Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 439 The Rise of the Round-Faced Actress (Thanks to [Bamboo Wind Playing the String] for becoming the Alliance Leader!)
Although the various galas after the disaster were charitable in nature, the main guests invited, in addition to established singers and artists, were still judged by their status as the highest standard when considering pop singers and film and television stars.

How can we raise funds if there's no one interested?

For this gala, the three major telecom operators opened an additional 50 dedicated lines, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs also set up 60 hotlines, all to receive the goodwill of the people of the whole country united in their efforts.

Furthermore, celebrities with high status are bound to donate a significant amount.

Leaving aside singers, the main focus of domestic film and television stars today is still on various titles that are bundled together for marketing purposes.

Liu Yifei has been one of the most watched actresses since her debut. In the early years, there was a popular saying of "four Dan actresses, two Bing actresses, and one Liu Yifei". In the last two years, such "bundled sales" has gradually become untenable.

The first to fall behind was Li Binbin, the former top female singer of Huayi.

Li Binbin can be described as a victim of the power struggle among various forces in this life.

First, during the conflict between Huayi and Wenjie under Zhou Jun's leadership, she was used as a victim of revenge for being targeted by Xiao Liu, and her intimate relationship with Zhu Xiaotian was exposed, shattering her innocent image.

Following this, due to Boss Lu's Huayi strategy, Bingbing completely squeezed out of Huayi. Even with the help of her sister Li Xue, she was no match for the leading actress who came with great momentum.

When Yang Mi was able to secure the lead role in the co-production "The Forbidden Kingdom" thanks to the coal mine owner family behind her boyfriend and the support of Huayi Brothers, it marked the complete decline of this former "Double Bing" (Fan Bingbing and Li Bingbing).

Among the others, Zhou Xun won the Chinese Film Awards, Golden Horse Awards, and Hong Kong Film Awards in 2007 when "Tangshan" was released. She won the Golden Horse Award and the Hong Kong Film Award for "Perhaps Love". She is now considered one of the top female stars in China.

Xu Jinglei returned to the Beijing Film Academy as a teacher more than two years ago, and has had few new works released in the past two years. However, there are rumors that she is working with Wang Shuo, who is making a comeback, to compile the script for "Du Lala's Promotion".

It's still a situation within the Beijing circle; she can't step out of her comfort zone.

After various scandals, Yanzi also chose to retire gracefully. It is unknown whether she listened to the advice of a master from many years ago and recommended herself to become Tian Zhuangzhuang's disciple.

At the same time, she was also secretly planning to pursue both film and television and capital investment. One was to participate in "Painted Skin", a collaboration between Huayi Brothers, Fiber Optics, and Berna, and the other was to take on the role in the 2009 domestic version of "Mulan".

Meanwhile, Yanzi revealed in an interview that she will marry a well-known wealthy businessman, Huang Youhu, within the year. The latter's background will help her to get involved in film and television production, wine, real estate and other fields, which is also the starting point for Zhao Bafei.

Against this backdrop, in a vote organized last year by entertainment newspapers such as Nanfang Metropolitan Daily and newspapers under Fiber Optic Media, the new "Four Little Actresses" and "Four Little Actors" were officially selected.

The four young male actors are unremarkable: Hu Ge, Huang Xiaoming, Chen Kun, and Lu Yi are on the list.

The four young actresses are Tang Yan from Yinghuang, Yang Mi from Huayi, Su Chang from Wenjie, and Huang Shengyi from Chengtian.

Su Chang needs no further introduction. She is now a box office guarantee among the new generation of actresses, second only to Liu Yifei. Since signing with Wenjie, she has had a stable acting career and development path, making her the obvious choice for the lead role in youth films and chick flicks.

Xu Jinglei has recently contacted Wenjie to discuss the possibility of cooperation.

In recent years, Tang Yan has starred in hit TV series such as the TV version of "The Myth" and "Chinese Paladin 3". She is the female lead in Eagle Emperor's "Rob-B-Hood" and will play an important supporting role in "Let the Bullets Fly", which is jointly invested by Wenjie, Shanghai Film Group and Eagle Emperor.

