Huayu98: Starting with mentoring pop divas

Sunlight streamed through the French windows of the bedroom in Repulse Bay, casting a warm glow on the pale yellow sheets.

Li Shuo opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds.

Turning my head to the side again, the electronic calendar on the bedside table showed: Monday, June 1, 1998.

However, he doesn't need to go to school.

Yesterday's result was a foregone conclusion.

Thanks to Li Shuo's three compositions, Hanji International School easily won the championship this time.

After the match, he met and took photos with a group of people from the Hong Kong Island education sector. The white-haired Archbishop of Cantres even asked him if he was a believer.

Li Shuo chuckled and shook his head with a smile: "I don't believe it. I only believe Lao Tzu."

Then the church members on Hong Kong Island looked at each other, wondering what the boy was talking about.

However, it was Kwong Kwong-kit, the first Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Hong Kong, who reacted quickly.

"Lao Tzu, is he a Taoist? An Eastern philosophy. Interesting, very interesting."

Li Shuo didn't respond at the time... whatever you say goes.

Sitting up in bed, I couldn't help but think of that guy, Phil, and felt a little depressed.

After yesterday's performance, that guy kept showing off.

He's going to America... He can drive that Lamborghini his dad gave him to pick up girls now, he keeps repeating this.

Pshaw! So what if you own a Lamborghini?

I won a Ferrari F355 Spider in a lucky draw! It even has a consecutive license plate from Hong Kong Island. That license plate alone could be worth millions in the future.

Feeling a bit down, I got up, walked to the mirror, stood still, and looked myself up and down.

At 185cm tall, he has a great leg-to-body ratio and well-defined muscles. His eight-pack abs and V-line are very clear. What a pity... tsk tsk.

Li Shuo sighed.

Reborn and perfectly adjusted by the system... but damn it, I'm only 16 years old today.

I can't even get a driver's license in Hong Kong, so I can't drive recklessly.

I went to the window and looked out at the bay.

Things are almost settled at the school.

Only practical projects remain, involving exchanges with mainland China.

However, despite being an international school, the Chinese Christian Foundation (CCF) is actually one of the Hong Kong Island universities that places the greatest emphasis on Chinese cultural education.

They even built a campus in Hangzhou later, and required students from Hong Kong Island to study in Hangzhou for a year.

If Li Shuo successfully completes this exchange and submits his practice report, he can skip directly to the 12th grade (senior year).

I will finish the Hong Kong Island Advanced Level Examination from March to May next year. The results will be released in July, and then I can go back to the mainland to choose a target university and prepare for the art exam.

My grandfather said he would help me get into the Central Academy of Drama by asking an old friend to put in a good word for me, but I don't know how it's going.

My father, Li Mingyao, simply refused to believe that the old man would take the initiative to make this connection.

Li Shuo was a little uneasy.

Grandpa wouldn't lie to me, would he?

Next, I need to go to Taiwan to keep my appointment with Warner Media's Zhou Jianhui.

But what he most wanted to go to was the peninsula.

The entertainment industry over there is about to experience a boom, and there are two more important "flags" to be planted.

Thinking back on the past and my father's attitude, I need to plan this carefully.

On Hong Kong Island, apart from Sammi Cheng and Shu Qi, he doesn't plan to get too involved.

The United States has already laid some groundwork.

Li Shuo's eyes became somewhat profound.

Before he was reborn, he had been given "spiritual vision".

The two people who are now forming a karmic bond both had relatively good reputations before returning from their previous lives.

However, while there are many opportunities over there now, there are also more pitfalls, so we need to be cautious later.

According to his plan, keeping a low profile now will be fine in the short term, but he will definitely run into several forces later.

However, as his system rank improves, he will have more confidence.

Moreover, once his plans are in place, his powerful "Mom" will protect him.

I thought of "our mom"!

We need to take a good look at the mainland entertainment market before making any decisions.

The Chinese entertainment industry is still a "wasteland" at present, but it will soon usher in a boom.

Many of the actresses who will stand at the top in the future are still in the "girl next door" stage now.

He needs to see how deep the "pool of works" is to determine whether he can truly provide helpful assistance.

Ignoring illegal and disorderly conduct is one thing, but the rest is manageable.

At the very least, the minimum requirement is that he can be of help in his future "territory".

This is about taking responsibility for yourself.

Just as I was thinking about these random things, a wonderful fragrance suddenly wafted into the bedroom.

Li Shuo sniffed sharply.

This taste—

It's hot pot.

Moreover, it's authentic Sichuan hot pot.

The aroma of butter, chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and fermented bean paste blended together, making his mouth water.

He quickly put on his clothes and rushed out.

Following the aroma, I walked through the corridor and ran to the restaurant entrance.

Wow!

