Indeed, Jiang Hai's plane had arrived, or more accurately, it had arrived a few days prior.
He took Azaleana and the others to see the plane, and after confirming that everything on board was according to his specifications, he took it for a spin. Afterward, he temporarily placed it with Tenglong Company.
There was no other way; Jiang Hai was genuinely quite idle. He didn't have much reason to fly; he had bought a plane on a whim, and while it did make travel more convenient, he rarely used it. However, he couldn't just keep the crew on payroll for no reason, so he temporarily lent it to Tenglong Company. Tenglong Company had many planes, mostly second-hand cargo planes.
When the company was first established, Jiang Hai bought them, spending nearly two hundred million US dollars in total. Since they were cargo planes, they weren't truly expensive.
He bought three large ones, six medium-sized ones, and eleven small ones. The small ones were specifically for domestic flights within the US, the medium ones for the Middle East, Australia, and Europe, and the three large ones mainly flew to Asia.
Cargo planes are not as expensive as passenger planes because they don't require much interior decoration; their primary purpose is to carry goods.
So, as long as they can fly smoothly and without issues, that's enough.
A large passenger plane, like Jiang Hai's, costs tens of millions of US dollars, but a second-hand cargo plane only costs about 6 million US dollars.
Medium-sized ones cost just over two million US dollars, and small ones that can fly across the entire United States, for example, from Boston to Miami, only cost around six or seven hundred thousand US dollars, which isn't much different from the new twin-engine plane at Jiang Hai's home.
However, buying these planes didn't cost much, but renting a cargo warehouse and two runways at Boston's Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport cost Jiang Hai a considerable amount of money.
And now that this new plane has arrived, it is also parked at this airport.
Normally, people from Tenglong Company can use it for business trips or other needs, but when Jiang Hai needs it, it must naturally be made available to him unconditionally first, as it is, after all, his property!
Since the plane was ready, they just needed to pick a date and go, as they could leave at any time.
This time, the only people going were Jiang Hai, Azaleana, Wallis Shelley, and Connorsen Peters. These three had been accompanying Jiang Hai on trips the most recently. Connorsen Peters was very composed, appearing unapproachable; Wallis Shelley was responsible for networking and gathering information; and Azaleana was in charge of protecting Jiang Hai. Their division of labor was clear.
Originally, Jiang Hai had wanted to ask Qi Jie and the others if they wanted to go, especially since they were going to Paris, France this time. However, having already been there last year, they had no intention of going again. One reason was that they had already been, and there really wasn't anything new or exciting to see. Things available in Paris could still be bought on Fifth Avenue in New York, and possibly at a cheaper price.
It only took three hours to drive to New York, but flying to France required driving to the airport first, then flying for several hours, and then another few hours by car after landing. So, luxury goods and the like no longer held much appeal for them.
The second reason was that Jiang Hai's trip this time was also very short, only two or three days, so there was no need for them to go.
So, after taking turns to 'drain' Jiang Hai a few times, they simply let the already somewhat weak Jiang Hai go.
Flying, Jiang Hai arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport in France in a short amount of time. After getting off the plane, Dulles Gerard was already waiting there. Seeing Jiang Hai and the three others walk out, he immediately smiled and went to greet them.
"Jiang, this is a big deal this time!" Dulles Gerard said with a smile upon hearing Jiang Hai's words.
"How big? Tell me about it," Jiang Hai said, smiling back at Dulles Gerard's smiling face. For Dulles Gerard, an old man who had seen much of the world, to be so happy meant that the other party's asking price was indeed very high this time.
"The preliminary intention is a 20% increase over last year's market price." Dulles Gerard whispered when he heard Jiang Hai's words. Hearing Dulles Gerard's words, Jiang Hai couldn't help but raise an eyebrow; this figure was quite impressive!
One must know that although Jiang Hai's goal was to sell for 2000 US dollars a bottle, that was for wine aged for five years. His current wine had only been aged for two years, with three more to go. Last year, the wine aged for one year was sold by Jiang Hai for 800 US dollars a bottle.
Fifty thousand bottles a year meant forty million US dollars. A twenty percent increase would be an eight million profit, bringing the price per bottle to 960 US dollars, a step closer to his goal. Moreover, he certainly sold more than fifty thousand bottles a year.
Since they knew this business was viable, they could brew more. After all, there was enough manpower, as there were so many young women at Jiang Hai's home with time on their hands. Regular winemaking was good for their skin and also gave them something to do.
According to Dulles Gerard, Jiang Hai's grape yield this year was much higher than in the previous two years. This was to be expected, as grapes are not annual plants; the more years they are cultivated, the more they produce.
According to the statistics from Dulles Gerard and O'Connor Murphy, Jiang Hai could produce approximately 150,000 bottles this year.
Next year, selling these 150,000 bottles at 960 US dollars each would amount to 144 million US dollars. While it couldn't compare to the fishing and livestock industries, this was truly a business with no capital investment and low input.
Now, a business with tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, in profit still greatly interested Jiang Hai.
"Tell me more!" Jiang Hai asked, walking out while listening to Dulles Gerard.
And Dulles Gerard also began to explain in detail to Jiang Hai.
Last year, some of Jiang Hai's red wine was sold to Pula Walton, and some to European distributors. There wasn't much advertising; it simply used the brand name of his Tenglong Estate.
Sales were decent; basically, once on the shelves, it would sell out within three months, with no significant backlog. However, there was no situation of supply falling short of demand either. The Tenglong Estate brand was indeed strong, but that was in the beef and seafood markets.
While red wine is also considered food, most people still prefer established French brands. It's not easy for new brands to break into the market. It's like electronics: if a domestic brand like Midea suddenly released a mobile phone, how much credibility would you give it? Everything has its specialization, so it's understandable that the public doesn't have high confidence in Jiang Hai's wine, even if his wine tastes much better than average red wine; they wouldn't trust it too much.
Wholesale red wine at 800 US dollars a bottle means they would sell it for at least 900 US dollars. And at 900 US dollars, there are many more choices. This is like in China, if a small workshop produced a wine that tasted better than Maotai Feitian and also sold for 1,000 RMB, and both wines were placed side by side, which would you buy? So there's no real comparison.
Originally, Jiang Hai didn't rely on this product for profit, nor was he too concerned about it. The most concerned was Dulles Gerard. So, even though it won an award last year and gained some recognition, he came again this year to build the brand's reputation.
Jiang Hai naturally agreed with both hands. Since the other party was working to make money for him, why would he be dissatisfied?
So, as soon as he mentioned it, Jiang Hai readily agreed. Go ahead, all expenses can be reimbursed. Stay in five-star hotels and eat the best food. Old man Dulles Gerard wasn't having an easy time, and Jiang Hai naturally wouldn't be stingy with these small amounts of money.
More than anything, it was a matter of attitude. Jiang Hai, if nothing else, was extremely generous when it came to benefits.
Just as Dulles Gerard had thought, this year's Mâcon Wine Competition also involved blind tastings.
The wines from Jiang Hai's estate, whether one-year or two-year aged, truly tasted much better than average wines.
They could even be compared to the best in the world. One can imagine how terrifying the five-year aged wines would be when they are released! Even the two-year aged ones already show signs of subtly dominating the competition.
Last year, winning a gold medal still sparked debate, but this year, nearly 70% of the people voted for Jiang Hai's wine as the first place.
Winning a gold medal was well-deserved, and two consecutive years of gold medals also caught the attention of some people.
Among them was a man named Basileon Martin, one of the largest red wine distributors in Europe. After tasting Jiang Hai's wine and understanding the market, he was quite interested in it.
