He wants to adopt a younger sister, but his aloof wife disagrees.

In November, the sky is high and the clouds are light in Jianghai City.

When the pink Hello Kitty-themed seaplane completed its mission and Jiang Che and his group transferred to a Gulfstream G650ER and landed at Hongqiao Airport, the entire domestic entertainment and capital circles were in an uproar.

The reason is simple: Clear Entertainment is going public.

This legendary company, established less than a year ago, has created box office miracles like "Green Snake," launched the career of Su Xiaoruan as a national film queen, and even orchestrated the behind-the-scenes takeover of two major financial groups, the Ye family in Beijing and the Song family in Southeast Asia. It is finally about to show its fangs to the capital market.

The "Qingche Building" (formerly the Jianghai branch of the Ye Group, renamed after being acquired by Jiang Che) located in the Lujiazui Financial Center of Jianghai City is currently in a state of extremely excited busyness.

Inside the top-floor conference room, dozens of representatives from top investment banks such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Sequoia Capital sat upright, their eyes fixed on the young man in the main seat with fervent gazes.

Jiang Che was dressed in a well-tailored dark gray three-piece suit, his hair neatly combed, exuding an air of composure and authority. Shen Qingge sat beside him, dressed in a white business suit, looking capable and elegant, holding a pen in her hand, occasionally making a few marks on the documents.

"Everyone."

Jiang Che's fingers tapped lightly on the table; the sound was soft, but it instantly silenced the noisy conference room.

"Regarding the IPO valuation of Clear Entertainment, I don't want to hear those fancy financial models. I'll just give you three numbers."

He held out three fingers:

"First, we have more than 50% control over cinema scheduling in China (resources acquired after the acquisition of the Ye family)."

"Secondly, we have the largest overseas distribution channel in Asia in Southeast Asia (the territory established after the acquisition of the Song family)."

"Third, and most importantly, we possess the world's top IP incubation capabilities for the next decade."

"So," Jiang Che withdrew his finger, his gaze sweeping across the room, "one hundred billion. That's the bottom line. Less than a cent, and there's no discussion."

"hiss--"

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

A hundred billion?!

Keep in mind that the highest-valued entertainment giants in China are only around 40-50 billion yuan. Jiang Che is asking for 100 billion yuan right off the bat, and that's his bottom line? That's outrageous!

"Mr. Jiang..." The president of Goldman Sachs Greater China wiped the sweat from his brow and spoke cautiously, "Isn't this valuation... a little too aggressive? After all, your company is still relatively new..."

"Is it radical?"

Jiang Che smiled faintly, a smile that exuded the confidence of the Asian CEO of Sky Capital.

"If you think it's too expensive, the door is over there. Goodbye."

"But I can tell you that just ten minutes ago, a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund sent me a letter of intent, offering to be a cornerstone investor at a 20% premium."

"You only get one chance. It's up to you to either board the ship and eat meat, or watch us take off from the shore. The choice is yours."

A deathly silence.

Five seconds later.

"Invest! Goldman Sachs will also invest!"

Morgan Stanley is willing to lead the investment!

Sequoia Capital fully subscribed!

These Wall Street wolves, usually so arrogant, eagerly raised their hands, afraid of being kicked out if they were even a second late. They knew Jiang Che wasn't exaggerating. The miracles this man had created in the past six months were enough to justify any seemingly absurd valuation.

"very good."

Jiang Che stood up, straightened his collar, and handed over the remaining signing work to Shen Qingge and Han Xiao.

"I'm going to the film set."

Jiang Che glanced at the watch, his eyes softening:

"Today is Xiaoruan's first day on set. It's her first time filming a sci-fi movie, and I'm worried about her, so I have to go check on her."

……

Located in the suburbs of Jianghai City, this is a national-level film and television base.

What is taking place here is arguably the largest film shoot in the history of Chinese cinema.

Director Feng's new film, "Interstellar Folding," reportedly has an investment of 2 billion yuan (after Jiang Che added more investment), rented more than a dozen 10,000-square-meter sound stages, and even built a spaceship at a 1:1 scale.

The film set was bustling with noise.

Su Xiaoruan, wearing a tight-fitting silver spacesuit, was suspended by wires in front of a green screen. The suit was heavy and not breathable, making her feel uncomfortable, but she didn't utter a sound and earnestly cooperated with the martial arts instructor, performing various difficult somersaults.

"Cut! Okay! This one's passed!"

