I'm A Baller - Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Boss Yan Is Here
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

For a regular eating broadcast program, having a good host and attractive participants would usually suffice.
If one was to couple that with expensive foods like this, the appeal of the program would practically be off the charts.
“Damn! I’d be so full from just eating one that I would probably vomit!”
“Send a leg to me and I’ll show you guys how I puke right away.”
“Bro, a crab leg doesn’t cost much. Maybe 30 dollars?”
“F*cking hell! Do you think I would be watching this if I had even 30 dollars in my pocket?”
A stream of rapid comments exploded on the screen thanks to the enthusiasm of the audience. Some of them were even squabbling among themselves, stirring up everyone’s emotions.
The hosts duly concluded the introduction, but not before mentioning Wang Yan.
“We would like to thank Boss Wang for his support and sponsorship. He has so kindly agreed to absorb all the expenses for today’s event.”
“As Boss Wang doesn’t want to appear onscreen, please give your attention to the contestants instead. They have gathered here today to tackle the challenge of eating as many king crabs as they possibly can.”
The camera turned around and focused on Mizi and Ling Ya.
Liu Yuanfang had cleverly placed the girls on either side of Da Gang so as to highlight the stark contrast between their attractiveness and Da Gang’s lack thereof. Unlike the girls, Da Gang had a fat and bulky build.
He was sitting with his arms crossed, and his appearance was somewhat imposing. Da Gang sported what Dongbei people usually referred to as an undercut, and just the muscles on his shoulders alone were almost as big as their faces.
“Damn, bro!”
“Hi, sister-in-law one and two!”
“Let go of the two girls and let me do it!”
“They’re f*cking competitors? That guy could swallow one of them whole.”
“Ooh, dirty…”
“That does sound dirty…”
The viewers seemed to be getting more and more excited, and a barrage of comments were flooding the screen.
Liu Yuanfang began introducing each of the respective contestants, while Manager Liu brought the weighed king crabs to the kitchen to be cooked.
Other dishes had already been prepared in advance and were brought out by Manager Liu.
There were three sections to the gigantic table. A huge chunk of ice was on the smallest rotating tray in the center of the table, and the dry ice gave it a spiritual feel.
There were also two boats filled with crushed ice and decorated with a variety of fruits, as well as a few pieces of sashimi, surf clams, and sea urchin.
It was evident that they really put in a lot of thought and effort into the presentation; the presentation was exquisite, even though the portions were only a third of what would have been a regular serving.
Manager Liu knew that since the star of the show was the king crabs, these dishes weren’t going to be consumed. Therefore, they had been placed there merely for decorative purposes.
Since that was the case, the focus might as well have been on the aesthetics. It was sort of like an advertisement.
The rest of the dishes on the second layer of the rotating tray were similar in that they were equally fancy-looking. In fact, they probably looked better than they tasted.
But the viewers wouldn’t know any better!
They were practically salivating at the sight of the assortment of dishes.
“Damn, didn’t they say it would be a crab feast? I’m feeling full just looking at this…”
“Give me the address, host. These dishes are going to go to waste if you guys aren’t going to be eating them. Let me have them!”
“Host, I don’t have money, but I can let the two girls take a shot at me in exchange for a meal!”
“Go away, let me do it!”
When the twenty king crabs finally arrived and were placed on the outer layer of the rotating tray, the atmosphere reached a climax.
Twenty!
A single plate alone was the size of a washbasin. The crabs, previously ferocious-looking with their claws dancing around, were now a pleasing shade of red instead, having become a high-end delicacy. These plates were placed in a circle on the table and made for a worrying sight.
Damn… How would they be able to finish all these?
No one had seen anything quite like this before, not the netizens, and not even the contestants, who were now growing a little flustered.
Twenty enormous king crabs placed in a circle was a pretty shocking sight, actually.
The smoke-like fog created by the mountain of ice in the center of the table swirled around the shells of the king crabs, as if they were nature spirits patrolling the sea.
If it was scary enough just having to look at them, then what about having to eat them?
Looking slightly uncomfortable, Ling Ya wriggled in her seat and mumbled under her breath, “Why isn’t the boss here yet…”
“Exactly. It’s about to commence, and he’s still nowhere to be seen. How could he be so calm…?”
Da Gang, who looked like a Dongbei gangster with that menacing face of his, spoke up and imparted some “words of wisdom” to them. “Stop asking! It’s none of your business what Boss does! Hold your tummies and get ready to eat!”
