A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 197 Conflict
I met with Liu Luanxiong, also known as Liu Da, at noon.

Judging by appearance alone, he is a truly ordinary man.

After a brief handshake and a few pleasantries, the lawyers and accountants began their rapid review, auditing, and verification process. There were many procedures to go through, but the two of them tacitly fell silent—they were not familiar with each other to begin with.

He did offer her a cigarette, but Lin Jianlu waved her hand, indicating that she would protect her voice and not smoke.

It took a good thirty or forty minutes for the accountant and lawyer to finish their work, and they each signed their names.

Once the money is transferred within three working days, Lin Jianlu will own 40% of the shares in Wantong Building. With the contract and payment receipts, he can go to the relevant Hong Kong government agencies at any time to change the ownership.

The accountants and lawyers left, and Lin Xilei, carrying documents, began to instruct the hotel waiters to serve the dishes—it was time to clink glasses. However, what was thought to be a simple business meeting where everyone would exchange pleasantries and eat a few bites was unexpected. Da Liu seemed to be relieved and gradually became more enthusiastic, clinking glasses with Lin Jianlu three times in a row.

Gradually, they were able to strike up a conversation. After their third toast, he took a sip and remarked, "To be honest, if I weren't afraid of the debt chain collapsing, I would never have sold these shares so cheaply. I bet that within ten years, Hong Kong's real estate market will definitely return to its peak of 93 and 94! You bought them for 1.66 million now, and by 2007, these shares will be worth at least 4 million! That's at least double!"

Lin Jianlu smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words! I hope so."

In fact, Lin Jianlu felt that if he could spend HK$450 million to acquire the entire Wantong Building, renovate it, and increase its value, then in 2007, ten years later, this 32,000-square-meter commercial building should be worth three to four billion HKD. Of course, there was no need to rush to sell a commercial building. Once the market recovered, the annual rent alone would be a huge sum. He would wait until 2012, or even 2015, before considering selling it. He estimated that it would be worth at least seven to eight billion HKD!

Twenty years, twenty times, that's not an exaggeration. The key is that this is real property. As long as Hong Kong real estate doesn't collapse, its mortgage value is too high, which is very beneficial for future financial operations. In addition, it also helps to enhance one's status and influence in Hong Kong society as a whole—Hong Kong people have great respect for people who own buildings.

Actors and singers, no matter how rich they are, are called entertainers.

If you buy a commercial building and collect rent, then people will respect you and address you respectfully as "Mr. Lin".

They ate and drank, and chatted casually.

Lau seemed to be deliberately avoiding the topic, so Lin Jianlu didn't bring it up either—in fact, when the two of them sat together, business and the financial crisis shouldn't have been the main topics. The most appropriate topic between them was Rosamund Kwan, but Lau didn't seem to have any intention of bringing it up.

Aunt Kwan doesn't shy away from her time with Lau. She herself said that Lau treated her very well at the time, and she enjoyed the extravagant lifestyle he provided. However, later, with the entry of Li Jiaxin, a rather formidable woman, Kwan described her as "smart yet mercenary" and "cunning yet deceitful." In short, she was a woman that Kwan wanted to avoid after meeting her and didn't want to have anything to do with. When Lau became infatuated with her, Kwan immediately broke up with him and took the initiative to avoid him.

Sure enough, Li Jiaxin soon started dating Lau, and the relationship lasted for about five years. They broke up around 1994 or 1995. According to Lau himself in an interview last year, or perhaps he was just bragging, he spent "at least hundreds of millions" on Li Jiaxin, but "didn't get a little bit of love from her"—he provided Li Jiaxin with one million Hong Kong dollars for expenses every month, and also gave her a luxury house worth more than 20 million, a diamond ring worth 30 million, and so on.

However, according to rumors, Lau was very disgusted by Li Jiaxin's shrewdness, aggressiveness, and attempts to infiltrate his family, which is why he ultimately chose to break up with her. But according to another rumor, Li Jiaxin had made enough money and realized that Lau would not marry her, so she decisively chose to break up with him.

It's impossible to tell the real from the fake; even Lin Jianlu is too lazy to tell.

However, Aunt Guan mentioned something: in late 95 and early 96, Lau tried to win her back. It is said that he "regretted it" and thought that Li Jiaxin was "not even one ten-thousandth as good as you." But Guan Zhilin was no longer a young girl in her early twenties at that time, and she was not so short of money. In her own words, "He doesn't have much masculine charm" and "Actually, he is an insecure person," so she politely declined.

Then comes the story of Aunt Thirteen pursuing the womanizing playboy Lin Jianlu.

Yeah, it's still sleeping with other girls, sharing the same bed.

