Arc 1.7 [Chapter 7]
"Six days ago? But I clearly remember it was four days when I last contacted you. " Bai Lixin asked, taking a deep breath and blinking his dark grape-like eyes in confusion.
"Yeah, six days. You locked yourself in the office for four days and were in a coma for two days. Isn't that six days? " Luo Qintian's face was gloomy as he stood up and said in a condescending manner, "Mr. Lu was in a coma due to overexertion. Since Mr. Lu has woken up, I, who is of no use to him, can go now.
Seeing Luo Qintian turn his head to leave, Bai Lixin's heart trembled. Aside from his guilt, there were also some feelings mixed in that he himself could not even express in words.
This feeling prompted Bai Lixin to act one step ahead of reason. He got up from the hospital bed and tugged Luo Qintian's sleeve with his right hand from behind, whispering, "Don't go."
Luo Qintian stopped in his tracks, turned around and took hold of Bai Lixin's wrist and lifted it up, frowning with worry, "They're still pumping nutrients through this hand. Why are you moving it?"
Only then did Bai Lixin notice that he still had a needle in his right hand and that a bubble had bulged near the needlepoint.
Just then, the system beep sounded: [Ding! Lord host, minor emotional fluctuations have been detected in the other party; please continue your efforts, host.
Huh, emotional fluctuation? Bai Lixin then remembered his mission: there would be double rewards and the activation of new exchange items if he made Lu Xuefei's love and career a success.
Bai Lixin gritted his teeth and hugged him around the waist. His head pressed against Luo Qintian's sturdy chest, "I have a problem. Once I concentrate on a certain kind of work, I'll put my whole body and soul into it, and I'm completely oblivious to everything outside."
"I'm too low-esteemed, too timid. I was afraid that you disliked me when you didn't touch me that night and then left without saying goodbye the next morning. I was so desperate because I wanted to get the ad out to you quickly. I wanted your compliments, I wanted your praise, I wanted your approval. I... I even wanted your hugs and caresses. "
"I never wanted to use you, how could I possibly use you. I obviously liked you more than I thought."
"I'm sorry, I was wrong. I shouldn't have dived into work without telling you first, but I was afraid of being self-indulgent. I was also afraid that when I called you, I would get a perfunctory answer from you."
Bai Lixin was in tears and hugged Luo Qintian tighter, afraid that he would leave.
Luo Qintian looked down at Bai Lixin's flaxen, short, curly hair for a long time before he sighed and wrapped his arms around Bai Lixin. He kissed Bai Lixin's hair and said, "You don't have to be so presumptuous. I left that day because I had a meeting in the morning, and I left without saying goodbye because I couldn't bear to wake you up. So, don't say such things about yourself or have such thoughts."
Bai Lixin buried his head deep in Luo Qintian's arms, feeling the warmth of his body and his strong heartbeat, and the guilt and unease in his heart deepened.
He had approached Luo Qintian for the sake of his mission. His feelings were impure and full of purpose, but Luo Qintian's was not.
The better Luo Qintian treated him, the more guilt he felt.
"I'm sorry I'm deceiving you, and although I may not fall in love with you, I will definitely grow old with you in this life." Bai Lixin said, silently and secretly in his heart as he sniffed at Luo Qintian's masculine scent.
With Bai Lixin's intentional guidance, the "misunderstanding" was cleared up, but his hand was completely bulging and swollen at this point.
Luo Qintian smiled helplessly and lovingly rubbed Bai Lixin's soft hair, "Does your hand hurt? It's swollen like a pig's foot."
"It doesn't hurt, it's numb." Bai Lixin's eyes were teary, looking at Luo Qintian with a harmless gaze, making his heart melt.
"Fortunately, the nutrient solution is almost finished," Luo Qintian helped Bai Lixin back to the bed and removed the needle," You lie here, I'll go find a doctor to come and take a look." He said and rubbed Bai Lixin's soft hair before leaving.
As he walked away, he rubbed his index and middle fingers with his thumb. The feeling of hair in his fingers felt so good, that he couldn't help but love it.
As soon as Luo Qintian stepped outside, he saw the fruit basket sitting next to the door.
His eyes darkened, and he asked the bodyguards who had been guarding the outside, "Who came by just now?"
Bodyguard A: "The former Vice President of Lu's Entertainment, Xu Haoran. You were still in the ward, so I didn't let him in. He only looked in from the window for a while, then put down the fruit basket and left. "
The darkness in Luo Qintian's eyes instantly dissipated as he nodded and said, "Well done. Send this fruit tray to the elderly lady in the next ward, and say it's from a kind person." He said and left with light footsteps.1
Wang Sisi Entertainment Media Studio
Wang Sisi's eyes were fixed on the script, but her hand was tapping on the table once or twice.
"Why? Why?! Almost a week had passed, but no one from the Luo Group had come looking for her? It was only logical that they should have been eager to come the day they terminated the advertising contract with Lu's Entertainment."
She narrowed her eyes, the light in her eyes flickering.
As she was thinking, she heard the door open with a bang. Wang Sisi looked back and saw a slightly downcast Xu Haoran.
"Haoran, you're back," Wang Sisi smiled as she got up to greet Xu Haoran, "where were you?"
She walked to Xu Haoran's side and spread her arms to embrace him. However, Xu Haoran avoided her and staggered away without even looking at her, heading straight for the washroom.
Wang Sisi was slightly stunned and looked towards the washroom with some disbelief. The sound of rushing water came from the washroom, mixed with the sound of Xu Haoran's dry heaving and low growling.
She sank her eyes, which were shining just now, and took a deep look at the bathroom before turning away.
After a while, Xu Haoran came out of the washroom and sat on the sofa with his clothes in disarray and a dishevelled look on his face.
