Taking Liu Yifei back to Northeast China for the Chinese New Year has sent the entire internet into

After he finished speaking, no one at the table said a word.

Zhou Yuanshan looked down at the exquisitely presented braised sea cucumber with scallions in front of him.

Then I looked at the crystal-clear steamed abalone next to me.

It tasted incredibly delicious when I ate it just now.

What now?

Suddenly, I felt completely bored.

He had attended far too many high-profile banquets in Beijing.

What Michelin three-star restaurants, what hidden alley private kitchens, what business banquets costing hundreds of thousands of yuan per table.

He was already tired of it.

In the snow and wind where the temperature is tens of degrees below zero, they use birch bark to start a fire and use the melted snow water to cook a pot of piping hot red sausage instant noodles.

He's genuinely never eaten it before!

The less you've ever eaten it, the more your cravings become.

This is the destructive power of extreme contrast.

He Zheng was straightforward and slapped the thigh directly.

"Old Chen, you're incredibly dishonest!"

Why are you bringing this up out of the blue?

"I was enjoying the sea cucumber very much, and I had a great appetite."

"Now that you've described it so vividly, all I can think about is red sausage and instant noodles!"

Zhou Yuanshan simply put down his chopsticks, looking resentful.

"really."

"This is quite a mess."

"Sea cucumber and abalone suddenly don't taste good anymore; I always feel like I need some warm soup in my stomach."

He Zheng acted swiftly, turning directly to look at the butler standing beside him.

"Do you have any instant noodles at home?"

"Go and get a few packs!"

"And some more red sausage, eggs, and seaweed."

"Let's take advantage of this warm air and have Brother Fang cook us a pot right here to satisfy our cravings!"

The butler's usually stern and professionally trained face cracked instantly.

He's been the head steward of the Chen family for so many years, what rare and precious ingredients hasn't he prepared?

Half-headed abalone, two-finger-thick sea cucumber, wild large yellow croaker—those are nothing special.

Only instant noodles...

That's way beyond the scope of the curriculum!

How could such junk food possibly appear on the list of essential supplies for top figures in Beijing's elite circles?

"Director He..."

The butler coughed lightly, struggling to cover his embarrassment.

"We don't usually keep instant noodles at home."

The restaurant erupted in laughter.

Zhou Yuanshan shook his head with amusement, pointing at Chen Daoming and teasing him:

"Old Chen, look at yourself."

"He's a titan in the film and television industry, yet he doesn't even have a pack of instant noodles at home."

"This lifestyle is so out of touch with reality, I'm criticizing you!"

He Zheng was clearly still craving it and hadn't given up.

"If you don't have instant noodles, you should at least have handmade noodles, right?"

"If you don't have red sausage, ham sausage will do!"

"Anyway, let Brother Fang go to the kitchen and lend a hand to fulfill everyone's wish, otherwise we won't be able to enjoy this meal tonight."

Qi Wenhai's eyes lit up, looking as if he were presenting himself for art.

"Young man."

"I shamelessly accepted the painting today and also thoroughly enjoyed the calligraphy."

"How about... you go to the kitchen again and make this old man a bowl of hot soup noodles?"

Zhou Yuanshan immediately joined in the commotion.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"Old Chen is the worst guy. He's in charge of telling stories and getting all our stomachs watering."

"Turns out, they don't even have instant noodles at home."

"Someone has to step up and take responsibility for this. Brother Fang, it's your turn!"

Shen Weimin did not speak.

But holding his teacup, he silently withdrew his chopsticks from the roast duck.

The way he sat so upright was quite obvious: though he didn't say it, he was keeping a close eye on Fang Yu, waiting to be served noodles.

Seeing that his old buddies were really getting anxious, Chen Daoming quickly raised his hand to push them back.

"Alright, alright, you old folks, you're really trying to take advantage of the situation, aren't you?"

He pointed at the people at the table with his chopsticks, clearly showing his protectiveness.