As the meal was about to end, Da Liu turned his head and glanced at Lin Xilei, who had been sitting in the corner of the private room with a folder, neither eating nor drinking. He seemed to be filled with many thoughts and suddenly asked, "Mr. Lin, I've always been curious, what does it feel like for a handsome guy to pick up girls?"

Lin Jianlu paused for a moment, then laughed, "Are you really that interested? Want to know?"

He thought about it for a moment, then remained silent for a while before shaking his head. "Never mind."

Lin Jianlu couldn't help but laugh again.

Honestly, he's a really smart man. Regardless of what Aunt Guan says about him, just look at how Lau dared to offer a 50% discount to get ahead of the competition when the crisis happened, and even lowered the price to a shockingly low 1.66 million to get cash as soon as possible. That shows he's definitely a top-notch smart man.

Regardless of his interpersonal skills or his ability to seduce girls, his business acumen is absolutely top-notch!

Now, after just one meal together, I can gradually understand where Aunt Guan's comments about him came from. But to be honest, only Rosamund Kwan has the right to criticize Lau.

If Da Liu were willing to lower his standards when looking for a girlfriend, basically every girl would have to fawn over him.

For some reason... Da Liu seems to be somewhat inferior in the face of absolute beauty. Even if the person sitting opposite him is a man, he will shy away and not dare to look at someone as beautiful as himself.

Then it's inevitable that Aunt Guan would give him that kind of evaluation.

Li Jiaxin, being "cunning and treacherous," was able to see through him quickly. Over the course of several years, she swindled hundreds of millions from him and managed to escape unscathed. He was powerless against her and even harbored some lingering affection for her, which made things quite natural.

Liu lit a cigarette, then turned to look at Lin Xilei again, and suddenly said, "Although I'm rich and have dated so many beautiful girlfriends, to be honest, I've always felt like a failure in relationships... Hey, considering how cheaply I sold you my shares and helped you make a fortune, could you give me some pointers on why you're so successful? Why are so many girls willing to live in your house?... Like that lady, so beautiful, yet she doesn't seem arrogant at all when she's with you. We're sitting here eating, and she's just sitting there obediently, helping you with your documents!"

Lin Jianlu turned to look at Lin Xilei, who happened to have heard it and was looking over in surprise. Lin Jianlu smiled again, "Mr. Liu, in Hong Kong, you are a well-known Casanova! Do you still want to complain about failure?"

Da Liu waved his hand and flicked his cigarette ash. "I'm a loser! Don't laugh at me. Share some of your experiences."

Ok……

The fact that he could acquire 40% of the shares of Wantong Building for HK$1.66 million did make Lin Jianlu feel more at ease, and he also subconsciously felt a bit like he was taking advantage of someone's misfortune.

Even if you interpret it from another perspective as helping others out of trouble, there's absolutely no problem with it.

"If I said I know absolutely nothing about dating, would you believe me, Mr. Liu?"

"How is that possible! You're so good at picking up girls, and they're all so beautiful, yet they can accept you having so many girlfriends at the same time and still live peacefully in the same house! If you want to say you don't know how to date... how is that possible! No one in Hong Kong would believe you!"

Lin Jianlu laughed, tore off a piece of paper, wiped his mouth, and that was the end of the meal. Then he got up, took the cigarette case from Da Liu's side, knocked out a cigarette, and Da Liu subconsciously struck a lighter and bent down to light it for him.

Lin Jianlu took a deep drag, flashed the cigarette in her hand at him, and said, "I'll make an exception for what you just said, have one." She then took another drag before beginning her sermon, "My view is that love doesn't exist. It's a concept that humans created to satisfy their biological instinct for reproduction!"

"Similarly, the idea that feelings can develop over time simply doesn't exist."

"A woman can only fall in love with a man at first sight!"

"The reason is simple: a man's status, physique, strength, power, wealth, and of course, appearance—all of these are interpreted by a woman as ecological niche information in human society. She can easily understand where you stand. So, when your position is higher than hers in her mind, or even surpasses most of the men in her circle, then this woman will automatically become aroused."

"Eros, animalistic estrus! Irrational, instinctive behavior! And the social education humans receive from childhood will consciously interpret this estrus as love, as love at first sight!"

"And once a woman is aroused, from holding hands to kissing to going to bed, it can all happen within an hour!"

"Everything is going naturally and smoothly, without any obstacles, because she is in heat! She is looking forward to mating! Mating is her honor, and she will have a strong sense of accomplishment and honor."

"She thinks she got the better deal!"

"Conversely, the women you need to pursue are most likely not interested in you, meaning they're not interested in you! The so-called pursuit of a woman is essentially about pleasing a woman who isn't interested in you! No matter how clever your methods are, in the end, your experience will be almost as painful as eating shit!"

