“Jones, please turn your face a little to the side…”
"Smile, oh my god, so beautiful..."
"One more look, please! Oh God, this is amazing..."
The photographers lining the red carpet erupted in excitement when Zeta-Jones stepped out of the car, snapping photos of the couple with their long lenses and cameras. Both Zeta-Jones and Douglas, veterans of the film industry, posed for the photographers, their dazzling flashes creating a mesmerizing spectacle.
"A woman who's almost forty, yet she's still so beautiful?"
Watching Jones pose outside the transparent glass window, her deep cleavage, revealed unintentionally through the glass, was a sight that Huangfu Yun found utterly irresistible. He glared indignantly at Douglas beside Jones and muttered, "Damn it, what a case of an old cow eating young grass..."
"Hmm, that makes sense..."
It was rare for Zhuang Rui to agree with Huangfu Yun. He nodded repeatedly after hearing what Huangfu Yun said, which puzzled Danny, who was sitting next to him. Logically speaking, even if these celebrities were famous, their status was far different from that of the super-rich from various countries. He wondered why these two were so interested in this female celebrity.
Danny was unaware that a few years ago, Zhuang Rui was just a poor student who had just graduated from school. He had no chance to meet even the top stars in the world, let alone the third-rate stars in China. In just four or five years, Zhuang Rui had not been able to adapt to his current status and act as calmly as those old men.
"Mr. Danny, it's a pleasure to meet you..."
After Jones and Douglas entered the hotel, they immediately spotted Danny sitting on the sofa and quickly came over to greet him. The couple often attended gatherings of American celebrities and were very familiar with this highly trusted assistant of Bernadette.
"Oh, Jones, you've become even more beautiful, and of course, Michael is even more handsome now."
Danny, familiar with the situation, went up and started chatting with the Joneses.
"Mr. Danny, won't you introduce your guest to us?"
Jones glanced curiously at Zhuang Rui and the others who were politely standing up from the sofa. In gatherings of the American upper class, although there were Chinese faces, he knew them all. However, he had never seen Zhuang Rui and the others before.
"Ms. Jones, Mr. Michael, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Zhuang Rui, and I'm from China..."
Zhuang Rui smiled and stepped forward to shake hands with the Joneses. When he stood in front of Jones, he realized that Jones, who was wearing high heels, was almost as tall as him. He could see her towering, snow-white breasts that were almost enough to make one's nose bleed when he looked down.
"That aura... it's really strong!"
Zhuang Rui prided himself on having met many important figures, but when facing Jones directly, he actually felt a little nervous. Seeing his idol from college, Zhuang Rui didn't rush up to ask for an autograph, which made him feel that he had a lot of self-control.
Of course, the main reason is Jones's stunning beauty. Any man would be unable to resist staring at her towering breasts and high, pert buttocks. Her natural S-shape would make even the famous Chinese internet celebrity, Sister Furong, blush with shame.
"Mr. Zhuang is a guest invited by Mr. Bonadette..."
Danny explained the situation to the Joneses, whose eyes immediately lit up. Even though they were considered upper-class people in the United States, it wasn't enough for them to have a senior assistant from Bonadette accompanying them. This meant that the young man in front of them was definitely not simple.
After chatting with Zhuang Rui for a few more minutes, the Joneses, led by a waiter, entered the private elevator leading to the banquet hall. However, they were still wondering about Zhuang Rui's identity. They hadn't heard of any important figures from China coming to Los Angeles.
"Damn, Rambo Stallone?"
Just after the Joneses entered the elevator, two more people walked hand in hand down the red carpet. Zhuang Rui recognized the man in front of him immediately; that face that never smiled seemed to belong only to Sylvester Stallone.
Sylvester Stallone, who is over sixty years old, does not look old at all. He looks the same as when he played First Blood. He is not very tall, and it is hard to see that under his not-so-robust physique, there are muscles that make countless women scream.
Beside Stallone stood a stunningly beautiful white woman, her slit skirt revealing glimpses of her thighs, her upper body clad only in two straps that restrained her ample bosom, captivating the photographers lining the red carpet.
Similarly, when Stallone entered, he greeted Danny and glanced curiously at Zhuang Rui and the others. The actions of the celebrities on two separate occasions seemed to alert the reporters outside the hotel, and their flashes started flashing incessantly at the glass windows.
For these reporters, a seemingly insignificant action could yield an important scoop. It's important to understand that tonight's banquet at Congting Pavilion isn't primarily about the two celebrity couples who just entered; it's about ultra-wealthy individuals from around the world. Zhuang Rui and his group, though young, might also be guests invited by the organizers.
Although the reporters waiting outside didn't know who the actual organizer of the banquet was, they had a keen sense of smell. Some of them broke through the security guards' blockade and tried to rush into the hotel to interview Zhuang Rui and others. As a result, everyone hurriedly took a private elevator led by Danny to the eighteenth floor, which was also the venue for tonight's banquet and auction.
