Chapter 298: Little Liu: It's a Pity I Don't Have a Cheat Code

"Classmate, please wait a moment!"

Liu Yifei, who was preparing to go home for a meal, stopped in her tracks as a man in somewhat eccentric attire chased after her from behind.

Little Liu tensed her body slightly, bracing for the potential danger these redneck fanatics might pose.

"Who are you?"

The man was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a rather sincere-looking face and typical IT-guy attire, which made Little Liu lower her guard slightly.

"Hello, Crystal. My name is Jack Dorsey. I just sat in on your class."

The University of Chicago has many open lectures, where course content and topics are publicized in advance for interested individuals to observe.

This is a manifestation of academic openness and freedom, and also an expectation that more sparks will fly under such conditions.

Liu Yifei held her books against her chest with both arms, still in a defensive posture: "Oh, hello. Is there something you need?"

"Your remarks and debate just now were too amazing! If I hadn't been auditing, I really would have wanted to join in!"

Dorsey seemed unable to suppress his excitement: "Can I have lunch with you? I have some questions I'd like to ask you."

Another Bilian Gibson?

"No need."

Liu Yifei refused directly and turned to leave, having no intention of making small talk with a stranger.

Little Liu felt she had been hit on again, and in such an extremely boring way; she didn't know how many times she had encountered this in the past month.

But unfortunately, this time she had slightly overestimated her own beauty...

An IT guy couldn't possibly capture your oriental charm, could he?

Dorsey followed her step by step, not prepared to give up: "Don't misunderstand, Crystal. I'm an employee at Odeo. You know Odeo, right?"

Odeo is a nickname for audio; it is a blogging and video software company that was only established in June. It doesn't count as a competitor to Mytube, but rather has an upstream-downstream relationship.

The main function of this website is to provide internet users with video management and categorization features.

It's equivalent to selling jeans in a gold rush mining area, or selling waterproof clothing in a scenic area for rafting—it's about providing supporting synergy.

Liu Yifei's footsteps paused slightly.

She had been studying internet products in these few classes and had seen information about this company; it was still very small at the moment.

Seeing her expression, Dorsey felt there was a chance: "My boss is Evan Williams. He is also the founder of Blogger. You must have heard of him."

Seeing that they were about to walk out of the teaching building, the Chinese actress's bodyguard was watching him from not far away.

Dorsey didn't have time for gentle persuasion, so he had to get straight to the point:

"Crystal, I actually want to talk to you about a collaboration!"

"Are you trying to ask me to endorse Odeo?"

"No! I have a great idea, but I need investment and help. Your debate and lecture just now inspired me, and I want to chat with you about it."

Mia saw her employer standing on the stairs with a strange expression and walked over quickly.

"Is there a problem?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

Little Liu glanced at the sincere-looking Dorsey and then turned to Mia: "Let's eat at the school cafeteria today. I'll chat with him."

Mia shrugged, having no objections.

The three of them sat down at the University of Chicago's unique Cathey cafeteria, an exquisite, ancient building with a style similar to the Great Hall of Hogwarts.

"Go ahead."

Dorsey said seriously: "I founded Odeo with two partners, but currently, we have conflicts regarding the direction of development."

"Just like you said in the seminar, I believe the current Odeo is only a temporary podcast service tool and does not have long-term value."

"But my two partners, especially Williams who founded Blogger, don't think so, so..."

Liu Yifei stabbed a piece of steak and stuffed it into her mouth: "So you want to go solo?"

"Yes."

Companies like Odeo are derivatives that emerged after the rise of video-based internet companies in North America.

Dorsey and the other two originally wanted to test the waters and reap some industry dividends, but they didn't expect that the company would be established in June, and in July, Apple's Jobs would launch the podcast.

Now, the interior of Odeo is divided into two factions; the majority believe that since Apple thinks this industry is viable, they should persist.

And the minority, Dorsey, feels that competing with a giant is unwise and that they should learn from Mytube, innovate, and incubate their own new products to have a chance at survival.

Today, Little Liu's arguments regarding revolution and revolutionary tools, corporate strategy, and tactical products enlightened him, which is why Dorsey was so "obsessive," wanting to communicate his entrepreneurial ideas with this like-minded Chinese actress.

In fact, he was also surprised: how could the oriental beauty from the Blue Moon and Tea Art videos appear in a place like the Booth School of Business?

Liu Yifei was not surprised; there were too many such entrepreneurial fanatics in the United States.

In Los Angeles, there were down-and-out directors everywhere holding scripts and begging for investment;

In places like Silicon Valley, there were IT guys everywhere holding creative ideas and begging for investment.

