Romancing The Tiger

Chapter 1

Shanghai, March 2019

Dylan walked through the main hall of the airport, with a horde of fans following him in sync while flash lights of cell phones matched the symphony of clicking sounds. Desperately trying to make the best pictures of their idol, they screamed his name. Dylan blinked, trying to mentally block out the noise that was swallowing him whole,as he moved towards the exit. He wondered if he ever could get used to this, thinking of the calmer days in his life.He missed the moments where he could freely chat with his fans, but ever since he had become globally famous as the fierce looking Daoming Si, his name had made more fame and the horde of fans had become bigger and bigger. Cosy encounters with his precious 'xiongdi' were now a thing of the past, Dylan thought with regret.

Although he was deeply grateful for the instant success the Great Buddha had bestowed upon him, he also wondered which life lessons came with these events.

Patience. Non-attachment. Staying humble. Gratitude.

Quickly, he waved to his fans as he stepped into the limousine that had been waiting upon his arrival. "Bye, bye!"

"Bye, bye, Didi! WO XI YUAN YI," his fans screamed in union.

"Welcome back, Mr Wang, how was your stay in Xiangyang?" his chauffeur asked, smiling warmly.

"It was awesome, Zhuo! I learned a lot! Song Yi Ren and I discussed a couple of scenes that we will be shooting in a few weeks. It was a long trip back, though. I am glad I have a few days off to restore my energy. Any news from my manager?" he asked, surpressing a yawn as he made himself comfortable in the backseat.

"Yes, it seems a lot has happened in your absence, Mr Wang. It seems a few directors in Europe will have a meeting soon with him. Miss Mei Yee will tell you all about it in the morning. She asked me to bring you home now."

"Fine, home sounds good. I could sleep for days now." Dylan smiled, his dark eyes sparkling with delight as the car started driving.

Mei Yee was one of his staff members, and the last thing she had told him was about the next projects that were waiting for him outside of Asia. Finally his hard work began to pay off!

Dylan loved this new flow of events. All was good, he thought as he closed his eyes and let sleep take him as the car cruised over the highway towards his home in Shanghai.

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Cotswolds, England

Mei Ling sighed as she looked at the job adverts on her laptop. They all demanded the same kind of employees. Or were they looking for super heroes?

Flexible. Loves perfection. Knows four languages. Speaks English fluently.

Teamplayer. Works independantly.

So much duality in a job advert. Nowadays there was more yin and yang to be found in the average job advert than she could find her yin and yang after a Sunday afternoon meditation. It was madness. Did these companies even know what they were looking for?

Recently graduated in college with a master degree in Foreign Languages, and tired of her boring office job, she was dying to find a job that fitted her profile like a glove.

Mei Ling felt her cell phone vibrating as she was scrolling down through a new list of possible jobs.

"Hello."

"Mei Ling! How are you doing? Still working long hours to pay the bills?" It was her younger sister Nao Lan, calling her for their regular chatter on the phone.

"Hi, Nao, not for long anymore. I am looking for a better opportunity on my path."

"Ah, always talking like the little Buddha that you are," Nao Lan giggled through the phone. "I am glad you are finally realizing you are way too bright to wane away behind a desk all day."

"Yes, that is true. How are you doing, little sister? Still giving people advice they did not ask for?" Mei Ling teased, her voice oozing warmth as she envisioned Nao Lan playing the therapist for her friends and family.

"Meiyo! No! Only you, haha, because you are so hard-headed. Just like Daoming Si!"

Ah, Daoming Si! They were talking about him once again. Mei Ling had begun to wonder how long it would take her sister to mention her newest love interest, being fictional put aside. Three minutes. A new record.

"Have you watched Meteor Garden yet? It is so good, Mei Ling! He is played by Dylan Wang!"

"Dylan who?" she asked confused, not recalling any actor with that name. She felt so alienated from the world around her, not even knowing who was the new hype in show business these days, like she used to when she had been a teenager herself. Now she was living her 22th Spring this year. When did she got so boring? "No, I have not, Nao Lan. Despite my job being boring, I have not had the time to watch your Netflix recommendation due to all the work I have to finish off before the end of the month, or my boss will kill me."

Nao Lan muttered, sounding displeased. "Oh, you really should! You do not know what you are missing, big sister! You work way too hard!"

"I promise I will watch it with you next time I come over for a visit. How is mom?"

"Okay! Mom is well now. The doctor prescribed a new medicine for her. Her sugar levels should stabillize again soon. She is resting now."

"I am happy to hear that! Give her a big hug from me when she wakes up. I will come for a visit in a few days." Mei Ling stopped talking when she saw something very interesting on the screen of her laptop. "Nao Lan, I have to end this call now. I think I found a job within my interest. Deadline is tomorrow. I have to apply now or I will miss this chance."

"Okay, big sis! Keep us posted. Jiayou!"

"Thank you! Love you!"

"Love you too!"

Mei Ling ended the call and scanned the text of the advert with her eyes. Now this was interesting!

Job description:

- English mother tongue

- hard working

- works in absolute discretion

- not afraid to work in an ever changing schedule.

- strong teaching skills

- speaks British English flawlessly.

- speaks Mandarin flawlessly

- honest, authentic personality

- temporary contract due to ill staff memmber replacement

- has a strong affinity with Chinese culture and policy

- you will follow our client on his appointments and maintain absolute discretion.

- high salary

- medical insurance

- travel costs will be fully covered

- you can start immediately

Immediately? Mei Ling gasped in awe as she saw the location of the job. Shanghai, China.

Wow! Now, this was awesome. With her unwavering love for the Asian culture, it was her life-long dream to visit the country of her heritage on her father's side. May the Great Buddha rest his soul. This was her chance! 

As she began typing away on her keyboard, she was wondering what kind of job she would do if she was asked for an interview? Probably translation work for an old chairman in Shanghai on his business trips. She would not be bored if she was able to accompany the man... or woman on their travels. 

Oh, this is so adventurous, she thought with excitement running through her veins. 'May the odds be in my favor!' Mei Ling thought with a smile, as she hit SEND to release her motivational e-mail and resume into the digital universe.