A true man knows when to bend and when to stand tall. Great achievers don’t sweat the small stuff. These sayings are easy to repeat but as hard as scaling the heavens to actually practice. In today’s restless world, those who often tout these phrases are typically minor figures, full of grand ambitions yet stuck in a mundane reality. The ones who truly embody these principles have all succeeded and risen to the top.

Chen Jinlong was the perfect, real-life example of this. To reinterpret Qin Fan’s utterly humiliating words in such a way, and to even mask his anger with a welcoming smile—that alone explained how he reached the pinnacle of his life.

Ji Yi, whose emotional intelligence was rarely low, was completely dumbfounded by Chen Jinlong’s sudden change in demeanor.

Damn it! All I wanted was to take a few photos for my Body Feast series. How did things get so complicated?

Facing Chen Jinlong’s smile, which betrayed no hint of insincerity, Ji Yi decided not to overthink it. "Mr. Chen," she said, "I just want to take a series of photos of the Body Feast. Would that be possible? It would be an honor to fulfill this dream I have as a photographer."

"Ah, of course! Ms. Ji, please don’t say that. Your presence at the Dragon Palace of the East Sea is an honor for me. It truly graces our establishment! As for the Body Feast, shoot however you wish! That’s no problem at all. There is just one thing—I hope you’ll avoid capturing our other guests in your photos. As you know, the people who come here are all prominent figures. If word got out, there could be repercussions," Chen Jinlong said.

He could grit his teeth and make an exception for Ji Yi to pursue her passion, but he still had to maintain his bottom line. If these influential people ended up in her shots, the consequences would be more than even he could handle.

"Of course! I understand the rules. You’re worrying too much, Mr. Chen. Haha, in any case, thank you for the opportunity! Thank you!" Ji Yi laughed heartily, breathing an internal sigh of relief. This was undoubtedly the best possible outcome.

What she didn’t know, however, was that because of this outcome, the middle-aged man who had tried to snatch her camera would soon face the consequences for his poor judgment. This was how Chen Jinlong would settle his account with Chang Yuanyi.

"It’s a small matter, not worth mentioning! Haha, you’re too kind, Ms. Ji! Well then, the main event is starting. Lord Qin, Ms. Ji, Young Master Chang, this way, please!" Chen Jinlong chuckled warmly and gave a slight bow.

As he finished speaking, the lights in the club flicked off, plunging the entire hall into darkness. The blackout was brief, lasting less than three seconds before sparse mood lighting sprinkled down from above. The light was dim, but it was enough to see. This prelude seemed to be a familiar ritual for the dignitaries, so no one was surprised. The entire hall fell into a state of hushed anticipation.

"Distinguished guests! Welcome to the Dragon Palace of the East Sea. And now, let’s welcome our feast models to the stage! Lights!"

A voice boomed from the speakers in the ceiling. As the words fell, several bright spotlights sliced through the dim atmosphere, sweeping toward different corners of the room.

A rhythmic melody began to play. Several young men in tuxedos slowly pushed out crystal glass carts, each draped in red cloth. Guided by the music, they converged in the center of the hall, arranging the carts into a square.

"Unveil them!" the voice from the speakers commanded again once the carts were stationary.

The young men in tuxedos immediately responded, pulling back the large red satin cloths.

Amidst the rustle of red silk, four Body Feast models were revealed, lying peacefully inside the crystal carts. In the glare of the bright lights, the four exceptionally beautiful women lay with their long-lashed eyes closed. At a glance, they were the very image of classic sleeping beauties. The difference, however, was that their bodies were covered in an assortment of foods, with each item placed and arranged with incredible artistry. From a distance, they looked like sleeping princesses dressed in gorgeous gowns.

"Holy crap, is that black stuff hair? That’s a stroke of genius! It’s the perfect finishing touch. Brilliant, simply brilliant!"

Even from several meters away, the bright lights in the dim hall allowed Li Yunzhe to see everything in the crystal carts with perfect clarity. He couldn’t help but gulp a few times as he exclaimed his admiration. He had no idea his crude question—"is that black stuff hair?"—had completely shattered the elegant atmosphere of the Body Feast.

What a country bumpkin. A classic yokel in the big city.

In the darkness, many of the surrounding guests couldn’t help but chuckle at Li Yunzhe’s words. Their laughter was thick with disdain and contempt, and they wondered how such a character had managed to get in. As a rule, the nouveau riche shouldn’t even be able to get tickets.

However, amid the scornful laughter, Ji Yi and the other two women with her blushed with embarrassment.

"Haha! Young man, you certainly have an eye for art," Chen Jinlong explained with a smile. "That’s right, the arrangement for this feast was designed by a Master we invited from Europe. The placement of every single ingredient was debated at length before the final decision was made. We spent a full three months preparing for this!"

"Hehe, I’m really interested in this stuff! I’ve looked up a lot of Body Feast pictures online, but they’re nothing compared to these! The difference is like heaven and earth! By the way, I heard that for the highest-tier Body Feasts, the models are all virgins, right?" Captivated by the scene, Li Yunzhe completely forgot he was speaking to a legendary tycoon and asked with great enthusiasm.

"The highest standards require more than just virgins," Chen Jinlong answered freely. "They must be virgins trained from a young age to ensure every part of their body has the proper elasticity. Furthermore, a month before the feast, the models begin a special diet. They also bathe twice a day—a flower bath in the morning and a milk bath in the evening. There are many, many other details, too many to explain in a moment. This feast of ours is of a high standard, even on a global scale, but it doesn’t quite reach the highest tier due to time constraints."

His explanation left Li Yunzhe stunned.

Holy shit! There are that many steps involved? Damn it, preparing a Body Feast seems more complicated than a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast!

Listening to Chen Jinlong’s description, Ji Yi’s face grew redder and redder. As a woman, she couldn’t help but imagine herself in the models’ position, and the more she thought, the more horrified she became.

What’s the difference between this and being a controlled robot, or even a slave? What kind of mental fortitude would it take to endure all those procedures?

For a moment, her gaze toward the models filled with sympathy. But sympathy was one thing; she wouldn’t pity them. After all, everyone makes their own choices. They had chosen this path, which also meant a hefty reward. Compared to prostitutes who sold their bodies, they had far more dignity.

What Ji Yi didn’t know was that this was not merely about a feast being eaten off their bodies. After the meal, the women themselves would be offered up, and their cherished first nights would be lost forever.