Chapter 222: [Magic City Film Festival]

Picking up 【Su Yu's Glasses】 slowly, Tang Song checked them carefully.

They were very similar to the glasses he was wearing, light, delicate, and textured.

However, the styling was softer, a standard black-framed glasses for women.

I wonder what Su Yu would look like wearing them.

Looking at the stacks of invitations in front of him, Tang Song, who was squatting on the ground, sighed.

Even as a stranger, one could feel her sincere feelings between the lines.

Expectation, shyness, struggle, timidity, pain...

Not to mention him, the person involved.

From the bottom of his heart, he had treated everything as a game at the time; although he was fully engaged when playing, he hadn't treated the characters inside as real people.

In the game, the favorability of 【Female Celebrity-Su Yu】 was naturally full.

As a player, after completing this early plot, he would naturally advance without hesitation.

In his cognition, when he didn't summon the character and didn't have any intersection with her, she would live her own life and work according to the set program.

But if it were replaced by a real person...

That was indeed too cruel, belonging to the typical "flirt and run."

Closing the glasses case and putting it away carefully, Tang Song reached into the safe again.

This time he took out a 7-inch photo frame stand.

The material was frosted metal, which felt cool and delicate to the touch, black and white color scheme, simple and elegant.

Flipping the photo frame, he saw a photo of a man and a woman.

He and Su Yu were standing in front of a tall floor-to-ceiling window, with gorgeous sunset clouds behind them.

Both of them were wearing black-framed glasses on their nose bridges.

Su Yu was still so beautiful, but it was obvious that she was greener, about 20 years old.

Wearing a white thin gauze dress, her chest was high, and her features were carved.

Beside her slender neck, diamond earrings sparkled, swaying in her ears.

His gaze turned to 'Tang Song' standing beside her; Tang Song's expression was slightly dazed.

A sense of trance, as if reality and a game were intersecting, washed over him.

There was a 'buzz' in his brain; he seemed to recall something, yet he couldn't see it clearly.

Judging by his appearance, this was how he looked during his junior year.

Before graduating from university, although Tang Song was unkempt due to being busy, his own conditions were not bad at all.

His figure hadn't yet gained weight, his skin hadn't become poor, and most importantly, his hair was much thicker than it is now.

In the photo, he was wearing a simple casual suit, standing in a relaxed yet upright posture, full of presence.

What was most attractive were his eyes; the corners were slightly upturned, his gaze deep, like a pool of dark, cold water, reflecting a complex and elusive light under the glow of the sunset.

Although Su Yu was extremely outstanding at the time, when standing next to 'Tang Song', she looked more like a foil.

From this photo, Tang Song felt for the first time just how much influence temperament and aura have on a person.

After putting away the photo frame, Tang Song rummaged through the safe again.

Aside from some packaging bags, he found 100,000 USD (in cash) and a plain, unremarkable key at the very bottom.

Holding a stack of neatly piled, brand-new banknotes in one's hand is very visually impactful.

Tang Song toyed with them for a while before putting them back.

After taking a shower in the bathroom, Tang Song lay on the sofa bed in his bathrobe, watching the brilliant night view outside the window while occasionally looking at the photo of the two of them.

He was thinking about how to get 【Su Yu's Glasses】 into Su Yu's hands.

The simplest method would naturally be to go directly to the Tang Zong Entertainment headquarters, but as soon as this thought occurred, the system's notification sound interrupted his fantasy.

With his current charm rating, personal quality, and ability, he truly couldn't directly contact high-level characters like Mo Xiang Wan or Su Yu.

As for mailing them, he was a bit uncertain if it would work.

Last time, he had exploited a system bug to fill in Secretary Jin's address directly through the game interface.

It would be best to find an intermediary who could contact Mo Xiang Wan or Su Yu.

Unfortunately, he currently had no connections in Modou and hadn't inherited any assets here, so he couldn't reach the management of Tang Zong Entertainment for the time being.

If all else failed, he could try to find Ju Qing Hui Jin or Bo Cai Ying Rui to make contact.