On the dining table, a huge hot pot with two broths was bubbling and steaming.

Half of it is bright red chili oil, with lots of chili pepper pieces and Sichuan peppercorns floating on top; the other half is milky white broth, with red dates, goji berries and mushrooms faintly visible.

White porcelain platters lined the edge of the pot: bright red tripe, glistening duck intestines, snowflake beef, hand-cut mutton, beef aorta, pig brain, goose intestines...

There were also various vegetables and mushrooms, filling the table to the brim.

The tableware was still in the style of the "Haidilao" restaurant he described for the future, but with the "Haidilao" logo on it.

Father Li Mingyao stood by the table, holding a cake with sixteen thin candles stuck on it.

Aunt Qin Yu stood beside him, wearing an apron, and looked at him with a smile.

"Happy birthday!"

Li Shuo stood there, suddenly feeling a little dazed.

In his previous life, by the time he was middle-aged, he no longer made a fuss about celebrating his birthday.

This is the kind of scene where someone remembers, someone prepares, and someone is holding a cake waiting for you to blow out the candles.

It seems like he hasn't celebrated his birthday like this in a long time.

Aunt Qin smiled and waved.

"Quick! Make a wish and blow out the candles first, then try this hot pot recipe that I painstakingly selected and flew back from my hometown!"

Li Shuo blinked, suppressing the inexplicable emotion, walked over, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

He opened his eyes and blew out all sixteen candles in one breath.

Li Mingyao chuckled and put the cake aside.

"Alright, I've been waiting for this recipe to come to my liking too. Your Aunt Qin went to great lengths to select this one from dozens of recipes."

Li Shuo couldn't wait any longer. He plopped down, grabbed his chopsticks, and headed straight for the tripe.

Pick up a palm-sized piece of tripe and dip it precisely up and down in the red broth—

Nine seconds.

Not a second off.

Then roll it in the sesame oil dish and put it in your mouth.

Crispy, tender, fragrant, and spicy—

For a moment, Li Shuo almost swallowed his tongue.

That's it!

It tastes even better than Haidilao.

The aroma of butter is particularly rich, and the spiciness is moderate, without being pungent. It has a lingering and mellow fragrance.

"How was it?" Aunt Qin looked at him with some confidence.

"Aunt Qin, with your excellent control over the taste of your food, you're guaranteed to never lose money in the restaurant business! Amazing!"

Li Shuo quickly finished praising the food and continued to eat.

After a few swirls, put it in your mouth.

The duck intestines are crisp and chewy, coated with the aroma of sesame oil and minced garlic—it's simply a delicacy.

What followed was a fierce and swift battle.

...plates of ingredients were poured into the pot, then quickly scooped out and into Li Shuo's stomach.

He ate until he was sweating profusely, but he just couldn't stop.

Li Mingyao and Aunt Qin had already stopped eating and were just sitting next to him watching him eat.

Seeing that Li Shuo had almost finished eating, Aunt Qin smiled so much that her eyes curved into crescent moons.

"After you talked to me about that 'Hi-Lao' idea last time, I went back and thought about it, then flew to Chengdu and Chongqing, found a few master chefs, and tried more than ten kinds of base sauce recipes. Finally, I selected these three. Today, I'm letting you try the one I'm most satisfied with."

Li Mingyao chimed in.

"I've already arranged for the company's marketing department to start selecting locations for the flagship stores in Chengdu and Chongqing. We're also simultaneously working on the locations you mentioned last time, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Xi'an."

Li Mingyao then spoke, his tone indifferent, but with a hint of smugness in his eyes.

Alright... With connections, people, and money... Li Shuo wasn't surprised by this speed.

"By the way, son! You told me last time that if any of my business friends in Shenzhen mentioned anything about the IT industry, I should tell you. I actually ran into them at the entrepreneurs' dinner on Saturday."

Yes, yes, yes! The dinner my aunt mentioned in her previous life was a gathering of business leaders!

Li Shuo almost choked on the juice that his aunt Qin gave him, but he pretended to be calm.

"Hmm, who is the other party? What did they say?"

"He's a director surnamed Ma from Shenzhen-listed Yantian Steel Group. After a few rounds of drinks, we started talking about his son's IT company, saying it's going to be registered by the end of the year!"

Li Mingyao watched as Li Shuo listened attentively.

"Son, I heard their investment isn't big, just a few million. Would you like to invest?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shuo quickly said, "No! Please don't!"

He thought for a moment and recalled.

"Dad, for the next year, all you need to do is keep in touch with Uncle Ma from time to time, and express your interest in investing in IT, but don't reveal any other intentions! Just be friends!"

After saying that, Li Shuo slumped in his chair, patting his round belly with satisfaction.

No rush... Don't be too eager for a sale... He'll come to you eventually! Hehe!