Yang Mi's major works include Jiang Chan in "Curse of the Golden Flower", the co-production "The Forbidden Kingdom", and the female lead in "Chinese Paladin 3". She is also an actress who knows how to get things done and create hype.
The only one that has been criticized is Huang Shengyi, who was heavily promoted by Chengtian and "tycoon" Yang Zi. Huang Shengyi became an instant hit in "Kung Fu" in his early years. After terminating his contract, he joined Chengtian. Currently, his only role that has garnered attention is Li Ji in "Red Cliff".

With Ning Hao's two "Detective Chinatown" films consistently delivering strong performances, perhaps Huang Shengyi's position will be taken over by another actress, Tong Liya.

This list was met with much discussion when it was first released.

Some particularly sarcastic fans angrily retorted: "Where did you put my celestial beauty?"

Surely we won't let her languish in the dusty archives with those "old women"?

But the official selection process is also in a difficult position!

In terms of social media popularity, Liu Yifei is unparalleled. Among female stars, only Yanzi and Bingbing, whose popularity is currently comparable to hers, are close.

What's most terrifying is that she rarely engages in hype, but every unexpected event she experiences creates the most intense hype effect.

Birthday party confession, Fox live broadcast, dissociative aphasia, and most recently, the Berlin Film Festival's youngest Best Actress award.

In terms of both her works and box office numbers, she is unmatched by any other actress.

If evaluated from five dimensions—professional competence, public image, commercial value, personal character, and social influence—Xiao Liu is now a well-rounded female warrior.

Apart from its commercial value, it consistently ranks among the top three in almost every other aspect.

As for her commercial value score being slightly low, it's mainly because she never accepts commercial performances, and in the past two years she has had very few endorsements, only retaining Pepsi and Disney, as well as the giant panda charity that suffered an accident.

How can someone win the Best Actress award and then immediately go to the Beijing People's Art Theatre for further studies?
Why don't you at least participate in some interviews or variety shows to present yourself?

Now it seems that it's not impossible for fans to suspect that she will retire from the entertainment industry once she gets married and has children.

Under immense pressure from fans and onlookers, Xiao Liu was perpetuated as one of the "Four Little Actresses."

The original "Four Dan, Two Bing, and One Fei" has become a thing of the past, and the new combination has become "One Fairy and Four Little Flowers".

Considering that apart from Huang Shengyi not having much interaction with Liu Yifei, Tang, Chang, Yang, and others are all Liu Yifei's close friends, whether real or fake, this new group is jokingly referred to as "Fairy and her circle of friends".

With Tong Liya's accumulated experience and Jing Tian's rise to fame as part of the deal, it's believed that this new duo's reputation will soon be fully established.

Under such circumstances, Liu, as one of the top female stars in the Chinese entertainment industry, was naturally invited to participate in the highest-level and most official disaster relief gala in China.

The large-scale cultural performance "Dedication of Love" was jointly organized by CCTV, Zhongxuan, and Wenhua Department on May 20th.

It's 1 p.m. in Wenyuhefu. We have guests visiting today.

As soon as Xiao Liu entered the door, he saw Da Tian Tian eating big cherries.

Genuine large cherries.

Among Liu Yifei's close friends, besides the mysterious Da Mimi, Tang Yan is more introverted and her career development is slightly worse than other close friends.

Su Chang was a witness to her eight-year relationship with Lu Kuan and a confidante with whom she could talk about anything. She watched Lu Kuan transform from a heartbroken figure in a painting into a happy girl who now splashes ink with the artist.

Jing Tian's positioning is somewhat unique.

Her appearance coincided with his break with Washing Machine and his move to North America, and she spent 1500 million to buy his painting, thus beginning their connection.

The key point is that Jing Tian's background, which Lu Kuan described vaguely, could indeed provide her boyfriend with career assistance.

Xiao Liu had a sense of crisis at first, but after getting to know him, she realized that he was just a carefree and adorable person who didn't know how to hide his feelings from her.

Of course, this attitude only applies to her and Lu Kuan; even a noblewoman has her own pride when she's out in public.

"Senior sister! You're finally back! I've been feeding your cat for half an hour!" Da Tiantian jumped up from the sofa with joy, almost ready to fly back to her nest.

Liu Xiaoli laughed and said, "You're the same, why didn't you let Tiantian go to the Olympic Building to find you? She's been here by herself for almost an hour."

"Sweetie, have you finished filming yet? Why are you running around everywhere?" As soon as Xiao Liu saw this fair-skinned junior sister, he couldn't help but tease her a bit.

