I quickly smiled and said, "Mr. Thorin, I think you must have misunderstood. Ms. Yang Wei is just a good friend of mine. Our relationship is not what you imagine."
"Really? Then it seems I misunderstood... In that case, I think you don't need to worry anymore. Come on, my friend. I'll introduce you to some pretty girls." He smiled and looked around, lowering his voice to me in a knowing tone, "Chen Yang, look, there are all sorts of pretty girls here. Don't you find any that interest you? You know, my old Thorin's parties are very famous in Canada." I couldn't help but feel a little absurd, but right now, Thorin and I were in the honeymoon phase of our relationship, and I couldn't refuse his kindness. After thinking for a moment, I looked around and then pointed to a beautiful woman in a fiery red off-the-shoulder evening gown standing in the distance: "That lady, she looks kind of familiar..."
The beautiful woman in the distance was facing me at a 45-degree angle. And I must say, after just one glance, there's no doubt that she was the most stunning girl I saw in the entire venue!
She had soft blonde hair, and her fiery red evening gown perfectly accentuated her sexy figure. Of course, what attracted me most was her face. Western women generally have more defined facial features, which look good from a distance. However, upon closer inspection, many flaws become apparent. But this girl's face was more exquisite than I had ever seen before (compared to Caucasian girls). Full lips, deep blue eyes, a straight nose… and a slightly childlike smile…
Without a doubt, she must be an absolute beauty. I stared at her for a couple of seconds, and then I heard old Thorin next to me laugh and say, "Oh, my friend, it seems you don't follow the entertainment industry very often."
"Oh, is she a celebrity?" I couldn't help but take a second look at this beautiful woman. Indeed, she had a captivating aura.
Thorin laughed. He waved and called out, "Oh, Jessica, darling, what are you doing here all alone?" Then he led me toward the beautiful woman.
I was slightly embarrassed, but I quickly calmed down; after all, I'm not some clueless lad who's never seen a woman before. This beautiful woman had a pair of very captivating big eyes, and she wasn't wearing heavy makeup. Even up close, her features were still so delicate and charming, which surprised me greatly.
"Alright, my friend, let me introduce you. Jessica Alba, Hollywood's most beautiful darling. Jessica, let me introduce you to Mr. Chen Yang, Canada's most promising young man, a future power and wealthier, and the true controller of Vancouver on our west coast."
The beautiful woman was clearly surprised. Her lovely eyes glanced at me with curiosity, probably wondering why someone of Thorin's status would introduce a young Chinese man like me with such formality. However, she quickly smiled calmly, revealing her white teeth: "Hello, please call me Jess." She then extended her hand to me.
Her hands were so soft, and her skin was so beautiful… which surprised me as well. Western women's skin usually looks very fair, but it often feels quite rough to the touch. Jessica's hands, however, were so delicate and her skin was as smooth as milk.
I coughed, touched my nose, and said with a wry smile, "Miss Alba, have I seen you before? Why do you look so familiar?"
Jessica smiled. Her smile was truly captivating. I noticed several men nearby were looking in our direction; it seemed some had been about to approach her, but seeing Thorin standing there, they wisely refrained.
“Chen Yang, it seems you don’t watch movies often. Jess is currently the most promising newcomer. Hmm… by the way, have you seen Fantastic Four?” Old Thorin smiled.
I smiled wryly and said, "I'm sorry, I really rarely watch movies and I don't pay much attention to the entertainment industry."
Jessica chuckled appropriately, "Mr. Thorin, alright, if you continue like this, I'll feel very embarrassed." Then she winked at me and smiled, "Chen... um, are you Chinese?"
I had barely nodded when Thorin made up an excuse and left.
"So, you're a movie actress?" I was still very curious about her because she was indeed very beautiful, and her beauty had a strange mischievousness to it. You couldn't help but find it strange that such an innocent and playful quality could be found in a mature, alluring, and sexy woman. This peculiar quality was undoubtedly the most attractive thing about her.
“Yes. And you? What do you do?” Jessica seemed very composed, as if she was very experienced and adept at dealing with men’s advances.
