Huayu 2021: Isn’t he in the technology field?

Chapter 233 Completely Different Treatment, an Unspoken Understanding
At the Bazaar Gala, Hua Shao's shouts on stage were still full of passion.

As soon as Jiang Qing sat down, Yang Mi's captivating fox-like eyes immediately curved into a smile, and she naturally leaned her upper body towards him.

"President Jiang, what wonderful encounter did you have with our teacher Jing Tian just now?"

Her voice rose slightly at the end as if in jest, but her gaze swept across Jiang Qing's face like a small brush, trying to capture any subtle changes in his expression.

Before Jiang Qing could speak, Reba from the next table seemed to have just noticed the commotion and gracefully swayed over with her wine glass in hand.

Her smile remained charming. She first glanced at Jiang Qing, then looked at Yang Mi, her tone half-joking and half-scolding.

"Sister Mi, that's not very kind of you. President Jiang finally made the trip, and you two were chatting so happily without even inviting me."

After she finished speaking, as if she had just remembered something, she turned her gaze to Jiang Qing, her red lips curving into a very charming smile.

"President Jiang, what did Ms. Jing Tian talk to you about just now? She was gone for so long, could it be that you were discussing some advanced technical issues again?"

Her words were pointed, spoken in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for a few people nearby who were listening intently to hear clearly.

Yang Mi picked up her wine glass, took a sip, and glanced between Dilraba and Jiang Qing, revealing an expression of anticipation.

Hearing this, Zhao Liying, who was sitting not far away, turned her head slightly, her gaze lingering on Jiang Qing's face for a moment, then lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously stroking the edge of her phone under the table.

She hesitated whether to send a message to Ono to warn him that the attacks from these demons and monsters outside were quite fierce.

Jiang Qing remained calm, seemingly oblivious to the subtle sarcasm in Reba's words, and picked up the lemonade beside her.

"It was just a chance encounter."

He gave a casual reply, without any intention of explaining further.

Dilraba pursed her red lips, about to say something more, when Hua Shao's voice on stage suddenly rose, filled with professional passion, instantly attracting the attention of the entire audience.

"The next item in this auction comes from our teacher, Zhang Ruonan!"

Hua Shao's voice rang out loudly through the speakers, and the spotlight shone precisely on Zhang Ruonan in a flash. The camera then projected the image onto the screen on the side of the stage.

Zhang Ruonan was startled by the sudden bright light. Her shoulders twitched almost imperceptibly, but she immediately straightened her back and a sweet, infectious smile bloomed on her face as she waved gently at the camera.

Jiang Qing could see that although the curve of that smile was perfect, it revealed a hint of nervousness and unease that he couldn't hide.

Zhang Ruonan donated a classic Cartier watch, with a market value of around 50,000 yuan, and the starting bid was set at 50,000 yuan.

This is already considered a relatively valuable item for tonight's auction.

In reality, the more famous the celebrity, the simpler the items are in the auction; on the contrary, the items from third- or fourth-tier celebrities tend to be more substantial.

For example, Andy Lau's auction items are his own calligraphy works.

"The Cartier watch donated by Ms. Zhang Ruonan has a starting bid of 50,000 yuan! We hope to contribute to the children's Hope Classroom project. Bidding begins now!"

Hua Shao's voice was highly inflammatory.

The room fell silent for a moment.

The artists at Zhang Ruonan's table looked at each other, and one of them, a male actor who had acted in several web dramas, was the first to raise his number.

"Fifty-five thousand."

Another actress was also smiling and holding up a sign.

"Sixty thousand."

Then a male celebrity added 5,000.

The price slowly climbed up among artists of Zhang Ruonan's caliber or slightly higher, like squeezing toothpaste, gradually reaching 80,000 before stagnating.

The fact that she was able to call out to this extent was only because she had just walked the red carpet with Jiang Qing.

Hua Shao's voice clearly carried a hint of anxiety.

"80,000! Thank you for your kindness, Teacher Li! Is there anything higher? 80,000 once..."

Zhang Ruonan's smile remained bright, but her hands, resting on her knees, secretly tightened their grip on the thin fabric of her skirt.

Eighty thousand is still some distance from the line she can barely accept as "not too bad-looking".

She knew very well what the media would say if the deal went through at this price: "Zhang Ruonan's charity watch donation met with a lukewarm reception, selling for only 80,000 yuan." Just thinking about it made her face burn.

After all, this watch of hers is genuinely worth nearly 50,000 yuan.