She felt like she was addicted to washing machines.

Jing Tian retorted sarcastically, "Oh ho, so everyone knows you're the boss lady of Wenjie. Look at you showing off!"

"Should I report something to you first?"

Liu Yifei looked at her with a smile, then turned to Liu Xiaoli: "Mom, go wash some fruit and get some of the pesticide-free tomatoes you grew to eat."

"Auntie, don't go! She's going to bully me!" Da Tiantian hurriedly grabbed her lifeline, seemingly already foreseeing her miserable fate when they were alone together.

"Liu Yifei, what are you doing? A young girl like you, always touching people like that." Liu Xiaoli scolded her eldest daughter with a stern face, then patted Jing Tian's hand: "Don't worry, I'll be back in a bit. If she dares to bully you, I'll beat her up."

Xiao Liu looked completely innocent: "How could I bully her? I was just showing concern for her 'Meteor Shower,' and I'll help promote it when it's released!"

Seeing Liu Xiaoli leave, the girl adopted the air of Director Liu: "Lu Kuan can't make movies this year. Wen Jie only has a few works, and there can't be any mistakes."

Recently, the production of "Meteor Shower" by Wenjie has officially entered the post-production dubbing and editing stage. Director Xue Xiaolu said in an interview that it will meet the audience on Travel Channel during the summer vacation.

In addition to Lu Kuan, whose career was delayed by the Olympics, there will also be the summer movie "Iron Man" in China and the United States this year, which will have its global premiere. It is a joint investment by North American media outlets, Disney, and Miramax.
Twilight 3, a film solely funded by Wenjie, will be released during Christmas, while Ning Hao's "Lost in Thailand" will be released during the Lunar New Year holiday.

The director lineup of Wenjie ensures that even if Boss Lu himself takes a year off from filmmaking, he can still produce high-quality works.

Xiao Liu said seriously, "Especially your drama, which is going to connect the mall and Weibo projects and compete with Huayi's 'If You Are the One'."

Jing Tian patted her chest and assured, "No problem! Director Xue Xiaolu kept praising my talent later on. You'll see when you see the finished film."

"Hmm, hopefully it's not a ghost's spirit."

Da Tiantian retorted, "Don't look down on me, senior sister. Teacher Lu said you're just average in talent too. Wait until I catch up to you someday, hmph..."

Xiao Liu looked at her with amusement, feeling an urge to tease her no matter how he looked at her; she was a complete idiot beauty.

No wonder the washing machine used to like playing tricks on itself.

"You don't need to call me 'senior sister' anymore, we're changing how we address each other again."

Jing Tian said arrogantly, "I won't call you 'Master's Wife,' making you seem like Ning Zhongze of the Huashan Sect. What good would it do you to be Yue Buqun, who castrated himself?"

"No." Liu Yifei chose to say the most hurtful words in the gentlest tone: "Lu Kuan and I are getting married. We'll get our marriage certificate first."

Jing Tian was squatting on the ground teasing Liu Yifei's ragdoll cat when she heard this and her finger suddenly froze on the tip of the cat's fluffy tail.

When she looked up, her round almond-shaped eyes widened, her eyelashes fluttered rapidly like startled butterflies, and the "Ah?" that came out of her mouth had a distorted ending. Unconsciously, she grabbed the cat's tail fur, which made the cat meow and run away in dissatisfaction.

"I don't agree to this marriage!"

Upon seeing this, Liu Yifei burst into laughter and, taking advantage of the height difference, stepped forward and put her arm around Jing Tian's shoulder.

His gaze inadvertently fell upon a patch of snow-white, voluptuous flesh, and Liu Xiaolv's jealousy flared up, so he bit even harder:

"Don't be sad, at least you can address me in a more intimate way now."

Jing Tian broke free from her arm, never hiding her affection for someone: "What should I call you? Can I call you Oppa?"

"Oppa my foot! That's so cheesy, I can't even say it." Liu Yifei covered her mouth and laughed. "I'm a year older than you, so I'm your older sister. You can call Lu Kuan your brother-in-law, that's much more intimate!"

Da Tiantian said irritably, "I won't call you that, it sounds awful, it's not as good as Teacher Lu."

"You're still not willing?" Liu Yifei mocked. "I bet you'd love to be someone's sister-in-law so I could be Gu Manlu, right?"

