A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 228 Contempt
The time interval wasn't long, only about a month, and Song Hye-kyo was already able to call him "brother" in Cantonese, which was quite novel. As soon as she entered the door, before she could even close it, the little girl grabbed her by the neck and kissed her passionately. Lin Jianlu had no choice but to hug her while banging the door shut with his foot. But when he turned his head, he saw Kim Seok-sun looking at him pitifully from the living room.

Those expressive eyes seemed to say, "I was the one who hooked up with my brother first!"

Well, how should I put it? He was just one move off.

Even someone as bold as Kim Seo-sun probably never expected that at the crucial moment, Song Hye-kyo, a girl who was only seventeen years old after the New Year, and in a foreign country, would actually dare to pull off a clever escape just before boarding at the airport, and run back to the film crew all by herself!

She later called Lin Jianlu, but didn't dare to complain about Song Huiqiao. She just kept expressing that she missed Lin Jianlu and wanted to go to Hong Kong. Because she was smart enough to guess that since Song Huiqiao was bold enough to go back on her own, she must be determined to achieve her goal. Even a fool would know what her goal was!
Now, the agency that Kim Seok-sun signed with has sold her management contract outside of Korea to Ge Bok-hong. She can finally fly to Hong Kong as she wished. Just as she had guessed, after being sent to Song Hye-kyo's dormitory, before she could even have a verbal exchange, Song Hye-kyo directly told her: I am now my brother's woman, and my brother spoils me. If you dare to fight with me, you will regret it!

Even so, Kim Seok-sun, who considered himself to be quite quick-witted and bold, was silenced by this little girl with just one sentence, and didn't dare to utter a single harsh word.

It would be a lie to say I didn't feel wronged, and it would be even more impossible to say I didn't hate them.

Watching helplessly as the little girl kissed Lin Jianlu right in front of her, Kim Seok-sun could only watch—she was a smart woman, and as Song Hye-kyo showed off her Cantonese and then hugged and kissed Lin Jianlu right away, she gradually calmed down and soon realized something.

Ha, trying to scare me!
Who is my brother? He's a global pop superstar!
If he really dotes on you as much as you say, why doesn't he keep you by his side and spoil you?
If he really doted on you, why would his subordinates arrange for me to live with you?

Ah!
"Xi Shan, hello! Long time no see!"

"Brother! I miss you so much!"

Yes, her pronunciation isn't bad. When she rejoined the group after the New Year, I felt that these three girls from Korea hadn't neglected their Chinese studies. They could still manage to say everyday things, albeit haltingly. This time, after a month or so, I felt that she could still speak fluently and clearly, which shows that she had been working hard behind the scenes.

I hugged her and said, "I heard your agency contract has been bought?"

She hugged him even tighter, "Yes! Manager Ge sent someone over to negotiate and bought out my agency contract outside of Korea. Now I can debut here."

The reaction was unusually enthusiastic, even though they weren't that close before.

However, Lin Jianlu was quick-witted and said "okay," then kissed her forehead.

Actually, despite being only four years older, Kim Seo-sun is already quite well-known in Korea, compared to Song Hye-kyo's relative obscurity. Lin Jianlu had specifically looked at their profiles before. Kim Seo-sun debuted as a model as early as 1993, when she was only sixteen years old. That same year, she began acting in dramas, and in 96, she won the Best New Actress award in Korea. She had already started playing leading roles in dramas, making her a very talented and promising newcomer.

Back in 1997, when the casting for "The Myth" took place, she had already entered the film industry and starred in a movie. And just recently, a TV series she starred in, which I think is called "The Ends of the Earth," is currently airing in Korea. In short, she has already made a name for herself in Korea!
If it weren't for the fact that "The Myth" is a big-budget production from Hong Kong, and if the male lead wasn't international superstar Lin Jianlu, and the female lead wasn't Wang Zuxian, who is extremely popular in Korea, and if the film didn't have American investment and would be released in the North American market, frankly speaking, Kim Hee-sun probably wouldn't have been willing to go to "The Myth" to play a small maid. However, with these prerequisites, even a small maid had to be fought for.

Goryeo's entertainment industry is still very weak.