The entire 18th floor is a large hall specifically used for various banquets and meetings. Security here is even tighter than downstairs. From stepping out of the elevator to entering the spacious banquet hall, even with Danny accompanying us, we underwent three security checks to ensure that no unauthorized personnel were mixed in.
It's important to understand that this banquet has gathered super-rich individuals from all over the world. If something were to happen, the consequences would far exceed those of the 9/11 attacks in the United States, and the global economy would likely regress by many years.
Therefore, the organizers attach great importance to security checks. Not only are guests strictly prohibited from bringing firearms or props into the venue, but the security guards are also not allowed to carry weapons, except for a powerful stun gun on their waist.
"Mr. Zhuang, please make yourself at home, I'll come back later..."
After entering the banquet hall, Danny apologized to Zhuang Rui and left in a hurry, thus completing his reception duties.
"Thank you, Danny..."
Zhuang Rui shook hands with Danny. He already knew the rest of the process: first a meal, then an auction. After the auction, there would be a performance by a famous Hollywood singer. Of all these activities, Zhuang Rui was most interested in the auction. Since he had come all this way, he wanted to see if he could snag a few good items to bring back to China.
In the middle of the banquet hall, a long row of tables was set up, laden with various delicacies and poured red wine. Around the tables, a group of people were casually enjoying their food and chatting. Zhuang Rui was completely lost when he entered, not recognizing anyone. He and Huangfu Yun found a secluded sofa and sat down.
"How are you? Brother, if you hadn't eaten something tonight, you'd be starving by now, right? Come on, have a taste, this is a vintage Lafite, you can't buy this kind of wine even if you have money these days..."
Huangfu Yun took two glasses of red wine from the dining table, handed one to Zhuang Rui, and then sank into the sofa, squinting as he savored the wine. With his wealth, it wasn't that he couldn't afford this wine, but the key was that the 1982 Lafite he bought in China was most likely homemade red wine diluted with water, and very few were authentic.
Zhuang Rui took a closer look at the people standing around the table. Sure enough, very few people touched the staple food. If someone were to eat and drink heartily, they would definitely become the laughing stock of the whole room.
The banquet was scheduled to start at 7:30. Americans are very punctual, and as the time approached, the hall gradually filled up with people. Among them were many big stars that Zhuang Rui knew well, including Tom Hanks and the famous director Spielberg. If Zhuang Rui hadn't known beforehand that this was a dinner hosted by financial tycoon Bernardet, he would have definitely thought it was a Hollywood awards ceremony.
In addition, there were even more female celebrities dressed in bright colors, their clothes basically made of strips of cloth. It must be said that the presence of these female stars made the entire venue much more lively. Although most of the people in the venue were super-rich people in the world today, they were also men. From another perspective, this was also a place to display muscles and male hormones.
Watching the female celebrities forcefully press their breasts against the bodies of men in their fifties and sixties, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly. He rarely attended such events, and only now, seeing it with his own eyes, did Zhuang Rui understand that the so-called gatherings of the upper class were nothing more than a place for men to hunt women or for women to chase men.
"You really shouldn't come to places like this too often..."
Zhuang Rui didn't know how much self-control he could have in front of these world-renowned female stars. Just conquering these women who shone brightly on the screen could bring men unparalleled psychological pleasure, which was probably something no man could resist.
Just as Zhuang Rui was struggling to refuse a female celebrity's advances, a commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance of the banquet hall. Several burly bodyguards entered and quickly surrounded the entrance, and a tall, strong man in a suit walked into the banquet hall.
"Arnold Schwarzenegger..."
Although the man wasn't wearing his signature sunglasses, Zhuang Rui recognized him at a glance; it was indeed the celebrity governor.
Chapter 1049 Bonadette
The American political system is different from China's. In the United States, governors and the president are elected by every American citizen. After more than half a century of development, this system has become quite perfect, making it almost impossible to manipulate anything within it.
This is also thanks to the developed media in the United States. For example, Nixon's Watergate phone hacking and Clinton's Lewinsky scandal were exposed by the media, which made politicians only dare to openly campaign for votes and not dare to use bribery to win over voters.
In the United States, each governor or presidential candidate typically has an organization behind them that helps them with various speeches and voter outreach. This requires enormous financial resources, so accepting funding from businessmen has become the most common way to raise funds.
From a certain perspective, it's less about politicians competing with each other and more about competing with the economic entities backed by their respective backgrounds. The logic is simple: once their own people come to power, their policies will naturally favor the businessmen who once funded them. This is beyond doubt, and the two sides have already formed an alliance.
In American history, only two people have successfully transitioned from celebrities to politicians: one is President Reagan, and the other is Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is now appearing in the banquet hall. Relatively speaking, he coolly said, wearing sunglasses, "I'll be back!"
