Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 338 The Youthful Flowers Gather

In late April, the heat of summer was beginning to set in in Beiping, and the weather was gradually getting hotter.

Liao Ke, the director of the "Divas Hit the Road" program, wiped the sweat from his forehead and patiently cooperated with the various registration procedures in front of the security booth.

Several staff members waited idly behind him, occasionally glancing at the heavily guarded security facilities around them.

"That's it!"

Hearing that the security personnel agreed to let them through, Liao Ke breathed a sigh of relief. His group had been subjected to various checks at the gate for almost an hour.

The gilded gates of Jingyuan Garden slowly opened, and the security captain, still not entirely at ease, added, "There are a few more points I'd like to make clear!"

"Please speak!" Liao Keqiang suppressed his anxiety. Although he was a famous variety show director, he was helpless against a mere security captain in this small space.

"Once inside the garden, taking photos is prohibited. Also, please keep your people in check; we cannot afford to offend any dignitaries inside."

Liao Kelian readily agreed: "I definitely won't make things difficult for you."

"Ah Shun, Gangzi, take this group of people to Building 7."

"Okay, head."

The crew finally entered the top-tier luxury residential area, and were amazed by the exquisitely carved and uniquely designed villa complex.

"Director, how much does one of these villas cost?"

"More than 2 million."

"How extravagant! I wonder who lives here?"

After passing through the winding paths of the garden, without having time to fully appreciate the magnificent scenery, the group followed the security guard who was leading the way to Building No. 7.

The security guard leading the way stopped and gestured: "This is the Song residence."

"Thank you, Master."

After thanking him, Liao Ke took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. Even though he was used to the world, he felt a little nervous at this moment.

The lifelike outer door opened quickly, revealing a middle-aged woman with a smile: "Hello everyone, I am the housekeeper of the Song family. Madam is already waiting for you. Please follow me."

"Thank you."

The fragrant and exquisite private garden, with several luxury cars worth millions parked beside it, amazed the TV crew and broadened their horizons.

At the villa's porch, Liu Shishi, lightly made up, wearing slippers, a white shirt, and a floral skirt, looked exceptionally radiant in the sunlight despite her simple home attire.

Upon seeing the production crew arrive, he waved and greeted them, saying, "Welcome everyone."

"Hello, Teacher Liu."

After exchanging a few polite words, Liao Kexin asked expectantly, "Liu Shishi, would it be convenient for us to come inside and take a look?"

Liu Shishi smiled sweetly: "Please come in."

With permission, everyone changed into shoe covers and entered the main hall of the villa. The magnificent and ingenious decorations and luxurious high-end furniture could not help but inspire admiration.

Is Mr. Song home?

"He's at the company and only comes home after get off work."

"What has Teacher Liu been busy with lately?"

"Filming for 'Goodbye Mr. Loser' wrapped up the day before yesterday, and I've been resting at home for the past two days. Please have a seat, everyone. Aunt Liu will pour tea for the guests."

Liao Ke quickly declined, "No need, no need! Teacher Liu, we still have a task today. If you have no problem, let's hurry up and start recording."

Liu Shishi nodded: "I'm fine with it, let's begin."

Liao Kechong exchanged a glance with the cameramen and others behind him, and the production crew quickly turned on the equipment, officially starting the recording of the program.

Liu Shishi sat cross-legged on the sofa, facing the camera with elegance and naturalness: "Hello, everyone."

Liao Ke took out the script: "Teacher Liu, welcome to 'Divas Hit the Road'. For the next period of time, you and six partners will embark on an adventure in a foreign land."

Before the trip begins, there's a small task: please go to the Sino-European Cultural Exchange Center before 4 PM to meet your six travel companions.

"I'm actually a little excited!" Liu Shishi glanced down at the time. "Oh dear, it's already three o'clock. I have to hurry up and leave. It's the first gathering, I can't be late."

At the same time, in the lobby of the China-Europe Cultural Exchange Center, Yang Zi, who arrived first, sat alone in the rest area, accompanied by several staff members holding cameras.

Given her relatively low profile, she arrived more than an hour early in order to leave a good, reliable, and dedicated impression on the audience and her colleagues.

"Brother Xiaoming!" When the familiar figure appeared at the revolving door, Yang Zi immediately stood up to greet him, a sweet smile blooming on her face.

They hugged each other, tacitly understanding each other's identities. Before the show's recording, the two already knew that the other's role was the same as their own, and they had communicated beforehand.

While reality shows emphasize genuine reactions, the production team will lay out key relationships and plot developments in advance to prevent guests from turning against each other at the last minute.

"Does Ming know the identities of the other guests?"

"I don't know." Huang Xiaoming shook his head slightly. He knew beforehand that Liu Shishi would be attending, and after signing the contract, he also learned about Yang Zi's identity. He knew nothing about the other four guests.