"In the end, it will almost certainly end in a hasty and unsatisfactory manner."

"Women can't be chased. You can only attract them to come to you by making yourself valuable enough. If you're not valuable enough, you should honestly improve yourself and work on your skills. Once you've improved, then you can come out and show off! To put it another way, even if you manage to win over a woman who isn't attracted to you, it just means that a painful experience for you is about to begin."

"Because you are not someone who can simply stand there and arouse her, every little detail of your interactions with her will make her feel like she's at a disadvantage. Then she will try every means to suppress you, exploit you, bully you, accuse you, and despise you, making you suffer every day!"

"You might ask me, many of those beautiful love stories from youth weren't even a perfect match between men and women. Was it because the girl's perception of the boy's ecological niche was higher than her own? I would answer you, yes."

"It's just that at those innocent and naive ages, neither boys nor girls have a complete understanding of how society works, so their judgments of each other are actually heavily influenced by idealism! But the general rule remains the same! Boys like pretty girls and older sisters who care for them. Girls, on the other hand, either like handsome guys, or those with excellent academic performance, and some even like those who are good at fighting! But there are also some precocious girls who know the importance of money from a very young age."

"And these qualities—being handsome, academically successful, good at fighting, or rich—are niche information."

Da Liu was already dumbfounded.

Just then, Lin Jianlu raised her hand and stubbed out her cigarette, then said with a smile, "That concludes my answer."

Then he stood up and extended his hand, "Mr. Liu, it's a pleasure to meet you." Liu, somewhat dazed and stiff, also stood up and shook hands with Lin Jianlu, "A single conversation with you is worth ten years of study! You truly understand women!"

…………

As soon as the elevator doors closed after they entered, Lin Xilei couldn't help but glance at her sideways.

Lin Jianlu didn't even look at her, and said directly, "Say what you have to say, or spit it out! ...No, if you have something to say, hold it in until you get out of the elevator!"

Lin Xilei didn't speak, but instead of glancing sideways, she looked at him openly and honestly.

Lin Jianlu finally turned her head to look over.

Lin Xilei said, "Brother, you understand women so well! What should I do if... I'm in heat too?"

Lin Jianlu glanced at her, "Nothing to do! Figure it out yourself!"

The elevator door opens.

As soon as Lin Jianlu stepped out, a bodyguard who was sitting in the rest area immediately stood up, and another who was smoking by the door immediately threw down his cigarette. The two of them came over quickly, one in front and one behind, looking ahead and behind, escorting Lin Jianlu and Lin Xilei all the way out of the first floor of the building.

Lin Xilei didn't let the topic go, pressing on as she spoke: "How can you solve this by yourself! You can't solve it by yourself, brother! Please help me!"

Lin Jianlu casually raised her right hand and, with a BIU, flicked her forehead.

…………

Filming.

Tang Jili gradually became irritable.

As the male lead, the biggest financial backer, and the investor, this person not only has personal matters that frequently delay filming, but even when filming is in progress, he is always dissatisfied. Yet, he dares not vent his anger on Lin Jianlu.

It can only be more subtle than tactful, even proactively praising, "You performed so well in 'Believer'! Your eye acting is actually particularly good! Keep it up, keep it up, be a little more surprised, just a little bit more!"

After filming for two or three days, Lin Jianlu already knew exactly what kind of person she was.

Moreover... actually, he didn't even need to wait until these last couple of days. Back when the music video was being filmed, he already knew what he was doing. At the time, a large group of top-tier directors and actors in China were there, teaching him acting step by step. Jiang Wen, as the production assistant, even showed him directly what kind of eyes and expressions he should use, and he learned from them. After the music video was released, his performance, whether it was anger, grief, or sharpness, was basically spot on, and he received a lot of praise. However, he knew in his heart that it was all honed through repeated practice, or rather, learned.

However, it's nothing, no regrets.

Having transmigrated into this body and with this face, and being good at singing, I was given this voice in return. I basically have no complaints. Even if I am God's favorite son, I should still be given some flaws and shortcomings. My acting skills are still good enough in front of women. If I can't act well in front of the camera, then I can't act well!

After yelling "Cut!" again, Tang Jili stood up and whispered to Zhang Yimou, glancing over every now and then. Lin Jianlu couldn't help but scratch his head, then he waved to Lin Xilei, called her over, took his phone, and dialed Jiang Wen's number. "Hey, Lao Jiang, are you free? Hmm, put that script aside for now. Come on, tell me, I'm filming a movie, and the director thinks I can't act. You come and teach me!"

Jiang Wen agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Well, that's only because of Lin Jianlu's good relationship with him. If it were someone else, without even considering whether Jiang Wen would agree, no one would even bother to call a big director or movie star like him to come and teach them how to act.

