He took a half-step forward and waved his hands in the air.
"I want to join that damn Wilderness Club too."
"I want to be your member."
Su Wei scrutinized the man in front of him, who was wearing a custom-made dark gray cashmere vest.
Laurent lives in a temperature-controlled indoor environment every day, and his hands have never done heavy work except for handling high-end ingredients.
There wasn't even a thin layer of calluses on the edges of his palms.
Thrown into the Kodiak primeval forest where temperatures drop to minus twenty degrees Celsius.
"Chef Laurent, this club is not a French-style resort."
Following the principle of resistance, the Su Wei laid out the harsh environment in a straightforward manner.
There was no warm bathtub, no ironed sheets.
"In winter, you have to wrap yourself in heavy winter clothes and lie motionless on icy rocks for hours."
"You must wash your face with snow water and relieve yourself outdoors."
"You might even need to carry a backpack weighing over forty pounds while hiking through the woodlands."
With each item Su Wei listed, the severity of the environment increased by one point.
"Someone like you who immediately changes the tablecloth if there's even a drop of sauce on it, can you withstand the real backlash of the wilderness?"
Laurent did not back down.
Instead, they straightened their backs.
"I've had enough of this!"
Laurent pointed to the luxurious decor around him.
"I'm calculating the temperature error every day."
"I agonize over wine vintage pairings every day."
"Putting in the needs of diners who have no understanding of the true nature of food every day."
Laurent swung his arm toward the long dining table.
"Tonight, I saw you pry open bone joints with a survival knife."
"Seeing Charles tearing at the bloody steak with all his might."
"I've finally realized the truth."
"The ultimate goal of cooking is not on a sterile work surface."
Laurent quickened his pace.
I want to personally walk through that snowstorm.
"I want to personally cut open the still-steaming entrails of wild animals."
"I want to smell the gunpowder and the snow."
"I need that sense of loss of control; it's the only way to rediscover the soul of cooking."
Everyone knows that this may just be a lie.
Laurent's true motives for joining the club are self-evident.
for what?
Charles.
Or rather, Charles and his network of connections.
Su Wei brain was working at lightning speed, weighing the pros and cons.
Receive Laurent.
This is a ready-made top Michelin- starred chef.
Moreover, he also gave Su Wei an opportunity to get to know Charles.
His status might not be enough to impress Charles.
But for the overall tone of the club, it's not bad.
However, what he wanted to build was a top-tier Wilderness Club.
First there were top billionaires like Charles, and now there are top Michelin- starred chefs like Laurent.
In the future, his club will have clear entry requirements and rankings.
The privileged class needs clear boundaries.
Welcome!
Su Wei spoke.
Laurent's tense shoulders relaxed instantly.
"But."
Su Wei uttered two words.
He raised his right index finger.
"Mr. Charles already possesses a privileged identity with a unique number. This level of numbering is considered the highest."
The Su Wei established the basic rules and regulations.
"Mr. Charles has bought out position number one. The subsequent numbered positions are no longer just my choice; they also require Mr. Charles's permission."
"If you join now, you can only register as a regular member."
"There is no right to personally recommend individuals, no right to exclusively possess prey; the order of succession must be followed."
Establish a class hierarchy of contempt.
Currently, not a single formal main building has been erected in the Polar Territory.
However, the hierarchical system within the capital circle must be firmly fixed from the very beginning.
Laurent, having spent decades in the high-end service industry, is fully aware of the destructive power of this logic.
The clearer the class division, the more it can inspire a sense of identity.
This proves that the Su Wei was seriously planning to build the top-floor clubhouse.
"I fully understand, and must accept, this rule."
Laurent showed no dissatisfaction and nodded repeatedly.
"As a regular member."
Laurent cut to the core of the matter.
How much is the basic membership fee I need to pay?
Laurent knew perfectly well why: once Charles joined, Su Wei's club had become more than just a simple Wilderness Club.
Su Wei looked at Laurent calmly.
Charles spent 300,000 to buy the starting privilege.
The pricing of Laurent is too low; once the news gets out, it will immediately dilute the value of Charles's privileges.
The price is too high, exceeding Laurent's personal financial capacity; the deal will fall through.
We must pinpoint the exact pain points.
Two hundred thousand.
Su Wei reported the figures, in US dollars.
This is equivalent to buying a top-of-the-line Porsche outright in the North America market.
But all they bought was the right to enter the wilderness and freeze.
Laurent's facial muscles twitched slightly.
The numbers were precise and potentially fatal, pushing the price to the limit where assets couldn't be sold off.
Laurent gave up on negotiating.
He turned and strode to the mahogany cabinet.
He reached his right hand into the inside pocket of his suit vest.
He took out a Citibank VIP checkbook with a dark black cover.
Uncap the pen and forcefully stroke the nib across the paper.
Write down the number 200000.00.
Sign your name.
Hiss.
He tore off the check, turned around, and stuffed the paper directly into Su Wei's right hand.