The sight of Lu Xuefei and Luo Qintian hugging this morning was still fresh in his mind, and their conversation was like a steel thorn piercing his heart. Lu Xuefei and Luo Qintian were really ... in that kind of relationship?
Is Xuefei gay? The friend who had been laughing and talking with him about everything was actually gay?
When he thought of this, Xu Haoran wanted to retch again. He covered his mouth and looked fixedly at the glass table top on the coffee table.1
At that moment, a white and soft hand reached out to Xu Haoran, and in that hand was a cup of hot water.
Looking over that pretty hand, a young and delicate face, blooming with a youthful warm smile, was looking at him. Her eyes were full of loving tenderness. He lost himself and murmured, "Sisi?"
Wang Sisi smiled, sat down beside Xu Haoran and caressed his back with her empty hand, "What's wrong with you, Haoran? You're so lost in thought. Have you run into any trouble? "
Xu Haoran's stomach, which had been a little queasy just now, settled when he saw Wang Sisi, who always looked at him so tenderly as if he was her whole world. She was so pure, innocent, and understanding, always knowing what he needed, which was why he loved her so much.
Xu Haoran was embarrassed when he thought of his action of pushing Sisi away when he came back just now. He smiled apologetically and took the hot water from Sisi's hand, "Sorry for pushing you just now."
Wang Sisi laughed, "It's okay, I know you didn't mean it. What's wrong?"
Xu Haoran took a sip and said, after a moment's hesitation, "I heard that Xuefei had fallen ill and went to visit him in the hospital this morning after finding out where he was. I didn't expect to find any bodyguards outside the door when I reached the end of the corridor. The bouncers didn't let me in, but through the window, I saw ... Xuefei and Luo Qintian hugging each other."
Wang Sisi smiled meaningfully and she covered her mouth in surprise, "You mean Mr. Lu is gay? And with Luo Qintian... "
Xu Haoran let out a bitter laugh but still shook his head, "I just thought about it. There must be a hidden agenda in this matter! It was Luo Qintian who seduced Xuefei. Xuefei is clearly obsessed with cleanliness and doesn't even touch women. I must save Xuefei. He is the only child in the Lu family, and I must not watch him go astray. "
Wang Sisi's eyes suddenly sank. Xu Haoran's current behaviour was too strange. He was obviously very homophobic, but after knowing that Lu Xuefei was gay, he was actually willing to accept him. If he knew that Lu Xuefei liked him, the consequences were uncertain.
Wang Sisi's heart was anxious, and her mouth became a bit unpredictable: "But you can't be sure that Lu Xuefei is not gay, can you? You can't impose your own thoughts on him. Maybe this is the original him. He doesn't touch women, maybe not because he has a cleanliness problem, but because he was originally gay. "
Wang Sisi added silently in her heart: "And one who likes you."
Hearing Wang Sisi's words, Xu Haoran's body shook, and the hand holding the cup was trembling. Wang Sisi's words were not without merit, but he grew up with Xuefei, so how could he accept this reality?
Seeing this, Wang Sisi hugged Xu Haoran and pressed her head against his leg, "Haoran, I've been having insomnia for the past two days and my head hurts a bit. Why don't you go with me to sleep for a while?"
"Are you not feeling well? Come on, let's go home first. I'll call a doctor for you to go home and take a look." As soon as Xu Haoran heard that Wang Sisi was not feeling well, he no longer had time to think about Lu Xuefei, and without saying a word, he helped Wang Sisi go home.
Bai Lixin's coma was caused by the activation of the protection program automatically determined by the system, and he could not wake up until his spiritual power was restored. All of the tests performed after waking up were perfectly normal. The doctor's review was clean, so Bai Lixin was discharged from the hospital.
Not long after sending Bai Lixin home, Luo Qintian left in a hurry because he had some business to attend to at work. When he saw Luo Qintian leave, Bai Lixin opened his computer and searched for topics that were related to him and Wang Sisi.
When he typed in the words Wang Sisi, the webpage instantly listed the topics about her by the number of hits.
"Wisdom and beauty coexist; Li Sisi left the company and set up a studio alone."
"The employer was unkind; talented actress Wang Sisi sets up her own studio."
and "It is confirmed that Wang Sisi will join director Zhang Li's World of Three Voices, she will be the youngest female lead in the national treasure director's film!"
The list went on and on, trying to shape Wang Sisi into an all-round actress.
Searching for Lu's Entertainment, the company has also been on the top of the charts for a while, but its reputation is not so good, and it is basically full of scorn;
"The company's president was unkind and unjust, suppressing the vice president and forcing a number of senior members to leave the company."
"Love breeds hate. Lu's president failed to force unspoken rules on the goddess Wang Sisi and terminated her contract in anger." and so on.
If Lu Xuefei really wanted to threaten one of his artists, all he would have had to do was bench her. He would not have had to do anything, and time would have made her fade away and become a worthless star.
Bai Lixin navigated to the most popular Chinese forum with a flick of his finger.
The four beauties of the pond: "Wang Sisi has a great future. Lu's entertainment company has no eyes. They gave up on such a talented actress."
Ship of Friendship: "In addition to that, Wang Sisi is going to sign an advertising contract with the Luo Group. I have seen all the raw films, and the acting is so explosive. The Luo Group used to invite big international stars. I think this time she is really going to be popular."
Superwomen: "Is that the one in the top 50 global groups, the Luo Group? Upstairs, I also want such resources."
I love you, baby: "I'm begging for resources too. But don't you think it's inconsistent? If Lu was really suppressing her, they could have just benched Wang Sisi. Why did they have to terminate her contract?
Four beauties of the pond: "That Lu Xuefei is just stupid, but thanks to his stupidity, the goddess was able to benefit from misfortune and set up her own studio."
Almost all netizens sided with Wang Sisi. The cohesive power of idols was extremely frightening. The reputation of Lu Xuefei and Lu's Entertainment Group was now at its lowest point since the company was founded.
