Chapter 45 is about to be met with "several high-quality imitations, all complete."...
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Chapter 45 is about to be met with "several high-quality imitations, all complete."...
Ye Hantao received so many business cards that her hands were sore from accepting them.
When the restaurant manager, for who knows how many times, invited her to sample the dishes, Ye Hantao finally found an opening and asked, "Is it... a free tasting?"
That's a question that doesn't sound like something someone with a black card would ask.
Whether Ye Hantao had a black card or not was no longer important to these people in charge; what they valued was the effect that Ye Hantao herself brought.
Ye Hantao rose to fame at this food tasting event.
In the days that followed, as word spread, Ye Hantao's evaluation of the food was bound to become a benchmark for taste.
They did a little publicity, saying that Ye Hantao had eaten there, which was equivalent to advertising.
If Ye Hantao's suggestions are put to good use, the quality of their dishes can be improved even further.
Most of the restaurants that chose to participate in this food tasting event have the ambition to grow and expand.
Manager Ye was the first to speak, "Of course it's free."
The round-faced manager followed closely behind, saying, "The timing depends entirely on your convenience; we can arrange a private car for you."
"They're about to start the book-reading session," the other managers thought to themselves while smiling as they said, "Our restaurant has a long-term partnership with Château Latour, and our wines are very famous in the industry. If you'd like, we'd be happy to send you a case."
"This is our restaurant's membership card." After handing over his business card, a manager also handed Ye Hantao a black membership card. "With this card, you can get a 50% discount on any alcoholic beverages or dishes."
The others: "?!!"
The order in which Ye Hantao went and the order in which she went made a huge difference in the online buzz and public opinion surrounding her!
Some of them were actually traitors who tried to bribe Ye Hantao with money!
Ye Hantao clearly prefers the taste, not the petty benefits.
then--
They hurriedly took out their own restaurant's membership cards.
Nonsense, if Ye Hantao doesn't come to their restaurant, how would she know that their food tastes better?
【Oh? Isn't this going too far?】
I suspect Ye Hantao's family really has a silver card (?), otherwise why would all these people be crowding around?
[Uh, Liao Jiayue was left standing there awkwardly.]
Those who are going too far should take a look at the online reviews! Ye Hantao is already being hailed as a guiding light for culinary delights!
[Hahaha, I've seen a lot of people say that what Ye Hantao says tastes bad might not actually taste bad (after all, her sense of taste is too sensitive), but what Ye Hantao says tastes good must taste good!!!]
[It's true! I went to POL Desserts, recommended by Ye Hantao! They were sold out the first day, so I lined up early the next morning and managed to get a Black Forest cake. It was so delicious! A huge portion only cost 49 yuan; I was worried the shop would lose money!]
[I'm going to Yuncheng for tourism next week, so I'll check out POL Desserts first!]
[My treasure trove of desserts, sob sob, it'll be even harder to buy from them now.]
"Excuse me, could you move aside?"
A voice came from behind Liao Jiayue. Before Liao Jiayue could move aside, the other person nimbly squeezed through the gap between Liao Jiayue and the table.
This person squeezed through the back and then the front, finally managing to squeeze to Ye Hantao's side.
"Ms. Ye, this is our restaurant's membership card," she said with a warm smile. "We cordially invite you and your family to dine here!"
Ye Hantao had been hearing invitations all night, but this was the first time she had ever heard someone proactively invite her family.
"Yes, if we have the chance, our whole family will go."
Liao Jiayue watched this scene, her hands clenched tightly at her sides, her anger and resentment almost overwhelming her.
Not wanting to be photographed making inappropriate expressions that would then be posted online and used as an excuse to make a phone call, Liao Jiayue abruptly turned her head away and walked a little further away.
Liao Jiayue pressed the agent's phone number in the list.
Suddenly, Liao Jiayue saw Manager Bian and ducked into the aisle.
"Manager Bian, is this Ms. Ye Hantao really a black card customer of our hotel?" a waiter who usually serves the top floor asked in surprise. "I don't remember Ms. Ye among our hotel's black card customers."
