Marry a female star at a bargain price

For the next two days, Lin Xiao ignored the online uproar.

He also told Dong Jianhui not to pay any more attention to things online, to stay home and enjoy the holiday, and that the matter would be resolved satisfactorily after the National Day holiday.

Old Dong was skeptical.

But then I thought again, Mayor Lin is no ordinary person, his abilities and methods are extraordinary, so I'd better trust him.

And since he patted his chest and made such a guarantee, there must be no problem.

So Tung Chee-hwa was relieved.

Lin Xiao immediately fulfilled his promise. On the 7th, the rehabilitation and sanatorium in Ninghai called to warmly and thoughtfully inform them of the admission of Li Fang and even sent a medical vehicle to pick her up.

The service was so good that the family of three was completely bewildered; anyone who didn't know better would have thought they were on a vacation.

Several professionals carried Li Fang downstairs.

The old house was small and the stairs were narrow and old, making it very inconvenient to move anything, let alone carry a bedridden person.

But the medical staff carried her down the stairs with such ease that Li Fang didn't bump into anything and it went down very smoothly.

21-year-old Dong Lele stood by, unable to help at all, and looked on in awe.

At that moment, the power of money became tangible in his mind.

"As expected... money makes the world go round!!"

Dong Lele knew she shouldn't think this way, but at that moment, the impact of money far outweighed the relief that her mother was about to receive professional treatment.

He made a silent vow: He must make money in the future, lots and lots of money, not only to pay back Mayor Lin's money, but also to let his parents live a good life and never have to compromise for a living again!
……

Two days later, on October 8th.

This year's National Day holiday coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival, so there will be an eight-day holiday, with the 8th being a holiday as well.

Lin Xiao flew to Shenzhen the night before.

He didn't tell his wife, Xixi, about his appearance this time—although he had agreed to come and act in a play for Chen Jiajia, he genuinely wanted to give his wife a surprise for their wedding anniversary.

After getting off the plane, I walked through the airport.

The "secret photographers" arranged by Chen Jiajia were already in place, taking a series of photos of Lin Xiao, who was wrapped up tightly.

Lin Xiao felt as if he had returned to the entertainment industry after a lifetime.

While being photographed, he was thinking about what kind of surprise he should prepare for his wife when he suddenly remembered something important.

"We've been married for two years now, and our child is over six months old... Shouldn't we hold a wedding ceremony now?"

Lin Xiao became more and more serious about it and decided to put it on the agenda.

After leaving the airport, I took a taxi to the hotel I had booked.

The hotel is right next to the newly opened MixC shopping mall in Shenzhen, where Han Xixi's offline endorsement event tomorrow will be held.

Lin Xiao slept well that night.

The next morning, he had breakfast at the hotel, during which he was recognized by many hotel guests, and several women came up to him for autographs.

It made him feel very awkward, after all, he wasn't a celebrity.

But I was too embarrassed to refuse, so I had no choice but to sign them one by one.

After breakfast, I went back to my room and tidied myself up. I changed into a casual suit, and even washed my face and ran my fingers through my hair.

He dressed up so elaborately, not at all for his wife's sake.

Rather, it was because he had come all the way to Shenzhen with an important mission, not for romantic strolls or sweet nothings.

He was prepared to face the reporters for the third time.

Since they are going to appear in public, it's only right to revamp their image.

However, after nearly two years in the countryside, exposed to wind and sun, the monitor is now severely worn, making it difficult to restore it to its factory settings.

Fortunately, the sunbathing was very even, and his dark complexion made him look more masculine than it had been two years ago.

In addition, he became a father and a leader at work.

He exudes a mature aura, and with a little grooming, he's a walking embodiment of masculine hormones. He's like a walking, dark-skinned PE coach... "Student" is a bit of an exaggeration, and his age doesn't quite match up. Let's just call him a dark-skinned PE coach!
Lin Xiao admired himself in the mirror for a long time before nodding in satisfaction.

I put on sunglasses and a mask and headed to the mall.