Bai Lixin looked at these comments, laughing more and more, and finally laid down on the table, still laughing out loud.
He slapped the table and spat out in his mind, [No matter what world one is in, human opinion is extremely frightening. They obviously don't know the truth, yet they speak as if it had happened right next to them.]
[These people may be businessmen, office workers, or civil servants, but now they are gathered on the internet, using their verbal violence to do so-called justice. s419M, do you think their faces would hurt if the truth came to light?]
S419M replied after a while: [ Lord Host, I have carefully analysed human nature. People have a sense of shame, and when they find out that they have wronged others, they will be ashamed. However, the possibility of face pain you mentioned should be 0.01% because no one would ever hit them in the face in reality because of the truth.]
When Bai Lixin heard S419M's serious reply, he laughed out loud again, [S419M, although you are super artificial intelligence, you don't understand human nature after all. Today, the lord host will teach you one more lesson about being human. There are some punches to the face that do not require contact through the skin, but the pain is several times or even tens of times greater than physical contact].
After saying this to S419M, Bai Lixin narrowed his eyes and "crackled" on his keyboard.
The next day, a new thread was posted on the front page of the forum.
If the previous post was just a spiteful and popular post, then this post was a rigorous analysis post.
This post elaborated on four separate aspects of Wang Sisi's leaving the company with a purpose.
The owner of this post scattered thousands of words, analyzing all the inconsistencies of the whole incident.
The first is that Wang Sisi's studio was set up so quickly that it was suspicious. The poster rigorously analyzed the time spent on site selection, rent, contract, decoration, and personnel, and finally came to the conclusion that even the fastest entertainment studios need three months of preparation time.
The second was the timing of the termination of the contract. Even if Lu's president is stupid, he should have known that Wang Sisi had signed so many advertising contracts and that once he cancelled the contract, he would definitely face problems of liquidation damages for breach of contract, and by then he would definitely be left with no money. So why is he so stupid?
The third is the motive, Lu's Entertainment has no motive at all to terminate Wang Sisi's contract and doing so would only harm the company. They would rather bench her than terminate Wang Sisi's contract.
The fourth is the real reason. The poster boldly stated that Lu Xuefei was in fact the victim. He had to terminate the contract because he was threatened. As for the evidence of the threat, it will be released later.
The fifth clarification is that Luo's Group's advertising contract for Vision TV is still with Lu's Entertainment and has not changed.
This post instantly took over the front page, with countless people clicking in. The post was so rigorous that Wang Sisi's fans wanted to refute it, but felt that it was so reasonable that they were unable to do so.
But there were so many die-hard fans, that they couldn't come up with an objective theory to defeat this post, so they could only put posts all over the place to defend her brainlessly.
"My Wang Sisi is working so hard with no time for these games, how can you be such a conspiracy theorist."
"Is it possible that Lu Xuefei hired a water army? Please don't change the rhythm, okay?"
"If the ads are really still Lu's responsibility, I will definitely not watch them, let alone buy a Vision TV! If I do, I'll come and eat the keyboard live! "
This post was soon filled with countless layers of people saying they would not buy a Vision TV.
Bai Lixin read the post and shrugged his shoulders. Should he give a heads-up to keyboard manufacturers to stock more keyboards?
Otherwise, with so many people eating keyboards live, these manufacturers would really be in short supply ah.2
Arc 1.8 [Chapter 8]
A few days after the post went viral, CCTV began to broadcast the commercial on Vision TV during prime time.
The commercial was a full minute long, already way longer than other commercials. As soon as they saw the ad, almost all of Wang Sisi's fans refused to see it, but after just one look, they couldn't move their eyes away.
The picture was still the same as the one Bai Lixin had shown to Luo Qintian that day, but with post-production refinements and musical interpretations, the whole scene was even more stunning. In the four days that Bai Lixin spent locked up on the video, in addition to filtering the blue light of the entire video, he also optimized the details again.
The soft blue glow of the sea floor, the dappled sunlight, the flowing water, the frolicking fish, the huge blue whales and the terrifying great white shark.
The music rises and falls and stirs the heart.
As the music ends, a low, mellow male voice is heard:
"Vision TV, opening a new era of 3D TV."
One minute is a long time for a commercial, but for the audience, it was too short. They were so engrossed in what they had just seen that they didn't want to look away.
Once the ad came out, some gadget enthusiasts went to the mall the same day to ask for a TV. By this time, the real 3D video was already playing on the Vision TVs on display. The buyers couldn't wait to put on the 3D glasses and were amazed and all had one thought:
"Great, so great! Must buy it, definitely must buy it!"
Most of these were simply electronics enthusiasts who are particularly keen on all kinds of advanced electronics. There were also pragmatic buyers who are realistic and liked to pursue facts. The fact that the TV can support 3D viewing is one thing, but it was also ahead of other brands in the industry in terms of quality in every aspect.
Many of them are the same netizens who lined up in the post saying they would not buy a Vision TV, but had now forgotten their harsh words at the time and just wanted to place their orders and get their hands on the TVs as soon as possible.
The commercial was not only broadcast in China but also spread around the world via the internet. People took notice of the new TV and started to ask about its performance and attributes.
With one short commercial, Vision TV had successfully promoted its product, achieving what other brand companies would have had to work for years to achieve.
In just three days after the TV commercial was aired nationwide, the number of domestic TV sets sold had already reached 50 million units. And international orders actually amounted to 100 million units. These results were not only due to the high quality of the commercial but also to the high quality of the product. Even with the most pompous propaganda, a faulty product itself would be a lost cause.
But conversely, if the product itself is of high quality, but lacks the right publicity, its promotion and sales results will be mediocre. So this time, both the advertisement and the product are of high quality, which is why the orders came in so quickly.
