webnovelfull Chapter 130 Dragon Mark
Chapter 130 Dragon Mark
Half an hour later, the extended Phantom drove into the basement of the Genting Highlands.
The elevator slowly ascended to the 88th floor. The moment the doors slowly opened, Bai Li felt a sudden brightness before her eyes and finally understood what the "Heavenly Palace" meant.
The entire floor was transformed into an upside-down Penglai Island.
Above the crystal dome, a holographic projection of the Milky Way flows slowly like a dazzling ribbon, with twinkling stars, creating a dreamlike scene. Underfoot, the glass floor is made of coral, its colorful corals shimmering under the soft blue light.
Schools of bluefin tuna swam leisurely overhead, their massive bodies refracting the light and shadow, resembling agile sprites. The blue light reflected from their scales made Wuhai's face appear cold and profound, like a siren from the deep sea.
"Mr. Wu, Miss Bai." A waiter dressed in a silk brocade dress walked with light steps, bowed slightly, and smiled appropriately. Then, she gracefully extended her hand to guide the two to their seats.
The waiters were all dressed in light and flowing white gauze robes with wide sleeves, their faces covered with semi-transparent silk. As they walked, their skirts moved without wind, making them look like fairies walking on clouds. The entire restaurant seemed to be enveloped in a mysterious and elegant atmosphere.
Looking around, apart from the waiters who seemed like immortals, there were only Wu Hai and Bai Li in the entire restaurant.
Clearly, Wuhai had booked the entire venue for tonight's dinner.
Such a grand gesture and such a spectacle are not something that ordinary people can easily achieve.
Bai Li took a deep breath, opened the jade slip, and froze when her fingertips touched the embedded electronic screen.
The names of the dishes are likely all derived from the "Classic of Mountains and Seas," such as "Front Courtyard Appetizer Dew," "Yuanchu of Nanyu," and "Kunlun Hanging Garden"...
If you only look at the names, you really can't understand them at all; you can only read the annotations below each dish.
【Vestibule Appetizer Dew】: Water extracted from the permafrost of Siberia, made from millennia-old ice cores, blended with Himalayan rock bee honey and Tahitian black pearl powder;
Bai Li: Awesome.
Bai Li was already deeply impressed after just reading the description of the first dish.
So the word "water" can have so many prefixes?
What is this "Vestibule Appetizer Dew"? It's basically just sweet water with honey added!
The following dishes were equally astonishing.
【Nanyu's Phoenix Chicks】: Made with French Bresse blue-blooded chicken tongue and peacock gall, the soup base is simmered for 72 hours over charcoal fire roasted with the heartwood of a thousand-year-old tea tree in Yunnan.
Bai Li looked at the annotations, her lips twitching slightly. She muttered to herself: "Okay, all this fancy stuff is just chicken soup for the soul!"
【Kunlun Suspended Garden】: A new style of molecular gastronomy peach, with a shell made of Belgian white chocolate mixed with Tahitian vanilla seeds, and a filling of Japanese Yubari melon and Italian white truffle mousse.
Bai Li couldn't help but purse her lips: I know! It's a little dessert after dinner!
Bai Li understood; she understood everything.
These seemingly complex and mysterious dishes are nothing more than using the simplest ingredients, employing the most complicated cooking methods, and then pairing them with this high-class, almost dreamlike setting. It's all about selling them at higher prices to wealthy but clueless "suckers" like those in Wuhai!
Thinking of this, Bai Li secretly raised her eyes and looked at Wu Hai across the street.
Wu Hai, chin in hand, watched Bai Li's expressive face with great interest, a faint smile playing on his lips. He said slowly, "There's an ancient Tang Dynasty zither in the kitchen. When processing ingredients, they're sliced according to the melody of 'Guangling San.' Would you like to go and see the elegant scene of Butcher Ding carving up an ox?"
Bai Li glared at him upon hearing this: "The perverted aesthetics of the rich?"
“It’s art.” Wu Hai didn’t care about Bai Li’s teasing. Instead, he smiled and gently pushed a jade cup in front of her.