Since the 1990s, Hollywood movies have been conquering the world. Whether it is European art films or Hong Kong films in Asia, they have been defeated in just a few years. However, even so, the top three in the world are still these three. Whether it is Japan or Korea, no matter how popular they are in China, they basically cannot sell at all outside their home country. However, no matter how much Hong Kong films have collapsed, their influence is still there. For example, the films of Jackie Chan, Leslie Cheung, and Wong Cho-yin can still be taken to Korea and their level of sophistication will still be far superior to their local films.

But simply playing a minor role as a maid was clearly not Kim Hee-sun's goal.

She wants to make real Hong Kong films, real big-budget productions.

Ideally, it would be a movie where I could work with superstars like Lin Jianlu and Jackie Chan.

The role of a minor maid in "The Myth" was merely a stepping stone; the real purpose was to attach herself to Lin Jianlu, a top global superstar. So, she suddenly raised her hand and hugged Lin Jianlu's neck, completely disregarding Song Hye-kyo who was right next to her, saying, "Brother, I really missed you!"

This is... way too enthusiastic.

It has a straightforward and exhilarating quality.

Lin Jianlu liked it very much.

But he would absolutely not allow Kim Hee-sun to take control of the situation so easily.

So he gave her a quick kiss on the lips, but then pulled away and beckoned to Song Hye-kyo, the little girl who was clearly angry and glaring at Kim Hee-sun. When she came over, he hugged her and said, "I missed you too, and I missed Qiao-qiao too! Sigh, it's just a pity I'm too busy... otherwise I really wanted to spend every day with you!"

Song Hye-kyo glared angrily at Kim Hee-sun, who turned her head and gave her a disdainful sneer.

…………

The two beautiful young women from Korea were not getting along.

But it doesn't matter, Lin Jianlu doesn't care about that. Two years ago, he wouldn't have been so bold, and he was more shy and innocent. But now, he is extremely aware of his own advantages and is super confident. In addition, he has a slight, inexplicable contempt for Korean actresses, and even Korean girls who aspire to be in the entertainment industry. So he completely skips those tedious tests and expressions and goes straight for the arm around her.

However, one could sense Kim Seok-sun's unusual surprise.

Of course, she said she had fallen in love with her brother, to the point that she couldn't sleep at night—her brother was so handsome, so charming, and so talented!

Well, the wording is a bit simple, but I understand. The main issue is that not many people can speak Chinese.

As long as the meaning is conveyed, that's fine.

I called to arrange for someone to reserve a table in advance, as I was going to treat the two girls to lunch. This made the two girls incredibly happy. Then I sat down on the sofa, hugged the two beauties in my arms, and showered them with concern and expressed my plans for their future. In short, I told them to stay with me!

However... there's still a bit of awkwardness from the language barrier.

Song Hye-kyo is working very hard to learn Mandarin and Cantonese. She has also invented a particularly great method. She unexpectedly found several Chinese versions of Korean comic books in a bookstore in Hong Kong. She then asked her family in Korea to send her the original Korean comics. She then compares the comics with the originals, looks up words in the Chinese dictionary, and asks her teacher for help to learn. It is said that she is making rapid progress.

Believe it or not, Lin Jianlu also thought this was a good idea.

She proudly presented several comic books, which Lin Jianlu casually picked up and flipped through. When he came across one of them, he was taken aback by the title, "Full House," which was translated as "Romantic House" in Hong Kong. After reading the contents, he was even more stunned. He asked Song Hye-kyo a few questions, and she told him that this comic was very popular in Korea and had been published for several years, but it had always remained on the bestseller list. She loved it in China and had read it many times.

Ok……

So, is Full House actually a manga adaptation?

…………

I took the two pretty girls out for a big lunch, then sent them home. Before parting, I hugged them on either side and told them that I would be staying with them that night.

After watching them enter the elevator, Lin Jianlu told the driver to drive off while she took out her phone and called Lin Qingxia directly. "There's a Korean comic called 'Full House,' which has been translated and published in Hong Kong. You can buy a copy to take a look, but that's not important. You need to arrange for someone to contact Korea immediately and buy the film and television adaptation rights for this comic! Do it right away!"

