How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 148 What kind of circle are we in?
People who don't engage in internal conflicts have one characteristic.

When you encounter a problem you can't solve, do it first, and then pass the problem on to someone else when you encounter another problem.

This eliminates the need to actively choose a solution; you only need to choose to do it or not.

The advantage of this personality type is that they are positive, optimistic, and likely to succeed.

The downside is also obvious: if you're not smart enough, you'll be easily fooled.

Jessica Jung is a typical example of this type of person. She doesn't even consider what resources she has before daring to make deals with just anyone.

He bluntly and brazenly threw the question back at Wang Yao.

"I don't know, so I asked you to come out and talk." Jessica shook her head, completely unaware of the difference in their social status.

"What do you think you have?" Wang Yao paused for a moment, then asked.

"Beauty, talent, commercial value, but not your body. Although you're my type, I don't trade my body unless you're in a relationship with me," Jessica Jung said without changing her expression.

No wonder he's an American citizen, his awareness is indeed high.

“I’m not interested in your body; I’m more interested in the dirt on your company,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Stop pretending. How could any man not be interested in my body?" Jessica Jung puffed out her chest indignantly, then blinked. "What do you need company dirt for? You can't take down SM in Korea. They have a huge backing. Any negative news about them will be taken down as soon as it's released."

"Then don't worry about it, it doesn't matter if it's not from your company." Wang Yao was amused by her somewhat confident answer.

"If it's not our company, then I actually know some people, XD, do these count?" A few people suddenly popped into Jessica Jung's mind.

“Of course, it would be even better if there was solid evidence.” Wang Yao became interested.

"Well, it depends on the chance. I can't guarantee it because I haven't hung out with them in a long time." Jessica Jung blinked.

"It's alright, there's plenty of time," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"So, you agree?" Jessica Jung's heart suddenly raced, and she felt a strange thrill, like she was a spy.

“Getting you in shouldn’t be a problem, but you’ll have to pay a deposit, right? You can’t just make empty promises; what if you don’t have any reliable information?” Wang Yao chuckled.

"Or you can name a price, and I'll give you the money?" Jessica Jung's eyes lit up.

“That’s fine. I won’t charge more; 200 million for tickets is still worthwhile.” Wang Yao nodded.

“No problem, it’s only two million won, I’ll give it to you right now.” Jessica Jung grinned, revealing her white teeth.

“Of course it’s two million Chinese dollars. This is China.” Wang Yao rolled his eyes.

Two million Korean won is only a little over ten thousand yuan. You really dare to dream of that.

"How much is that?" Jessica Jung couldn't figure it out.

"I'll round it down to 4 million won," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"??? This is robbery!" Jessica Jung screamed.

With that much money, I feel like I could attend a Victoria's Secret gala.

"You think we're just taking you in? I have a business relationship with your company. If they trace it back to me, I'll face additional risks," Wang Yao said in a deep voice.

"But I don't have that much money, and this is too much. Can you make it cheaper? Please!" Jessica Jung rubbed her hands together like a little hamster, pleading.

"How about this, you give me an IOU, no money required, and I'll settle the debt with messages later. But until the debt is paid off, you need to do two advertising campaigns for me." Wang Yao thought for a moment.

Besides needing Jessica Jung as a source of information, he also wanted to try to dismantle Girls' Generation from within, and then make some noise about SM Entertainment.

"An IOU isn't out of the question, but the company will find out if we advertise," Jessica Jung hesitated for a moment.

“You don’t need to make a big fuss; just start promoting it among the people around you.” Wang Yao introduced her to Kakao Talk and Water Spine.

“No problem,” Jessica Jung readily agreed.

“Okay, let’s leave it at that for now. I’ll pick you up tomorrow.” Wang Yao nodded.

"Okay, Mr. Wang, please take me home." Jessica Jung relaxed, took out her phone with a smile, and discussed with her sister what to wear tomorrow.

Jessica Jung didn't lie to Taeyeon and returned to her temporary dormitory that night.

However, the next day, he deliberately missed the boarding time and played a trick on his manager to skip the flight, causing some turmoil within the group.

This year's "Shiba" gala dinner was held at the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel, with the theme "Charity Achieves Environmental Protection, Expo Sentiment, Chinese Heart". It combined recent Expo hot topics and focused on issues such as drought in Southwest China and desertification.

Environmental protection, a concept that the West has used various pretexts to promote for many years, has been tested domestically before being rolled out globally, and has begun to spread in China since last year.

