Merchant From Earth in the Magical World

By this time, all the dishes had been served.

All were fresh seafood.

The employees of Eternal Commerce and Trade really didn't spare any expense for Yan Xing; this meal must have cost at least 10,000 yuan.

But at the moment, each staff member sat poised and proper, not daring even to breathe too loudly.

They had all clearly heard their boss negotiating the deal just moments before.

Just a few words exchanged, and a deal worth hundreds of millions was sealed.

Impressive, the boss was truly impressive.

But what about this wine? The employees looked at the water bucket on the table. It didn't quite match the lavish spread of food, did it?

"President Yan..." the girl sitting next to Yan Xing whispered, "It doesn't matter what wine we drink for an internal company gathering. But now that Mr. Chen is here, maybe... I should go and order some proper drinks."

Yan Xing said, "We'll drink the wine I brought... Go get a decanter and pour some for Manager Chen."

Chen Shi, seeing the "packaging" of the red wine on the table—the water bucket—and the color of the wine inside, his expression suddenly tensed.

Then he laughed and said, "President Yan is truly an unconventional man; I admire you immensely. This wine... I simply must have a few more glasses. Next time, I might not be able to drink it even if I want to. Come, come, come, pour some for President Yan... and for me as well. You all are fortunate to be working with President Yan..."

The guest didn't mind, so the girl went to get a decanter and then poured wine for everyone.

Once everyone had wine in their glasses, the girl, together with all the employees of Eternal Commerce and Trade, toasted Yan Xing.

Yan Xing also casually offered some words of encouragement, and then everyone raised their glasses and began to eat.

Chen Shi was a veteran of drinking parties, and although he was a guest, he managed to make the Eternal Commerce and Trade gathering exceptionally lively.

Gradually, everyone became more familiar with their boss, who hadn't been around much. Seeing that Yan Xing had none of the usual airs of a CEO, the atmosphere at the dinner table became very relaxed.

Yan Xing, for his part, got to know his employees better. At least he could now get their names right.

For example, the active girl next to him, who had strong organizational skills and a desire to stand out, was named Tong Yitong.

After a few drinks, Tong Yitong's face was a bit flushed.

Emboldened by the alcohol, she even pulled at Yan Xing's arm, cooing, "President Yan... what kind of wine were you and Manager Chen talking about? Why is it so expensive? Six hundred thousand yuan a bottle! You could buy six cars with that. The wine you've brought this time is already so good, how much better could a 600,000 yuan bottle be? Let us try it sometime, I'll just have a little bit, just a small bottle cap's worth will do."

From the side, Chen Shi laughed, "What do you mean a small bottle cap's worth? The wine you just spilled would be enough to buy a Mercedes."

Tong Yitong paused for a second, then laughed, "Manager Chen, don't joke with us junior employees. How could President Yan bear to put such expensive wine in this kind of bucket?"

Chen Shi said, "I'm not joking with you. The wine your President Yan gave me was in a five-liter keg, even smaller than this water bucket. When I received it, I nearly poured it straight down the drain. Now... this red wine, if bottled, I guarantee it'd sell for 600,000 yuan a bottle, no matter how many you have. Oh, by the way, President Yan, what's the name of this wine? I'll report the price to those bosses when I get back."

Yan Xing swirled the red wine in his glass, thought for a moment, and then said, "The name of this wine is 'Earl.' A friend of mine is part of a secretive family circle. When I acquire other fine wines through them, I'll bring some for you to try."

Chen Shi raised his glass in a toast, "Thank you, President Yan. I'll be waiting for your fine wine."

"Cheers!"

Yan Xing and Chen Shi emptied their glasses. Looking around the dining table... everyone was stunned.

Was their boss mad? Red wine worth 600,000 yuan a bottle, and he served it in a water bucket! We'd all been drinking it like it was an ordinary beverage! Didn't everyone at the table now have the equivalent of a sports car in their stomachs? A single trip to the bathroom would mean pissing away hundreds of thousands! Boss, how could you serve us this kind of wine? Why didn't you tell us before we drank it? So we could have savored the feeling of drinking a 600,000 yuan bottle! The main point is... how could you use this kind of bucket for wine!

Seeing the employees looking dumbfounded, Yan Xing knew what they were thinking, but he felt quite innocent himself.

Before the dinner, I also hadn't expected Chen Shi to show up because of this wine. I hadn't expected a bottle could sell for 600,000 either. Prior to this, it was just red wine at 50 yuan a gallon. Was I supposed to buy high-end wine bottles and decant it meticulously, bottle by bottle? Even if you have money, you can't be that extravagant! How should I explain this to my employees?

"Tong Yitong, distribute the remaining wine to everyone. After we finish the wine and have some food, we'll go for karaoke..."

"Boss, I want to take my share with me, to let... let my dad taste it..."

...

While Yan Xing was dining with his employees, the most exhilarating moment for the citizens of the Eternal Domain arrived.

Domain Official Gao Sipa directed personnel to set up a large silver screen in an open space, along with a projector and large speakers.

The citizens of the domain brought their stools and sat in rows in front of the big screen.

The long-term citizens were exceptionally excited, discussing the plot of the last movie with each other and imagining what new stories this film might hold.

The citizens who had joined more recently were all confused. They didn't know what all these people were doing, gathered and looking at a white cloth, nor did they understand what this 'movie' thing they mentioned was.

Arlanda was one of those who were completely clueless. She did what she could to follow the crowd, not wanting to stand out.

"Emerald!"

Suddenly, someone called out a name—her surname—making Arlanda's entire body tense up.

Had she been exposed?

There was no attack. Arlanda maintained the composure of an assassin. She didn't respond to the call, as it might be a deliberate attempt to expose her.

Arlanda pretended to look for a seat while observing the surrounding guards and searching for escape routes.

"Emerald!"

The voice was closer now. It's Auntie Canola Flowers. How did she know my name was Emerald?

Arlanda kept silent, slowly moving forward with the crowd.

Then a hand grasped hers, and Auntie Canola Flowers' enthusiastic voice rang out beside her ear, "I've been calling you so many times, why didn't you answer? Oh, right, you don't know your name yet. 'Emerald,' isn't it lovely? Seeing your hair and your appearance, that was the first name that came to my mind. It's as if it was made just for you."

Arlanda breathed a sigh of relief.

Human peasants initially didn't have names. But after a while, people would give them one, usually after an object. Over time, adjectives might be added.

The plump Auntie Canola Flowers had gotten her name in this way.

Arlanda had just never expected her given name to be 'Emerald,' which was exactly the same as her real surname.

"Thank you, Auntie Canola Flowers, I really like this name. What are we doing now? You said everyone is going to watch a movie, but what is a movie?"

"'A movie is something the Lord uses his great magic to record stories happening on the other side of the world,' Auntie Canola Flowers explained, pulling Arlanda through the crowd towards the front. 'Then he uses his great magic to display it for us. I don't know how to describe how magical movies are, but once you watch one, you'll understand. You'll feel the Lord's power. You have to sit at the front to see clearly when watching a movie.

"'Come with me, I'll find you the best spot.'"