The general manager of Vision TV was smiling from ear to ear. When the big boss had asked him to produce more TV sets to put in the warehouse, he was afraid of not being able to sell them would increase storage costs. But after only three days, stocks were running low. He had to ask the production line to work overtime to produce more TV sets while maintaining quality.
The previously viral post-making analysis has been buzzing with activity over the past two days.
"Watch out everyone, I'm going to eat my keyboard live. Hahaha, luckily I was quick on the uptake and got the Vision TV at the first opportunity."
"I'm going to start live streaming too, I'll show you my new Vision TV."
This statement was followed by a few photos of the brand new Vision TV.
"Damn, I was on a business trip for those two days, and when I went back to the mall to buy it, it was actually out of stock, and the official website was also temporarily out of stock. Damn, I want to eat my keyboard live too!"
These people were showing off in a self-deprecating manner over being able to own a Vision TV, they didn't really care about eating keyboards, they just cared about having such a TV.
"Is this ad and 3D video really made by Lu's Entertainment? I can't believe it, it's so gorgeous. If you look around the world, these two videos are among the top, if not the best."
"Yeah, the first time I watched it, I almost gave my knees to the TV."
"Hahahaha, I watched the whole thing on my knees, my mum was asking me why I was kneeling to a TV set."
"That's because they don't understand, it's not a TV we're kneeling for! It's a great piece of technology we're kneeling for!"
This was supposed to be a rigorous analysis post, but as the poster disappeared, the thread gradually began to skew, with all that was said late in it being admiration and worship for the two commercials.
As for the evidence that the poster previous claimed would show Bai Lixin was blackmailed into terminating Wang Sisi's contract, it had been slow on the release but people were no longer paying attention to all this. Because there was an even more fashionable and trendy entertainment topic on the internet; Lu's Entertainment is planning to make a 3D movie!
The internet was like that. Netizens were so vigorous, that once there is a new topic to attract them, people don't have so much energy to focus on old topics.
The second week after the launch of the Vision TV commercial, Lu's Entertainment suddenly released the official word that it was going to shoot the first real 3D movie in China.
Previously, other large domestic entertainment and media companies had actually tried to make 3D movies, but due to their inability to master the advanced 3D technology, the 3D movies they produced could only be described as imitations, that were not only unattractive but also inferior to traditional 2D movies.
After seeing several major companies try and fail at the box office, other companies on the fence gave up thinking of making 3D films and continued to make steady progress by shooting traditional 2D films.
China is a huge country with a population of over a billion people, but the reputation of the film industry has never been good, whether in 2D or 3D. People had lost faith in their country's films. Every time they watch a trailer, they are full of hope, only to be disappointed when they see the main film.
That's exactly why the internet was abuzz when Lu's Entertainment, which had just come to prominence with a 3D commercial that shocked the world, announced that it was making a 3D movie.
If a commercial can be so well made, what if it's a movie? Can Chinese films really lead the international standard this time? Is it going to the sky this time? Our country can finally raise its eyebrows in the international arena!
Not long after Lu's Entertainment announced the 3D film, Bai Lixin was approached by Wei Xinyi, Chairwoman of S City Huanyu Real Estate Co.
At the age of thirty-two, Wei Xinyi was head of a major conglomerate. In addition to her own skills and drive, she also has a father who is a politician.
Her father is a powerful man in the central government and has done a lot to pave the way for his daughter. With her father's support, Wei Xinyi's business journey was smooth and unhindered.
The money she made in turn assisted her father and opened up contacts for him, creating a virtuous circle, so to speak. The two protect each other and those who knew them, know this well, but no one dares to speak out.
When he heard that it was Wei Xinyi who was visiting, Bai Lixin had a big headache, because Wei Xinyi was none other than the gold master to film, TV and song star Zhou Yun.
The reason why the former Lu Xuefei did not dare to openly go against her is because of Wei Xinyi's deep background, which is also why the negative news about Wang Sisi could spread so quickly and uncontrollably in the previous life.1
As soon as Wei Xinyi stepped into Bai Lixin's office, she didn't hesitate to sit on the sofa without waiting for Bai Lixin to speak. She scanned the office with her head held high and said in a slightly patronizing tone, "Mr. Lu's company is very practical, even though it is small."
Bai Lixin smiled, stood up and said, "It's a great honour to have Miss Wei here. What would you like to drink?"
"Coffee, please."
Bai Lixin nodded and picked up the phone of the assistant outside and said, "A cup of black tea and a cup of coffee, please."
After instructing the secretary, Bai Lixin then moved away from the desk and went to sit on the sofa opposite Wei Xinyi, "You see I have not greeted you well, I have been negligent, please do not blame Miss Wei."
Wei Xinyi smiled, "No, this time it was my rash visit that disturbed Mr. Lu's normal work, just don't scold me in your heart."
The two of them were both smiling and polite until the assistant brought two drinks.
Only then did Wei Xinyi open up and tell the truth: "Mr Lu, a few days ago I saw the TV commercial you produced for the Luo Group and was really amazed by it. I was very fond of it, so I thought I would find an opportunity to work with you in the future."
"Yesterday, I heard that your company is preparing to make a 3D film, so I would like to join your 3D film production as an investor, what do you think?"
Bai Lixin froze, his temples hurting a little. If he could, he really didn't want to mess with such a "powerful" woman.
Not to mention the fact that this was the person that the heroine, Wang Sisi, had to attack, and her history of making a fortune was enough to make people criticize her to death.
There is no shortage of talents, wizards and crooks in the business world. They have grown their businesses little by little with their own skills, and although there are successes and failures in the business world, they are convinced of their hard work.
But what she lacks in a company that has risen from the ground on the back of her family background, is the experience and the polishing that the business world gives through trials and errors, and what her company doesn't lack is the hesitancy of those in the industry.
