Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 250 Paparazzi
As night fell, the underground parking lot of the Greenland Center was dimly lit, and a slightly dilapidated van was parked not far from the elevator exit.

The carriage was filled with a mixture of smells of smoke and sweat.

The driver leaned back absentmindedly in his seat, staring blankly ahead, occasionally looking up to rub his tired eyes.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the elevator doors slowly open and several women walk out of the elevator car. Instantly, she perked up and reached out to nudge her companion who was dozing off in the passenger seat next to her.

"Ah Hai, the target has been spotted, wake up!"

The man, nicknamed Ah Hai, suddenly woke up and instinctively picked up the camera hanging around his neck: "Where is he?"

The operator pointed directly towards the elevator exit and answered urgently, "The elevator exit is there!"

Behind the two, a middle-aged boyfriend sitting in the back row also rubbed his hands together, craning his neck to look closely: "It's Liu Shishi. Although she's wearing a mask, her temperament is unmistakable. Ah Hai, take a picture quickly."

Click, click, click! The shutter sound rang out rapidly in an instant. Ah Hai kept pressing the shutter while grinning smugly.

"I've been waiting for days, and finally I got it. Brother Yu, isn't that Cai Yinong next to Liu Shishi?"

"Yes, it's Cai Yinong, the president of Tangren Media. It's a pity that it's two women, so there's not much value in getting a picture of them. If we could get a picture of Liu Shishi and Hu Ge together, the four little actresses and the four little actors in the same frame would be highly sought after by tabloids."

Brother Yu looked regretful, saying that simply filming Liu Shishi and Cai Yinong together had limited value and wouldn't earn much money.

Meanwhile, Liu Shishi, who had just gotten off the elevator, affectionately linked arms with Cai Yinong, neither of them realizing they were being secretly photographed.

The eldest sister's eyebrows were curved, and although a mask covered half of her beautiful face, you could still tell from her exposed eyes that she was in a very good mood.

"Sister K, I'm going to report to the 'Go Lala Go!' film crew tomorrow. If there are any brand activities at Yinlu Group that require my cooperation, please let me know in advance."

After becoming one of the new "Four Little Actresses," her popularity skyrocketed, with her Weibo followers exceeding 600 million. Today, she received another endorsement deal, becoming the brand ambassador for Yinlu Food Group.

Cai Yinong smiled and agreed. She was in a particularly good mood these days. The company's top male and female stars each occupied a place among the four little actresses and four little actors. Tangren Media's momentum was soaring. Hu Ge and Liu Shishi both received new endorsements in the past two days, and their careers were booming.

"Would you like me to take you back to Phoenix Palace?"

"No need, my husband is here to pick me up and is already waiting for me. I haven't been staying at Phoenix Mansion recently, I'm staying at Tomson Riviera."

"Is it the apartment where the female lead in 'My Love from the Star' lives?" Cai Yi-nong recalled that Song Ci's large penthouse in Tomson Riviera was a hot topic online at the time, giving Tomson Group a huge boost in advertising.

"Yes, he's been going to LJZ quite often lately, it's more convenient for him to stay there."

"Then I'll go and say hello to President Song." Cai Yinong nodded. Since he knew Song Ci was here, it would be impolite not to go and greet him.

Inside the van, three paparazzi kept their eyes fixed on Cai Yinong and Liu Shishi. The two walked to a black Mercedes-Benz, and then the car window slowly rolled down.

First, Liu Shishi bent down and leaned out, seemingly saying something to the person inside the car, her face beaming with a sweet smile.

Cai Yinong then bowed slightly and greeted the people in the car, his expression showing considerable respect.

"Ah Hai, can you get a picture of the people inside the car?" Brother Yu clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the force of his grip.

He sensed that the person in the car was definitely not simple, and had a close relationship with Liu Shishi. Just now, the expression on Tangren's top female star's face was like that of a young girl experiencing her first love.

"We can't get a shot from this angle." Ah Hai was filled with anxiety. He was about to get results after several days of staking out, but he couldn't get a shot of the key person, which made him extremely anxious.

His eyes darted around, and he quickly suggested, "Liang, could you move the car a bit? Move it to the right side of the Mercedes so I can get a picture of the people inside."

"Don't move the car, lest we alert Liu Shishi and the others," Brother Yu reacted quickly and immediately advised.

He then instructed the driver, "A-Liang, follow them quietly in a bit. Let's find out who the people in the car are. Anyone who can make Cai Yinong bow and scrape must be someone of great importance."

Under the silent gaze of the three, the eldest sister waved goodbye to Cai Yinong, Jiang Yuanyuan, and Lin Xia, and got into the Mercedes-Benz.