Therefore, he approached Dulles Gerard and had an initial discussion about the European distribution rights for the wine. He even mentioned raising the price by fifteen percent. Of course, this price was suggested to Dulles Gerard, and he himself said it, so the price could naturally be raised further. According to Dulles Gerard, it could probably go up to twenty percent. After a preliminary calculation of how much profit a twenty percent increase would yield, he immediately called Jiang Hai.
He wouldn't dare to make decisions for his boss on a business worth tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions. This is also why Jiang Hai liked the people in his estate; they were very good at handling people. Although Jiang Hai was an amateur, they only offered suggestions, and the real decision-maker was Jiang Hai. Facts proved that their approach was correct, because Jiang Hai was always capable of creating miracles.
From an ordinary pasture, he sold the best beef; from an ordinary fishery, he sold the best seafood. Who knows if an ordinary winery will also create miracles? (To be continued.)
A Special Acquaintance
Seated in the Rolls-Royce that Doolittle Gerrard had specially rented from a five-star hotel, Jiang Hai and his group arrived at the hotel.
Doolittle Gerrard came alone, but even though he was by himself, he stayed in a suite. This was at Jiang Hai's request; when doing business, he wasn't short on money, and if he was negotiating a deal, booking a standard room would look bad. So, no matter who it was, even if Edward Anderson or Robbins Garcia went out, they always rented suites in five-star hotels because they weren't short on money. And for Jiang Hai's visit, naturally, he would stay in the presidential suite.
This was partly to show off, and partly to display his strength. Before Jiang Hai arrived, Doolittle Gerrard had already booked a presidential suite. After Jiang Hai and his group arrived, they went straight up to rest.
Connors Peters was sent by Jiang Hai to Doolittle Gerrard's room, while the presidential suite was naturally occupied by Jiang Hai, Azaleina, and Wallis Shelley. After the two women entered, they immediately scanned the room for any listening devices or cameras. Once they confirmed everything was clear, Jiang Hai and the others began to confidently discuss the client meeting.
However, Jiang Hai and his group didn't schedule the meeting for tonight. Firstly, Jiang Hai was tired after a day of flying, and secondly, they wanted to make the other party wait a bit, so they scheduled the business talk for 10 AM tomorrow.
Since the Mâcon wine competition had ended, Jiang Hai and his group no longer needed to go to Mâcon; they could conduct their business in Paris.
In the afternoon, Jiang Hai and the two girls had a good rest together. Of course, whether there was any playful touching during that time was unknown to anyone, and who touched whom was also unknown.
In any case, nothing happened all afternoon. It wasn't until evening that Jiang Hai and his group went out for dinner.
Jiang Hai isn't particularly concerned about clothes or cars. For cars, ease of driving comes first, and looks second. He prefers a rugged style and isn't very fond of RVs or supercars. He's a bit big, and even if he squeezed into those supercars, he wouldn't be comfortable, so he rarely has supercars in his collection. Most of his cars are either high-tech vehicles or his beloved SUVs, with the War Shield being a prime example.
However, compared to clothes, jewelry, and cars, Jiang Hai is very particular about food.
Of course, this pickiness is a recent habit, developed only after he became wealthy in the past few years. Before that, he would eat anything.
When visiting a country, it's natural to try its characteristic cuisine, unless he absolutely cannot accept the way it's prepared.
For example, in China, many people genuinely enjoy eating insects, but the highest limit Jiang Hai could accept was silkworm pupae, not the small bee larvae, but the large silkworm pupae from the Northeast. Beyond that, he found other insects a bit hard to stomach. Oh, right, and dragonflies roasted when he was a child.
In China, there are genuinely many people who enjoy eating insects. I won't list many provinces here to avoid being accused of regional bias or anything, but it's true that in some provinces, insects are a common delicacy. There's even a street in a tourist city that basically sells only insects, and people who visit there will try them.
Even in the Northeast, many people enjoy eating insects. For a period, outside the food stalls and barbecue stands in Harbin, Jiang Hai's hometown, there were insects everywhere: those large black-shelled bugs, which are water beetles—now more famously known as the legendary 'corpse beetles,' a close relative—as well as bees and silkworms. Some people even eat cockroaches, grasshoppers, scorpions, centipedes, and the like. Because Harbin doesn't have bamboo worms, those from the south are rare and expensive at barbecue stands in the Northeast.
When Jiang Hai was in school, some classmates would bring these prepared insects to school as snacks, primarily to attract attention. After these insects were fried and sprinkled with five-spice powder, they were just like deep-fried peanuts. However, Jiang Hai never tried them; he genuinely didn't like eating those things... Arriving in France, although French cuisine has always dominated Western gastronomy, there are still things Jiang Hai won't eat.
For example, snails. Originally, Jiang Hai ate shellfish like sea snails and pond snails, but he had no interest in the large white snails in France, because they never seemed to cook them thoroughly enough. Compared to snails, he could, however, eat foie gras and the like.
But what he ate tonight was a French snack called cheese fondue. As the name suggests, it's eaten much like hotpot, using high-proof spirits cooked with cheese. Once the cheese is melted, you dip pre-cut pieces of bread, vegetables, fruits, sausages, or slices of meat into it, cook them for a bit, and then eat them.
It was especially fragrant. Jiang Hai had eaten it once before when he came here, so naturally, he had to savor it again now that he was back.
As for the spirits mentioned, they are brandies. Various Western countries also have their own distinct spirits, such as Russia's vodka—of course, the entire Russian bloc drinks vodka—Britain's whisky, Cuba's rum, Mexico's tequila, and gin, which originated in the Netherlands but was popularized by the British.
Of course, here we are talking about the main places of origin and sources; other countries naturally produce them too.
And France, perhaps truly destined with grapes, has the world's best red wines, and its spirits, brandy, are also among the world's best, or at least among the most expensive. For example, the legendary XO and Louis XIII that everyone knows are both brandies, with XO referring to extra-old brandy, so there are many every year, while Louis XIII is a brand.
Jiang Hai had no interest in these because he himself wasn't particularly fond of foreign spirits. In the past, he didn't have money and couldn't afford them.
Now he has money, but he's not used to drinking them, because he has passed the stage where he needed to feign elegance. Now, others have to cater to his tastes. What defines a successful person? This is it.
After arriving at a cheese fondue restaurant, Jiang Hai and his group enjoyed a delicious meal. Since it wasn't far, they didn't need to drive. Around 8 PM, Jiang Hai and his group returned to the hotel.
Here, Jiang Hai also wants to emphasize: when visiting Paris, never go out at night.
Among all the capitals of developed countries worldwide, Paris has the worst public safety—there's no 'possible' or 'one of the worst,' it simply is the worst. Parisians, or more accurately, the French, have a very chuunibyou personality... Anyway, no French person is listening to Jiang Hai speak, so he isn't afraid of offending anyone by saying this. You could say the British character is arrogant, after all, they were once the empire on which the sun never set; but to put it harshly, they're pretentious, the kind that makes you want to punch them when they speak.
And the French, to put it nicely, are elegant, after all, it's the city of romance and art; but to put it harshly, they're chuunibyou.
They're the type who think, 'I'll do whatever I want, don't ask me why, I'm an artist, and I have nothing to say to you common folk.' So, if you look at France, sometimes their actions are truly inexplicable, impulsive and without any real stance or foundation. For instance, when China hosted the Olympics, they openly criticized it.
But just a few years later, they shamelessly tried to cozy up again. It's hard to say anything, because their way of thinking is truly difficult for people to understand.
Central and Eastern Europe haven't been very peaceful in recent years, and while all countries were closing their doors, France began accepting refugees. Although it's a humanitarian act, it also offended terrorists. If you take all the people, where will they find people to fight? Moreover, many of these refugees are not good people.