When the Wei Group competes with its peers, the peers are usually pressured by their fathers to give up, and the Wei group takes it in hand.
The new generational leaders of China are now clean and honest, and the political scene is clear. At this point in time, how can they dare act against the wind, is it not a clear case of courting death?
Wei Xinyi thinks she is the best, but she does not know that there are countless people watching her back, waiting to catch her when she stumbles, Bai Lixin would not want to be partnered with such a ticking bomb.
Bai Lixin showed a flattering expression and said in surprise, "Miss Wei is actually so interested in the film production of a small company like mine?"
Wei Xinyi got the right answer from Bai Lixin's face, she smiled and said, "I'm not going to hide it from you, I can invest in the film, but there's a condition."
"What's the condition?"
"Let Zhou Yun be the male lead."
Bai Lixin's temples hurt, even more, one Wei Xinyi he failed to avoid, but there was still a Zhou Yun. The three of them together; himself, Wei Xinyi and Zhou Yun could be described in one sentence: the Iron Triangle of Death.3
Bai Lixin pursed his lips and forced a smile, saying back, "But, I don't need live performances in this film."
Wei Xinyi: "..."
Wei Xinyi had come in person this time, aside from securing a role for her lover Zhou Yun, she also had another reason, which was that she was interested in Lu Xuefei.
Lu Xuefei was originally the president of a small entertainment company, and she hadn't cared about it before. But ever since she saw that advertisement and saw Lu Xuefei's appearance, she had become interested in him.
She had accidentally seen Lu Xuefei, as he announced in the video that his company would be producing a 3D film. He was so distinguished in appearance, generous in speech and decent in manners that Wei Xinyi had other thoughts.1
She is carnivorous and has several lovers around her, not only in the film and television industry but also in the business world. She even had a male publicist, all of whom are handsome young men.
Lu's entertainment company has always been handled by Xu Haoran, and Lu Xuefei has always been behind the scenes, rarely appearing in the public eye.
This time, Lu's Entertainment announcement was made by Lu Xuefei, and the video was widely circulated on the Internet. So she noticed that Lu Xuefei was not only a talented young man but handsome too, even better looking than Zhou Yun, which is why she had the idea of taking him into her harem.
Otherwise, she would not need to come in person just for Zhou Yun's sake, she just used Zhou Yun's business to talk to Lu Xuefei.
Since there was no live-action performance, Wei Xinyi had to settle for the second-best and said, "It's a pity, but Wei will still help Mr Lu. How many hundred million will your film cost?"
Arc 1.9 [Chapter 9]
ai Lixin glanced at the clock hanging on the wall out of the corner of his eye; it was already six o'clock in the afternoon.
In order to celebrate the big sales volume of the Vision TV set, Luo Qintian had asked him to have dinner tonight, and the time was set for seven o'clock. It was rush hour, so if he didn't leave soon, he would be delayed by traffic.
He has been through dozens of worlds and has long lost his sense of propriety and has no principles. But when it comes to what he promised Luo Qiantan, he never wants to make any mistakes or be hypocritical.
When he saw that Wei Xinyi really wanted to get involved, he smiled coyly and said, with a slight embarrassment, "I'm not going to lie, Miss Wei, our 3D film doesn't need hundreds of millions; a few tens of millions is enough. So, with our current capital, the company can still be self-sufficient and does not intend to look for investors. "
When Wei Xinyi ever met a closed-door before, her face suddenly turned a bit ugly? She didn't say anything and just took a big gulp of coffee.
Seeing this, Bai Lixin said, "I thank you for your kindness. I will personally come and apologise for the poor hospitality today. So, please don't blame me, miss Wei. " Bai Lixin was a keen human being. How could he not see Wei Xinyi's fancy?
Wei Xinyi was angry, but when she heard Bai Lixin's words, she couldn't be angry anymore.
Since Bai Lixin had said so, she had achieved half of her purpose today. The other half was Zhou Yun's lack of fortune, so she could only find him a suitable film.
It was Zhou Yun who had begged her for help with this 3D film, but since Bai Lixin had already said that there was no male lead in that film, she would have to look for another film to make it up to Zhou Yun, the little demon.
She recently heard that the national treasure director, Zhang, is preparing a film that intends to enter the Academy Awards. This was the only higher gold content other than this 3D film. By the time he wins that role, won't her baby Zhou Yun still be grateful and obedient to her?
When she thought of this, Wei Xinyi lost her anger.
She stood up and ruffled her bangs, coquettishly smiling, "In that case, I'll wait for Mr. Lu to come and make amends with me. It's getting late. I won't interrupt any further, so I'll leave first. "
Bai Lixin got up and opened the door for Wei Xinyi, smiling, "Take care of yourself, Miss Wei."
Seeing Wei Xinyi walking away, Bai Lixin's face changed, revealing a mocking smile.
Wei Xinyi was conceited and foolish, unable to see the situation truly.
She was soaring high in the sky, looking down on all beings, but she did not know that she was just a fluttering kite and her father was the one holding the string, now flying this exciting kite on the edge of the cliff.
He was flying the kite high, so high that the string would break soon. By then, due to the rebound force, not only would the kite be swept to pieces in the strong wind, but even the person who flew it would have a hard time escaping.
In the original plot of this world, Wang Si Si was the one who cut the kite.
He did not intend to strike out against either side now; his striking out against any side would only help the other side in the end. He was already fond of pretending to be a pig and eating a tiger, so he would not let anyone else get the better of him. He was just going to be a spectator and sit back and reap the benefits.
After Wei Xinyi left, Bai Lixin immediately went into the room attached to his office and found a plain white suit to change into. After making himself look handsome, he walked out of the office and headed to Luo Qintian's restaurant reservation.
As soon as Bai Lixin stepped into the private room, Luo Qintian's eyes lit up instantly.
