Chapter 23 – No Value in Mining
Due to the limited ingredients available, Lin Jiu decided to suspend operations for lunch. Using the remaining ingredients, he made six large bowls of seafood rice—one each for Elder Song, Secretary Jin, Old Man Xu, Si Xu, and Wen Qin, with one left for himself.
Upon hearing he was getting a bowl, Old Man Xu hurriedly declined. A large bowl of seafood rice cost nearly 4,000 yuan, and he had never eaten something so expensive. He couldn’t bear to eat it or even dare to.
“Since all the ingredients were wasted today, I could only make six bowls. Please don’t refuse, Old Man Xu. I’d love for you to taste my cooking.”
Old Man Xu couldn’t resist Lin Jiu’s warm invitation. With a firm resolve, he decided to try the expensive seafood rice and find out just how good it tasted.
With the shop closed and no other customers inside, Si Xu didn’t go to a private room but stayed in the main dining hall to eat with the others. They were all familiar with each other, so they served themselves the seafood rice and shrimp soup.
Lin Jiu sat across from Old Man Xu with his own portion. He had wanted to sit opposite Si Xu but was too afraid he’d be distracted by Si Xu’s handsome face and forget to eat, which would have been too embarrassing.
Taking off his mask, Lin Jiu invited Old Man Xu to taste the food.
Old Man Xu stared at Lin Jiu for a moment, thinking the young man was exceptionally good-looking. Nodding in response, he took a bite, copying Lin Jiu’s movements, and immediately his face lit up.
“It’s delicious, absolutely delicious!” Old Man Xu wasn’t sure how to express his feelings other than to keep saying, “delicious.”
He had lived a simple life, never particularly interested in gourmet food, but this seafood rice completely won him over. He didn’t know if all gourmet food was like this, but with just one bite, his body and soul felt refreshed. It was so good that he decided he would come back at least once a month for it. He didn’t need a large portion—a small or medium one would do, just as long as he could enjoy the taste again.
He never thought that at his age, he would ever crave something this much.
Old Man Xu ate slowly and carefully, savoring each bite. Even so, the large portion of seafood rice was soon gone. After finishing the last grain of rice, he picked up the soup bowl, took a sip, and was astonished once again. He drank the entire bowl, even eating the two magic sea red mushrooms, and only then, fully satisfied, put down the bowl.
Old Man Xu ate his fill, and all his fatigue disappeared, leaving him so energized that he felt like running a couple of laps.
Standing up, he said, “I’ll go back and get some money.”
Lin Jiu quickly replied, “No need, this meal is on me. Thank you for your help today.”
“No way. I have to pay. Even if I don’t count your cooking skills, the rice and seafood cost money. I can’t let you lose out,” Old Man Xu insisted, determined to fetch his money, but Lin Jiu was equally resolute in refusing.
“Really, there’s no need. I caught the seafood myself, so there’s no loss.”
Old Man Xu was stubborn, but Lin Jiu held his ground. In the end, they agreed that the next time Old Man Xu came to eat, he would pay full price. Only then did Old Man Xu relent.
Witnessing the entire standoff between Lin Jiu and Old Man Xu, Si Xu didn’t insist on paying this time and let Lin Jiu treat him to the meal.
Elder Song stood up, leaning on his cane, and said with a big smile, “Young man, your seafood is truly exceptional. Look, yesterday I was still in a wheelchair, but today I have the strength to stand!”
Lin Jiu put his mask back on and said, “At your age, you should definitely eat more of this kind of seafood.”
“I think so too. I want to become your highest-tier customer,” Elder Song declared ambitiously.
Si Xu chuckled, “Grandpa, you might have to get in line behind me.”
Elder Song glared at him. “Don’t get cocky. When I have time, I’ll bring all my old friends here to eat and see if I can outdo you.”
Si Xu just smiled silently, thinking, You have old friends, but I don’t have friends?
Lin Jiu saw them out and only returned to clean up once they were gone.
As soon as Si Xu left the Demon Fish Restaurant, his expression turned cold. “Look into what Mi Youyou has been up to lately.”
“We’ve already checked. Mi Youyou is about to start filming the fourth episode of a reality show called Survival on a Deserted Island in three days. After the reality show, she’ll be joining the cast of The Legend of Rongji.”
Si Xu was surprised. “She has a role in The Legend of Rongji?”
The Legend of Rongji was a major historical palace drama directed by the famous director Zhu Chou. Its lead actress was Hua Xian, a TV queen. The casting had long been underway with much fanfare, featuring a mix of popular stars and veteran actors. Director Zhu was known for his high standards for actors, so it was hard to imagine how Mi Youyou, a newcomer, got cast.
“It’s a small supporting role, only a few episodes. The Legend of Rongji is a massive production, and Director Zhu is a stickler for detail, which led to a lot of overspending. Guangshi Entertainment took advantage of this and bought a small role for Mi Youyou.”