The young girl just listened to him ramble for a bit, treating it as a side dish for her meal: "Then tell me about it."

Dorsey's spirits lifted: "I want to make a social software similar to a blog, but more differentiated."

"I wrote a piece of software for Safeway, the largest logistics company in Chicago."

"This software can track the real-time status of various shipping points and drivers."

"For example, before unloading and arriving at the port, drivers send messages through the software, and warehouse managers and porters can prepare in advance."

Liu Yifei interrupted him: "Does this kind of thing need software? Wouldn't a phone call solve it? And how do drivers use computers in their vehicles?"

"No, it's not that simple. What I made is a professional logistics information platform."

"When a train driver goes from Chicago to Washington, he sends a message at the first unloading point, and all the unloading points below can see it and make plans."

Little Liu drew an analogy: "You mean to make a software similar to a blog, built by referencing the logistics information platform you just mentioned."

"Letting all users update and send their status anytime, anywhere, and be accessed by everyone anytime, anywhere?"

"Yes! That's it!"

Dorsey was incredibly excited; he knew this girl could understand what he meant.

"And you don't need a computer; you just need to send text messages."

Dorsey detailed the operation process: "Now, text message service is fully popularized across the US, and the cost is very low. We can set up a short code with the carrier."

"The carrier will send the information to our server; this is very easy to implement."

Liu Yifei listened, somewhat engrossed, and put down her knife and fork: "Through text messages? Then the information length shouldn't be enough, right?"

She was also an old blog player; how could blog fanatics like Han Han or Xu Jinglei, who would write posts of hundreds or thousands of words, send them using a mobile phone?

"The character length of a single text message is 160. Adding our server instructions, I want to set the blog post length to around 140."

Dorsey looked at Liu Yifei opposite him with longing eyes, but unfortunately, he didn't see any surprise on her face.

She wasn't a transmigrator; even if she had seen a lot by following Boss Lu, how could she keenly capture the business opportunities in this?

That's right, this Dorsey is one of the founders of Twitter in later generations.

Right now, he is still sinking in an Odeo company destined to disappear, and he will soon escape the sea of misery and begin his arduous entrepreneurial journey.

"Alright, thank you for your recognition, but I don't seem to have anything I can help you with."

Little Liu wasn't playing hard to get like Boss Lu; she truly hadn't discovered the trick to this yet.

Who can compare to a cheater?

"No! You can! You are a big blogger on Mytube and can help us drive traffic. Your 'Exotic 2' will also have many viewers; these are all potential users!"

"These are all important resources for our start-up!"

Liu Yifei smiled and waved her hand: "My popularity on Mytube is because of the assistance of video content. If I just send messages of less than 140 characters, who would follow me?"

"Maybe you can find stars like Tom Cruise or Leonardo DiCaprio to sell your ideas to?"

Dorsey's face turned ashen; he had to be able to find them first, right!?

Today was just a coincidence that he was inspired by her remarks while auditing, which strengthened his determination to leave and start his own business.

Considering this oriental actress's status, she should be able to give some help to him, who had no money and no people; after all, he was very confident in his IT skills.

Dorsey refused to give up and took out a slip of paper to write down a string of numbers and an email address.

"Crystal, I hope you seriously consider my idea. I look forward to you changing your mind."

"If you have any questions or needs, please contact me at any time!"

"By the way, this project is called Twttr."

Twttr is the meaning of birds chirping or twittering; it is the initial name of Twitter.

Liu Yifei stood up politely to shake his hand and folded the slip of paper into her bag, but she wasn't too moved in her heart.

"These IT fanatics are all so passionate about entrepreneurship."

As she and Mia walked out of the restaurant, Dorsey reminded Liu Yifei of Chen Shijun and Mike Solomon from Mytube; they all had the same look carved from the same mold.

Mia smiled: "It's very normal. The most common things in the United States are entrepreneurs and down-and-out artists."

"I once worked as a bodyguard for a big producer."

"At any time, if you go to any bar in Hollywood, as long as you state your identity, a bunch of people will come over to recommend themselves."

"There are actors, screenwriters, and down-and-out directors."

"When you give the waiter a tip, you will be surprised to find that he refuses it and politely asks if he can ask the producer to watch a piece of his own acting."

Liu Yifei giggled as she listened.

In the path of acting, she could be considered to have never known hardship in this life, having no chance to taste such bitterness.

A fulfilling and pleasant day for the Chinese female graduate student had passed.

In the evening, Liu Yifei accompanied Zhang Chunru to Powell's Bookstore in the city, as the latter needed to find some reference books for historical research.

"Xixi, take a look around as you please; I might be a while."

"Sure, call me when you're ready to go."

Zhang Chunru was browsing for reference books in the history section, while Liu Yifei wandered around, bored.

She arrived at the bestseller section, which was obviously plastered and stocked with a novel titled *Twilight* and its related promotional materials.

Liu Yifei was curious; she had been seeing this book everywhere at school lately, and at lunch today, two girls at the next table were still whispering about it.

Liu Yifei approached an engrossed female fan and asked, "Hi, could you tell me a bit about this book?"

The fan reluctantly put down the book and began to gush: "Oh my god! You don't know *Twilight*?"

"This is a work that even Taylor Swift and Selena can't put down!"

"I am absolutely in love with Edward and Bella, and that hunky little werewolf!"

Liu Yifei looked at the gesticulating girl in glasses before her, inexplicably feeling that she was so childish and such a romantic fool!

After perfunctorily engaging in the awkward conversation for a few moments, Liu Yifei went to wander elsewhere, found nothing that interested her, and circled back.

Seeing the girl in glasses still hopelessly obsessed, Liu Yifei simply took a copy from the shelf and began to flip through it casually.

Forget it, might as well read it to kill time.

Soon, an hour passed.

Facts proved that no adolescent girl could escape such spiritual opium.

The popularity of *Twilight*, both the novel and the film, had its inherent reasons.

In current American society, the rise of female consciousness and the popularity of fantasy culture were the soil for *Twilight*'s massive success.

Bella, who possessed the power of choice in love, fit the psychological needs of female readers pursuing equality and autonomy, allowing them to resonate strongly and find their own value and strength in the heroine's experiences.

Meanwhile, fantasy creatures like vampires and werewolves, along with supernatural powers and mysterious plot settings, catered perfectly to male readers' love and pursuit of fantasy culture.

One of the characteristics of a "satisfying read" is its high degree of immersion; female readers naturally projected themselves onto Bella, while male readers projected themselves onto the handsome hunk Edward and the sexy little werewolf Jacob.

For contemporary American youth, this novel was an out-and-out "satisfying read," very easy to binge-read until one reached an intracranial orgasm.

"Sisi? Sisi?"

Zhang Chunru patted Liu Yifei on the shoulder twice before waking her from her obsession.

It was over; she had fallen down the rabbit hole.

Liu Yifei smiled sheepishly: "Are you done? Let's head back then."

Zhang Chunru glanced at the romance novel in her hand, thinking that this was the kind of thing she should be reading at her age.

An eighteen-year-old girl reading about massacres and *Dragon Slayer* all day—was she trying to go crazy?

The two settled the bill and returned home, where Liu Yifei hastily ate a bite of food before returning to her desk to continue consuming her spiritual opium.

"Woof! Woof!"

"Woof! Woof!"

"Go away! You damn washing machine!"

Liu Yifei was so engrossed that she unconsciously put her finger in her mouth, nibbling it gently, while using her foot to nudge her love-seeking dog aside.

The poor little yellow dog wiggled for a long time before slinking away with its tail between its legs.

It didn't know that its mistress was currently deep in a wild fantasy, projecting herself into the story, and had no time to pay it any mind.

An ordinary but inwardly firm and brave high school girl, Bella, who gradually grew in love, changing from ignorant to strong and independent?

Isn't this just herself from age 14 to 18?

The handsome, powerful vampire Edward, whose heart was full of contradictions and struggles, both longing for love and afraid of hurting Bella?

Isn't this just...

Of course, whether he longed for love was still in doubt, but it was true that he was always hurting himself!

"Where's my dog!?"

Liu Yifei suddenly felt a surge of irritation and wanted to grab Lu Gou and give him a good thrashing! —

Lu Gou... no, Boss Lu, had just woken up at this moment.

It was 9:00 AM in Jingcheng, and the President of Wenjie was communicating with the core Mytube team in the United States regarding the acquisition.

"How much did Google's offer reach?"

Huang Anna's signal transmission across the Pacific was slightly laggy: "1.9 billion USD, at least 60% in stock."

"Hmm..."

Actually, Lu Kuan was quite satisfied with this price; according to his infiltration plan for American internet companies, he already held 18% of Facebook's shares.

It was definitely too late to intercept the blog market, and there was no great need to do so anyway.

The funds from the Mytube sale would be partially used for film investment and production, and partially held in wait for the arrival of the "Big Short" era.

The rest, of course, would be used to continue capturing opportunities before the arrival of the mobile internet era.

It was still early, so he forcibly resisted the temptation of the huge profit and decided to take Mytube's data to the next level.

The young director issued orders during the video conference: "Let's wait a bit longer. Before the end of the year, strive to increase the daily active users and the click-through rates of top bloggers."

He pondered for two seconds: "What is the current trend of *Twilight* in the US?"

"It launched in early October, and the first print run of over 80,000 copies sold out in a few days. It's expected to hit the *New York Times* bestseller list by the end of the month."

Huang Anna's conclusion was based on a professional consulting firm's forecast.

In fact, the *Twilight* of the future did indeed soar the moment it hit the market, taking fifth place on the *New York Times* bestseller list in just a few weeks, and subsequently dominating the list for 56 weeks, five of which were at the top.

"Hmm, let's do this."

Lu Kuan thought of a plan to kill two birds with one stone: "Launch an event on Mytube, specifically creating a topic, video, and fan-creation section to provide a place for *Twilight* fans to go wild."

"Hold a contest with prizes, letting *Twilight* fans lead the topics themselves and create videos to drive the atmosphere."

"On one hand, we use the bestseller novel to drive traffic to Mytube and raise its valuation for a quick sale."

"On the other hand, by hyping up *Twilight*'s popularity, the film script adaptation and project initiation can also be put on the agenda."

Huang Anna and Chen Shijun both had their eyes light up; it was indeed a mutually beneficial binding hype strategy.

Using entertainment products to drive traffic was already a mature business model in North America.

The future Deng Wendi's Myspace was once deeply bound with *Twilight: New Moon*, with user login interface implants, movie soundtrack links, movie trailers, and so on.

The fast-food brand Burger King also once launched *Twilight*-themed meal sets and merchandise in its restaurants, promoting them through a combination of online and offline methods.

"By the way, Shijun, do more work with the internal Mytube team recently."

"If we can really sell it by the end of the year, try to keep the people; I still have use for them."

Chen Shijun said with pleasant surprise: "Boss Lu, do you have any new ideas? I'll prepare in advance!"

"It's not mature yet. Wait until I go to the US to communicate in person. You can scout for blogging talent in advance; if there's a need, poach them directly."

Boss Lu suddenly remembered another thing: "Have Emil take people to film Liu Yifei's third video. The theme is Chinese cuisine; find some actors of different ethnicities to cooperate."

"Chinese cuisine? Who's cooking?" Chen Shijun was a bit confused.

"Liu Yifei! She knows how to make many dishes, and they are all very authentic. You guys just go. Contact her in advance to set the script and time."

Chen Shijun agreed, completely bewildered.

What kind of strange people were these?

A film director obsessed with the internet industry?

A kung fu-practicing actress who was a chef and a student at the University of Chicago?

This was a helpless move; the original Crystal account was following a pastoral style, but who knew that man proposes and God disposes, and Liu Yifei had been forced into an expedition to the Americas.

Fortunately, as long as it was cultural content with Chinese characteristics, it had quite a large audience among the North American Chinese community, and she was the only blogger of this type at the moment.

After hanging up the video, Lu Kuan handled official business at the Wenjie International Building for a day and headed straight to the China World Hotel in the evening.

Today was the 2005 Bazaar Stars Charity Night.

In 2002, Boss Lu and his companion Liu Yifei attended the first charity night event, which counted as adding some weight to the then-fledgling event, so it wouldn't be as shabby as in the future.

Over the past two years, as the status of *Bazaar* magazine rose in fashion circles and among actresses, the celebrities and wealthy tycoons invited to each event also saw their status upgrade.

Usually, Lu Kuan didn't like to join in this kind of excitement, but this time it was for the purpose of connecting fashion resources for the artists under his banner.

Zhang Yu, the editor-in-chief of the Chinese edition of *Vogue*, which had just been launched in the mainland in mid-September, would also be attending by invitation.

The cover girls for the first issue were Fan Bingbing and Zhang Ziyi, but other sections also gave a lot of space to Wenjie's Su Chang and Tong Liya.

This time he planned to bid on some of Zhang Yu's auction items, which could be considered returning a favor; in the future, Zhang Yu would work at the mainland edition of *Vogue* for fifteen years, which was quite evergreen.

At 7:00 PM, when Boss Lu arrived, the Bazaar Charity red carpet had already been going on for a while.

He had no need to show off, and he had no companion today, so he went into the venue through the employee entrance on his own.

"Boss Lu?"

Lu Kuan turned his head; it was a familiar face, but a familiar face from his previous life—they hadn't interacted in this life yet.

But the latter had been coveting him for a long time. "Boss Xiong, hello!"

The one shaking his hand with a smile was Xiong Xiaoge of IDG China, who was also a shareholder of the fashion group that owned magazines like *Harper's Bazaar* and *Esquire*.

"Boss Lu, I've heard so much about you, but we've never had the chance to meet!"

"Haha, it's my fault. I've missed many opportunities to meet with you over the past two years."

He wouldn't miss it today, because Dongzi was short on money for logistics!

The heavy asset expansion of Wenjie Jiahe was already strenuous enough; the supporting logistics plan for Wenjie Mall was not in a condition to be launched simultaneously.

Boss Lu shook his hand enthusiastically: "Let's take this opportunity today to have a good chat!"

"Good! Good!"

Xiong Xiaoge was already calculating in his heart.

It would be best to get a hand in Wenjie Holdings.

Of course, the odds aren't high; the last person I heard of who wanted to intervene out of "love turning into hate," Nezha, has already met an untimely end.

Let's see what other subsidiaries with potential he has under his command...

The two walked and chatted.

"Mr. Lu, are you also very familiar with Mr. Zhuang from Blogcn?"

"Yes, he's my fellow townsman."

Xiong Xiaoge remained calm on the surface: "He had a small situation a while ago, but fortunately, he is safe and sound."

"Heh, that's true; lucky people have their own heaven-sent protection."

The IDG boss grumbled inwardly; ever since Zhou Jun had his incident, rumors had been circulating in the circle that it was actually Lu Kuan who was the real controller of Blogcn.

Blogcn was an internet product he had been coveting since 2002!

Even for a Blogcn that was already self-sufficient, if it offered a sky-high valuation, he would be willing to sell everything he owned to get in on the deal!

Users are priceless, and traffic is priceless.

Xiong Xiaoge was an award presenter today; after entering the venue, he helplessly bid farewell to Boss Lu for the time being, agreeing to talk again later.

Lu Kuan naturally didn't mind.

Venture capital, after all—the calmer you are, the more anxious they get.

In the 2005 Bazaar Charity Night, not many business figures had attended yet.

It would probably take another year or two for the likes of Ma Yun, Shi Yuzhu, Pan Soho, and Zhang Chaoyang to come and join the fun as internet and real estate tycoons, creating that legendary photo of Su Mang.

"Mr. Lu! Good evening."

Zhang Yu had noticed him early on and walked over with a glass of champagne to greet him.

As the editor-in-chief of the mainland edition of *Vogue*, Zhang Yu was the "current manager" of the fashion circle for artists big and small.

But she also knew clearly in her heart that this young director was well-acquainted with Galliano and Anna Wintour, and the latter was equivalent to her own "current manager."

"Hello, Editor-in-Chief Zhang! Thank you for your support of Wenjie."

"Not at all, your company's female artists are all very outstanding and have a strong sense of fashion."

The two hadn't spoken more than a few sentences before the host trotted over.

Qiu Ku Mang had noticed him entering the venue early on, walking over with a woman whose bearing wasn't particularly graceful, but who had a significant background.

"Mr. Lu, welcome. This is Ms. Zhao Linger."

In the eighties, Zhao Linger and her fellow townsman Ying Zi went to Beijing to drift, spending their days bitterly running between various bars to perform.

Later, when Ying Zi became famous, she found a good place to be, faded from the music scene and the public eye, and focused on managing her own high-society circle.

"We should have met at the first Bazaar Charity Night three years ago, right?"

Zhao Linger held a very haughty posture; she didn't act respectfully or fawn over him like ordinary celebrities or business people, but merely reached out to greet him in a leisurely manner.

"Mr. Lu, nice to meet you."

Boss Lu smiled and reached out, touching her hand briefly before pulling away: "Hello, Ms. Zhao."

"Director Lu, I know you are a black card member of our Chang'an Club; why haven't I seen you bring friends to hang out there?"

"Oh, where would I find the time? I'll go and show my support another day!"

The card in his hand was given to him by Tang Seng's wife, Cheng Lihua, but Zhao Linger was the vice president of the Chang'an Club and someone the former relied on heavily.

Boss Lu's enthusiasm for exchanging pleasantries with them wasn't very high, simply because he had no desires and sought nothing; he just needed to avoid making enemies.

But you can never guess a woman's thoughts, can you?

Especially someone like Zhao Linger, who considered herself a figure who could stir up winds and clouds in Jingcheng.

Looking at the young director in front of her who was being lukewarm and indifferent in his conversation, she grumbled inwardly.

