Red Chili's pupils contracted sharply, and her exquisite and beautiful face was instantly filled with disbelief.
Although she had dealt with hundreds, and sometimes even thousands, of strangers daily as the manager of the flagship mobile phone store near the central hospital, she clearly recognized Chen Xiao at first glance.
It wasn't just because Chen Xiao was handsome. The main reason was that the "Purple Gold Emperor Card" he had shown when buying a phone not long ago was too memorable. The scenes of Chen Xiao being made things difficult by Li Bingxue and Hu Yun were as vivid as if they had happened this morning.
Even to this day, she hadn't asked Song Yan about the authenticity of Chen Xiao's Purple Gold Emperor Card. Instead, she had paid the more than ten thousand yuan for Chen Xiao's phone out of her own pocket.
Amidst her shock, she hurriedly and nervously stood up:
"Respected... Respected Mr. Chen, it is... it is my great honor to see you again!"
How did they know each other?
Jin Yongping was a little taken aback, but after a moment's thought, she quickly relaxed. She thought to herself, Chen Xiao's medical skills were so heaven-defying, and his connections were so strong, it wasn't surprising that he knew Red Chili.
Chen Mingxi was completely petrified. Chen Xiao's effortless incapacitation of the three burly men accompanying Gao Fei in the underground parking lot of the central hospital had already made her incredulous. Then, Chen Xiao had driven her in a Ferrari no less luxurious than a Maserati. Now, upon entering the opulent private room of Partridge Sky, these two women with exceptional taste and demeanor were being so polite to Chen Xiao. She wondered, what on earth had her cousin experienced in the past six months while she was studying at Mingzhu University?
But to avoid embarrassing Chen Xiao, she only paused for a moment before quickly following him into the room and taking a seat. However, her flustered gaze couldn't help but sneak glances at Chen Xiao.
Compared to Chen Mingxi, Red Chili was even more nervous. Jin Yongping's introduction to Chen Xiao had already made her have no doubt about Chen Xiao's abilities, nor did she doubt that Chen Xiao was a distinguished guest of the Song family.
She politely served hot tea to Chen Xiao and Chen Mingxi, then nervously handed the menu with both hands, saying cautiously:
"Respected... Respected Mr. Chen, please order. Partridge Sky is also personally managed by Miss Song. Recently, our signature dish is the Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup, which has been praised by various food media as a peerless medicinal delicacy that combines deliciousness and nourishment. I... I dare to recommend you try it..."
Before she finished speaking, Red Chili suddenly regretted saying that, her expression filled with embarrassment. After all, since Chen Xiao possessed the Purple Gold Emperor Card, how could he not have tasted Partridge Sky's Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup?
Chen Xiao noticed Jin Yongping's bewildered expression, Red Chili's nervous demeanor, and Chen Mingxi beside him fidgeting. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and handed the menu to Chen Mingxi, saying casually:
"Mingxi, Aunt Ping, Aunt Jiao, and the owner of this establishment are all good friends of your cousin. Order whatever you want, as if you were at home. Don't be shy. Oh, and I also strongly recommend you try the Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup. It will be beneficial for your condition."
He paused, then added with a hint of jest to Jin Yongping and Red Chili:
"Aunt Ping, Aunt Jiao, my cousin and I are mainly here to freeload. Please don't make the atmosphere too business-like or serious."
Infected by Chen Xiao's smile, Jin Yongping decided not to dwell on why Red Chili was so respectful of Chen Xiao. She chuckled and said:
"Mingxi, your family's genes are too perfect! Your cousin is tall and handsome, and you're so beautiful too!"
Red Chili's pressure eased considerably. She warmly took Chen Mingxi's slightly cool, slender hand and said with concern:
"Is Mingxi sick? Then we must have the Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup, and eat to our heart's content!"
As she spoke, she had already called to arrange twelve pots of Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup and dozens of high-end dishes, her actions efficient and graceful.
Even though Chen Mingxi really didn't want to embarrass Chen Xiao, she couldn't help but say incredulously:
"Aunt... Aunt Jiao, there are only four of us. How can we eat twelve... twelve pots of Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup and thirty dishes?"
Jin Yongping clearly hadn't tasted Partridge Sky's Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup either. She said with a wry smile:
"Chili, even if you want to curry favor with Chen Xiao, you don't need to be so extravagant! Ordering thirty-odd stir-fries and soups is already outrageous. Why order over a dozen hot pots? And didn't we agree that I was treating? How much do you want to fleece me for, huh?"
"Did I order too much?"
Red Chili was stunned for a moment, then blushed slightly and shook her head, explaining:
"Mingxi, Sister Ping, you don't know. Although the Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup is measured by the pot, it's not a regular hot pot. It's a small portion, like a clay pot noodle. I can eat at least five or six pots in one sitting. If I wasn't worried that Mr. Chen might be tired of it, I would have ordered another ten or twenty portions!"
As she spoke, she unconsciously swallowed.
Jin Yongping repeatedly shook her head and smiled bitterly:
"Even if one portion is only the size of a clay pot noodle, you can't eat five or six portions, can you?"
Chen Mingxi noticed the change in Red Chili's expression and no longer cared about the 388.00 price of a portion of Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup. She looked at Chen Xiao expectantly and asked:
"Brother, is it really that delicious?"