The shift in philanthropy from humanitarian concern to environmental concern signifies the emergence of new versions and markets.

In the fashion industry, which prides itself on being avant-garde and trendsetter, they are always the first to make a big fuss, and then after shouting slogans, they get ordinary people who believe in them to pay the bill.

We must carry out the principle that with great power comes little responsibility to the fullest extent.

Because it was a dinner co-sponsored by Audi, all the guests' cars were provided by Audi, making Wang Yao's Mercedes RV seem out of place, but anyway, he didn't have to walk the red carpet.

When Wang Yao arrived, a small road in front of the banquet hall was temporarily closed to prevent any accidents, but the crowd of fans still stretched for miles, and the red carpet area was completely blocked by reporters from national media.

Against the backdrop of the bustling night view of Lujiazui, it does indeed have a touch of decadent glamour, reminiscent of the S City in the novel.

Despite the excellent soundproofing inside the RV, you could still hear screams coming from outside.

"Wow, what a grand scene!" Jessica Jung leaned against the car window, looking at the scenery outside.

As a national-level girl group in Korea, they have participated in many galas, big and small, but even the red carpet of Korea's three most prestigious awards is no bigger than this.

She had done her research beforehand and knew it was a high-profile, fashionable gala, but the sheer scale of the event was beyond her expectations.

Despite having over three years of stage experience and thousands of performances since her debut, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

I was even a little relieved that I didn't have to walk the red carpet, otherwise I would have been so nervous.

At the same time, I felt a strange mix of emotions, a mixture of envy and greed.

Will I have the opportunity to attend such banquets in the future, not as a performer, but as a guest?
"The scale of this event is comparable to that of a Huabiao (ornamental column)," Zhang Meng remarked.

This banquet has been held for eight sessions, and this is her first time attending. She had only heard about it from others before, but she never expected it to be such a grand event.

"The Huabiao is a professional ceremony, while this is an entertainment event. All kinds of media, big and small, are welcome to attend, and it also involves people from all walks of life. Some people who don't usually show their faces may also appear here, so the media will naturally not miss such a rare opportunity."

After all, celebrities can be photographed anytime, but it's not so easy for other bigwigs from various industries. Wang Yao signaled to the driver that they could continue to the hotel's underground VIP parking garage, where some guests who did not want to appear in public entered through a special passage.

Jessica Jung listened to advice. Wang Yao told her that no matter what she wore, she couldn't possibly outshine the female guests tonight. She should dress more casually so that when the news broke, she wouldn't be "outshone" but would instead cause controversy because of her casual outfit.

So she paired it with a cool girl style of jeans and a leather jacket, and her striking blonde hair made her stand out even more among the group of glamorous female stars.

Zhang Meng, on the other hand, dressed up carefully, choosing a women's blazer from Yunshang, but with a little trick in her inner layer: a deep V-neck to show off her advantages.

Wang Yao got out of the car with the two women, and Su Mang, who was in charge of greeting them at the door, immediately came to greet them.

The red carpet in front of the hotel is a celebration for the entertainment industry; that's just the surface, the main course. The VIP passage is where the real guests and consumers of the banquet are located, so she naturally has to personally greet them.

Wang Yao also dressed up a bit today. Xu Jianshu made him a new Chinese style outfit based on Zhongshan suit + tailoring + Han-style cloud pattern embroidery. After combing his hair into an adult style, paired with his broad back, narrow waist and long legs, even Su Mang, a veteran who has seen countless male models, was momentarily stunned when he saw him.

"President Wang of Xingdian?" Su Mang pursed his lips and asked tentatively.

All the license plate numbers of the specially invited guests had been reported in advance, so she naturally knew who got out of the car.

However, Wang Yao's outstanding appearance still made her subconsciously suspicious.

Is this the young man who's been stirring up trouble behind the scenes in the industry lately? That's just too shocking!

Moreover, Wang Yao's spot was personally arranged by Deng Wendi. At first, Su Mang had some doubts, but after seeing Wang Yao, all his doubts were resolved.

"President Su, nice to meet you." Wang Yao smiled and nodded. After much thought, he finally chose to attend the banquet under the identity of 'Spark E-commerce', as his first public appearance. After all, as a rising star in the internet e-commerce industry, this brand had a longer lifespan.

Both Xingdian's agency operations and apparel brands require a trust endorsement.

Nothing is more valuable than the founder's personal brand.

So Wang Yao is here tonight to show off.

