My Lord, you need to stand up!

Chapter 544 True Mastery Lies in Controlling the Situation
Citibank's movie stars are already the darlings of the world right now.

Among the first wave of wealthy people in China, Citizen actresses who favored Asian youths frequently appeared in their accounts of how they rose to prominence.

In the pre-internet era, these kinds of gossip stories were mainly spread through newspapers.

However, its timeliness is definitely inferior to that of new media such as television.

Besides, Demimore wasn't famous or influential enough to grab headlines at that time.

So after several days of delay, the report finally appeared in the gossip section of European and American newspapers.

Television commercials for the new generation of Apple computers began airing in North America.

It even happens to coincide with the content expressed in newspapers and magazines.

The advertisement was sketched by Wei Dong and filmed under the direction of Qin Zhiming, with a strong Hong Kong style, which was bound to pique the interest of North American audiences.

Moreover, there are major financial backers like Apple that buy broadcast rights on North American television networks.

The level of attention it garnered in a short period of time was predictable:

The actor, a specialist in playing foreign police superintendents in Hong Kong films, was brought in from Hong Kong to portray a white loser wandering the Bund with a backpack and an ice cream cone in hand. While marveling at the magnificent international architecture, he suddenly saw the glass pyramid in front of him...

The stark contrast between the classical architecture and the glass pyramid left him bewildered as he approached. But when he took off his glasses and looked closely, he was surprised to find that the pyramid had transformed into a beautiful woman bending over to tie her shoelaces!
It was the silver-gray midi skirt with white trim that Qin Yuye lent to Demimore; her elegant posture of bending over and sticking out her buttocks was incredibly attractive.

The young man approached with lustful eyes, but the beautiful woman turned around and avoided his gaze.

When the camera zoomed in on Demimore's face, she suddenly snapped, "What the hell are you looking at?"

Then he turned around aggressively and pressed forward: "I asked you what you're looking at!"

*Slap!* A slap across the face!

"Haven't you ever seen a beautiful woman when she's angry?!" Demimore's domineering and aggressive demeanor, radiating beauty, is a rare sight even among American female celebrities these days.

She even grabbed the young man's collar with both hands and said defiantly, "But now I want to seduce you..."

Actually, she had a bit of the image of the feisty girl Qin Yuye mentioned seeing in Jiangzhou, and she even gave guidance and introductions to the actresses from Huaqi.

It's a bit nonsensical, but being pretty seems to give you the freedom to do whatever you want.

With a hint of seduction, she leaned close to the young man's ear and whispered in a magnetic voice, "Is it because it makes you have all sorts of fantasies?"

"I am elegant, beautiful, and all-powerful..."

As she spoke, she dipped her finger in ice cream and smeared it on the young man's lips. Wasn't that incredibly alluring?
Demimore looks truly beautiful right now; she's really cut her hair short, just like Weidong suggested, to give her a pure and innocent look.

He bent down and kissed her... Only then did the apple logo tattoo on the back of her neck reveal her untamed spirit.

Anyway, the loser was already completely infatuated, pouting and closing his eyes to follow along.

The background music is all the romantic, Latin-style music.

He opened his eyes amidst a burst of laughter from those around him.

It turned out he kissed a silver-gray Apple computer with white trim over the sea view!

The young white man, who was staggering, had apparently become fascinated by this computer.

I wonder if this will leave a lasting impression.

Female narration: "The Apple 86 Macintosh computer, you'll never forget the first time you saw it, elegant, beautiful, and incredibly colorful..."

The image is frozen on the computer screen displaying the color monitor.

It was indeed a complete and utter overhaul.

Citibank consumers are different from those in mainland China; they have seen various computer advertisements for about ten years, in newspapers and on television.

I'm used to those bulky, high-tech devices.

I never imagined a brand would compare a computer to a beautiful woman—elegant, beautiful, and omnipotent in a riot of colors.

The silver-gray titanium alloy body, white panel decoration, and transparent side panels that are barely visible—can they really be mistaken for lace?
The keyboard and mouse also feature this silver-gray and white combination.

The most eye-catching feature is, of course, the colorful Apple logo on the monitor screen.

A color monitor, and it still looks like the same size monitor!

In fact, in five or six years, 14 inches will be the standard display size for ordinary home computers.

Apple computers were essentially dragged along by Wei Dong, allowing them to get ahead of all other brands by reducing costs through Asian OEM manufacturing and using the technology ahead of time.

Isn't that amazing?!
Shock.

Of course, many television viewers who had never used a computer before were also captivated by this beautiful woman.

They're trying to find out who this advertising model is.

I saw news about her in some newspapers. This young actress, who had already made a name for herself in several Hollywood films, was actually filming an advertisement in Shanghai.

This perfectly explains why she appeared in that distant and mysterious Eastern country.

In the terminology of the later internet celebrity era, it provided topic material.

People who have read newspapers will spread gossip when they see advertisements, and after seeing advertisements and then seeing newspaper gossip, they will be even more curious to share the good looks in TV commercials.

The effect was surprisingly good.

The way Steve immediately called Wei Dong to give him instructions shows that countless distributors across North America were calling to ask when the product would be released!
Therefore, we must now go all out to complete the product!
The North American factory is already operating at full capacity, the majority of monitors are produced in Asia, the main motherboards are produced in North America, and keyboards and mice are all produced in Asia.

