Chapter 486 269: The Sought-After Chairman Qi (Part 2)

Returning to their seats, the wrap party officially began.

Many people on the cast and crew had heard of Zifei.

The price tag, over 1,500 yuan per person, wasn't even the most important part.

Reservations had to be made a month in advance.

That just showed how booming Zifei's business was.

A while ago, Michelin had released its new guide.

All three Zifei Restaurant locations in Chengdu and Chongqing were awarded three Michelin stars.

Zhou Yang was the head chef of a three-Michelin-star restaurant.

He had been brought in to serve as the executive chef for the Zifei at the Banyan Tree in Shanghai.

His Master Level culinary skills, enhanced by the system's buff, effortlessly captured the palates of these discerning diners.

The Master's Banquet, at 4,500 yuan per person, required reservations more than two months in advance.

It was a good thing Zhou Yang was young and his body could handle the strain.

A veteran chef like Yu Huachuan would probably be too exhausted to even stand up straight.

This was also part of Qi Sheng's consideration when he transferred Zhou Yang over.

The dishes for the main table were all personally prepared by Zhou Yang.

Whether it was the plating or the flavor, they were a clear cut above the other tables.

With the system's buff, Zhou Yang's culinary skills had reached the Grandmaster Level.

Normally, someone with that level of culinary skill only existed in books or on television.

Even Jiang Shuying, who was used to fine dining, couldn't help but frequently raise her chopsticks.

If this were any other crew's wrap party, everyone would likely be busy exchanging toasts and taking turns drinking with one another.

But for the cast and crew of *Thirty Years Old*, everyone was too busy eating; hardly anyone raised a glass.

Who could blame them? The cost of the meal was staggering.

Excluding the main table, the other tables were arranged at the 1,500 yuan per person standard.

For the 300 people present, the food cost alone was 450,000 yuan.

Add to that the drinks—unlimited Maotai for everyone to enjoy—and the cost of the hotel rooms, the total was close to two million yuan.

Once most of the eating was done, the drinking portion of the evening began.

Bottle after bottle of Maotai was swiftly finished off.

The main table was just as lively.

In the entertainment industry, few people couldn't handle their liquor.

Besides, everyone had their managers and assistants with them, so there was no need to worry about any accidents from getting drunk.

A few of the production's old-timers found an opportunity to come over and offer a toast.

But seeing that Qi Sheng was preoccupied with Gu Pan, many of them offered a quick, awkward toast and left.

"These little rascals."

Zhang Xiaobo cursed with a laugh and shook his head, knowing full well what they were thinking.

They just wanted to see if they could latch onto the powerhouse that is Universal Entertainment.

Being brought into the fold would be the best possible outcome for them.

Everyone knows it's cooler in the shade of a big tree.

The problem was, not just anyone could lean against that tree.

Seeing that Gu Pan and the other women were uncomfortable, Qi Sheng very gentlemanly suggested they move somewhere else.

Mao Xiaotong and the others responded with great enthusiasm.

Dressed so formally and constantly being watched by so many people, how could they truly relax?

As for Zhang Xiaobo, being the director, he certainly couldn't leave with them.

Besides, he wasn't an idiot.

Why would he actually go and ruin the big boss's fun?

'Maybe after a few more drinks, the big boss and the starlets will get up to something. If I were there, wouldn't that be incredibly awkward?'

...

「Top floor, presidential suite.」

For Jiang Shuying, a presidential suite like this was nothing special.

She sometimes stayed in them when she traveled.

Besides, what wealthy businessman pursuing her hadn't stayed in presidential suites until they were sick of them?

Even Mao Xiaotong was used to presidential suites.

A few years ago, the three major streaming platforms were incredibly generous.

The broadcast rights for any random drama could sell for hundreds of millions.

Actors' salaries naturally skyrocketed in response.

Even a third-tier starlet like Mao Xiaotong could easily command a salary in the tens of millions.

But in the last two years, the film and television environment had soured.

The three major platforms had run out of money.

Actors' salaries plummeted accordingly.

But no matter how far they fell, they were still living a very comfortable life compared to ordinary people.

Qi Sheng had the suite's butler bring a few bottles of champagne, which he put directly into an ice bucket to chill.

Mao Xiaotong and Gu Pan were naturally fine with it; Qi Sheng had already personally verified as much.

Jiang Shuying didn't refuse either. Apparently, she was giving the green light today as well.

They drank and chatted about industry gossip.

Jiang Shuying feigned nonchalance as she asked, "Chairman Qi, I heard Xiaotong mention earlier that she signed a management contract with Universal Entertainment?"

"Xiaotong has a lot of potential, and she's very ambitious. I have high hopes for her," Qi Sheng replied.

Qi Sheng wasn't the type to use someone and then toss them aside.

Since he had enjoyed Mao Xiaotong's "ambitious" services, he naturally wouldn't go back on his word.

"That's wonderful. Xiaotong might even have the chance to star in a movie in the future."

There was a hint of envy in Jiang Shuying's tone.

As the top star of Lemon Film and Television's talent agency, she certainly didn't lack for resources in television.

But at the same time, Lemon Film and Television's focus on TV dramas also limited her development on the big screen.

Although she didn't have much acting talent to begin with and few directors were willing to cast her, that didn't stop her from envying Gu Pan and Mao Xiaotong in the slightest.

Compared to Lemon Film and Television, Universal Entertainment had developed almost exclusively in the film industry.

Its strength in both production and distribution was quite impressive.

The several movies it had recently distributed had all become massive box office hits.

Now flush with cash, Universal Entertainment would definitely be funding multiple films next.

If it were possible, who wouldn't want to take that next step in their career?

A second-tier actress—it sounded glamorous.

But for Jiang Shuying, she had been stuck at this level for far too long.

And if she wanted to become a first-tier star, relying on just television dramas was unrealistic.

Movies, on the other hand, might allow her to ride the coattails of a high-grossing film and burnish her reputation.

The one person who could help her was, without a doubt, Qi Sheng.

With Qi Sheng's status and power at Universal Entertainment, getting her a significant role would be a piece of cake.

She was certain that Qi Sheng hadn't signed Mao Xiaotong because of some bullshit "potential."