Consequently, Paris has an extremely high crime rate. Precisely because of this, locals in Paris don't go out at night, making the evenings extremely desolate. Coupled with the fact that terrorists primarily target France, having been offended by them, occasional attacks are truly unsettling. Jiang Hai's team is incredibly formidable, with extremely strong individual combat capabilities.
But they had no need to get involved with these desperadoes, so after dinner, they returned to the hotel early. They didn't want to wander around outside, and besides, there was nothing good to see. Knowing that it wasn't safe, the shopkeepers also closed their businesses quite early. Back at the hotel, Jiang Hai prepared to go back to watch some TV and rest.
But as he walked into the lobby, he suddenly heard someone arguing. Looking over, he saw two people with black hair and yellow skin speaking at the front desk. The man was constantly arguing, while the woman was trying to restrain him.
Jiang Hai was not someone who meddled in others' affairs. Even though these two were Chinese, Jiang Hai wasn't going to get involved. But when he saw the woman's face, he couldn't help but be stunned, because he actually knew this woman... "Han Jiaren?" Looking at the woman, Jiang Hai's eyebrows involuntarily raised. To be honest, many people had been intimate with him over the years, but apart from those living in his house, he didn't remember too many. However, he did remember this woman.
This woman was not Chinese, but a South Korean. Jiang Hai had met her when he went to South Korea to show off, and something indescribable happened between them. He had originally thought that after he left, he might never have any further contact with this woman in his life, but unexpectedly, he encountered her here again... He wondered what her expression would be when she saw him?
"What's going on over there?" Jiang Hai grabbed a passing waiter and asked him. (To be continued.)
Awkward Reunion
"Oh, it's like this. Those two people over there are a couple. The gentleman said he booked a room at our hotel on a website, but we don't have a record of it online. Judging by their demeanor, they don't seem like they're trying to cause trouble, so it's highly likely they were scammed by a travel agency or a phishing website." Hearing Jiang Hai's inquiry, the waiter immediately replied.
He knew Jiang Hai. Jiang Hai arrived in the hotel's rolls-royce and immediately checked into the Presidential Suite. Such a distinguished guest was not someone he could afford to offend. Moreover, this person and the two guests over there looked somewhat similar, possibly countrymen, so naturally, he wouldn't interfere.
If Jiang Hai knew that this fellow had mistaken him for a Bangzi, he might make the guy understand why flowers are so red. Of course, if he were to hit someone, saying "Baka Yarou" afterward would be mandatory. He couldn't lose face as a Huaxia person, could he? Fortunately, Jiang Hai did not have mind-reading abilities.
"Forget it, forget it, I don't want to argue with you anymore. Today is the day of my eleventh wedding anniversary trip with my wife. I don't want to fight with you. Since I spent money unnecessarily, OK, we don't want that money back. Just give us a room now." Just as Jiang Hai was inquiring from a distance, the man, who was Han Ga-in's husband, raised his hand and said earnestly, pulling out his bank card. This was France, not South Korea, so he had to restrain his temper somewhat.
"I apologize, sir, but our hotel does not accept direct walk-ins. We only accept advance reservations and VIP clients. Of course, if you are checking directly into a suite, we can process that for you." Hearing the man's words, the front desk attendant, who still had a good temper, smiled and refused him.
"You, you... This is discrimination! You just don't want us to stay here! I have plenty of money! What is the meaning of this? Do you believe I'll report this to the embassy!" However, upon hearing her words, the man nearly went mad. Where in the world was there a place like this? They were clearly targeting him! Only accepting reservations? He had only heard of places *not* accepting reservations; where did this "reservations only" rule come from? This person was discriminating against him, these hateful French bastards.
"Sir, the requirements are written here. They are available in English, French, Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese..." Hearing his shouting, the front desk attendant sighed. She knew that she had offended him the moment she spoke those words.
"I am a South Korean! Why should I know English, Chinese, or Japanese? Why is there no South Korean Language? This is blatant discrimination..." Hearing the front desk attendant's words, the man became even more furious.
"Alright, alright, Jeong-hun, if we can't stay here, we'll go somewhere else. Paris is so big; we don't have to stay here!" Han Ga-in desperately held onto her raging husband. Although she was also exhausted, it was clearly not the time to throw a tantrum. Even a mighty dragon doesn't oppress a local snake, let alone when they weren't even dragons.
"Go help them sort it out." Watching the intense argument, Jiang Hai couldn't help but shake his head, then spoke to Dulles Gerard. After hearing Jiang Hai's words, Dulles Gerard walked over to the counter.
Dulles Gerard was originally French, and combined with his aristocratic demeanor and the financial capacity to book two suites, the front desk staff all nodded politely when he approached. Even the security guards in the distance slowed their steps.
"Are the two of you trying to check in? Reservations are indeed required here, as this is a private French hotel that normally does not sell rooms to the public." Walking over, Dulles Gerard smiled and said this, looking at the furious Yeon Jeong-hun and the helpless Han Ga-in. He then took out a card from his person in front of them.
"If you two wish to stay, I can help." Hearing Dulles Gerard's words, the couple calmed down slightly, nodded politely, and with Dulles Gerard's assistance, they quickly completed the check-in procedures.
"Thank you so much. May I have the honor of treating you to a meal?" After completing the check-in, Yeon Jeong-hun looked at Dulles Gerard seriously and said this, as he had indeed helped them significantly.
"Don't thank me. It was our Mr. Jiang who asked me to come over and help you two. It's difficult being away from home." Hearing him, Dulles Gerard didn't take credit but glanced at Jiang Hai and his party standing behind him.
"Oh, is that Mr. Jiang Korean-American?" When she saw Jiang Hai and his group standing there, Han Ga-in, who had just sighed in relief, instantly widened her pupils. That figure—how could she mistake him? But her husband didn't notice her abnormality; instead, he bowed politely toward them, and Jiang Hai merely nodded.
"I apologize, Mr. Jiang is Huaxia. Since you two have settled your room, I wish you both an enjoyable trip. Goodbye." Seeing Jiang Hai finish nodding and start walking toward the elevator, Dulles Gerard smiled, said this, and then walked over. Everyone got into the elevator together. Watching the elevator doors close, Han Ga-in was still somewhat dazed... "Boss, do you still have feelings for that Yujie? You seem reluctant to part with her." Inside the elevator, Wallis Shelley deliberately leaned close to Jiang Hai and whispered into his ear. Hearing her words, Jiang Hai couldn't help but pinch her butt.
"Nonsense. Your boss here passes through a field of flowers without a single petal clinging to him." Glaring at her, Jiang Hai said calmly. He always believed in one principle: when a man goes out to play, he must remember to come home afterward.
"Doesn't cling? You have more than twenty back at the villa?" Hearing what he said, Azalina started undermining him.
"Ahem, I was just being charitable. Yes, that's right..." Hearing her, Jiang Hai said somewhat unnaturally, but this only elicited laughter from the two women. As for Connerson Peters, he didn't understand. Dulles Gerard understood but pretended not to; he was quite loyal to his boss and knew exactly what he should do.
While Jiang Hai and his group returned to their rooms to rest, Han Ga-in and her husband Yeon Jeong-hun received their room card after completing the check-in procedures and went to their room. Once inside, Ting Zhengxun was quite happy.
It was his first time staying at this hotel. The reason he booked it online was because it looked very nice on the internet: the rooms were elegant, clean, and all the facilities were complete. Although it was just a standard room, honestly, the facilities here would certainly rank highly among five-star hotels.