This refers to a story from the novel "Half a Lifetime Romance," where the elder sister, Gu Manlu, gives her younger sister, Gu Manzhen, to her husband for sexual purposes.

"Liu Yifei! I'll fight you to the death!" Jing Tian pounced on her like an egg against a rock, but Liu Yifei was afraid of hurting her and didn't have the strength to resist. The two wrestled on the sofa for a while before stopping, panting.

Jing Tian said resentfully, "If you're so capable, make me call him brother-in-law to his face next time. Do you dare?"

Xiao Liu said confidently, "Go ahead and shout, let's see if he dares to listen."

Even if I listened, would I dare to agree?

Big Sweetie has learned her lesson. Knowing she's useless in both academics and martial arts, and that no one can easily do anything to her, she sighed and collapsed onto the sofa, looking pitiful:

"Could you sell me one of your villas?" Jing Tian pointed to the Wenyu River outside the window: "The one further away is fine."

Xiao Liu was straightforward: "No way, your breasts are too big, the washing machine will get itchy if it sees them."

Jing Tian pleaded pitifully, "If it itches, can't you just take it out and scratch it for him? I'll just watch you guys from afar and be invisible, I promise!"

Liu Yifei found her adorable and said with a coquettish smile, "Why aren't you protecting him anymore? Don't you care whether he lives or dies?"

Da Tiantian couldn't bear to fall in the same place so many times. She sat down and hugged Xiao Liu's slender waist, saying, "Actually, the main reason I objected to your marriage was because I couldn't bear to part with you!"

Liu Yifei looked at the message that had just been sent to her phone. It was from the organizing committee of the evening's disaster relief gala, informing her of the makeup and rehearsal schedule.

Oh my, really?

"Yeah! You've turned me gay!"

Lace trim was no longer big news in China in 2008.

In 2005, a nationwide organization called "Tongyu" was established. In 2007, the lesbian film "Except for Wushan", starring Peng Dan and Deng Jiajia, attracted attention at overseas film festivals and was called "the female version of Brokeback Mountain".

Internationally, more female celebrities are openly coming out as gay, and a strange trend is emerging.

A sly smile played on Xiao Liu's lips as she pinched Jing Tian's chin like a female hooligan: "Right? Then don't leave tonight, wait for me to come back and sleep with me."

Jing Tian went along with her words and made up a bunch of nonsense: "Sleeping with someone is fine, but I heard that the first co-production film of the Pan-Asia Film Academy, 'Inception,' has started casting. You just need to help me get a female role."

Liu Yifei pursed her lips and decisively gave up: "Forget it then, these kinds of films aren't so easy to produce."

"If you sleep with me, I'll have to sleep with the washing machine to have any chance of succeeding, and it might not be just once. It's too tiring!"

Jing Tian pursed her lips, eager to try, and almost declared that she didn't want any middlemen and wanted me to go directly to her!

The topics women discuss are never any less sensational than those men talk about, especially these two female celebrities who have traveled and seen the world.

Even though they both acted and behaved like traditional Chinese women, it didn't stop the best friends from making lighthearted jokes and banter. Of course, the topics were limited to their shared crushes.

"Xixi, try these big cherries that Tiantian specially brought back from America for you." Liu Xiaoli pushed open the door and brought in the washed fruit.

Liu Yifei took a few: "Fructose is just like rice, it's easy to gain weight, I'll just eat a few."

He then called out to Jing Tian, ​​"Come on, let me show you the newly built swimming pool. You can come swimming with Changchang and the others next time you have free time."

The two strolled leisurely through the manor toward the pool, a gentle breeze carrying the sweet scent of locust blossoms, and grass clippings floating softly on the cobblestone path.

Looking at the tranquil and warm scene before her, Jing Tian sighed, "I was terrified when I saw your message back then."

Liu Yifei smiled gently and took her hand lightly: "I can tell. There were dozens of messages and call records from you when I turned on my phone later."

Was your escape process very dangerous?

"Thrilling... yes, but it's still very romantic, more romantic than any movie I've ever seen."

Xiao Liu pursed her lips. Now, when she tried to recall everything that had happened not long ago, she suddenly realized that all that remained in her mind were frames of extremely beautiful images.