"How much energy and spirit did Xiao Fang expend today, writing large characters with his wrist suspended and painting with ink?"

"Isn't what you guys, with all the food and takeaway, enough?"

"You still want to exploit labor and force people to cook?"

"Does he really think he can take advantage of his age and bully young people?"

Zhou Yuanshan burst out laughing and pointed at him, undermining his plan:

"Old Chen, this is called food hoarding!"

So you got all the good stuff for yourself.

"We can't even get a bowl of noodle soup? That's not fair!"

He Zheng also joined in the loud complaints.

"Exactly! This meal is so frustrating, the more we eat, the hungrier we get, and the more we feel cheated!"

Faced with the "siege" from bigwigs in the film, art, and capital circles, Fang Yu remained calm and composed.

He grabbed a napkin and slowly wiped his hands.

He didn't rush to reply, nor did he actually stand up and walk towards the kitchen.

On this occasion, showing off my calligraphy and painting skills demonstrates my solid abilities and elevates my status to the highest level.

If I were to rush off to the kitchen at this point to cook noodles for these big shots...

To put it nicely, they are approachable; to put it bluntly, they are trying too hard to impress.

It's over.

What's more, the renowned chef specially hired by the Chen family is waiting in the kitchen.

It's not right to visit a senior person and then casually smash their chef's job.

Fang Yu picked up his teacup and smiled as he offered a distant toast to the seniors.

"Seniors, cooking is a physically demanding job."

"My wrist is really sore from writing and drawing today, and I really can't exert any strength now."

He Zheng chuckled upon hearing this, his eyes widening like a bull's as he gruffly said:

"Are you starting to give up right here and now?"

Fang Yu nodded solemnly, responding with remarkable smoothness:

"Director He, what you said is absolutely accurate, there's no problem with it at all."

"My greatest strength in life is knowing when to fight and when to back down."

A burst of cheerful laughter immediately erupted at the dining table.

Fang Yu put down his teacup, his eyes shifted, and his tone suddenly became a little more serious.

"However, there's plenty of time in the future."

"Next time you seniors have free time, I will personally go to the market to pick out the ingredients and prepare the dishes in advance."

"We won't just make do with instant noodles."

"I'll set up a big iron pot for everyone and make a truly authentic Northeastern stew!"

"Braised pork ribs with green beans, braised chicken with hazel mushrooms, pickled cabbage with blood sausage, and a pot of crispy sweet and sour pork."

"Around the edge of the iron pot, stick another ring of golden and crispy cornbread."

As Fang Yu spoke, he deliberately raised his hand and gestured as if he were lifting a pot lid.

"On a freezing cold day, as soon as the pot lid is lifted, a cloud of hot steam billows up!"

"That aroma is guaranteed to be more enticing than any signature dish from a high-end restaurant."

Gudong.

This time, even Chen Daoming couldn't help but swallow hard.

Zhou Yuanshan was afraid of missing a good opportunity, so he was the first to raise his hand to grab a spot.

"I'll sign up first! Anyone who tries to stop me will have to deal with me!"

He Zheng followed closely behind, his voice booming like a bell.

"Count me in! If I'm not filming out of town that day, I'll definitely be there on time!"

Qi Wenhai no longer cared about his scholarly image and acted decisively.

"Young man, please save a seat for this old man when the time comes; I'll bring my own good wine!"

The usually composed Shen Weimin, holding his teacup, his eyes gleaming, finally spoke.

"Then I'll go too."

Seeing these industry legends, who are usually impossible to hire even with a fortune, now fighting tooth and nail for a Northeastern stew, Chen Daoming couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.

"You old fogies, you're not exactly polite at all!"

Fang Yu leaned back in his chair, a relaxed smile playing on his lips.

I was secretly overjoyed.

Good guy.

We haven't finished our meal yet.

The next Northeastern stew feast has already been booked in advance by the bigwigs in Beijing's elite circles.