The young man smiled back sincerely, and his two black grape-like eyes were now curved into the shape of a crescent moon, making him unspeakably cute. The pure white suit made Bai Lixin even more handsome, as noble and holy as a prince from the fairy tale world.
When Bai Lixin saw Luo Qintian, his face, which was just smiling, suddenly became chagrined: "Oh my God, you are first again. I arrived fifteen minutes early and thought I would be the one waiting for you this time, but I didn't expect you to already be here. "
Luo Qintian smiled lightly and poured wine for the other party. "Between you and me, we don't need to worry about that." He said this in a casual manner, but only the heavens knew how many crucial appointments had to be cancelled to get here early, just to see the amazing moment when Bai Lixin walked through the door.
Bai Lixin was not polite and raised the glass and said, "Congratulations on the success of your company's TV sales. Cheers!"
Luo Qiantan raised his glass and clinked it with Bai Lixin's, smiling, "Cheers!"
Both of them took a shallow sip before Luo Qintian said, "I should be the one to raise a glass to you. It's thanks to your help this time. Without your two commercials, it would not have been possible for the TV set to sell so well. "
"In fact, the quality of the Vision TV sets is very good, and even without our advertisements, the sales would have been substantial."
"You can't say that. I agree with you that sales would be very good. But the market is changing rapidly, and ill-timed product promotion will also affect the product. Without your advertising, it would have taken two years for the TV to be launched. "
" By then, maybe we would have taken over the majority of the market, but because it was left unprompted for two years, other companies could have taken advantage of the situation. This will not only increase the uncertainty of the product but also add unnecessary costs."
"This time, because of your advertising, Vision TV has been rolled out to the world at an unprecedented rate, saving us not only time but also effort. You're a genius, Xuefei. "
"Not bad for the baby I have my eye on," Luo Qintian added secretly.
Luo Qintian's words were spoken with great sincerity, without the slightest hint of perfunctory politeness.
Bai Lixin was a little embarrassed by the compliment. He wasn't a genius, he was just an academic.
Coughing twice, he changed the subject, "I might be out of touch occasionally in a couple of days again. I announced two days ago that I would be making a 3D movie, and I plan to start working on it in soon. "
Luo Qintian sank his eyes for a moment before saying, "I'm also going to country M in a couple of days to take care of some things for about three months. I have no objection to you working, but I have a request. Talk to me on the phone at least once every three days. "
" If I call you more than twice and you don't answer, I will simply have my bodyguards break down the door and drag you out of your work." He knew Bai Lixin's work mode was unhealthy and was naturally a little uneasy.
Bai Lixin shrugged, "Okay, okay, I promise you that I will report work to the leader in a timely manner."
Luo Qintian nodded, "Haha okay. Do you have enough money for the 3D film this time? Do you need my investment? "
"No, it's enough." Bai Lixin shook his head, "Speaking of which, this afternoon..."
He gave a sudden lurch and peered back through the curtain.
"What's wrong?" Noticing Bai Lixin's abnormality, Luo Qintian asked.
Bai Lixin rubbed his temples and laughed, "Nothing. I guess I've had too much to drink and I keep feeling like someone is staring this side."
" This Michelin restaurant maintains privacy very well, and we are also in a separate private room. No one should be paying attention to this side. Don't think too much about it. Anyway, what did you want to say about this afternoon? " Luo Qintian reassured Bai Lixin, but his own eyes narrowed and he looked out through the door frame as if he could see through it.
"Oh, I made a budget this afternoon, and now the company has enough money for me to make 2 3D movies, so don't worry." Bai Lixin hesitated for a moment and frowned, "But if Mr. Luo can settle the advertising fees with my company earlier, I think my company's funds will be more generous." It was better not to tell Luo Qintian about Wei Xinyi, lest he also be dragged down into the water.
Luo Qintian laughed and said, "After all this, it turns out that you are here to collect a debt from me. Fine, fine, I'll have the finance department settle the expenses for you first thing in the morning. "
Bai Lixin then smiled and raised his glass, "Then I will thank the generous Mr. Luo in advance."
The two of them ate less and talked more, their minds on each other, not on the meal. It was only when Luo Qintian answered a phone call that the two had to end their meeting early.
Both of them had drunk a lot of wine, so Bai Lixin left his car at the restaurant and took Luo Qintian's, asking the driver to take him home first.
It seemed that Luo Qiantian had something to take care of, so he dropped Bai Lixin off at the door and left.
As he watched Luo Qiant's back, Bai Lixin suddenly had a fluttering feeling in his heart. He stumbled after Luo Qiant and hugged him from behind, pouting, "You're just going to leave without a goodbye kiss?"
When he heard Bai Lixin's words, Luo Qintian turned around fiercely and took the other man's soft, warm lips.
He had restrained himself from kissing or hugging him for as long as he could. He was only afraid that once he started, he would lose control and have no choice but to take him.
But he didn't expect this little guy to come forward and ask for a kiss, so don't blame him for not being polite.
Luo Qintian's tongue forced its way into Bai Lixin's mouth, hooking his little tongue and wiggling it around in his mouth.
Bai Lixin groaned. He was not mistaken that day; kissing Luo Qintian really felt good.
His body felt like a puddle of mud, and he wanted to lean into his arms. His body trembled, and even his heart was beating wildly as if it was about to pop out of his throat.
After a long time of intertwining lips and tongues, Luo Qiantan let go of Bai Lixin and brought him to the door again, "Go inside, you have drunk a lot of wine and should have a good sleep."
Bai Lixin nodded and opened the door. He suddenly remembered something and once again took Luo Qintian's hand, saying, "Ah, you should put your fingerprints in too."
Luo Qintian froze for a moment, then smiled. He rubbed Bai Lixin's soft hair vigorously and entered his fingerprints from the inside before striding away.