At 3:20, a black van pulled up smoothly in front of the gate. Backlit, an elegant figure walked gracefully towards it.

The sunlight was dazzling. Yang Zi raised her hand to shield her eyes from the glare and looked around. "It looks like Teacher Liu Tao."

Huang Xiaoming squinted to confirm, "It's Liu Tao, let's go over there."

After exchanging pleasantries, at 3:28 p.m., Lin Gengxin hurriedly arrived at the meeting point and joined the waiting crowd.

Five minutes later, a fragrant breeze wafted by, and the goddess of Taiwan, Alyssa Chia, gracefully arrived in a white dress.

"Hello, Xiaoming, long time no see!"

"Jingwen, I didn't expect you to be on this show too!" Upon seeing an old acquaintance, Huang Xiaoming smiled and went up to give the beautiful star a hug.

The two had previously collaborated on the TV series "The Emperor of Han Dynasty," and their friendship spanning more than a decade made their reunion all the more heartwarming.

Time passed second by second, and the sixth person to reach the top was Liu Shishi, the number one.

The five people dared not be negligent and went to greet him warmly without prior arrangement.

"Hello, Teacher Liu!" "Senior Sister!"

Especially Jia Jingwen from Taiwan, her smile was particularly bright. The Xu sisters had been blacklisted by this top Tangren Media star, so she dared not offend her.

They were all actors in the industry, had common topics, and quickly became familiar with each other after a few words.

"I wonder who the last member is?" Lin Gengxin looked around.

"I'm coming."

Just then, the glass doors to the hall opened again. A slender figure walked in with elegant steps; the last person was none other than Chen Hong, the wife of the famous director Chen Kaige.

Even though she is over forty, this former "most beautiful woman in mainland China" is still breathtakingly beautiful, and every smile and frown exudes the elegance that comes with age.

"I'm sorry, am I late?" Mrs. Chen asked softly, her voice as melodious as a clear spring.

With everyone gathered, director Liao Ke appeared before the seven people with a smile, enthusiastically saying, "Welcome to the big family of 'Divas Hit the Road'!"
2011 was the China-EU Youth Exchange Year, the first themed year in the 35 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, and the first time the Chinese government and the EU cooperated on youth exchange activities.

Our trip aims to promote cultural exchange between China and Europe. You will not only guide our audience and online viewers to appreciate famous European landmarks and historical sites, but also showcase the beauty of the East during your travels in Europe.

This trip will officially begin on May 1st and last for 22 days, passing through four countries: Germany, France, Spain, and Italy.

Visitors need to visit at least 50 attractions, including 32 must-see spots for photos.

The production team arranged for Yang Zi to be the tour guide for the first half of the trip, and Huang Xiaoming to be in charge for the second half. During their time in Europe, all itinerary arrangements will be decided by the tour guide on duty.

The activity budget is €1000 per day for seven people, which will cover all expenses except for round-trip airfare.

After the director explained the significance of the event and the rules of the program, Huang Xiaoming, acting as the tour guide, astutely asked, "Director Liao, what if we don't have enough money?"

Liao Ke grinned: "If we fail to complete the check-in task and the funds run out ahead of schedule, this trip will be forced to end."

You are all big stars with many fans, and I'm sure you don't want to disappoint your fans and audience. Therefore, I urge the tour guide to plan carefully and allocate funds reasonably.

Of course, considering special emergency situations, you have three opportunities to ask the production team for help.

Upon hearing this, Huang Xiaoming immediately stated, "In order not to let down our fans and audience, we will definitely complete the check-in task perfectly."

After explaining the precautions, cameraman Liao Kechong gestured to stop filming.

"Tomorrow we will shoot promotional posters for everyone, and before departure we will also take some simple photos of everyone's luggage preparations."

If you have any special requests, please let us know now, and we will try our best to accommodate them without violating the program's rules.

The director was also helpless. "Divas Hit the Road" was jointly produced by Hunan TV and Tengda TT Video. The guests were invited by TT Video, and the lineup was quite luxurious.

Among these seven people are a rising star, a top celebrity, the wife of a famous director, and the wife of a billionaire. It's a group of powerful figures, and how to balance the relationships with these "big shots" is putting him under a lot of pressure.

After exchanging glances, everyone shook their heads. Chen Hong, being the oldest, spoke on behalf of the "Divas Hit the Road" group in response to the production team:
"Since we have chosen to participate in this program, we will abide by the rules of the game. It's only about twenty days. We can endure whatever hardships we have and get through them. If there are any difficulties, we can all be understanding of each other."

Liao Ke was relieved: "Thank you all for your understanding! Please rest assured that we will definitely do our best to ensure safety abroad."

The production team is hosting a dinner tonight, so everyone can get together and get to know each other better.

