National Tide 1980.

On his third day in the port city, Ning Weimin was so busy that he barely had time to breathe, spending almost all his energy on welcoming and seeing off guests.

During the lunch banquet that day, he and several subordinates were busy from morning until 2 p.m., without even a moment to drink water or catch their breath.

Moreover, in the evening, after only resting for two or three hours, they ate something at the hotel and then had to rush to Mr. Hong's bar on Portland Street to attend a drinking party.

The place was already packed with friends waiting to drink and chat with him, leaving him no room to refuse.

To be honest, according to the original plan, this day shouldn't have been this busy.

Ning Weimin's original intention in hosting the banquet was simply to have a casual meal with acquaintances and friends in Gangcheng, which was just a normal social interaction.

He expected to be able to do it without having to worry or exert himself, and he never thought about making a big fuss.

Therefore, beforehand, he simply instructed Yao Peifang and others to book a multi-functional hall with a sea view that could accommodate eight to ten tables at the Regent Hotel's banquet department.

In the actual preparation, Yao Peifang made the decision based on the guest list and only prepared six tables and ordered dishes.

According to their estimates, the number of invited guests was not large, and they were all people Ning Weimin knew.

People like Ah Xia and Mr. Hong, who are 14K triad figures, are local bigwigs in Hong Kong, but because they have a close relationship with Ning Weimin and a close business partnership, they must be invited.

However, there's no need to set up too many seats. These people know they're in the way, and others probably won't want to sit with them. One table should be enough.

They sat together as friends, exchanging toasts and drinks with familiarity.

Zeng Xianzi and his entourage from Goldlion are not only well-known local businessmen but also important partners of Pierre Cardin China, so setting up a separate table would have been more than enough for them.

The rest are Ning Weimin's collaborators in the Hong Kong film and television industry.

The main creators and staff of "Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky", along with the head of Sil-Metropole Organisation, and stars like Liza Wang, Tony Leung Ka-fai, and Maggie Cheung who participated in the filming of "Crazy Rich Asians", filled two tables.

As for the last two tables, they will be reserved for Tsui Hark and Nansun Shi from Cinema City, as well as their friends.

It's just the right amount, not too much, not too little, enough to catch up with old friends without being too noisy.

But no one expected that what should have been a relaxed dinner party would turn into a disaster precisely because of Ning Weimin's unintentional generous promise.

Like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, it stirred up ripples that eventually evolved into a grand and spectacular event.

It turns out that when Yao Peifang relayed the banquet time to Tsui Hark, she casually mentioned that Ning Weimin was willing to independently cover all the filming costs of the disaster relief film "The Banquet".

Moreover, there's no need to recoup costs; all that's required is to obtain the distribution rights in mainland China.

Her tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable confidence.

These words startled Tsui Hark and Nansun Shi, who froze on the spot.

Firstly, they were shocked by Ning Weimin's immense wealth.

It should be noted that "The Banquet" was intended to raise funds for disaster relief and planned to bring together two hundred film and television stars from Hong Kong to participate.

Although everyone performed for free without receiving payment, this film is a remake, and according to the needs of the plot, there are many grand and spectacular scenes.

Moreover, with a large number of participants, the costs of venue, costumes, props, crew, meals, and transportation are considerable.

Especially the film used for shooting, that's the biggest expense, it adds up to about ten million Hong Kong dollars.

Ordinary businessmen would carefully consider and haggle over sponsoring even hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.

The initiator, Wu Siyuan, representing the preparatory committee, had only raised less than two million and was currently struggling with insufficient funds.

Ning Weimin, being generous, readily agreed to accept the remaining eight million yuan in funding without even flinching.

This is a godsend.

Unless one's money comes from thin air or one is from a wealthy family, no one would do something like this.

Secondly, they admired Ning Weimin's generous and righteous nature.

The port city's business district is full of people who are only interested in profit and are good at scheming. Most people only care about their own interests. Take the planning of this movie for example. Even though it is a public welfare project, the theaters still want a share of the profits. They won't accept a penny less.

The businesses that donated also requested that the proceeds from the public screening be used to recover costs first, and that they would only donate if there was a surplus afterwards.

Little did anyone know that Ning Weimin was not doing this for fame or profit; he was only concerned with disaster relief and even offered to donate his own investment.

Such vision and magnanimity are truly rare, and it's impossible not to feel a sense of admiration for them from the bottom of their hearts.