Liao Jiayue silently turned on her phone to record.
Manager Bian glanced at the waiter and said, "Are you saying we can't even have black cards for elders?"
Waiter: "That's not what I meant. I just think we should double-check."
Manager Bian waved his hand, "Just do your job and don't worry about other people's business."
After saying this, Manager Bian instructed his subordinates to handle the closing and wrapping up, and then left the hall first.
Liao Jiayue turned off the recording with a gloomy expression; she hadn't recorded anything useful.
Manager Bian told the waiters not to worry about anything and to head straight to the registration desk as soon as they left the lobby.
He would have to submit a detailed account of what happened at the scene later, so whether Ye Hantao actually had a black card was very important.
Of course, he really hoped Ye Hantao had it, so that his handling of the situation at the time would have been the only correct one.
Registration staff: "Manager Bian?"
Manager Bian: "Among the invited guests today, is Ye Hantao a Black Card customer?"
Ye Hantao? The staff were very familiar with this name.
The ordinary person who became famous on a variety show registered all of her family's phone numbers when she registered.
The staff member nodded first, then shook his head.
"???" Manager Bian was puzzled. "It either exists or it doesn't. What do you mean by nodding or shaking your head?"
The staff pushed the laptop over, saying, "Take a look for yourself."
The computer screen is now showing the registration page that was just opened. Next to each guest is their historical spending record and membership level associated with their invitation card.
From top to bottom, two people with black cards, eleven people with purple cards...
Manager Bian first looked at the black card, then at the names corresponding to the black card, and found that none of the registered persons were named Ye Hantao.
He wasn't surprised.
Not only did the waiter remember the black card customers, but he did too, and he was quite certain that he had never seen Ye Hantao among the black card customers or their families.
Manager Bian searched further, but found no purple card, only blue card...
"Manager," the staff member said awkwardly, noticing his gaze drifting downwards, "please look up."
Manager Bian: "I've been following this from above!"
The staff member silently pointed to a spot on the screen.
Manager Bian followed the staff member's finger and saw that the name Ye Hantao was actually listed under Black Card Customer.
"???" He abruptly turned his head to look at the corresponding customer registration line.
Silver card.
Silver card?!
Manager Bian quickly checked the silver card information and saw a string of Ye***.
He stared blankly and muttered, "I forgot, this part of the information can only be found on the group's intranet."
The next second, ecstasy ensued.
Hahahaha! His handling of the situation was absolutely correct! He helped a shareholder's family member out of a difficult situation!!!
The staff still had doubts and told them that Ye Hantao had registered four mobile phone numbers at once.
"Manager, Ye Hantao doesn't seem like someone with shareholders in her family." She was shocked when she first discovered that the phone number Ye Hantao provided was linked to a silver card, but after calming down, the more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.
The staff reasonably guessed, "Could it be a phone number borrowed from somewhere?"
The reason for borrowing it is simple: to show off in front of the camera.
Staff member: "I saw that Ye Hantao's car worth tens of millions was trending on social media a couple of days ago, and some people said that it was a borrowed car."
"I'll just ask you one question," Manager Bian said calmly, closing the page. "Do you know any of the shareholders of our parent company? Can you borrow a Maybach worth over ten million?"
The staff didn't even need to think about it, "I don't know him, I can't borrow him."
Manager Bian's smile deepened. "Does it really matter who owns this phone number?"
The food tasting event concluded at 9 PM.
Ye Hantao emerged from the crowd and looked around but couldn't find Liao Jiayue.
She was just about to take out her phone to ask when she saw a message Cheng Zhao had sent a few minutes earlier.
[How are you getting home tonight?]
[Ye Hantao: My parents came to pick me up (happy.jpg)]
The reply came instantly: [Cheng Zhao: Okay.]
A few seconds later, [Cheng Zhao: (Happy.jpg)]
Ye Hantao couldn't help but laugh.
Cheng Zhao sent the emoji she had sent back.
"Ms. Ye, please wait a moment."