Well, Korean dramas... In her past life, Lin Jianlu didn't actually like Korean dramas that much, but she couldn't help it. First, Korean dramas were very popular. Second, when Korean dramas were at their peak, Lin Jianlu's mother loved watching them, so Lin Jianlu watched a lot of random ones as well. However, she rarely watched any of them from beginning to end; they were mostly fragmented. Third, well, after getting into university and even after graduating, her several girlfriends liked watching them, so she watched them as well.

Originally, Lin Jianlu never even considered Korean dramas. Even after acquiring ATV, he thought that Qiong Yao dramas and Jin Yong dramas would dominate the ratings in the next few years. With the addition of developing a new variety show every year, ATV would have enough entertainment. But now that he thinks about it, it seems that Korean dramas, including Korean movies, haven't been around for many years.
Many of them are very familiar to everyone!

"Autumn in My Heart" was probably starring Song Hye-kyo, right? Who starred in "Full House"? I think it was also Song Hye-kyo? And "Love Story in Harvard," I remember watching Korean dramas with my mom in my past life, and she used it to motivate herself, saying, "Look, if you get into Harvard, you can get a beautiful girlfriend like that." Lin Jianlu actually believed it at the time and studied her academic subjects diligently for several months—this was Kim Tae-hee, no doubt.

Well, unlike Kim Hee-sun and Song Hye-kyo, who received relevant training from a young age and debuted in their teens through model auditions, Kim Tae-hee comes from a more privileged background and probably excels academically. So, even now, despite taking on commercials in her spare time and taking long leave to film "The Myth," she still persists in her studies and is said to have excellent grades, showing some academic prowess.

She said her goal is to get into Seoul National University and study fashion design.

Well, when we met again when the crew of "The Myth" started the second phase of filming, she mentioned that after returning to China, she hired a professional tutor and began to seriously study Chinese. The last time we spoke on the phone was about ten days ago, when I was in Taiwan. I could tell that her Chinese was indeed becoming more and more fluent.

Look how hard people work to find a relationship!

Oh, right, there's also *The Classic*, *My Sassy Girl*, *A Moment to Remember*... Oh yes, and there's also *Speed ​​Scandal*, which Lin Jianlu really likes, and *The Outlaws*...

To be honest, I hadn't thought about it before, but now that I think about it carefully, whether it's Korean dramas or movies, putting aside the later special effects blockbusters, just talking about the rise of the Korean entertainment industry, they really produced a lot of good stuff, especially the early tragic love dramas, including some romance movies.

As for filming these kinds of things, as long as the tone is right, Hong Kong's current production conditions make it a piece of cake!
Hong Kong-style heroic films are outdated.

Hollywood superhero movies have dominated, and will continue to dominate, the world for many years to come.

Beyond Hollywood superhero movies, Korean dramas and films have actually made up half of the Asian market in the next decade or so – take them over!

Why not take it if it's free!
When it comes to superhero films, it's hard to compete with Hollywood. Hollywood's entire film industry production process is completely systematic and represents the most advanced productive force at the time. We can only integrate into it and get a piece of the pie, which is already pretty good. But apart from that, Hollywood's romance films don't sell very well in East Asia. So why not just produce some Hong Kong-style Korean films to fill this gap?
It's a way to make money and also convenient for promoting people!

Perhaps they can even take advantage of the situation to turn the upcoming Korean wave into a Hong Kong wave.

Media Asia Films is responsible for the film, and it invests and produces together with Forbidden City Films and Longxin Films in mainland China. This allows them to capture the markets of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Romance films do not involve complicated censorship issues, making it easy to enter the mainland market and obtain a release license. They can also take advantage of the situation to go to Korea and Japan and make money that should be earned by the Korean wave!

As for the direction of television dramas, ATV will be responsible for production, and they will form a group with Longxin Films. They don't need too many. Two good Hong Kong-style Korean dramas a year, coupled with the Qiong Yao dramas and Jin Yong dramas that Longxin Films will be co-producing with Taiwan and CCTV, will be enough to compete with TVB.

Uh... what other good Korean dramas are there?

Things you didn't care about in your past life, you now have to rack your brains over...

Oh, right, Dae Jang Geum was probably the first Korean drama to become a hit across Asia, but how should it be adapted? It can't be made into something like "The Legend of the Imperial Concubine," can it?

…………

I have an interview at Longhua Real Estate this afternoon.

