Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 217 The Prelude to the Party Showdown

On the evening of August 22, as the city lights began to twinkle, the entire city of Beiping was still immersed in the enthusiastic atmosphere brought about by the grand opening of the Olympic Games.

The Bazaar Charity Gala, a blend of fashion and compassion, also opened in grand style at the Park Hyatt Beijing.

As a large-scale event that received special approval during the Olympics and was the only one not hosted by an Olympic sponsor, it naturally attracted a lot of attention.

The event was star-studded, with many political figures, business tycoons, top domestic celebrities, and social elites in attendance.

In the waiting area for the charity gala's red carpet, Liu Shishi looked around and saw a dazzling array of stars, with familiar celebrity faces everywhere she looked.

I couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "So many people have come! It's even more extravagant than a film festival!"

"There are no fewer than 150 people, and only celebrities with some status in the industry can be invited. Regardless of whether it's charitable or not, this is certainly a large-scale event."

Cai Yi Nong, dressed in a fitted black long dress, looked very capable. He was holding the arm of the top female star, but he was secretly alarmed.

Those who entered earlier were all high-ranking officials, and even some top foreign political figures. Such a luxurious lineup is a rare sight in the entire entertainment industry.

Hu Ge stood tall and straight, adjusting her suit collar as she asked with a smile, "Shishi, where's your boyfriend? Is he coming tonight?"

Liu Shishi parted her lips slightly and casually replied, "Yes, Tengda is the sponsor of tonight's event."

She appeared calm, but it was her first time attending such a grand and solemn event, and she couldn't help but feel a little nervous; her palms were slightly sweaty.

Upon hearing the announcement of the entrance, Cai Yi-nong patted the slightly trembling arm of the hostess and gently comforted her, "Don't be nervous, relax. We're just here to broaden our horizons."

Liu Shishi took a deep breath, nodded slightly, and quickly put on a gentle smile as she stepped onto the red carpet with Sister K and Lao Hu.

Cai Yinong glanced at Miss Liu and saw that she had regained her composure. He nodded in satisfaction. Although his top sister was still a bit immature, she was growing rapidly.

Today, the eldest sister wore a light pink halter-neck evening gown, which made her slender neck and fair skin even more charming.

Her hair was loosely tied up, and she exuded an elegant air, like a delicate and noble white flower, with a unique beauty.

The flashes were dazzling, and the shutter clicks were incessant as the three of them quickly arrived at the autograph wall.

With the hit TV series "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," Hu Ge has gained considerable popularity. Upon seeing him, a female reporter immediately grabbed a microphone and asked, "Hu Ge, what have you been up to lately?"

"We're filming 'Chinese Paladin 3'." Tangren's top star smiled warmly, looking handsome and dashing in a gray suit.

After a brief interview with Hu Ge, the reporters turned their attention to the rising star Liu Shishi.

"Shishi, you look so beautiful today! How did you feel about attending the Bazaar Charity event for the first time?"

The woman, already prepared with her answer in mind, replied softly with a hint of shyness, "This is my first time participating in such an event. I just want to learn from my seniors and contribute a little to charity."

After asking a few more questions, the reporters let the three people in.

Today, not only are all four leading actresses and two top actresses present, but international superstars Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Michelle Yeoh will also be attending.

In comparison, while Tangren's top male and female stars have some fame, they are still far behind the stars who will emerge later, and are not worth the reporters' time to delve into.

"Shishi, you did a good job just now, and you handled things appropriately." Cai Yinong, wearing high heels, took small steps and praised his sister generously.

Liu Shishi smiled, her eyes crinkling to reveal two cute dimples. "Actually, I was a little nervous just now, so I kept controlling my speaking speed, afraid of saying the wrong thing."

Hu Ge followed the two ladies and said with a smile, keeping them in suspense, "Let's go, we're at table eighteen, there's a little surprise coming up."

After some minor celebrities and newcomers from the entertainment industry hurriedly walked the red carpet, the waiting area was basically filled with A-list artists.

While everyone appeared nonchalant, they were all secretly watching each other, vying to arrive later in order to show off their status.

After the tough guy Hu Jun entered alone, the famous director Wu Baige and his wife walked onto the red carpet, and then the red carpet became a little quiet for a while.

"Bingbing, why don't we go?" Qiao Zhengyu frowned slightly. Seeing that no one was moving and they were all watching, he was a little worried. He hoped that nothing would go wrong.

The gala was sponsored by Tengda Group, and as Tengda Culture's leading artist, he had an inescapable responsibility to step forward and save the day.

Fan Bingbing raised an eyebrow, pondered for a moment, and decided to give Qiao Zhengyu some face.

The two have frequently promoted "My Love from the Star" together both domestically and internationally over the past six months, and they have a very good relationship.

The scene of Li Bingbing and Zhao Zhetian teaming up to isolate her last year is still fresh in everyone's mind, but now she is full of confidence, with the super hit drama "My Love from the Star" in hand, and she is popular all over Asia.