The mountain breeze that night was like silk ribbons shed by the Milky Way, wrapped in pine resin and stardust, brushing against their clasped fingertips;

That night, the rock formation was the bare spine of the earth, gleaming with a cold, bronze-like light under the moonlight, supporting two souls embracing each other.
Until the two embraced and kissed under the moonlight, the calluses on his fingertips traced the lines on his palm, as if deciphering a secret message that transcended time and space.

Da Tiantian looked displeased: "Why are you acting all lovey-dovey while you're talking? Look at you, acting like you don't care about money."

Similar remarks were usually made by Su Chang in the past, but now it's Jing Tian's turn.

Liu Yifei wasn't angry. She put her arm around her best friend's shoulder and said, "You'll understand when you have someone you like. That feeling is hard to explain."

Sweetie: Yes, I have one! Please let me be included in your household registration!

The two walked around the swimming pool a few times. Jing Tian was quite interested in the semi-open top, while Liu Yifei dutifully inquired about her junior sister's well-being.

"Have you had any insights or experiences regarding performance lately?"

Jing Tian sat on a beach chair: "Yes, many things I didn't understand before are now clear to me, such as what you said before about how body tension can change emotional memory."

"When I'm filming crying scenes and scenes with strong emotional outbursts, I do some facial muscle exercises beforehand, which makes it easier for me to perform. The director also praised my stable expressions."

"And then there's the issue of breathing support." Jing Tian pointed to the area below her collarbone: "The vibration of my vocal cords and the control of my neck muscles are simply amazing!"

Xiao Liu laughed and said, "You felt the same way I did at the beginning, but these are just the basics. You haven't experienced any setbacks yet, which is the key obstacle to shaping the character."

"So what did you do?"

Liu Xiaolv Versailles: "I was tortured by the washing machine for several years, it was excruciating, but you didn't recognize me back then."

Da Tiantian pouted and ignored her self-praise.

She started showing off her love and fiancé the moment she walked in the door. How shameless!
The "Human Wealth Flower" decided to work out hard and, in time, transform into a "muscle Barbie," finally getting her revenge.

However, Jing Tian has one good point: like Xiao Liu, she adopts a very humble attitude in her performances.

Knowing that she meant well, I listened to her advice sincerely. After all, both of them are actresses with average talent, and they have come this far step by step with their down-to-earth perseverance.

Xiao Liu then shared with her some of his experiences at the Beijing People's Art Theatre during this period, as well as the inspiration he gained from Melsin's teaching manuscripts. He even specially commissioned someone to translate the manuscripts from German into Chinese.

Jing Tian rushed to see Liu Yifei today, only the second day after filming wrapped up. Knowing that Liu Yifei had a party to attend, they agreed to say goodbye for now and meet again next time.

At 4 p.m., four hours before the "Dedication of Love" gala, Afei drove Xiao Liu to the CCTV studio.

The scale of this disaster relief gala is no less than that of the Spring Festival Gala, as can be seen from the organizers and co-organizers. There will also be elder statesmen donating money on site.

When Liu Yifei entered the studio, she was followed by a cold-faced bodyguard in a black suit, which was quite unusual compared to other celebrities.

She has no assistant.

Since the young couple fell in love in Sicily and the studio announced its dissolution, the original staff members were dismissed on the spot and all were reassigned to the parent and subsidiary companies under Wenjie Holdings on a need-based and preferential basis.

After all, he was a meritorious soldier who joined the army with the big boss's girlfriend. Based on this alone, the personnel department had to be careful in making arrangements. This is the most basic office politics.

At that time, Liu Xiaoli also completed the final filming of "The Sky of History" with her daughter. When Liu Yifei returned to China and joined the Beijing People's Art Theatre, she didn't really need an assistant until the next play started filming.

But it seems a bit out of place in today's context.

Liu Yifei and Afei entered the backstage area of ​​the studio, where the place was already crowded with actors waiting to go on stage. The staff checked the cold-faced bodyguard's credentials and politely asked him to wait in the lobby.

Afei hesitated for a moment, but Xiao Liu smiled and took his bag: "What danger could there be in here? You can either go back to the car and rest."

"Hmm... I'll wait here."

"Yi Fei, you're here." Han Hong, who was passing by, greeted her with a smile, holding a copy of the lyrics.