These were his two major industries, both of which had intricate connections with characters in the game.

He let his mind wander like this for a good while, not knowing when sleepiness gradually began to rise.

Imperial Capital, Hilton Hotel in DX District.

This five-star hotel, located outside the South Fifth Ring Road, had only been built for 3 years and had very complete internal configurations.

In the double suite.

"Yu Yan, what are your plans for the next steps?" Li Meixia looked at Shen Yu Yan beside her and said softly, "President Hou seems to have strong opinions."

Shen Yu Yan drank a sip of slightly sweet sparkling wine, her expression resolute: "No matter what opinions he has, I will push forward with this financing."

According to the articles of association of Youjie Housekeeping, as long as shareholders with more than two-thirds of the voting rights approve, it can proceed.

The company's current equity structure is: Zhang Tianqi (42%), Shen Yu Yan (40%), Hou Shaoyuan (14%), Li Meixia (2%), Wang Ning (2%).

As founders, Zhang Tianqi + Shen Yu Yan together hold 82% of the equity.

As long as Zhang Tianqi doesn't raise objections, the financing will definitely proceed smoothly.

Li Meixia thought for a moment and advised: "I think you should have a good talk with President Hou; some misunderstandings can be completely resolved, which would be more beneficial to the company's development."

"Clack—" Shen Yu Yan set down her wine glass. "There are no misunderstandings. When I proposed at a meeting before that Tang Song should buy into the company, he opposed it; now that Gongying Technology has investment intentions, he opposes that too."

Li Meixia pursed her lips and patted her on the back. "Isn't it because he has feelings for you? This is actually understandable; after all, with two such outstanding men becoming company shareholders, he's just afraid you'll be snatched away."

Shen Yu Yan sighed. "The seed round of Youjie Housekeeping has already made his investment earn a lot, but his heart isn't in the company at all."

At the beginning of the startup, Zhang Tianqi provided the main profitable business through family connections.

She was responsible for the company's execution and operations; besides emptying out her savings, she also brought out the Bilibili and Douyin accounts she had painstakingly maintained in university with hundreds of thousands of followers.

At first, she made a startup video series, and later gradually transitioned to promoting "Youjie Housekeeping."

More than half of the company's agency business came from here, which was also an important customer acquisition channel.

It can be said that her contribution to the company was definitely the greatest, and she was also the one who most hoped for Youjie Housekeeping to take off.

"Speaking of which, is Tang Song really as awesome as you say? Driving a Mercedes S-Class and having spare money to invest in our company? Just because of one word from Qingqing?"

She and Shen Yu Yan were university classmates, and she also had a good relationship with Xu Qing.

In fact, Shen Yu Yan wasn't just popular among boys; she also had many girls who were close to her, and they were all very outstanding.

After she graduated, these connections also provided her with great assistance.

Shen Yu Yan nodded gently and affirmed: "I know Qingqing; she wouldn't lie to me about this kind of thing. Actually, I wanted to meet Tang Song a few days ago, but as you saw, because of the opposition from Hou Shaoyuan and Wang Ning, things ended unhappily."

"So that's why you ran to the Imperial Capital?"

"Yes!" Sharp, rational light flashed in Shen Yu Yan's eyes. "Didn't they say that individual investors like Tang Song have no benefit to the company's development? Then I'll have Gongying Technology join in as well, participating in this capital increase and share expansion together with Tang Song. Besides, that was my plan all along."

In normal corporate financing, when the demand for funds is large, one company leads the investment while others follow, thereby diversifying investment risks.

They surely wouldn't refuse.

Gongying Technology is a tech enterprise with a valuation of over 100 million, and it possesses broad development prospects.

Establishing a business connection with such a company is very helpful for her future plans.

As for Tang Song, she definitely wouldn't let him go either!

A golden master who can provide funds, and he's also so young and promising.

Compared to Hou Shaoyuan and the others, he fits her requirements for a partner even better.

Thinking of Tang Song, who was sharp and brilliant on stage at the roadshow that day, her eyes sparkled.

