"I need to discuss this matter with the president."
Shen Fang smiled and said, "Time waits for no one. I hope to finalize this as soon as possible. Chinese films need an Oscar to boost their morale."
“Harvey, I know you’re good at public relations, so I’ll leave this to you.”
Harvey frowned: "Give it to? Chen, I think your choice of words is somewhat inappropriate."
Chen Fang lit a cigarette.
"Not appropriate? I don't think so. In the capital market, money can solve everything. If you think my words insult you, I think there are plenty of people willing to take over $5 million."
“Chen, this is Hollywood, not a place where you, a Chinese person, can make decisions. Besides, what I can do, others cannot.”
Shen Fang smiled and said, "Can't do it? Isn't public relations all about money, popularity, and connections? Pat Kasley can do it too, and I believe she would be very willing to work with me."
“Pat?” Harvey narrowed his eyes.
"Chen, you still know her?"
Shen Fang shrugged: "Of course. The top public relations person in Hollywood has worked very well with Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie. I have specifically investigated the more well-known public relations people here."
"Chen, I don't think she's better than me, at least not in Oscar PR and operations. I'm definitely better than her!!!"
Shen Fang smiled: "Whether it's strong or not doesn't matter. I'm God because I pay you. Shouldn't you listen to God?"
Harvey remained silent for a while, then smiled.
“You’re right, Chen. In the US, money is everything. Five million dollars is enough for me to treat you like God.”
Shen Fang patted Harvey on the shoulder.
There's an old Chinese saying: "He who eats another's rice bowl must do his bidding." I'm handing this over to you, so just take it over.
Mike, standing to the side, narrowed his eyes. This Chinese guy was determined to win this award.
"Junior brother, isn't 5 million US dollars a bit too expensive for an Oscar?"
Before Shen Fang could speak, Harvey shook his head and looked at Zhang Yimou.
“Zhang, in terms of the influence of the Oscars, as long as you win an award, you can recoup the money you spent later. Winning an award will greatly boost the film.”
"Senior brother, I'm determined to win this time."
Zhang Yimou nodded and stopped talking. For him, awards were no longer that important; he had already won the Palme d'Or. The Palme d'Or is much more prestigious than the Oscar. The three major film festivals have a greater global influence than the Oscar. It's just that one is for commercial films and the other for art films, but the Oscars have a greater boost for commercial films.
However, because no Chinese person has won an Oscar in so many years, many people have mythologized it, thinking it's unattainable and out of reach. But it's really just that.
Upon arriving at the 66th floor of the Empire State Building, Mike led the group to a private room.
No need to order, everything here is set menu. You eat whatever the chef prepares that day.
A moment later, a blonde waitress dressed in a waitress's uniform brought out the appetizer: macaroni and tomato cream, topped with fried bacon.
Liu Tianxian was already hungry, so she started eating right away.
"Wow, this bacon is crispy and delicious!"
"It's alright, but the portion is too small, not enough for just the two of us," Shen Kun complained.
Chen Fang... people come here to eat because of the mood; if they really wanted to be full, who would come here?
Shen Fang rolled his eyes at Shen Kun.
Man Shen chuckled to herself. Having spent so much time with Shen Kun, she knew his appetite. While others could be full with one bowl of rice, he needed at least five or six bowls.
Chen Fang tried it and it tasted good. The snow crab pasta with cream sauce was alright. Since it was an appetizer, the portion was small so it wasn't too greasy.
Then they served broccoli and gave us two cherry tomatoes as compensation.
Shen Kun was speechless.
"This is it??? This is a Michelin three-star restaurant? This is what they serve me???"
"Ahem, Xiao Kun, be careful with that."
Shen Kun pursed his lips; he would be very unhappy if he didn't eat well.
Liu Qianqian, who was standing to the side, also seemed uninterested. She was a carnivore and didn't like eating leafy greens.
Chen Fang tasted it, and damn it, it was braised, and very salty. What the hell?!
Then came the main course: black truffle steak in a stone pot. The huge tomahawk steak was cooked medium-rare. The plate was quite nice, and the mushroom and truffle flavors were very fragrant, along with a rich black pepper taste. It was served with pickles and mashed potatoes.
The taste was good, Liu Qianqian gave it a thumbs up, and Shen Kun also said it was alright, just a little too little.
Two more dishes were served. The sea urchin with fish roe came with three sauces: truffle, seaweed paste, and mayonnaise. The taste was excellent; they really know how to make something out of it.
Steak paired with roasted zucchini also tastes good.
Finally, a dessert was served: matcha tiramisu with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Shen Kun and Liu Qianqian both expressed their approval, as they are both dessert lovers.
Shen Fang took a sip of red wine.
The meal was just so-so. Western food has never been his type. The daily food of people in the US is just hamburgers, steaks, and salads. No matter how delicious they are, the variety is too limited.
Chinese cuisine is among the best in the world.
Frying, stir-frying, boiling, stewing, braising, and simmering. With the eight major cuisines and countless regional specialties, there's an endless variety of food to choose from, and so many delicious options. The Chinese have perfected the art of cooking.
Western food really wasn't much. The reason it was so popular was because China was quite poor at the time, and people had limited resources. There wasn't much to eat; it wasn't that people didn't know how to cook, but rather that they didn't have the means. Meanwhile, many foreigners came to China to travel and develop businesses, opening numerous foreign restaurants. They ate meat every day, which made the Chinese envious. Everyone thought that when they had money, they could try foreign food, just to experience something new.
They even market candlelight dinners, what's with the romance?
The worst food is fast food like McDonald's and KFC. It has no technical content and is unhealthy.
Liu Qianqian ate with great relish, her mouth greasy, especially the dessert at the end, which she loved.
Shen Fang wiped the cream off Liu Qianqian's lips.
"Be careful, you've got food in your mouth."
Liu Qianqian smiled shyly.
After dinner, Old Mike drove the next few days back to the hotel.
Shen Fang gave his presidential suite to Man Shen and Liu Qianqian.
I went to the executive suite by myself.
I lay in bed, dozed off for a while, and then drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
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