Once inside the carriage, Liu Shishi removed her mask, leaned against Song Ci's chest, and murmured with a hint of reluctance and longing, "Yiyi, are you going back to Beiping tomorrow?"

Song Ci gently stroked his fiancée's silky smooth hair: "Yes, the matter in the East China Sea is temporarily settled. I'll go back tomorrow."

"I'm going to join the crew tomorrow, and we won't be able to see each other for quite a while." The thought of being separated from her lover for so long made Liu Shishi feel lost, and the light in her eyes dimmed.

Song Ci gently comforted her: "Actually, this is quite good. We can each take some time to focus on our careers. I guess you'd get annoyed if you saw me every day."

Miss Liu frowned slightly, like an annoyed kitten, staring intently at her fiancé with questioning eyes:

"Song Yiyi, what do you mean? Are you implying that you find me annoying? If you really think that way, I'll spend ten out of every twelve months on set from now on."

"No, what I meant was that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Every time we meet again after being apart, you are especially enthusiastic and proactive, which has a unique charm," Song Ci quickly explained, a sly smile on her face.

Liu Shishi's cheeks flushed instantly, and she lightly punched him with her small fist, scolding him, "You're talking dirty again."

Then she tilted her head back, whispered in Song Ci's ear, and said seductively, "Yi Yi, I'll grant you any request you make tonight."

The young couple whispered sweet nothings to each other in the car, and their Mercedes quickly drove out of the Greenland Building and sped towards LJZ into the night.

Following closely behind the Mercedes was a Volkswagen carrying several of Song Ci's bodyguards.

The driver glanced at the rearview mirror and said uncertainly, "Brother Yue, it seems like there's a tail. A van has been following President Song's car since the parking lot."

"Don't worry about them, just drive." Tang Yue sat calmly in the passenger seat. He had noticed the car following them earlier and guessed that it was probably a media paparazzi.

Seeing that the captain was fully aware of the situation, the driver said no more and focused on driving, protecting the boss's vehicle.

Ah Liang drove his minivan, closely following the Mercedes. The streets were bustling with traffic, and he skillfully weaved through the flow, not daring to let his guard down for a moment.

They chased the car all the way to the Tomson Riviera residence, where the heavily guarded gate became an insurmountable barrier. Unable to enter, they could only watch helplessly as their target vehicle disappeared from sight. "Brother Yu, we can't get in here, what do we do?" Liang, filled with reluctance, temporarily parked his minivan on the side of the road and anxiously looked at his boss in the back seat, eagerly seeking his advice.

"Keep an eye on her! According to the schedule released by Tangren Media, Liu Shishi is going to the set of 'Du Lala's Promotion' tomorrow. She'll definitely come out first thing tomorrow morning, so let's stake out the entrance. As for whether she'll change cars, we can only gamble and try our luck, even if it's a long shot!"

Yu Ge gritted his teeth and hardened his heart. He had a rare opportunity to photograph Liu Shishi, one of the four most popular young actresses, and he didn't want to give up such an opportunity easily.

The two underlings, A-Liang and A-Hai, exchanged a knowing glance and offered no objection.

Those who work as paparazzi brave wind and rain, sometimes spending three or four days at a time to capture photos of celebrities in their private lives. Patience and perseverance are essential survival skills in this line of work.

Knowing that Liu Shishi would definitely not come out of the community anytime soon, the three brothers relaxed their tense nerves a little and chatted in the cramped car.

"It seems that this top female star of Tangren Media is not as pure and lovely as the rumors on the Internet suggest. I never imagined that she was being kept by someone behind the scenes."

While clicking his tongue in amazement, Ah Liang took out a bottle of eye drops from the car and skillfully applied a few drops to relieve the soreness in his eyes from the long surveillance. He was prepared to fight until dawn.

Ahai looked down at the camera lens, carefully examining the photos he had just taken, and muttered in agreement:

"Isn't that obvious? Without a sugar daddy, where would the resources come from? But to be honest, Liu Shishi's temperament and figure are truly exceptional. I wonder which bastard got her."

Yu Ge slumped in the back seat, stretched, and asked curiously, "This is Tomson Riviera, where a single mansion costs tens of millions. I wonder who the people in the Mercedes are?"

"Brother Yu, the people living here are all very rich and powerful. This is the first time we've ever staked out a mansion of this caliber. What if we manage to photograph some big shot? Will that cause any problems?"

Ah Liang was not without worry. In the past, they would just take pictures of celebrities in the entertainment industry and make some extra money by secretly filming their private lives.

