Actor: Thank you.

The upscale restaurant by the Huangpu River was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Li Ruigang and Yang Yuancao looked at Zhang Yuan and chuckled softly.

Zhang Yuan's face was very dark.

"Just kidding, but congratulations anyway."

Mr. Li thought that he had "picked up his baggage," making the other party feel that his attempt to show off had failed and that he felt like a clown, hence his unpleasant expression.

"Yes, congratulations."

"With the World Expo opening soon, your investment will definitely yield high returns."

“We’ll have to eat at your place a few more times,” Yang Yuancao replied.

She was stunned for a long time when she heard about it.

I knew Zhang Yuan was capable, but this is just too much!

I'm very envious; I wish I had that kind of investment ability myself.

In the eyes of the wealthy and powerful, everything is an investment, and a house is just an object. Ordinary people, on the other hand, tend to invest too much emotion in buying a house, treating it as simply a place to live.

Once you develop a special affection for something, you'll make many irrational choices. This is why the rich can make money from real estate, while the poor are left holding the bag.

As a human being, one must clearly understand that nothing in this world is truly worthwhile except for people, whether it's a house, a car, or money.

Therefore, the two people in front of him did not understand that Zhang Yuan was not worried about the house.

He's worried about himself!

"This is going to be bad!" Zhang Yuan cursed inwardly.

It's not that you can't buy a house worth tens of millions.

But it's not good if people find out.

Jack Ma can buy it, Milk Tea can buy it; they are big entrepreneurs, and ordinary people won't think anything of it.

Chen Long can buy it, Li Lianjie can buy it, and even Gong Li can buy it, because they are top stars and their enormous wealth is no secret.

But that would be troublesome for me!
Judging from his image and status in the entertainment industry, he is not at all at the level of Chenlong and others.

At that time, the price of an ordinary apartment in Shanghai or Beijing was only one or two million yuan.

A young celebrity made a quick purchase of a property worth tens of millions, nearly 100 million yuan, in the best location in Shanghai, and became a household name in the process.

This will inevitably put him in the eye of the storm.

They will inevitably be criticized by the audience.

The word "flaunting wealth" will also be plastered on his head.

It's alright now, but in a few months, the keywords "flaunting wealth" and "resentment of the rich" will become the most popular terms in China.

It all started with "My dad is Li Gang," followed by Wang Shuo pointing a gun at Wang Ke's head in the street, the gambling tycoon's inheritance case, and the arrest of the singer Li's son...

These events spread rapidly through the internet, allowing ordinary people to see "a corner of the Tiangong space station".

It turns out that the privileged class can be so extravagant, completely disregarding the laws and rules we need to abide by.

The curtain between first class and economy class was partially lifted.

This reflects the difference in values ​​between China and Europe/America, between East and West.

Confucian culture emphasizes "cultivating one's own virtue when poor, and benefiting all under heaven when successful." For thousands of years, it has prioritized agriculture and suppressed commerce. In addition, since the founding of the People's Republic of China, it has always maintained a cautious attitude towards commerce and huge wealth.

The values ​​formed here are completely different from those in Europe and America, where each region has its own king for thousands of years, with fortresses every three steps and castles every five steps. People can lord it over a piece of land and act like lords.

In Europe and America, it's common for celebrities to flaunt their wealth; it's even a marketing tactic.

In the Western world, when ordinary people see celebrities with big gold watches and sports cars, they only think that they can become like that too. This is the so-called "beacon dream".

In the later era of internet celebrities in China, many young people also had similar thoughts.

But things are different now; it's easy to get yourself into trouble!

Because under the Chinese value system, public figures have a high moral evaluation system.

It can also trigger latent class contradictions.

So you can have fun and enjoy yourself, but you can't flaunt it to ordinary people.

After learning that his house purchase had made the newspaper, Zhang Yuan's appetite noticeably decreased, and he barely ate anything for the rest of the meal.

After Li Ruigang and Yang Yuancao learned of his thoughts, Miss Yang felt that he was being overly cautious.

This person, who has lived and worked in Britain for many years, has a Western mindset.

After thinking it over, General Manager Li agreed with his opinion, because this official, putting himself in his shoes, felt he was a troublesome person.

"So how will you handle it?"

"This is difficult; we need to think of a solution."

"Should I put in a good word with the newspapers in Shanghai?"

“It’s useless.” Zhang Yuan shook his head slightly: “Once it has been dispersed, light pressure is useless.”

Tabloids are one thing, but these are major newspapers in Shanghai.

"It's alright, you don't need to worry." Zhang Yuan's emotions gradually calmed down.

Seeing his expression, President Li roughly understood that this kid probably had an idea.

Britain has a famous television series called "Yes, Prime Minister" and "Yes, Minister," which uses a humorous sitcom style to reveal the core essence of Western politics.

It was jokingly referred to by Chinese netizens as "half a TV series to govern the world".

But what's even more ridiculous is that most Western politicians are far less capable than those depicted in the TV series.

There is a scene in the film where public healthcare is being discussed, and the following dialogue takes place.

"A whopping £75000 wasted!"