Just then, Huang Xiaoming at the main table smiled and raised his number plate, his voice carrying clearly.

"One hundred thousand."

Almost simultaneously, Andy Lau also raised a sign with an encouraging smile.

"One hundred and fifty thousand."

Hua Shao's voice immediately became as energetic as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

"Wow! Thank you, Teacher Huang Xiaoming! Thank you, Brother Hua! 150,000! Teacher Liu Dehua has bid 150,000! Any higher bids? 150,000 once... 150,000 twice... 150,000 three times! Sold! Congratulations, Teacher Liu Dehua! Thank you for your strong support of charity! And thank you again to Teacher Zhang Ruonan for her generous donation!"

As applause erupted, Zhang Ruonan breathed a sigh of relief and immediately stood up to bow deeply in gratitude to Andy Lau.

Andy Lau and Huang Xiaoming both smiled and nodded in her direction, but the atmosphere at the scene had a subtly eerie feel to it.

Everyone's gaze, including the media cameras, seemed to drift back and forth between Zhang Ruonan and Jiang Qing at the main table several times.

Everyone present knew who Huang Xiaoming and Andy Lau were doing this for.

After Zhang Ruonan sat down, she felt her cheeks burning even more. She felt both grateful to have been rescued and embarrassed to be scrutinized under the spotlight.

She glanced at Jiang Qing subconsciously and found him looking at the stage with no particular expression on his face, as if the little commotion that had just happened because of him had nothing to do with him.

She quickly looked away and composed herself, no longer wanting to think about it.

The auction continued, and the atmosphere returned to its previous lukewarm state.

Jiang Qing was feeling listless until Hua Shao's voice rang out again with passion as the auction neared its end, carrying a sense of grandeur as if it were the grand finale.

"Distinguished guests! The next item in this auction is very special! It carries the weight of a precious period of struggle, and comes from our distinguished guest tonight..."

He paused deliberately.

"Mr. Jiang Qing, founder of Wuwen Technology!"

The spotlight instantly locked onto Jiang Qing.

He smiled and nodded in response.

A hostess approached carrying a tray covered with black velvet. On the tray lay not precious jewelry or antiques, but a black electronic watch that looked extremely ordinary and even showed some signs of wear.

The plastic watch strap and LCD screen are the kind of watches you can buy for a few dozen yuan at a middle school store.

Hua Shao's voice was full of deep emotion.

"Look everyone! This is the companion that accompanied Mr. Jiang day and night during his senior year of high school! It's an ordinary digital watch, but it witnessed the hard work and sweat of this academic prodigy in his youth! Its significance is far beyond what money can measure! The starting bid is 100,000 yuan! For charity, for the starting point of dreams, please raise your paddles to bid now!"

The room fell silent for a moment, seemingly stunned by the unusual item and its hefty starting price.

Immediately, like a drop of water thrown into a pot of boiling oil, it exploded instantly!

"One hundred and ten thousand!"

A sweet female voice broke the silence first.

It was Tang Yan; she smiled and held up her number.

"One hundred and fifty thousand!"

Zhao Liying's voice rang out immediately afterward. "Two hundred thousand!"

Reba's voice carried a defiant and charming tone as she raised the price without hesitation, her gaze fixed intently on Jiang Qing's direction.

"Two hundred and fifty thousand!"

Yang Mi also joined the fray, her smile radiant, as if she were determined to win.

"Three hundred thousand!"

A soft yet remarkably firm voice rang out.

It was Jing Tian; she also raised her number.

The price skyrocketed, with several female celebrities bidding against each other at an astonishing rate, completely unlike the careful calculations made by those who participated in previous auctions.

Yu Dong, Cao Huayi, and others at the main table occasionally raised the price, but it seemed more like they were stirring up trouble.

The atmosphere at the scene was completely ignited, and other artists and media were stunned, with whispers buzzing around them.

"Three hundred and fifty thousand!"

"Four hundred thousand!"

"Half a million!"

"Five hundred and fifty thousand!"

"Six hundred and fifty thousand!"

"Seven hundred thousand!"

……

Dilraba and Jing Tian kept bidding against each other, their eyes sparking with excitement.

Zhao Liying and Tang Yan were relatively mild-mannered, but they were still relentlessly pursuing each other.

Yang Mi always made a decisive move whenever the price paused slightly.

"Seven hundred and fifty thousand!"

Dilraba raised her sign again.

"Eight hundred thousand!"

Jing Tian immediately followed suit, showing no sign of weakness.

