CH 55

Lu Jingqian had already fallen asleep early. He was in a deep sleep when his phone suddenly rang. The security of the villa informed him that there was a guest who wanted to visit him and that the person had already arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Lu Jingqian thought to himself, “The villa was only exposed to the public yesterday, and someone is already coming to ‘visit’ without invitation?”

“Tell them to leave and say that I don’t entertain any uninvited guests,” Lu Jingqian said.

“He said he is Hong Boxiao, the president of Shenghong Group, and he wants to talk to you personally. I have already sent you his number.” The security replied.

“Hong Boxiao?” Lu Jingqian fell silent for a moment and then said, “Let them in.”

Lu Jingqian threw his phone aside, sat up from the bed, rubbed his face to stay awake, and wondered, “What’s wrong with this person? Why come to the mountains as a guest so late at night? Couldn’t he come during the day?”

When they reached the bottom of the villa, Ou Wenyu suddenly remembered to ask, “What if he refuses to see us? Should we just turn back?”

“He will meet us,” Hong Boxiao said confidently.

“That’s not necessarily true. What if he genuinely wants to live in seclusion? Even if you say you are the president of Shenghong Group, he may not want to see you.”

“If he genuinely wants to live in seclusion, he wouldn’t be doing live broadcasts. The Lan family’s wealth is not a small sum, and there are also thirty-six Lan family recipes. He was someone who had been groomed as the heir, but in one night, he lost what he was supposed to inherit. Would he really just give away all the wealth and retreat to the mountains? He is only temporarily stepping back, waiting for a powerful backer to help him deal with Yan Bin and the forces behind him.”

Ou Wenyu thought his explanation made sense. Shortly after the driver and the villa security contacted each other, the automatic iron gate at the foot of the mountain opened. He became more convinced that Hong Boxiao was right.

Lu Jingqian had someone take them to his courtyard and received them in the outer hall.

Lu Jingqian walked into the outer hall, glanced at the two people sitting on the side sipping tea, and then walked to the main seat and sat down. He said, “Is there something important for both of you to visit so late?”

Ou Wenyu quickly spoke before Hong Boxiao and said, “We haven’t had dinner yet.”

After looking at them in astonishment for a moment, Lu Jingqian resisted the urge to snort and roll his eyes. He stood up and said, “Follow me.”

The two of them also stood up simultaneously and followed behind Lu Jingqian. As Hong Boxiao looked at Lu Jingqian’s back, he thought to himself that despite looking like a teenager, his words and actions carried maturity and wisdom. Perhaps it was because he had experienced setbacks and the loss of loved ones, which had made him break out of his comfortable shell like a forcibly emerged butterfly, his sturdy protective shell is no longer there. Hong Boxiao inexplicably felt a pang of sympathy, thinking that this young man’s shoulders should not bear such burdens.

Lu Jingqian had them sit in the small hall and then made two bowls of noodles for them in the adjacent kitchen. It was late at night, and he didn’t have the mood to cook a special meal for them. If they had come during the day, he might have prepared several dishes to entertain them. If the visitor weren’t the lover from his past life, he wouldn’t have let them in at all.

Opening the hidden refrigerator in the wall, Lu Jingqian took out some frozen beef soup that he had made earlier and also used pre-made noodles that were leftover from entertaining guests earlier in the day.

After about ten minutes, the two bowls of noodles were ready. Lu Jingqian brought them to the table and placed them in front of the guests, indicating that they could start eating.

Lu Jingqian brewed himself a cup of tea and sat down on a nearby armchair, looking at them and saying, “You both came uninvited, especially at such a late hour. There must be a reason, right?”

Ou Wenyu was too busy eating his noodles and didn’t have the time to answer Lu Jingqian’s question.

Hong Boxiao, who hadn’t started eating yet, replied, “We came to discuss cooperation with you.”

“So, President Shenghong personally came to discuss cooperation with me. It seems like a big deal.” Lu Jingqian said. “How do you want to collaborate?”

“I have three estates in the mountains around the capital, and I’d like to invite you to be the executive chef. The salary is up to you, and you can set your own requirements,” Hong Boxiao finally took a bite of the noodles. Although he knew Lu Jingqian had probably used frozen food, the taste was better than any bowl of noodles he had ever eaten.

“That does sound like a big deal,” Lu Jingqian lightly tapped the table with his fingers and said, “Can you really trust me to be the executive chef? I’ve even suffered a miserable defeat in those small competitions, and I have quite a few haters. My reputation isn’t that great either.”

