Jack Ma listened and chuckled.
Don't listen to their nonsense. He just preferred to cook his own meals.
Jack Ma quickly waved his hands, denying anything about stir-frying.
He was Xia Feng's personal chef. It was better if others didn't know about it.
What if they did know? Who else would make him willing to spend his days cooking?
Cooking for Xia Feng not only required skill but also daily research into different dishes. Only when Xia Feng was satisfied did Jack Ma feel truly honored.
As for Penguin Ma and the others getting to eat his cooking, it was all thanks to Xia Feng and Xia Lin. They all lived together, so it was impossible to eat separately.
Liu Qiangxi was also in Modu. Call him over for a meal, Old Wang suddenly thought of Liu Qiangxi.
That guy stayed at the film base all day; it must be quite tiring.
I'll make the call. Penguin Ma said, standing up and walking out.
After Penguin Ma got up and left, Zhong Yangyang took out a pack of excellent, specially supplied cigarettes and said, "Come, everyone, try my cigarettes. They're very good."
"No, don't smoke in the private room. Someone else is coming soon, and it won't be good if it's filled with smoke," Old Wang quickly stopped him.
"Right, right. Zhong Zong, if you can't resist, please step outside to smoke," Xu Jiaying quickly seconded.
After all the effort to invite Xia Lin, they shouldn't let such small details cause a bad impression.
"Haha... I also smoke less; it's bad for my health." Zhong Yangyang put the cigarette back without a trace.
"It's good you don't smoke. Look, none of us smoke," Jack Ma said.
"Teacher Ma is rich now and focuses on health. You all look much younger than last year. Do you have any good health secrets recently?"
Zhong Yangyang only then noticed that Jack Ma and the others looked completely different and much younger than before.
Especially Jack Ma, who used to have crow's feet all over his face when he smiled; now, more than half of them were gone.
"Haha... it's good to eat well and drink well," Jack Ma chuckled.
"Teacher Ma is so open-minded. Now that you have money, you're starting to enjoy life. You earned money in the first half of your life and enjoy it in the second half," Zhong Yangyang said with a smile.
"That's right. Didn't I always say I wasn't interested in money? That saying has been passed down to this day and has become my joke."
"But honestly, at our level, we're really not interested in money anymore. They don't understand this truth."
Jack Ma said with emotion. They had no interest in money anymore.
"Teacher Ma is right; we really have no interest," Zhong Yangyang nodded in agreement.
"Even though we're not interested in money, we're interested in spending it. Teacher Zhao once said that dying with money unspent is the greatest tragedy."
"I'm enjoying spending money now, but spending money is much harder than earning it. No matter how I spend it, it's never enough."
Jack Ma seemed to have quite a lot of insight into this.
When Jack Ma spoke to these people, he was quite sincere, and everyone could understand the meaning.
"It's indeed much harder to earn money than to spend it."
"With a blink of an eye, who knows how much money has come in? It really proves the saying that no matter how you spend it, it's never enough."
"Teacher Ma is right; it's pretty much like that. What we pursue now is reputation and good health. Money is really unimportant," Zhong Yangyang nodded, agreeing with Jack Ma's words.
"Haha... when you mention reputation, it makes me think of Penguin Ma. He's been cursed by the most people throughout history, a true number one."
Jack Ma finished speaking and glanced towards the door. The more he looked, the more he saw Penguin Ma standing behind him.
As soon as Jack Ma walked in after making the call, he heard Jack Ma discussing him behind his back.
Then, with an unfriendly expression, he cursed, "Don't talk about me. You're no better either. We're in the same boat."
"Heh heh... just kidding, let's have some fun," Jack Ma smiled.
Jack Ma snorted and ignored him, sitting down on his own.
"When will they arrive?" Old Wang asked Penguin Ma.
"They'll be here soon," Penguin Ma replied.
"President Xu, let the hotel prepare the dishes first. It's eleven o'clock, and they'll be here soon," Old Wang looked at the time and prepared to ask Xu Jiaying to arrange the dishes first.
"Okay, I'll go now," Xu Jiaying nodded and walked out.
A moment later, Liu Qiangxi arrived first.
"Oh, a rare visitor. President Zhong is here too," Liu Qiangxi said with a smile, walking over and greeting Zhong Yangyang.
"Liu Zong, I hope you've been well. I heard you've been very busy lately," Zhong Yangyang asked with a smile.
"It's alright; I'm serving the boss," Liu Qiangxi nodded.
He had to be the one to guard the filming location since he was the most pathetic.
"Haha... President Liu is joking," Zhong Yangyang didn't believe Liu Qiangxi's nonsense at all.
The group continued to chat for a while, and then Xia Lin and the others arrived.
Seeing Xia Lin walk in, Old Wang and the others all stood up. Even Xu Jiaying, who had been joking around, became serious.
Zhong Yangyang looked at everyone inexplicably and also stood up.
"Lin'er, come and sit quickly."
Liu Qiangxi rushed over to pull out a chair and motioned for Xia Lin to sit down.
"Lin'er, the food is ready. We can start eating right away."
Seeing Liu Qiangxi, that sycophant, so proactively taking over his task, Old Wang could only say this.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting," Xia Lin said with a smile as she walked over.
"No, you're early," Jack Ma shook his head and said.
Zhong Yangyang was somewhat stunned.
He recognized three of them: the Nation's Little Wang, Qin Dou, and Ma Yuqin.
But clearly, he didn't recognize Xia Lin.
These were all top big shots. Why were they so enthusiastic about a little girl?
Xu Jiaying had mentioned earlier that she was inviting a big shot for dinner today, so he shamelessly stayed.
He never expected this big shot to be a little girl.
She looked even younger than his own daughter.
"Lin'er, this is President Xu," Old Wang introduced Xu Jiaying to Xia Lin.
Upon hearing this, Xu Jiaying's expression turned serious, and she quickly stood up, looking at Xia Lin and saying solemnly:
"Thank you for taking the time to have dinner despite your busy schedule. It is my honor. Please forgive any shortcomings in my hospitality."
For Xu Jiaying to say something like this to a junior, her attitude was already extremely humble.
Xia Lin: ....
Xia Lin knew best how busy she was; she wasn't busy at all every day.
"President Xu is too kind," Xia Lin nodded with a smile.
Zhong Yangyang on the side was completely dumbfounded. Was her status that high?
Although he had been surprised earlier, judging by Xu Jiaying's attitude now, this was no longer an equal footing.
He suddenly had a feeling that Xu Jiaying was being subservient, lowering herself and trying hard to please.
Who is this beautiful young girl?
Is there such a figure in Huaxia?