She originally wanted to stall for time with Si Dan and Li Bingbing, but since her good partner Qiao Zhengyu had spoken up, she couldn't refuse him and decided to cooperate with him on the red carpet.

Since it's a charity gala, and the auction will determine the winners, she received some guidance from Zhang Zhao and learned some tricks. She spent 300 million to buy a trending topic on Weibo, intending to give her other old friends a surprise later.

Just as Fan Bingbing was getting ready to walk down the red carpet with Qiao Zhengyu, Huang Xiaoming, seeing that no one was moving, kindly stepped in to save the day and went on stage first to defuse the awkward situation.

Qiao Zhengyu breathed a sigh of relief: "Ming-ge is on the field." He thought to himself: Huang Xiaoming truly lives up to his reputation as a good guy in the entertainment industry; he never disappoints when it matters.

Song Ci, who had just arrived at the waiting area, quietly observed everyone's expressions. If Huang Xiaoming didn't walk the red carpet, he was prepared to go up directly. He wasn't in the entertainment industry and didn't care about the order of arrival.

A few minutes later, Song Ci quietly stood at the starting point of the red carpet, like a deep silhouette emerging from the night.

He wore a sharp black bespoke suit, his figure was tall and strong, and a gilded red rose brooch shone brightly at the collar.

Before anyone could react, he calmly stepped onto the red carpet. His handsome face was like a meticulously crafted work of art, and his black attire gave him an air of aloofness and mystery.

As soon as the reporters saw him arrive, they went into a frenzy, frantically pressing the door open button, and the flashes made Song Ci's eyes a little blurry.

"Zhengyu, was that Chairman Song just now?" Fan Bingbing was thinking about something and didn't notice Song Ci, only seeing a figure from behind.

"It's Chairman Song!"

"Let's go too, let's hurry!"

Qiao Zhengyu was slightly taken aback, then nodded: "Okay."

Song Ci had already arrived at the autograph wall, and the reporters exclaimed, "Mr. Song, please wait a moment, let us interview you for a few minutes!"

Song Ci seemed not to have heard, calmly waving his hand without pausing, politely declining the reporter's request. He felt that an interview with a tabloid was not worth his time and energy.

Song Ci walked quite quickly. Huang Xiaoming had just finished his interview with reporters, which took quite a while, and hadn't gone far after getting off the autograph table. The two were now practically one foot behind the other. Hearing the noise, Huang Xiaoming knew that the person behind him was Song Ci. Naturally, he couldn't deliberately speed up and leave Song Ci behind, so he could only slow down.

When the two stood side by side, Huang Xiaoming's face was full of smiles, and he quickly turned to greet him: "Chairman Song, hello!"

Huang Xiaoming is a nice person; he even helped out earlier. Song Ci wasn't arrogant and politely replied, "Teacher Huang! It's been a year, and you're even more charming than before."

"You flatter me!" Huang Xiaoming smiled wryly. He was dressed in all white today, while Song Ci was dressed in all black, creating a stark contrast.

The man next to me is an Asian heartthrob, whose looks surpass many male stars in the industry. Standing next to him, I was instantly overshadowed in every way—height, appearance, and aura—like a background figure.

He could already imagine that tabloid reporters would make a big deal out of his embarrassing situation of being overshadowed, and it might even trend on social media!

Song Ci and Huang Xiaoming walked and talked as they entered the inner area, where the Tangren trio had already taken their seats under the guidance of the waiters.

Hu Ge watched the celebrities enter the venue with boredom when she suddenly caught a glimpse of a graceful old acquaintance walking towards her. She quickly stood up and greeted her, "Sister Li! Teacher Huang!"

At this moment, Liu Shishi was close to Cai Yinong, listening attentively as she introduced some inside stories of the entertainment industry, nodding occasionally as if to say that she had learned something.

Hearing the noise, she looked up and saw that it was Tangren's former number one sister. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

Sun Li, arm in arm with her husband Huang Sanshi, smiled radiantly, her black evening gown exuding elegance and grace: "Hu Ge, Sister K, long time no see! Shishi, do you still remember me?"

Cai Yinong responded with a gentle gaze and a slight nod. Looking at the smiling former number one, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart, perhaps she was doing very well.

Liu Shishi slowly rose, her figure graceful, and smiled sweetly: "Sister Li!"

Four years ago, we met briefly. Life has changed so much. I never imagined that I would succeed the woman in front of me as the top female star of Tangren Media. Ms. Liu sighed in her heart, thinking that fate is truly wonderful.

Huang Sanshi, standing beside his wife with a beaming smile, greeted everyone: "President Cai, Hu Ge, Shishi!"

When old friends reunite, they naturally have endless topics to talk about. After Sun Li sat down, he and Cai Yinong sandwiched Liu Shishi in the middle, and the three women quickly started chatting away, sometimes covering their mouths and laughing, sometimes their eyebrows dancing with excitement.

Hu Ge pursed her lips, knowing she couldn't join in the conversation about women, so she simply changed seats and moved next to Huang Sanshi, chatting idly with him.