As soon as the door closed, it separated the two men.
Before Bai Lixin could remember to reflect on all this, S419M spoke up: [Lord host, someone has been following us just now].
Bai Lixin stood up, his eyes were clear, and there was no trace of his drunken and silly appearance. Bai Lixin had always been a great drinker, so how could he get drunk just by saying that he was drunk. This being "drunk" was just a pretext for being intimate with Luo Qintian.[Did you find out who it was?] He asked.
[Lord Host, I did. It's a private detective under Wei Xinyi.]
Bai Lixin's eyes narrowed, [Intercept all Wei Xinyi's electronic calls and video images. I want to see what she really wants.]
"Wei Xinyi, Wei Xinyi, you'd better not run yourself to the front of the gun's barrel. If you don't touch my bottom line, you can still live happily for another year and a half; if you do, I don't care about my previous theory of waiting to reap benefits."
Arc 1.10 [Chapter 10]
Luo Qintian took the investigation information handed over by his men, holding the paper in one hand and cupping the corner of the paper with the other, his eyes looking through it carefully.
The person who followed Lu Xuefei last night was actually Wei Xinyi's private detective.
Wei Xinyi was also famous in the upper-class business circles, not because of how smart she was in business, but because of her large appetite.
She not only enjoys getting something for nothing, but she is also extremely lustful and has no reservations about eating meat or fish.
Luo Qintian's sixth sense has been particularly strong since he was a child, and he has an extremely keen and unusual instinct for his surroundings.
Last night, when Bai Lixin stepped into the room, he was amazed by the white-clad man and ignored the surroundings, but once he sat down, long before Bai Lixin noticed that someone was there, he had already sensed that someone was watching and observing.
Someone was stalking him?
There was a video conference with the board of directors of the M Group headquarters scheduled for 9 p.m, a meeting to discuss the next new project, and he had to finish their meal in a hurry.
On the way to drop Bai Lixin off, a nondescript silver-grey car had been following, not too far or too close, like a skilful stalker who was a veteran. Not wanting to involve Bai Lixin, he had to resist the urge to hug and kiss him goodbye as he left.
But he hadn't expected Bai Lixin to be so enthusiastic after drinking, and he indulged himself in the excitement for a while.
When he drove away from the Lu residence, Luo Qintian noticed that the man was no longer following him, but going in another direction.
Could it be that he was not the one being followed? Then was he following Bai Lixin?
Luo Qintian pursed his lips. The Luo Group had underworld origins, and his father was also killed for personal grievances back then. After he took over the company, he was not only questioned and rejected by insiders but also faced repeated assassination attempts.
More than a decade had passed and the Luo Group had been successfully whitewashed by him and had become a group with no ties to the underworld. And those dissidents were also eradicated and uprooted by him. The assassinations never happened again, and everything seems to have gotten better.
But the memories of those years of struggle on the knife's edge were burned into the marrow of his bones and would never go away. He never relaxed, because he knew that the dissidents he had eliminated were still watching him from the shadows.
He hadn't looked for a lover over the years either. For one thing, he didn't have anyone that caught his eye, so he settled for short-term lovers, as he was also busy with the transformation and expansion of his company to have the energy to spare.
It was only when Bai Lixin appeared that he began to think it was time to manage a relationship properly.
That night Xu Haoran stopped him and told him to give up on Bai Lixin, saying that Bai Lixin "has a cleanliness problem and has never even touched a woman". Although Luo Qintian's face did not move, his heart was a little happy. He had never known that he cared so much about what others thought.
He cared for Bai Lixin more than anything else. To use an analogy, if he gave up a large order deal of tens of billions, he would only be sorry for a few days. But if he had to give up Bai Lixin, he would be depressed for a long time.
How could he bear it now that someone he cared so much about was actually being followed? If the other party was in the dark, wouldn't it be bad if it was those who were watching him intently?
As soon as he left the Lu residence, Luo Qintian sent someone to track down that person.
But the results of the investigation seemed to be somewhat unexpected, for the culprit was not his enemy, but a woman who was known in his circle for her lecherous appetite and treated "meat" like her life.
If she wanted to stalk someone, there was no need to think about it, as in all probability, there was only one reason.
Luo Qintian lowered his eyes. The Luo Group has a wide range of businesses, some of which overlap with Wei Xinyi's, and she has lost many business battles to them. Therefore, he did not care about Wei Xinyi's small tricks. But this time, Wei Xinyi actually set her eyes on Bai Lixin. Then it's time to teach her the truth about life.
Bai Lixin supported his head and tapped the desk with his fingers. The computer was playing a call intercepted by S419M.
"Baby, come over to my house tonight and I'll tell you the good news."
"Okay, what's the good news? Okay, Xinyi, tell me quickly. Is it that Lu company has agreed to make me the lead actor in their 3D movie?"
"Hmph, not at all. That movie doesn't have a male lead at all. Do you want to enter the Academy awards? I've got you in touch with director Zhang to make you the male lead in his movie. How about that? "
"Really?! That's great, Xinyi. I'm so happy. Wait, I'll drive to your place right away and we'll celebrate. "
Bai Lixin rubbed his chin.
Director Zhang? Academy awards? Isn't it the same film that Wang Sisi is shooting as a female lead? It was really a coincidence that Zhou Yun and Wang Sisi were in a bad relationship, but fate kept putting them together.
When one audio segment ended, Bai Lixin clicked on the next one. When this one played, Bai Lixin's original casual expression was suddenly withdrawn, and his face was slightly tinged with anger.
"Dad, can't Luo's group be brought down yet? If you give the word now, I can immediately fabricate a bunch of scandals for it."
"Why do you want to move in on Luo's group again, Xinyi?"