It is said that Wu Minghua received more than 300 resumes, including those recommended by headhunting companies and those who applied after the job advertisement was published. He screened out the vast majority of them just by looking at the resumes. After two rounds of interviews, the second round was personally conducted by Wu Minghua. Finally, the three best candidates were selected.

This position was originally intended for Wu Minghua, essentially an administrative assistant. The person in charge would be responsible for helping Lin Jianlu summarize and review all of his important investments, providing as much information and reference as possible, and assisting Lin Jianlu in making decisions. In short, it was quite important. As investments increased, Lin Jianlu, who considered himself to have limited education and had never been particularly intelligent in either his previous or current life, increasingly needed such a person.

The final interview, of course, had to be conducted by him in person.

The car was still on the road, but Lin Jianlu's mind was still on Korean dramas and movies. Unconsciously, she became a little excited. This excitement even far exceeded the joy and pride she felt when Kim Hee-sun took the initiative to throw herself into her arms.

He asked the driver for a cigarette and lit it. He rolled down the window a crack, sat in the back seat, smoking and lost in thought—"If Love Has a Destiny" and "My Sassy Girl" are both good. Korea is still a long way from becoming a major power, several years away. They probably haven't even finished the script yet. They can copy it, but I don't know if there's an original work."

Well, it doesn't matter. So what if there's a conflict? If there's a lawsuit after the film is released, we can use it as a publicity stunt. At worst, we can just spend some more money to buy the adaptation rights, and it'll become another great story!

"If Love Has a Destiny" has a romantic and beautiful feel, and also a bit of a period drama. Hong Kong is good at making this kind of romance film. Well, Zhang Wanting is probably the best example. She's a female director. "An Autumn's Tale" and "Eight Taels of Gold" are both excellent. Also, Peter Chan, who made "Comrades: Almost a Love Story," is also good. Of course, even Zhang Yimou making this kind of period romance film isn't necessarily... well, something's not quite right...

Oh shit!

If I remember correctly, "If Love Has a Destiny" is similar to Zhang Yimou's "The Road Home"...

When they were drinking on set before, Zhang Yimou mentioned that he wanted to make a movie like this. Lin Jianlu guessed that it was probably "My Father and Mother" as soon as she heard it, and agreed to it on the spot.

Hmm, forget it then, let's find a Hong Kong director instead!
In addition, we can meet and chat then. If neither of these two options suits your taste, there is another big backup option – Zhang Aijia!

For art-house directors of their caliber, handling this kind of Korean-style romance should theoretically be a game-changer, but it's hard to say. What if they mess it up and turn a commercial romance into an art-house romance?
Therefore, style comes first, and approach comes first!

Second best!

The female lead... needs to be relatively young. Her looks don't have to be top-tier, but she needs to have a solid acting foundation. Also, this is a romantic love story, so the female lead can't look too young.

Actually, Kim Hee-sun is quite suitable.

Song Hye-kyo is too young and inexperienced to play the role.

Cecilia Cheung also thought she was too young. Although in my memory she was a breakout star right from the start—oh right, I suddenly remembered that her debut should have been in Stephen Chow's "King of Comedy," right?

Holy crap, could it be "King of Comedy" that Stephen Chow is preparing for but is facing a complete blockade and censorship from the Xiang family?
Cecilia Cheung... Hmm, let me think about it again, let's stick with mainlanders!

The younger sister-in-law, Gao Yuanyuan, is too youthful and frivolous for the role, and more importantly, her acting skills are definitely subpar. She is genuinely clumsy, and in my hazy memory, watching her shows was purely for her face; her acting always felt stiff and awkward, no matter the role.

Yu Feihong, the first wife, is a bit too old to play a pretty girl, and Xu Qing feels that mature beauty is not suitable.

Zhao Yanzi is not suitable, Zhang Ziyi is too sharp, and Jiang Qinqin is too delicate. However... Zuo Xiaoqian has a certain appeal. She is not too young, nor too mature. In the past year or so, her temperament has begun to stabilize. She has a clear and bright look, but not the kind that is dazzling. I just don't know how good her acting skills are now.

