Shahi seemed to be looking forward to the meeting with Xie Ran so she arrived at the restaurant early in the evening before it was time to eat dinner.

Understanding that Xie Ran and others were recording a program and in order not to interfere with the filming of the program, Shahi also invited a group of friends to come over for a meal. Directly transforming the booked restaurant into the gathering of friends, so that the restaurant could present a lively scene of a full house.

Since the launch of ‘Somewhere Else’, this was the first time that a guest was able to book the whole venue and solicit guests by himself without borrowing resources from the program group.

The people of the Old West city had always been warm and welcoming, and the current guests were all friends of Shahi so they gave the program group a lot of face. They not only cooperated with the filming, but also took the initiative to interact with the guests from time to time, creating a lot of material for the show.

The program group was filming in a very relaxed and happy manner, but several star guests were not so happy because they found that they had completely become waiters.

Originally, according to the task setting, they had to do two jobs, one was to solicit guests while serving the guest. Now that Shahi booked the whole restaurant, there was naturally no longer any need to solicit customers, so their only job left was naturally to serve the guests.

But this was nothing and the task was also like this. Because the venue of the restaurant was limited and all seats were filled, they could stop soliciting customers and serve these customers well. Therefore, it was perfectly normal for the guests to act as waiters since the last few seasons of the show.

But the main problem was, that in this season, there was a person with a style completely different from everyone else.

While the other guests were running in and out, busy serving plates and pouring water, Xie Ran was sitting leisurely in the restaurant’s terrace seating, laughing and talking with Shahi and her two friends.

Shahi was a middle-aged woman with red hair and unlike the image of an unpolished artist that the public generally thought about, she was very elegant and dignified.

Her two friends sitting with her were also well-dressed and well-spoken.

Although Xie Ran was wearing the restaurant’s uniform, he was tall, sat straight, was handsome, cold and sharp, and looked superior to others with his natural reserve and leisurely manner.

These people were not only outstanding in their looks but also talked about high-end topics one by one. In addition to the high frequency of some professional vocabulary, occasionally interspersed with some other countries’ language, it was completely social elite talk making others stunned.

Halfway through, Shahi finished the water in her cup and raised her hand calling: “Excuse me.”

“I’ll do it.” Xie Ran stood up, picked up the glass water bottle from the table and was about to pour when suddenly a figure rushed over from the side.

“I’ll do it, I’ll do it.” Zhu Chuanjia grabbed the bottle from his hand: “How can you pour the water yourself!”

Xie Ran’s hand became empty as he looked at Zhu Chuanjia and asked suspiciously: “What’s the problem? I am also a waiter.”

Zhu Chuanjia was silent for a moment and involuntarily shed tears of weakness: “I had forgotten about this until you said so.”

Xie Ran’s aura was too prominent so unconsciously everyone had forgotten that he was also a waiter in the restaurant. It seemed like he was born to sit there and accept the service of others.

It’s also really hard for Xie Ran himself to remember this setting.

“Then you can do it yourself.” Zhu Chuanjia sadly shoved the water bottle back into Xie Ran’s hand and then went back to serve other customers.

But he had just walked by a few steps when he was stopped by Jiang Wei, who seemed to have a disapproving expression on his face: “Why don’t you pour water for them, and let Boss Xie do it himself?”

Zhu Chuanjia slyly asked in return: “Do you remember that Boss Xie is also a waiter?”

Jiang Wei: “……Shit, I forgot!”

“It’s not your fault.” Zhu Chuanjia sympathetically patted him on the shoulder and sighed: “To tell you the truth, when I asked Boss Xie to greet the guests in the morning, I also felt a little shaky feeling that it was not what he was supposed to do. But now I am at ease, this is the right way for him to act.”

Jiang Wei thought about it for a moment and said sadly: “You’re right.”

While the two of them were talking, Fang Huiwang was walking past them with a dinner plate. Hearing Zhu Chuanjia’s feeling, he unconsciously paused and looked in the direction of Xie Ran.

At this time, it was already night and lights began to shine.

The warm yellow light gently enveloped Xie Ran’s body, making him look a little less sharp and a little more familiar.

But the attitude of the elite and the topic of conversation was completely unfamiliar to Fang Huiwang. It made it seem like he would never be able to reach him.

Fang Huiwang couldn’t help but clench the tray in his hand.

“……The picture you took really surprised me.” Shahi was still immersed in her surprise: “You have completely reproduced the picture “New Old West”. From a realistic point of view, this is something that no one has ever been able to do. It’s really unreasonable that your name isn’t known in the field of art appreciation.”

Xie Ran was not excited by Shahi’s appreciation so he only nodded slightly and said without condescension: “Sorry, actually I couldn’t do it either, it was the machine that did it.”

Shahi did not understand: “Machine?”

“Yes.” Xie Ran’s index finger tapped the arm of the sofa. “It’s my AI.”