Alumni relationship, Qingqing's friend, Lu Ziming's roommate—with a series of buffs stacked, as long as Tang Song becomes a shareholder, he will definitely be on her side.

Plus the promise from Ren Mingyuan, the Vice President of Gongying Technology.

In that case, after this round of capital increase and share expansion, she could dilute the equity of Zhang Tianqi and Hou Shaoyuan.

She would become the true controller of the company and develop it boldly.

Thinking of this, an excited flush rose on her face; she crossed her snow-white, well-proportioned legs and picked up her wine glass to take a big sip.

Li Meixia looked at this great campus belle and couldn't help but sigh in her heart: she's truly beautiful!

Big breasts, a slim waist, a perky butt, and a standard campus belle face—it's no wonder so many men are obsessed with her.

"Tap, tap, tap—" Shen Yu Yan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in her slippers.

"Swish—" She pulled open the gray blackout curtains, pointed to the distant horizon, and said with longing and determination: "Smile Holdings is right there, the best location in Wangjing, the top-tier office building, and the most perfect Jin Meixiao. We won't stay in Yancheng forever; one day we will stand on a bigger stage, attend the top-tier banquets, and talk freely with executives from Fortune 500 companies..."

Li Meixia was also infected by her words; she got up and stood beside her, looking at this brilliant "great campus belle."

If a company wants to develop upward, there must always be someone to lead the direction and encourage and spur it on; Shen Yu Yan was undoubtedly such a person.

Starting a business with her, one can always drink all kinds of delicious chicken soup, and even become full of drive.

Shen Yu Yan looked out at the skyline in the northeast direction, as if she had seen it.

In the starry night sky, there stood a group of people high above.

The train of the era, speeding forward.

This is the Imperial Capital, the political center, cultural center, international exchange center, and technological innovation center of Huaxia; it is a modern international metropolis.

At this very moment, being in it and facing the financing about to be reached.

Her heart was surging, and the decadence and depression of the past were swept away.

Her heart was filled with longing for the future.

Only those with clear ambition can meet at the peak.

She was unwilling to be ordinary and just wanted to seize the opportunity to fight hard.

June 10, 2023, Saturday, Modou, light rain turning cloudy, 23~34°C.

"Swish, swish, swish," raindrops, carried by the wind, beat against the glass window.

The light in the room was somewhat dim.

"Ring-a-ding—" The phone rang suddenly.

Tang Song opened his eyes quickly, looked at the phone on the bedside table, and raised his eyebrows slightly.

【Inspiration Design - Cheng Qiuqiu?】

Because of work before, they had exchanged phone numbers, but this was the first time she had called him directly.

Answering the phone, "Hello, Designer Cheng, good morning."

"Good morning, Tang Song." Cheng Qiuqiu paused and said, "I bought some Modou street breakfast; would you like to try some? I'll send you a portion."

"Uh... okay, thank you." Tang Song rubbed his temples, doubting if he had heard wrong.

Because of Su Yu's invitation and the photo last night, he had been emo until very late before falling asleep.

Although he had the blessing of the 【Male God Aura (LV3)】, he was still a little sleepy.

"I'm in the lounge on the 38th floor now; you can just come over directly."

"Mm."

Hanging up the phone in a daze, Tang Song looked at the phone screen, and after confirming it was correct, he began to tidy up.

Living in an executive suite, he could freely enter the executive corridor.

The breakfast buffet there was very rich; he had looked at the menu before, and there were many kinds of Chinese and Western breakfasts.

But since the other party had kindly helped buy it, he would try it first.

Putting on a summer casual outfit, simply washing his face and brushing his teeth, Tang Song took the elevator directly to the hotel lobby on the 38th floor.

Scanning with his gaze, he saw Cheng Qiuqiu wearing a shirt and jeans.

She was holding a white hotel towel in her hand, wiping her slightly wet hair; she must have been caught in the rain.

On the coffee table in front of her, there were quite a few paper bags and food boxes.

"Good morning."

"Morning, fried dough sticks, fresh meat and winter bamboo shoot siu mai, wontons, salty soy milk, soup dumplings..." Cheng Qiuqiu briefly introduced the breakfast, then added, "You can choose whatever you want from these; I bought them all based on guides, so they shouldn't be bad."

