With a wave from Luke, several staff members in black uniforms wheeled in a cart loaded with a huge box of exquisitely packaged custom takeout.
The sight got the film crew buzzing:
"Those are East Sea Hotel uniforms! That's a legit five-star spot—super pricey!"
"Did Luke order custom takeout from East Sea Hotel for us? I heard even the cheapest meal there starts at 200 bucks!"
"Man, international superstars are on another level. Talk about generous! Looks like we're eating good today. The usual crew food is straight-up awful!"
This was 2002, after all. Back then, you could get a full meal with meat and veggies at a roadside diner for 3 yuan, or splurge with an extra meat dish for 5.
A 200-yuan custom takeout meal? Even in 2024, that's not cheap. In 2002? It was like a Michelin-star feast.
When the beautifully packaged takeout boxes hit the tables, the crew was floored.
Each meal came in a fancy red embroidered carry case.
Unzip the gold-trimmed zipper, and inside was a thermal layer holding four wooden food boxes.
The spread was unreal: Australian lobster sashimi, steamed Eastern Star grouper, matsutake beef rolls, charcoal-grilled New Zealand black abalone…
It was a feast for the eyes, making everyone's mouths water. The crew went wild:
"That's the East Sea Hotel's famous Dragon's Chant set meal! I heard it's 599 yuan a pop!"
"This is even fancier than I expected. Luke's on another level!"
"This might be the most luxurious meal I've ever had in my life!"
"I'm officially Luke's number-one fan now. I'm watching every one of his movies at least twice!"
"Pfft, your movie tickets aren't gonna pay back this meal anytime soon."
"It's the thought that counts!"
"You think Luke dropped tens of thousands on this lunch? Talk about loaded!"
For a mid-budget TV drama crew like The Golden Family, there were about 100 staff members total.
Minus the admin and logistics folks not on set, you're looking at around 80 people.
Luke ordered 100 meals anyway, just to avoid any awkward shortages.
Once all the takeout was laid out, the crew was practically drooling, itching to grab a box but too shy to make a move.
Seeing this, Luke grinned. "Come on, don't be shy. Line up and grab your food."
"No pushing, get in line!" Director Li Dawei chuckled, helping keep things orderly.
"I got the first one! Lucky me!" a crew cameraman said, laughing. "Wait, there's a little red envelope in here?"
"Open it! What's inside?"
"No way! It's a 2,000-yuan gift card for Jinling Department Store!"
"Seriously? Mine's got one too! Everyone gets one!"
"Luke's too much!"
"Thanks for the hookup, boss! Love you!"
The whole crew got Luke's set visit gift pack: a high-end custom meal and a 2,000-yuan gift card.
This was a total surprise for the crew. Even ignoring the meal, a 2,000-yuan gift card was like a month and a half's salary for many of them.
Even for the better-paid actors, it was a thoughtful gesture that put smiles on their faces—especially since it came from the untouchable Luke.
The set was buzzing with a festive vibe, like it was bonus season.
Luke shelled out 260,000 yuan for this, but to him now, that was pocket change.
If it meant building rapport with the crew and ensuring they looked out for Yuffieon set, it was money well spent.
"Mr. Luke, the meals have been delivered. Could you please settle the bill?" the East Sea Hotel's client manager said quietly, approaching him.
Luke handed over his bank card, gesturing for him to handle it.
When the manager returned the card with the receipt, Luke glanced at it.
"This amount doesn't look right," he said immediately.
"Mr. Luke, it's correct," the manager assured him.
"Even with a 10% discount for ordering 100 meals, shouldn't it be 54,000 yuan?"
The receipt showed just 20,000 yuan—basically a third of the price.
That discount was insane. Was the hotel really not losing money?
"Our boss specifically instructed this. If we tried to comp the whole thing, you might've refused outright, so we went with this," the manager explained.
"But I don't even know your boss," Luke said.
At his level, he didn't like taking handouts like this. Paying straight-up was no issue for him.
Accepting random favors? That just made him uneasy.
As if anticipating his concern, the manager clarified, "Mr. Luke, no need to feel burdened. We're covering our costs on this order, so there's no extra loss on our end.
Our boss is a fan of yours. She just wanted a chance to show some love for her idol.
That's all there is to it. She's not trying to bother you—just hoping you'll sign something for me to bring back."
He smiled, waiting for Luke's response.
The message was clear:
Pure fan behavior, just showing appreciation.
The order covered costs, so no favors owed.
The boss wasn't looking to meet or network—just wanted a signature.
Every angle was covered. What could Luke say?
He couldn't exactly come off as a jerk, right?
So, he carefully signed something and handed it to the manager.
"Mr. Luke, thank you for your business. We hope to serve you again," the manager said with a bow.
Luke returned the gesture.
Task complete, the hotel staff packed up and left the set.
Yuffie sauntered over, playfully nudging him. "Look at you, big shot. You've got rich fans in China now, practically throwing money at you."
Luke wasn't taking the bait. He fired back, "Guess whether this fan's a guy or a girl?"
Yuffie smirked at the question. Oh, real bold, bringing that up in front of your girlfriend!
A rich lady fan throwing favors? Was that really something to brag about to your girlfriend?