Director Feng, beaming with joy, shouted through a megaphone, "Xiao Ruan, your performance was fantastic! Those eyes, those movements—absolutely amazing!"

Su Xiaoruan was put down, exhausted and covered in sweat, but she still smiled and bowed to the staff: "Thank you everyone for your hard work! Thank you, Director!"

She had just walked to the rest area, taken the water handed to her by her assistant, and hadn't even had a chance to take a sip.

"Hey, so this is our Best Actress? Why do you smell so sweaty?"

A sharp, piercing female voice rang out.

A young woman dressed in a luxurious Chanel haute couture gown, wearing sunglasses, and followed by four assistants and two bodyguards walked over like a star surrounded by admirers.

Her name is Lin Wei.

She's the second female lead in this drama. But despite being called the second female lead, she's actually a "resourced actress" who got the role by bringing her own investment. Rumor has it she's the new darling of a certain coal mine owner, who reportedly spent 200 million yuan to get her in right under Jiang Che's nose. Because although Jiang Che is the biggest investor, he doesn't interfere with casting; as long as the acting is passable, that's enough.

But clearly, this Lin Wei not only has mediocre acting skills, but also a terrible temper.

"You are... Sister Lin Wei?" Su Xiaoruan greeted her politely.

"Don't call me 'sister,' am I that old?" Lin Wei rolled her eyes and fanned herself with her hand in disgust. "Stay away from me, your harness is stinking, don't let it stink up my 500,000 yuan dress."

Su Xiaoruan was taken aback, feeling somewhat embarrassed. She was usually so well protected by Jiang Che and Shen Qingge; she had never encountered someone who started a fight right from the start.

"Sorry, I'll go change my clothes right away." Su Xiaoruan didn't want to cause trouble and turned to leave.

"stop."

Lin Wei, however, was relentless. Looking at Su Xiaoruan's youthful, collagen-filled face, her jealousy grew like wildfire. Why did this tomboy get to play the lead role? Why did the whole internet call her the nation's little sister?

"I heard you're an orphan?" Lin Wei crossed her arms, her tone sarcastic. "You were picked up by the boss of Qingche Entertainment? Tsk tsk, you're really lucky. But I heard your boss is a pedophile? Between you two..."

"You're talking nonsense!"

Su Xiaoruan whirled around, her face flushed red, like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on: "You can insult me, but you're not allowed to slander my brother!"

"Oh, getting impatient?" Lin Wei sneered, stepped forward, and her gaze suddenly fell on the jade pendant protruding from Su Xiaoruan's neck.

That was a birthday gift from Jiang Che, and also the thing that had caught the eye of that mysterious woman in Phuket. A piece of mutton-fat jade of excellent quality, with simple and elegant carving.

"What is this broken stone? Something from a street vendor?"

Lin Wei reached out to pull off the jade pendant: "How can you wear such a cheap prop? It's lowering the standards of our production! Take it off!"

"What are you doing! Don't touch my things!" Su Xiaoruan clutched the jade pendant tightly.

"Give it to me!" Taking advantage of her superior numbers, Lin Wei gave a wink to the bodyguard next to her.

Two burly men immediately stepped forward, intending to forcibly restrain Su Xiaoruan.

At this critical moment.

"stop."

An elegant, dignified voice, carrying a strong European aristocratic accent, suddenly rang out at the entrance of the photography studio (then switched to fluent Chinese).

Everyone turned around.

A group of people slowly walked over.

Leading the group was a well-preserved foreign lady who appeared to be in her forties. She wore a minimalist black trench coat and a vintage veiled hat. Although she didn't have as many extravagant pieces of jewelry as Lin Wei, the nobility and elegance she exuded instantly captivated everyone present.

Behind her were two white butlers in tuxedos, and... Jiang Che, who had just arrived.

This noblewoman was none other than the mysterious woman who had appeared in Phuket that day—Alice Rothschild, a core member of the Rothschild family.

"Who are you? Mind your own business!" Lin Wei didn't recognize this person and remained arrogant.

Alice ignored Lin Wei and walked straight up to Su Xiaoruan.

She looked at Su Xiaoruan's face, which was flushed with anger, and then at the jade pendant around her neck. Her blue eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Her hand trembled slightly as she wanted to touch the jade pendant, but was afraid of disturbing something.

"This is... Hetian jade, a nine-dragon pendant."

