Chapter 35: The Banquet

Sofitel Galaxy Hotel.

Countless luxury cars were parked outside: Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, Maybachs...

Lin Yi gazed at the rows of high-end vehicles, his heart filled with shock. He didn't understand the world of the wealthy; his poverty had truly limited his imagination.

"How about it? Intimidated, aren't you?" Li Xue teased.

"I am, indeed." He had never seen such a luxurious display in real life.

"Some people start at a finish line we couldn't reach even with a lifetime of effort," Li Xue remarked with a sigh.

Lin Yi scanned his surroundings. People he usually only saw on screens were all here: Jackie Chan, Wu Jing, Fan Bingbing, Yang Mi, Zhang Yimou...

*Whew!*

What kind of powerful figure was hosting this banquet? To be able to invite the absolute elite of the entertainment industry!

Waves of emotion rippled through Lin Yi’s heart.

Forget it, why worry so much? He was just a nobody here to grab a bite to eat, soak in the atmosphere, and then leave. Thinking this, Lin Yi felt less nervous. With so many big names around, why should a small fry like him be afraid?

When in Rome, do as the Romans do!

"Please show your invitation!" the security guard at the hotel entrance said sternly.

Li Xue pulled a red envelope from his jacket and handed it over. After verifying it, the guard let them pass.

Upon entering the hotel and seeing the scene inside, Lin Yi was struck with wonder.

*Damn, this is ridiculously rich!*

Lin Yi had been quite satisfied with his current income, but compared to this, he wanted to crawl into a hole. Comparing yourself to others only leads to frustration!

"How is it? Getting a taste of the joys of the wealthy?" Li Xue asked with a chuckle, amused by the shock on Lin Yi’s face.

"They are just too damn rich," Lin Yi blurted out.

"Hahaha... exactly, too damn rich. Even I’m jealous."

The room was resplendent and magnificent, filled with dazzling crystal chandeliers, European-style furniture, and tables overflowing with gourmet food and fine wine.

Lin Yi could only repeat that poverty limited his imagination and his perspective. There were so many things here he had never seen before; he couldn't even name them, and could only resort to a crude exclamation: "Holy crap! It’s blinding!"

"Old Li, you made it?" A middle-aged man with a crew cut walked toward them, holding a wine glass.

"Yes. When did you arrive?" Li Xue casually picked up a glass of red wine, clinked it against the man's, and took a sip.

"I just got here. Who is this with you?"

"This is Lin Yi. He’s the one who wrote the theme song for our collaboration, *Nirvana in Fire*."

"Oh."

Kong Sheng’s expression brightened with realization. He smiled at Lin Yi and extended his glass. "So, you’re Lin Yi! You’ve been very popular lately."

Lin Yi gave a wry smile, clinked glasses with him, and took a small sip. "My popularity is partly thanks to you two. *Nirvana in Fire* is incredibly hot right now!"

*Nirvana in Fire* was directed by the renowned duo Kong Sheng and Li Xue. From their conversation, Lin Yi knew this was Director Kong Sheng.

"Heh." Kong Sheng beamed, happily finishing his drink. This kid knew exactly what to say to please him.

Which director didn't care about ratings? Before the premiere of *Nirvana in Fire*, he had been slightly worried about disappointing the investors. But recently, the show's ratings had been climbing steadily. He was naturally in a good mood. For a director, a hit show with strong word-of-mouth was fundamental. Only then would investors be willing to keep funding projects, giving him the capital to keep filming.

Capital is ruthless, especially in the entertainment industry, where "one-hit-wonder" directors are countless. If a show flops, investors become cautious; after all, their money doesn't grow on trees.

"Look at that smug face of yours. What are you gloating about?" Li Xue huffed, rolling his eyes.

"Director Li Xue, Director Kong Sheng, Lin Yi, hello." A man approached them with small, brisk steps, a bright smile on his face as he held a glass.

Seeing the man, Lin Yi’s eyes lit up. "Brother Hu?"

"Hey, Lin Yi, I didn't expect you to be even younger and more handsome than I imagined," Hu Ge said with a grin, clinking his full glass against Lin Yi’s.

"Not at all, I can't compare to an 'ageless heartthrob' like you." After the toast, Lin Yi finished his drink, placed the glass on a passing waiter’s tray, and grabbed a fresh one.

The entire hotel was filled with laughter and conversation, with pleasant, mellow background music echoing through the hall. Li Xue introduced Lin Yi to many more stars: Zhang Yimou, Fan Bingbing... It could be said that the entire elite of the entertainment industry was gathered here.

"Old Zhang!" Seeing Zhang Yibo, Li Xue laughed heartily, walked over quickly, and patted him on the shoulder.

"I was wondering who had the nerve to pat me on the shoulder from behind. It’s you," Zhang Yibo said, turning around and chuckling as he looked at Li Xue.

"Heh, of course it’s me!"

"Director Kong, long time no see!" Seeing Kong Sheng standing beside Li Xue, Zhang Yibo extended his hand in a warm greeting.

"Director Zhang, I’ve heard much about you!" Kong Sheng shook his hand.

After some polite small talk, the group dispersed.

"Lin Yi, why don't you wander around a bit? Old Kong and I have some business to attend to," Li Xue said, noticing the fatigue in Lin Yi’s eyes.

"Right." Lin Yi felt a weight lift and nodded.

Meeting all these big shots was incredibly draining. He didn't know what to say to them, and since he wasn't good at socializing and the focus wasn't on him anyway, there wasn't much to talk about.

"Lin Yi, come here. I have a few words for you," Zhang Yibo called out, beckoning him.

"Brother Zhang, what is it?" Lin Yi walked over, curious. Could it be, just as Li Xue had predicted, that he wanted him to play the third male lead?

"Since you call me 'brother,' I’ll get straight to the point."

*Didn't you and Director Li force me to call you that?*

He had originally wanted to call them Uncle Zhang and Uncle Li, or at least Uncle Yibo and Uncle Xue. But those two old guys wouldn't have it; they complained that those titles made them sound old and insisted on being called "brother." Good grief, they were old enough to be his father, yet they were acting young! Under their pressure and persuasion, Lin Yi had no choice but to change "Uncle" to "brother."

"I want you to play the third male lead in *Fleet of Time*. The pay will be at market rate," Zhang Yibo said, patting Lin Yi on the shoulder. "I have things to do, go have fun."

With that, he walked away to mingle with others.

Third male lead? Director Li Xue had been right. However, he didn't really want to act! Lin Yi watched Zhang Yibo’s retreating figure, sighing helplessly and shaking his head.

"Director, I suspect you walked away on purpose."

"Hey!"

A small, fair hand tapped Lin Yi gently, and a petite head peeked out from behind him.

"Tong Liya?" Lin Yi looked her up and down—a white dress, a silver necklace, and crystal-clear high heels. Had he just encountered Snow White?

"You look beautiful!" Lin Yi exclaimed.

"Thank you!" Hearing the compliment, Tong Liya felt delighted. A radiant smile bloomed on her face as she replied, "You look very handsome today, too!"