Hua Shao's voice trembled with excitement.

"Eight hundred thousand! Teacher Jing Tian has bid eight hundred thousand! Eight hundred thousand once! Any higher bids? Eight hundred thousand twice..."

Just as Hua Shao was about to bring down the gavel, Huang Xiaoming, who had been watching the farce with a smile at the main table, slowly raised his number.

"Nine hundred and ninety thousand."

The entire room fell silent instantly, and all eyes turned to him.

Reba Jingtian seemed to have been paused, looking in astonishment toward the main table.

Hua Shao's voice cracked with excitement.

"Ninety-nine hundred thousand! Teacher Huang Xiaoming bids ninety-nine hundred thousand! Ninety-nine hundred thousand once! Ninety-nine hundred thousand twice! Ninety-nine hundred thousand three times! Sold! Congratulations to Brother Xiaoming for setting the highest auction price tonight! Thank you for your generosity, Brother Xiaoming! And thank you again to President Jiang for this extraordinary donation!"

The applause was thunderous, more enthusiastic and longer than ever before.

With Huang Xiaoming at this delicate price, it was naturally impossible for Dilraba and others to raise the price further.

Huang Xiaoming stood up, greeted the four directions, and then turned to Jiang Qing with a smile, his tone relaxed.

"President Jiang, please don't be offended. I'm getting on in years, and I just want to bask in the youthful vigor and good fortune of the academic genius! I hope that wearing this watch for a couple of days will sharpen my mind."

This remark drew a burst of good-natured laughter.

"Brother Xiaoming is too modest!"

"Yes, yes, yes, let's share in the joy!"

"President Jiang's expression is of extraordinary significance!"

……

Jiang Qing also stood up and shook hands with Huang Xiaoming with a smile.

"Brother Xiaoming is joking. This is to support charity. I thank Brother Xiaoming on behalf of the children."

He smiled, and the result of the auction for this old electronic watch, which had been hyped up to an astronomical price, was not unexpected.

Auctions are all about human relationships and social interactions.

Jiang Qing glanced at the female celebrities with different expressions. Dilraba was obviously sulking, Yang Mi's smile was a bit forced, Zhao Liying and Tang Yan's expressions were calm, and Jing Tian lowered her eyes slightly, so there was nothing unusual about her.

Zhang Ruonan, sitting at the edge of the table, watched this unbelievable yet perfectly logical scene unfold. She watched Jiang Qing calmly handle the situation under the spotlight, and recalled the knowing looks on everyone's faces when her own Cartier watch was auctioned for 150,000. Then she looked at the frenzy this old digital watch had caused…

My chest felt stuffy, as if something was blocking it.

It was both bittersweet and refreshing.

The brief, warm feeling of closeness on the red carpet seemed so unreal under the blinding spotlight of this world of fame and fortune.

Between her and him lay countless steps she had to look up to, countless chasms she could not cross.

Looking down at the almost untouched glass of juice in front of me, I saw that the tiny bubbles had long since disappeared, leaving only a calm liquid.

Moreover, it also has a slightly sour taste.

The banquet finally came to an end amidst the hustle and bustle.

Although it was somewhat expected, Jiang Qing still couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when Hua Shao announced that the total amount raised throughout the night was only 1193 million.

This includes the 99 yuan he spent on his digital watch, and the 10 yuan he spent on the original manuscript of Zhou Shen's lyrics.

At this moment, Sha Xiaoli began to invite the guests to come up on stage for a group photo. Seeing this, Jiang Qing quietly moved to the side.

As luck would have it, that's exactly where Dilraba was.

She approached with a fragrant breeze, her voice trailing off as if hooked.

"President Jiang, someone will have some questions to ask you later, so you can't sneak away this time!"

As she finished speaking, she winked subtly.

"it is good."

This time, Jiang Qing didn't refuse and readily agreed.

Immediately, the two tacitly distanced themselves from each other.

Jing Tian had been watching Jiang Qing closely, but due to the angle, she didn't see their eye contact or hear what they were saying.

Yang Mi, who was just about to ask Jiang Qing for her contact information, saw the two of them exchange a glance, but she didn't see it clearly.

Just as she was about to step forward, Yang Ying stopped her, shouting for help in an emergency, and insisted that she must avoid Chen Weiting when taking a group photo.

Jiang Qing intended to leave, but out of the corner of her eye she caught a pink figure standing helplessly at the edge of the stage.

After a slight hesitation, he stepped forward.

(End of this chapter)