Alice's voice choked with emotion:

"This was custom-made in China twenty years ago... There's only one pair in the whole world. The other one is with my husband."

"You...don't know anything about this product, so don't talk nonsense."

Alice turned her head and looked at Lin Wei, her eyes instantly turning sharp as knives:

"You're saying this is cheap stuff from a street vendor?"

"The value of this jade could buy ten of your backers."

"What are you saying, you crazy woman?!" Lin Wei shouted angrily. "Security! Where's security? Throw this foreigner out!"

"Who dares to move?"

Jiang Che stepped out from behind Alice.

He had one hand in his pocket, his face terribly grim. The ruthless aura he exuded in Southeast Asia hadn't completely dissipated.

Upon seeing Jiang Che, Lin Wei's arrogance instantly diminished. Although she was usually so haughty, she knew that this man was not someone she could afford to offend.

"Mr. Jiang... Mr. Jiang..." Lin Wei stammered, "She started it by swearing! And Su Xiaoruan, she..."

"I saw it all."

Jiang Che walked to Su Xiaoruan's side, tidied her messy hair, then turned around and looked coldly at Lin Wei:

"Lin Wei, right?"

"You just said that this jade pendant lowered the quality of the film crew?"

"Alright then."

Jiang Che took out his phone and dialed Director Feng's number (Director Feng was right behind the monitor and rushed over in fright):

"Old Feng, change the player."

"Now, immediately."

"But Mr. Jiang..." Director Feng was sweating profusely, "Lin Wei joined the crew with her own investment. That coal mine owner invested two hundred million, and the penalty for breach of contract..."

"Two hundred million?"

Jiang Che sneered, pulled out a checkbook from his pocket, quickly wrote down a string of numbers, tore it off, and threw it in Lin Wei's face:

"That's four hundred million."

"Give the two hundred million back to that coal boss and tell him to get lost."

"The remaining 200 million is to compensate the entire crew for their emotional distress, because this woman's appearance has polluted everyone's eyes."

"Now, can you get out of here?"

The entire room fell silent.

Holding the check, which felt light yet incredibly heavy, Lin Wei's face alternated between pale and flushed. Being publicly terminated, and in such a humiliating way, meant her career in the entertainment industry was over.

"Jiang Che! You...you just wait! My godfather won't let you get away with this!" Lin Wei cried out as she was dragged out by security guards.

After dealing with the flies, Jiang Che turned around and looked at Alice, who was staring blankly at Su Xiaoruan.

"This lady."

Jiang Che stood in front of Su Xiaoruan, his eyes wary and deep:

"Where do we look like we've met before? Phuket?"

"If I remember correctly, you seem quite interested in my sister?"

Alice withdrew her gaze, took a deep breath, and regained her aristocratic elegance. She gave Jiang Che a standard aristocratic bow:

"Mr. Jiang, I've long admired your name. I am Alice Rothschild."

"I think there might be some misunderstanding between us. Or maybe... we're destined to be together."

"Rothschild?" Jiang Che's pupils contracted slightly.

He knew all too well what that surname represented in the Western world. It represented a true, invisible royalty, a behemoth that had controlled the financial lifeline of Europe for centuries.

"Yes."

Alice looked at Su Xiaoruan, who was being protected by Jiang Che, with a complicated expression:

"Mr. Jiang, there are too many people around here. Would you mind having a word with me in private?"

"I'd like to talk to you about... this jade pendant, and... Miss Su's background."

boom--

Su Xiaoruan was stunned.

life experience?

She had been a homeless child since she could remember, and was later taken in by Jiang Che. She never thought about her background, let alone that she would be involved with a foreign wealthy family whose name sounded intimidating.

"Brother..." Su Xiaoruan grabbed Jiang Che's clothes in fear.

Jiang Che patted her hand and gave her a reassuring look.

He looked at Alice, his mind racing.

The system had previously indicated that the focus of Volume 3 was "the pinnacle of Vanity Fair." It seems that this so-called pinnacle is not only commercial but also personal.

If Su Xiaoruan really is a descendant of the Rothschild family who was separated from her family and lived abroad...

Then this situation has become very serious.

"it is good."

Jiang Che nodded and gestured for him to proceed.

"Let's talk in my RV."

……

Ten minutes later, inside that luxury RV worth tens of millions.

The aroma of tea wafts through the air.

Alice held the teacup, her hands still trembling slightly. She took a faded old photograph from her bag and handed it to Jiang Che.