He took out the clothes from his luggage and ran water in the jacuzzi in the bathroom. He wanted a good bath to wash away his fatigue. As for his wife, Han Ga-in was currently motionless, appearing somewhat wooden.
Ever since she saw Jiang Hai, she had been somewhat dazed. She walked into the room and just sat in front of the bed, unsure of what to do. All she could do was stare blankly, and she was still spacing out when Ting Zhengxun finished his bath and came out.
"Hey, what's wrong? I'm done bathing, why haven't you tidied up yet? Aren't you going to take a bath?" Looking at Han Ga-in, Yeon Jeong-hun asked somewhat confusedly. Hearing his words, Han Ga-in finally reacted and immediately began tidying her things.
"Oh, I was just thinking... We just left like that, leaving our daughter with your mother. I wonder how she's doing." Han Ga-in lied while tidying up, though one had to admit, her acting skills were excellent.
"Don't worry. My mother raised me this big and this well; our daughter will be fine. But speaking of which, why did that Huaxia person help us today? Do you know him?" Yeon Jeong-hun asked suspiciously while drying his hair. Hearing his question, Han Ga-in, who was tidying her belongings, stiffened.
"How could I? I haven't been to Huaxia much." But being a famous and skilled actress from South Korea, she suppressed her emotions almost instantly and spoke in a very calm tone. Although he was also an actor, Yeon Jeong-hun didn't suspect anything.
"You're right. The last time you went to Huaxia was many years ago. Was he a fan of ours?" After thinking for a moment, Yeon Jeong-hun said excitedly. However, Han Ga-in shook her head; her husband was far too optimistic.
Didn't he know that Huaxia was currently enforcing the Korean Entertainment Ban? South Korean performance groups weren't even allowed to perform, so how could there be any fans? But if he wanted to believe that, she would let him. She couldn't very well say much more.
"I didn't realize we were still so popular, haha..." After tidying up her clothes, Han Ga-in, while Yeon Jeong-hun was YYing, walked into the bathroom. After changing her clothes, she slowly sat down in the bathtub, which had fresh water. Her mind kept flashing back to the unmentionable moments she had shared with a certain person last year. She didn't know whether this reunion with that guy would end well or badly, and she was genuinely worried about certain things being exposed.
"It looks like I need to find a time to explain things to him!" Biting her lip, Han Ga-in made a decision in her heart. Some matters must be severed decisively when the time comes, or they will only lead to chaos. She didn't want chaos, so she had to cut it off—decisively! (To be continued.)
The New Wine Contract
When the first ray of morning sunlight shone into Jiang Hai's room, he slowly climbed out of bed, yawning. He wiped away the drool that had landed on certain indescribable parts of Wallis-Shelley, then carefully stepped over her body to reach for his phone across the room. He checked the time and saw it was already 7:45 AM, nearly eight o'clock. He slowly sat up, went to the bathroom to relieve himself, and then immediately turned on the shower. He started washing his hair and the sweat from the night, all while brushing his teeth. After he had been washing for a while, Azalina and Wallis-Shelley also walked in, yawning tiredly.
Azalina first went to sit down on the toilet, while Wallis-Shelley smiled, scooted under the shower with Jiang Hai, and began rubbing against him as they washed. Naturally, this led to certain indescribable parts frictionally rubbing against Jiang Hai's body.
"Alright, it's early morning, and we have business to attend to today." After finishing brushing his teeth, Jiang Hai patted Wallis-Shelley's backside and said this to her. Hearing what Jiang Hai said, Wallis-Shelley couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Wallis, have you looked into the background of the person we're meeting today?" Seeing Jiang Hai and Wallis-Shelley fooling around, Azalina finished using the toilet, flushed, and stood up. While looking at her reflection in the mirror and preparing her makeup for the day, she asked softly.
Azalina herself didn't particularly like wearing makeup, but going completely barefaced all the time wasn't ideal, especially since she was reaching an age where maintenance was necessary. Although she constantly benefited from Jiang Hai's nourishment and the spiritual energy of his ranch, she had picked up some habits from Qi Jie and the others. While they wouldn't apply heavy makeup now, using moisturizer and foundation was essential.
"I've mostly finished the research. The person we are meeting is named Basileon Martin. He is forty-one this year, considered young and accomplished. He originally worked for Canazavi Company within the European Wine Promotion Association for seven years, serving as the Chief CEO for three of those years. Later, due to disagreements over certain decisions, he resigned and started his own wine promotion company. Currently, he has established some reputation globally, primarily operating in Europe and the Middle East." Hearing Azalina's question, Wallis-Shelley calmly reported the details about the person they were scheduled to meet today.
Wallis-Shelley was indeed formidable when it came to intelligence gathering; she was genuinely skilled. She had studied these techniques constantly while in her former organization. However, that organization lacked sufficient authority and funding. To acquire adequate intelligence, the 'Web Spiders' often had to trade their bodies. Although Wallis-Shelley knew how to flirt, she was unwilling to use her body in exchange, which is why she was still a virgin when Jiang Hai took her.
To change her destiny, she had taught herself hacking skills when she was young, allowing her to find information available online. Since coming to Jiang Hai, she had gained an even greater advantage because Jiang Hai was a shareholder in Google. Although his stake might not be huge, certain high-level permissions could be unlocked. With Jiang Hai's backing, Wallis-Shelley was like a tiger that had grown wings.
While she might still fall short compared to the absolute top-tier hackers, she was already quite formidable.
If she were to enter that world, she would rank at least within the top hundred. Furthermore, Jiang Hai had no intention of turning that world upside down; her role was primarily defense and helping him find things.
She couldn't find highly encrypted data—for example, when Jiang Hai was going to the Antarctic base, she couldn't locate the information or the exact coordinates. However, finding non-encrypted personal information was not difficult for her.
"Good, as long as this guy seems reliable." Jiang Hai rubbed Wallis-Shelley's hair and said with a smile.
After joking around for a bit, Jiang Hai came out around eight o'clock and immediately called the hotel restaurant to have breakfast delivered.
Around 8:30 AM, both girls emerged, their hair dry, and breakfast had arrived.
After enjoying a hearty breakfast, Jiang Hai and the others rested briefly. At 9:30 AM, they arrived at the conference room they had reserved, where Dulles Gerard and Connorsen Peters had already been waiting for a long time.
Less than ten minutes after they sat down, the person who had scheduled the meeting with Jiang Hai arrived.
"Hello, Mr. Basileon Martin, let me introduce you. This is my boss, the owner of Rising Dragon Wine, Mr. Jiang Hai." Seeing the man walk in accompanied by a lawyer and a driver-cum-bodyguard, Dulles Gerard stood up first, smiled at the guest, and introduced Jiang Hai, who extended his hand.
"Nee how, Jang shen-seng, woh men zhong yoo jian mian le..." Looking at Jiang Hai's extended hand, the man politely reached out, shook hands with Jiang Hai, and spoke with a Chinese accent where every syllable seemed to be in the fourth tone, smiling as he addressed Jiang Hai.
When foreigners first start learning Chinese, they often pronounce almost everything in the fourth tone, which sounds quite strange.
"Hello, Mr. Martin, perhaps you should speak English. My English is perfectly fine." Hearing the man speak, Jiang Hai did not reply in Chinese but spoke in English instead. It wasn't that Jiang Hai was trying to show off; it was because he genuinely couldn't understand the man's Chinese. Rather than struggle, it was better to have him switch to English, offering him a graceful way out.
"Wow, that would be excellent, of course." Hearing that Jiang Hai was comfortable with English, the man replied with a smile.
