Maverick Chef - Chapter 17：Celebrity He Xiao Huan

“It’s the same. Look at the both of you, dressed so uncouthly. One is wearing a white shirt with rubber shoes, while the other is wearing work attire. So what if he steps all over your heads.” He San Qing was using this as a pretext to make a fuss so that he could vent out all the bottled up frustrations in his heart.

Bai Lu was feeling depressed. “If you two want to quarrel, don’t drag me into the mess.”

Hearing what he just said, Gao Yuan looked at Bai Lu with great disdain. “I want to bash your face in.”

Their little bickering has attracted the attention of all the others. Chai Ding An was lazy to intervene in the dispute. He just walked to the round platform in the center of the hall, and made a few clapping sounds “Pa Pa Pa,” then he announced loudly. “All the beautiful ladies and handsome men in the room, please quiet down. 7th Brother Chai is about to speak.”

When Bai Lu realized what he saw, he said to Gao Yuan, “You see, somebody is making an announcement. This goes exactly according to what they usually portray in my movies.” No one else in the room understood this inside joke. Only Gao Yuan was staring angrily at Bai Lu, while Sha Sha was secretly laughing by the side.

When he noticed that all eyes below were on him, Chai Ding An proceeded to speak. “Today I invited all of you guys here, for three specific reasons. Firstly, Flying Fox was a huge box office success. Congratulations to our big celebrity, the female lead in the movie, He Xiao Huan.”

The audience below started applauding loudly. He Xiao Huan smiled and nodded to express her gratitude.

Bai Lu made an “Ah” sound, and he said, “Now I recall. No wonder I keep saying how familiar she looks. This afternoon when we were buying the phone, this lady was all over our heads.”

“What does that even mean?” He San Qing couldn’t stand hearing one more word from him.

Zhang Sha Sha explained softly. “She was modeling in an advertisement for the electrical appliances. They printed it out into a poster, which was hanging in the shop.”

He San Qing looked down at Bai Lu. “What use is that mouth of yours?”

Gao Yuan frowned and asked He San Qing. “Did 7th Brother Chai knew that I was coming?”

“Probably not.” He San Qing responded.

Gao Yuan had doubts within his mind. He thought, “If he did not know that I was coming, why must he announce something about He Xiao Huan, and also why did they behave like they were very intimate? Was it all planned or did it happened spontaneously?”

The applause subsided quickly, and Chai Ding An continued to speak. “Secondly, on the 10th of next month, Huan Entertainment would be officially opened for business. In a while, everyone would receive an invitation card. Hopefully, all of you could come over to support.” After he made this request, he turned over to Gao Yuan and said, “You must make the promise, that you will show up. It doesn’t matter if there are any gifts or not. 7th Brother Chai has no lack of money. What I lack is people, if you come then you are my friend.”

This 2nd announcement was the real highlight of the gathering today. Surveying the environment, all the girls in the house were either aspiring singers or models. Otherwise, they were 2nd class actresses. The guys were mostly young masters or managers; there were also three or five singers and actors as well.

Since Huan Entertainment was established, there shouldn’t only be He Xiao Huan as the only artiste. Even if they were just like the shrimp soldiers and crab generals in popular fiction — it did not matter if they were famous or not — the company would still sign them under a contract to create a better image. Today, it was meant to be an early release of the news, to generate interest and attract the crowd.

Looking at He Xiao Huan standing in front of the crowd, Gao Yuan smiled faintly. He thought, “Having not seen her for more than a year, this girl has become even more beautiful again.”

“Now I will announce the last reason. May I invite up on stage the top international clothing designer, Wang Wei Lian.” Chai Ding An announced loudly.

“Wang Wei Lian? He is here?” All the ladies in the room looked left and right all over the place, searching for the legendary best clothing designer in the world.

Bai Lu asked Gao Yuan, “Who is that Wang something guy?”

He San Qing sighed. “If you exclude your cooking skills, you are really a master of none.”