Hmm, there's another option, Zeng Li seems like a good fit too – she's a very beautiful actress, but she doesn't quite reach the level of stunning beauty that Li Jiaxin, Rosamund Kwan, or Chen Hong and Fan Bingbing possess. If her acting skills are up to par, she could definitely star in a movie like "If Love Has a Destiny".

As for "My Sassy Girl," my aunt is actually somewhat in that vein now, but she leans more towards the charmingly naive direction. Asking her to portray that kind of spoiled and cute character will be a real test of her acting skills...

Jia Jingwen can actually play a spoiled and willful character. Her due date is in May, and "My Fair Princess" will be broadcast simultaneously in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong during the summer vacation. If she can give even a 50% performance of the Zhao Yanzi version she saw in her past life, she will definitely become a huge star...

Moreover, I recall that she also played the Mongolian princess Zhao Min.

As long as "My Fair Princess" becomes popular, it won't be a problem for her to smoothly transition to making movies—one "My Fair Princess" is enough, without exaggeration, to maintain her popularity for a lifetime, as long as she doesn't cause any trouble!
Zhang Ziyi is still not good enough. Her acting skills are definitely up to par, and she can definitely play a spoiled brat. But she just doesn't have enough cuteness. This has nothing to do with acting skills. It's purely about her looks and her personal charisma that makes her popular with the audience. God didn't give her this talent!
Yes, Jiang Qinqin can be a bit willful at times, but the problem remains: although she can be quite silly in private, when she gets serious, she is always too beautiful, a natural lady from a wealthy family!

Therefore, Cecilia Cheung and Alyssa Chia are the most suitable.

When I see my concubine again, I'll try her acting and see how she reacts before making a decision.

As for the Hong Kong-style Korean dramas that ATV will definitely be responsible for producing, well, among the women in Hong Kong, only Leung Wing-ki is the right age. But unfortunately, with her current status, she doesn't need to act in TV dramas anymore. She's a pop diva and already the leading lady in movies.

So, let's go with a group of mainland actors.

Actors like Huang Xiaoming, Chen Kun, and Zhou Jie are old enough that they wouldn't be significantly outmatched by TVB's Gu Tianle and others. As for television dramas, my aunt is basically a good candidate—a little less acting skill isn't a big deal.

"Wait, slow down..."

Just as various thoughts were swirling in her mind, a familiar melody suddenly entered her ears, and Lin Jianlu subconsciously rolled the car window even wider.

The driver quickly applied the brakes, allowing Lin Jianlu to more clearly hear the fading song – "The Cup of Life." Even as Lin Jianlu grew up, it remained the absolute number one and an absolute masterpiece among all World Cup theme songs!
Lin Jianlu was stunned for several seconds, then suddenly exclaimed, "Ah, right, it's already 1998!"

In fact, the first World Cup that Lin Jianlu remembered in her previous life was the one in 2006, and the one she watched almost all the matches seriously was the one in 2010.

Oh, right, shouldn't the Latin pop diva be making her debut by now?

How come I've lived in America for so long and never heard of her name?
…………

Longhua Real Estate rents office space in the Central District.

We'll make do for a year, maybe even before next year, and we'll probably move by the end of the year. Just 300 meters away, almost right next to us, is Wantong Building, wholly owned by Longhua Real Estate. Once it's completely renovated, why not move?

Lin Jianlu rushed to the company and knocked on Wu Minghua's office door. Wu Minghua first arranged for her secretary to make coffee, and then smiled as she took out three files from her drawer and handed them to Lin Jianlu.

With a smile, she said, "Actually, the first one was pretty much right. I bet you'll like it."

"Oh?"

Lin Jianlu smiled, took it, opened it, glanced at it, paused for a moment, and then looked up, pointing at Wu Minghua, "Making jokes about your own boss, or I'll dock your pay!"

Wu Minghua laughed happily.

The reason is very simple: the applicant in this file is a girl, and she is quite stunningly beautiful.

Therefore, it is easy to understand the teasing meaning in Wu Minghua's words.

Of course, physical appearance is actually the least important part of someone's resume.

Qu Lin is a Hong Kong native with ancestral roots in Shanghai. Born in Shanghai in 1972, she moved to Hong Kong with her parents in 1981, meaning she is only 26 years old this year, four years older than Lin Jianlu.