Looking at the rain marks on her body, the expression on her face, and then looking at the breakfast on the coffee table.

Tang Song understood instantly in his heart.

She was still apologizing for the Mercedes car cover incident before.

He really did dislike Liu Wening and the other person.

But after the detention, compensation, and apology, that matter had passed.

He didn't expect Cheng Qiuqiu to be so persistent and serious.

It was exactly the same as her attitude at work.

Tang Song didn't have any dietary restrictions, so he just picked a few items.

A faint smile appeared on Cheng Qiuqiu's face. "You just woke up, right? Sorry for disturbing your rest. But I have to rush to attend the film festival screenings today; there are 41 cinemas in Modou playing film festival movies now. I plan to take advantage of this atmosphere and go watch all of Su Yu's participating films with my friends from the fan club. I heard some cinemas support VR viewing, and the experience is very immersive."

"Su Yu's movies." Tang Song murmured, and the scenes from last night surfaced in his heart again.

For so many premieres and film festivals before, she had mailed him invitations, but unfortunately, he had never kept the appointments.

And he had never watched her movies in a cinema either.

Since she was participating in this international film festival, he could go take a look.

Just at this moment, a system notification sound rang out.

"Ding! You have triggered the challenge mission 【Modou Film Festival】; please go to the Mission Center to check."

【Mission Content: Challenge yourself to become a Su Yu fan today, fully immerse yourself in this film festival, and watch all the competition films Su Yu participated in.】

【Mission Reward: Random Gift Pack *1】

【Note: The more involved you are in the process of participating in the film festival, the richer the gift pack will be.】

Closing the system interface, Tang Song raised his head and said, "Designer Cheng, how many competition films did Su Yu participate in?"

"3!" Cheng Qiuqiu said seriously. "Only one of them is the lead role, which is the main melody film that won the award. The others are just cameos to support the artists under Tang Zong Entertainment."

Tang Song said "Mm" and smiled, "As a die-hard fan of Su Yu, can I participate in the film festival with you all?"

His beautician friend was going to attend an Hermès event today, so he could just complete the mission during the day and it wouldn't delay his business at night.

Cheng Qiuqiu was stunned and said, "Tickets are very hard to grab; most of ours were bought from scalpers, costing 350 each, you..."

As she spoke, she suddenly remembered Tang Song's Mercedes S-Class and the scene that day.

She said somewhat sheepishly, "However, it shouldn't be expensive for you; I can help you buy them."

"Thank you for your hard work; I'll transfer the money to you." Tang Song opened his phone, just about to look for her WeChat.

Cheng Qiuqiu bit her lip and whispered, "That's my work WeChat; let's add each other as friends again."

"OK!"

After scanning the code to add, Tang Song transferred the money over.

The two didn't go back to their rooms; they just chatted about the film festival while eating Modou specialty breakfast in the lounge.

Although the fan group Cheng Qiuqiu was in was small in scale, it was also officially organized and operated.

The photos from the whole process would be posted in Su Yu's community, and there was a small probability of being 'flipped' by her.

After finishing breakfast and tidying up their things.

While waiting for Cheng Qiuqiu.

"Ding-dong—" The WeChat notification sound rang out.

【Qiu Yu: "Good morning, Tang Song. Because you said a few words to me at Huashang Apparel before, our cooperation has gone very smoothly! Today happens to be Saturday; are you free at noon or in the evening? I'd like to treat you to a meal to express my gratitude."】

Tang Song replied truthfully, "Sorry, I came to Modou for a business trip yesterday; I'm not in Yancheng."

【Qiu Yu: "Ah, you're in Modou? Then let's meet another time when there's an opportunity."】

Not long after.

The phone rang again.

It was his university classmate Li Zhixi.

Tang Song raised his eyebrows and answered the phone, "Hello, Zhixi."

Immediately after, a familiar and excited voice came through the receiver: "Hello, Brother Song! You came to Modou?"

"I just arrived in Modou last night; did Qiu Yu tell you?"

