"Director, a package from Mr. Shen just arrived for you." In a luxurious hotel suite in Shanghai, an assistant hurried into the room and handed a package to Director Kong.
"Oh? What did Bin send over?" Director Kong opened the package with curiosity. "Looks like a bottle of wine? He went to all the trouble of mailing this to me, so it must be something special." Director Kong was well aware of Shen Yibin’s culinary skills. People who were good cooks usually had a refined palate, and a refined palate lent itself to an exceptional ability to appreciate wine. Even before opening the bottle, Director Kong had a feeling this vintage would be extraordinary.
"Mr. John Farrell will be here shortly, and he loves his wine. This will be the perfect bottle to welcome him." John Farrell was the owner of a special effects company that had already won numerous Oscars for its work. Director Kong had hired his company at great expense to handle the post-production for *Panda Hero*.
Half an hour later, Director Kong personally uncorked the bottle at the dining table. John Farrell’s eyes instantly lit up, but Director Kong wore a look of regret. "Ah, John, if I had opened this bottle beforehand, I definitely wouldn’t have brought it out to share with you."
"Sunny, I can only celebrate my good fortune. To miss out on a wine like this would have been a lifelong regret." John Farrell rubbed his hands together and said, "What are we waiting for? Let’s have a toast!"
His heart aching, Director Kong picked up the bottle and slowly poured just enough to cover the bottom of John Farrell’s glass before pouring a little for himself. The others at the table did not receive the same treatment. "You all can just have the Mouton. This is a very good vintage." Château Mouton Rothschild was also a product of a top-tier French vineyard, but Director Kong felt it couldn’t hold a candle to the Monkey Wine Shen Yibin had sent.
"To the successful completion of the film, a toast!" Mr. John Farrell eagerly raised his glass, clinked it gently against Director Kong’s, then brought it to his lips. Closing his eyes, he began to savor it slowly.
"I must again count myself lucky. I now realize you’ve made a mistake—if I were you, I wouldn’t have been willing to share a wine this good with anyone else," John Farrell said, finally setting down his glass after a long moment. "Your Chinese baijiu, while aromatic, is usually too strong for my palate. This, however, is completely different. The natural fruit fragrance masks any alcoholic bite, and the finish is long and complex. It’s truly impressive."
The others at the table looked at one another, then glanced down at their own glasses. For a moment, the Château Mouton Rothschild—usually a rare treat—seemed utterly tasteless.
"All I can taste is apple. I wonder, John, can you identify any other ingredients?" Director Kong said with a smile. Besides being the boss of a special effects company, John Farrell held another title he was quite proud of: world-class wine connoisseur. "If you can’t figure it out, or you guess wrong, you won’t get another drop of what’s left."
John Farrell once again brought his nose to the rim of the glass, inhaling deeply. After a long moment, he spoke. "There’s also pear, peach, and plum... My God... this wine seems to be made entirely from naturally fermented fruit, with no additives whatsoever. Which master vintner created this? I must pay him a visit!"
"He’ll be coming to Shanghai soon for the next phase of filming. You’ll get to meet him then, John." Director Kong assumed it was Shen Yibin who had brewed this magnificent wine.
"I can’t wait! We’ll sign the contract on your terms. I’ll leave my team here to get the work done—just give me this master’s address. I’m going to pay him a visit right now!" John Farrell was so impatient that he was willing to concede ground on business matters just to meet the master vintner of his imagination a little sooner.
Meanwhile, Sun Qian returned to her hotel after her performance and opened the package from Shen Yibin. Even Cheeky was drawn over by the wine’s fragrance. "Qianqian, who’s this gift from? I want a glass, too!"
"It’s from Bin. Let’s try it," Sun Qian said, pouring two glasses for herself and Cheeky. After just one glass, Sun Qian felt every musical fiber of her being begin to sing. Her mind flooded with incredible melodies, and she immediately grabbed her guitar. An intoxicating tune flowed effortlessly from her fingers.
That night, Sun Qian was like the poets of old, her creativity set ablaze by the wine. Fueled by the marvelous Monkey Wine, she composed a torrent of high-quality songs. Cheeky listened, completely mesmerized, and couldn’t help but exclaim, "Qianqian, your playing is on a whole new level today!"
Unfortunately, Shen Yibin hadn’t sent nearly enough Monkey Wine. Before long, Sun Qian and Cheeky had finished the entire bottle. Cheeky clicked its tongue, wanting more. "Qianqian, call Bin! Tell him to send more!"
「In Japan」 At the Honjin Raccoon Shrine, Sakai Kaori knelt before a table and poured a cup of Monkey Wine for Egg. "Lord Egg, this is a fine wine from Bin. Please, enjoy."
Fifteen minutes later, Egg staggered out of the Shrine and into the square, where it began a joyful dance under the full moon. The shrine’s priestesses and followers flocked to watch. Egg’s dancing had ascended to a completely new level; in that moment, Sakai Kaori and the others believed a god had descended to earth, bringing with it a dance from the Divine Realm.
’Could all of this be the effect of the wine Bin sent?’ Sakai Kaori gazed at the empty bottle on the table. ’To witness such a divine spectacle again, it seems I’ll have to trouble Bin once more!’
「In Sokovia」 Princess Sylvie was using her holiday to visit the Royal Palace and dine with her parents, the King and Queen. During the meal, she brought out the Monkey Wine that Shen Yibin had sent...
A short while later, Alfred and the Royal Palace attendants were astonished to see His Majesty the King, who had long been frail due to poor health, suddenly filled with vigor. A long-absent look of blissful happiness had also returned to Her Majesty the Queen’s face.
Sylvie and Alfred both stared at the unremarkable wine bottle. Without a word, Sylvie picked up her phone, but... a busy signal answered her call. She tried dialing over ten more times, but still couldn’t get through.
Poor Shen Yibin. His phone was being blown up.