Chen Mingxi had been a seasoned foodie since childhood, and her favorite dishes were the home-style meals made by Chen Xiao and Chen Qing. Especially after going to Mingzhu University before the new year, due to the differences in diet between the two places, she missed the specialty delicacies of Juxian City even more. She often followed local flavors online. The Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup, Partridge Sky's latest signature dish, had spent nearly ten million yuan on advertising alone, both online and offline. She had certainly heard of it. The reason she said Red Chili ordered too many dishes was more out of shyness and politeness.
Seeing Chen Mingxi's bright eyes and undisguised anticipation, Chen Xiao decided not to hide it. He said lightly:
"It's a dish I personally developed. Do you think it's delicious or not?"
"Huh?"
Chen Mingxi was slightly stunned, her brain clearly not catching up. Jin Yongping and Red Chili were both dumbfounded at the same time.
Finally, the three of them exclaimed in unison as if they had seen a ghost:
"You developed the Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup?"
Red Chili's eyes bulged. As soon as she spoke, she couldn't control herself and stood up. She felt utterly unworthy to sit at the same table as Chen Xiao.
Jin Yongping's head buzzed. She couldn't understand how Chen Xiao, who was proficient in medicine, was also proficient in cooking.
Chen Mingxi's jaw almost dropped. Her bright, intelligent eyes were filled with disbelief. In her opinion, although Chen Xiao's home-style cooking was superb, it was too outrageous to be served at the upscale establishment of Partridge Sky. Moreover, the widely hyped online discussion was that the creator of the Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup was an internationally renowned top chef hired by Partridge Sky at a sky-high price!
Chen Xiao's lunch break was limited, and he was too lazy to continue the pointless chatter. He directly steered away from the topic of Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow Soup and got straight to the point with Red Chili:
"Aunt Jiao, Jin Fang Pharmaceutical wants to order the ointment's outer packaging in bulk, as simple as possible, similar to the common erythromycin ointment on the market. Can your company produce it with long-term quality and quantity assurance?"
"I..."
Why "Aunt"? Call me "Sister"!
Red Chili gave Jin Yongping a disgruntled sideways glance, clearly unhappy that Jin Yongping had Chen Xiao call her "Aunt." Although she and Jin Yongping were good sisters who had known each other for many years, she was only in her thirties, in her prime. How had she become an "Aunt"?
While Red Chili was in a daze, Jin Yongping explained without hesitation:
"Chen Xiao, the company where your Aunt Jiao works also participated in the design and production of the outer packaging for the erythromycin ointment you mentioned. It's definitely not a problem. However, her subordinate is on their way with the cooperation proposal. Judging by the time, it should be here soon. Let's discuss it further after they arrive..."
Red Chili heard Jin Yongping tell Chen Xiao to call her "Aunt" again, and her face turned green. She had specifically asked Gao Fei to deliver the cooperation proposal, which was merely a tactic by Song Yan to sideline Gao Sheng. Since Chen Xiao possessed the Purple Gold Emperor Card, she certainly couldn't offend him because of this. Without hesitation, she interrupted Jin Yongping:
"Dr. Chen, given your relationship with Miss Song, the cooperation proposal is just a formality. Even if my subordinate hasn't arrived yet, it doesn't affect us discussing it. One sentence! As long as you trust our exquisite design, we can meet any of your needs..."
As if on cue, the slightly ajar private room door suddenly burst open. Gao Fei, sweating profusely, started to argue nervously before even entering:
"Director Hong, I'm truly sorry. I got caught in the rush hour traffic at lunchtime..."
Before he finished speaking, Gao Fei saw Chen Xiao and Chen Mingxi sitting at the large round dining table, flanked by Red Chili and Jin Yongping. He was instantly stunned, his expression as if he had seen a ghost.
Red Chili strongly disliked the Gao Sheng and Gao Fei father-son duo. Even in front of Chen Xiao, she couldn't help but snort coldly with a displeased expression:
"Leave the cooperation proposal and get out. I'll settle the responsibility for delaying the valuable time of our client with Miss Song later!"
Saying this, she nodded apologetically to Chen Xiao.
Chen Xiao chuckled, his face filled with mockery as he looked at the dumbfounded Gao Fei. He said unceremoniously:
"Director Hong, if your company cannot immediately fire this fellow who wasted my time, Jin Fang Pharmaceutical will have to find another company to cooperate with."
Chen Xiao had not dealt with Gao Fei in the underground parking lot of the central hospital earlier precisely for this moment.
"So, is the work of exquisite design your confidence in repeatedly provoking me? If that's the case, I hope you won't regret it too much. Pfft!"
At this moment, Gao Fei recalled Chen Xiao's words, spat in his face, and left in a Porsche worth tens of millions with Chen Mingxi. He was completely flabbergasted and couldn't help but say incredulously:
"Chen... Chen Xiao, you... aren't you an outpatient doctor in the emergency department of the central hospital? How... how did you suddenly become a major client of Jin Fang Pharmaceutical?"
Jin Yongping said unceremoniously:
"All decisions of Jin Fang Pharmaceutical are fully entrusted to Mr. Chen Xiao. Is there any problem with that?"