"Nothing, I just don't like him. He steals our business every time. Which company dare not give up the projects that Wei Group likes, but this Luo's is always against me. "
"Xingyi, it's not that dad doesn't want to clear the way for you, but this Luo has deep roots, has always had good relations with the government, and is based abroad."
"It's not the kind of company we can just defeat. It's a thorn and will actually hurt you if you attack it. Be a good girl and listen to your father. Bear with it, a hero does suffer immediate losses. Just because we can't touch it now doesn't mean we can't do it in the future, Daddy promises you that he will help you."
"Tihehe, I knew Daddy cared for me the most. Good, then I will endure it for a while. "
Wei Xinyi had actually set her eyes on Luo Qintian's head?
Bai Lixin tapped his fingers hard on the table. He wasn't worried that Luo Qintian couldn't handle this matter. Luo Qintian's headquarters were in M country, and he wouldn't care about this small piece of meat in China. He had only come back to China to cleanse his family and answer the government's call.
It was just that when he thought of someone trying to deal with Luo Qintian, a nameless fire rushed straight to the back of his mind, more furious than anyone even dealing with him.
"You can deal with me if you want to, I'll play with you. But if you want to do harm to Luo Qiantan, then you will have to bear the consequences! "
Bai Lixin had not noticed that he had begun to involuntarily defend Luo Qintian's interests. This was clearly a mentality of protecting the calf.
Wang Sisi hung up the phone with a gloomy face. After days of preparation, the news of the opening of director Zhang's new film finally arrived. However, she just received a call saying that the male lead had been changed to Zhou Yun. They would be in the same cast!
Zhou Yun? How could it be Zhou Yun?
At that time, Xu Haoran had shown her two scripts, and the reason she picked this film was for two purposes.
One was to avoid Zhou Yun, whose current status in show business had not yet been fully consolidated.
Zhou Yun started out as a singer and later transitioned to doing dramas and movies. He should have just gotten close to Wei Xinyi, the golden master. After that, Wei Xingyi started to promote him, and after three years of promotion, he finally took his place as the first brother in the acting circle and dominated the screen for a long time.
According to the memory from her previous life, Zhou Yun should have picked the other script that she had given up on, but how did he come to choose this one by director Zhang in this life?
Is it because her own life has been disrupted and the butterfly effect has caused the lives of those around her to change as well?
The other reason she chose the movie was for gold-plating.
The film industry in China has just taken off, and Director Zhang is very famous today, but his fame will be even greater afterwards. Because this film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, although it was shortlisted and ultimately did not win the award, it was the first film from China to be nominated.
At the time, the two leads of the film were both unknown newcomers, but once they finished the film, they were offered numerous film contracts and became an overnight success. Even if Xu Haoran hadn't given her a script, she would have strongly requested this film, but coincidentally, Xu Haoran chose this film.
It is evident that Xu Haoran has a unique vision and can see the value of this film at a glance. Moreover, he was also in tune with herself, so he is obviously the lover she has to grow old with.1
Thinking of Xu Haoran, Wang Sisi's gloomy face only slightly improved.
Rubbing her brow, she switched on the television, which was showing a TV commercial for Vision TV. Her face, which had just improved, suddenly turned gloomy again, and she turned off the TV in annoyance and threw the remote control away.
It turned out that the Luo Group had not only failed to claim compensation that day but had also revised its cooperation proposal.
It's no wonder. Such a well-made advertisement was more expository and shaping than her own. Although she hated Lu Xuefei, she had to admit this.
But how on earth had Lu Xuefei produced such an ad? In her previous life, she had been with the company for five years, Xu Haoran had handled almost all the company's affairs, and Lu Xuefei was just the president in the title.
Could it be that he was hiding behind his clumsiness? It seemed that she had underestimated him.
Although Wang Sisi was a little unwilling, she still had to admit that this advertisement was indeed unprecedented.
But when she thought of Xu Haoran's joy and pleasure when he saw the ad yesterday, Wang Sisi felt an infinitely magnified sense of worry and fear.
Now that she had been reborn into a new life, she had a pleasant temperament, and everything has gone well for her so far. But only she knows that her heart has long since deteriorated, with low self-esteem, fear, and insecurity.
She has nightmares about her past life. She is always afraid that if she is not careful, she will experience pain and despair again. That's why she has been so calculating this time, planning ahead for everything and taking precautions.
If she waited until after Xu Haoran was snatched away by Lu Xuefei before she came to her senses, wouldn't she be repeating the same mistake?
She was in love with Xu Haoran. She could give up Zhou Yun, but she could not live without Xu Haoran! So anyone who thinks of her man is her opponent!
Wang Sisi has long been psychologically twisted, and once a certain worry arises, she will fall deeply into it and cannot extricate herself. She would magnify the fear to infinity, so much so that she would not hesitate to snuff it out early.
Now caught in it, Wang Sisi's expression was twisted like an evil spirit from hell.
"Ding!"
A sudden text message alert tone pulled Wang Sisi out of this treacherous state. Gathering her hair, Wang Sisi picked up her phone, only to see a few short words on it:
"Want to get Wei Xinyi and Zhou Yun ended? I'll help you–good God of Death."
Wang Sisi shuddered and flipped it open seriously. The sender was actually the word "unknown," and there was no phone number at all!
Gulping, Wang Sisi shivered and replied, "I have no enmity with them. Why should I harm them?"
Half a minute later, Wang Sisi's phone rang again.
"Heh, no grudge? Have you forgotten how you died? "
When she saw these words, Wang Sisi's mind exploded and her surroundings went blank.
This person knew her! He knew her whole life! Who was this man? Was he also a reborn person?
Wang Sisi bit her lip, her face pale as she continued to ask by text message, "Who are you?"
This time, after another twenty seconds, the phone rang again.
"I'm the good God of Death. I'll send you a little something interesting in your email later. I think you'll thank me. Bye."