In the golden autumn of October, the weather in Shenzhen was still scorching hot. Lin Xiao broke out in a sweat after walking just a few steps in the mall.

Fortunately, the journey was short, and the air conditioning in the mall quickly saved his life.

It was already 9:30.

The event started at 10 a.m., but many people had already gathered in the mall, which shows Han Xixi's popularity and influence.

No wonder she's been receiving countless endorsement offers lately, including from some major international brands, with endorsement fees that are usually reserved for top-tier international stars.

However, Han Xixi had already drawn up a line, only accepting domestic brands.

As her agent, Chen Jiajia understood her artist's patriotism, but from a professional standpoint, she was furious at Xixi's decision.

After all, to be honest, fashion resources are a fiercely contested area for female celebrities, and in the fashion world, it is an undeniable fact that major international brands occupy the absolute core.

Han Xixi's decision essentially blocked all her paths in the fashion industry.

Chen Jiajia couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and reject wave after wave of offers from big names.

This was even worse than killing her.

But she had no choice but to accept her fate.

The brand that Han Xixi is endorsing this time is a domestic skincare brand called "Jiarun," which has become very popular in China in the past two years and has received high praise for its quality.

However, despite market recognition, it still lags behind international big brands in terms of brand prestige.

The decision to hire Han Xixi as a spokesperson is also a deliberate attempt to catch up in this area.

After all, Han Xixi has brand recognition, industry standing, and public appeal. More importantly, she is young and, like the brand, possesses youthful vitality. This gives the market the feeling that the spokesperson and the brand are growing together and reaching the pinnacle together.

It must be said that the brand's advertising strategy was very successful.

After arriving at the mall, Lin Xiao went to the flower shop first and picked up the bouquet of gardenias he had ordered the day before.

Gardenias have a strong fragrance, but they are not easy to find in flower markets.

Fortunately, in this all-powerful city, you can buy anything as long as you have money.

Lin Xiao easily ordered the bouquet, and although it cost a lot, he felt it was well worth it when he saw the finished product.

After receiving the flowers, he found a corner of a coffee shop on the second floor, sat down, played on his phone, and waited for the event to begin.

About half an hour later.

The first floor began to buzz with noise, and the sound of microphones spread throughout the mall, announcing the start of the event.

Lin Xiao didn't rush to make a move.

He kept hearing the announcement, "Please welcome Ms. Han Xixi to the stage," and a smile appeared on his lips, but he still didn't move.

It's not that he's not moving.

Instead, the entire second floor is now packed with fans and tourists who have come from far and wide, even blocking the entrance to the coffee shop.

Lin Xiao couldn't leave even if he wanted to.

Fortunately, there is a small door on the other side of the coffee shop.

He carried the bouquet out and wandered around the mall for quite a while before finally finding an empty spot in a corner where he could see the temporary event booth set up on the first floor—although he could only see the back of it.

Han Xixi wore a pure white fitted dress today, with gardenias embroidered on the shoulders and hem, exuding a passionate and romantic yet pure and charming aura.

Although Lin Xiao could only see his wife's back, he felt content at that moment.

Do the math carefully.

It's been four days since we separated on the 4th.

Since their daughter was born, the couple has rarely been apart for such a long time. Although Lin Xiao was overwhelmed by the trending topics online, he never stopped thinking about his wife.

Especially at night... I think about it so much that I toss and turn in bed, only able to fall asleep with a pillow between my legs!

At this moment, he gazed at the gardenias on his wife's skirt from afar, then looked down at the bouquet of flowers beside him.

My mood immediately calmed down.

The endorsement activities began in an orderly fashion, nothing more than the same old routine: introducing the product, promoting it, and playing interactive games.

Because the spokesperson was so great and the brand was so generous with the event, the atmosphere at the scene was fantastic.

Lin Xiao stood on the second floor for more than half an hour, completely unaware that his strange attire had already attracted the attention of the two girls next to him.

Of course, you can't blame passersby for being gossipy and suspicious; the gardenia in his hand was just too fragrant, so fragrant that it couldn't be shaken off.