“Did you really injure Lan Mingze’s hand? And intentionally lose to him during the competition?” Hong Boxiao asked.

“He injured his hand himself, and I didn’t intend to lose to him. Someone tampered with the ingredients, so that’s why I lost,” Lu Jingqian truthfully explained.

Ou Wenyu finished every drop of soup in his bowl and sighed before placing the bowl down. He said, “I absolutely believe everything you said. Anyone who can associate with Yan Bin can’t be a good person. I’ve tasted Lan Mingze’s cooking, and with your skills, it would be quite difficult for you to intentionally lose to him even if you wanted to.”

“We came specifically to hire you. Coming over so late at night is to prevent anyone from getting ahead of us,” Hong Boxiao naturally couldn’t say that he had rushed over after seeing Lu Jingqian’s hot spring live stream. He could only say in an official tone, “We are very sincere. I believe you must also want to reclaim everything that should have been rightfully yours.”

“The President of Shenghong himself has come over so late at night. I can see your sincerity,” Lu Jingqian thought to himself that coming over at such a late hour, their intentions were probably more than just sincerity. You didn’t come when I did cooking live streams so many times, but today, it was just a live stream of me soaking in a hot spring, and you hurried over to show your sincerity.

Late at night was truly not the time to discuss cooperation. After Lu Jingqian waited for them to finish eating, he asked them to rest first and said they would have a detailed discussion the next day.

The fish he had been trying to catch finally took the bait, so Lu Jingqian no longer had to live stream so diligently. He agreed to Hong Boxiao’s invitation, which was exactly what he had been waiting for, a support that could help him reclaim everything.

The next morning, Hong Boxiao brought the pre-drafted contract for Lu Jingqian to review.

Lu Jingqian skimmed through the contract content. He quickly glanced over the front part because it was all in his favor. But when he saw one of the clauses, his gaze paused for a moment, then he looked up at Hong Boxiao and said, “I can’t be without clothes during the live stream?”

Hong Boxiao said seriously, “It’s for your protection. Just like how a talent agency protects its artists, live streaming is a form of performance. Exposing your body casually would undermine the performance itself and make it vulgar.”

“Oh…” Lu Jingqian was somewhat speechless about his excuse, but it was not something he couldn’t accept. After all, he didn’t have a hobby of being without clothes in front of the camera.

“If you think the contract is acceptable, you can leave with us today. That way, you won’t be harassed by others,” Hong Boxiao said.

In the early morning, many visitors were coming up the mountain, but Lu Jingqian rejected all of them. However, some people seemed unwilling to give up and remained at the foot of the mountain.

Lu Jingqian couldn’t find anything unsatisfactory about Hong Boxiao’s contract. Just as he had said, they approached him with sincerity. This kind of contract could be said to be a dream come true for any chef. It was more enticing than opening his own restaurant and presented a greater challenge.

After signing the contract, Lu Jingqian was essentially starting a direct confrontation with Lan Mingze and Yan Bin. He couldn’t wait to retaliate and defeat them, so he didn’t hesitate much and immediately signed the contract.

After signing the contract, Lu Jingqian packed his things and prepared to return to the capital with them. Lanjing Villa would probably not be peaceful for a while, as the number of visitors would certainly continue to increase. So he decided to leave and hide for a while.

Hong Boxiao had also made an announcement that Shenghong Group would soon enter the food and beverage industry, with the main store located at the Rainbow Garden Villa on the outskirts of the capital. Subsequently, they would open branch stores in the city. It was also revealed that Shenghong Group signed Lu Jingqian as the executive chef, and they informed everyone that Lu Jingqian was no longer at Lanjing Villa but was preparing for the opening at Rainbow Garden Villa. Therefore, those who wanted to see him no longer needed to wait at the foot of Lanjing Villa.

The news of Shenghong Group’s entry into the food and beverage industry became a hot topic, and many people speculated how long it would take for Shenghong to surpass the current industry leader, Rongyuan Group’s Flavor Company.

In every industry Shenghong Group ventured into, they always stood at the top. However, Rongyuan’s position in the food and beverage industry had always been solid. So in the intense competition between the two, there was much speculation and debate about who would come out on top.

The news of Shenghong’s entry into the food and beverage industry made Yan Bin, the general manager of Flavor Company, prepare himself for a fierce battle. He was determined to do everything possible to deal a heavy blow to Shenghong in the food and beverage industry as revenge for being suppressed by Hong Boxiao all these years as his ability was limited to the food and beverage industry.

