Huayu98: Starting with mentoring pop divas

Shu Qi found a sunshade-covered lounge chair near the monitor in the cruise ship's director area and sat down lazily.

The sea breeze ruffled her slightly wavy long hair, and her face, though lightly made up, appeared heavily made up. Her eyes, which seemed to tell a story, gazed into the distance, a hint of weariness barely perceptible in her silence.

She took off her sandals, her long legs casually curled to the side, her taut, rounded toes pressing down on them.

Her arm rests lightly on the armrest, and the curves of her body reveal a charm that she exudes effortlessly.

Watching from the side, Li Shuo couldn't help but agree with the widely circulated comment among foreigners: "Among the girls from Taiwan, Shu Qi is still the most beautiful!"

Shu Qi has recently been spending her time near her boss Wong Jing after work, a deliberate arrangement by the director who signed her.

The famous "celebrity dinner party hostess" Sister Zhen, whom she met by chance when she first came to Hong Kong Island two years ago, has recently started harassing and pestering her again.

Despite Wong Jing's intervention, even when the other party offered 500,000 for a meal, she still looked tired, haunted by the unease of being chased by the shadows of the past.

At that time, she was unfamiliar with the area and the people there, and Sister Zhen dragged her to several social gatherings. However, the atmosphere at those dinners made her extremely uncomfortable, and in the end, she held firm to her principles and resolutely stayed away.

Later, she was fortunate enough to be discovered and promoted by director Wong Jing, and starred in films such as "Viva Erotica" and "Young and Dangerous: The Prequel". In particular, she began to turn her image around with the role of "Scarface Qi", and her reputation in the industry improved. There were even rumors that she could win an award.

But unexpectedly, once she became famous, trouble followed.

Recently, because of Shu Qi's situation, Wong Jing has been using his connections to mediate and has also simply invited her to stay on set.

On his turf, those shady characters and paparazzi always have to behave themselves.

"Esther!"

Wang Jing brought over a glass of water and sat down next to her, her tone gentler than usual: "Don't worry. That gossipy woman has too much of a mouth and has offended too many people. I heard someone is already going to teach her a lesson, so she probably won't have time to bother you anytime soon."

Shu Qi took the water and thanked him softly, but his heart remained heavy.

She understood that Sister Zhen was the kind of person who had been to prison and, after being released, had a kind of shameless, reckless attitude.

If she's pushed to the limit and leaks her early experiences to the media... that would be a fatal blow to the paparazzi who are always watching her and writing about her "instant fame through nudity."

But with her boss, Wong Jing, protecting her so much, she could only keep her anxieties to herself.

Li Shuo, who was listening nearby, also realized what this was about.

With fame comes trouble, especially for someone like her with a "history," whose past always seems to drag her back.

Sister Na Zhen is quite a remarkable person. She graduated from TVB's acting training class and was a classmate of Chow Yun-fat and Ng Man-tat.

Because she never had the chance to become famous, she inadvertently discovered a new business model called "dinner party economics," becoming a well-known "actress madam" by arranging for Hong Kong's wealthy and powerful to meet actresses.

I remember she was arrested by the Hong Kong Island anti-vice squad in 1989.

However, after being released from prison, she not only did not restrain herself, but also became even more popular because of the public opinion surrounding her past, and a lot of gossip was exposed to the outside world.

As far as I can remember, she seemed to have made a major public statement to the media once in 1998 due to being threatened, and Shu Qi seemed to have been named as well.

Although it was later clarified that they had only eaten together a few times in the early days, people who heard it at the time didn't think so.

This Fatty Wang has a strong sense of chivalry, but he is definitely protective of his own actors.

His words weren't just meant to comfort her; it seems that Sister Zhen soon fell from grace because of something else...

Not far away, a small commotion came from the direction of the cabin; it was unclear what trivial matter the film crew had gotten into into a dispute again.

Seeing Shu Qi looking around curiously, Wong Jing scratched his head and said to her with a wry smile, "See? Not a single thing in this movie went smoothly."

This statement sounds like an explanation, but also like self-consolation.

Just then, another sound of laughter and chatter came from behind.

Huang Sanshi began by saying, "Dear teachers and colleagues, thank you for your hard work!"

He stepped aside, followed by an assistant arranged by the mainland investors, who was carrying several large plastic bags that were making some noise, as if there were living things moving inside.

And walking beside him was Qu Yin.

As soon as Qu Yin appeared, the light in that area seemed to brighten up a bit.

She is incredibly tall and has long legs. She is dressed smartly and dazzlingly, and her perfect head-to-body ratio and graceful posture are very eye-catching.

