chapter 19 I can make a lot of money lying down, why bother making a small amount of money?

Stanley Du certainly wouldn't switch careers to become a chef. He had shown off his culinary skills just to make connections with food-loving tycoons like Michael Li and Randall Chen, broadening his own network. Michael Li and Randall Chen were wealthy and influential, with decent personalities – the kind of people worth befriending. Stanley Du thought there might come a time when he would need their help. After the meal, Stanley Du and his family of four returned to Room 6. Hedy Yao and Ina Yao followed them there. "Stanley Du, you've really latched onto some powerful people this time. Do you know the background of Mr. Li and Ma’am Chen?" Hedy Yao whispered. Stanley Du shook his head. Hedy Yao explained, "Mr. Li is a real estate mogul in the provincial city, and his wife is a big shot in the automotive industry there. Mr. Li's mother, Ma’am Chen, is not only a renowned food connoisseur but also a jewel tycoon. They have some businesses in Ning City too." Upon hearing this, Roy Yang, Elen Zeng, and Dinah Yang were thrilled. Meanwhile, Sam Wang, Giselle Zhang, and others in the room were green with envy. Hedy Yao continued, "This time, by cooking such a fantastic meal that impressed seasoned gourmets like Ma’am Chen and Mr. Li, you could become a famous chef in Province A within six months. An annual salary of over a million wouldn’t be a problem." An annual salary of over a million? Sam Wang and Giselle Zhang's eyes reddened, and they swallowed hard. They had just been mocking Stanley Du for being a poor nobody, earning less than the cleaners at Vastflight Group. But now, Hedy Yao, the young owner of Harmony Restaurant, was saying that Stanley Du was qualified to be a chef with a potential annual salary of over a million. This was a real slap in the face. However, Sam Wang, Giselle Zhang, and others didn’t resent Stanley Du. They were all materialistic, admiring whoever made more money. "I don't like being a chef." Stanley Du said calmly. "Cooking is just a hobby for me. I can cook a few dishes for my family and friends. But I hate the idea of being tied to the kitchen all day." Hearing this, Sam Wang thought, "You're turning down an annual salary of over a million? Are you nuts?" "I'll offer you a salary of two million per year to teach your culinary skills to our chefs at Harmony Restaurant. How about that?" Ina Yao suddenly proposed. "So, you want me to be a cooking teacher?" "Yes, you won't have to spend all day in the kitchen. Just teach two classes a day for our chefs at Harmony Restaurant. One in the morning and one in the afternoon, each lasting no longer than an hour." The room was abuzz at this news. Two hours of teaching per day for an annual salary of two million! This was an incredibly good deal, sure to make those stuck in 9-6 jobs envious. "I don’t like teaching students. It's too much trouble," Stanley Du declined again. He had over ten billion in savings on his black card. An annual salary of two million was trivial to him. He earned over a billion a year just in interest from the bank. "How about you write down all your cooking secrets for me? I'll give you thirty million to buy them all!" Ina Yao proposed. This caused a stir among everyone present. Thirty million just for Stanley Du's cooking secrets! Making money seemed too easy for Stanley Du. "Hehe, I have too many cooking secrets. If I were to write them down, I could fill four to five million words, no repetition, no filler," Stanley Du laughed. "But sadly, writing takes too much time, and I don’t enjoy it." He could earn a billion a year just by lying around. Why bother spending time writing down cooking secrets for a mere thirty million? Everyone was speechless at Stanley Du’s attitude. A huge opportunity to make money was right in front of him, yet he was too lazy to reach out and grab it. Was he out of his mind? Ina Yao had no way to persuade Stanley Du. A guy like Stanley Du, who doesn't bat an eye at 30 million, Ina Yao had never seen in her over forty years of life. About fifteen minutes later, everyone left Harmony Restaurant. Before leaving, Stanley Du casually spoke a few good words for Sam Wang in front of Randall Chen. Randall Chen called Sam Wang over, praised him a bit, and encouraged him to keep working hard. "Thank you, Mr. Chen, thank you." Sam Wang was beaming with joy, bowing and scraping. On the way back, Sam Wang, Giselle Zhang, and the others were endlessly flattering Stanley Du. Roy Yang, Elen Zeng, and Dinah Yang also got their share of flattery. This greatly pleased Elen Zeng's vanity. She never imagined Stanley Du, a poor guy, would gain her so much respect tonight. Back at the Yang family home, Elen Zeng, with a stern face, questioned Stanley Du, "The dishes you made at the restaurant were much tastier than the ones you cook at home. What's the deal? Weren't you putting in effort when cooking for us?" "Mother-in-law, the ingredients you buy every day are quite ordinary. The ingredients at Harmony Restaurant are top-notch and carefully selected. Obviously, with better ingredients, the dishes taste different." "What's going on between you and Hedy Yao?" Elen Zeng eyed Stanley Du, "You two seemed quite cozy chatting just now." "She and I both attended Ning City University. During university events, she was the host, and I was responsible for writing promotional slogans." "You're also good at calligraphy?" Elen Zeng, full of surprise, "Show me some of your writing." She graduated from an art academy, specializing in traditional Chinese painting. The calligraphy set was her regular tool. Stanley Du didn't hold back and wrote 'Snow in Qin Yuan Chun' with flair. "Nice writing. Far better than mine!" Elen Zeng admired inwardly but teased Stanley Du, "Your writing is not bad, but not as good as mine. Keep practicing. Someday, I'll introduce you to some friends from the calligraphy and painting circles." Stanley Du nodded, accepting the advice. Elen Zeng warned, "Stanley Du, I'm telling you, don't play two sides. Stay away from that Hedy Yao." "I'm just an acquaintance with her, mother-in-law. You're worrying too much." "Also, why didn't you sell your cooking secrets to Mrs. Yao of Harmony Restaurant? 30 million! Can't you see that's a lot of money? Are you being foolish?" Elen Zeng pointed at Stanley Du's nose, her words full of exasperation, "With 30 million, I'd let Dinah Yang marry you in a heartbeat! That's enough for ten new apartments in Ning City. Just the rent alone could bring in twenty to thirty thousand a month." Stanley Du felt a bit depressed. His mother-in-law was completely blinded by money. "Mom, I wouldn't marry Stanley Du just for money. Don't you dare sell me off!" Dinah Yang, both embarrassed and angry, stormed off to her room. And that night, Stanley Du still couldn't stay at the Yang family home. He had to go back to Ning University and sleep in his male dormitory. A few days later, someone used WeChat Pay to transfer two million yuan to Stanley Du's bank card linked to his phone. Then, Stanley Du received a video call invitation from Patrick Li. In the video, Patrick Li informed Stanley Du that Ma’am Chen's old dentures were replaced with new ones of the same material. Sure enough, her tinnitus and headaches had disappeared. The two million was a gratuity from the Li family to Stanley Du. Stanley Du didn't decline it. Two million was a small amount for both him and the Li family. Suddenly, Stanley Du remembered that Dinah Yang's birthday was coming up in a few days. He decided to use the two million to buy a birthday gift for Dinah Yang.