National Tide 1980.

People are happy when they are happy.

Although Yao Peifang was just a high-level employee of Ning Weimin, the positive feedback of "when one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs rise to heaven" was real.

After all, as the company's agent, Yao Peifang was most closely tied to Dachuan Entertainment in terms of interests.

Therefore, under the halo of miracles brought about by Ning Weimin, she personally benefited far more than others.

What she received was far more than a small bonus or perk.

Putting aside everything else, just looking at the Hong Kong videotape rental and retail market, which is worth billions of Hong Kong dollars every year, if "Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky" and "The Peony Lantern" were released on videotape, they could easily make several million dollars in profit every year.

Yao Peifang was one of the key figures who had the authority to finalize the copyright contracts for these two films.

For a time, she became the focus of attention for all Hong Kong film and television companies.

Hong Kong City Films, Mei Ah, Superstar, Video, Golden City... all these companies took the initiative to approach her, visiting her at her door, creating chance encounters, and giving her gifts in private, trying to get the videotape rights to these two movies from her.

This is not finished.

Ning Weimin's series of extravagant spending sprees—including disaster relief in Hong Kong, large-scale investments, exorbitant copyright purchases, collaborations with Tsui Hark, and backing by the Fok family—clearly indicate that his money wasn't wasted.

As the amount of his investment was gradually revealed, his legendary experience of making his fortune in Japan and marrying a superstar was exposed by paparazzi. No one in Hong Kong's business and entertainment circles dared to regard him as a fake tycoon who was all show and no substance, or a nouveau riche who was only lucky but lacked experience.

Many people quietly reassessed his background and value. Even those who remained arrogant, seeing him as a fat sheep, dared not offend him easily. Instead, they were eager to get close to him and gain some benefits.

As a result, invitations to various business events poured in like snowflakes, and charitable organizations flocked to the door soliciting donations.

Even Big Ship Entertainment is regarded by Hong Kong filmmakers as a promising newcomer with abundant funds and extensive connections, and is seen as the next Win's Entertainment, far superior to ordinary startups.

As a result, celebrities and agents of all sizes in the Hong Kong entertainment industry, naturally attracted by the money, all regarded Ning Weimin and Yao Peifang as key figures to curry favor with, deliberately trying to please and get close to them.

In conclusion, Yao Peifang's gains are fully reflected in her soaring status in the Hong Kong entertainment circle and her skyrocketing influence in the industry.

In fact, even without Ning Weimin by her side, Yao Peifang is treated like a star whenever she goes out alone.

It's worth noting that she had already demystified the so-called "big star" image when she was working part-time as an actress in Japan.

But back then, she was ultimately just a minor character who followed orders and worked tirelessly according to the director's and company's requirements.

Now the tables have completely turned—she is the one who is fawned over and flattered, and she represents capital.

When they go out, they take the Regent Hotel's private car and discuss contracts and collaborations that often cost millions.

How could that feeling possibly be the same as before?
In addition, she was the third runner-up in a domestic model competition and a former Japanese idol. She is a beauty that is one in a million, which has attracted frequent advances and ardent pursuit from many male celebrities and wealthy young men.

For a time, she was truly held in the highest esteem.

Even Ho Ying-kit, the tobacco tycoon of Hong Kong, hosted a private banquet at Jumbo Square to entertain those who contributed the most to the disaster relief efforts after the funds from the charity performance were transferred to the mainland.

The invitation that the He family specially sent to Da Chuan Entertainment Company clearly showed her name in addition to Ning Weimin's.

This further proves that she is now a person of some standing in Hong Kong.

The so-called Jumbo Square, officially known as "Jumbo Floating Restaurant", is a famous landmark of the Hong Kong maritime restaurant in this era. It is moored in Deep Bay, Aberdeen, and belongs to the Jumbo Kingdom architectural complex.

Its predecessor was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt by Cheng Yu-tung at a cost of HK$3000 million.

Its architecture is modeled after the Ming Dynasty palace style. It is 76 meters long and 28 meters high, with a displacement of 3300 tons. It can accommodate 2300 people to dine at the same time and is known as the "world's largest floating restaurant". It is a unique existence in the catering of the floating palace.

Therefore, this floating pleasure boat has always been a social venue for the city's top celebrities, and the banquets and cocktail parties held here are of a very high standard.

It's a veritable feast of delicious food and a dazzling display of lights.

On this day, Yao Peifang, as Ning Weimin's female companion, took his arm. As soon as they stepped onto the deck of the Treasure Pavilion, they instantly became the center of attention and were quickly surrounded and separated by enthusiastic people.

Ning Weimin was spotted at a glance by the Huo family, who then took him to pay a visit to He Yingjie, the host of the day.

Yao Peifang was kept behind because her status was not yet qualified, but she didn't have any free time.

Before she could even speak, film studio owners, audio-visual company executives, and agents quickly surrounded her.

"Miss Yao, you are becoming more and more radiant. The whole room lit up when you came out today."

"Miss Yao is young and promising. The momentum of Big Ship Entertainment is evident to the entire city. Its future is limitless."