Mizi was someone who’d had little exposure and hadn’t been around for long. She had just graduated from college the year before and was currently pursuing postgraduate studies.
It was her first time participating in an event like this, and it was already this dramatic. The 23-year old was understandably nervous, feeling as if she had returned to the eve of her college entrance exams.
Her eyes darting about uncertainly, she asked Da Gang in a hushed tone, “Bro, are you not feeling anxious?”
Da Gang pursed his lips, making no attempt to reply.
‘Hey, your legs had better not be shaking!’ she thought.
…
Wang Yan arrived precisely five minutes before six.
Having heard from Manager Liu that the live broadcast had already begun, he didn’t walk in through the main entrance and had decided to go in through the side entrance instead.
Standing in front of the door, he took a deep breath and raised his chin. He then adjusted his cap with a subtle smile on his face.
Manager Liu, who was following him from behind, suddenly realized that the youth before him was now a tiger cub instead of a lazy little kitten.
He was still pretty laidback, not showing any signs of aggression, but there was just something different about him.
That day’s Wang Yan was dressed in Hermès from head to toe, carrying a Louis Vuitton Avenue mosaic sling bag, wearing a five-hundred-thousand-dollar Patek Phillipe watch on his wrist, and Armani sunglasses perched on his nose. He was also wearing a baseball cap with its bill low over his face.
Even if one didn’t recognize the brands, the superior quality of those items was apparent from the texture and details.
And Wang Yan was undoubtedly capable of pulling it off.
He had a powerful yet quiet aura. His mannerisms were relaxed and natural yet somewhat rhythmic. It was as if he had been taught by the world’s best etiquette trainer.
When he strode into the room, it was nothing like a catwalk or a red-carpet appearance, yet it was just as eye-catching.
He was like a tiger who had just had its fill. His actions were graceful and languid as he wove through the rest of the animals like a king of the jungle patrolling his territory. There was no deliberate display of might, but his sense of presence was still overpowering.
Mizi, who was the first one to see him, stood up right away, without even giving much thought to it. One by one, the remaining six contestants stood up.
The moment they saw Wang Yan, all their previous anxiety and speculations were trampled upon by the mysterious boss.
Didn’t he look like the main character in the film ‘The God of Gamblers?’
Yeah, something akin to that. He had that feel.
“Rushing waves, flowing waves. Tens of thousands of miles of river, flowing endlessly, forever…”
Upon seeing Wang Yan, Mizi and Ling Ya were screaming inwardly: Boss! Yes, he was definitely the boss!
Even Liu Yuanfang was taken aback. He sensed an air of nobility emanating from the youth before him.
It wasn’t the kind of arrogance or overbearing behavior that was typical of kids who came from old money. Rather, it was an extremely high level of confidence that was apparent in the way he carried himself. There was just something about him that set him apart from others.
Wang Yan was an enigma, Liu Yuanfang thought to himself. He was wondering which family this young man belonged to.
What an outstanding temperament!
Although he was somewhat panicking, he quickly walked up to give him a warm welcome, his hands extended and a smile on his face.
“You must be Boss Wang? What a promising young man…”
“Nice to finally meet you, Boss Liu.” Wang Yan extended his hand with a smile on his face as well.
“Aiyo, I’m no boss compared to you… Er, do you really not want to say a word or two?” Liu Yuanfang’s heart was pounding furiously in his chest, as he didn’t quite know what to say.
“It’s alright. You can get back to what you were doing.”
Although Wang Yan had rejected Liu Yuanfang’s suggestion, it wasn’t the least bit offensive at all. With a smile still on his face, he gestured toward a vacant seat and asked, “Is that mine?”
“Yes, yes, yes! Please take a seat.”
Wang Yan nodded, then passed his bag to the service staff standing behind him, before taking the seat.
Both Liu Yuanfang and the contestants breathed a sigh of relief when Wang Yan sat down.
He was indeed like a boss.
Although the way Wang Yan carried himself had certainly been impressive, while waiting for him anxiously, they had already subconsciously constructed a formidable image of him in their minds.
Everyone had the same thoughts running through their minds—
Spending two hundred thousand dollars on something “fun” like this was itself ridiculous.
Then organizing such a large-scale event, but not bothering to make a presence until right then, showed that this wasn’t very important to him, after all.
How bad*ss was that?
His aura and the way he sat down made it glaringly clear that he was two notches above Liu Yuanfang.
One was a salaryman, the other one a rich sponsor.
Tsk, tsk!
No wonder he could afford to splurge two hundred thousand on treating everyone to a crab feast!