After a few brief pleasantries, the two parties sat down at the negotiation table. Foreigners generally dislike veiled contract discussions; they prefer to be direct. Therefore, as soon as they sat down, they immediately handed over a draft contract.
"To be honest, Mr. Jiang, I am truly interested in the wine produced by your ranch. Its taste can even compare with the best wineries in the Bordeaux region. But frankly, relying solely on your company's marketing and sales through Walmart, it will be difficult for your wines to fetch a high price. If you agree to authorize all your wine to me, I can offer to buy the entire stock at a price 15 percent above your current market price." As Jiang Hai and his team reviewed the contract, Basileon Martin said this with a smile.
"Mr. Martin wants to buy our entire stock of wine? That's something I hadn't heard about." Hearing his proposal, Jiang Hai glanced at Dulles Gerard beside him. Seeing Gerard shake his head slightly, Jiang Hai knew this was a clause the man had just added.
"What difference does it make? Honestly, the annual consumption of wine in Europe and the Middle East is measured in millions of bottles. I've checked your ranch's output—fifty thousand, a hundred thousand? One hundred fifty thousand! Forget one hundred fifty thousand; I could consume half a million bottles. How is that different from selling the entire stock to me?" Basileon Martin replied, smiling.
"The difference is massive. If I sell everything to you, wouldn't I have to depend on your mood to make a living? Heh, I'm not very interested in this cooperation model you're proposing." Hearing this, Jiang Hai shook his head. Indeed, according to Martin, it seemed to make no difference, and it would completely absorb all the wine from Jiang Hai's ranch, relieving him of any marketing worries.
But one must not forget that Jiang Hai's products are always in short supply; wine is only temporarily abundant, and the situation will naturally change later.
Jiang Hai's goal was to sell the wine for two thousand US dollars per bottle. If he cooperated with this man now, Jiang Hai wouldn't know if the man could sell it for $2,000 later, but at least that price would have nothing to do with Jiang Hai. More importantly, once the contract was signed, the wine belonged entirely to Martin. If he couldn't sell it, the worst-case scenario for Martin was a loss. However, if Martin was an agent sent by another winery and suddenly claimed the wine wasn't selling, Jiang Hai would suffer the loss. How could someone like Jiang Hai sign such a contract? He hadn't even signed one like it with the Walton family.
"Wow, then what exactly is Mr. Jiang interested in?" The man asked, sounding somewhat surprised by Jiang Hai's refusal.
"I am also a businessman, and I only care whether my wine can fetch a high price. I have been cooperating with the Walton family for a long time, so I will not abandon a stable business partner just because of wine. I can only offer you a European purchasing rights model. Thirty percent of my annual output can be allocated to you, with the contract signed on a yearly basis. I guarantee that Walmart and I will not sell this wine in Europe, but the United States and other regions have nothing to do with you. I have two cooperation models here: first, I give you ten percent of the total sales revenue annually as commission, or second, you pay me twenty-five percent above the current market price. How much you sell and whether you can sell it is your business, but I only accept a one-year contract." Tapping the table lightly, Jiang Hai spoke calmly. When negotiating business, you aim high and settle lower, but of course, you can't be too outrageous. For instance, if Jiang Hai were to directly say, 'I'll sell it to you for $2,000 a bottle, and how much you sell it for is none of my concern,' the man in front of him would probably turn and leave.
Given the current recognition of the wine, a 25 percent markup was somewhat high. As Dulles Gerard had suggested, the standard markup should be 20 percent. However, since Martin offered 15 percent, Jiang Hai countered with 25 percent—that's how negotiations work.
After hearing Jiang Hai's counter-offer, Basileon Martin involuntarily tapped the table lightly with his fingertips. He needed to carefully consider this contract, and he had also realized that Jiang Hai was a very tough negotiator!
Just as Jiang Hai thought, business negotiation is all about the word 'negotiation.' The final outcome of a deal worth tens or hundreds of millions could not possibly be decided just because he and Jiang Hai met once. That would be a huge disservice to himself. (To be continued.)
I Want to Talk to You
"Boss, this guy is quite formidable!" Wallis Shelley said with a smile as he followed Jiang Hai out of the conference room. He glanced at Basileon Mardan, who was walking out behind them, and couldn't help but curl his lip.
The two hours passed quickly. During that time, Basileon Mardan kept talking while Jiang Hai just smiled. No matter what Mardan said, Jiang Hai maintained the same stance: he could sell the distribution rights for Europe, but a complete buyout was impossible, and the price was also slightly flexible. One side was persuading, the other was holding firm. The negotiations had truly reached a deadlock, and now it depended on who would crack first, or who valued this commodity more.
Dulles Gerard, understanding this point, couldn't help but feel worried, because he knew Jiang Hai had three main businesses—the ranch, the fishery, and the vineyard. Unlike men, where the shortest leg is often the most important.
Among Jiang Hai's three business ventures, the vineyard was the "shortest" and possibly the least important.
After all, even Dulles Gerard knew that the vineyard couldn't possibly earn tens of billions of U.S. dollars in a year.
A few hundred million USD was the limit. So, for Jiang Hai, if the business made money, great; if not, so be it. But Dulles Gerard was taking it very seriously. Seeing the look on Dulles Gerard's face beside him, Jiang Hai chuckled softly.
"Relax. This is still a business worth hundreds of millions of dollars, so I will take it seriously. Besides, isn't this the situation we already agreed upon? Even if this deal falls through, we still have Walmart; we'll just earn a little less." Hearing what Jiang Hai said, Dulles Gerard couldn't help but smile and shake his head. He had been overly concerned.
As the saying goes, a man strives for honor, and a Buddha strives for incense. Compared to the fishery and the ranch, Dulles Gerard knew he had lost badly.
Still, he wanted to try a little harder. Going from losing by a hundred steps to losing by ninety-nine steps was merely to comfort himself. After realizing this, he shook his head. It was Jiang Hai, with his immense wealth and confidence, who saw things clearly.
"This is my first time negotiating a deal. Tsk tsk, it's quite interesting. Since he doesn't want to compromise but still wants benefits, we'll drag it out for a few more days. Once I lose interest, we'll lay our cards on the table. If it works, great; if not, we leave." Seeing that Dulles Gerard had figured things out, Jiang Hai smiled and led them directly to the hotel's Western restaurant.
Jiang Hai was a good boss; not only was he generous with bonuses at the end of the year, but he was even more generous with food and drink when traveling.
Basically, whatever he ate, his employees ate too. The French restaurant at this hotel was quite famous in Europe; the taste was renowned, and naturally, the prices were too. Since Jiang Hai was here, he certainly wanted to try it.
When they arrived at the Western restaurant, there were no private rooms like those in China, only individual booths.
Most were designed for two people, perhaps with an added child's seat, and at most could seat only four.
Jiang Hai's group took two tables. Order whatever you want, eat whatever you want—Jiang Hai was that nonchalant.
Connorsson Peters had always been a big eater, and this meal was no exception.
Before long, the dishes arrived—steaks, beef stewed in red wine, a mix of everything, meat and seafood, filling up both tables. Aside from Dulles Gerard, who was mindful of dining etiquette, the others just started eating without ceremony. Fortunately, they were in booths, so no one paid attention to their situation. Otherwise, they might have attracted some pretentious people trying to show off their superiority.
Unfortunately, this cliché "face-slapping" scene did not occur with Jiang Hai.
No one came over to show off until he finished eating. Jiang Hai, feeling relaxed, paid the bill and prepared to go back and rest. In the afternoon, he still had to negotiate with Basileon Mardan. Of course, he first needed to inform Pula Walton, Qi Li, and Zheng Jin about the situation. When it came to business negotiations, Jiang Hai was an absolute amateur.