Intrigued, Tsui Hark couldn't resist and immediately called Wu Siyuan, the project manager, to share the news.

When Wu Siyuan was pleasantly surprised to find that the funding problem had finally been solved, he was so moved that he insisted on getting to know Ning Weimin, the "big money tap," to thank him in person.

Then, the news spread at an astonishing speed.

The film and television industry in Hong Kong is not a large circle to begin with, and the seven members of the organizing committee are all big names in the industry. Almost overnight, it caused a sensation in the Hong Kong entertainment circle.

In addition, mainlanders are not considered wealthy by Hong Kong residents.

In many people's minds, visitors from the mainland are usually simple, reserved, and financially strapped. So the sudden appearance of a young, wealthy businessman who spends so lavishly naturally becomes the focus of everyone's curiosity.

Everyone was curious about the background of this generous and low-key mainland boss.

So when Tsui Hark went to the banquet the next day, he was followed by a large group of people.

First of all, of the seven members of the preparatory committee, only Zhang Guozhong was unable to attend due to other commitments; the other six members all came.

In addition, there are renowned directors in Hong Kong, popular actors with both good looks and fame, many veteran actors in the film and television industry, and behind-the-scenes bosses of film and television companies. It can be described as a gathering of stars and a dazzling array of celebrities.

As soon as these people entered the banquet hall, they attracted everyone's attention.

But with so many uninvited guests, the originally spacious banquet hall was quickly filled to capacity.

The original six tables of banquet were definitely not enough, so with Xia's help, two more tables were urgently added to accommodate the extra guests.

But the story didn't end there. Hong Kong is a glamorous place, and the entertainment industry is rife with vanity and sycophancy. Soon, as the news spread further, a steady stream of Hong Kong celebrities arrived, either seeking opportunities or simply to join the fun, quickly filling up the extra seats and still not enough.

For a time, the corridors and the entrance to the banquet hall were filled with people exchanging greetings and chatting, creating a lively atmosphere.

What's more troublesome is that where celebrities congregate, there are bound to be reporters and paparazzi with keen senses.

Having somehow gotten wind of it, they arrived in droves, carrying heavy cameras and microphones.

They wandered around the banquet hall, snapping photos of the celebrities and the lavish banquet, and occasionally going up to ask them a few questions.

The shrill sound of camera shutters and the urgent questioning intertwined, making the scene even more noisy and chaotic, far exceeding Ning Weimin's expectations.

At this moment, not only was Yao Peifang sweating profusely with anxiety, but even Xia was dumbfounded. The two of them finally managed to find an opportunity to break through the crowd and get close to Ning Weimin, who was trapped in the encirclement, and asked him in a low voice what to do.

Ning Weimin took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. He maintained a calm and composed smile, his tone even and steady.

"Let's add more tables, if possible, and make sure everything is arranged properly so that our guests are not neglected."

Left with no other option, Xia had to mobilize the banquet department of the Regent Hotel to temporarily add tables, move chairs, add tableware, and replenish dishes.

After a while, the original six tables were increased to fifteen, more than doubling in size.

Two seats were even placed outside the banquet hall just to barely accommodate all the guests.

However, due to the haste, the hotel's banquet department did not have enough high-end ingredients. With the guests already seated, they could not provide every table with bird's nest, sea cucumber, abalone, and shark fin, which inevitably led to some neglect.

Ning Weimin was afraid of spoiling everyone's fun, losing face, and making people think that the mainland boss was stingy, so he could only go and discuss a solution with Xia.

"Sister Xia, the ingredient problem can't be solved in a short time. How about we get a few cases of Dom Champagne and a case of my Golden Hill wine? In short, the more good wine the better. If the Regent Hotel's wine cellar doesn't have any, we'll get some from your wine shop. Since we don't have any good dishes to serve our guests today, we should at least let them drink some good wine to show that we're not stingy."

In less than half an hour, Ah Xia had someone bring at least two hundred bottles of good wine to the scene.

The crystal-clear wine bottle and exquisite packaging immediately drew glances and praises from everyone as soon as it was placed on the table.

I must say, it actually fits the theme of the charity performance quite well.

This swift and decisive rescue transformed the banquet into a truly lavish feast.

Needless to say, although the guests that day were a mixed bag, there were quite a few discerning customers.

What started as misunderstanding and disdain due to the difference in food gradually turned into respect.

Many people gathered together, whispering and full of curiosity.

They really didn't expect that this mainland boss's wealth was far greater than they had imagined.