Si Ma Zhi said softly, “Wang Wei Lian is an Asian American, who has designed the clothing for the Prime Ministers, Chancellors, Kings or Queens for more than 36 countries. The clothing that he designed has a starting price of at least US$100k. Even if it’s just underpants, one would still need to pay the full sum; It is said that if you want him to design clothes for you, money is not just the only factor. You would have to book him in advance of at least half a year. It even depends on his mood, and also depends on the status of the person making the appointment. He is considered the Rolls Royce of the fashion industry. Rumor has it that this guy lives in Alaska, with a preference of staying indoors. I wonder how did 7th Brother Chai manage to invite him out.”

“That awesome? Tell me, with my level of cooking skills, do you guys think that I could be as awesome as him?” Bai Lu looked forward to the future.

“You are a chef?” The skinny lad loitered next to them during this whole time. After hearing this, he despised Bai Lu even more. He thought, “What a joke! Since when did it become acceptable for a chef to join such a classy gathering?”

At this moment, from outside the door, a lovely woman wearing a professional outfit came in. She had a poker face and proudly walked into the room.

Bai Lu was puzzled. “Wang Wei Lian is a woman?”

Instead, he saw the professional woman stopped at the door. She pivoted her body facing sideways, and her poker face evolved to a slightly more cheerful poker face with a faint smile. She escorted a handsome middle-aged man in his forties with white hair. The middle-aged man had a perfect complexion for his age, and he sauntered into the great hall.

Chai Ding An quickly stepped down from the round platform. He walked towards the dashing middle-aged man. “Let us welcome the Great Master to our humble gathering. Chai Ding An is eternally grateful for your presence.”

Wang Wei Lian laughed and said, “Welcome, welcome. I also have to thank Mr. Chai for the invitation, so that I had the opportunity to come today. Regardless, I am still a Chinese, and it’s always a pleasure to visit my home country. Besides, I could also spend more time with the younger generations, which will make me seem much more youthful.”

Chai Ding An escorted Wang Wei Lian up the round platform, and he announced loudly. “On the day of the opening for Huan Entertainment, the Great Master Wang Wei Lian will personally perform the measurements on our resident artiste, the beautiful He Xiao Huan, to custom-make two sets of clothing for her. Also, he has decided to set up a branch company here in the Northern City, which will be opened for order reservations. So you guys should cherish this opportunity.”

After hearing this, the beautiful women and handsome men burst into thunderous applause. He San Qing lightly whistled. “This time around, 7th Brother Chai did not go easy on his spending.”

In the middle of the applause, somebody asked loudly. “Could we make the reservations now for the clothing, or not?”

Bai Lu also made a light whistle. “Ah, they are so rich. That costs US$100k. It does seem like I am the poorest here.”

“That’s a given.” The skinny lad suddenly interrupted.

He San Qing rolled his eyes at the skinny lad, and he said to Bai Lu, “Actually, it’s not considered expensive to pay US$100k for the service of the best fashion designer to personally custom-make a set of clothing for you. The quality will be of a different level. You must understand that a simple purse would already cost US$20k, which will naturally be even more expensive for one of a distinct grade. Using the monetary cost as a basis for comparison, the hard work from the Grandmaster himself would make the price worth it.”

“Fine, if you say that it’s worth it then so be it.”

At the same time, the professional woman walked up the round platform. With a crisp voice, she said, “I am the local representative for Grandmaster Wang Wei Lian in this country…” Followed by a bunch of information regarding the details for ordering a set of clothing. In short, she was very demanding.

However, the bunch of men and women in the venue were rather excited. Since it was the Grandmaster himself, it would be expected to have more rules than others.

Despite the barrage of rules and requests, no one seemed to be protesting. Witnessing such a scene, Bai Lu heaved a sigh. “Why can’t my restaurant be like this? Every single day, someone tries to break my rules.”

“Do not butcher the word ‘rules.’ ” His words were filled with contempt, and he also said, “Alright, it’s over. Let’s go.”

He came today, to meet He Xiao Huan. Since they already met, he should be leaving now.

Ever since Wang Wei Lian appeared, there was no lack of people surrounding him. One by one the aspiring celebrities and singers fawned over him to gain his attention. They only had one goal in mind, which was to let the grand master design a set of clothing for them. If they wore it out during a grand event, they would be filled with pride. As for the exorbitant price of US$100k, they temporarily put it aside. After all, that was a problem for the future, so why not leave it until next time.

Looking at the beautiful ladies that surrounded him, Bai Lu was a little envious. “He is a designer, but I am also a designer. How come there is such a big difference in treatment?”