Upon hearing the voice, Ye Hantao saw Manager Bian walking towards her. "We've left you a few gifts here. Would you like to take them with you, or would you like us to mail them to your home?"
As they were talking, Ye Hantao also noticed the gifts piled up at the front desk.
There was black truffle sauce that I had seen in the brochure before, Cabernet Sauvignon dry red wine, and tea set paired with old tree Pu'er tea.
There are also pastries, tableware, and other items that I've never seen before.
"What is this?" Ye Hantao looked at the booklet that was handed to her.
Manager Bian explained, "These are the gifts that Black Card customers can choose: a private chef service voucher, which allows them to invite any chef from Jinwan Hotel to prepare dishes at their home."
"A two-day, one-night stay in the presidential suite of a hotel under the Jinwan Group; and a visit to Xiaoying Winery, a long-term partner of Jinwan, to personally brew your own exclusive custom-made red wine."
Ye Hantao suddenly felt that the booklet in her hand weighed more than a thousand pounds.
Manager Bian knew she didn't have a black card, so why did he still give her all the gifts?
The moment this thought popped into Ye Hantao's head, she remembered what Chef Xing had said back then. It turned out that Chef Xing held such a high position at the Jinwan Hotel!
Liao Jiayue saw from afar that Ye Hantao was being stopped by Manager Bian, and there was a pile of gifts next to the two of them.
She quickly stopped and pretended to take out her phone to reply to a message.
Guided by online trolls, more and more people in the live stream began to suspect that Ye Hantao didn't actually have a black card, and that the manager of Jinwan was just lying to end the stalemate.
If she goes there now and the audience sees Manager Bian's attentive attitude towards Ye Hantao, they'll probably all believe that Ye Hantao has a black card.
Liao Jiayue will not allow Ye Hantao to use her popularity to gain fame again!
The cameraman following the scene was listening to Director Wan's question through his earpiece, "Where's Ye Hantao? When you're filming Liao Jiayue, make sure to film Ye Hantao too! Right now, more viewers in the live stream want to see Ye Hantao than Liao Jiayue!"
"..." He looked at Liao Jiayue, who was replying to messages nearby, and then at Ye Hantao, whose figure he could only vaguely see across the long corridor. He felt bitter.
He wanted to take the picture too, but he couldn't just walk past Liao Jiayue to take it.
Ye Hantao returned the booklet to Manager Bian, saying, "My parents are here to pick me up, and their car is parked at the door. Could you please bring the gift to the door?"
"No trouble at all," Manager Bian said, arranging for someone to move the things. "Looking forward to serving you again next time."
As if struck by a thought, Ye Hantao took out a bottle of red wine, a black truffle sauce, and a tea set with ancient tree Pu'er tea from the gifts.
I arranged them neatly at the front desk and asked the staff for a few words of thanks.
She then took the elevator downstairs with the waiters who were carrying the gifts.
They left quite late, and there weren't many people in the elevator. Before entering the elevator, Ye Hantao opened her chat with Liao Jiayue.
[Ye Hantao: I'm going home now.]
"Buzz"
Liao Jiayue looked at the message, lingered in place for another two or three minutes, and then walked towards the registration desk.
Suddenly, a staff member spoke up, "Ms. Liao, please wait a moment."
Liao Jiayue glanced at the cameraman who was with her, and a smile appeared on her lips.
This staff member must be here to ask her for an autograph or a photo.
A staff member approached with three gift boxes, nodded politely, and said, "Before Ms. Ye Hantao left, she said she wanted to leave these three gifts for you, to thank you for helping her choose Cabernet Sauvignon."
Ye Hantao was also unsure which of the three gifts Liao Jiayue would choose if she didn't give her a gift.
Since she already had several of the same gifts, she decided to give all three gifts to Liao Jiayue.
I only got several feedback points about my persona tonight because Jia Yue asked her about the membership card.
Liao Jiayue suppressed her anger.
She gave Ye Hantao a gift, and Ye Hantao immediately gave her three in return.