“Oh, I do some business. I live in Vancouver and I’m currently working on a business deal with Mr. Sorin, which is why I’m in Toronto and it’s a pleasure to meet you here.”
“Oh…” Jessica’s eyes sparkled, and her smile became even more alluring: “Doing business with Mr. Thorin…it seems your business is quite large.”
I didn't want to talk about myself. I couldn't very well tell a stunningly beautiful woman that I was a gangster involved in murder, arson, and smuggling, could I? So I just smiled casually and said, "What about you? Being a movie star must be really fun."
A hint of sadness flickered in Jessica's eyes, casting a shadow over her smile and making it less bright. But as an actress, she still smiled casually: "Why not? It's actually very simple. I just act in movies, take photos, pose in front of the camera, and then take the checks back to buy myself sports cars and villas... You see, life is actually very simple. I'm here for a promotional event for one of my movies. But I'm going back to LA tomorrow, so tonight is my last night here."
We chatted casually for a while longer, and I noticed she didn't like to talk much about herself. She seemed particularly reluctant to discuss the films she'd made, but she was quite interested in me, given my yellow skin and black hair. It intrigued her that a Chinese person would be at such a high-level event, and even be treated like a VIP by the Canadian underworld kingpin, Thorin. All of this inevitably piqued her interest.
I was still quite curious about Hollywood, after all, it's the world's recognized hub of film production. Jessica and I talked for a full ten minutes. Finally, Jessica looked at me silently for a moment, then suddenly gave a wry smile: "God... how many roundabout ways are you going to beat me up before you finally ask me out?"
I was taken aback, somewhat surprised by her boldness. Jessica looked at me, her charming smile still tinged with a hint of mischief: "Hey, you really are the worst pick-up artist I've ever seen... Are all Chinese people this reserved? If you just want to hit on me, want to ask me out, then just... ask me out, OK?"
I touched my nose, feeling genuinely embarrassed. "I think you've misunderstood, Jess... I just... um, I didn't mean to hit on you. Oh, I mean you're very charming and beautiful, but I didn't mean to. I was just curious about you. I was standing there just now and felt like I'd seen you somewhere before, so I thought I'd come over and talk to you. It's that simple."
“Oh…” Jessica winked at me… I have to say, when she blinked, the gesture made her look like a Barbie doll: “I thought you thought I was an unattractive woman… But you’re strange, because you look good, you’re handsome, and you should be rich, so why doesn’t a man like you have a female companion at this kind of banquet? Even if you don’t have a female companion, you should be able to easily find one here. But you don’t seem interested in me at all.”
I was speechless... American women are all so bold. Perhaps it's a bit unusual for people from the East, but American girls generally have this kind of personality. It's a result of their culture.
"Uh...actually, I have a female companion." I smiled, but quickly retorted, "And you? Beautiful lady, how come a beauty like you isn't accompanied by a gentleman at such an event?"
A hint of annoyance flashed in Jessica's eyes, but she quickly smiled and said, "You see, I'm a lady, and ladies have the right to refuse to answer questions, so I won't answer your question for now." After she finished speaking, she chuckled softly, "If you were trying to beat around the bush by asking if I'm single... I can tell you that I am, but of course you can't tell the reporter that."
A lovely, straightforward girl. I smiled.
Just then, I saw Yang Wei approaching from afar. I still had something to say to Yang Wei, so I quickly explained to Jessica and prepared to leave. Before leaving, I thought for a moment, then took out a business card from my pocket. These were some of my specially made personal business cards; I don't carry many on me, and I certainly don't give them away casually. I took one out and handed it to Jessica: "Okay, I have to go now. I really like your personality, and I hope we can have the opportunity to be friends. This is my phone number."
Jessica took the business card with two fingers, glanced at it, and saw that it only had my name and a phone number on it, without any other titles or information, and it was also very simply made.
A slight, captivating smile curved her lips. Then, she glanced at me with alluring eyes, and right before my eyes, she casually slipped the business card between two fingers, tucking it into the blouse of her evening gown—right against her ample bosom.