I went to Cambridge University in the UK for my undergraduate degree, and then Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism for my master’s degree. I was seventeen when I was studying at Cambridge and graduated in three years. I was twenty when I was studying at Columbia and got my master’s degree in two years. I received a full scholarship for all five years. After graduating from university, I worked at The New York Times for a year and a half before moving to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. Last year, I returned to Hong Kong and still work for News Corporation, where I helped establish Phoenix TV.

Currently serving as a senior assistant in the overall planning department of Phoenix TV, with an annual salary of $120,000.

The file contained a half-body photo. The person's appearance was somewhat similar to that of a young Brigitte Lin, but not in the pure and innocent way that Brigitte Lin had. Instead, the person looked somewhat sharp, clearly a highly educated, insightful, and decisive type of academic genius—high ponytail, serious and unsmiling.

Well, after carefully reading the file, Lin Jianlu looked up and asked the first question, "One million Hong Kong dollars, are they willing to come?"

Wu Minghua laughed, "She's your fan! A loyal, passionate fan!"

Lin Jianlu chuckled, "Don't talk nonsense! What other conditions are there?"

So Wu Minghua got serious. “No nonsense! She was recommended by a headhunting company. Coincidentally, she was looking to change jobs recently. When she heard that you were recruiting an administrative assistant, she was very willing to apply. I talked to her for about ten minutes. She should know a lot about you, including a lot of investments, and she approves of your investment direction. In addition, she also said that she thinks you have a high level of expertise in communication studies.”

At this point, she suddenly smiled and said, "This girl is very arrogant. Guess what she told me?"

Lin Jianlu's curiosity was truly piqued. "What?"

Wu Minghua said with a smile, "She said, very seriously and solemnly, that she doesn't look down on you for being a singer! On the contrary, she admires your investment acumen over the past two years!"

Lin Jianlu was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle.

This was the first time he had ever encountered someone who said, "I won't look down on you just because you're a celebrity." Well, perhaps celebrities, whether in the East or the West, have always been an unattainable dream for ordinary people, but for those who are truly high up, they have always been looked down upon. But... well, Wu Minghua's assessment was fair; this girl was indeed a bit arrogant.

Or perhaps, he's still a bit too young, and his journey has been so smooth that he hasn't learned to temper his brilliance yet—that's alright, when employing people, we shouldn't be bothered by their shortcomings, but rather focus on their strengths.

If we rate this girl's looks as 90+ and her IQ as 90+, then hopefully her work ability will also be 90+. So, let alone a million Hong Kong dollars a year, Lin Jianlu wouldn't be reluctant to give her two million!

The second photo is of a man, a 32-year-old Hong Konger. He has an unremarkable appearance, with a neutral and peaceful look. In the photo, the corners of his mouth are slightly upturned, carrying a warm smile. He is probably the kind of person who would be completely inconspicuous in a crowd, but once he stands in front of you, you will unconsciously feel that this person makes you feel particularly comfortable in his words and actions.

A Yale law graduate, he spent over two years at Morgan Stanley before joining Citibank. Two years ago, he returned to Hong Kong, citing his need to care for his seriously ill mother. He then applied for a job at a local bank as an investment advisor, with an annual salary of HK$600,000 plus commission, aiming for a salary of US$150,000.

It must be another great master.

To be honest, before she had even finished reading the second set of materials, Lin Jianlu found herself feeling a little apprehensive. These were all top students, earning a million-dollar annual salary in their twenties or thirties, and they were doing it in the 1990s. Was she, a mediocre student, really qualified to interview them?

This is completely different from the feeling of sleeping with a woman.

He slept with Brigitte Lin, Rosamund Kwan, Chen Hong, Xu Qing, Yu Feihong, Gao Yuanyuan… He was happy, at ease, or even a little smug, but he didn't feel he had done anything too outrageous. It was just sleeping with goddesses from his past life, right? He was worthy, no problem. And with his rapid rise in power, status, and fame, he was becoming increasingly used to it.

However, seeing these two people on the interview list made Lin Jianlu subconsciously ask herself: Am I worthy? Or rather, am I already worthy?
Tsk... It's a very strange feeling.