Is Ye Hantao trying to prove she's better than her in front of the entire live stream audience?!
Without her invitation to Ye Hantao to appear on a variety show, Ye Hantao would probably still be nowhere to be found!
Wow! Ye Hantao is spending so much?!
[Who told Liao Jiayue to flaunt her purple card early on? Ye Hantao: I have a black card!]
[Since Ye Hantao knew her family had a black card, why did she still agree to send Liao Jiayue red wine?]
[Watching Liao Jiayue perform quietly?]
[This isn't necessarily a privilege only a black card holder can get. Don't forget that Chef Xing told the registration desk to reserve two portions of all the gifts for Ye Hantao!]
I admit that Ye Hantao does have some real talent in food tasting, but she's just so vain! She acts like she has a million dollars to sell and tries to market it as if it's worth a hundred million.
[Illness progression 80% (critical threshold), current character profile maintained at 6/10.]
Ye Hantao had just stepped out of the hotel when she unexpectedly heard this electronic voice.
She looked back and saw neither Jia Yue nor the cameraman.
There are no live streams nearby, and no posts online, so is the feedback on this persona delayed?
The waiter I had asked Manager Bian about earlier was also among the group of people helping to carry the gifts down.
He also wanted to see which luxury car Ye Hantao left in.
A black SUV opened its door, and a woman with long, curly hair stepped out.
He was wearing sunglasses, so you couldn't see his whole face.
Judging by his demeanor alone, he seemed quite wealthy, but upon closer inspection, the car behind him was worth at most a hundred thousand.
It stood out conspicuously among the group of luxury cars worth millions outside the gate.
Ye Hantao flew over like a light little bird, hugged Zhou Ti tightly, and said in a coquettish tone, "Mom! Have you been waiting long?"
"It didn't take more than a few minutes."
Zhou Ti ruffled Ye Hantao's hair, then took the milkshake-white bag from her shoulder and put it in the car.
Did you have fun tonight?
"I'm so happy! I ate so many delicious dishes."
A Koenigsegg was parked on the street corner.
Lu Yiyan glanced through the car window at Ye Hantao, who was chatting and laughing with her family at the hotel entrance, and then at Cheng Zhao in the driver's seat.
"Brother, are you planning to watch that family of three leave before you go yourself?"
Cheng Zhao just stared in that direction, it was unclear whether he had heard what Lu Yiyan said.
After a while, he asked, "I remember your grandmother wasn't in good health."
Lu Yiyan was deeply moved, "You still have this kind heart!"
“It’s all right now,” Lu Yiyan added. “We just got an appointment last month with a highly skilled traditional Chinese medicine doctor to help us.”
Their family is not short of money.
But it is said that the renowned traditional Chinese medicine doctor is not short of money.
Cheng Zhao stepped on the gas, the sound mingling with the engine noise and disappearing into the night.
What is the name of a master of traditional Chinese medicine?
Lu Yiyan asked in horror: "Why are you asking about traditional Chinese medicine?!"
He glanced hesitantly at Cheng Zhao's lower abdomen, wondering if he had some embarrassing illness.
Cheng Zhao's face darkened, but his tone remained light and airy.
"Don't you want your eyes anymore?"
"...What exactly is wrong with you?"
"Hypoglycemia".
Lu Yiyan: "..."
Here's a joke: A man who goes on adventures in the wild every day, chasing lions on the savanna, claims he has low blood sugar.
After the car had driven about ten meters, Lu Yiyan suddenly woke up with a start, "If Ye Hantao's family doesn't come to pick her up, why don't you offer to take her home?!"
And what about him?
Should we let him take a taxi home by himself?!
Cheng Zhao, keeping to the speed limit, slowly hummed in agreement, "Remember this kindness."
Lu Yiyan: "???"
Ye Hantao was receiving gifts from the waiters. "Thank you all for your help. Just give me the gifts."
Zhou Ti and Ye Weizheng, who got off the bus later, also reached out to take the remaining gifts.