The two girls first noticed the gardenia, then the person, and the more they looked, the more familiar he seemed.

Then I noticed that this person was wearing sunglasses and a mask in the mall, and I remembered that today was the second anniversary of Lin Xiao and Han Xixi getting their marriage certificate.

Once the shipper's soul is awakened, they immediately lock onto their target.

The two of them didn't rush to expose him; instead, they suppressed their excitement and whispered excitedly to each other.

The commotion quickly spread to the side.

Then it was passed from one person to another, and from one person to another, like being electrocuted, quickly circling the entire second floor and back to the audience on the other side of Lin Xiao.

And so, everyone on the second floor knew that the tall, focused man holding flowers was Lin Xiao, the husband of Han Xixi from the first floor.

The atmosphere on the second floor, while enthusiastic, conveyed a strange sense of excitement.

The excitement quickly spread to the first floor.

It wasn't strange that everyone on the second floor was looking in Lin Xiao's direction, but when hundreds of fans on the first floor stopped looking at the booth and looked up at the sky instead, the scene became quite bizarre.

Finally, the sense of confusion surrounding the focal point spilled over onto the exhibition stand.

The host, the brand owner, and spokesperson Han Xixi all noticed something was wrong and followed each other to search the corner on the second floor.

The host and the boss were still unaware of what they were looking for.

Xi Xi's eyes immediately fell on that familiar head. She was surprised and delighted, and instantly pursed her lips and blushed.

At this point, the host, informed by staff members in the audience, realized what had happened. He immediately understood that this was an opportunity to further generate buzz for the event.

After a moment's thought, he had an idea and changed the subject, asking Han Xixi, "Miss Xixi, I heard that today is a very special day for you, is that right?"

Han Xixi looked shy and embarrassed.

She tried hard to resist looking at the head on the second floor, but she couldn't help it, her face showing an indescribable shyness and embarrassment.

After a moment's hesitation, she nodded: "Yes, that's right!"

This remark immediately triggered a frenzy among the thousands of onlookers, who unanimously exclaimed, "Oh~~~"

"What day is it? Can you share it with us?" the host continued, trying to stir things up.

"Forehead……"

Xi Xi was a little embarrassed, and laughed, "Everyone should know, right?"

As soon as the microphone was handed over, the audience responded enthusiastically, chanting "Wedding Anniversary," "Second Anniversary of Registering Marriage," and so on.

The host smiled and continued, "Ms. Han and Mr. Lin must have plans to celebrate such an important anniversary, right? Can you tell us about it and satisfy everyone's curiosity?"

Han Xixi told the truth: "Actually... there's nothing planned..."

The host chuckled slyly, "Nothing planned? Really? I clearly see something planned..."

As the host spoke, he deliberately looked in Lin Xiao's direction.

At that glance, the entire mall's customers simultaneously began to jeer, their "Oh!"s almost creating a chorus of cheers.

Lin Xiao had long realized that he had been exposed.

He didn't need to hide; after all, he was licensed to work and wasn't some mistress who couldn't be brought into the open.

So what if we get caught? It's no big deal.

Moreover, according to his plan, he was supposed to be discovered anyway; today he's clearly just here to ride on his wife's popularity!
Facing the gaze of thousands.

He took off his mask and sunglasses and gave Xixi, who was turning her head in the audience, a bright smile.

This laugh caused the entire audience to erupt in cheers, applause, shouts, and screams that instantly filled the entire mall.

Guests in other areas were startled by the noise, thinking there had been an explosion somewhere!

"He said he hadn't made any arrangements, but Mr. Lin came straight to the venue with a gift!" the host laughed.

"I really don't know..." Han Xixi shook her head shyly.

"So that means Mr. Lin deliberately came all the way to Shenzhen without telling you, just to give you a surprise~~"

The host's tone was filled with excitement at uncovering gossip.

This excitement quickly spread throughout the venue, causing the ground to shake once again.

After these rounds of hype, Lin Xiao has been fully exposed. If he doesn't go on stage and openly show off their affection now, it would be too disrespectful.

