A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 140 Big Scandal

Within thirty or forty minutes, Xue Zhongding came running over with a stack of fax papers.

Lin Xilei and Liu Xiaoli returned even before him.

Ge Fuhong was on a plane flying back to Hong Kong, but her agency had a lot of people on hand. Upon receiving the message, they saw that it was about Lin Jianlu and immediately contacted Lin Xilei, and then Zhang Aijia.

Zhang Aijia was in Taiwan preparing for the Golden Horse Awards ceremony, but she still quickly got involved.

So soon after, the fax machine at Rolling Stone's capital city started spitting out paper.

Everyone is actually waiting.

Only Lin Jianlu remained relatively relaxed. When he saw Lao Xue rushing in, he invited him to sit down, poured him a cup of tea, and then took the cup to look at it.

"Oh..."

This is a newspaper called "Entertainment Express". I don't know how influential it is in Hong Kong, but with this report, it will probably become famous. The entire newspaper's masthead and headline are huge, bold and black: "Lam Kin-lu One Shot, Two Holes, Traveling to New York with Two Beauties".

Below the title, there was no report, only a huge photo.

Lin Jianlu held Chen Hong's hand with one hand and Yu Feihong's hand with the other.

The photography is excellent; the lighting and camera angles are superb. All three main subjects are captured clearly and beautifully—judging from the street scene, that should be the Dior store in New York in the background. The three women are all wearing black wool coats. Chen Hong paired hers with a green scarf, black trousers, and flat leather boots, while Yu Feihong wore a white scarf, wide-leg jeans, and white sneakers.

You know what, from an outsider's perspective, the three of them are quite a good match, the man is handsome and the woman is beautiful.

"Two holes in one stroke... damn it!"

It's widely acknowledged that Hong Kong media outlets are foul-mouthed.

This isn't just a current phenomenon; in fact, Lin Jianlu knew this in her past life. Whenever something happens in the entertainment industry, the first thing to look at is the headlines given by the Hong Kong media. They are always apt, sarcastic, and even come with a humorous element.

Occasionally, when short video platforms come across gossip from the last century, Hong Kong media reports are always brought up.

Li Lianjie divorced and married Li Zhi. Hong Kong media reported, "A thousand pieces of affection cannot compare to four ounces of breasts."

A baby girl gave birth, according to Hong Kong media reports, in the context of "artificial humans".

Li Jiaxin married Xu Jingheng, a second-generation rich man. Hong Kong media reported, "A luxury bus drove into a luxury home."

Of course, with the overall decline of Hong Kong and Taiwan, there were no longer so many charismatic figures with sharp wit, and the headlines of Hong Kong media gradually declined, eventually leaving only sensationalism.

Jay Chou bought a new motorcycle and test-rode it. Hong Kong media reported, "Jay Chou rides his new love in a dark alley."

Lin Yun lost weight for filming "The Mermaid," which caused her to stop menstruating. Hong Kong media reported that "Lin Yun stopped menstruating for four months to satisfy Stephen Chow."

These are just a few examples; frankly, the sensationalist headlines of later online media pale in comparison to those of Hong Kong media. In contrast, even Lin Jianlu himself considers headlines like "Lin Jianlu's One Shot, Two Holes" to be somewhat hasty and lacking in irony.

Look at the second page; well, there's a large section reporting on the topic of "one shot, two holes."

There are also many accompanying pictures, most of which show Lin Jianlu interacting intimately with Chen Hong or Yu Feihong.

There was even a brief introduction to Chen Hong's character on the side.

How popular she is in mainland China is a minor matter, and Hong Kong media don't really care. However, her drama "Plum Blossom Trilogy: Between Water and Clouds" was quite popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and Hong Kong media also recognized her as a great beauty.

However, there is virtually no information about Yu Feihong, and it seems quite difficult to find information about her.

The report ended with a cliffhanger—well, Zhang Aijia just said on the phone that although she couldn't guess how they managed to get to New York and track and photograph them so precisely, just from the published photos, she knew they had been stalking in New York for more than just a day or two. Considering the lack of communication between the two places, the paparazzi must have followed the plane there, which is how they were able to pinpoint Lin Jianlu and her group so accurately.

So, tomorrow we'll probably hear about recording an English song?

What else can they say about me? That I changed jobs?
It doesn't matter.

Xu Qing and Lin Qingxia both came over to look. When they finished reading, Lin Jianlu casually stuffed the document into Xu Qing's arms, saying, "I thought it was something serious, go ahead and report it!"

When she actually handed it to her, Xu Qing stopped looking at it, her face showing displeasure. Her princess-like temper suddenly flared up, "You're such an honest person, not a single lie! I still remember that night I asked you to marry me, and you said there were more than a dozen people in line ahead of you, and I didn't believe you! Well! It's all true!" As she spoke, she stopped looking at the fax in her hand, leaned forward, and shoved it into Lin Qingxia's hand.

Lin Qingxia chuckled.

Lin Jianlu laughed heartily, put his arm around Zhang Aijia's shoulder, and then picked up his phone to call her back. "Hello... yeah, I saw it. One shot, two holes, so be it! Say whatever you want!"