Therefore, this is also a test of the Asian OEM model that Rang Weidong has been advocating.

Wei Dong repeatedly said, "Yes, yes, yes."

They then put Liu Xiaoyong and the other two on an international flight to Washington State.

The four construction technicians who came to Shanghai with him from Jiangzhou have spent most of the past week or so at the Pudong Building construction site, the International Community site, and the factories and construction sites in the Electronics Industrial Park.

They had Wei Dong help them apply for passports through the Shanghai municipal government, and they obtained B1 visas delivered by Apple via airmail.

Finally, we had lunch in Building 5: "This is the easiest business visa to obtain, and you don't even need to go to the consulate for an interview. The six-month professional training at the Washington State Institute of Architecture will give you the opportunity to become one of the first architects in the country with a Citibank background."

Many students went abroad to study architecture during the wave of studying abroad that began in the early 1980s.

They are all top students.

But those who were willing to return in the 1980s were extremely rare.

Looking at the passports and visas pushed onto the table, Liu Xiaoyong and his companions were incredulous.

Xiao Fan, the only one who wasn't there, turned from red to white and finally ashen-faced.

This further proves Rang Weidong and Qin Yuye's judgment: "Of course, during these six months you can receive the living expenses, wages, and study fees that I pay for you from Apple, until you come back and build the motherland with me. You can also choose to disappear as soon as you land, leave your hometown and try to become a Citizen. I will bear the joint responsibility for your escape, and may even block the path for countless companions who can go out for training. Think it over yourself. I wish you a bright future."

Just a year ago, these infrastructure soldiers were still living in forgotten remote mountains.

They didn't even have a complete high school experience or a college degree; they only became familiar with various technical jobs after a short period of surveying training while working on heavy construction projects.

The reason I'm able to sit here now is not only because I'm exceptionally talented and have a brilliant mind that produces beautiful drawings, but also because I'm truly willing to learn. Even during my time as a construction soldier, I never gave up on learning. I've managed to keep up with the construction training and introductory foreign language courses over the past month, albeit with some difficulty.

But no one expected Wei Dong to give them this kind of response.

Only one of his companions was a surveyor who had worked with Liu Xiaoyong back then. He reached out and held the passport and visa, tears welling up in his eyes.

At that time, one of the three of them couldn't withstand the intense pressure of studying and working, and retreated and ran away.

What sustained him and Liu Xiaoyong through this ordeal, and who didn't know how long it would take, was their yearning to change their fate and their trust in their leader.

I never expected to be rewarded with this trust.

Wei Dong joked, "Hey, hey, don't let your tears fall on the visa. It's so hard to get it done, it would be a real problem if you couldn't go abroad because of the letters."

The man jumped to his feet: "Thank you, Commander! Xie Chengbin will definitely complete his studies and return to the unit!"

Liu Xiaoyong and another person stood up and saluted: "Thank you, sir. We will definitely complete our studies and return to the unit!"

Wei Dong gave one last final reminder: "Yes, in our team, there are countless opportunities to go abroad. You can continuously travel back and forth to solidify and improve your technical skills, becoming the top architectural designers in the country. As you can see, the urban construction company led by Commander Geng and me will have a large number of construction projects. We need our own elite troops. This is a level of respect and opportunity that countless people who go abroad to work cannot obtain. I need you! You don't need to worry about living expenses; just focus on your studies. That's it, let's go!"

The three of them gave a resolute, tearful salute, and were then driven to the airport by the driver.

Then Wei Dong faced Xiao Fan: "You're a bit older than me, do you know why you weren't selected?"

His ashen face gradually turned red: "I...I don't know."

Wei Dong sighed inwardly, closing the door on this person's future: "If you are a bit arrogant and overconfident, I can't entrust you with any important tasks. In the past week or so, Xiao Yang and the others have been either at the construction site or traveling around the buildings in Shanghai to take photos and do professional research. You went with them, but you also came to the gallery party three times. Have you ever come here on my own initiative?"

Xiao Fan's face turned pale again. He definitely never expected that he would be taking exams all these days!

I survived all the projects on construction sites and at school, but I couldn't survive the glitz and glamour of the world of fame and fortune.

Wei Dong pointed to the Western-style dining table in front of him: "Everyone has the right to pursue a better life, but if your main purpose is to yearn for these things, you'll have to run away when you go out. I can't take that responsibility. Now you can either return to the team or leave to find another job. It's already hard for me to trust you."

You can always choose your path in life.

Xiao Fan finally couldn't hold back any longer. The huge psychological gap made him jump up, throw the napkin off his collar, and rush out.

Qin Yuye had been sitting slowly drinking his soup, and only now did he wipe his mouth: "If I were him, even if I went back to work and relearned, it would be better than acting impulsively now. He will only realize when he leaves that it is hard to find such a good team and leader in this world."

Wei Dong nodded: "So regarding the establishment of a branch in Citibank, I still think we should take it one step at a time. You should first find some Hong Kong guys to start the work and gradually cultivate mainland personnel to participate. I'm really afraid that they will be dazzled by the glamorous world and run away. They don't care about their future and will cut off the path for those who come after them."

Qin Yuye nodded steadily, then turned and reached out to touch Xiaodie's chin, who was glaring at him coldly: "I also want to be a child who never grows up, but in the end, you have to fly on your own. Remember that."

Little Butterfly, pshaw!
(End of this chapter)