"With the box office success of 'Riki-Oh!' and 'The Peony Lantern,' the videotape market is seeing fierce competition. I wonder who will ultimately win the box office?"

"Oh, what's the rush? Anyway, if Miss Yao says a word, we're all willing to share the profits with you. We hope Miss Yao will take good care of us in the future, and if there are any projects, please remember to leave us a share."

Compliments, flattery, and toasts rose and fell in waves.

Some praised her outstanding abilities, some admired her keen eye for talent, and some lauded her as a rare female leader in Hong Kong's entertainment industry, saying that as the head of Big Ship Entertainment, she has unlimited potential.

Even big companies like Golden Harvest and Shaw Brothers, seeing the lively atmosphere here, had people who humbled themselves and took the initiative to come and chat with her.

Upon learning that he was the general manager of Big Ship Entertainment, he was very friendly and warmly handed over his business card, expressing his willingness to cooperate.

If investors are like this, then celebrities and artists are even more likely to be.

Even the most arrogant person would take the initiative to greet them at this moment.

Those who originally came from the mainland but thought they had been accepted by the city changed their previous aloofness to smiling obsequiously and speaking in a polite and warm tone.

"Ms. Yao, please take good care of Nina if the company has any suitable scripts or roles in the future." Li Lianjie took the initiative to arrange things for Li Zhi beside him.

"Our company greatly admires the film style of Big Ship Entertainment, and we have many actors under our wing who are from mainland China. We hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with them." Xu Jinjiang's agent led him over to offer a toast.

"I heard that Miss Yao is from Shanghai, and my hometown is Suzhou. So we're practically from the same hometown..." Carina Lau deliberately tried to establish a connection.

Yao Peifang, holding a glass of champagne, remained composed and responded with a gentle smile.

She is no longer the timid little actress she once was on a Japanese film set. Now, every glance and nod exudes the composure and confidence of an investor representative.

Of course, she wasn't a fool. Although she enjoyed the dignity and respect that she could never earn by running herself ragged and playing minor roles in Japan.

But the more glamorous the situation, the clearer and more awe-inspiring it becomes.

She knew perfectly well that all this glory came from Ning Weimin and from Dachuan Entertainment.

People fawn over her, respect her, and flatter her, not because Yao Peifang is particularly capable, but because she has Ning Weimin as her powerful backer, giving her access to resources, contracts, and opportunities that others would kill for.

Without Ning Weimin, she is nothing.

So when faced with various bosses probing, promising, or even blatantly poaching her, asking if she was willing to switch employers.

She remained tactful throughout, politely but firmly declining the offer.

Some even offered her high salaries, shares, and independent control, but she just smiled faintly, her tone steady and unwavering.

With just a seemingly joking remark, he aptly expressed his refusal while giving the other party a way out.

"I owe my success today entirely to President Ning's trust and the company's cultivation. Thank you all for your high regard, but I'm sorry, I was born a member of Dachuan Entertainment, and I'll die a member of Dachuan Entertainment." Someone offered expensive gifts as leverage, privately implying that if she agreed, there would be a constant stream of benefits, even sports cars.

She only responded politely.

"The company has a unified plan for copyright matters, and we are currently discussing it. I will inform you as soon as I have any definite news. But please don't put me in a difficult position; I can only offer suggestions, not make decisions on my own. If you really want to secure this contract without any problems, how about you offer me even better terms?"

As for the wealthy young men and talented young men around her who frequently showed their affection, sending flowers, making invitations, and publicly showering her with attention, she politely distanced herself from them all, refusing to engage in conversation, avoid any ambiguity, and give them no room for imagination.

She received a thick stack of business cards that night, but they were all just perfunctory gestures. There wasn't a single person she truly cared about.

It wasn't that she was particularly aloof, but rather that once you've tasted a perfect peach, who would want to try a rotten apricot?

With Ning Weimin by her side, her heart would naturally not be easily moved by other men.

That might be the only downside of this job.

Women, in particular, are attracted to strength.

During this period, I followed Ning Weimin around Hong Kong. I saw him handle the Huo family with ease, he spent millions on disaster relief, he quietly laid out his plans in the film industry, and he remained as steady as Mount Tai even in the most elite circles...

Yao Peifang's affection for him had been brewing for some time, and even with her best efforts to restrain herself, there were signs that she was about to give in.

Ning Weimin is calm, strong, compassionate, resourceful, and has a broad vision; he also protects his own people well.

A strong admiration grew wildly in Yao Peifang's heart, and she became more and more concerned about him. Even her previously held views on love and her well-prepared bottom line began to loosen little by little without her realizing it.

Sometimes, when the night is quiet, she can't help but let her mind wander.

If Ning Weimin really showed her something, even if it couldn't be openly expressed and she could only remain his shadowy figure, it seemed... she wouldn't find it unacceptable.

However, it must be said that this admiration was not so pure; it was also wrapped in deep awe, and a trace of fear that even Yao Peifang herself was unwilling to admit.