Seeing how she carefully tucked my flat surface away, the action almost made me have a nosebleed... Jessica smiled at me: "I'll call you, goodbye."
As I turned to leave, I could still feel my heart racing.
I exchanged a glance with Yang Wei from a distance, and then we walked down to the base of the castle. To a slightly quieter spot.
"I thought you were having a heated negotiation with old Thorin, but I didn't expect you to have the leisure to chat up a beautiful woman." Yang Wei's tone was clearly mocking, with a hint of sourness. I knew. She must have seen me standing with Jessica.
"Good heavens, does every time a man talks to a pretty woman, it's a flirtation?" I smiled wryly. "Look, it's just that Thorin introduced me to a girl... well, she is indeed a very interesting person."
“Jessica Alba, known as the most beautiful vase in Hollywood, ranked number one as the sexiest woman in the world by a men’s magazine… Don’t you have any feelings for her?” Yang squinted her eyes, her smile full of teasing.
“I know she’s a celebrity. But she doesn’t seem very happy.” I shrugged. “You seem to know a lot about her… Hmm, is she very famous?”
"It's hard to say." Yang Wei thought for a moment. "To be precise, she's currently in a very awkward position. This beauty was once called America's new generation's 'sweetheart,' and in 2005, she was recognized by all the critics as the most promising newcomer! But that's the problem. When she was named the most promising newcomer, she was already twenty-four years old. That's a very awkward age. In America now, there are countless girls who become superstars at eighteen or nineteen, but she was twenty-four and still just a 'newcomer.' Now she's twenty-six, and she was called the most promising newcomer two thousand years ago, but to this day, she hasn't achieved..." She hasn't produced any truly convincing results. She doesn't have any critically acclaimed or commercially successful films. Well, her two highest-grossing films are Fantastic Four and its sequel, but both were heavily criticized by critics. Moreover, even in these two blockbusters, she wasn't the absolute lead; both films were ensemble pieces, with four main characters sharing the audience's attention and screen time… She never had the opportunity to carry a film. And besides that, she doesn't have any other notable film credits. Now she's twenty-six years old, yet she's still hovering between A-list and B-list status, and you know, in Hollywood, the turnover rate for female stars is incredibly fast…”
I couldn't help but sigh, staring at Yang Wei: "How do you know so much? Do you know her very well? You're not a fan of hers, are you?"
Yang Wei smiled faintly: "Like you, I rarely watch movies. But before coming here, I had already researched all the guests at the Thorin banquet." She looked at me: "But you seem quite interested in her?"
I immediately shook my head: "No, no, I don't have that kind of 'interest' you're thinking of. Hmm, remember what you told me about asking Thorin's company to come in exchange..."
When the topic turned to business with Thorin, Yang Wei put away her teasing mood and asked seriously, "How's it going?"
"Hmm... the result is quite different from our previous estimates." I sighed deliberately.
Yang Wei frowned, but then she comforted me, saying, "Alright, even if we suffer some losses, let it go. I know it's difficult to deal with a ruthless old fox like Thorin... Sigh, and his appetite is so huge. The maximum we estimated we could give him was five percent, which is probably really hard to satisfy him. Even if you have to give him more, it's okay... Well, we just need to think carefully about remedial measures."
Seeing Yang Wei's furrowed brows in thought, I suddenly felt a surge of emotion... Sigh. This girl, she's helping me so wholeheartedly! As my heart was filled with gratitude, I suddenly acted impulsively and made a gesture that was a little too intimate... I reached out and gently pinched Yang Wei's nose, smiling as I said, "Thank you, Weiwei."
Yang Wei's pretty face flushed instantly. She looked at me in surprise, seemingly wanting to look away, but she didn't move; only her eyelashes trembled slightly. In her eyes, there was shyness, curiosity, and a hint of… well, something inexplicable that made my heart flutter…
I coughed, quickly withdrew my hand, and covered up, saying, "You misunderstood. I didn't let Thorin gain any advantage. In fact... I got much better results than we expected!"