"It's a small thing."

"If £75000 is a small matter, then what is a big matter?"

"The real issue is that the public discovered they wasted £75000!"

Zhang Yuan is facing the same situation now. Buying a house worth tens of millions is a small matter; what's a big deal is being discovered by the public.

"Oh, didn't you say you were leaving?"

"Why did you suddenly come back?"

The next day, Xixi was somewhat surprised to find that Zhang Yuan, who had clearly said he was going home, had returned to the film set.

Could it be that you still miss me and can't bear to leave?
"I have something to take care of."

But Zhang Yuan's expression was quite serious.

"Where's your mom?"

"I went shopping."

"Please contact her for me. I need her help with something later."

"Oh." Sensing that this wasn't a joke, Xiaolongnu proceeded as instructed.

Zhang Yuan went straight to Wang Lihong's side.

"Are you here again?"

"That's quite affectionate," Old Wang laughed at him.

"I don't have time for jokes right now, I have serious business to discuss with you."

"what happened?"

"Could you give me Aunt Xu Feng's contact information?"

"I need to find her."

"What's wrong?" Wang Lihong asked, noticing his serious expression.

Zhang Yuan didn't answer, but instead handed him a copy of the Shanghai-based Xinmin Evening News.

Old Wang flipped through the pages and found the third page, which was a full-page description of Zhang Yuan's home purchase and a detailed introduction to the Tomson development.

I made the newspaper just a few days after buying the house.

Was it reported by a journalist?

of course.

Who leaked the information?
I guessed that if I gave them a discount, they would use me to "advertise."

But your advertising is way too big!

The newspaper article, seemingly about his purchase of a luxury mansion, can actually be summarized in just a few sentences.

Tangcheng Yipin is a top-tier luxury residence in Shanghai.

Even Zhang Yuan spent a huge sum of money to buy it.

Therefore, this is the choice of successful people.

If I can't even understand this, then I've wasted my life.

That's why they say you shouldn't let women run the household; here comes this kind of nonsense.

They even played the game of acting first and informing later; that's too "clever."

"I can help you make the contact, but your attitude..."

"I know, I will talk to the other person nicely."

Leehom was afraid he would turn on him, but thinking that neither he nor Zeng Yi had turned on him, he should be able to control him.

"Hello, Teacher Xu." Zhang Yuan introduced himself and exchanged pleasantries for a while.

Then we got to the main point.

"I have a favor to ask, and I hope you will forgive me."

"Go ahead and say it," the other person said quite magnanimously.

"I want to check out!" Zhang Yuan said, throwing out a bombshell right from the start.

Xu Feng: ...

"Mr. Xu, please, I regret it."

"What's wrong? Is there something you're unhappy about?"

Zhang Yuan resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

What are you dissatisfied with? Don't you have any self-awareness? You can't just swear at people; he's not Brother Zeng.

At this point, swearing serves no other purpose than causing a falling out with a real estate tycoon family.

"Mr. Xu, the management personnel of this property development are seriously problematic!"

"I just bought a house, and my information has already been leaked."

"The privacy of a building managed by this kind of person is already so poor even before people move in."

"If I actually move in, won't I be photographed by paparazzi every day?"

Even though they knew it was definitely Xu Feng who instructed them, they couldn't say anything to her, so they had to let the property manager take the blame.

"I see... I'll go find out what happened. If it's true, it definitely needs to be dealt with seriously!"

"As for canceling the purchase, the property certificate has already been issued, so it's not easy to do."

There's no way I'm going to cancel the reservation; once the money's in my hands, there's no reason for me to give it back.

Zhang Yuan understood this principle, so "checking out" was just a pretext.

"Oh well, never mind, it's a hassle anyway."

"But your people leaked my privacy, shouldn't you do something about it?"

"What do you mean?" Xu Feng wasn't completely giving away her promises; she didn't break her principles or make casual promises, letting him say whatever he wanted.

"Here's what you're doing for me..."

After finishing his conversation with Xu Feng, he returned to Xixi's side.

Not long after, Liu Xiaoli, who had been "summoned," arrived late, carrying a designer handbag.

"Sisi told me, 'You wanted to talk to me about something?'"

"Yes, I need to borrow something from you."

"Of course it's not mandatory, it depends on whether you're willing."

"You said it yourself, as long as it's reasonable, there's no problem."

"Okay, then I want..."

After finishing his conversation with the two middle-aged women in Shanghai, Zhang Yuan didn't even have time for a goodbye kiss before immediately embarking on his return journey.

He also needs to consult with two other women.

When he arrived home, Yang Siwei and Zeng Jia had already been notified in advance and were waiting for him.

"I've already explained this beforehand, you all know, right?"

After taking off his coat, Zhang Yuan sat down and got straight to the point.

"Got it, X2," they both said in unison.

"Okay, this can be considered a public relations crisis."

"Consider this a test for the two of you."

They both became excited immediately.

The boss is using himself as a "practice tool" again.

Excitement comes from the feeling of being able to put your skills to good use.