Sun Li leaned closer, half-covering her mouth with her right hand, deliberately lowering her voice, and asked mysteriously, "Shishi, are you still in contact with that guy from Tengda?"

In the past two years, there has been virtually no news about Liu Shishi and Song Ci online, and she had assumed that the two had no relationship anymore.

She has a vivid memory of Song Ci; her face is unforgettable to this day. Back then, she even considered persuading Song Ci to join Tangren Film and Television.

I later learned online that the other party was the chairman of Tengda Group, a very important figure.

Upon hearing this, Liu Shishi rolled her eyes, too lazy to pay attention to Sun Li, finding the former top star somewhat annoying.

How can you talk like that? What do you mean by "still in contact"? She and Mr. Song have always had a harmonious and loving relationship!

Cai Yinong also felt that Sun Li's question was inappropriate, so he stepped in to smooth things over and replied, "Shishi and Chairman Song's relationship has always been very stable."

No sooner had she finished speaking than she looked up and saw Song Ci and Huang Xiaoming coming into the inner area together. She gestured with her chin, "Speak of the devil, and he appears. Shishi, your man is here."

"Where is he?" Liu Shishi perked up, looked around, and the moment her gaze locked onto Song Ci's figure, a bright smile instantly bloomed on her face, and she couldn't help but boast, "Sister K, isn't my husband handsome?"

Cai Yinong was speechless. These days, the "Queen" likes to show off her man all the time, taking advantage of her age and lack of a boyfriend!

Sun Li followed the sound and looked closely before solemnly agreeing, "Chairman Song is indeed handsome; even Huang Xiaoming pales in comparison when standing next to him."

As Song Ci entered and said goodbye to Huang Xiaoming, she seemed to sense that someone was watching her. She turned to the side and saw Liu Shishi, Cai Yinong, and Sun Li staring intently at her.

With a slight smile and a nod to Miss Liu, he walked gracefully toward table number two.

When I arrived at my seat, I saw that several guests at the same table had already arrived and were chatting enthusiastically.

Upon seeing Song Ci, one of them immediately stood up to greet him, his face beaming with a warm smile. He then introduced himself, "Chairman Song, you've come! I've long admired your name! I am Liu Jiang, the president of the Fashion Group."

Song Ci exuded composure in her demeanor and politely shook hands with the visitor.

After shaking hands, Liu extended his arm slightly, making a gesture of invitation, and began to introduce the people at the table: "Chairman Song, let me introduce you."

These individuals are Shen Guojun, Chairman of Yintai Group; Tan Zhi, President of Focus Media; Zhang Chaoyang, Chairman of Sohu.com; Guo Sheng, President of British Wings Group; and Brønder, President of Bombardier Inc.

With a smile, Song Ci shook hands and greeted each of the five people. Apart from Zhang Chaoyang, who seemed to have some dislike and hostility towards him, the others at the table were all very polite.

Song Ci, with his keen mind, quickly grasped the reason after a moment's thought. Originally, Sohu was the sole internet sponsor of this Olympics.

However, due to the sudden rise of Tenda Weibo, almost all the traffic during the Olympics was concentrated on the Weibo platform.

Sohu spent a huge sum of money and a year preparing, only to have it all benefit someone else. It would be a miracle if Zhang Chaoyang were to show any appreciation for Song Ci.

Song Ci remained calm, unconcerned about Zhang Chaoyang's reaction. Sohu no longer posed a threat to Tengda, and the gap between the two would only widen in the future.

He didn't have much in common with the others, but he gradually became very talkative with Bourdon next to him.

Bombardier is the world's third-largest aircraft manufacturer after Boeing and Airbus. Song Ci was looking to buy a private jet and happened to meet the president of Bombardier, so he consulted him.

Budon originally came to watch the Beijing Olympics and, incidentally, to expand into the Chinese market and see if he could sell a few airplanes. So he came to the Bazaar Charity Event to join in the fun and help promote his company.

Seeing the young gentleman beside me earnestly asking about private jets, I knew he was interested in purchasing one, which was a pleasant surprise.

He immediately perked up, spoke fluently and tirelessly promoting the company's products, detailing everything from the aircraft's performance parameters and interior design to safety features and after-sales service.

The two of them were having a lively conversation in English, speaking rapidly and occasionally throwing in a few technical terms.

Shen Guojun, the CEO of Yintai, who was sitting across from them, didn't speak English very well and was completely confused. However, he was very curious about the topic, so he quietly asked Zhang Chaoyang next to him, "Mr. Zhang, what are they saying?"

Zhang Chaoyang felt a mix of emotions as he stared at Song Ci with a complicated expression.

Sohu was originally the leading internet company in China, but now it has been completely overtaken by Tenda, so it must be feeling bad.

Upon hearing Shen Guojun's question, she replied quietly, "Song Ci wants to buy a private jet, and Bu Duoang is promoting their company's products."

(End of this chapter)