Sylvia Chang had already come to her senses, and all she could do now was sigh, "Brother, the Golden Horse Awards ceremony is on the 14th. Aren't you afraid those reporters will block you from getting into the venue? Besides, do you know that your reputation in Hong Kong is becoming increasingly polarized? Many Hong Kong people are starting to dislike you, you know that?"

"Hmm, I kind of get it. It's like it's saying I'm unruly, deliberately arrogant, or something else?"

He turned to Brigitte Lin and asked her, who was reading a news report. When she heard this, she looked up and laughed, "Recently, people have been saying that you've run out of ideas! There are also quite a few people writing articles in the newspaper criticizing the two songs you wrote for Ms. Su Huilun's new album."

"Ah, so he's run out of ideas... Well, so be it!"

Lin Jianlu's words left Zhang Aijia speechless—"Has he run out of talent? Please! You've all run out of talent, but this one hasn't!"
"So, there are a lot of reporters downstairs right now. How do you expect me to answer them?"

Lin Jianlu thought for a moment and said, "Just tell them I asked you to pass on a message: 'The photos are great!'"

"The photos are good?"

"Ah."

"it is good!"

…………

A single report sparked a storm of controversy.

Lin Jianlu didn't care, but there were plenty of people who did.

Media outlets on both sides of the Taiwan Strait started reporting on him as early as noon, and by evening, various television programs began airing his story—Lin Jianlu is so popular and has such a huge fan base that any report or discussion about him can easily garner viewership. His only worry is not having any topics to discuss!
Once a topic comes up, of course we'll jump on it immediately!

In fact, while rumors about Lin Jianlu are not uncommon, people are getting tired and numb to the stories about Brigitte Lin, Leung Wing-ki, Su Hui-lun, and Chen Shu-hua. Rosamund Kwan has also been keeping a low profile lately, not providing any topics for discussion, so his rumors seem less attractive for a while. But in reality, once a new person comes along, the topic immediately explodes again!
To put it bluntly, Lin Jianlu has only been famous for half a year. He is handsome enough, his reputation as a talented man is firmly established, his songs are popular enough, and his status as the first diamond album in the Chinese music scene is also solid enough... He is far from being washed up!

Hong Kong and Taiwan fans haven't had enough of their favorite songs yet!
Moreover, there is a very special factor. Hong Kong and Taiwanese media have also discussed this, although it has never become a major trend. However, whether people admit it or not, many insiders have tacitly accepted it as a fact—Lin Jianlu is not just handsome. He is tall, has a tough temperament, and carries the characteristics of a northern man or a soldier. This makes Hong Kong people and Taiwanese people subconsciously admire and like him.

Southerners generally lack the tough, masculine qualities often found in northerners.

After the incident of Lin Jianlu assaulting someone came out, his image immediately became even more assertive.

However, while the meaning is roughly the same, Zhang Aijia's statement was more alarming when they talked about it two or three months ago. She said that whether it is Hong Kong or Taiwan, whether it is a wealthy merchant or a commoner, they all have extremely complicated feelings towards the capital—both contempt and fear, both admiration and disdain.

In her view, the instant success of "Cold to the End" and the immediate fame of Lin Jianlu are related to this common sentiment. Lin Jianlu is considered by Hong Kong and Taiwanese people to be a relatively ideal representative of the capital city.

Handsome, dashing, and tough, with a formidable fist in critical moments, yet also talented, witty, and charming. If you speak politely, he seems surprisingly flexible. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, people generally perceive such a person as easy to get along with, someone they are more willing to interact with, and someone who doesn't feel humiliated.

It doesn't matter.

However, not long after Ge Fuhong's plane landed in Hong Kong that evening, she called and briefly described the trend of discussion in the Hong Kong evening newspapers and television programs about the matter. It seemed to confirm what Zhang Aijia had said two months earlier—while many criticized Lin Jianlu for being a womanizer, many of the comments actually expressed envy for Lin Jianlu's good fortune in having women on both sides.

The photos, large and small, published in Entertainment Express were analyzed one by one by Hong Kong TV programs, with a focus on the looks of the two beauties.

Well, the Hong Kong media gave them a nickname that's hard to say whether it's elegant or not: "The Two Beauties of the North".

She is considered a top-tier beauty comparable to Brigitte Lin, Rosamund Kwan, Wang Zuxian, and Li Jiaxin.

The notorious lewd commentator Wong Chien said on a TV show that with two from Taiwan, two from Hong Kong, and two from the capital, it's a tie, so they should be called the "Six Beauties of Greater China." He also praised Lam Kin-lu as a "beauty pageant expert" and suggested he should be a judge for next year's Miss Hong Kong pageant. He further boasted that he would visit Lam Kin-lu in the capital soon to have drinks, and that he would definitely make him bring his two hidden beauties to meet him.

Ah……

Of course, the exact words that Sylvia Chang said during her interview in Taipei that afternoon, which were Lin Chien-lu's "original words," also made the front page of many evening newspapers that evening.

"Great photos!"
His response to the rumors was unprecedented in the entire Hong Kong and Taiwan entertainment industry.

(End of this chapter)