He was accustomed to a take-it-or-leave-it approach in everything he did. For example, he set the price for his beef, the price for his hay, and the price for his fish—that was the price. Buy it if you want, or don't. Those who wanted to buy would still rush to buy, and those who didn't could complain all they wanted, but it wouldn't change the price. Everyone could only sigh in resignation.
However, in negotiating with Basileon Mardan, Jiang Hai intentionally wanted to Thorn his skills. Thus, for the first time, he was merely firm, not outright aggressive. After eating, Jiang Hai walked outside, wondering who he should call first.
But just as he reached the doorway, he happened to see two people walking in. These two were none other than the Korean woman and her husband whom Jiang Hai had met last night. When she saw Jiang Hai, the Korean woman's eyes showed surprise, while her husband's showed pleasant surprise.
"Hello, my name is Yeon Jung-hoon. Thank you for your consideration last night, otherwise, my wife and I might have had to find somewhere else to stay." Seeing Jiang Hai, Yeon Jung-hoon seemed excited and quickly spoke to him.
"Ah? Oh, it was nothing. It was just a small favor. Please, go ahead. I have things to attend to." Jiang Hai chuckled softly as he looked at the couple, then stepped aside. After they passed, he led his group toward the elevator.
"Jung-hoon, I forgot my sunglasses. I need to go back and get them." Just as Jiang Hai's group walked past, the Korean woman seemed to gather her courage, suddenly stopped, and anxiously spoke to Yeon Jung-hoon.
"You don't need them, do you? This is France. Do you need sunglasses just to eat?" Hearing his wife, Yeon Jung-hoon gave a self-deprecating smile. Since when had their fame spread all the way to France?
"I'm afraid some paparazzi might find us. You don't want our anniversary trip to be constantly interrupted, do you?" Hearing him, the Korean woman chuckled and replied.
"Alright then, I'll go back with you!" Since his wife had put it that way, Yeon Jung-hoon didn't say much more and prepared to accompany her back. However, the Korean woman immediately shook her head when she heard this.
"No need, no need. The service is so slow here. I'll take the elevator and be right back. Remember to order me the seafood baked rice." After speaking, the Korean woman quickly left. Yeon Jung-hoon smiled as he watched her go, then went to a table to order. Meanwhile, the Korean woman broke into a light run and finally managed to stop the elevator door just as it was about to close on Jiang Hai.
"Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo. You, I need to talk to you!" Pointing at Jiang Hai inside the elevator, the Korean woman said with a serious expression.
"Hmm? Talk about what?" Hearing her, Jiang Hai looked at her with confusion. What did he have to talk about with her?
"Aish, come out!" Seeing Jiang Hai's expression—the look that said, *I don't know you*—made the Korean woman angry. She grabbed Jiang Hai's clothes and pulled him out. As soon as she made a move, Azalea and Wallis Shelley started to react, but Jiang Hai stopped them. Just like that, the elevator door closed again. She then led Jiang Hai into the adjacent elevator. After pressing her floor, the Korean woman looked at Jiang Hai earnestly.
"Why are you here?" The Korean woman looked at Jiang Hai and asked seriously.
"Relax, I didn't know you were coming. I'm here for business." Seeing her reaction, Jiang Hai smiled and smoothed the wrinkles on his suit. This woman was truly full of herself.
"Business? The beef business?" Hearing Jiang Hai's words, the Korean woman looked at him doubtfully.
"It's the wine business. All my businesses are quite substantial." Jiang Hai shrugged and said with a smile.
"How substantial?" Hearing Jiang Hai mention a substantial business, the Korean woman looked at him curiously.
"Hundreds of millions, I suppose!" After thinking about how much money he would make if the deal succeeded, Jiang Hai said calmly.
"Korean won?" "Cut the crap. This is Europe. Your won isn't worth squat here. Dollars. If you have something to say, just say it. Did you drag me over here just to ask me this?" Seeing the Korean woman constantly prying, Jiang Hai rolled his eyes at her. Did this woman have nothing better to do? Why drag him over for no reason?
"One hundred million dollars? That's 120 billion Korean won... Uh, I just wanted to ask why you were here. Since you also have business to attend to, let's just pretend we don't know each other..." After hearing Jiang Hai's words, the Korean woman muttered softly. Sure enough, he was not in their world. 120 billion won—the thought alone made her scalp tingle.
"That won't do. You dragged me away, and now you want to just leave? If you want me to keep your secret, shouldn't you give me some compensation?" Looking at the Korean woman, Jiang Hai smiled, then lowered his head and looked at her.
"Y-you, what are you doing?" Seeing Jiang Hai's face getting closer, the Korean woman was stunned. Just then, Jiang Hai's lips met hers. After a brief flurry of activity, the elevator arrived at the floor the Korean woman had pressed.
The elevator doors opened. Jiang Hai gently placed her outside the door, waved his hand, and pressed his own floor button.
As far as Jiang Hai was concerned, he hadn't originally intended anything to happen with that Korean woman, but since she offered herself up, a little teasing was inevitable. After all, Jiang Hai was the type of person who couldn't resist kicking a dog as it passed by.
Watching the elevator doors close, the Korean woman took a moment to recover. It was the first time she had ever encountered someone like Jiang Hai! (To be continued.)
Intentions Reached
"Why did you take so long? Did you get the thing? The dishes are already served!" As she returned to the dining room, Han Jiaren still felt somewhat dazed. Hearing Yan Zhengxun's words from a distance, she let out a slight laugh and walked over, simultaneously showing him her sunglasses. Seeing his wife back and holding the sunglasses, Yan Zhengxun smiled and began to eat. Han Jiaren subtly bit her lip as she watched her husband.
To be honest, she was deeply conflicted, truly conflicted. She knew Jiang Hai didn't like her; in fact, he seemed to have a prejudice against South Korea itself. Yet, for reasons she couldn't explain, she sometimes found herself thinking of him.
Sitting in her chair and watching Yan Zhengxun, Han Jiaren felt a little helpless.
She knew the true purpose of this trip, but her inability to articulate it made her feel rather despicable.
The relationship between Han Jiaren and Yan Zhengxun had always been characterized by a "strong woman, weak man" dynamic. At the height of her fame, she married Yan Zhengxun, retired from acting, and dedicated herself completely to domestic life.
In a strong woman/weak man pairing, the man might initially feel gratitude, but over time, that emotion slowly transforms into immense pressure.
Take Jiang Hai, for example; his situation with Qili started the same way. When Qili and her mother showed up, announcing that they had chosen him for marriage and would lend him 400,000 yuan interest-free, Jiang Hai's first thought was that he had tripped and picked up a gold brick, especially since it happened when he needed money most. However, after a year, she treated him like he didn't exist. Everyone around him was pointing fingers, and he was constantly subjected to rumors: Qili was spoiled goods used by her ex-boyfriend, Qili ignored Jiang Hai because she was promiscuous at the company, Qili had a new home in the Imperial Capital, and so on. This pressure weighed invisibly on him, especially when coupled with the cold sarcasm he received from Zheng Jin when he called him.
It wasn't that Jiang Hai was irrational; even if he initially knew the rumors were false, hearing them constantly made him suspicious. Since he was suspicious, he couldn't just point a finger and ask if she was having an affair, especially since, in her view, he might merely be a backup plan for a backup plan.
When all these factors coalesced, Jiang Hai's decision was to leave. The message he received was that Qili didn't like him, so he decided to walk away. Whether it was for his own future or for Qili's life, it was better for both of them. That was Jiang Hai's choice then; you couldn't call him wrong, as he hadn't truly become a part of Qili's life. Of course, what happened afterward is a separate matter.