The photo shows a young Asian woman (who appears to be of mixed race) holding a baby in her arms. Around the baby's neck is the nine-dragon jade pendant.

"This is a photo from twenty years ago."

Alice slowly began to speak, recounting a long-forgotten story:

"Twenty years ago, my husband, the current head of the Rothschild family, had a...unforgettable love affair in China. That woman was a young lady from a reclusive family in China."

"They were forced to separate because of family opposition. The woman disappeared while pregnant."

"We've been searching for her all these years. Until a week ago, I saw Miss Su in Phuket."

Alice looked at Su Xiaoruan, and finally, tears streamed down her face.

"It's so similar... those eyebrows and eyes are exactly the same as that woman's."

"Moreover, this jade pendant is definitely not fake."

"Miss Su... is very likely my husband's daughter who was left behind in China, and is the first in line to inherit the Rothschild family."

Su Xiaoruan was stunned, forgetting to swallow the milk tea in her mouth.

"What? The heir? Me?" Su Xiaoruan pointed at her nose. "Auntie, are you telling a story? I'm a wild child who grew up on the charity of many families!"

"Whether it's a story or not, a DNA test will tell." Alice wiped away her tears and looked earnestly at Jiang Che. "Mr. Jiang, I know you are Miss Su's guardian. I beg you, please allow us to conduct a paternity test."

"If...if she really is that child..."

Alice stood up and bowed deeply to Jiang Che:

"The Rothschild family will owe you a tremendous favor. We will use all of our family's resources in Europe to pave the way for the globalization of Clear Entertainment."

Jiang Che leaned back on the sofa, his fingers gently tapping his knees.

He was weighing his options.

If Su Xiaoruan truly acknowledges her ancestry and returns to her family, she will rise to the top, becoming one of the richest girls in the world. This would undoubtedly be a huge boost for him and Qingche Entertainment.

However, the inner workings of a wealthy family are often fraught with peril. The power struggles within the Rothschild family are perhaps a hundred times more brutal than those within the Ye or Song families.

"The identification can be done."

Jiang Che finally spoke, his voice calm and firm:

"However, I made it clear beforehand."

"No matter the outcome, Xiaoruan is first and foremost my sister, and an artist under Qingche Entertainment."

"If there's any messy succession struggle in your family, or if someone wants to use her or hurt her..."

Jiang Che's aura suddenly erupted, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath:

"Even if it's the Rothschilds, I still dare to overturn your table."

Alice felt a chill run down her spine as she looked into the eyes of the young man before her. She had seen countless people, but she had never seen such a terrifying aura emanating from a young man.

"Don't worry," Alice solemnly promised, "Having a brother like you is her good fortune. And... our good fortune too."

"it is good."

Jiang Che stood up, plucked a strand of Su Xiaoruan's hair, put it in a sealed bag, and handed it to Alice:

"Let's get it tested."

"Don't disturb her life until the results are in."

"see a visitor out."

……

After Alice left, only the brother and sister remained in the RV.

Su Xiaoruan was still in a daze.

"Brother..." Su Xiaoruan hugged her knees and asked softly, "If...if I really were the eldest daughter of that so-called family, would you abandon me?"

"fool."

Jiang Che sat down next to her, ruffled her hair, and messed up her carefully styled hair:

"No matter whose daughter you are, even if you are an alien princess."

"You'll always be the Su Xiaoruan who fought with me for dumplings on New Year's Eve and ate until her mouth was greasy in Phuket."

"No one can take you away unless I agree."

Su Xiaoruan's nose stung with tears, and she threw herself into Jiang Che's arms, bursting into sobs.

"I don't want to be an heir! I want to be your sister! I want to live off your wife!"

Jiang Che patted her back with a smile, but his eyes were fixed on the clear blue sky outside the window.

Rothschilds...

It seems that the stage for this third volume of "Vanity Fair" is no longer limited to Asia.

Europe, that ancient continent, is beckoning to them.

"system."

Jiang Che silently recited in his heart.

[Host, I am here. 】

"Get ready."

"If the test results are true, then we'll probably have to go to Europe."

"I heard there are many ancient castles and manors there? Perfect, I'll buy a few for Xiaoruan as her dowry."

[Understood. Loading the European business map for the host...]

A storm begins with a single ripple.

A grand family reunion drama spanning East and West and involving the world's top wealthy families is about to unfold under Jiang Che's strategic planning.