Chapter 9: Hiring a Cook as a Director
Song Zhibai didn’t care if he became famous or not.
He just wanted to get the money to pay for his mother’s surgery.
Good news—Xu Youyou was true to her word and transferred ten million yuan to him on the spot, relieving him of his worries about medical expenses.
Bad news—Dr. Liu Shengchao, the only doctor capable of performing the surgery, was incredibly hard to book. Patients across the country with the same condition as Song Zhibai’s mother were desperately trying to secure an appointment. The next available surgery slot was in six months, but his mother’s health couldn’t wait longer than two months.
Watching his mother’s pale face, Song Zhibai was filled with anxiety.
“I’ll find a solution,” Xu Youyou said.
Since she was counting on Song Zhibai working for her long-term, she was determined to save his mother at any cost.
[Congratulations, Host. You have completed the scavenger task and earned a reward: three custom-made, top-tier scripts.]
Xu Youyou’s face lit up with joy at the sight of the delayed reward.
For her, it was like receiving a pillow when feeling sleepy—a perfect gift at the perfect time.
In their past lives, Song Zhibai became famous after a random video of him went viral, catching the attention of a major entertainment company. He debuted through a talent show, where he quickly outshone the other contestants and became a top-tier celebrity within six months.
Although Xu Youyou was wealthy, she couldn’t compete with the resources of the established entertainment giants and didn’t have access to talent shows.
The system’s reward was a game-changer. By simply inputting Song Zhibai’s name, it could generate top-tier scripts perfectly tailored to him.
The three scripts included a short drama, a TV series, and a movie.
Xu Youyou first examined the short drama script. Even as a layperson, she could tell how perfectly suited the script was for Song Zhibai.
At that moment, the people Xu Youyou had previously contacted finally responded.
“Here’s the script. Filming starts in three days and must be completed within a month. I’ve hired a mentor to give you intensive training over the next few days.”
Outside the hospital room, Xu Youyou handed the script to Song Zhibai.
Instead of looking at the script, he immediately asked about the doctor.
“Dr. Liu Shengchao’s surgery is fully booked,” Xu Youyou said, shaking her head.
The light in Song Zhibai’s eyes dimmed.
“But,” she continued, “he’s not the only one who can perform the surgery.”
“I’ve asked around—everyone says he’s the only one in the country who can do it,” Song Zhibai replied.
“In the country, yes—but there are other doctors abroad,” Xu Youyou explained.
Song Zhibai’s eyes lit up with hope. He realized he had been too focused on the domestic situation and had overlooked this possibility.
Xu Youyou had spent a fortune hiring a top-tier medical agency to get this information.
“I’ve already scheduled your mother’s surgery with a leading international medical team. The surgery is at the end of next month. You and your mother need to get your passports and visas as soon as possible. Visas are tricky—when you meet the interviewer, try to emphasize your difficult situation to increase your chances of approval,” she instructed.
Song Zhibai nodded firmly, gripping the short drama script tightly. “I… I’ve never acted before, but I’ll study hard.”
Xu Youyou nodded casually.
[Scavenger task activated. Please follow the system’s directions to the target location.]
Although the man in front of her was stunningly handsome, Xu Youyou was more focused on making money. After a brief farewell to Song Zhibai, she left with her driver, Xu Fang.
[Host, you should get a passport too—it might come in handy in the future.]
Xu Youyou considered the system’s suggestion carefully—since it rarely provided useless information. “Alright, I’ll remember that,” she replied.
Xu Fang, now working as Xu Youyou’s personal driver, felt a sense of déjà vu. She recalled a previous instance of aimlessly driving around the city and ending up buying a stack of magazines in a small alley.
This time, however, after half a day of driving, they found themselves in a university district rather than an alleyway.
After parking the car, Xu Fang quickly fell into the role of assistant, following Xu Youyou closely.
It was a Monday during class hours, and the streets of the university district were relatively quiet. Following the system’s guidance, Xu Youyou entered a small, run-down eatery by the roadside.
The shop was empty, the tables were dirty, and the floor was dark and grimy, showing no signs of recent cleaning.
A young man in his early twenties sat with his back to them, his eyes fixed on an old movie playing on a hanging television, seemingly indifferent to the arrival of a customer.
“Breakfast is over. Lunch isn’t ready yet. We’re not hiring student workers,” the man said without turning around.
Xu Youyou glanced up at the TV screen—it was showing the classic film Cinema Paradiso.
She then noticed the business license and food permit hanging on the wall. The name of the shop’s owner was written clearly: Ouyang Ouyang.
The name was so unusual that it was impossible to forget.
At that moment, she finally understood why the system’s scavenger task had led her here.
In their previous lives, Ouyang Ouyang was an unknown snack shop owner with mediocre cooking skills. But at age twenty-five, he accidentally gained fame through short videos and eventually became a successful film and television director.
Despite having no formal training, he achieved unprecedented success through self-study.
Xu Youyou’s second brother, Gu Shuangbai, had struggled for years as a typical pop idol. But thanks to a project directed by Ouyang Ouyang, he successfully transitioned into a respected actor against all odds.
Immersed in the movie, Ouyang Ouyang hadn’t noticed that Xu Youyou was still there until the film ended an hour later. He switched off the TV with a thoughtful expression and scribbled notes on a piece of paper—only stopping when his phone alarm rang.
“Time to start prepping ingredients again,” he muttered.
Turning around, he was startled to find Xu Youyou sitting there.
Perhaps driven by financial concerns, he asked patiently, “What would you like to eat?”
“I’m not here for food,” Xu Youyou replied.
Ouyang Ouyang looked bewildered. “If you’re not here to eat, then why? Don’t tell me… it’s for me?”
Xu Youyou nodded.
Alarm bells rang in his mind. Although he had dreams of becoming a director, he knew his limits—he was ordinary-looking, while Xu Youyou was exceptionally beautiful. This had to be a scam, not a romantic encounter.
“I may own a shop, but I’m broke,” he blurted out defensively.
Without wasting time, Xu Youyou said directly, “I want to hire you to shoot a short film.”
His heart skipped a beat. Although he had never told anyone about his dream of directing, the fact that she somehow knew infuriated him.
“You want a cook to be a director? I don’t have time for jokes!”