Turning to the third document, it was another woman, slightly older at 34, but with a gentle and bright appearance, scoring over 80 points in looks. However, according to her profile, she was 164cm tall, which was a bit short. Clearly, she didn't have an advantage in terms of appearance. You know, the previous one, Qu Lin, not only had outstanding looks, but her height was also listed as 170cm, which was absolutely overwhelming.

Even in terms of education, she doesn't have an advantage. She only studied civil engineering at Cambridge University. However, she has a rich work experience. Her most recent job was at Li Ka-shing's Cheung Kong Holdings, where she has been for six years and has reached the level of senior manager, earning an annual salary of HK$600,000. The target annual salary she listed on her resume is only HK$800,000.

It's worth noting that the annual salary offered for the position posted by Wu Minghua was expected to be one million Hong Kong dollars.

After finishing reading, he looked up at Wu Minghua and said, "So, this one seems to be a bit lacking?"

Wu Minghua replied seriously, "But once you meet her in person, you'll understand that she has a gentle personality and is extremely meticulous. Moreover, when I talked to her, I could clearly feel that she might be more suitable to be your assistant than the previous two. To be specific... she is more suitable to be a nanny-style assistant."

Oh, I got it.

So he put down the documents and said, "Let's meet them, let's meet this last one first."

Upon hearing this, Wu Minghua couldn't help but smile, "Okay!"

Lin Jianlu quickly discerned another layer of meaning in her smile, "Hey! You're mocking the boss again!"—Well, whether it's Hong Kong or Taiwan, it's almost common gossip. Lin Jianlu's favorite women are between thirty and forty years old. If they're beautiful enough, as beautiful as Brigitte Lin, he'll love them even if they're over forty.

The story spread and became known as a thing about mature women.

In truth, Lin Jianlu didn't necessarily want to like older women. She was simply lustful, but by the time she arrived, the beautiful woman was already that age!

What to do? I can't just stop sleeping as I get older, can I? I might as well try it! But I ended up trying too much!

If I traveled back 20 years, do you think I would like that 20-year-old Brigitte Lin?
Besides, my buddy has a lot of beautiful girls he keeps in the capital, you just don't know it!
…………

interview.

The first person called in was the one from the third file Lin Jianlu had seen, named Zhou Jinyun. It was a very pretty name. She was indeed very gentle in her speech and actions. She didn't talk much, but she was calm, logical, and spoke with a gentle tone. Well, how should I put it? Lin Jianlu quickly decided to hire her.

But instead of using her as an administrative assistant, I felt she was more suitable to be my personal assistant—similar to Liu Xiaoli's position in the capital, specifically to help me manage matters related to my lover, private property, and interpersonal relationships.

It seems like a waste of her talent, but I just feel like she'd be perfect for the job.

Moreover, from the perspective of someone who values ​​appearance, in person, her height of 164cm is not a flaw at all; on the contrary, it gives people a feeling of smooth and graceful figure.

His overall appearance, temperament, speech, and logic are all excellent.

It seems that if she were to handle things on my behalf, she would be able to manage the situation well.

Then the second one is that gentleman, He Zhiqian.

And she is also very outstanding.

He speaks calmly, is knowledgeable, and has a calm and steady gaze. He is clearly a highly intelligent person with clear thinking and meticulous logic, yet he never reveals his sharpness in his words or actions.

To be honest, before the interview was even over, that feeling in Lin Jianlu's heart resurfaced—Am I really qualified to interview someone of this caliber?
It's not like I haven't seen some experts before!
Putting aside others, the couple Cai Zhongxin and Wu Minghua, whom she has already recruited, are definitely not ordinary people. When she interviewed them, she didn't feel anything special—after thinking about it again, Lin Jianlu vaguely understood.

In fact, from the interview until now, I have always maintained a high level of respect for Tsai Chung-hsin and his wife. To put it simply, I don't feel like I have recruited them or made them my subordinates. Rather, I feel like I am cooperating with them and asking them to manage my assets.

why?

Perhaps it's because subconsciously they feel that Lao Cai is a celebrity, a super-rich person from their past life, and the second-in-command at Alibaba, so they always feel that Lao Cai is only staying with them temporarily, and that he will most likely leave to return to his rightful place.

Then they wouldn't be considered employees, but collaborators, partners, or even friends.

But nowadays, recruitment is really focused on hiring menial staff.

