Chapter 194: Bazaar Night, the Women Compete

The Bazaar Charity Night is already in its sixth year; this event fully mobilizes the stars' penchant for chasing fame and fortune, and it is held with great flair.

For this Bazaar Night, the organizers booked an entire star-rated hotel, and ordinary people cannot get close.

The red carpet was laid from outside the hotel all the way to the third-floor banquet hall, with a staircase of over ten meters in the middle.

Wei Jin and Jing Tian arrived at the hotel, where Su Mang and the staff were waiting at the entrance; without an invitation, even reporters were not allowed in.

"President Wei, Miss Jing, welcome to Bazaar Night, please come in."

Upon receiving the news that Wei Jin was coming, Su Mang was very happy; she had been inviting him for years and finally looked forward to his arrival.

In fact, the weight of the guests in attendance can reflect the influence of Bazaar, and conversely, the influence of Bazaar can determine which tier of guests are invited; this is a mutually reinforcing process.

Following the staff into the third-floor banquet hall, it was instantly different from the outside.

A large number of celebrities from the film, television, and sports circles were gathered in one hall.

The arrival of Wei Jin and Jing Tian attracted the attention of many; it is unknown what the organizers were thinking, but men and women were seated separately.

Wei Jin scanned the room; the female stars had truly put in real effort, they were quite competitive, but one figure caught his attention—Liu Yifei was there too.

"Director Wei, over here, over here."

Huang Xiaoming waved at Wei Jin, signaling the location.

"Alright Tian Tian, you go over first, mind your image."

Wei Jin was a bit worried; the seating arrangement was not very good, as Jing Tian was actually at the same table as Liu Yifei, along with several first-tier actresses like Fan Bingbing, Zhao Yanzi, Li Bingbing, and Zhou Xun.

"Don't worry, brother, I have a sense of propriety."

Jing Tian was increasingly showing the demeanor of a primary wife, which gave Wei Jin some relief, but he was just afraid that Liu Yifei would lose her head.

Forcing himself to calm down, Wei Jin walked toward his seat; at his table were the big shots of the industry, such as Wang Zhongjun, Wang Zhonglei, and Yu Dong.

From the distribution of seats, one could also see that Bazaar is truly snobbish; if your status is different, you cannot sit together.

The gala had not yet started, and everyone was chatting in twos and threes; Wei Jin was naturally the center of everyone's pursuit again.

"President Wei, is 'Lucy' really not open to outsiders?"

Wang Zhonglei was somewhat unwilling; Wei Jin's projects were too profitable, and if he couldn't participate, it was practically equivalent to losing money himself.

His words also attracted the attention of the surrounding stars and artists; even if the lead actress was set, other roles would do too—they were not picky about Wei Jin's films.

"President Wang is joking; the project is about to start filming, and besides, it's just a small endeavor, so I won't trouble President Wang."

'Lucy' had already finished casting, so collaboration was destined to be impossible; as for the investment side, this time even China Film Group wasn't brought in, so why would Huayi be? "Haha, President Wei, if your tens of millions in investment is a small endeavor, then all of us peers will have to eat dirt."

Yu Dong chimed in cheerfully; Wei Jin's distribution business was growing larger and larger, and he was already a competitor to Bona, but cooperation for mutual benefit is always the best way.

"President Wei, you can consider Bona for your next new project."

"President Yu is joking, didn't we just collaborate on 'Painted Skin 2'?"

Anyway, it was still early, so Wei Jin chatted idly with Yu Pangzi.

The project 'Painted Skin 2' was a sequel to the previous work; although the copyright was in Wei Jin's hands, he couldn't leave out the previous investors, otherwise it would be a bit ungrateful and look bad.

"That's different; whatever Old Wang of Enlight Media has, Bona doesn't lack; we can still have more room for cooperation."

Hearing this, Wei Jin understood a little; Enlight had secured 'Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame', and Yu Dong was envious.

This film had already started shooting last month, handled by Xu Laoguai; Wei Jin didn't interfere too much, only offering some suggestions on the actors.

The original 'Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame' had many Hong Kong actors because of Hong Kong investors, but since Wei Jin was in control now, he naturally had to promote his own people.

Regarding the actors, the lead was Qiao Zhenyu; in terms of popularity in Mainland China, he was not inferior to Liu Tianwang at all.

The role of Shangguan Wan'er was given to Bai Bin; her period costume look was truly very tasteful, and Wei Jin had already instructed her to bring the costume back.

The role of Wu Zetian was given to Fan Bingbing, which could also be considered riding the wave of the soon-to-be-aired 'The Empress of China'.

The role originally played by Deng Chao was given to Luo Jin; this guy hadn't had much presence since joining the company, and if not for Zhang Xu's reminder, Wei Jin would have almost forgotten him.