Just because he took down Zhou Jun, look how arrogant he is! What kind of purity does he even have?

She had a mind to show off her presence in front of Lu Kuan and highlight the strength of her connections.

"Mr. Lu, I've also invited a guest today, a female CEO of a multinational corporation who works in the internet industry; perhaps she could be of use to your film's promotion?"

Zhao Linger paused, waiting for the young man opposite her to obediently say: Oh? Please introduce me.

Wouldn't the difference in their aura and status be revealed then?

"Hey! Xun-ge!"

Boss Lu's gaze passed over Zhao Linger and saw the familiar actress gradually entering through the red carpet.

Fan Bingbing was with the *Protégé* crew and was absent this time.

"Ms. Zhao, thank you for your kindness! I think let's do it later? Today's occasion isn't the place to talk about business."

What kind of damn multinational female CEO, isn't it just Deng Wendi?

In later generations, Deng Wendi entered the mainland entertainment circle, realized the dreams she had craved but couldn't attain in her youth, and became close friends with people like Zhao Linger, Hong Huang, and Su Mang.

For the huntress Deng Wendi, the background significance of Hong Huang and Zhao Linger was self-evident.

The friends she made were absolutely top-tier and useful!

Zhou Xun heard him call her and walked over quickly; the surrounding actors and actresses cast envious glances.

They had thought about coming over to say hello, but without an introduction, it would be quite presumptuous, wouldn't it?

"Lu Kuan, you actually came? I thought you never liked this kind of..."

Zhou Xun stopped halfway through her sentence when she saw Zhao Linger, who was one of the organizers of today's charity gala, and hurriedly cut herself off.

"Sister Linger, hello, hello! Good to see you again!"

Boss Lu watched calmly as Zhou Xun exchanged pleasantries with her.

He didn't have to give this "Auntie" any face, but for Zhou Xun, there was no need to offend a woman who would seek revenge for the slightest grievance.

Zhang Ziyi, who fell out with Zhao Linger in later generations, was an example.

The ink-splashing, donation-fraud, and love-seeking scandals, commonly known as the "Three Gates," almost forced Zhang Ziyi to retire from the circle.

Zhao Linger's expression was gloomy; she responded to Zhou Xun perfunctorily and left, feeling disgruntled.

When a poser meets someone truly formidable, where can you even go to reason?

"Linger, why do you look so unhappy?"

Deng Wendi came out of the restroom and kindly greeted this top socialite of Jingcheng.

"Don't mention it, I ran into a greenhorn, he made me so angry."

"Is there anyone in this territory who can make you angry? I don't believe it."

News Corporation's infiltration into the mainland industry had started very early, and Deng Wendi also consciously helped Murdoch play the social game.

Zhao Linger was an excellent target.

A pillow talk whispered effectively might be more useful than real gold and silver.

"Point out who it is for me? Let me see which greenhorn dares to give you trouble?" Deng Wendi joked, her words carrying seventy percent exaggeration and thirty percent flattery.

Zhao Linger took a gulp of wine, lifted her chin, and gestured toward Lu Kuan, who was chatting with Zhou Xun not far away.

"Him?"

"He's here too?"

Deng Wendi was actually pleasantly surprised; she was currently the number one sycophant for Mytube, and this superstar of the video track had to be captured!

This was of great significance to the next strategic planning of Myspace and News Corporation.

"Linger, wait for me a moment, I'm going to go say hello."

Zhao Linger was stunned.

You?

The wife of Murdoch, the boss of News Corporation with a net worth of over 10 billion USD and a fourth-power tycoon in Hollywood, is taking the initiative to go find him to say hello?

Isn't that losing a bit of status?

Zhao Linger's perception was far inferior to Deng Wendi's.

The latter clearly knew where her power and wealth came from and spared no effort to accumulate capital for herself during the duration of her marriage.

The "Auntie" was still just greedy for that bit of vanity and prestige on the surface, and in the end, she was swept out the door around 2013.

After Zhou Xun left, the young director in the venue seemed to become a landmark; people from all walks of life came over one after another to exchange greetings.

Directors, actors, distribution companies, television stations...

To have walked to this point in this life could be considered extremely illustrious.

The charity night was about to begin, and staff members led him toward the stage.

Today's banquet hall could probably accommodate about 500 people; the crystal chandeliers of the China World Hotel shone brightly, and the navy blue carpet underfoot was low-key yet luxurious.

At the very front of the stage were two large round tables, which were the main tables for today and the place where the most distinguished guests were seated.