After all, the atmosphere had already been built up to this point.

Lin Xiao did not resist. When the host gave him the opportunity, he pretended to decline for a couple of minutes, but then, urged by the crowd, he went downstairs and onto the stage.

As soon as he got on stage, he stood next to his wife and grinned at her like a fool.

Xi Xi rolled her eyes at him, but her face showed indescribable surprise and happiness.

"Kiss one, kiss one..."

The audience below immediately started to jeer, and even the brand owner consciously stood aside, looking all kind and benevolent.

The boss's inner thoughts: We've made a killing! We hired two top celebrities for the price of one endorsement fee. This is a great deal!

Faced with the crowd's cheers, Lin Xiao didn't hold back and kissed his wife on the cheek.

This is just a normal routine for the couple, but it got thousands of viewers and hundreds of thousands of netizens in the brand's live stream excited.

This wave of food supplies is equivalent to spreading it all over the world.

However, after the public display of affection, discordant voices quickly emerged, seemingly to argue that true empathy does not exist in this world.

Now, let's move on to the interactive session.

The so-called on-site interaction was actually just the organizers having planted their own people in the crowd, asking brand-related questions.

But while you may be lying in ambush, so may others.

Those who have the leisure to set up ambushes are either competitors or trolls.

Their goal is the same: to cause trouble.

The interaction started normally, with several people who were lying in wait asking prepared questions, such as why the brand chose Han Xixi as its spokesperson and why Han Xixi accepted the endorsement. They were using these questions to promote each other and advertise at the same time.

But soon, discordant voices emerged.

In the crowd, someone interrupted and shouted, "Mr. Lin Xiao, a few days ago, the incident of a deputy mayor of Xingguang Town, where you work, working part-time as a ride-hailing driver and injuring a tourist went viral. To this day, the authorities have not given a positive explanation or opinion on how to handle this matter. What is your response to this?"

These words brought the lively atmosphere to an abrupt halt.

The scene was a little awkward.

Seeing this, the host quickly tried to stop him: "My friend, please don't ask questions that are unrelated to the brand..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Xiao waved with a smile and extended his hand to the host.

The host was stunned for a moment, feeling a very powerful aura, so he subconsciously handed over the microphone.

Lin Xiao took the question and smiled at the person asking it, saying, "Actually, I personally think there's nothing to respond to in this matter. It's just a traffic accident, and it should be handled according to the normal procedures. If it's unfair to the deputy mayor and the tourist if they are criticized by the entire internet just because the parties involved are related to me..."

Seeing that he was trying to smooth things over, the questioner abruptly interrupted, "Mayor Lin, you surely know that what netizens are concerned about is that this deputy mayor, as a public official, is earning extra money through side jobs, not that he hit a tourist. What do you have to say about this? Or let me put it this way: are you aware that your subordinate is engaging in illegal side businesses?"

Lin Xiao smiled calmly; the questioner's true colors had finally been revealed.

At this moment, he became certain of his inner suspicion: even if he hadn't come today, these questions would have been raised anyway, only they would have been directed at his wife.

They're here to cause trouble, their main goal is to catch the enemy off guard.

Lin Xiao, however, became nonchalant and nodded: "I know!"

The hater who asked the question stared wide-eyed, completely dumbfounded.

what?
Is he... admitting it outright?!
The critics were prepared for him to deny it, and then continued their attack until he was speechless and embarrassed.

And then, he actually... admitted it so readily?!
This really caught the haters off guard.

"Ah, no, uh... if you know, it means... you're also responsible for this?" Kuroko quickly calmed down.

"Responsible for what?" Lin Xiao asked calmly with a smile.

"If a subordinate is illegally holding a concurrent job and the superior is aware of it but does not intervene, shouldn't that at least be considered a failure of supervision?"

"Who told you that this was an illegal part-time job?"

"Uh... civil servants can't hold concurrent positions, everyone knows that!"

"You're confusing the issue!"