The waiters had been specifically instructed by Manager Bian to be meticulous in everything they did before they arrived.
They left only after all the gifts had been safely placed.
One of the waiters looked back and saw that the couple were taking care of Ye Hantao like any ordinary couple, which made him even more suspicious.
He had worked at the restaurant for three or four years and had never seen any wealthy customers like this family.
"I guess he's just lucky, he has a wealthy relative."
"I think so too. That bag probably doesn't cost more than two hundred yuan."
"Maybe they just prefer this kind of simple life."
As Liao Jiayue walked from the elevator toward the main entrance, she overheard a conversation among several waiters.
They didn't name names, but Liao Jiayue just felt they were talking about Ye Hantao.
Liao Jiayue rushed out the door, only managing to catch a glimpse of the black SUV disappearing into the night.
"Sigh, Tao Tao left too fast," Liao Jiayue said regretfully. "I was thinking of saying goodbye to her uncle and aunt."
[Is that SUV Ye Hantao's family car?]
[Hahaha, no wonder he left without waiting for Yueyue. If he had been driving a Maybach, he probably would have waited for ages.]
[I saw someone say that Ye Hantao's black card and Maybach were borrowed, maybe her family knows some wealthy people.]
[Isn't this just copying that guy's persona? He's marketed as some kind of young master from a conglomerate, but it was recently revealed that he's just a stepson, and his stepfather isn't even the chairman; he's just a cousin with no real power (?).]
[Tsk tsk tsk, the rich family persona really works; Ye Hantao now has over 2 million followers.]
[Just a new fan of Ye Hantao, I became a fan after she made Cai Qiwei kneel down.]
I don't care whether my family is rich or poor; I mainly like Ye Hantao's personality (hehe.jpg)
Liao Jiayue's agent: "..."
Several years of public relations experience told her that if she continued to appear on variety shows with Ye Hantao, Jia Yue might be constantly overshadowed by Ye Hantao.
"...these people,"
Ye Hantao was sitting in the car when she happened to see the live stream comments.
They all saw that I was vain, lying, and greedy, yet they still became my fans?
...As expected of me 0v0
Ye Hantao held her phone with a happy smile, her eyes crinkling into crescents.
Initially, considering the ending in the original novel where the control group was universally criticized online, she didn't think anyone would become a fan of her.
But now that my fan base has grown, I often receive compliments and praise from fans in my private messages.
Ye Hantao rubbed her face, laughing until her face hurt.
Before arriving, Zhou Ti had already read the comments in the live stream. Seeing that Tao Tao was not only unaffected but also bubbling with joy, she couldn't help but chuckle.
Although she was unhappy with the audience's criticism and nonsense about Tao Tao, she was fortunate to have those people to guide her.
To this day, not many people believe that their family actually has a black card, and even the gifts in the car were given only after Chef Xing asked for them.
The lights were brilliant and the neon lights were dazzling.
Ye Weizheng drove his SUV through the traffic in the city center toward their old neighborhood.
"Tao Tao, how are you feeling today?" Zhou Ti asked casually, while examining Tao Tao's condition. "You've been eating from beginning to end, are you feeling bloated?"
Ye Weizheng listened intently.
Ye Hantao shook her head, "I've been eating more lately, so that's just right for me."
"Oh right, Dad, I saw the message you sent."
"...Ah, right!"
Ye Weizheng didn't dare to look in the rearview mirror anymore, afraid that Tao Tao would see that he was lying and feeling guilty. "My membership card has a lot of spending credit, but in reality, it's all reimbursed by the company."
Ye Hantao also explained, "I wanted to market a persona of vanity, so I lied and said your card was a black card, and that our family has a silver card."
Zhou Ti & Ye Weizheng: "..."
What kind of lie is that? You're clearly telling the truth.
If you didn't say they were their daughter, wouldn't that be a kind of unspoken understanding?
Ye Hantao leaned forward on the front seat and asked, "How much of that amount is actually spent on that card?"
"..." Zhou Ti casually opened the tea set in the box.