She couldn't see Ning Weimin clearly, and she was inevitably afraid that she wouldn't do well enough, afraid of betraying his trust, afraid that she might accidentally say or do the wrong thing, not meet his expectations, disappoint him, or make him unhappy.

Therefore, in his presence, she was always the subordinate who was cautious and dared not make the slightest mistake.

I love him, respect him, depend on him, and am also secretly afraid of him.

Because of this extremely complex state of mind, her gaze would almost instinctively follow Ning Weimin.

Even when Ning Weimin was temporarily away, she waited patiently, observing when he would reappear.

As it turned out, her concerns were absolutely necessary.

As soon as Ning Weimin came out of the inner hall, he was immediately surrounded by several glamorous and enthusiastic female celebrities who chatted and toasted him with smiles and in an intimate manner.

Isn't that Michelle Reis, the actress who was going to star alongside Jet Li in "Swordsman 2"?

And then there's Rosamund Kwan.

Why are they so overly familiar with each other, and standing so close together...?

Yao Peifang's heart tightened suddenly, and a strange sense of panic and bitterness welled up at the same time.

To be honest, even when she was at the company, she was quite wary of her own people like Le Yun, Yu Li, and Zhao Hui, and tried her best to prevent them from always hanging around Ning Weimin and joking around.

At this moment, facing stunning beauties like Michelle Reis and Rosamund Kwan, who are also masters of social climbing, how could she possibly give anyone the slightest chance to take advantage of her vulnerability?
Firstly, it's about fulfilling one's duty as a subordinate and not letting the boss be targeted by scheming women who might cause him endless trouble.

If someone with Ning Weimin's background really gets into trouble, he won't be able to explain himself.

Secondly, she harbored a selfish desire as a young woman; she simply couldn't bear to see other women laughing and joking around him like that.

So she disregarded the pleasantries around her, nodded slightly in farewell, lifted her skirt, and with an elegant posture but a barely perceptible urgency in her steps, quickly went to meet him.

As she approached, she slowed her breathing and composed her smile, neither aggressive nor timid.

She stood perfectly half a step to Ning Weimin's side, her eyes slightly lowered, her tone soft yet incredibly clear.

"Mr. Ning, excuse me for bothering you, but Mr. Zou from Jiahe sent someone looking for you earlier. They didn't see you, so they asked me to pass on their message. They said Mr. Zou would like to invite you for a private meeting to chat. Would you like to come with me now?"

Upon hearing this, the smiles on the faces of the female celebrities surrounding Ning Weimin froze for a moment.

Mr. Zou, the boss of Jiahe?

That's Raymond Chow.

The godfather of Hong Kong cinema, a figure comparable to Run Run Shaw.

That was no longer just an ordinary tycoon, but a key figure in Hong Kong's film industry, a true top-tier industry mogul.

With such an important figure inviting Ning Weimin to a meeting, who would dare to be so tactless as to continue pestering him?

Michelle Reis and Rosamund Kwan exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.

No matter how beautiful or famous they are, they wouldn't dare stop Ning Weimin from meeting Raymond Chow in a social setting of this caliber.

Yao Peifang didn't give them a chance to say another word. She turned slightly to the side and made a "please" gesture, which was both polite and carried an unyielding sense of propriety.

"Ladies, I'm very sorry, but our CEO Ning has some urgent business to attend to. I'll have to take him with me for a moment."

Throughout the entire process, she maintained a polite smile and open gaze, without a trace of provocation or sourness. Yet, with just a casual remark or a simple gesture, she effortlessly led Ning Weimin out of the encirclement.

After they had walked a distance, Ning Weimin glanced at her sideways. "Where's Boss Zou? You dare to give false information?"

Yao Peifang's heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her head guiltily.

He lowered his voice further, with a hint of barely perceptible tension and ingratiation.

"Mr. Ning, I... I didn't mean to interrupt you, it's just that people from Jiahe did send someone to look for you, and I was worried about delaying important matters. That's why I wanted you to talk to them. Besides, I was also worried that paparazzi might take some pictures of you, which could lead to misunderstandings..."

She was afraid he would think she was meddling, afraid he would find her reckless, and even more afraid that he would see through her little, hidden thoughts.

Unexpectedly, Ning Weimin simply gave a light "hmm" and not only did not blame him, but even smiled.

"Alright, alright, stop explaining. Even if it's fake, I still want to thank you. You're right, it would be troublesome if people misunderstood. Those two women are no pushovers; they both like to date rich men and dream of marrying into wealth every day. I'm so grateful you got me out of that situation..."

Only then did Yao Peifang's anxiety subside.

She followed silently beside him, her fingertips clenching slightly, her heart filled with a mixture of sweetness and panic, respect and fear.

She knew that her action just now, which seemed to have saved her from a difficult situation, had actually crossed a line.

Fortunately, the boss was understanding and didn't mind at all, and she didn't regret it.

As long as she could stay by his side, shield him from unnecessary trouble, and make him look at her more, she would be willing to do anything.

As for the women surrounding him—she wouldn't let them get even a fraction of a distance from him. (End of Chapter)