Xiao Liu turned her head and said, "Hello, Sister Han Hong. Could you give me some pointers after I finish my makeup?"

"Don't mention it, I wouldn't call it giving pointers!" Han Hong was in charge of assisting with the choreography of a choral project. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she left.

She returned from the front lines a day later than Xiao Liu and had a good impression of this down-to-earth, unpretentious, and caring young actress in the Chinese entertainment industry. She had also dealt with Boss Lu a few times before.

For example, he brought his nephew Zhang Yishan to the set of "Shoplifters" and even used his own song "Dawn" as the end credits song for the movie.

Because of the tight schedule and the large number of participating artists, there are almost no solo performances tonight. Liu Yifei has two performance tasks.

First, recite "We Are With You" with actors and poets such as Pu Cunxin;
Secondly, she participated in a duet of "A Grateful Heart" with eight singers, including Han Hong and Sun Nan.

These are all old programs.

Starting with Han Hong, Na Ying, Liu Huan, Sun Nan, and others who arrived one after another chatted in small groups in the hall.

Xiao Liu and Yingzi met at the Bazaar Charity Night, and Xiao Liu also collaborated with Liu Huan on the recording of "Beiping Welcomes You".

Sun Nan was with Wu Jin, Boss Lu, Zhao Benshan and others when he went to Hong Kong for a charity football match organized by Anita Mui in 2004. They were all acquaintances.

These people are all singers with deep-rooted connections in Beiping. Due to his age, Xiao Liu is only acquainted with them.

But precisely because there was no competition, even though these people were already famous singers, their enthusiasm for chatting with Liu Yifei never diminished.

Yingzi's animated gestures and exaggerated expressions elicited a silent nod and smile from Liu Huan, while Sun Nan and Liu Yifei discussed the key points of their upcoming chorus.

Even Pu Cunxin, the vice president of Beijing People's Art Theatre, chatted with him briefly as he passed by.

Those in the entertainment industry who were secretly observing were well aware that a Berlin Film Festival Best Actress award alone wasn't enough; after all, artists were still at the bottom of the industry chain.

But she represents far more than just herself; she also represents that top power figure in the Chinese entertainment industry and even the domestic business world.

Liu Yifei, now standing backstage at CCTV's studio like a noblewoman, has clearly created a gravitational field centered around her.

The passersby exchanged pleasantries, the conversationalists offered friendly smiles, and the observers cast thoughtful glances.

These subtle body language expressions constitute a sophisticated biological radar system, marking the coordinates of the food chain more accurately than any media press release, and are also the most honest natural reaction of a resource-based society.

Among them was a round-faced actress who had just witnessed Liu Yifei's stunning beauty at Huayi headquarters that morning. She was standing in the crowd looking at Liu Yifei with a strange thought flashing in her eyes.

Zhao Liying also came to participate in the "Dedication of Love" charity gala, but what particularly highlighted the difference in fate was that she was a backup dancer for Liu Yifei's chorus "A Grateful Heart", as the first person in the sign language area.

It should be said that Xiao Zhao is very satisfied with having such an opportunity to be in the public eye.

At this time in 2008, she had been with Huayi for two years.

In the past two years, she has landed four or five roles, two of which were more substantial:
First, there's Tong Duoduo, Zhang Guoli's daughter in "Golden Wedding," who was praised by Zheng Xiaolong for her intelligence and charm.

Secondly, she just finished filming "Locking Up the Autumn" which premiered in 09, where she played the maid Wen Yan, the personal maid of the female lead played by Ady An.

But compared to today's nationally watched disaster relief gala, a sign language performer in the center of the camera gets a lot of exposure.

It's equivalent to appearing on the Spring Festival Gala.

Unlike big-name stars, extras like Zhao Liying arrived at the scene early and had already rehearsed twice.

She had no assistant and was just about to go out to buy a bottle of water when she saw Liu Yifei, who had instantly become the center of attention backstage in the studio.

Come to think of it, I'm only two months younger than her.

Recalling the imposing presence of this Berlin Film Festival Best Actress at Huayi's headquarters that morning, I couldn't help but think of the Huayi vice president who had been kicked to the ground in comparison.

Zhao Liying looked at the chat in the QQ group on her phone:
Sisters, Wang Lao Er's surgery just ended at noon, and he has begun his 300-day bed rest to recover from his injuries.