Yan Zhengxun's method of relieving this pressure was to seek validation from other women. Yet, considering everything, he was still a decent man because he at least knew that after enjoying himself outside, he needed to return home.
As for Han Jiaren, her first time with Jiang Hai was purely an accident. Later, when he sought her out, she agreed, partly because of his coercion, and partly because she had wanted to retaliate against Yan Zhengxun.
But after the act of revenge, she felt a mix of regret and fear. In her mind, she and Yan Zhengxun were now even, perhaps she even owed him slightly, so she stopped causing trouble. However, men can sometimes be such strange creatures.
When a wife is constantly complaining and crying, the husband's first reaction is irritation—he feels bothered and is even less inclined to return home. But then, suddenly, one day, his wife stops fussing. She just sits there daily, spacing out. If he needs food, she cooks; if he needs clothes, she prepares them. Her face is devoid of smiles or other expressions; she might not even speak to him. That's when the man panics. He becomes scared and starts imagining things. He wonders if his wife has completely grown tired of him, or if she is preparing for divorce. At this point, the man begins to recall all the good qualities of his wife.
Just like when Qili told Jiang Hai that she was sorry for what she had done to him, Jiang Hai was completely stunned, and all the words he had prepared were useless. Yan Zhengxun was the same; once Han Jiaren fell silent, he too became somewhat scared.
Frankly speaking, despite the heavy pressure, he genuinely loved his wife. So, he made arrangements and found time this year to take a trip with Han Jiaren. Han Jiaren had originally prepared herself mentally to cast everything aside and properly reconcile with Yan Zhengxun, but then, fatefully, she encountered Jiang Hai.
She was an actress and didn't believe in fate, but she knew that Jiang Hai was truly her personal devil... Jiang Hai paid no mind to Han Jiaren and Yan Zhengxun's situation; he couldn't be bothered. After returning to rest for a bit, the afternoon negotiations resumed, proceeding much like the morning session. The other party continued to haggle, while Jiang Hai steadfastly adhered to his principles.
However, there was some progress. For instance, Basileon-Madan was no longer insisting on acquiring all the stock, but the requested share was fifty percent, and he demanded distribution rights for Europe and the Middle East, raising the price to 18%.
Jiang Hai, however, still insisted on only granting European distribution rights. It was ridiculous—his relationship with Dufa Men in Dubai was so strong, why would he need another distributor there?
Jiang Hai's reduced price only dropped to twenty-two percent. It appeared that the twenty percent price increase was now guaranteed. The main sticking points remaining were the supply volume and the distribution locations, which they would have to slowly negotiate.
Although they did not reach a final agreement when the meeting concluded around four o'clock this afternoon, they had made significant progress.
"Mr. Jiang, you traveled all the way to France, and last night was too late for anything, plus you needed rest. Today, however, you absolutely must give me a chance to show you some local hospitality!" Seeing the meeting conclude and Jiang Hai preparing to depart, Basileon-Madan intercepted him, speaking with a serious expression. Hearing this, Jiang Hai looked at him with a degree of curiosity.
"I've already reserved a table for dinner at Pierre Gagnaire. You should know I've been looking forward to your arrival for some time. After dinner, I've also arranged a place for us to enjoy ourselves." Seeing Jiang Hai's curious look, Basileon-Madan smiled and elaborated. Upon hearing this, Jiang Hai glanced at Wallis-Shelley and Azalina behind him. After they both gave a nod, Jiang Hai agreed to give it a try.
Seeing Jiang Hai's willingness, Basileon-Madan couldn't help but smile. Actually, foreigners, the French included, are not generally keen on treating others to meals. However, he had researched Jiang Hai and knew that Chinese people highly value hosting dinners, and many deals are sealed at the dining table. Although he preferred not to discuss business over dinner, extending hospitality was essential. Perhaps if Jiang Hai was in a good mood, their negotiations would proceed well.
After Jiang Hai agreed, Basileon-Madan went downstairs first to retrieve his car, while Jiang Hai's party naturally used the hotel's vehicle for transportation.
Azalina acted as the driver, Connorsen-Peters sat in the front passenger seat, and Jiang Hai and Wallis-Shelley were in the back.
On the way, Wallis-Shelley looked up the details of the restaurant named Pierre Gagnaire.
Pierre Gagnaire is both the name of a chef and the restaurant itself, located on the ground floor of the five-star HOTEL BALZAC on the Champs-Élysées. The space is small and the decor is unremarkable, but dining here is genuinely difficult because it is a three-star Michelin restaurant. You cannot order à la carte; there are only two set menus: lunch is 155 euros, and dinner is 310 euros. This price is per person, per serving. Of course, if you want two servings, you'll pay extra, but that also depends on whether they have prepared surplus ingredients; otherwise, you might not get served at all.
Yes, this restaurant is that incredibly pretentious; you either eat there or you don't. Most importantly, according to the information Wallis-Shelley found, if an ordinary person wants to dine here—not even counting the common public—even very, very wealthy people must have a reservation. A three-star Michelin restaurant might not be bookable even two or three months in advance. The reason Basileon-Madan was able to secure a booking was primarily because he has a supply agreement with the restaurant; he is their wine provider.
Furthermore, dining at this restaurant is quite a hassle. Firstly, you must be impeccably dressed, meaning formal wear is required. Jackets, vests, sweatshirts, and the like are strictly forbidden. Fortunately, Jiang Hai had anticipated the negotiations when he packed and brought his only suit; otherwise, he wouldn't have had the right clothes for dinner.
Secondly, you cannot be late when dining at this kind of restaurant. If you are twenty minutes late, the restaurant automatically cancels your reservation. It is useless to call and say you are stuck in traffic and arriving soon. Once twenty minutes pass, they immediately seat the next party. If you arrive at twenty-one minutes, it depends entirely on their disposition. If you arrive thirty minutes late, then you're out of luck; see you in three months.
Moreover, the tipping expectation here is quite high. The minimum is 12.5%, meaning even if you are dissatisfied, you must tip 12.5 euros for every 100 euros spent. If you are satisfied, the expected tip is 15%. Naturally, if you genuinely wish to give more, no one will object.
The Pierre Gagnaire restaurant that Jiang Hai and his party were going to was founded by a culinary master of the last century, the originator of the molecular gastronomy movement in the nineties. What is known as molecular gastronomy, China has had for thousands of years—it's tofu.
However, modern molecular gastronomy is not limited to just tofu; other ingredients can be used, such as lobster meat. It's like turning lobster meat into ham, ham into bacon, and bacon into lobster. Uh, that was Jiang Hai's understanding of it.
The Fighting Arena
Of course, what was mentioned before was just Jiang Hai's personal thoughts; in reality, molecular gastronomy is not that simple.
To be precise, molecular gastronomy refers to combining two completely unrelated things to create something new that possesses the characteristics of both while being neither. For example, combining soybeans and brine results in tofu.
This is a cuisine that changes molecular structures, rather than the simple crushing of ingredients that everyone is familiar with.
After arriving at the restaurant, Jiang Hai and the others split up into several tables and sat down, and then it was time for the food to be served.
Because this restaurant only offers Set A or Set B and does not allow guests to choose individual dishes, there was no other way. Three-star Michelin restaurants are just that arrogant; it's like Jiang Hai selling his products—take it or leave it, and here, eat it or don't.
But even so, the demand for dining here far exceeds the supply. Ordinary tour groups and the like don't get this kind of treatment.