“What kind of designer are you?” He San Qing said condescendingly.

“Cut the crap. Putting aside the Building Architect, you cannot even compare to an Interior Designer. As for designing bridges, or cars, trains, planes, and cannons, those engineers are top-notch talents. Do you think you could a hold a candle to them?”

“Are the cannons in your household a mode of transportation?” Bai Lu exploited his slip of the tongue to refute against him.

“Stop babbling. Let’s go. Lu Zi, could we go to your place for a couple of drinks?” Gao Yuan asked.

“Allowed.” Bai Lu looked at the half-eaten lobster nearby, and he felt that it was a shame as he couldn’t take it away. He dragged Zhang Sha Sha along begrudgingly and headed outside.

The skinny lad kept staring at Zhang Sha Sha. Such a smart, gentle, adorable and pretty girl, he thought that she was the most beautiful one in the world and was utterly smitten with her. At that instant, he wanted to chase after her.

He San Qing side-stepped between the two of them. He smiled wryly towards the skinny lad.

The skinny lad gave him a hard glare. He lifted his feet and detoured to the left. At the same time, He San Qing also shifted to the left, blocking his path yet again.

The skinny lad questioned him with a severe expression. “What’s the meaning of this?”

He San Qing giggled. “Hehe, there’s no hidden meaning.”

“If there’s no hidden meaning, then stop blocking my way.” In the entire room, except for Chai Ding An, he did not attach much importance to the rest. Even though he did not want to start a confrontation with He San Qing, it does not mean that he was afraid of him.

As for Gao Yuan, the skinny lad did not even know who he was.

He San Qing laughed and said, “Why do you want to go outside? Are you thinking of chasing after that girl?”

“Why do you care?” The skinny lad now had a chilling expression in his eyes.

He San Qing chuckled. “You do not know your place. Luckily I am in a good mood today, so I will drop you a piece of advice: Humbleness is a virtue.”

This two fellow clashed together again. Chai Ding An saw the incident, and he walked over unhappily. “What’s wrong? Are you guys making trouble in my house?”

He San Qing smiled. “That’s impossible. We are leaving, see you at the grand opening.”

Chai Ding An asked, “Not staying to play any longer?”

“Maybe next time.” He San Qing glared at the skinny lad, then he turned and left. Si Ma Zhi followed closely next to him, and he asked, “Who was that kid?”

“That kid is pretty famous; you have probably heard of him.”

“Who?”

“He makes films in Japan, that guy with the infamous title of the Lewd King Kong.”

“What the hell, that’s him? Should have asked him for his autograph. How did you guys meet?”

“We were in kindergarten together. But this kid left the country soon after.”

“This kid is a true talent.”

“Talent my ass. You could do it as well.” He San Qing was very dismissive.

“Just let it go. I have to admit defeat on this. That guy is a magnificent child of the nobility, and he was an exchange student in two countries. Unexpectedly, he sacrificed himself for the great movie industry. By spending his own money to make 365 films and having the opportunity to interact with those famous female action movie stars. He even went full service without any protection. You have to take your hat off to him.”

They chatted along as they walked. Soon they reached the entrance of the elevator, Gao Yuan looked back and asked, “What were you guys talking about?”

Si Ma Zhi laughed and said, “You have no idea. That kid just now was the classmate of He San Qing. He brought back more than 300 VCDs from Japan, and he was the lead actor in all of them. Rumour has it that there were more than a thousand female actresses. This guy is too strong. More than a thousand actresses! With that little body of his, could he endure all of it?”

“What nonsense are you saying.” Gao Yuan cast a look at the both of them to drop a hint, and then he glanced towards Zhang Sha Sha.

The both of them immediately changed the topic. “Are you coming to the grand opening on the 10th?”

“Coming.” Gao Yuan assured.

At the same time, the service personnel ran over, handing an invitation card to each one of them. He San Qing opened it up for a look. “Shitty Entertainment Company.”

Bai Lu was still reminiscing about the lobster. “Your gatherings are too boring. It was not even as interesting as the KTV session yesterday. Without the lobsters, there would not be a single highlight for the entire evening.”

The useless army of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea in popular Chinese fiction.