Having failed to get help from his wife, Ye Weizheng could only bite the bullet and say, "I don't know the exact amount either; the company's finance department usually manages it. I only used it for the steamed pork I bought for you last time. Over the years, I estimate it's around several..."
Several million...that's too high.
Hundreds of thousands?
At the red light.
He stopped the car and looked at Tao Tao's face. "Several hundred thousand?"
Ye Hantao exclaimed in surprise, "So many?! I thought it was only tens of thousands!"
Seeing that Tao Tao was in good spirits, Zhou Ti said a few more words, "The clients your dad's company invites are all people who can afford villas worth hundreds of millions, so the dishes they serve can't be low-class."
“Yes!” Ye Weizheng affirmed. “It’s normal for a meal to cost tens of thousands.”
That way, if Tao Tao ever discovers that the card actually has millions spent, she won't have any more doubts.
After hearing this, Ye Hantao could only sigh at the diversity of the world!
A single meal can cost tens of thousands of yuan.
"Oh, Mom and Dad, I forgot to tell you."
Ye Hantao took the bag and rummaged through it to find a bunch of restaurant business cards and membership cards she had collected.
"These are all invitations for me to eat for free! I'll give them some suggestions after the meal." Ye Hantao shoved business cards and membership cards into Zhou Ti's hands. "They all said they would love for our whole family to come and enjoy the food."
Zhou Ti glanced at them one by one.
"..."
Four out of the ten shops had hired chefs to earn extra money, and the remaining six shops' specialty dishes were also packed up and brought back for Tao Tao to try, with each dish costing several tens of yuan.
You're going to suffer.
Zhou Ti was still thinking about which restaurant Tao Tao would recognize if she ate there before, and what excuse she could use to cover it up—
A cell phone rang, accompanied by the sound of ocean waves.
Ye Hantao answered the phone, "Director Wan?... Ah?"
Ye Weizheng started the car.
Zhou Ti looked over here.
"None of my close classmates are like that."
"What happened to Jiayue?"
"Oh, okay."
"No trouble at all, goodbye."
After Tao Tao hung up the phone, Zhou Ti asked, "Tao Tao, what did the program director want to talk to you about?"
"Director Wan asked me," Ye Hantao touched her earlobe, "whether there were any other classmates who became stars."
After answering, Ye Hantao recounted the entire contents of the phone call.
"That's how it is. Jia Yue said she has some work to do and might have to leave the show 'Classmates Are Here' after next week."
Zhou Ti and Ye Weizheng exchanged a glance in the rearview mirror and had already guessed Liao Jiayue's plan.
They probably saw that Tao Tao had stolen the show at the tasting event and wanted to give her a hard time.
Ye Hantao is alright.
Although she gets faster feedback on her persona in live streams, if Jia Yue really can't go, she can still maintain the persona of the control group by posting online.
That evening, Zhou Ti and Ye Weizheng looked up Tao Tao's classmates from kindergarten to junior high school, high school, and university.
There were actually six people in the entertainment industry, but none of them were as famous as Liao Jiayue.
"I think Director Wan means that he plans to have Tao Tao invite a new celebrity classmate to the variety show."
"Let's take a look at the information on these people first."
Neither of them planned to interfere too much, after all, Tao Tao's allergic reaction was still fresh in their minds.
Ye Hantao was completely unaware of her family's plans and was packing her luggage in her bedroom, preparing to leave early the next morning.
The second episode of "My Classmates Are Here" was filmed in a city in Shandong Province.
She first took a high-speed train to the meeting point of the program crew, and then took a bus with the others to their destination.
Ye Hantao grabbed the high-quality replica watch from the table and stuffed it into her suitcase.
A moment later, she also picked up the Shoushan ornament, wrapped it in a cloth, put it in a box, and stuffed it into her suitcase.
Several high-quality replicas, all complete.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Peach: Everything is under control [sunglasses]
--Randomly dropped small red envelopes--
Thank you everyone for the nutrient solution. Let's pack it all up and put it in TaoTao's suitcase. [Let me see!]