The set menu wasn't actually too complex, with only six dishes in total; otherwise, it wouldn't be sold for only 310 euros. Uh, 310 euros for something 'not too complex'—Jiang Hai could only chuckle at that... The meal was divided into an appetizer, sweet soup, seafood, main course, sorbet, and dessert, totaling six courses. Unlike the usual three to five courses in French cuisine, there was an extra sorbet here. The so-called sorbet is something like ice cream, mainly used to cleanse the palate and let the taste buds rest, though Jiang Hai didn't understand that at all.
However, the taste of this thing was actually quite good. After finishing Set A at this French three-star Michelin restaurant, Jiang Hai smacked his lips. To be honest, the food here tasted quite good; both the craftsmanship and the raw materials were excellent. But there was just too little of it. Other than saying he felt half-full and not quite hungry, he really had no other way to describe it—it wasn't enough to eat!
But since Basileon-Madan was paying the bill, Jiang Hai didn't feel right saying anything. He had already decided that after going back tonight, he would go eat some small hot pot; otherwise, he would starve to death by tomorrow morning.
"Hi, Basileon, how was the food today?" Just as Jiang Hai was agonizing over how many portions of meat to order for his cheese hot pot tonight, an elderly man walked out from the back with a smile. He was wearing a pristine white chef's coat without a single speck of oil on it. He wasn't wearing a hat, and his nearly bald head had thin patches of hair growing haphazardly.
"It was absolutely delicious, dear Pierre." Seeing the old man, Basileon-Madan gave a thumbs up and said with a smile.
"I'm glad you're satisfied. You know, the ingredients here are quite hard to come by. I spent a fortune to snatch this beef and seafood from Walmart's Sams Club; this is stuff from Soaring Dragon Manor." Hearing Basileon-Madan's words, the old man spoke proudly, but just as he finished, Jiang Hai almost choked.
"Cough, cough, it's nothing, I'm fine." Seeing both men in front of him looking his way, Jiang Hai couldn't help but say with some embarrassment.
"Haha, Pierre, let me introduce you. This is the owner of the Soaring Dragon Manor you mentioned, Mr. Jiang Hai. Mr. Jiang, this is Pierre Gagnaire, the owner and executive chef of this restaurant." Seeing Jiang Hai's embarrassed look, Basileon-Madan explained with a smile. Hearing his words, Jiang Hai nodded calmly—Pierre Gagnaire translated to that name—while the old man was very surprised and lunged to Jiang Hai's side in a single bound.
"My God, you are the owner of Soaring Dragon Manor! I really don't know how you raise your cattle and fish; those things aren't just ingredients anymore, they are works of art, do you understand?" Holding Jiang Hai's hand, the elderly Pierre Gagnaire said with a face full of excitement.
"Cough, it's alright, it's alright..." Hearing his words, Jiang Hai felt a bit sheepish.
In China, no matter how awesome a cook you are, you are just a chef, someone who serves others. Even if you earn tens of millions a year, your status is still somewhat low in front of some entrepreneurs and big bosses. But in France, it's completely different.
In France, good chefs are artists. The delicacies they create can even be exhibited in art galleries.
French chefs have a very high social status. Just like this restaurant, even as a partner, Basileon-Madan has to make an appointment and wait in line. For others, even if the richest man in a region, the Mayor of Paris, or the Prime Minister of France comes, they still have to make an appointment and wait in line. If Pierre Gagnaire says he won't serve you, he won't serve you. You wait three months to eat a meal here, and you either eat it or leave; no matter how much money or power you have, if he won't serve you, he won't. That's an artist. Those who aren't at this level are just cooks... "I have never seen beef as amazing as the beef from Soaring Dragon Manor—the marbling, the texture—and then there's the seafood. To be honest, Jiang, are you interested in holding an ingredient exhibition? Just based on your ingredients, I expect the French people would go crazy. You have no idea; your ingredients only have a tiny supply in France every week. A few hundred kilograms of beef, one or two thousand kilograms of fish, that's it. Every time that day comes, the buyers for all the Michelin restaurants in France rush into the nearest Walmart like they're going to war to snatch them up, but even so, they often fail. My luck was good this week; my three buyers brought back a total of eighty kilograms of beef and two hundred and ten kilograms of fish, but only Redfish and Grouper. Brother, the giant grouper and atlantic salmon from your place are just too hard to buy. Rumor has it you also have giant lobsters, King Crabs, and Tiger Prawns?" Looking at Jiang Hai, old man Gagnaire began to speak incessantly.
"Oh? Are these things not sold in France? I'm really not too sure. My beef and seafood are chilled; generally speaking, they only supply the local US market. The European side is handled by the Walmart corporation, so I don't know much about it." Hearing old man Gagnaire's words, Jiang Hai said with a chuckle.
"Sigh, you really don't know. If you have time next Wednesday, go take a look at any Walmart supermarket with a Sams Club in France, and you'll understand what madness means. Your ingredients are fantastic. If possible, could I visit your place? I'm really curious what kind of land and water can raise such excellent ingredients." Hearing that Jiang Hai didn't know much, Pierre Gagnaire sighed and said.
"Of course you can. My address is Winthrop Town, Boston. Once you get there and ask about Soaring Dragon Manor, almost everyone will know. I look forward to your visit." Jiang Hai wouldn't refuse such a request. It would be a perfect chance for Qi Ya to learn a few tricks from the old man; he'd be the one enjoying the good food then, wouldn't he?
"That's truly wonderful, great! Jiang, here is my business card. If you want to eat my cooking, you can come anytime. I've definitely made a friend in you." Patting Jiang Hai's shoulder, old man Gagnaire left his phone number with an excited face. After Jiang Hai called him and they exchanged numbers, he left.
"Wow, to be honest, I really envy you, Jiang. Do you know how many years I've supplied him with red wine just to get the right to cut the line a little bit? Even then, I still have to book a week in advance. You can come and eat anytime. Tsk tsk, I'm getting more and more confident in your red wine." Seeing Jiang Hai and Pierre Gagnaire exchange numbers, Basileon-Madan couldn't help but smack his lips, feeling truly envious and jealous.
Jiang Hai just smiled at this and put his phone away. Having made the acquaintance of a three-star Michelin chef, Jiang Hai's mood had also turned quite good. After a few more words, Basileon-Madan told Jiang Hai they could move on to the next program.
Although he wasn't full, Jiang Hai still left. Since the other party was treating, it wasn't polite for him to eat so much.
After dinner—well, a half-full dinner—Jiang Hai and his group in two cars arrived at another place Basileon-Madan said they could have fun at night. Of course, because of the two women, he didn't go to those foul, male-only nightspots. He had also heard that Jiang Hai didn't like environments that were too noisy, so he didn't go to those loud bars either. Instead, they went to a bar that covered a vast area but didn't look particularly luxurious.
The bar was named 'Fighters.' Jiang Hai was no stranger to this word; it meant warriors or strikers. Like the game Jiang Hai used to play, The King of Fighters (KOF), the 'F' stood for that word. Seeing this word, Jiang Hai could roughly guess what this place was for.
Sure enough, as soon as he entered, Jiang Hai saw many people surrounding the outside of a giant octagonal iron cage, roaring constantly. Inside the iron cage, two people were fighting with all their might. Jiang Hai and Connerson Peters were both very familiar with such scenes.
However, what Connerson Peters wasn't familiar with was: what was that guy in the striped shirt doing there?
You should know that the fights he used to participate in had no referees and were much wilder than this competition. Unless one side surrendered or lost consciousness, the fight would never stop. Those were underground fights, while this was, at most, a performance!
But even so, the combat in the ring made the blood of those below boil and their hormones surge. Perhaps deep in every man's heart there is some worship of violence; watching such a fight, they truly loved it. (To be continued.)