However, the target this time is clearly of a different status. If we accidentally photograph some high-ranking official or nobleman and get into trouble, we'll be in deep trouble.

"Would you be willing to give up and go back now? Let's take it one step at a time. If things really don't work out, we'll turn around and run."

Brother Yu asked in return, knowing full well that this operation was risky, but the enormous profits made it hard for him to give up.

If they could capture intimate photos of Liu Shishi with a man, Tangren Media would probably be willing to pay at least several million yuan to buy them back.

After saying that, he picked up a coat and put it on, then lay down on his side on the back seat: "I'm going to sleep for a while. You guys keep watch for me. I'll take over the surveillance in the second half of the night."

Ah Hai carefully packed up the camera: "Ah Liang, you go on duty first. I'm starving. Go get me a bucket of bread to tide me over, and I'll relieve you in a bit."

“Okay, same as always, I’ll be on duty first.” Ah Liang nodded, sat up straight, gripped the steering wheel tightly, and stared intently at the gate of the residential area in the distance, as if Liu Shishi’s Mercedes would emerge from it at any moment.

As dawn broke, the dilapidated van stood quietly by the roadside not far away, looking out of place among the surrounding buildings.

Inside the car, Yu Ge stared blankly at the grand entrance of Tomson Riviera in the distance. His greasy hair clung to his scalp, his stubble grew wildly, and his weary face spoke of the hardship of a night of staking out.

Just then, he suddenly saw the Mercedes-Benz from yesterday slowly driving out of Tomson Riviera. In that instant, his tired eyes suddenly brightened, and his slumped body immediately straightened up.

He reached out and slapped the driver, Ah Liang, on his left, anxiously waking him up: "Ah Liang, wake up, keep up!" Yu Ge's voice was excited, unable to hide the excitement in his tone, like a wild beast that had spotted its prey in the dark.

Ah Liang suddenly woke up with a start, his body instinctively leaning forward, almost hitting the steering wheel. His eyes were still sleepy, but the moment he heard those words, he reflexively started the car.

"Quick, over there!" Brother Yu pointed the way and urged his underlings.

In the early morning, there were few vehicles on the streets, and the roads were empty, making it easy to follow. Ah Liang slowly steered the wheel, but a sense of unease lingered in his heart.

"Brother Yu, that Volkswagen was protecting the Mercedes. I didn't notice it yesterday because there were so many cars on the road, but now that I think about it, it seems like that car was there yesterday too."

"Celebrities usually have assistants when they travel. The person in the Volkswagen is probably Liu Shishi's assistant. We don't even know if Liu Shishi is in the car yet, but let's just go along for now."

Ah Liang said no more, but slowed down slightly to create some distance so as not to reveal their intentions. Since things had come to this, they could only follow the Mercedes and find out who the owner was.

More than half an hour later, the Mercedes finally stopped. Ah Liang quickly parked his car in a secluded corner and kept an eye on the Mercedes' movements.

"That's right, this is the place, the location of the 'Du Lala's Promotion' film crew. Liu Shishi is definitely in the car, no doubt about it!"

After saying that, Brother Yu put his hands together and muttered, "Amitabha, God bless... Let us get some useful footage."

Without needing to be reminded, Ahai also set up his camera, the lens steadily pointed forward, ready to take a picture at any time.

A moment later, the Mercedes door opened, and as the three paparazzi had expected, the elegant Tangren Media's top female star stepped gracefully out of the car, like a dazzling pearl, attracting everyone's attention.

"Damn, that aura and presence are amazing." Ah Hai, witnessing everything through the camera lens, couldn't help but whisper his praise.

Liu Shishi wore a beige long dress, the hem of which swayed gently. She stepped out of the car with a dignified and graceful posture, every movement elegant and natural, exuding a captivating charm.

Her stunning beauty and slender figure captivated the three paparazzi.

Immediately afterwards, as the group eagerly awaited, a tall and upright man got out of the car from the other side, walked around the front of the Mercedes, and came to Liu Shishi's side.

Their eyes met, and Tangren's top female star threw herself into the man's arms, clinging tightly to his waist.

"That's great, Ah Hai, hurry up and take the picture!" Brother Yu's face was flushed with excitement as he hurriedly instructed his younger brother.

Ahai frantically pressed the shutter button, muttering to himself, "Turn around, turn around quickly!"

The man and Liu Shishi were embracing, but due to the angle, although he could clearly capture Liu Shishi's beautiful face, the man was facing away from the camera.

If the man's face isn't captured, this near-perfect candid shot will become a flaw.

(End of this chapter)