As for the other supporting roles, they were handed over to Enlight; with a thirty percent premium on the investment, he still had to show some courtesy.

"President Yu, there is plenty of time, there will be opportunities."

Wei Jin didn't need to shut the door completely; although the roles of Bona and Enlight were becoming smaller and smaller, they could still help block a lot of trouble at certain times.

"That would be great, President Wei, I, Pangzi, will be waiting, haha." — On the other side, as soon as Jing Tian arrived at the female guest area, someone greeted her.

"Tian Tian, come sit."

On an occasion like today, Liu Yifei didn't stir up trouble and acted like a good best friend.

"Sister Yifei, long time no see, how have you been lately?"

Jing Tian changed her previously aggressive stance, which surprised Liu Yifei quite a bit.

But this was also normal; Jing Tian had already met the parents, her position as the primary wife was stable, and Liu Yifei's threat was greatly reduced, so she naturally had to appear magnanimous.

Moreover, setting aside the reason of Wei Jin, she and Liu Yifei had gotten along quite pleasantly since they first met.

"I'm fine; after the crew wrapped up, I went on a trip to rest and relax."

Liu Yifei didn't clash head-on; she had thought it through during this time—since she didn't want to quit, the struggle would continue, so there was no need to be brave for a moment; showing weakness to the enemy might achieve better results.

"By the way, I haven't congratulated you yet on the box office success and landing 'Lucy'; it's really enviable."

'Now You See Me' had been released for 21 days, and the Mainland box office had already reached 358 million, with a global box office as high as 420 million USD.

Although 'The Incredible Hulk' had already been released, there was no problem with the Mainland box office breaking the record set by 'Painted Skin'; as the only Huaxia actor in the film, Jing Tian's status in the film circle had soared, rivaling the first tier, which was indeed worth congratulating.

Jing Tian was just about to be humble when someone interrupted.

"That's right, Miss Jing's luck is truly enviable."

Li Bingbing, who was on the side, said with a hint of sarcasm; her role in 'The Message' had been taken by Yang Rong, and she was very unwilling and also somewhat dissatisfied with Wei Jin. This little girl was clearly Wei Jin's new flame, and having met on such an occasion, as a senior, she didn't believe the girl would dare to act out.

"Eh, why do I smell such a strong sour stench?"

Before Jing Tian could speak, she didn't expect Fan Bingbing to start helping her counterattack; this surprised the young girl—had this vixen started to change her nature?

"Who are you talking about?" It wasn't the first time the two had clashed, but Li Bingbing never expected her old rival to meddle in other people's business.

"Whoever is sour, that's who I'm talking about, so what?"

Fan Bingbing speaking up to defend her naturally had her own intentions.

She was very clear about Jing Tian's status in Wei Jin's heart; back then, just a bit of probing had nearly gotten her sent to the cold palace, so on an occasion like today, she certainly couldn't let this young lady be bullied.

Furthermore, she and Li Bingbing had never really gotten along; upon learning that even with the strong backing of Huayi, that woman hadn't been able to secure a role in *The Message*, she had been happy for a long time, while simultaneously feeling even more fortunate about her own decision—clinging tightly to Wei Jin's thigh.

In fact, Wei Jin had treated her quite well; first there were the two female-lead dramas *Beauty's Rival in Palace* and *The Empress of China*, and later the two films *Bodyguards and Assassins* and *Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom Flame*, all of which were rare, high-quality resources in the circle.

"You aren't sour, you're amazing, but isn't it all just relying on a man?"

Since the vixen wanted to start a fight, Li Bingbing was no pushover either; it was just sleeping with Wei Jin, what was there to be so smug about?

"That's true, but at least I can get a film lead role."

This statement did have some elements of bragging; Fan Bingbing's screen time in *Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom Flame* was not as much as Bai Bin's, but no matter how one looked at it, she was still better off than Li Bingbing, who couldn't even get a role.

"You—"

Li Bingbing was momentarily choked with anger; compared to the effort Shanhe Media put into promoting their people, Huayi seemed to lack competitiveness.

"I'd like to see if you can still be so smug in a few years."

Fan Bingbing was also eyeing thirty; Li Bingbing didn't feel at all that she could compete for favor against young girls like Jing Tian and Liu Yifei. Even if Wei Jin was infatuated with her now, how much longer could he promote her? "Heh, that's a matter for a few years from now; it's still better than some people who are already past their prime."

Fan Bingbing wasn't worried; at least for the next five or six years, Wei Jin would still be interested in her. By then, she would have earned enough money, accumulated enough connections and resources, and her status would be completely solidified. Wouldn't it be much better to take advantage of the momentum to go ashore and become capital, rather than continuing to struggle in the circle?

"."

The two of them went back and forth like this, their tones sharp and biting, each strike attacking the other's weak points, arguing incessantly.