Yang Wei glanced at me, then immediately smiled and said casually, "Oh... tell me. What happened?" Although she tried her best to appear calm, her trembling eyelashes betrayed her inner nervousness!
"Ahem..." I dared not tease Yang Wei any longer, and smiled and said, "Okay, Sorin is willing to invest ten million in our company, in exchange for five percent of the shares."
“Hmm, five percent.” Yang Wei breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s not bad. You originally owned seventy percent, then gave my uncle fifteen percent, and now you’re giving Sorin five percent. So you still have fifty percent, which means you own half the company. This way, you can at least consolidate your control over the company. However, we still need to be wary of them proposing additional investments once the company is on track, which would dilute your shareholding… You know, if they do make additional investments, both my uncle and Sorin are much richer than you…”
"No, no, Yang Wei, let me finish." I laughed, "Sorin did take five percent of our shares, but I reached an agreement with him... In other words, he will sign a share proxy agreement with me! That means that the five percent he received will still be managed by me. He won't become a decision-maker in the company; he'll just receive dividends every year. And this five percent will still be under my control!!"
"..." Yang Wei was silent for a second, then she was truly surprised: "What!!!"
She almost screamed out loud!
However, she quickly lowered her voice, but still couldn't control her excitement: "What did you say? He's willing to sign a share proxy agreement with you? Do you know what that agreement means? It means he's giving up his five percent usage rights!! In other words, these shares are practically equivalent to 'phantom shares' for him, with absolutely no influence on the company!! His only power is to sit at home every year and wait to collect dividends! And he can't influence the company's decisions in any way! My God! How did you do that? How did you get him to make such a... such a..." She thought for a long time before finally saying helplessly, "This crazy, absurd decision?? Has old Thorin gone mad?? This is like him throwing ten million dollars at you for free!!!"
Looking at Yang Wei, who had gradually calmed down, I smiled and dropped another bombshell: "I haven't finished yet... He's willing to support us with ten million US dollars in cash to buy this five percent of the shares... and also that company you mentioned earlier! He's willing to give it to us as part of the deal... In other words, he's using ten million US dollars in cash, plus a company, to exchange for five percent of our Huaxing Company's shares... and it's just a phantom stock with no control over the company!"
Even with Yang Wei's unparalleled wisdom and extraordinary composure, he was still shocked at this moment.
After a long while, she took a deep breath, looked at me with an incredulous gaze, her eyes filled with boundless amazement, and bit her lip hard: "Xiao Wu... how, how did you do that?!"
I glanced at the growing crowd around me and whispered, "We'll discuss the specifics when we get back... Hmm, about that company, I suddenly have a brilliant idea... It's that Miss Jessica Alba from earlier. Isn't she famous in Hollywood? Isn't she Hollywood's most beautiful 'flower vase'? I don't care if she's a great actress or not, but she's a famous star, and that's... very useful for our new company."
Looking at Yang Wei's expression, I felt a little smug... Really, it felt really good to be able to shock this woman who has always been intellectually superior to me!
After saying that, I smiled at Yang and said, "Now you believe me, right? I wasn't flirting with a beautiful woman. I just suddenly felt that this female movie star might be very useful to our future new company... You see, I'm not the kind of lecherous and bored man."
Yang Wei breathed a sigh of relief; she was completely shocked by me today!
But my good mood didn't last long. Then, a voice came from directly in front of me.
"Chen Yang! Ah, I've finally found you here. My dear little lover, it's been so long..." Then, a seductive figure walked over, with a tempting smile like a fox spirit and long, curly, sexy hair. It was none other than Princess Sophie, Thorin's beloved daughter, who was actually a harlot in name only.
She saw Yang Wei and me standing together, and there was a hint of unease in her eyes. But she quickly walked over, looked at me, and although she was clearly gritting her teeth, she forced a smile: "Chen Yang, long time no see!"
I know this princess harbors a lot of resentment towards me. Last time I came to Toronto, I rejected her in the end... Well, women are all very vengeful, aren't they?