Meng Feixuan’s real situation was not suitable for disclosure, so Xie Ran only explained to them the algorithmic logic of AI and the concept of deep learning.

Xie Ran’s presentation ability was undoubtedly strong and he often had to introduce his company’s profound product concepts to the public. But at this time, those obscure concepts suddenly became easy to understand under his explanation. Even artists like Shahi with poor knowledge of science and technology could understand it.

When he finished speaking, Shahi suddenly realized: “So it was like this.”

Xie Ran nodded: “I’m sorry, the truth is not what you have thought. I probably let you down.”

“How could it be?” Shahi did not look disappointed at all: “On the contrary, I think what you just said is amazing. Although I don’t know this specific principle that can make machines learn human art…. I think you obviously have a higher level of aesthetics, but not in a form that we are familiar with.”

“It’s not difficult for ordinary connoisseurs to teach people to appreciate art, because human feelings are interlinked. But it’s much more difficult for you to teach machines.” Shahi disagreed with the other person’s stance: “I am not that kind of unbeatable painter, art comes from life, and technology can create life, I think the ultimate technology is actually also the form of ultimate art.”

It was the first time that Xie Ran heard this kind of argument so he was surprised for a moment.

Meng Feixuan had already laughed in his headset proudly: “Sir, the great painter certified my achievement so maybe I will be even an artist in future?”

His system really got carried away easily.

Xie Ran pretended to not hear him and only smiled lightly at Shahi saying meaningfully: “Thank you, my AI would be very happy.”

 

….

 

Finally, when the meal time was over, Shahi’s friends said goodbye one after another and dispersed. Finally, only Shahi and her two friends were left. They all seemed to have something to say about some interesting topic, sitting in the same place and continuing to talk non-stop.

The program team had shot enough material so they simply let Xie Ran continue to talk as the restaurant began to prepare to close.

The seniors and girl group sisters, like salted fish, completely lost their dreams as they went to the rest area and sighed one after another.

Jiang Wei waved his hand and said: “Admitting defeat, this time I really admit defeat.”

Zhu Chuanjia burst into tears: “Boss Xie really can’t behave. He is really too inhumane!”

Chen Xiaoxuan also followed: “If I knew it, I would have eaten well and lived well from the beginning and not try to save the money!”

Meng Xixi directly turned grief into appetite: “We will order the most expensive set meal tonight!”

The staff of the program group: “…”

Although they would like to comfort them, they did not know from what angle.

In the end, the director was still experienced and seeing the situation, he cheered them on: “You do not have to give up so quickly, there are still two days left. Even if Xie Ran’s turnover today…”

He was stuck for a moment, turned his head and asked the staff: “How much is today’s turnover of boss Xie?”

The staff member said: “Two thousand dollars for the venue and four thousand six hundred dollars for spending, a total of six thousand six hundred dollars.”

The director was silent for a moment but he still continued to say firmly to the guest: “You can still hope that Boss Xie will spend money recklessly.”

He even gave them a tip: “Isn’t there a mall near here? You guys find a way to bring him there, I don’t believe he won’t buy anything!”

Zhu Chuanjia mouth corner twitched as he looked at the director inexplicably: “Director just forget it–“

“No, the spirit of our program is to never give up until the last minute.” Before the director could finish speaking, he saw Xie Ran come over and called him. He was accompanied by a man who was one of Shahi’s friends, who had been talking with Xie Ran all night.

Xie Ran asked: “Director, do you and the producer have time now?”

The director looked at him and the men behind him and asked: “What’s the matter?”

“This is Peter, the producer of the Old West City’s TV station.” Xie Ran said: “He is very interested in our program and wants to talk to you about whether the program can be introduced.”  

While he was talking, the man named Peter shook hands with the director, handed out his business card and said: “Hello, Mr. Xie has introduced your program to me in detail. I am very interested in it and hope to cooperate with you.”

It turned out that Shahi, considering that he was recording a program here, specially invited her friend Peter who was a senior executive in the TV station, to come along.

At first, Peter just wanted to casually come to see how the Chinese team worked but since the program group was busy, he didn’t reveal his identity and just casually chatted with Xie Ran.

He originally thought that Xie Ran was just an ordinary Chinese star and might have some art appreciation ability. But because he had contact with many big stars, he was not very interested in him.

Unexpectedly, Xie Ran’s performance completely surprised him. This star was not only very good at the business operation, but in just one short meal, Xie Ran completely convinced him.

When the director learned the whole story, he was stunned and immediately asked the staff to find the producer.  He looked back at the equally dull salted fish guests and said solemnly: “Forget it, you better admit defeat to Mr. Xie directly.”

Salted fish: “…”

All right, let God know we’re throwing in the towel!

 

Edited by: Nio

Proofread: Rubhyl

 

Support translation: