Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 392 Top-Tier Showdown Between Big Flowers, Little Liu's Benevolence is Invincible (Two chapters combined for txq82 bonus chapter)

The 2007 Bazaar Charity Gala was a historic breakthrough for editor-in-chief Su Mang and the fashion group, in terms of its scale, the caliber of the guests, and the amount of funds raised.

He has truly stood at the center of the stage of fame and fortune in mainland China.

This is also why Yanzi meticulously planned and conspired with others to tear Bingbing apart on this night.

If there's no audience, who are you going to show yourself knocking out her teeth?

Several main tables, located near the main stage, radiate outwards in a fan shape from the stage. The tablecloths are made of ivory-white silk blend specially supplied by Hermès, which gleam with a cold, glacial sheen under the lights.

The main table is usually occupied by several female celebrities from the entertainment industry, along with fashion figures, entrepreneurs, and wealthy businessmen.

This combination naturally has an underlying meaning.

In the Chinese entertainment industry, Harper's Bazaar and Su Mang were once unparalleled top figures in the fashion circle, holding the fashion resources of countless celebrities, big and small.

However, she also has mortal enemies who have turned against her, such as Chen Kaige's ex-wife Hong Huang, who is also the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine.

Hong Huang once described this business model at the Harper's Bazaar Charity Gala as follows:

This is a crucial link in Editor-in-Chief Su's business chain—

Luxury brands donate products to sell to the wealthy;
The wealthy man then gave the luxury items he had purchased to the female celebrity sitting next to him;

The auction price was agreed upon to be far higher than the retail price; this was used to show off and create a facade.

Of course, you can pay however you like.

After showing off like this, the rich will then prepare to change the verb before a certain word.

As a result, luxury brands gained publicity, female celebrities found partners with wealthy men, fashion groups gained profits and charitable reputation, and charitable causes also received funding.

This was a really good deal.

Therefore, this man in autumn johns was also secretly given the unpleasant nickname of pimp in the industry, and that's why.

But ordinary people can't see all the shady dealings hidden beneath the glamorous exterior.

Fans who are fiercely debating on live streaming platforms like Wenjie Video are still arguing about where their idols should sit.

【My heart is ice-cold】: Did everyone see Bingbing's position? On the left is Zhang Chaoyang, a bigwig from a domestic portal website, and on the right is the leader of the China Charity Federation who just went up to speak. This is the number one figure in the domestic entertainment industry, you know?

[Anfeng Knows My Mind]: You don't understand, do you? There are eight main tables in total. Your boss is sitting second from the left, and Qianqian is sitting in the middle. Have you not started working yet and don't know the significance of seating arrangements?

【Eternal Xuejian】: Why is my little fox sitting in the second row?! What's the reason?! Even the tablecloth is different from the one at the main table! What's the hotline for reporting this?

It's worth noting that even the smallest details in the elite world of fame and fortune reveal the strict hierarchy within the entertainment industry.

The main table was made of custom-made ivory white silk blend from Hermès, while the second row was made of British Liberty printed cotton. Even the silver buckets for chilled champagne were changed from Christofle to ordinary chrome-plated material.

To those unfamiliar with the industry, it may appear as a display of different characteristics and aesthetics, but what it truly reflects is one's status and prestige.

How can the entertainment industry, with its cutthroat competition, not be filled with bloodshed?
Soon, someone explained the facts to this fan.

[Life]: The main table and the side table are treated differently in terms of tablecloth and tableware. Yang Mi sits in the second row, which means that the organizers believe that she is only worthy of sitting in the second row.

【Eternal Xuejian】 replied: How can you talk like that? Every time Liu Yifei has a new work, my Xuejian posts to support her. They are best friends. Is it necessary to be so sarcastic?

[Pudding Sauce]: My ass! Yang Mi used to be really supporting that Liu Yifei, right? She was posting photos with her every day, but now she's nowhere to be seen?

Big boobs are only fit to lick the feet of a celestial being! No, wait, the celestial being's feet are mine (﹃)!

She then posted a high-definition picture of Sisi's beautiful feet in the comments section.

With the adjustment of the camera angles of the various broadcasts, fans of the celebrities watching the video on the platform were able to see their idols more clearly.

The four actresses and two ice creams were naturally all at the main table:

Xu Jinglei's blog has the second-highest number of followers after Liu Yifei and a few others. She is preparing to direct a fashion film called "Du Lala's Promotion Diary" after her transition to directing. She has successfully created a persona of a talented woman.
Zhou Xun won the three major Chinese film awards last year with films such as "Perhaps Love" and "Tangshan", making her the most capable among the four actresses.
Without going into too much detail about Yanzi, despite her frantic behavior, her popularity stems from her past roles as the "Big-Eyed Princess," and her current relationship with table tennis champion Wang Liqin has made her quite famous.

Zhang Ziyi remains the top of the four leading actresses. She is currently filming a movie called "Mei Lanfang" directed by Chen Da, and she also did voice work for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". She has also become involved with an Israeli tycoon. It's just a pity that she didn't come today, which she found quite regrettable.

Of the other young actresses, only Su Chang sat at the main table on the far side, which was close to the speakers, so she was clearly not a core member.

At the same table was Tang Wei, who had caused controversy with "Lust, Caution," sitting to Jiang Zhiqiang's left.

Recent rumors suggest that this actress, who sacrificed herself for art, will be blacklisted, and Edko Films' owner, Mr. Jiang, is strongly protecting her.

At the main table, Jiang Yiyan was fortunate enough to sit next to Wu Kebo, thanks to the support of his benefactor. This was a favor bestowed upon her by the owner of Chengtian, and it didn't reflect her status.

The rest of Tang Yan, Huang Shengyi, Song Jia, and Yang Mi sat in the second row, each closer to their company's bosses at the table in front.

Huang Shengyi was sitting next to a man with a long face. The two looked quite intimate, which sparked a lot of discussion.

Soon, netizens pointed out that the horse-faced man was Dong Yong from the TV series "The Fairy Couple" which had just aired on Channel 8, leaving netizens astonished.

Among the other male celebrities, Huang Xiaoming, Hu Ge, and Chen Kun were all at the main table, while the rest were senior actors like Chen Daoming, or leaders of industry associations such as the Actors Association and the Film Association.

Among the Hong Kong and Taiwan artists recently promoting "The Warlords" in mainland China are Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li are currently abroad and have not returned due to investment issues related to "The Forbidden Kingdom".

As for the presidents of Huayi, Chengtian, Xiaoma Benteng, and other internet companies, they were all seated at the main table, and to some extent, they were at the top of the food chain.

After seeing the seating arrangement of almost all the big names, netizens' discussions intensified.

Just like how people enjoy commenting on old photos, such as the positions of our ancestors on a city tower, such seating arrangements can convey a lot of meaning, enough for entertainment reporters to write columns for weeks.

"Sissi is really high-profile, she's at the head table of the head table! Can anyone tell me who's sitting next to her? They all seem to have a good relationship with her."

[Entertainment Industry Insider]: To Liu Yifei's left is Zhuang Xu, the president of Blogcn.com. He's someone that no artist or work in the entertainment industry can bypass if they want to create online hype.
The woman on the right is Zhang Yu, the editor-in-chief of the mainland edition of Vogue magazine, but she seems to have a better relationship with Fan Bingbing.
Surrounding them were the vice president of the Charity Federation, the vice president of Eagle King, and Xiong Xiaoge, president of IDG, which invested in Fashion Group and Wenjie Mall.

The man sitting opposite Liu Yifei needs no introduction, right? It's Grandpa Benshan.

Soon, someone noticed the problem: "Why are all these positions filled with various factions that have good relations with the World of Questions? Isn't this a position tailor-made for Liu Yifei?"

"Yeah! Why should we?"

"She's not as pretty as you guys say, and her figure isn't amazing. When it comes to choosing a boyfriend, you still have to look to Yang Mi."

"Hey upstairs, tell your darling to sit up front and spread her big boobs out on the table so I can see how big they are?"

[Entertainment Insider] Continuing with the science: Insider information, when the money-grubbing entertainment industry ranks its female stars, they must meet at least a few conditions to secure a spot at the head table—

They had phenomenal works or endorsements from global brands back then;

There must be at least one major investor behind it;

Finally, they rank among the top in terms of follower count on top-tier websites like blogs and microblogs.

Only when these conditions are met is there a possibility of a frenzy of investment or for entrepreneurs and business owners to generously donate, which would then be meaningful to the organizers.

The expert's explanation answered many netizens' questions, and now that everyone looks back at the seating arrangement, there's little doubt about Xiao Liu's position.

Even disregarding her boyfriend, she is qualified to sit in this position.

The current group of people at this table is just the organizers giving face to the richest man in mainland China and wanting to take good care of his girlfriend.

During the live broadcast on Wenjie Video, after speeches by Su Mang, leaders of the organizers, and leaders of the China Charity Federation, the song and dance performance began.

Just like in later years, Alec Su opened the show with a high-energy song and dance performance of "Courage," followed by Jane Zhang singing "Radiance," and Venus performing a dance called "Red and Black."

The energetic song and dance performance by an undebuted South Korean group interspersed throughout the program sparked heated discussion because the subtitles mentioned a Chinese name: Han Geng.

The future Super Junior-M will officially debut early next year. Following the 2008 earthquake, they performed "Tomorrow Will Be Better" at a Bazaar charity event.

The reason why he was able to appear on the top stage of the Chinese entertainment industry at this moment might be related to the president of Hunan TV's Tianyu Media, who was sitting in the audience.

Originally created by SM Entertainment as "the first multinational idol group targeting the Chinese-speaking market," the group aimed to seize the Chinese market through differentiated positioning and break the traditional "one-way output" model of K-pop groups.

As people increasingly recognize the intrinsic relationship between the internet and the entertainment industry, Hunan TV's Tianyu Media, which had not signed any major traffic resources, astutely reached a cooperation agreement with SM Group.

You can go and cultivate the flowers yourselves, while I can bring in fresh water from abroad and divert it into the sea. That would be a brilliant plan.

Xiao Liu sat quietly in her seat watching the performance. When it was her best friend Zhang Liangying's turn to sing, she playfully went on stage to present flowers and hug her, winning cheers from the audience and the online comments.

With Grandpa Benshan at this table, there's bound to be no shortage of witty remarks: "Yifei, if you're free this year, come with me to perform a show on the Spring Festival Gala."

Xiao Liu knew he was joking: "Sure, I consider myself a funny girl too."

Zhuang Xu laughed and said, "These days, the more popular bloggers on Weibo are all doing cross-industry ventures. Look at writer Han Han, who goes racing, and civil servant Mingyue, who writes history books."

"If Ms. Liu goes to act in a comedy, whether or not she can make everyone laugh, probably no one will miss the show, right?"

Zhao Benshan clapped his hands: "Hey, I was just joking, but after what you said, President Zhuang, I really want to invite Yi Fei!"

He suddenly whispered, "By the way, Mr. Zhuang, don't rush off after we're done. I'll treat you to a ten-dollar chat."

“Okay, listening to Teacher Zhao tell jokes, laughing more will make you look younger.”

Everyone at the table smiled politely, but they were all sensible and knew what Lao Zhao meant.

The health product "Yilishen" endorsed by Zhao Benshan this year has been exposed for false advertising, and the company has also gone bankrupt due to suspected illegal fundraising of 200 billion yuan.

He's currently facing intense scrutiny and controversy. If the Spring Festival Gala didn't need him so much, the director might have already been considering replacing him for the closing sketch.

What is the purpose of seeking out this internet entrepreneur who controls public opinion?
It's just a lice on a bald man's head.

As everyone discussed and talked, the auction officially began.

The inaugural Bazaar Charity Gala in 2003 was held in a rush, and almost all the items used were donated by the celebrities themselves, as they supported each other and gave each other face.

Liu Yifei, who became famous for her role as Zhao Ling'er, brought out her own handmade costume.

As more and more sponsors emerged and the business chain mentioned above gradually formed, the majority of charity auctions consisted of luxury goods and calligraphy and paintings by celebrities.

This includes manuscripts by renowned directors such as Mr. Lu and Feng Xiaogang.

Holding a microphone, Su Mang stood under the crystal chandelier, a smile spreading across his unassuming face: "Thank you to all the guests for attending the 5th Bazaar Charity Night! All items auctioned tonight were donated by brands and celebrities."

"Please remember our slogan—Make charity fashionable!"

Next up were Wu Dawei and Ke Lan, the ever-present duo, who took the stage and presented the first item for auction.

"This is a Hermès Himalayan crocodile Birkin bag donated by Ms. Zhang Ziyi. The starting bid is 800,000 yuan, with each bid no less than 10,000 yuan. Please bid!"

The large screen projected an image of the Birkin bag, along with official material specifications and explanations.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the brand donated the money under the celebrity's name; otherwise, would Zhang Ziyi have been willing to part with the money?

This first Chinese actress to truly achieve fame in Hollywood has always been known for her frugality.

The fraudulent donations that were exposed in later years after the 08 disaster;
Hong Huang and others subtly mocked her for buying jewelry worth tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan while traveling and then reselling it to her girlfriends to make a profit.

And the gossip in the media after her breakup with the Israeli tycoon that Zhang Ziyi would never accept a prenuptial agreement.

The bag was eventually bought by Wendy Deng for 105 million yuan, which can be seen as her standing up for her "best friend" Zhang Ziyi and making her look good.

The second item in the auction is Zhou Chunya's oil painting "Green Dog," donated by Wang Xiaolei of Huayi Art, with a starting price of 90 yuan. This is a fine piece that he found in the art market.

Cheng Tian Wu Kebo raised his paddle: "120 million!"

On stage, Wu Dawei, the straight man, said, "Mr. Wu, you have such a grand vision! It's a pity that Mr. Lu isn't here today, otherwise your three big companies could have competed for the top spot in charity!"

Everyone laughed when they heard this. It was a joke, not too much, and no one would take it too seriously.

The fierce competition and infighting within the entertainment industry is the norm. It is only in recent years that Huayi and Wenjie have gradually ceased their efforts and gone their separate ways.

However, Wenjie transforms into a dragon upon encountering favorable winds and clouds, while Huayi is fed from a piglet into a fat pig.

Without realizing it.

Ke Lan, always eager for drama, looked in Liu Yifei's direction and teased, "President Lu isn't here, but Yifei is, isn't she? It's the same thing!"

"Consort Yi, would you be interested in collecting this oil painting by Zhou Chunya by President Wang?"

"I know your Mr. Lu is also a very good painter, but how should I put it, looking at paintings is like looking at handsome men, wouldn't it be better to appreciate different types?"

The audience burst into laughter. Ke Lan winked at Liu Yifei, indicating that it was just for the sake of the show as the host and that she shouldn't mind.

Xiao Liu, being a natural at social situations, took the microphone from the hostess and said with a smile, "Of course I don't mind, but Lu Kuan is petty, I'm afraid he'll get jealous."

"I won't compete with Mr. Wu for this painting; please make yourselves at home."

If it were someone else's item, I'd be happy to raise the price or even win the bid, but it's not worth it for Huayi's people; there's nothing to support them for.

"140 million!"

The room erupted in commotion, and then a beautiful female voice could be heard coming from the second round table from the left.

Even without a microphone, his voice pierced the enthusiastic atmosphere with remarkable clarity, followed by the usual rounds of applause.

The second bid already has a 50% premium?
Everyone turned to look, and the on-site director promptly focused the camera on her, revealing her to be a stunningly beautiful actress in a burgundy dress.

All eyes were on Bingbing, who slightly raised her chin and smiled faintly with her red lips.

Her fingertips lightly brushed against the Cartier diamond earrings by her ears, and under the light, the panther watch on her wrist complemented the earrings, making her skin look as white as snow and her demeanor exceptional.

Ke Lan was overjoyed; she hadn't expected this at all.

It seems Bingbing isn't very patient; she's already starting to target him?
You, Liu Yifei, think it's bad, right? I'm going to do the opposite.

Furthermore, this was an item auctioned by the owner of her employer, Huayi, so no one can say that such support was deliberately targeted.

Yanzi was overjoyed, as this increased her chances of successfully tearing Jin Suo apart with Xiao Liu's help.

Considering how Liu Yifei had just made a move that made Jiang Yiyan suffer a setback, he wondered if he might have to become her wingman today.
These two fought to the death because of the richest man in mainland China, and then he just stabbed Bingbing in the back and that was it.

Bingbing's offer was too high, and no one followed up. Wu Kebo also politely indicated that he was giving up.

Ke Lan invited the leading actresses up to the stage, where the vice president of the Charity Federation presented them with awards as guests.

Bingbing took the microphone and said with a smile, "It's been almost seven years since I joined Huayi. Thanks to the care of all my colleagues in the company, and with the company going public in the next year or two, we, as artists and shareholders, are also honored."

"There's not much to say. It's just a small token of my support and a small contribution to charity. Thank you everyone."

"Great!" Wang Xiaolei stood up and applauded, recognizing the leading lady's loyalty to the company.

Back then, Zhou Jun had all sorts of doubts about Bingbing, but thankfully he didn't believe his nonsense.

Bingbing was the first actress to defect after Wang Jinhua left. She carved out her own path with almost no company resources and also benefited other actresses.

As for that photo from Liu Yifei's birthday banquet—

Let's not even talk about whether it can reveal whether Fan Bingbing or Lu Kuan slept with her. Even if they did, so what?
The washing machine knew her so early on, isn't it normal that they slept together?
Besides, he now has an empress.

In the entertainment industry, if sleeping together guarantees an unwavering commitment, then what the hell would be the point of running an entertainment company?
Aren't all male celebrities theirs to keep?

Fan Bingbing gracefully stepped off the stage, and the guests all secretly observed Liu Yifei's expression, but unfortunately, they got nothing.

A significant portion of these people wanted to see her react in the same way she had just reprimanded Jiang Yiyan.

Jiang Yiyan herself is one of them.

She even put herself in the role of a leading actress, thinking about how she could make the jealous and arrogant girl she hated suffer.

Jiang Yiyan wanted to see if she could see the same embarrassed, flustered, and ashamed expression she had just had.

Just like Liu Yifei's hasty escape at her 18th birthday party.

Unfortunately, the man who could bring her the deepest sorrow and despair in this world has also captured her heart, so it's unlikely that she'll ever see such a tragic and miserable scene again.

The barrage battle on the Wenjie video platform has officially begun, with the opposing sides naturally being the fans of Bingbing and Xiaoliu.

"Holy crap! My Bing is amazing! Her aura completely annihilated those guys at the main table!"

"So what if you're in the center? You completely overshadow everyone. Even if you, Liu Yifei, manage to put up a fight, it's probably only because of your boyfriend's influence, right? What's so great about being a 'celestial beauty' fan?"

A strange guy snuck in: "Beautiful! In the current Chinese entertainment industry, besides Fan Bingbing, only my Mimi has this kind of aura."

The counterattack came in an instant:

"If you, Fan Bingbing, are going to spend 140 million yuan to show off just because Xixi doesn't like a piece of shabby painting, then I can only say that you should do whatever makes you happy."

"When Sisi got home, she took out a doodle of the washing machine from the bookshelf. It's probably a dream that Fan Bingbing could only dream of his whole life. Besides, she probably never cared about money when she was a child."

"The person upstairs is right. Showing off wealth only happens to nouveau riche. They only like to flaunt what they lack. Otherwise, why would my fairy wear the same old down jacket for so many years? Don't really think she can't afford it, do you?"

Of course, some of Yang Mi's fans also criticized her, saying things like, "They're holding up signs at the main table, where the hell is Yang Mi?!"

"The camera doesn't even focus on him. Is he picking up his chopsticks? Or is he showing off his big snowflakes?"

. . .

The barrage of comments has always been a chaotic battleground.

Not to mention some censored words marked with a long string of asterisks.

Bingbing's initiative did not elicit any emotional response from Liu Yifei. In the video, she was looking down and talking to Zhang Yu, the female editor beside her.

To some extent, Fan Bingbing and Lu Kuan's vengefulness and ruthlessness stem from the same source, like sharp blades being drawn from their sheaths, revealing their full sharpness.

They have always preferred to take a high-profile approach, but this also makes them prone to breaking.

However, the washing machine has a hanging rack, which is the key to his ability to avoid bad luck and attract good fortune.

But Xiao Liu has a different style, like water, which is gentle yet firm, and wins without fighting.

Like still waters running deep, it naturally wins the situation with its inner strength and strategic vision, and can thwart the opponent's offensive without direct confrontation.

This is determined by her inherent personality.

At most, they would try to drive them away when Jiang Yiyan was buzzing around like a fly, which was annoying.

Zhuang Xu flipped through today's auction list and chuckled, "Didn't you and President Lu contribute any items for auction?"

Xiao Liu couldn't say that Boss Lu was not interested in this so-called charity gala and was unwilling to flatter him.

He simply said, "I just returned to China, and he's busy with the Olympics, so he doesn't have time to prepare anything."

Xiong Xiaoge laughed and said, "Oh no, I was just about to put on a show, but now I have no target."

Director Liu then took on the role of the boss's wife: "President Xiong, it's good to save some money. Wenjie Mall is about to have its final round of financing. How can IDG not be left behind until the very end?"

"Absolutely, no problem at all, I'm very confident," Xiong Xiaoge said confidently.

He didn't have much confidence in Wenjie Mall, after all, it was still the undisputed number two in the industry.

He had confidence in that richest man in mainland China, and in the loud and boisterous Dongzi.

In particular, there have been recent discussions about new ways to play in the online store, as well as the dynamics of Ali's B2C strategy.

The Bazaar Charity Night auction is still ongoing, and several items have been sold at high prices. Liu Yifei occasionally makes purchases to support Su Chang, Tang Yan, Yang Mi, and others.

I didn't see anything that really interested me.

The banquet proceeded smoothly until Bingbing's auction items appeared on the projection screen, causing a minor incident.

"This is a Cartier Panthère diamond watch donated by Ms. Bingbing. She bought it last year when she attended Milan Fashion Week. The starting bid is 50. Let's begin!"

"55!"

"60!"

For some reason, Yanzi's friend Zhao Xinyu also raised her paddle: "80!"

"What are you doing?" Big-eyed princess immediately became unhappy.

Whose side are you on?

Almost the same story as in later generations unfolded, and the drama of two leading actresses who became household names because of "Princess Pearl" officially began.

Who is she on? She's on Su Mang's side.

Qiu Ku Mang, backstage, clenched his fist excitedly, watching the scene closely on the screen, marveling at himself as a genius planner.

In the dramatic conflict between Yanzi and Bingbing, Xiao Liu, who was originally predicted to be the fuse, was added—

But judging from the actual situation today, she is not the trigger. If she really gets serious and starts throwing punches, she may be more lethal than the other two.

Because the resources behind her are unparalleled; didn't you see the CEO of Blogcn protecting her?
Bingbing's face was gloomy, but she couldn't stand up and argue with Da Yan Ge. That would be too undignified, and she would be like a shrew cursing in the street.

After all, Yanzi only complained to her friend a little and didn't actually bare her teeth at her.

As for the phrase "What are you doing?", it is destined to be distributed to various channels through the increasingly developed online public opinion platforms, becoming a classic example.

It's like a declaration of war, or the arrow that pierces the clouds in the movie "Kung Fu Hustle".

Starting with this seemingly insignificant anecdote, the various groups that Big-Eyed Princess had previously coordinated gathered together and began to ostracize Bingbing.

The host on stage naturally noticed the awkwardness of the situation, but could only pretend not to know. Ke Lan, with a forced smile, went through the motions: "80 per time!"

"100 million!"

It was Wang Dajun who spoke, and it was only natural for him to support his own artist.

Wendy Deng also offered a helping hand: "120 million!"

After all, Da Huadan is the key figure behind her, Huayi, and Ali's collaboration in film, social media, and e-commerce next year.

Bingbing's expression softened slightly, but she was unaware that Big-Eyed Princess's retaliatory attack was yet to come.

Liu Yifei calmly surveyed the atmosphere in the room, then lowered her head and chuckled to Zhuang Xu, "No wonder Lu Kuan didn't want to come; he's really quite boring."

Zhuang Xu said meaningfully, "Most of the people sitting in this room are actors, but in this setting, I think their acting skills are much better than yours and Su Chang's."

Whether Zhao Benshan had overheard their conversation or not, he calmly sipped his red wine and said something quite meaningful: "All that's missing is a plate of peanuts."

Everyone at the table laughed. Apart from Liu Yifei and Zhao Benshan, everyone at the table was not in the entertainment industry.

But these two are also quite special.

This year, Grandpa Benshan brought his apprentices Song Xiaobao and Cheng Ye into Benshan Media, forming an integrated model of "enrollment-training-employment".

Furthermore, the IPs of "Liu Laogen" and "Country Love" have been extended to catering—Liu Laogen Restaurant and tourism—Xiangyashan Scenic Area, building a cross-border ecological chain, which is also a very forward-looking direction for the development of the cultural industry.

In other words, Teacher Zhao's current image is overshadowed by his status as a capitalist.

As for Xiao Liu, his recent moment of great prominence, as evidenced by Director Liu's appearance in the limelight, speaks volumes.

A round of applause erupted as Wendy Deng accepted the Cartier Panthère diamond watch donated by Bingbing.

The two smiled and clinked glasses on stage, seemingly unaffected by the brief incident.

Just when everyone thought this was just a minor squabble between top actresses, like the previous one between Bingbing and Liu Yifei, the following plot became even more intriguing.

Wu Dawei began introducing the next item: "This Cartier LOVE diamond bracelet is a donation from Cartier's China headquarters."

"Inspired by the screw element, symbolizing eternal love and commitment, the diamond-set version adorns the classic bracelet with dazzling diamonds, combining luxury and romance."

"It's a classic gift for couples to express their love, and also a favorite layering item for fashionistas. Starting price: 77. Please bid!" Bingbing, a fashion queen in mainland China, has always maintained a good relationship with luxury goods manufacturers. She immediately raised her paddle: "90."

Without hesitation, Yanzi replied, "95."

Bingbing rolled her eyes discreetly: "100 million."

"105 million!"

Discord arose throughout the banquet hall. If what had just happened was obvious, this was now an extremely blatant provocation.

If the minimum bid increase is 10,000 each time, Yanzi would probably be willing to repeatedly show her aggressive stance.

There are more onlookers now, but who can actually point out what the problem is?
It's just a normal price increase following the procedure. We're all doing charity, is that not allowed?
Fan Bingbing stopped bidding, and the Big-Eyed Princess and the president of Cartier China toasted each other on stage, their postures dignified.

Since the event was being broadcast live, Yanzi couldn't go too far, but she didn't want to let Fan Bingbing off the hook so easily.

So he gave a wink to one of his persistent suitors.

Mr. Huang Youhu, a mysterious figure from Shenzhen, naturally flocked to Bingbing and once again stuck to her like glue.

He would raise the price as soon as she gave him a quote, but only by the minimum.

Yanzi, you shouldn't be too direct and embarrass her. I'm not afraid. I'm just an ordinary rich guy.

You run, I chase, you can't escape even if you grow wings.

Unless she withdraws from the auction.

If you, Fan Bingbing, are not afraid of losing face and status, then just give up, okay?

Leading actresses can easily defuse other attacks, but this kind of backstabbing, annoying tactic...

She didn't have any good ideas, so she just remained nonchalant, ignoring the issue and offering no feedback. She simply chatted and laughed with the guests at her main table, pretending not to know anything.

In a short time, several luxury items were snapped up by this Mr. Huang.

This unassuming nouveau riche even declared on stage that he was inspired by the beautiful and kind-hearted Yanzi and hoped to contribute to Chinese charity.

Yanzi went on stage several times, making witty and sarcastic remarks that were impossible to find fault with, but made it even more unpleasant to listen to.

At the main table, Bingbing's disgust was palpable.

She sat there with a cold expression, suppressing her anger.

At this moment, the promising young actress recalled what Boss Lu had told her one day—

Create your own powerful family and trample those people under your feet (Chapter 292).

She had experienced all kinds of hardships and dangers, and Bingbing knew that all she needed to do now was sit gracefully and smile.

The big-eyed princess has already found a way to die.

Luxury goods and other high-end items, as well as business items, are being auctioned off one after another. This is all to generate publicity during prime time, as the best time slots should be given to the big spenders.

As it approached 9:30, an item appeared in the middle of the screen, and Liu Yifei keenly sensed that something was amiss.

Because she was bored and observed Ke Lan on the stage, she was clearly stunned for a moment.

The female host seemed to have heard some instructions from Qiu Ku Mang in her earpiece, and began to recite her lines without making a sound, but her eyes were still somewhat unfocused.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the following item is quite special. It is part of the manuscript of 'Princess Pearl' by Aunt Qiong Yao from Taiwan Province."

This second-generation host, who previously worked at Phoenix TV, was quick-witted and introduced himself with a smile:
"In 1997, Qiong Yao heard a folk legend about Princess Tomb while traveling in Beiping. It is said that the adopted daughter of Emperor Qianlong was buried here."

"This legend inspired her creative inspiration, and combined with historical elements of the Qing Dynasty, she constructed the story framework of Xia Ziwei and Xiao Yanzi."

"She once admitted, 'I am not a historian, and the story is purely fictional, but I hope to show the brilliance of humanity through romantic narrative.'"

"Now, ten years have passed, and many people born in the 70s, 80s, and even 90s grew up watching 'Princess Pearl'."

Ke Lan paused in her emotional speech, then said, "Alright, according to Ms. Qiong Yao's wishes, the starting bid for this manuscript is 10, with each bid increasing by 1."

Swallow: "50."

Lin Xinru: "60."

Alec Su: "65."

The three original lead actors spoke out one after another, and everyone at the charity gala applauded and watched them bid with goodwill. No one else was so tactless as to interfere in this heartwarming story.

Liu Yifei glanced at Fan Bingbing without showing any emotion, seemingly able to understand her feelings at that moment.

She was subjected to all sorts of overt and covert exclusion and suppression all night, and in the end, she still had to put on a grand finale performance.

Unfortunately, this usually outspoken actress can't just flip the table on live stream, otherwise she'll offend even more people.

For everyone present today who were looking forward to the spectacle of Yanzi, Bingbing, and Liu Yifei bickering over drinks, this was the climax of the charity gala.

This climax was clearly a plot orchestrated by someone with ulterior motives.

Is this an attempt to reenact the rejection and suppression of Jin Suo by Ziwei and Yanzi both on and off screen?

Bingbing hesitated in his mind about whether to bid, while Yanzi, who was calculating without thinking, had already strode onto the stage, smiling as she took the microphone from Ke Lan's hand:
“Youpeng, Xinru, the charity gala is almost over. If you ask me, the three of us shouldn’t argue.”

"If each of us contributes 60 yuan, and I add 8 yuan, we can bid 188 million yuan to buy Aunt Qiong Yao's manuscript and do our part for charity. Is that okay?"

"agree!"

"...agree!"

Lin Xinru answered readily. Su Youpeng hesitated for a moment, looked at Bingbing with an awkward expression for a second, and then blurted out his agreement.

I could just ignore it.

But it was precisely that one involuntary glance that nearly humiliated the leading lady.

Qiong Yao's line, "You'll be my maid for life!" echoed in her ears like a nightmare. The story of the three main actors bidding together to buy the manuscript was a beautiful one, but you, Fan Bingbing, were missing.

It's easy to imagine that tomorrow's public opinion will be in turmoil, digging up the past of the once-famous actress whose life was full of misfortunes.

Oh, so you, the fashion queen of the domestic entertainment industry, were once just a worthless weed that could be trampled on.

How pathetic! How laughable!

Undeniably, this is a deep-seated flaw hidden within countless onlookers:
To satisfy one's own "trauma consumption" by taking advantage of the suffering of others.

When you, Fan Bingbing, are a fashion queen, you can calmly accept the envious glances from fans and passersby.
However, this does not prevent people from gaining a sense of power by trampling on, belittling, and discussing your painful past when you are in a weak position in public opinion.

Whether human nature is inherently good or evil, in the internet age, this is essentially Nietzsche's "philosophy of resentment."

The weak use moral judgment to confront the existence of the strong.

Backstage, Su Mang stared intently at Fan Bingbing in the center of the screen, wishing that this leading lady would slam her fist on the table and stand up with domineering presence!

Tonight's charity gala is truly making waves.

With a substantial amount of charitable donations, such a star-studded lineup, and the added bonus of generating a huge amount of online traffic, this gimmick is sure to attract attention.

Long johns Mang doesn't understand any real fashion; she's a saleswoman, so she's used to it.

Xiao Liu was also silently observing the situation on the field. After understanding everything, he sighed helplessly in his heart.

Vanity Fair, oh Vanity Fair, once you really get into it, it's an existence that can drive you crazy.

From the day she parted ways with Bingbing in New York on bad terms, she realized that this leading lady who regarded her as an enemy was definitely the one most immersed in the role.

Perhaps her entire life has been a journey of self-affirmation and self-improvement.

The live broadcast cameras quickly zoomed in, focusing directly on the faces of the individuals involved to capture their micro-expressions.

Yanzi's smug smile almost reached her lips. Even if she hadn't conspired with Liu Yifei to cause trouble today, her few acts of humiliation would have been enough to make Liu Yifei lose face.

She was still not satisfied and really wanted to completely crush Fan Bingbing under her feet today: "Xinru, Youpeng, please come up on stage together. Let's take a picture with the manuscript and send it to Teacher Qiongyao later."

Lin Xinru readily accepted the order, and Su Youpeng sighed inwardly before following her onto the stage.

The arrow is on the string and must be fired.

At that moment, Bingbing saw the process of these two people going on stage almost in slow motion, but no one was paying attention to them.

And all the attention at the scene instantly turned to him.

Those inquiring glances seemed to say—

Fan Bingbing, so what if you rise to prominence again in the past two years?
In the end, isn't she just destined to be a maid?
She can't compete with Liu Yifei or Zhao Bafei, but she can still outshine those unknown actresses.

Even all the dark, reflective optical lenses seemed to become black holes mocking her, trying to suck up Bingbing's face and self-esteem.

We will leave her with absolutely no fig leaf.

Bingbing, her heart already chilled to the bone, unconsciously rubbed the slender stem of the wine glass with her right knuckles, the shards of light refracted by the crystal gleaming like icy sharpness in her eyes.

The wine left scarlet streaks on the glass, like unhealed knife wounds.

Her jawline was taut, and her thumb, painted with coral nail polish, pressed heavily against the soft flesh of her palm, trying to suppress the churning heat in her throat with the sensation of pain.

If this top-tier drama of infighting between leading actresses had happened with Jiang Yiyan in the past, she probably would have lost control and jumped up and down long ago.

But Bingbing knew she had to endure it.

If she does anything outrageous, she will be the one ridiculed, enraged, ostracized, and have extremely poor interpersonal relationships in the news and public opinion.

If this kind of hype continues, the title of "maid" will really be dug up from the grave and pasted onto her forehead.

Lin Xinru and Su Youpeng had just come on stage, and Yanzi was about to put on a grand performance, when Deng Wendi suddenly stood up and said:
"How about we have all the guests who contributed to charity tonight come up on stage for a group photo?"

President Deng, with his sharp features, looked at Liu Jiang at the same table. The latter was the president of the Fashion Group, and Qiu Ku Mang was just his subordinate.

Although Liu Jiang didn't know if Su Mang had arranged this move, he was quite impressed with it.

However, when Wendy Deng stood up and looked down at him, it was clear that she wanted to give her ally, Huayi's top female star, some dignity.

Judging from her ambiguous smile, she had no choice but to give him face.

The desired effect of today's program has been achieved. Now that Liu Jiang has stepped forward to act as a peacemaker, it can prevent Bingbing from venting her anger on the Fashion Group later.

After all, it was Swallow who tore you apart, but it was Harper's Bazaar who came to your rescue!
"Yes, yes, please come up to the stage with the guests who just donated their love?" Su Mang seemed to have just sprung out of the womb, running to the slightly chaotic stage.

Male and female celebrities have already gone on stage together.

Who wouldn't want to get a good spot on stage and spend more time in front of various live broadcasts and rebroadcasts when they have the chance to appear in the highest echelons of fame and fortune?

Su Mang even went down to the stage himself and humbly invited Bingbing to come up on stage. His obsequious little face looked as innocent as could be.

Liu Yifei bought a silk scarf from her best friend Tang Yan tonight, but she has no interest in going on stage at the moment.

Whether it was Fan Bingbing's confrontation in New York, Yang Mi's clumsy provocation, or Jiang Yiyan's exposed underhanded tricks—

She has always maintained a stable mental state.

The deeper Liu Yifei's spiritual and physical connection with Boss Lu became, the more she could observe the petty squabbles of the entertainment industry like an outsider.

On the one hand, she had enough background and confidence to decisively cut ties with these despicable people she looked down upon;

On the other hand, it is also the underlying nature of her personality, which is like water, that allows her to remain calm in the center of the vortex of fame and fortune, while always maintaining an observer-like sense of detachment.

Whether it's this life or the previous one.

Her gaze pierced through the meticulously planned ranking battles and the undercurrents of resource competition, as if she were watching an absurd, immersive drama—

Every character on stage was giving their all, but she had long since seen through the script's bland nature.

The only difference between these two lives is that in her previous life, she personally experienced the pain and helplessness of being targeted, cyberbullied, and slandered.

Then, he distanced himself from the noise, reconciled with himself, and reached the state of "I have struggled with myself for a long time, so I would rather be myself";

In this life, she grew rapidly under Lu Kuan's companionship, encouragement, and even harm, which broadened her horizons and made her thinking more meticulous.

At the same time, they still stubbornly adhere to their undistorted value judgments and do what they believe is right.

As the bustling Bazaar Charity Gala drew to a close, the warm golden light from the crystal chandeliers intertwined with the cool glow of the screens, creating a scene reminiscent of a ukiyo-e painting of the world of fame and fortune.
Amidst the clinking of glasses and lively conversation below the stage, the champagne bubbles silently burst in the Christofle silver barrel;
Amidst the crowded banter on stage, countless meticulously groomed faces were hidden, each person's smile seemingly calculated with precision.

Zhao Buffet was naturally not happy. Tonight was a long-planned and meticulously conceived showdown, and he was determined to make Bingbing lose face.

Now, thanks to Wendi Deng's words, the situation has been salvaged, but the effort was not entirely successful, which is regrettable.

Bingbing strode onto the stage, and Huang Xiaoming, a colleague from the same company, with his exceptional emotional intelligence, took the initiative to smile and say, "Bingbing, come here to me."

"Okay." The leading lady didn't even glance at Yanzi, Zhang Ziyi, and the others to Huang Xiaoming's right. She just stood there quietly, her face still burning with anger.

The wine-red dress shimmered like satin under the spotlight, and her snow-white skin still appeared cold and sharp even in the soft light.

The silent gazes of everyone below the stage, including Xiao Liu, put even more invisible pressure on the leading lady on stage.

Li Binbin and Zhou Xun went on stage together. Li Binbin suddenly laughed and said, "Zhou Xun, we're both wearing black dresses, why don't you stand on Ziyi and Yanzi's side?"

"Including our nicknames, all five of us are dressed in black."

Zhou Xun remained silent: "Fine, it doesn't matter where you stand."

Then a very strange scene unfolded.

On Huang Xiaoming's right side on the stage were four actresses dressed in black gowns, all smiling and exchanging pleasantries with each other.

With the addition of Alec Su and Lin Xinru who had previously taken the stage, the lineup was quite impressive.

Xu Jinglei, not wanting to miss out on the fun, went up on stage and stood directly next to Yanzi.

They are all from the Beijing Film Academy.

To the left of Huang Xiaoming, who stood with his back straight, was only Bingbing, dressed in a bright red dress.

What a clear division between small groups and individuals.

Yanzi was extremely excited. She nodded to Li Binbin without showing any emotion, marveling at how this second sister of Huayi, who had been feuding with Bingbing for so long, really knew how to handle things in a critical moment.

Isn't this even more admirable than the "isolation, exclusion, and humiliation" of the trio in "Princess Pearl"?
Now, viewers watching the live stream and commenting on it, as well as entertainment reporters and media, can see it more clearly—

Who is so disliked?
Was it me, Yanzi, deliberately targeting her? No.

This reveals the true state of people's hearts.

Bingbing is undoubtedly the fashion queen of the Chinese entertainment industry, and her commercial value is at its peak.

But sometimes the volume is louder when there are more people.

At the very least, Zhang Ziyi, Li Binbin, Zhou Xun, Yanzi, and Xu Jinglei form the "Four Dan and One Bing" group.

The remaining ice crystal stood alone to Huang Xiaoming's left, while countless eyes in the audience and on the screen were fixed on her fair and alluring face.

I wanted to capture even the slightest emotional fluctuations, such as embarrassment, anger, or indignation.

Bingbing met these malicious gazes with a blank expression, as if they were actually directed at his body.

They transformed into greedy lenses, waiting to capture the moment she broke down.

The leading actress could even clearly feel those gazes scrutinizing her bare shoulders and measuring whether the curve of her smile was stiff.

She didn't dare to glance into the room to see if Liu Yifei's beautiful eyes were among them.

I feel incredibly lonely standing on this stage.

She was as lonely as a solitary red rose blooming in the cold winter night of Beiping.

Her back was ramrod straight, her long neck stretched into a sharp arc, and the satin fabric of her burgundy dress gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen under the spotlight.

At this moment, Bingbing wished that this long dress could transform into her own hard armor—

She knew she wouldn't always receive that person's favor and care like Liu Yifei. She was a nail driven into the enemy camp, and her only way to save herself was through self-salvation or self-hypnosis.

Liu Yifei was indeed looking at her.

However, the look in his eyes was far from mocking, sarcastic, or gloating.

At that moment, she recalled her embarrassment at her eighteenth birthday party and her hasty escape on Fox News.

When your mental world collapses, the surging restlessness in your chest will scorch your throat, leaving you speechless.

The rustling of fabrics as those women in black dresses embrace, the crisp sound of crystals clinking together when glasses are raised, all feel like tiny steel needles piercing your eardrums.

All the gazes directed at you seem to have only one purpose: to strip away your dignity and trample on it, then use it as a condiment for drinks.

Zhuang Xu also found the scene quite boring, and he was well aware of the relationship between Fan Bingbing and his junior brother Lu Kuan.

"Yi Fei, shall we go? I see you haven't eaten enough. Let's go get something to eat with Su Chang."

Xiao Liu couldn't bear to look at Bingbing's expression any longer. Just like he had told her in New York, he found it hard to harbor any ill will towards her.

"Okay." Xiao Liu had just stood up when Yanzi saw her. The latter took the microphone and greeted her with a smile: "Qianqian, come up quickly, we're just waiting for you."

It can only be said that none of the needles that Rong Momo used were unjust. Zhao Bafei made room between her own yellow nicknames, which was obviously a very popular spot.

She wanted to wipe out the soldiers completely.

Fan Bingbing glanced at Liu Yifei, who was still smiling and talking, and her legs involuntarily took a step back, feeling unsteady. Her resentment towards Yanzi was beyond measure.

He pulled a top-tier actress, with whom he had a long-standing feud, the largest number of fans on the internet, and who consistently topped the trending topics list, onto the stage and stood on their side.

Today, this photo and this topic will become another deeply painful humiliation in her career.

Even if it came down to choosing one person to admit defeat, Bingbing would never want to bow down to Liu Yifei.

"Sissi, hurry up! You're wearing a black dress too, let's coordinate our outfits!"

"Xiaoming is still your old partner from 'The Return of the Condor Heroes,' come up on stage quickly."

Tang Yan, Su Chang, Yang Mi, and others in the audience silently observed Liu Yifei, who had a calm expression. They watched as she sighed almost imperceptibly and walked straight onto the stage.

Da Mimi chuckled softly, "This is going to be interesting. They've really done Qianqian a good favor."

Su Chang and Tang Yan didn't answer. They exchanged a complicated look, feeling a mix of emotions.

This feeling and perception is not easy to describe.

Even though they would undoubtedly stand unconditionally on their best friend's side, seeing Fan Bingbing on stage, who could barely conceal her emotions...

Now, Liu Yifei's casual step to Huang Xiaoming's right is undoubtedly like a bullet aimed at her forehead, completely crushing this once-promising leading lady.

But what's wrong with it for Liu Yifei?

You've clearly decided to steal my boyfriend, so why should I be any more kind and considerate towards you?
Zhuang Xu, sitting in the audience, raised an eyebrow. The noise from the scene was almost inaudible, and the comments on the video screen were flying around like a blizzard in Beijing in winter.

Bingbing didn't have the courage to look up. She could only watch out of the corner of her eye as Liu Yifei's light pink high heels approached step by step. The sound of them lightly tapping on the dance steps felt like a heavy hammer blow to her heart.

At that moment, she suddenly felt like a trapped beast in a gladiatorial arena, a victim of human amusement.

The so-called crown of a fashion queen is nothing more than a decorative collar temporarily bestowed upon her by onlookers.

Bingbing almost gritted her teeth to pieces, and with great courage, she looked up.

The leading actress's idea is very simple:
If you're destined to become a laughing stock in tomorrow's news, if this humiliation is destined to stay with you for a long time, why not look more beautiful in front of the camera?
But when she looked up, she was surprised to find...

Liu Yifei stood directly beside her, without moving an inch.

Bingbing's tense nerves snapped suddenly, and the surging agitation in his chest froze instantly.

Countless sharp predictions flashed through her mind—that Liu Yifei would stand on the other side with condescending pity, or gently cut away her last shred of dignity.

However, at this moment, the position where those light pink high heels stopped completely shattered her defenses.

Why...?

The leading lady unconsciously dug her fingertips into her palm, and the crescent-shaped bloodstains under her nail polish throbbed with pain.

The harsh words during the New York showdown, the provocations at the charity gala, and that birthday party photo that went viral in the media.

All memories of hostility collapsed into an absurd blank at this moment.

She suddenly realized that she had never truly seen through this seemingly gentle opponent.

For the first time, Bingbing's sharp features lost control, and her slightly raised posture changed from a forced arrogance to an almost bewildered inquiry.

Yanzi's smile vanished abruptly. She wanted to call her over urgently, but she didn't want to be too flamboyant in front of the camera.

It's one thing to collude in private, but female celebrities still need to maintain a certain level of decorum in public.

But apart from the actresses in her camp, Zhuang Xu, Zhou Xun, Su Chang, and others had smiles on their faces.

Yes, she is Liu Yifei.

When everyone was expecting her to join the "Four Dan and One Bing" group in black dresses, Liu Yifei stood unhesitatingly beside the isolated and helpless Fan Bingbing.

This action is neither a display of innocence nor a sign of weakness, but a silent resistance against the unspoken rule of "kicking someone when they're down."

She was well aware of the cutthroat nature of the entertainment industry, but refused to become an executioner in the power game because she never regarded Fan Bingbing as her enemy or rival.

Her real opponent is Lu Kuan, not herself.

Seeing that the audience seemed to still be in shock, Xiao Liu waved to the camera and said, "Hurry up, you can take pictures now."

"The female celebrities who don't dare to eat dinner must be starving by now. Please, cameramen, have some understanding and hurry up!"

The entire audience burst into laughter, and the 2007 Bazaar Charity Gala came to a close with this bizarre group photo as its finale.

A grand drama, a great show, came to an abrupt end.

Whether it's the actors Yanzi and Bingbing in the play, the directors Su Mang and Liu Jiang behind the scenes, or Liu Yifei, who unexpectedly brought the filming of this big show to a close ahead of schedule, everyone was involved.

They all smiled broadly in this group photo, using their natural talent as actors to chronicle everything through the annals of time.

It's as if the fierce, almost earth-shattering conflict never happened.

Beiping, Daxing.

Having just finished a program rehearsal and watched the final "climax" of the film, the Olympic chief director closed his laptop, shut his eyes, and leaned back in the hard military chair.

It must be said that Liu Yifei always possesses a kind of gentle, benevolent strength.

While the entertainment industry equates scheming with wisdom and glorifies ruthlessness as courage, she still adheres to her most basic moral intuition.

We should not condone distortion simply because it is widespread, nor should we abandon our bottom line because of huge profits.

This kind of perseverance is not a deliberate act of aloofness, but rather a natural aura emanating from the depths of the soul, illuminating the darkest corners of the world of fame and fortune.

How could one not love such a lovely person as Liu?

(End of this chapter)