"Mm, I heard it from her. Our company and Yancheng Huashang Apparel have reached a cooperation intention, and you contributed a lot to it. Hehe, when the project development is finished later, I'll apply to go to Yancheng for on-site implementation and training; I can stay there for more than half a month. When the time comes, we'll get together properly and hang out on the Yancheng University campus."

The two chatted for a while about school topics.

Li Zhixi said enthusiastically, "Are you busy today? If not, let's get together; I'll treat you to a meal! It will definitely be very interesting to video call Brother Kai and the others then."

Three years after graduation, this was the closest he had been to Tang Song; he missed this old classmate and roommate very much.

His tone of voice was also warm and sincere.

Tang Song thought for a moment and said, "I'm afraid I'm not free during the day, but I am in the evening. Send me the location and time, and we'll meet directly at the restaurant."

"That works too; Modou's nightlife is even more exciting. After dinner, I'll take you to stroll around the night markets or something."

Hanging up the phone, he just happened to receive the message that Cheng Qiuqiu had set off.

Tang Song put on his backpack, put on his glasses, and went out, starting today's movie-watching journey.

Along with Cheng Qiuqiu were 6 other girls, all university students who had come over from Yancheng to support her.

Tang Song's outfit today was very low-key: a simple white T-shirt, jeans, and black-rimmed glasses, without any dressing effect bonuses.

He looked like a clean, refreshing, gentle, and handsome guy, and was warmly welcomed by several pure-hearted female college students.

Sharing snacks, helping buy drinks, taking photos together, and adding WeChat...

Tang Song, this "fake fan," was like a fish in water among them. Watching the vibrant young girls around him, it felt like he had returned to the university campus, which felt exceptionally interesting.

They were "chattering" about Su Yu's latest works, growth experiences, personality charm, outfits...

As everyone knows, being a fan of Su Yu is a happy thing; this superstar has had almost no scandals, stains, or black spots since her debut.

She keeps herself clean, never hypes herself up, has a serious attitude toward work, and has an excellent reputation both inside and outside the industry.

Her ratio of male to female fans is basically equal; she started as an idol, possesses dozens of hit songs, and personally created 3 national variety shows...

She never films any intimate scenes, basically only takes on roles as the main heroine or in main melody dramas, and there are even rumors that she is a lesbian.

Speaking of this topic, the girls became even more excited.

If Su Yu were really a lesbian, they wouldn't mind if something happened at all.

Even Cheng Qiuqiu, whose personality was somewhat cold, had a flushed face, as if she were fantasizing about something.

Tang Song, sitting on the side, had an awkward expression on his face, listening to them YY his 【Female Celebrity】, not knowing what to say.

10:00 AM.

Bulgari Hotel, in a luxury suite.

Lin Empress Mu Xue uploaded the edited video to major platforms and had a beautiful, exquisite, and rich breakfast.

It must be said that the service of a super five-star hotel is just good; you can order breakfast 24 hours a day.

Then she took a serious shower, started skincare, makeup, did her hair, and put on the battle robe she had carefully prepared.

Today is a big day.

In the afternoon, she has to go with Qian Qian to attend an Hermès private event, and in the evening, she has to gather with several university classmates in Modou.

And most of them are flight attendants.

She once longed for this glamorous, elegant, and beautiful profession; otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen the "Air Cabin Crew" major after graduating from high school.

But it wasn't until she faced employment later that she understood how difficult it really was.

The teacher responsible for interviewing her had a clear price tag; it would take 1-2 years and cost 400k-500k to obtain a flight attendant contract qualification, and even ground staff would cost around 100k.

Those classmates with good family conditions and connections naturally had no problem, but for her, it was simply being treated like a leek to be harvested.

Besides, her family really couldn't afford that much money!

So she gave up decisively and cleanly, started working as a print model, and at the same time operated her own self-media account.

Thinking of all the unbearable things in the past, Lin Empress Mu Xue took a deep breath and looked at herself in the floor-to-ceiling mirror.

Her eyes were full of fighting spirit and confidence.