"I've long admired your name. People in the industry have always said you're very accomplished at a young age, but I never imagined you were really this young. Mr. Wang, please make sure to talk to me a little longer later." Su Mang glanced at Zhang Meng and Zheng Xiuyan, then smiled and nodded as a greeting before personally leading Wang Yao into the venue.

Although Zhang Meng and Jessica Jung had never met, she knew them both.

Su Mang was somewhat puzzled as to why Wang Yao brought these two people to the meeting under his own identity, but he did not raise any questions.

The lighting in the banquet hall was somewhat dim, in order to create a hazy sense of mystery for the guests, much like the gray and white tones of a movie, which can create a feeling of oppression.

Meanwhile, accompanied by a melodious live symphony and the luxurious decorations of the banquet hall, there was a certain extravagant atmosphere of a gathering of stars. Wang Yao had seen many different kinds of male and female celebrities in his private life, but he thought they were just pretty people.

But against this backdrop, those people dressed in extravagant and glamorous clothes truly made one feel what it means to be a 'celebrity'.

Indeed, clothes make the man, and a person's status depends not only on their own boasting but also on the support of the environment.

The appearance of Wang Yao, a stranger, was as dazzling as a firefly in the dark in the already noisy banquet hall, attracting everyone's attention almost immediately wherever he went.

Faced with the curious gazes of all sorts of people, Su Mang smiled brightly and led him to sit in the first row closest to the stage.

The banquet hall is arranged in a semi-circle around the stage. Each table can seat about 6 people. There are only 8 tables in the core area of ​​the first row, 16 tables in the second row, and so on.

Wang Yao was assigned to sit at the same table as Ren Quan and Li Bingbing, making a total of five people.

"Ren Quan and the others are still in line for interviews, so please wait a moment, Mr. Wang. I still have to pick up a few guests. We'll talk later. If you need anything, just ask her directly." Su Mang pulled over a pretty waitress in a cheongsam.

"President Su, please go ahead and get busy. Don't worry about me." Wang Yao nodded with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the people already seated around him. Most of them were unfamiliar faces from the business or fashion industries, but fortunately, there were name tags on the tables indicating their names and identities.

Wang Yao picked up the event details booklet on the table, which listed the banquet agenda and the main guests.

List of attendees [Click to view]

Program schedule:
First came the opening remarks from Su Mang and CEO Shi Ba.

1. Wonder Girls opened the show with a hot dance performance of "Nobody".

2. Alec Su's adaptation of the folk song "New Liu Sanjie" incorporates environmental protection concepts into the lyrics, resulting in a completely incongruous and awkward piece, clearly intended as a promotional stunt for the film.

3. Jiang Yiyan sang "Waltz in the Rain," which was probably brought in by Lao Luo from Holiland.

4. Liu Qian performed an environmental-themed magic trick called "Turning into an Oasis," but I wonder who the stooge was.

The program had few segments, followed by an auction with 13 items from major international luxury brands. However, the grand finale was a painting by Master Zeng, titled "Peace and Prosperity".

As everyone knows, gold has a price but jade is priceless, luxury goods have a price but paintings are priceless. Wang Yao was very curious about how much this painting could fetch at auction.

It was Jessica Jung's first time attending an international event of this caliber, and she was trembling with nervousness. Wang Yao grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and put them in her hand, saying, "Don't look around."

"Oh." Jessica Jung nodded obediently, moved her chair closer to Wang Yao.

"President Wang, Xiao Meng, you've arrived so early." Li Chao from Shanghuang came over to greet them.

Shanghuang is considered the host city, so it's natural to invite them to this kind of event in Shanghai.

But as the boss, it was indeed a complicated feeling for him to have his own artist brought to a banquet by someone else, but Li Chao is a person who can take things in stride.

"Mr. Li, it's been a long time," Wang Yao greeted him.

"It's been a while since we last met, but I've been working for Boss Wang every day lately," Li Chao joked.

Kanpian.com has a strong presence in Shanghai, with Shanghai United Cinema Circuit, one of the four major cinema chains, being its primary partner. Lü Chao's Shanghuang Company was responsible for liaison work, and the copyright for "The Myth" was also acquired from him.

"Mr. Li, you flatter me. We're all working for Brother Quan," Wang Yao chuckled.

"Xiao Meng's look today is quite unique. Is it for pre-show promotion?" Li Chao changed the subject to Zhang Meng.