The cup held a liquid that emitted wisps of cold air. He introduced it softly: "【Northern Sea Fish】, made by freezing the bone marrow of a bluefin tuna with liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees Celsius. It's not poisonous."
Seeing Bai Li's incredulous expression, Wu Hai pouted slightly, a hint of grievance on his face, and said, "Didn't you say that with my face, I can eat anything?"
Bai Li blushed upon hearing this, gave an awkward laugh, her eyes darting around, and inwardly regretted her actions: What does it mean to lift a rock only to drop it on your own foot?
To be honest, that's the downside of getting rich quick.
Having been poor for over twenty years, Bai Li, who suddenly became rich, admits that some things are truly beyond her imagination.
Having lived her whole life, she had never imagined that food could be prepared in such bizarre and extravagant ways; not a single dish here was conventional.
However, Bai Li didn't want Wu Hai to see through too much of her inner thoughts, so she reluctantly took a few bites.
Although freezing bluefin tuna bone marrow with liquid nitrogen sounds strange, it actually tastes great.
My initial resistance has eased considerably.
The chef prepared it very well; there was no strange taste. Instead, it had a creamy texture that melted in my mouth.
Yeah, it's pretty good, but I'm not sure if I can get over that psychological hurdle anytime soon.
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After several rounds of drinks, Wu Hai lightly tapped the jade table with his fingertips, producing a crisp sound that was particularly clear in the tranquil environment.
"How about I fill in zero for the budget of 'Asking Immortals'?"
Bai Li was scooping up a spoonful of "Jingwei Filling the Sea"—small pebbles carved from black truffles—soaking them in snow frog milk soup when she heard this. Her wrist paused slightly, and she suspected that this was Wu Hai's main purpose.
"Mr. Wu, you're certainly well-informed, but haven't you heard that my film hasn't even received the film's production license yet?"
The dragon mark, officially known as the "Film Public Screening License," is a symbol of a film's public screening.
Because the license features a dragon design, it is commonly known as the "Dragon Mark".
Only films that have obtained the Dragon Seal (a special seal for film distribution) can be publicly released and screened in cinemas.
It is the key credential for whether a film can be legally shown to the public.
After the film is completed, the production company needs to submit the film to the National Film Administration for review.
The review covers multiple aspects, including the film's ideological content, visual presentation, and compliance with laws, regulations, and social ethics.
Only after a film passes these rigorous reviews and meets the relevant standards will the National Film Administration issue a film license.
“The dragon emblem…” Wu Hai leaned closer. “I know a real dragon. I can persuade him to stamp it for you.”
His breath carried the scent of cold plum blossoms.
Bai Li leaned back to avoid it, and the glass cup made a crisp sound as it struck the glass.
She didn't believe that Wuhai would do things for her for free.
She gently tidied her hair, trying to hide her slightly quickened heartbeat, and said calmly, "When I really need help, I will go to the temple to pray to the true dragon."
Wu Hai wasn't angry at Bai Li's rejection; instead, he chuckled softly.
He slid a gilded invitation card from his sleeve, placed it slowly on the table, gently stroked the rim of the cup, and said meaningfully, "At the Nine Dragon Jade auction next month, there will be a Northern Song Dynasty Ru ware celadon vase. I've heard... it can ward off evil spirits and help people get what they want."
Bai Li's heart stirred; she understood Wu Hai's meaning. This precious artifact might be intricately connected to her film. After a moment's hesitation, she didn't refuse any longer and reached out to accept the invitation Wu Hai had offered.
As Bai Li left her seat, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of the subtle patterns on the pillars. These patterns, painted with gold powder, seemed to breathe with the movement of light and shadow, as if the mountains and rivers in the painting were breathing, telling tales of the passage of time and the richness of luxury.
Why is this meal so priceless? It's not just ordinary delicacies; it's a feast where worldly riches are broken down and infused into every inch of the air.
Is this the "heavenly palace" that ordinary people cannot set foot in?
As the elevator descended, Wu Hai suddenly spoke softly, "Little Pear." His fingertips gently brushed against her cuff, as if hinting, "Some buds have sprouted, and they can no longer be hidden."
The voice was deep and gentle, yet it sounded like a warning, gradually fading away in the suddenly bright city neon lights.