Once he understood this, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself—ha, to hell with it!
My current net worth is probably close to two billion US dollars. Right now, I'm probably qualified to break into the top 30 of Hong Kong's rich list. In another ten years, I might even be able to visit the global rich list. So what if I'm a top student? I'm still working for me, aren't I?
With an annual salary of one million, that's what I'm doing paying them. Do you think I deserve it or not?

They're a perfect match!
"Let that beautiful lady in!"

So, Lin Jianlu soon met the beautiful academic star who "wouldn't look down on her as a celebrity." "Your name is... Miss Qu Lin, right? I heard you're a fan of mine, and I'm very grateful for your respect for my profession as a singer and celebrity. Haha, can you tell me what investments you know I've made?"

The girl is indeed quite beautiful; her height, figure, and looks are simply stunning.

But his temperament does indeed reveal a certain sharpness.

A very confident person.

"As you can see from my resume, I've worked at both The New York Times and News Corporation. So, in fact, I had access to information about your investments in US stocks in the first half of last year, but that report was suppressed. In the second half of last year, I joined a company in Hong Kong, which coincided with your acquisition of ATV. And, because of my professional habits, I like to dig deep into the clues behind some news stories, so... as your fan... I'm sorry, I have information about your series of investment moves in the last two or three months of last year. Of course, I found all of this myself based on publicly available press releases, without using any unconventional investigative methods, so please rest assured."

As she spoke, Lin Jianlu nodded, but before Lin Jianlu could speak, the girl added, "However, if I may be frank, your investments all seem very forward-thinking to me. I have high hopes for them. Moreover, your investment scale is already quite large, and it can't be kept secret for long."

Hmm, she's quite an interesting girl.

The advantages are extremely obvious, but in actual use, there are also some disadvantages.

Her voice was clear and melodious, but she spoke very quickly. Although her pronunciation was exceptionally precise and clear, and every word was audible, the rhythmic, forceful delivery and the unquestionable tone made Lin Jianlu clearly realize that she was indeed a girl with a very strong and decisive personality—presumably, she must have been a strong and domineering female boss in her previous workplace.

Well, someone as smart as her might be ready in three to five years, after some time to hone her skills. But right now, she's still at an age where she's eager to show her talent and make a name for herself—of course, that's not an exaggeration at all. Even if she's a top student, it's perfectly normal. Young people should act like young people, and young people should have the demeanor and vigor of youth.

However, "If I may be frank, I don't think you're quite suitable to be my administrative assistant right now, but... don't worry, I haven't finished speaking! However, I do have another job that I'd like to offer you."

The girl paused for a moment, then shrugged inexplicably, which instantly gave her a charmingly adorable look. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. Please continue!"

Lin Jianlu smiled and said, "I hope to send you to a specialized school in the mainland to train your Mandarin pronunciation. I saw from your information that you were born in Shanghai and only came to Hong Kong when you were nine years old, right? I believe you have some basic Mandarin. So, if you can master Mandarin within six months, then I think you can consider becoming a program host in the news department that ATV is currently setting up!"

Her mouth opened slightly for a moment, as if in surprise, but she quickly returned to normal. "I understand what you mean."

Lin Jianlu was taken aback by her words—then he suddenly realized that she had refused.

Sure enough, after a moment of silence, she smiled and said, "Although I failed the audition, could I have your autograph? I'm really a fan of yours!" As she spoke, she actually pulled out three CDs from her small bag.

There were two Mandarin CDs and an English CD called "21"—they were handed over directly.

Lin Jianlu was taken aback for a moment, but couldn't help but admire the girl's crisp and decisive manner.

"Okay, even if the deal falls through, we can still be friends. I'll sign."

She laughed, carefree, "Shouldn't it be 'Don't worry about having no friends on the road ahead'?"

Lin Jianlu was stunned for a moment, then looked up—the girl blurted out this sentence in surprisingly standard Mandarin.

But this line of poetry...

He immediately became interested.

So you can speak Mandarin!
"Oh, so you're quite disappointed that I'm not your confidant?"

She shrugged again, which was genuinely quite cute. "Not really, I didn't have high hopes to begin with. Of course, I mean... I can sense your disdain for me because of my appearance, right?"

Tsk...this girl is really interesting.

(End of this chapter)