Her eyes sparkled with a natural, generous radiance as she continued Huang Sanshi's words: "Teacher Huang saw that everyone was tired after a long day of filming, so he specially found this freshest 'seafood' to treat everyone. Let's all have a good time today!"

Her words were well-chosen, acknowledging Huang Sanshi's good intentions while remaining warm and tactful, demonstrating the interpersonal skills she had honed through years of experience in the entertainment industry.

Taking advantage of the atmosphere, Huang Sanshi patted his chest, his cheerfulness and confidence overflowing.

"That's right! The ingredients are absolutely reliable! Today I'm not going to hold back anymore, I'll show you all a little bit of my skills, let's prepare a seafood feast, everyone try it and give me your feedback!"

Looking at the confidence on Huang Sanshi's face...Teacher Huang, did you already have this "easy-to-feed" attribute so early?

Wong Jing was worried about the oppressive atmosphere on set, and Shu Qi was also in low spirits. But when he saw this scene, he was amused and immediately made the decision.

"Great! Teacher Huang is so kind, and Miss Qu is so thoughtful! It's almost lunchtime, let's all have a meal together and relax!"

He turned to Li Shuo and called out, "Li Shuo, come on over too."

Before long, the group moved to the cruise ship's dining area.

When they saw the center of the field, everyone exclaimed in surprise!

A professional, huge stainless steel grating countertop, so shiny it reflects light, with a powerful stove underneath, and various kitchen utensils neatly arranged beside it.

Huang Sanshi was the only one who was momentarily dumbfounded.

His ideal "place to cook" was an ordinary kitchen with a stove and pots.

Who knew it was such a professional tool? It's completely different from standing in front of the stove and cooking!

The crowd, unaware of what was going on, looked at him with great anticipation.

Wang Jing, also surprised and expectant, raised her hand and said, "Teacher Huang, please!"

Huang Sanshi, who had been lifted up, reluctantly walked to the front of the stage.

Looking at the lively shrimp, crabs, and shellfish, then at the smooth iron plate that reflected his bewildered expression, and the two overly long, specially made iron shovels beside it, he began to seriously doubt the meaning of "showing off one's skills" for the first time.

Sure enough, teppanyaki isn't something you can master just by having a passion for cooking.

Just as Huang Sanshi was facing a plate of cleaned abalone, gesturing with a spatula, unsure whether to add the oil or the ingredients first, Li Shuo's voice rang out from the side: "Teacher Huang must be tired after filming all day. This is all so greasy and hot. Why don't I do it?"

Li Shuo walked over to Huang Sanshi at the control panel, gave him a reassuring look, took the pair of shovels from his hands, and skillfully twirled them in a light, graceful motion, as if he had practiced them a thousand times.

Seeing this skillful move, Huang Sanshi breathed a sigh of relief, gave a grateful look, and quickly went to the guest seats.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, Li Shuo skillfully began to measure the temperature and pour the oil.

As the glistening olive oil sizzled on the scalding hot board, he flicked his wrist, precisely slipping a few cloves of garlic and chopped onions into the hot oil, releasing an enticing aroma.

Then, as if by magic, the fresh abalone, prawns, and scallops were flipped and heated under his spatula, the whole process was smooth and even a bit performative!

The ingredients were tossed high into the air and caught steadily, with occasional bursts of flame eliciting hushed gasps.

What's even more surprising is that while Li Shuo was cooking, he could also easily look up and communicate with the people sitting in front of him about their tastes, and accurately divide the finished dishes into small plates in front of each person according to their preferences.

Those who have witnessed the performance of the teppanyaki chef have found that this handsome young man's operating style is exactly the same!

The freshness and sweetness of the seafood are instantly locked in by the high temperature, and with just the right seasoning, the aroma is irresistible.

The crowd, who had been waiting to see Huang Sanshi's "performance," were now pleasantly surprised to taste the handsome young man's cooking, and the atmosphere instantly became lively.

Taking advantage of a break in cooking, Li Shuo spoke in a voice only those nearby could hear to Shu Qi, who was initially in low spirits but was now staring blankly at him with her beautiful eyes, "Try these scallops. They're cooked just right. Eating them will make you happier."

Shu Qi was slightly taken aback. He looked up at the handsome young man he had noticed as soon as he boarded the ship, then looked down at the glistening and delicious scallops on the plate and hummed softly. He picked up his chopsticks and a relaxed smile appeared on his lips.

Wang Jing was dumbfounded! How could this kid even know this?

A playful, teasing exclamation!

"Wow, it smells so good! You guys actually hid here and ate this delicious food without telling me!"

It turned out to be Andy Lau, who came over after smelling the aroma with a big smile!