Noticing she lingered, Gao Chi felt constrained and asked the waiter to leave before he could truly indulge in his meal.

"Not bad at all. This is the mark of a five-star hotel – the flavor is exceptional!" Gao Chi mused, his mouth greasy from the rich food, and resolved to dine here daily from now on.

Satiated, Gao Chi set aside his utensils and made his way to the suite's private bathroom. Just as he was about to call for the check, the room's door burst open.

Expecting a waiter, he was instead met with the scolding tone of a middle-aged woman, "Ah Xiu, why are you so headstrong? CEO Bi is an investor. If you've offended him, what will you do if he pulls his investment?"

"Hmm?" Gao Chi halted, too embarrassed to step out of the bathroom.

A sweet female voice replied, "Ms. Jiaang, I won't compromise myself for a role!"

"What's the harm?" Ms. Jiaang coaxed, "CEO Bi simply wants to share a meal with you!"

"A meal?" the young woman retorted with a cold laugh, "Do you really believe that? To have a meal in his room?"

"Ah..." Ms. Jiaang sighed, her voice softening, "Ah Xiu, that's just how this industry works."

"Consider today. It's ostensibly a charity gala, but what is it really? A battleground for status and wealth, where everyone's aim is to secure investments and cozy up to the wealthy."

"Once you're in this industry, you need to be mentally prepared," Ms. Jiaang advised with a deep sense of concern. "You've got no connections. After three hard years, you've barely made a name for yourself. But if you cross Boss Bi now, just one word from him could render all your efforts for nothing!"

A Xiu fell silent, taking a long time before responding. "Does the film really need his investment?"

"Not necessarily," Ms. Jiaang clarified. "But understand this: you'll only land the role if Boss Bi invests. He's the one with the money."

A Xiu was at a loss for words, knowing all too well the truth in Ms. Jiaang's words. She was no stranger to the industry's unspoken rules after years of navigating them herself.

With a heavy sigh, A Xiu resolved, "No matter what, I'm not going to be his escort!"

"He's old enough to be my dad..."

"And besides... he's so overweight, I just... I can't handle it!"

Ms. Jiaang chuckled, "You think this is some kind of idol drama? In the real world, there are no such thing as domineering CEOs. The truly wealthy are these middle-aged, greasy men. Sure, those young heirs might throw around a million or two, but ask them to invest hundreds of millions in your film? Ha! They'd probably get their legs broken by their own parents!"

Gao Chi, overhearing this soap opera unfold from the restroom, was lost in thought.

"Damn, she's right. What's a quicker way to burn through cash than movie investments? Billions can disappear in the blink of an eye. And here I am, investing billions every year..."

After a lengthy conversation, Ms. Jiaang and A Xiu finally lightened the mood, only then noticing the table littered with uneaten delicacies.

"Wow! Cheesy Mushroom Steamed Lobster!"

"Orchid Bear's Paw!"

"Crystal Sugar Swallow's Nest!"

"Saffron Shark Fin Fried Rice!"

Ms. Jiaang whispered the extravagant dish names in disbelief, exclaiming, "Just these few dishes are over 300,000 yuan, not to mention this bottle of Kona..."

"Who on earth was dining here earlier?!"

"A single meal here costs at least half a million yuan!"

Overhearing Ms. Jiaang's astonishment, Ah Xiu, momentarily distracted from her own troubles, asked with curiosity, "Someone was eating here just now?"

Ms. Jiaang shook her head and replied, "And whoever it was, they're loaded. Judging by the tableware, it was just one person."

Typically, even the wealthiest individuals wouldn't dine alone on a meal costing several hundred thousand yuan unless they were hosting others.

After her initial shock, Ms. Jiaang got back to business, "Ah Xiu, whether it's for your own sake or the company's, you can't put off meeting with Boss Bi. I'll go talk to him shortly, join him for a meal first to keep things stable..."