Since he can handle even Zhang Yuan, it will be even easier to deal with the public opinion surrounding the other artists who are less famous than him.

"Doing things boils down to the right timing, the right place, and the right people."

"You guys tell me, how do you think this should be handled?"

"Use online public opinion to deny this matter?" Zeng Jia replied bluntly.

The situation was urgent, and they weren't given much time to think.

“I think we should acknowledge it, but we need to find a way to show that buying such an expensive house is actually nothing, not a big deal.” Yang Siwei took a different approach.

One is positive, the other is negative; the two have different personalities.

"Yes, both make sense."

"But I think the best approach would be for you two to combine your ideas."

They stared blankly at Zhang Yuan, not understanding the meaning of the word "integration".

He then waved his hand, signaling his assistant to bring over a file folder, from which he took out a small, dark red notebook and tossed it in front of the two men.

"Property ownership certificate?"

Yang Siwei understood immediately.

"Correct."

Can I watch it?

"Of course, I took it out to show you."

The two picked it up and looked through it, wanting to see what the property certificate looked like for such an expensive house.

They are actually exactly the same.

Just like an old man selling goods on the street and the world's richest man, if they were stripped naked, there wouldn't be much difference between them.

"Something's not right!" After taking a few glances, Zeng Jia noticed the problem.

"The newspaper said you bought a house of more than 1200 square meters."

"Why does this property certificate say it's over 400 square meters?"

"fake?"

"Really." Zhang Yuan crossed his arms. "But it's not mine."

Liu Xiaoli also bought a house, investing in the cheapest one.

She has money; otherwise, how would she make a living all these years, spending all her time with her daughter?
However, their cash reserves are far less than Zhang Yuan's.

After selling off some liquid assets, they managed to raise the money.

The thing Zhang Yuan borrowed from her was this property certificate.

The fact that the other party entrusted him with this task already shows immense trust.

After all, this thin little notebook is worth more than 2000 million.

“Besides this property certificate, I also made arrangements with Tomson Group.”

"After the recent exposure, a large number of reporters will definitely come to the property to conduct interviews."

“The other party will give the same story, saying that I only bought the smallest house, not the largest one.”

This is what he asked the other party to do for him under the pretext of "checking out of the hotel".

The other party suffered no loss, so of course they were happy to accept; it was just a matter of making some arrangements.

"The first principle of public relations is not to lie completely."

"Because lies are always full of loopholes, and once they are exposed, they not only fail to eliminate the crisis, but also make it worse."

"Zeng Jia, if you say no, I agree."

"But you can only deny that I bought a property worth hundreds of millions, but you can't deny that I bought a house in Tangcheng Yipin."

“You need to cover up the name, number, household number, and all the information on the property certificate that can be specific to the individual or location.”

"Then they used this as evidence to help me with public relations online."

There is a big difference between 20 million and nearly 100 million, or even hundreds of millions.

Both are huge sums of money, but the scale is completely different.

Let's downplay this for now.

“Thinking, you just said that you want to ‘whitewash’ my house purchase and make everyone think that buying a house worth tens of millions is nothing special.”

"The direction is right, but have you thought about the specifics of how to execute it?"

"Well... I need to carefully consider how to write the article; I haven't figured it out yet," the chubby woman said truthfully.

Zeng Jia glanced at her and said, "You're not much better."

"Okay, no rush, let's go through them one by one."

"This property certificate, along with the certificate from Tomson, is a good location. I've already taken care of things in Shanghai."

Both agents marveled at the boss's lightning-fast efficiency.

"Next, there are two more factors: favorable timing and harmonious relationships."

"Harmony with others is the last step."

"Let's chat first."

Zhang Yuan raised his right hand and pointed upwards.

"Think about it, is there anything we could use this for recently?"

"Liu Qian is being targeted by a woman who says he's cheating on her and deceiving her. Are we amplifying this to suppress our own issues?" Zeng Jia reacted quickly.

“Recently, there have been reports from auction houses in Hong Kong that Wang Xizhi’s ‘Ping An Tie’ will be auctioned, and I estimate the price will be quite astonishing.”

"Compared to other things, your house is far less valuable than calligraphy and paintings. If you hype up the 'Ping An Tie' (Peaceful Post), China Guardian won't have any objections. In fact, they'd love for it to be as popular as possible."

"It also makes it seem like you didn't spend much money." Yang Siwei then set his sights on the recent "collecting craze."

“Very good, you are all right.” Zhang Yuan still expressed his agreement.

"As expected, everyone in our company is the best."

The defining characteristic of the second generation of female agents is their public relations skills, especially their understanding of online public relations, which is far superior to that of the previous generation.

The older generation prefers to "find connections," while the new generation is better at manipulating people's hearts.

The best approach is actually to combine both methods.

But this matter is different from typical public opinion; it's not a romantic or career scandal.

"But I think there's something even bigger that we should take advantage of."

As he spoke, Zhang Yuan pulled out a newspaper from two days ago and pushed it in front of the two of them.

The headline above recorded a far greater event than anything they had ever discussed.

On April 14, 2010, an earthquake struck Yushu… (End of Chapter)