The standard for distinction was, of course, ranked from political, business, and literary circles in order; if there were extra seats, they would arrange for some delicious and eye-pleasing celebrities to accompany them.

Boss Lu had just sat down at the round table on the left under guidance when Deng Wendi arrived.

"Mr. Lu? We meet again?"

Boss Lu looked back in surprise at the sharp-featured female CEO; you actually came!

He had just thought Zhao Linger was only bringing someone out to pressure him.

"Ms. Deng, is this a triumphant return home?"

Deng Wendi was stung by the lukewarm jab, but now was not the time to handle him; she had to capture Mytube before more competitors appeared.

A staff member stepped forward to serve: "Ms. Deng, your seat is at Table B."

Deng Wendi smiled: "Let me adjust it."

The huntress had an extremely strong personality; ignoring the staff member's troubled expression, she forcibly placed her seat label next to Lu Kuan's.

She took Xiong Xiaoge's away.

"This... Ms. Deng..."

The beautiful usher's face turned so ugly she was almost on the verge of tears.

As everyone knows, from small events like ordinary weddings to grand state banquets, the seating arrangement for guests is always the top priority.

Those at the same table must have similar net worth, status, qualifications, and class; the key is that there cannot be any strained relationships.

For instance, tonight, those from Huayi are all at Table A, while friendly associates of the Wenjie system like Yu Dong and Gao Chengsheng of China Film are all at Table B.

For the organizers, the food can be unpalatable, the wine can be bad, and the performances can be boring.

Because that is not why everyone came.

But if the seats are arranged incorrectly, making some big shot feel uncomfortable, then complaints will surely follow.

Deng Wendi acted on her own initiative, plopping down beside Boss Lu, determined to wear down this stubborn young man who was immune to all persuasion.

This left the staff feeling very helpless.

Su Mang keenly sensed something was wrong, came over to defuse the situation, and seeing there was no major problem, walked away.

Deng Wendi was in no rush to get to the point, instead coaxing him into conversation: "Director Lu, when are you going to Hollywood? Your *Foreign Lands 2* is about to start filming, right?"

"Ms. Deng is so interested in movies?"

"I mean, perhaps you could talk to Fox about a collaboration, for instance, distribution."

If it were the 2003 *Foreign Lands*, Boss Lu would have been desperate for the help of the Big Six in distribution, especially the powerful media matrix behind Fox's News Corporation, which could provide immense support for film promotion.

But for a sequel like *Foreign Lands 2*, collaborating with the greedy, insatiable Big Six did not offer a very high cost-performance ratio.

"If it gets shortlisted, there will be the bidding and the film's release afterward; I'm afraid I won't have the time for now."

Deng Wendi smiled, seemingly unbothered by his polite refusal, and continued to cast her bait: "Speaking of your new film."

"This kind of subject matter doesn't seem like it will perform very well in North America, right? Do you need News Corporation's help with promotion?"

"Thank you, Lionsgate and Miramax have already taken care of everything."

The subject matter of *Tangshan Great Earthquake* was destined not to rake in money as crazily as his previous films.

Aside from regular box office revenue, a few product placements recouped some of the costs.

The rest would come from film merchandise, including T-shirts, vintage items from that era, and so on.

To avoid being attacked for profiting from a national tragedy, and to realize the true charitable purpose behind it, a portion of the merchandise proceeds would be set aside for expenses like first-aid kits and disaster escape manuals.

With limited domestic box office capacity, South Korea, Japan, and North America would become important levers for recouping the investment.

Boss Lu maintained an air of "standing like a cliff, having no desires and thus being strong," which made Deng Wendi itch with frustration, but she couldn't find a way to handle him for the moment, so she just watched the opening of the charity gala in silence.

Su Mang, Liu Jiang, and others took the stage one after another to deliver speeches, with leaders from the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the president of the China Charity Federation standing by to endorse the event.

Immediately following was a simple song and dance performance, with dancer Jin Xing, Wenjie-affiliated singer Zhang Jingying, and others taking turns on stage.

Right after, the ever-present hosting duo of Ke Lan and Wu Dawei walked onto the stage, and the main event, the charity auction, began.

Every guest present had an exquisite auction catalog in their hands; besides sponsorships from luxury brands like Prada, Cartier, and Hermes, there were also personal items from celebrity big shots.

A model dressed in light attire came on stage, holding a Fendi vanity bag.

Ke Lan introduced: "The first auction item is a limited-edition bag provided by Fendi; only VIPs have the qualification to pre-order it. Today, it serves as our opening act."

"Starting price 8,888, bidding begins!"

Zhou Xun doubled the bid immediately: "20,000!"

"50,000!" This was Yanzi.

Yanzi's luck this year was neither good nor bad; after the incident of assaulting a pregnant woman, she suffered some setbacks, but overall it remained stable.

*My Fair Princess* had built up her health bar too thick, and with the release of the TV series *Moment in Peking* and the music album *Double* this year, there were still fans willing to pay and show their support.

Xu Jinglei raised her paddle: "80,000!"

The first auction item would certainly make the headlines tomorrow.

For female stars at this occasion, besides having the qualification to attend to signal their status, the display of financial power was a display of their rank.

Being able to defeat various competitors showed that one had money and confidence; from certain angles, it also meant others wouldn't dare to compete with you.

In the entertainment industry, the most important things are rank and position; this is a banner that must be firmly planted, even if one has to break their head to do it.

After several rounds of bidding, this vanity bag was finally bought by businessman Li Houlin as a gift for his beloved wife, the former lead host of Hunan TV, Li Xiang.

Wu Dawei invited the businessman onto the stage to take a commemorative photo with the Fendi corporate representative.

Next was a pair of Tiffany bracelets, which were won by Zhou Xun for 130,000, and she presented one on the spot to Zhang Yu, who had presented her with an award.

The emotional intelligence of the top-tier actresses is top-notch.

Boss Lu was chatting with Yu Dong and others, feeling somewhat bored, while Deng Wendi occasionally chimed in to follow the flow; everything looked very harmonious.

As various auction items paraded by one after another, he spent 200,000 to buy a fashion magazine manuscript from Zhang Yu, and another 300,000 to buy a set of LV Chinese mahjong tiles.

In this life, there seemed to be almost no leisure time; when he had the chance, he could call friends over to play a few rounds.

Just as they were chatting and laughing, Boss Lu was suddenly cued by Ke Lan on stage: "The next auction item is a painting by the famous Chinese director, Mr. Lu Kuan."

Two etiquette models carried an exquisitely framed oil painting onto the stage.

"This Impressionist-style oil painting, titled *Café Guerbois*, was an inspired work created by Director Lu this May while he was serving as the jury president of the Cannes Film Festival and filming *Paris, je t'aime*."

Wu Dawei made a funny "Wow" sound: "Very elegant! Very elegant! But Ke Lan, we laymen don't quite understand it!"

"How about this, after this painting is auctioned off, we invite Director Lu to present the award to the winner, and then ask him to explain and introduce it, how about that?"

Wu Dawei shouted in approval: "*Café Guerbois*, starting price 100,000, bidding begins!"

Yu Dong and Deng Wendi at the same table, the big stars Yanzi and Zhou Xun not far away, and the popular young actor Huang Xiaoming were all eager to try.

This was a rare opportunity to both fulfill one's reputation for charity and to curry favor with a great director and major capitalist.

For Deng Wendi, she thought, perhaps catering to this young boss's vanity would make the subsequent negotiations easier?

Directors are also artists, they are intellectuals, and a bit of this literary-style vanity is inevitable.

However, before any of them could speak, Huo Wenxi at the vice-main table had already raised her paddle.

"1 million!"

Shock!

How did it reach 1 million so soon?

It seems that Boss Lu's Impressionist-style masterpiece today is destined to leave a very deep impression on the celebrity big shots in attendance.

Emperor Group's Li Shoucheng: You know nothing about metaphysics.

Deng Wendi was naturally unconvinced; you also know nothing about the value of Mytube, damn it!

Just as she was about to bid 2 million directly, a delicate female voice suddenly came from the venue, like an orchid in an empty valley.

The charm of the voice was secondary; the number she spoke truly shattered the value system of the auction items today.

"5 million!"

In an instant, even the illustrious and well-informed Ke Lan on stage forgot her lines.

Inside the China World Hotel, all the astonished guests looked in unison at the confident young girl.

A golden sequined dress shone brilliantly under the crystal chandelier, like morning light piercing through mist, flowing gold washing over the years.

Her graceful figure with a waist like a silk ribbon had curves that seemed carved by heaven.

The ingenious design at the neckline perfectly showcased the elegance of her fragrant jade-like neck.

Seeing everyone looking over with curiosity, Jing Tian playfully stuck out her tongue, then revealed a very dignified and elegant smile, like a golden rose blooming quietly.

What a flower of wealth in the human world.

Asking for votes, asking for votes...

Thank you very much~~~!!!

Jing Tian is a supporting character, no romance, just a tool character.

(End of chapter)