40: How can I lose?

The night was chilly, but behind Gao Xiaofan's house, things were in full swing.

"Xiaofan, you've completely made me forget that I'm here on a business trip," Qu Lang said, looking around the surroundings.

A large white light bulb hung from a tree, its light perfectly illuminating this small area.

The ground had clearly been tidied up; the uneven potholes from yesterday had been filled in, and even the messy fish bone remains from the day before were gone.

The table from inside the house had been moved out, with four long benches arranged neatly around it. A burning mosquito coil sat under each of the four corners of the table.

"Director Qu, I was worried you wouldn't be satisfied," Gao Xiaofan said while cleaning a Mountain Spring Sturgeon by the small stream.

"How many times have I told you? Call me 'Brother'!" Qu Lang said with feigned sternness. His words caused the expressions of the people standing nearby to shift slightly.

"Oh, alright, Brother Lang. You guys take a seat first; it'll be ready in a moment."

Qu Lang sat down first and beckoned for the others to join him.

After finishing the preparations, Gao Xiaofan tossed the fish into the pot. He then retrieved the last of the beer from the water—only eight bottles remained—and brought them over to the table.

"I invited you all here today to experience this Mountain Spring Sturgeon. It's completely wild."

Qu Lang said with a smile, then began the introductions.

Including Qu Lang and Little Orange, there were six people in total: Photographer Qiu Gu, Stylist Lü Tao, Prop Master Yan Feng, and the program's Operations Manager, Cheng Yan.

The Operations Manager was a core member of Ai Qi Film and Television and had arrived here with Qu Lang at the very beginning to plan the scenes.

Through their conversation, Gao Xiaofan secretly gauged the closeness of each person's relationship with Qu Lang.

Cheng Yan and Qu Lang had the best relationship, a close personal one at that. As for the others, they likely only met through this Program Production Crew.

This left Gao Xiaofan a bit puzzled, but he kept his thoughts to himself, choosing to talk less and do more.

Before long, the fresh aroma of the fish began to waft out. The frequency of conversation slowed down as everyone chatted idly, their eyes frequently drifting toward the fish soup bubbling in the pot.

Sensing the fish was ready, Gao Xiaofan placed a piece of cardboard on the table and brought the pot over. As he lifted the lid and sprinkled some chopped green onions he'd swiped earlier, the fragrance intensified instantly.

Everyone began to salivate.

Qu Lang opened a beer, and the others followed suit. After a toast, Qu Lang took the first bite, and the atmosphere grew lively.

Everyone had been enduring life in the village for so long that they were incredibly starved for good food. Even when they had pork, the Cooking Auntie's skills were merely average.

The deliciousness of the Mountain Spring Sturgeon was so intense that they felt like they were going to swallow their own tongues.

Qu Lang took a few bites and wiped his mouth.

"This Mountain Spring Sturgeon is good, right? You should know that even in the city, you wouldn't be able to taste this for less than 2,000 yuan, and even then, it would probably be semi-farmed."

Hearing this, everyone nodded while savoring the lingering deliciousness in their mouths.

"Qiu Gu, Lü Tao, Yan Feng, I've heard your big brother Cheng Yan talk about you. He says you're all top-tier in your respective fields."

Qu Lang gave a thumbs-up as he finished, prompting the three to smile bashfully.

"Being able to eat this river delicacy is all thanks to Xiaofan. When the program starts, how about you three work with Xiaofan?"

Qu Lang held his beer to his lips without drinking, speaking with a smile.

The three were momentarily stunned. They looked at each other and then nodded, indicating they had no problem with the arrangement.

Qu Lang laughed heartily and raised his beer. "Come, let me toast you."

The three quickly stood up, holding their beers with both hands and bowing slightly as they spoke.

"It should be the three of us toasting you."

Qu Lang smiled without a word and drained his beer.

Gao Xiaofan finally realized that Qu Lang had brought them over to find him some helpers. He didn't understand how these things worked, but he trusted that a professional director like Qu Lang wouldn't make a mistake with such arrangements.

Once the fish in the pot was gone, Qu Lang cleared his throat.

"We've eaten our fill. You three should head back and get some rest; there's plenty of work to do tomorrow."

The three stood up, quickly said their goodbyes, and headed back to their respective rooms.

Watching them leave, Qu Lang finally stood up.

"Come on, come on, Xiaofan. Hurry up and bring out the next dish."

Gao Xiaofan took the cigarette from his mouth, held it between his fingers, and asked with a smile.

"Brother Lang, how did you know there was more food?"

"Don't give me that nonsense. You caught three fish, but we've only had two. Where's the third one?"

Gao Xiaofan chuckled and went back into the house, returning with something resembling a grilled fish basket from a barbecue stall.

"I had some free time this afternoon, so I made this out of some wire. The fish has been marinating for two hours; I wanted to see how it tastes grilled tonight."

Qu Lang's eyes lit up. He took it and began grilling it over the fire.

"You kid, you've got so many tricks up your sleeve. You surprise me every time."

Gao Xiaofan chuckled and pulled a cigarette from his pocket, handing it to Cheng Yan.

Since the other three had left, Cheng Yan's expression was no longer serious, and he chatted and laughed.

They took turns grilling the fish, laughing and talking all the while.

"Xiaofan, I still can't tell you the specific rules right now. I hope you understand," Qu Lang said, a cigarette in his mouth. He watched Chen Cheng as she grilled the fish, and seeing everything was fine, he turned back to Gao Xiaofan.

Gao Xiaofan nodded.

"But those people—Old Brother Cheng said they're quite capable. So, I'm assigning them to you in advance."

"As for Old Brother Cheng, consult him whenever you have time. He'll be in charge of the live broadcast's storyboarding. You catch my drift?"

In that moment, Gao Xiaofan was truly moved. Since his parents passed away, it had been a long time since he'd felt so cared for. Seeing how Brother Lang had arranged everything for him, his eyes couldn't help but redden.

Gao Xiaofan nodded heavily. He didn't say anything fancy; everything was understood in his heart.

A gentle breeze blew. While they were having a great time, the other people in the village were suffering from insomnia once again.

The fresh aroma from the previous night returned, only dissipating after quite a while. Having been through it the night before, everyone had built up a bit of resistance.

However, a moment later, an even stronger and more unique fragrance wafted over the village.

Barbecue! It was the smell of barbecue!

They'd been craving good food for a month. Other smells were one thing, but the smell of barbecue? How were they supposed to sleep?

The villagers, wanting to cry but having no tears, pulled their blankets over their heads. Only then did they feel slightly better.

After everyone finished eating, Gao Xiaofan escorted them back to their rooms before returning to his own, his face full of excitement.

Coming ten days early was definitely the right move. He'd caught Sturgeon, built good relationships with the head director and the Operations Manager, and now he'd even met the Photographer and the others in advance.

I'm on good terms with both the number one and number two in charge. I'm telling you, in the upcoming variety show, how can I possibly lose? How can I not become famous?

Gao Xiaofan waved away a buzzing mosquito, his mind racing with excitement.