With Jiang Wen's personality, even if you paid someone, they might not come.

Of course, Zhang Yimou is also a film emperor and a very good actor, but his acting is too simple. Back when he was filming the music video, everyone realized that he couldn't teach Lin Jianlu those cool and stylish performances.

But Jiang Wenxing.

Jiang Wen has always been particularly good at showcasing his masculine charm.

In other words, he's a master at looking cool.

Tang Jili and Zhang Yimou walked over together, Tang Jili's smile a little stiff. "I didn't mean you can't act! You just need a little more adjustment! Let Director Zhang tell you, it's mainly because I'm a bit slow and not very good at directing actors! Otherwise, this scene would have been over long ago!"

Lin Jianlu smiled and punched him in the chest, "Get lost! No need to flatter me! I know I'm a bad actor!"

Everyone laughed, and Tang Jili's embarrassment disappeared.

Then Hung Kam-po also came over.

The three directors worked together to try to help Lin Jianlu find the precise expression for that face.

But at that moment, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the studio. The four people were talking, and the noise grew louder and louder. Soon, someone burst in, and the group of people at the door didn't dare to stop them. Lin Jianlu looked up and was slightly stunned. It was Lin Jianyue!

Zhang Yimou is probably not familiar with him, but Hong Kong people, especially those in the entertainment industry, generally know him.

His family has been in charge of ATV for quite some time, and he, Lin Jianyue, is specifically in charge of ATV. So, those in the entertainment industry always have to give the second young master of the Lin family some face. In addition, Lin Jianyue has always been a very famous rich second-generation and playboy in Hong Kong, and has been rumored to have affairs with many female stars, often making the headlines of entertainment newspapers. So, even the lowest-level production assistants and lighting technicians in the film and television industry know him.

For example, at this moment, Tang Jili and Hong Jinbao were disturbed by the noise outside. Their first instinct was to frown and look very angry. However, when they saw that the person who barged in was Lin Jianyue, their anger immediately disappeared. Their next action was to turn their heads to look at Lin Jianlu in unison.

Next, the two of them, as if by unspoken agreement, looked at Wang Zuxian, who was sitting quietly in a corner of the studio waiting for his turn—the feud between Lin Jianlu and Lin Jianyue had been going on for months and a year, and had already spread throughout Hong Kong.

It was initially said that they kidnapped a woman, and well, that woman is sitting right here!
But recently, things have turned around. Lin Jianlu has been provocatively expressing his intention to acquire the Furama Hotel and ATV. There were even rumors that he would take advantage of the low price to acquire Lai Sun Development. Lin Jianyue, who used to attack Lin Jianlu quite fiercely, suddenly published an apology a few days ago, which surprised the entire Hong Kong public. Even if the Lin family suffered in the financial crisis, they are still a wealthy family with billions of Hong Kong dollars in wealth and connections. As the second young master of the Lin family and the recognized future leader of the family, Lin Jianyue would actually take the initiative to publish an apology to Lin Jianlu.

"Lin Jianlu! Don't go too far! ATV belongs to the Lin family, and we will never sell it to you! You opportunistic scoundrel! You hypocrite!"

Tang Jili instinctively grabbed Lin Jianlu's arm.

I'm afraid he'll hit someone!

In that corner, Wang Zuxian had already stood up. He paused for a moment, then quickly walked towards Lin Jianlu.

But the next moment, Lin Jianlu shook off Tang Jili's arm.

Instead of showing anger, he walked towards Lin Jianyue with a smile.

"Young Master Lin! I heard you've been kicked out of the house by your father? What, you just got the news? It's not too late! Go back and have a talk with your father, try to persuade him not to sell!"

Lin Jianyue was stunned for a moment and couldn't answer.

It was completely different from what he had imagined: Lin Jianlu would fly into a rage and try to hit him, and of course, he would be stopped by the crew—he wasn't Zhang Jianting, and these people were all in the entertainment industry. How could they dare to watch him, the second young master of the Lin family and the true head of ATV, get beaten without stopping him? Did they still want to make a living?

Lin Jianlu, this northerner, wasn't angry?

I've already used the most vulgar language imaginable!

While he was still in a daze, Lin Jianlu had already walked up to him, his eyes narrowed slightly, his smile gradually faded, and his gaze turned sharp—at this moment, his acting skills were so natural that he didn't even need to act to be particularly sharp!
"But... if you want to talk to me, whether to sell or not, your dad has to come!"

You are not qualified to speak to me!

"Because you have no money, you're a pauper!"

"And I have a large sum of money to save your father and your Lin family!"

"Do you understand, my dear nephew?"

(End of this chapter)