This also opened the eyes of Jing Tian and Liu Yifei; the infighting between the big stars was much more stimulating than the verbal sparring between the two of them.

However, seeing the two arguing more and more fiercely, other tables had already started to notice them. Jing Tian and Liu Yifei exchanged a look, both understanding each other's meaning—there was no need to follow suit and make a fool of themselves.

Jing Tian tugged at Fan Bingbing, signaling her to stop while she was ahead, though she did appreciate the gesture in her heart, so she would allow her to be a concubine.

Liu Yifei patted Li Bingbing's hand; the two had collaborated on *The Forbidden Kingdom*, so they did have some friendship.

Zhou Xun and Zhao Yanzi spent the whole time happily eating melons on the sidelines; the big stars weren't exactly a harmonious group, and they were quite happy to have the chance to see the battle between Fan and Li.

With 6 women at one table, each harboring different thoughts, the gala began in this somewhat eerie atmosphere. ——The host took the stage first and began to talk about tonight's theme: reconstruction of the disaster area.

Next was the performance segment; Zhang Jingying led the way, followed by many singers taking the stage, and two groups from South Korea also arrived.

The auction segment began; Wei Jin adjusted his sitting posture, as he was going to do some big shopping tonight.

After all, it wouldn't look good to not bid on anything, and if he was going to bid, he couldn't just bid on one item; there were too many women, and he had to keep the bowl level.

"The first item up for auction, a Cartier lucky pendant."

"One million."

Wei Jin raised his paddle directly, and the price he called out scared off quite a few people, though of course, it was very likely everyone was just giving him face.

Jing Tian watched Wei Jin raise his paddle and thought to herself that this didn't seem like a style she liked. Her eyes couldn't help but turn toward Liu Yifei, who was expressionless, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Many luxury goods appeared one after another—LV, Dior, Gucci, Hermès, etc. —and many female celebrities placed bids one after another.

Subsequently, Huang Xiaoming also made a move, competing with a group of male artists for a Gucci limited-edition The East is Red bicycle; this aesthetic was unique enough.

Invited guests also participated one after another; Ms. Deng bid on an oil painting, and Wang Zhongjun took home a set of Olympic posters.

Soon, the thing Wei Jin wanted appeared: a women's diamond necklace.

Without hesitation, Wei Jin raised his paddle again.

"One million."

The Mainland China female celebrities almost gave up directly; only a few directors' wives from Hong Kong were still raising their paddles.

"One point five million."

Wei Jin's cold voice made these people realize that he wasn't just a director; he was also a capitalist, and a very wealthy one at that.

Soon, no one followed; there were no scenes of face-slapping, which left Wei Jin feeling a bit regretful.

"Director Wei, do you like jewelry?"

Wang Zhonglei asked curiously:

"Mm, it's for the women. If Director Wang doesn't have any ideas, you might as well let me have it."

"Easy, easy."

The subsequent auction seemed a bit dull and tasteless. Basically, as long as it fit the aesthetic of young women, Wei Jin made a move. He spent a total of 9 million to win 7 pieces of various jewelry. He didn't care if he bought too much; he would find a use for them later, and besides, he could contribute to the disaster area.

However, Wei Jin's series of moves made quite a few female celebrities feel uncomfortable. They couldn't compete with him, but they didn't like the other items, so they felt like they had come for nothing.

On the other hand, the organizer Su Mang was all smiles. In her view, Wei Jin was giving her face and supporting the event, and his bids were almost all doubled. When the donation amount was exposed later, it would definitely have a sensational effect, which would be a great benefit to the Bazaar Charity Night. ——Less than an hour after the Bazaar ended, the amount of funds raised was announced.

Seeing this number, Wei Jin was a bit stunned. He donated nearly half of it by himself? Thinking about it carefully, some people were just using the gala for clout, shouting prices but not paying in the end.

With so many celebrities attending, he didn't know if even half of them actually paid up in the end.

Su Mang's efficiency was very high; she arranged for someone to deliver the auction items.

Wei Jin let Jing Tian pick one; the girl chose a pink crystal necklace and gave Wei Jin a men's wristwatch in return.

"Brother, you bid on so many, who are you going to give them to?"

Looking at Jing Tian's nonchalant but actually very concerned appearance, Wei Jin felt like teasing her, so he counted on his fingers:

"Hmm, there are quite a few people, let me think... first love, ex-girlfriend, confidante, lover, childhood sweetheart, soul sister..."

"Brother, I don't believe you."

"Haha, Tian Tian, if I really had that many good sisters and good little sisters, and I set up a harem of three palaces and seventy-two concubines, what would you do?"

"Hmph, then I would still be the Empress."

Today's first update, I earnestly request all book friends to provide a subscription, follow-up read, collection, monthly ticket, and recommendation ticket. Thank you all! (End of chapter)