Penguin launched its mobile group chat function in 2008, which was compatible with Nokia's Symbian and Motorola's Java. Together with Weibo's mobile app, it became a mainstream mobile social networking tool.

Xiao Zhao naturally had no good feelings towards the Wang brothers. The last time he almost got taken advantage of was at Huayi's core artist share issuance meeting a month ago. He only managed to escape from Wang Dajun's clutches by pretending to be drunk.

Zhao Liying held the cold mineral water bottle, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the condensation droplets on the bottle.

Huh?
As she bent down to unscrew the bottle cap, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a tall silhouette flashing past the vending machine.

Ah Fei, the cold-faced bodyguard who broke Wang Xiaolei's shinbone that morning, is now chatting with another successful person in front of the door.

"Brother Xu."

"Ah Fei, what are you doing here?" Zhuang Xu was there to donate on behalf of Wenjie.

The climax of the "Dedication of Love" charity gala was when the host invited representatives who had donated more than 5000 million yuan to the stage.

The "JDB donation of 100 million yuan" that audiences still talk about today was something that made a name for itself at this gala, but tonight its luck is destined to be snatched away.

Of course, Afei knew about his relationship with Lu Kuan; it was Zhuang Xu who helped him register his household in 2002.

"Brother Xu, I came to the party with Miss Liu. I can't help with anything inside, so I'll just wait here."

Zhuang Xu patted him on the shoulder: "Go rest in the car for a while. How could anything go wrong in the CCTV studio? We can't let you cause a scene like you did this morning."

Afei scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "Miss Liu didn't bring an assistant. I was worried she might need help."

"Huh? Such a big star doesn't bring an assistant?" Zhuang Xu was taken aback, then teased, "Hey, Lu Kuan is so stingy! I'll go in first then."

"Ok."

Zhao Liying, who was not far away, witnessed the whole thing and naturally recognized the man's identity: the president of Zhijie, who now stands on par with the bigwigs of companies like Ali, Baidu, and Tencent.

In contrast, because Mr. Lu rarely interacts with people in the business world and almost never attends or speaks at industry summits, the public's general perception and image of him remain at the level of a director and artist.

Given that he had been overhyped by his competitors, he was deliberately keeping a low profile, pushing Zhuang Xu and Wenjie into the spotlight, as long as he could make the company's brand known.

Afei wandered aimlessly around the lobby, occasionally taking out his phone to check for messages and calls.

He has almost no hobbies, except that because he has followed Boss Lu for so many years, he likes to watch gangster and action movies, and at home he just practices boxing.

Zhao Lixiang, like a nobody, observed from a distance for a long time.

Watching the sunlight stream through the glass curtain wall, dividing his profile into light and shadow, his jawline was as sharp as a tactical dagger.

The sunglasses perched on his high nose bridge, the reflective lenses obscuring his eyes but unable to conceal the menacing aura emanating from the faint scar on his brow bone.

She couldn't help but think of Wang Xiaolei, who had been kicked away like a dead dog that morning. Now he was not only a laughing stock in the industry, but even the company's internal small group on QQ was gossiping about him.

Zhao Liying, who rose from humble beginnings, or is now only slightly more accomplished than those who started from humble beginnings, knows all too well the hardships she has endured in the so-called entertainment industry over the past few years; they are enough to bring her to tears.

Not to mention that the psychological gap and humiliation that Wang Xiaolei experienced will accompany him throughout his life like a bone-deep sore, bringing him pain far exceeding physical pain.

The vending machine clicked out change, the clinking of coins making Afei turn his head to look over. Zhao Liying met his gaze and held her breath, a sense of unease rising in her heart.

She knows she's part of Huayi now, but she doesn't want to become a ghost of Huayi in the future.

In the struggle between power and capital, individuals from humble backgrounds often demonstrate remarkable survival wisdom and resilience.

Like wild grass growing in the cracks of rocks, they have developed a keen sense of smell and decisive action in an environment of scarce resources.

When an opportunity arises, such people will seize any possible path to advancement without hesitation. Zhao Liying has a piece of information that she herself is unsure whether it can be considered a bargaining chip.

A surge of impulse welled up in Xiao Zhao's heart, and she reached out to greet him before walking over with her heart pounding.

"Hello, my name is Zhao Liying. We've met before."

(End of this chapter)