Even if it was a small role, Mi Youyou’s participation would spark discussions. After all, collaborating with Director Zhu and being part of The Legend of Rongji, which was destined to be a hit, meant the actors would also rise to fame.
Si Xu said, “Contact the reality show’s production team and have them replace Mi Youyou. Then reach out to Director Zhu and tell him Huasheng wants to increase their investment. Ask him to replace Mi Youyou as well.”
Aside from being an artist at Huasheng, Si Xu was also a major shareholder in the company—a fact not many people knew. Most assumed his extensive connections were due to his fame, unaware that he was the embodiment of those connections.
Wen Qin hesitated. “Mi Youyou is Guangshi Entertainment’s top new talent this year. Cutting off her future like this might directly offend Guangshi.”
Si Xu sneered. “Are there not enough conflicts between Hua Sheng and Guangshi already? They want to promote their newcomer, and Huasheng wants to promote ours. It just so happens that we can target Mi Youyou.”
Wen Qin: “…”
You’re really putting in the effort.
Wen Qin asked, “Who will replace her?”
Si Xu thought for a moment. “Let the company choose a promising newcomer to act in The Legend of Rongji. As for the reality show…”
He hesitated, then glanced back at the Demon Fish Restaurant.
Si Xu had seen the first season of Survival on a Deserted Island but hadn’t watched the second. In the first season, the guests were dropped on a deserted island and had to figure out how to escape. The production team placed survival tools and food in various locations on the island, which the guests had to win through challenges. The show was full of chaos and laughter.
The first season had high ratings and was very popular, so expectations for the second season were high. Guangshi had pulled strings to get Mi Youyou on the show. If Lin Jiu was willing to participate, this reality show could help clear his name.
With that thought, Si Xu turned back and re-entered the Demon Fish Restaurant.
Wen Qin: “…”
*
Lin Jiu had just finished cleaning the shop and was about to open the door when it was pulled open from the outside.
Startled, Lin Jiu stammered, “You… you’re back again?”
“I have something to discuss with you.” Si Xu and Wen Qin walked in.
Si Xu got straight to the point. “Do you still want to return to the entertainment industry?”
Lin Jiu froze, his gaze dropping as his long eyelashes lowered, concealing his emotions.
Even though he had faded into obscurity, Si Xu had still found out. How much did Si Xu know? Did he remember what happened back then? Probably not. If he did, no matter how beneficial the seafood here was, he wouldn’t bother with him. After all, that incident had also caused Si Xu a lot of trouble.
Si Xu said, “There’s a spot open on a reality show. Would you be interested in joining?”
Lin Jiu shook his head. “The company has blacklisted me. They won’t let me participate.”
“Don’t worry about the company. Do you want to join?” If Lin Jiu wanted to, Si Xu could handle negotiations with Creation Star.
Lin Jiu still shook his head. “I just want to focus on running my shop now.”
Si Xu could see the disillusionment in him. “If you’re unhappy at Creation Star, you can come to Hua Sheng. Don’t worry about terminating your contract. Hua Sheng will handle it for you. Do you want to join?”
In the past, Lin Jiu would have agreed without hesitation. Being in the same company as Si Xu was something he had dreamed of. But now, it was impossible. He couldn’t sing anymore. As a member of the merfolk, his voice had an innate enchanting effect that could harm humans.
Aside from singing, he had no other talents. He didn’t want to be a mere “pretty face” in the entertainment industry. It was better to simply exit. He was saving up money, and once he had enough, he planned to request a contract termination with Creation Star and leave the entertainment world for good.
“Thank you, but it’s not necessary. I don’t have any value to be pick by Hua Sheng.”
The long contract he signed with Creation Star meant that the penalty for breach of contract would be astronomical. Even if Hua Sheng did come for him, he couldn’t help Hua Sheng recoup that much money, and Hua Sheng wasn’t in the charity business—they wouldn’t agree.
Even if Si Xu mediated, Lin Jiu didn’t want to owe such a large favor. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to repay it.
Wen Qin said, “Your vocal ability and looks are excellent. With the right team, it’s not hard to become popular.”
Wen Qin glanced at Si Xu and added, “With Si Xu’s connections and resources, it would be difficult not to become famous.”
Si Xu was a glaringly obvious asset in the entertainment industry. Even people who had nothing to do with him tried to associate with him, using various means to gain attention. Wen Qin was confident that with such a valuable asset in front of him, no one would be indifferent.
However, Lin Jiu was an exception. Despite Wen Qin’s efforts, Lin Jiu remained in a difficult spot. He couldn’t sing, and just having looks wasn’t enough—he’d be labeled a “pretty face” and rely on looks alone, which wasn’t sustainable.
It seemed there was no place for him in the entertainment industry anymore.
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