"Liao Ke, you're too kind." Huang Xiaoming politely declined with a smile. It was just a meal, and these people were all prominent figures; it wasn't necessary for the production team to pay for it.

Liao Ke nodded slightly and left with the production crew, leaving the space to the big stars.

With the cameras off, everyone immediately relaxed.

With an air of intellectual elegance, Alyssa Chia gently brushed the stray hairs behind her ear and spoke in her signature gentle tone: "Xiaoming, Yangzi, the journey ahead will be tough for you."

"No problem, leave it to me. I've already made a detailed plan," Huang Xiaoming said confidently.

As one of the two men in the tour group, and the older one at that, I felt I should shoulder more responsibility.

Yang Zi quickly chimed in, "I also did a lot of research."

"How is everyone's foreign language proficiency?" Chen Hong asked a question that had been on her mind for a long time. "My English isn't very good, let alone French, Spanish, or other European languages."

Huang Xiaoming responded first: "I have no problem with daily English communication."

“Me too!” “A simple chat is okay.” Liu Tao and Jia Jingwen followed closely behind.

Lin Gengxin forced a smile: "We can barely communicate, just enough to say a few words!"

"I can manage normal conversations," Yang Zi thought to herself, feeling fortunate. She had been cramming for the past two weeks to improve her English, but she didn't know if she would embarrass herself when she went abroad.

When everyone's attention turned to Liu Shishi, the popular leading lady smiled calmly and said, "I won't hold anyone back!"

"That's great!" Huang Xiaoming clapped his hands and said, "By the way, does everyone have WeChat? Let's create a group chat so it'll be easier to stay in touch."

"There are some."

"Come on! Let's scan each other's QR codes and add each other."

Liu Shishi, who had been quiet all along, became lively and enthusiastically introduced the new WeChat features: "No need for all that trouble, WeChat has a new face-to-face group joining function. Click on it..."

While changing the group name to "Youth Over Flowers Group," Huang Xiaoming carefully confirmed: "Is 'Wutong Mama' Jingwen? Is 'Words Don't Express' Shishi? Everyone, please change your group nicknames."

After a flurry of activity and laughter, the WeChat group was quickly created.

Yang Zi, being thoughtful and obedient, suggested, "Brothers and sisters, I'll post the itinerary in the group chat when I get back. Please help me review it and see if there's anything that needs to be adjusted."

Three days passed in a flash. On the afternoon of April 30th, which happened to be the weekend, Song Ci was resting at home when the program crew visited Jingyuan Villa again.

Facing Asia's richest man, Liao Ke felt immense pressure and stood awkwardly in the living room.

Song Ci sat calmly on the sofa, carefully flipping through the proposal for "Divas Hit the Road": "Regarding Shishi's participation in this program, your Director Ouyang consulted me before."

Liao Ke bowed slightly: "Thank you for your support. Is there anything else you need to instruct me on?"

Song Ci closed the proposal. The content was similar to that of the previous version of "Divas Hit the Road". However, perhaps due to the status of the guests, the production team was much more lenient in terms of budget and communication.

"When you're in a foreign country, you must take good safety precautions. I have nothing else to say."

"Please rest assured!" Liao Ke quickly assured him, "This time, we have not only provided sufficient manpower, but also hired an emergency doctor to accompany us, ensuring that nothing goes wrong."

Song Ci nodded slightly and said no more.

At this moment, Liu Shishi came out of the bedroom pushing three large suitcases and called out at the top of the stairs, "Sister Li, please help me carry these suitcases downstairs."

Upon hearing the commotion, the housekeeper immediately went upstairs and helped the lady of the house carry her suitcase to the living room.

Liao saw that Song Ci remained silent and had no objection, so he asked Liu Shishi, "Teacher Liu, may I take a picture of your prepared luggage?"

“No problem.” Liu Shishi gently stroked the small, technologically advanced, and exquisite suitcase. “This small suitcase is no more than 20 inches, so it doesn’t need to be checked in. Inside is a computer and some personal belongings.”

She then opened two large suitcases that needed to be checked in and continued, "These contain essential clothing and supplies for the trip, as well as outfits that I specially prepared to showcase the beauty of the East for this trip."

The director, intrigued, asked, "Can we get a sneak peek?"

The top woman smiled mysteriously: "You'll know when we get to Europe and check off the sights."

The three pieces of luggage were neatly arranged in the living room. Liu Shishi looked them over from left to right and checked them several times, but she still felt that something was missing. She turned to her husband and asked, "Yiyi, can you help me see if anything is missing?"

Song Ci glanced at his wife's luggage: "We're missing a power adapter. The four countries you're going to use European standard two-round-pin plugs, so you can't charge your mobile phones and other electronic devices directly."

Also, since funds are limited, it's good to bring some instant noodles and sauces, just in case we need something to eat.

(End of this chapter)