Lin Xiao laughed and said, "The organization stipulates that civil servants cannot engage in activities unrelated to their duties during working hours. As for their spare time, it only states that they cannot engage in part-time jobs that affect their normal work and life. It has never been said that civil servants cannot have part-time jobs!"

Hei Zi panicked a little, but still quickly retorted: "However, driving for ride-hailing services is a very time-consuming and physically demanding job. Since this deputy mayor wants to earn extra money through this, he will inevitably work for a long time, which will affect his normal rest and he may even use his work time to rest."

"So it's easy to imagine that his energy and condition during working hours cannot be guaranteed. Who can believe that he can concentrate and wholeheartedly serve the people during working hours?"

Many guests at the scene nodded in agreement with these words, clearly acknowledging the critic's logic.

Lin Xiao remained calm and composed.

He laughed and said, "First, you're over-interpreting and making unfounded speculations, not addressing the issue at hand. It's a fact that my deputy mayor works part-time as a ride-hailing driver, which affects his work performance and results—that's just your guess. Second, the claim that he drives for extra income is still your guess, not a fact!"

This statement left everyone bewildered, including the fans in the live stream.

Because of Lin Xiao's sudden appearance, the number of online viewers in the already popular live stream skyrocketed, reaching nearly a million at this point.

Comments were scrolling by incredibly fast.

That's such a ridiculous argument!

"If you're not doing part-time work to make money, are you just doing it for fun?"

"Smooth-talking!!"

"Are you just going to come all this way to spout nonsense?"

Speechless!

"..."

Han Xixi noticed the change in the wind direction and looked at her husband with concern.

Lin Xiao noticed the gaze, turned his head and smiled, giving his wife timely reassurance.

Hei Zi pressed his advantage, saying, "Mayor Lin, aren't you being a bit unreasonable? A deputy mayor, instead of resting at home during his holiday, is going out to drive for a ride-hailing service. Isn't that to make money, or to do charity work?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao grinned, making Hei Zi's heart tremble.

"Congratulations, you got it!"

Lin Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, "To be honest, it's just about giving back to charity!"

Hei Zi's face turned black: "???"

Lin Xiao didn't give him another chance, and said directly, "As everyone knows, the incident happened on the 5th, between the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day. Because of me, Lin, Xingguang Town has become quite popular online recently, and Mashan County has also received a lot of attention, with more and more people coming to visit!"

"The popularity was already undeniable before National Day, and the hustle and bustle and congestion during National Day were entirely predictable. After all, Mashan County is a small place and cannot accommodate so many tourists. Accommodation, transportation, and catering will all be huge challenges."

"To ensure a good experience for all tourists, I suggested to the county leaders before the holiday that all officials with cars register as ride-hailing drivers to contribute to the transportation services in Mashan County during the National Day holiday. However, the leaders did not agree, because although it is legal for civil servants to hold concurrent positions, it does not conform to public perception."

“I think what the leader said makes sense, so I didn’t dare to ask for too much. I could only ask our own town officials. There aren’t many officials in the town who own cars, and even fewer who live in the county seat. This Deputy Mayor Dong just happened to meet the requirements, and he’s a very honest person. He listened to me and actually did it. As a result, because he was inexperienced and had no experience, he had an accident on his first day of driving…”

These words completely stunned the hater, as well as all the guests and viewers in the live stream.

At this moment, everyone had only one thought in their minds—Holy crap, how could something that seemed certain have a twist?!
On the display stand, Lin Xiao saw that the food was almost cooked and took it out of the pot to serve.

"So, the truth of this matter is this: As the deputy mayor, I did not use my work time for part-time work, nor did I use my weekday rest time. I only drove for ride-hailing services during holidays, so there was absolutely no question of it affecting my work."
"Secondly, this part-time job was not his original intention, nor was it to earn extra money. Rather, it was to contribute to the development of cultural tourism in Mashan County. In fact, it was similar to being a volunteer."

Lin Xiao easily defined the nature of the matter, then looked at the hater who asked the question with a kind and smiling face.

"My friend, do you have any more questions?" (End of Chapter)