Yan Bin’s grandfather was the chairman of Rongyuan, while Hong Boxiao’s grandfather was the chairman of Shenghong. The two families had been archenemies for many years. The strength of the two companies used to be evenly matched, but now there was a gap due to the abilities of the younger generation, slowly widening the gap between the two companies.

In Yan Bin’s grandfather’s mind, he had always envied and resented Hong Boxiao, the outstanding grandson. He felt frustrated that his grandchildren combined couldn’t compare to Hong Boxiao alone. Whenever his grandchildren were compared to Hong Boxiao, he urged them to surpass him, but they never succeeded.

Yan Bin had harbored hatred towards Hong Boxiao since childhood because he worked so hard to prove himself. However, in his grandfather’s eyes, even he and his several cousins combined couldn’t measure up to someone else’s grandson. How could he not feel angry?

He was determined to prove that he was stronger than Hong Boxiao, but he was repeatedly crushed by overwhelming failures. His several cousins, on the other hand, took a more relaxed approach, diligently and steadily working within their own capabilities, and gradually gained their grandfather’s recognition. He, on the other hand, was often reprimanded by his grandfather because of his numerous humiliating defeats under Hong Boxiao.

Later, Yan Bin achieved impressive results in the food and beverage industry which Hong Boxiao had not ventured. He secured the position of prominence for Rongyuan in the culinary field, finally gaining his grandfather’s recognition. Although Rongyuan had also entered many industries, Yan Bin’s grandfather valued the food and beverage industry the most. He, himself, was a foodie and, in his younger years, had ambitions to develop a company. As he grew older, he only wanted to eat his way through the world’s delicacies before he died, so he could die without regrets.

Therefore, Yan Bin believed that defeating Hong Boxiao in the food and beverage industry, which his grandfather valued the most, might be the best opportunity to prove himself stronger than Hong Boxiao. Especially when he learned that Hong Boxiao had made Lu Jingqian the executive chef, he felt even more confident that the day he could crush Hong Boxiao had finally arrived.

On the other hand, Lan Mingze felt a stronger sense of crisis upon learning that Lu Jingqian had signed with Shenghong Group. He knew that with Lu Jingqian having the support of Shenghong, it would be difficult for Yan Bin to use other means against him. However, if they were to directly compare their skills, Lan Mingze will still have confidence in winning as long as he hadn’t tasted Lu Jingqian’s dishes. However, after he tasted it and saw his live streams a few times, all of his confidence had long gone. But even so, he absolutely couldn’t let Lu Jingqian take away everything he currently possessed.

Hong Boxiao took Lu Jingqian to visit the Rainbow Garden Villa. It was much larger than Lanjing Villa because it consisted of three estates enclosed together, occupying a considerable area. It was impossible to explore everything in a single day. The front part of the villa was intended for hosting guests after the opening, while the rear part was a restricted area only for entertaining relatives and friends.

Hong Boxiao let Lu Jingqian choose his own residence as his future long-term residence. Moreover, no one will be allowed to get in without his permission.

Hong Boxiao strongly recommended his own residence to Lujingqian because his usual residence was spacious and situated at the highest point of the villa, free from any disturbance.

Lu Jingqian takes a look around Hong Boxiao’s residence and realizes its spaciousness and grandeur, with plenty of rooms. After his visit, Lu Jingqian took a liking to the Yunyue Tower in the villa and decided to live there in the future.

Lu Jingqian sat by the window as he enjoyed the scenery below while talking to Hong Boxiao, “There’s no rush to set the opening date. The chefs are all new, and although they have work experience, they still need training and cultivation for teamwork and coordination. The company is also planning to develop the food industry, right? I think it’s a good idea to write down some recipes for ready-made food. You can have people make them in large quantities and sell them in supermarkets to test their popularity.”

“Let’s do it as you say. In the future, if you have any ideas, just tell the general manager to arrange them,” Hong Boxiao said as he looked at Lu Jingqian’s gentle profile. “I think the spicy chicken and crayfish you made before were very good, and they would be suitable for selling as ready-made food. We can give it a try.”

“Okay, in addition to those two, let’s add three more varieties of ready-made foods. Start with five varieties to generate popularity and reputation,” Lu Jingqian said, shifting his gaze from the window and turning to Hong Boxiao. However, he noticed a hint of desire flickering in Hong Boxiao’s eyes as he looked at him, causing him to pause in surprise.