However, the princess's eyes suddenly lit up, and she smiled and said, "Ah, I just happened to see you. I have a surprise for you... Look, I recently met an old acquaintance of yours."
Then, the princess stepped aside, and I saw three girls standing behind her, who appeared to be her companions. The princess laughed unabashedly, "Look, they are all my darlings, my closest lovers right now..."
Hmph, I almost forgot, this princess is also a bisexual who is open to both men and women.
But when I saw the first girl on the left among the three girls behind the princess, I was stunned!
Her black hair was clearly straightened, and her delicate Asian features were covered in makeup again. Her long eyelashes were obviously the work of a makeup artist. Only in the occasional shift in her eyes could one vaguely see a trace of her former innocence...
Ni Duoduo!
My face immediately darkened. How did this girl end up with the princess?! But seeing the princess's smug expression, I immediately understood.
Revenge! This is the princess's revenge on me!
Seeing my surprised expression, the princess seemed extremely pleased with herself. She deliberately laughed twice, then turned around and grabbed Ni Duoduo, hugging her affectionately and holding her in her arms... She turned back to me with a show of defiance: "Chen Yang, look, you must remember her, right? Duoduo, why don't you say hello to your old friend?"
Duo Duo's face was blank. The moment she saw me, a glimmer of light flashed in her eyes, but it quickly dimmed. Her expression was stiff. She glanced at me, then immediately lowered her eyelids and said in a faint, almost unfamiliar tone, "Chen Yang... hello."
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter 108: Long Time No See!
I've rarely gotten angry since I've been through so much.
real.
It seems that very few things can truly ignite my anger these days.
But now, looking at Ni Duoduo dressed in an adorable outfit, docilely held in my arms like a pet, and even greeting me indifferently...
For some reason, a flame suddenly ignited deep within me!
Yes! This feeling is anger! Genuine anger, the kind that can ignite a murderous rage within me!! My face is icy cold as I stare intently at Ni Duoduo, who is being held in my arms like a princess…
She sensed my gaze. After all, we had shared a period of mutual support, and she understood every subtle sign of my changing expressions and eyes! I was certain that Ni Duoduo also sensed the fury in my eyes! She didn't even dare to look me in the eye!
Perhaps, before this, my feelings for the princess were merely an instinctive dislike... but nothing more than dislike. She was naturally promiscuous, which didn't align with my principles, but I never felt any particular hatred towards her...
But at this moment, in this instant, I felt a deep, visceral hatred for this woman! She resorted to such methods to hurt me, to get revenge, to provoke me…!
Perhaps she didn't know that such methods would only ignite my most primal and frenzied anger!
My emotional shift was noticeable even to Yang Wei, who was standing right next to me. She was closest to me and could feel my fingertips trembling. Although my face was cold and stern, the twitching of the muscles around my eyes couldn't be hidden from Yang Wei... I was actually exuding a murderous aura!
Yes, at that moment, I almost wanted to kill that princess.
"Chen Yang..." Yang Wei called my name softly and quietly, then took a step forward. While my mind was still filled with anger, I suddenly felt a soft, warm hand slip into my palm. I looked down and saw Yang Wei gently holding my hand. She smiled tenderly at me.
Her gaze was like the best tranquilizer, instantly bringing me back to my senses...
My clenched fist slowly relaxed, and then I took a deep breath, looking at the princess who was still looking at me defiantly... A ridiculous thought suddenly occurred to me: Why should I be angry at this idiotic woman's idiotic provocation?
“Your Highness.” I looked at the smile on the woman’s face… She seemed to have sensed the murderous aura I had just exuded; her smile stiffened, and she took a step back in fear. I looked at her coldly, making no attempt to hide my disdain: “You should feel lucky, because you are Thorin’s daughter. Otherwise… someone like you would have died a hundred times over.”
After saying that, I took a step forward. Yang Wei was startled and quickly tried to pull me back. She was probably afraid that I would do something outrageous under the blazing fire, especially afraid that I would do something to the princess. I gently pulled my hand away from hers and glanced back at her: "Don't worry, I understand."