How could they possibly use such fine French wine to host such a grand banquet for their guests?

This requires not only money, but also good taste; even many local Hong Kong scions of wealthy families might not be willing to spend so extravagantly.

How could a young man from the mainland, a "northerner," have such abundant wealth?
People couldn't help but feel more awe for Ning Weimin's strength and speculate more about his background.

Therefore, Ning Weimin was undoubtedly the focus of the entire banquet.

Almost everyone's eyes were focused on him, filled with curiosity, awe, envy, and a hint of barely perceptible probing.

Even after the banquet ended, many people were still reluctant to leave and surrounded Ning Weimin.

Especially the Cinema City group, represented by Tsui Hark, spoke respectfully and enthusiastically, inviting him to continue drinking and chatting about cooperation that evening, their eyes full of flattery and expectation.

Wu Siyuan also invited Yao Peifang, who worked alongside Ning Weimin, and the actors from the "Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky" crew to make appearances in the film.

In addition, Mr. Hong repeatedly invited Ning Weimin to visit his shop.

Unable to refuse such hospitality, Ning Weimin, feeling it would be impolite to turn down the invitation, agreed to join in another round of drinks that evening.

I intended to leave quickly and simply, but the crowd was so enthusiastic that I couldn't refuse their toasts.

The end result, of course, was that he had drunk quite a bit and was brought back by his subordinates like a drunkard.

But what caught Ning Weimin off guard was that his personal reputation suddenly became famous overnight in the port city.

This also brought his popularity in the port city to its peak.

You see, after the banquet, all the guests went back and told their friends about the deeds of this mysterious mainland boss, embellishing the story. And the power of the Hong Kong media is truly immense.

The very next day, as soon as Ning Weimin woke up, he saw the day's newspaper delivered by the hotel, which was the first to publish a related report. The entire article focused on the connection between this banquet and the disaster relief film "The Banquet of the Rich and Powerful," calling his banquet the previous day a real "banquet of the rich and powerful."

The most eye-catching article was the headline of the entertainment section of the Oriental Daily News.

The article was published in bold, eye-catching font with the headline: "Real-life 'Luxury Banquet' Appears in Hong Kong! Mysterious Mainland Tycoon Spends a Fortune, Hosting a Celebrity Banquet and Taking on Disaster Relief Responsibilities."

The report also stated, "Yesterday, a private banquet at the Regent Hotel, which should have been low-key, unexpectedly turned into a real-life 'banquet' even more extravagant than the upcoming disaster relief film 'The Banquet.' A mysterious tycoon from the mainland single-handedly brought together celebrities from Hong Kong's business circles, social groups, and film industry, both to strengthen relationships and to fulfill his initial commitment to disaster relief. During the banquet, Mr. Ning Weimin publicly pledged not only to independently cover all the filming costs of the disaster relief film 'The Banquet,' but also to echo the film's theme with concrete actions in real life." The banquet, originally planned for six tables, was expanded to twelve due to the overwhelming number of celebrities and dignitaries attending. When the wine supply ran low, Mr. Ning brought in a large quantity of high-end spirits from his private wine cellar to save the day. His extravagant spending and composed demeanor perfectly exemplified the true meaning of the term "high society." It is understood that Mr. Ning, despite his young age and mysterious background, is not only attending the banquet to reminisce but also suspected of having a significant strategic plan. This real-life "high society banquet" may be the beginning of his establishment in Hong Kong. This newspaper will continue to follow up on the mystery surrounding his immense wealth and identity.

Ning Weimin, looking at the various reports in the newspapers, was somewhat at a loss for words, both amused and exasperated.

He went from initially planning to "attend a relaxed banquet" to being forced into becoming a "constant social butterfly." Where can he go to seek justice for this?

However, he also knew in his heart that this sudden busyness was both trouble and opportunity.

He gained widespread recognition in Hong Kong's entertainment industry through a unique method, becoming a well-known "big water pipe."

In the future, people in this circle will at least have some recollection of your name when they hear it.

These reports and rumors may not necessarily be a bad thing.

At least, it's enough for those lurking in the shadows to see his strength and know that he's not some nobody.

In addition, his presence will also provide some support to the actors who come to Hong Kong from mainland China to make a living during the filming of this movie, making their lives a little easier.

Just like Ng See-yuen personally promised to take better care of the girls from the mainland and give Nina Li and Lok Wai a chance to appear in the film. (End of this chapter)