Li Chao actually had some reservations about Zhang Meng giving up her acting career to pursue the variety show "Fairy Robe".

"President Wang asked me to fend off the drinks for him," Zhang Meng said with a smile, but her gaze remained fixed on Wang Yao's face.

Damn it, the more I look at this kid today, the more I get annoyed.

Especially under the banquet lights, Wang Yao's every smile and frown seemed to send many pink signals to her eyes.

Tsk, could it be that she's ovulating?

"Then you're in for a tough time today. There will probably be quite a few people coming to pay their respects to President Wang later." Li Chao paused for a moment, then joked, looking at the blonde girl on the other side, "This beauty is unfamiliar."

“He’s my driver, I brought him along to broaden his horizons,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

“Mr. Wang, you’re living an enviable life. If I had such a beautiful driver, I’d be reported and investigated tomorrow. That’s Old Wang from Huayi over there. Mr. Wang, would you like to go over and say hello?” Li Chao smiled.

"I won't go. This is my role today." Wang Yao picked up the table sign and smiled.

"Star Power? E-commerce? Okay, I'll head over there then." Li Chao was taken aback, not expecting Wang Yao to have other businesses. He decided to investigate later.

"It seems that President Li has accepted the fact that you've switched jobs," Wang Yao said with a smile, leaning close to Zhang Meng's ear.

Zhang Meng shivered involuntarily, pressed Wang Yao's shoulder and pushed him away, scolding, "I haven't told him yet."

“But he has clearly tacitly agreed. If you can’t say it, I can do it for you,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"We'll see," Zhang Meng said, taking a sip of lemonade to suppress her blush.

"Holy crap, why are you getting all handsome? Are you going to debut as a celebrity?" A short while later, Ren Quan dragged Li Bingbing over, and was startled when he saw Wang Yao.
"You're quite handsome too. When you dress up, you look like a celebrity." Wang Yao glanced at Ren Quan, who was dressed smartly and now had a more refined and scholarly air about him.

Beside her, a woman in a white backless dress and with elegant makeup resembled a white lotus flower.

"Mr. Wang, I've long admired your name and it's a pleasure to finally meet you today." A hint of amazement flashed in Li Bingbing's eyes, and then she greeted him in a graceful and generous manner.

"Hello, Ms. Li, I'm your fan," Wang Yao said with a nod and a smile.

"Ha, you see everyone as a fan. I think you just loved watching TV when you were a kid," Ren Quan teased from the side.

“I truly love reading Miss Li’s ‘Rebirth’,” Wang Yao said seriously.

"Wow, that's my honor. That show is actually quite obscure." Li Bingbing was surprised and secretly pleased.

That drama was quite controversial at the time and was a minor flop. Those who could watch it were basically fans, but it was indeed the first work in which she participated in scriptwriting.

In fact, Li Bingbing's talent is quite good. The only drawback is her age. Although she has always been compared to Fan Bingbing, she is 8 years older than Fan Bingbing. While Fan Bingbing can still gain popularity with mainstream romance dramas, Li Bingbing is already showing signs of aging and is only suitable for playing profound or middle-aged strong women.

However, audiences in this era do not appreciate this type of role, so she is considered a gatekeeper for A-list actresses, a title she truly deserves.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Bingbing took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Zhang Meng and Jessica Jung. He was very approachable and, upon learning that Jessica Jung was a member of a Korean girl group, he even brought up the movie "Snow Secret" that he was going to film with Jun Ji-hyun.

Ren Quan then pulled Wang Yao aside to introduce them one by one.

"At our diagonal table is the entertainment industry, led by Lao Wang from Huayi Brothers, while at the core table are senior figures in the business world with assets exceeding 10 billion: Guo from Fuxing Group, Shen from Sequoia Capital, Xiong from IDG, Zhu from Huiyuan Group, Jiang from Xianyang Holdings, Yang from Xiangyu Group, and Feng from Wantong Group."

The second table is occupied by fashion industry figures Zhao Xinqi, Zeng Fan, and Zhou Ya.

As Ren Quan recounted the details with great familiarity, Wang Yao narrowed his eyes. This banquet was indeed quite remarkable, clearly distinguishing the entertainment, business, and art circles through the seating arrangement.

Wang Yao counted that there were already nearly forty or fifty people seated, and with those queuing outside for the red carpet and the organizers, the number was probably over a hundred.

"What kind of circle are we in?" Wang Yao asked, puzzled.

"It's the organizer." Ren Quan scratched his head.
(End of this chapter)