His words resonated with the people more than his time as governor.
Zhuang Rui felt that, at least, when Arnold entered the venue, his star aura immediately overshadowed all the other celebrities, big and small. Even veteran stars like Michael Douglas paled in comparison to Arnold.
"Zhuang Rui, the person standing next to that muscular man is Bonadette..."
After everyone crowded around Arno, Huangfu Yun quietly pointed out to Zhuang Rui the host for tonight.
Zhuang Rui stared intently and saw that it was an elderly man in his early sixties, wearing a well-fitting suit. He was not very tall, only about 1.7 meters. If he were seen on the street, he would probably just be mistaken for an ordinary foreign old man.
But at this moment, Bonadette stood beside Arnold, his back ramrod straight, exuding an indescribable air of authority. His presence was in no way inferior to Arnold's. Beneath his humble smile lay a powerful confidence and control, and his superb interpersonal skills made everyone around him feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.
Zhuang Rui watched as Danny walked over to Bonadette and whispered a few words in her ear. Bonadette nodded apologetically to the people on either side and, led by Danny, walked straight towards where Zhuang Rui was sitting.
"Zhuang, it's a pleasure to have you participate in this charity auction. I hope you have a pleasant evening here..."
Bonadet spoke in a friendly tone, glancing at a beautiful female celebrity not far away, and winked at Zhuang Rui, saying, "I think this place is perfect for you young people..."
It must be said that Bonadette has excellent interpersonal skills. With just a casual remark, he and Zhuang Rui started chatting like old friends. Moreover, the old man is very knowledgeable and has a good understanding of China. He can even talk about some local snacks.
"By the way, you are Yun Huangfu from China. I remember you. This surname is very rare in China. If it were ancient times, you might have been a nobleman..."
What surprised Zhuang Rui the most was that after exchanging a few words with him, Bonadette suddenly called out Huangfu Yun's name. Not to mention Zhuang Rui, even Huangfu Yun himself was taken aback.
You see, although Huangfu Yun had met Bonadette before, it was four or five years ago, and at that time Huangfu Yun was just an ordinary lawyer in a law firm. He didn’t expect that after so many years, Bonadette would still remember his name, which made Huangfu Yun feel a little flattered.
Zhuang Rui sighed inwardly. Logically speaking, Bonadette could be considered a rich second-generation from abroad, but his qualities were far superior to those of the rich second-generation or third-generation officials in China. Just based on his interpersonal skills, even without his grandfather, who had served in the Eight-Nation Alliance, and his father, who was a high-ranking American general, Bonadette could definitely have made a name for himself.
Zhuang Rui understood that the reason why Bonadet was so polite to someone as unknown and young as him must be because of his family. You have to understand, China today is incomparable to what it used to be. It is the world's largest population market, which makes many foreign tycoons drool.
However, Bonadet didn't mention anything about business at all. He just talked to Zhuang Rui about his experiences in China, which made Zhuang Rui feel very comfortable. Everyone would like such a partner.
"Zhuang, enjoy the night. There's bound to be something you're interested in at tonight's auction..."
After chatting with Zhuang Rui for five or six minutes, Bonadette patted Zhuang Rui on the shoulder warmly, said goodbye, and left. As the host, he had too many guests to attend to today, and the fact that he could spend five or six minutes with Zhuang Rui had already drawn the attention of many people to the secluded corner where Zhuang Rui was.
As guests continued to arrive, people also took their seats in the sofa area next to Zhuang Rui. Basically, all the guests, like Zhuang Rui, had already eaten dinner before arriving. The abundant food in the middle of the banquet hall was almost just for decoration, which allowed Zhuang Rui to witness the luxurious side of foreigners.
It should be noted that many of those foods were airlifted from abroad. According to Huangfu Yun's introduction to Zhuang Rui, the ingredients alone were worth hundreds of thousands of US dollars, and these things would later be dumped into the trash.
"Julie, would you be interested in playing a role in my new movie?"
"Mr. Stephen, thank you. If I have the time, I would certainly be happy to..."
"Smith, your performance in 'I, Robot' was quite good. What movie are you planning to star in next?"
The conversation of several people on the sofa next to Zhuang Rui caught his attention. When he turned his head and saw what was happening, he almost jumped up.
"Damn, Angelina, Will Smith, who's that old man?"
Zhuang Rui never expected that two top stars of the world film industry would be sitting next to him. Not to mention Smith, Julia Angelina was definitely the goddess in the hearts of countless men.
Today, Jolie's outfit is just like her on-screen characters, bold and wild. Two straps go over her shoulders, leaving her back almost completely bare, with only a slight covering on her chest. From the side, her full breasts are on full display.
"That's Spielberg, you don't even recognize him?"
Huangfu Yun glanced to the side, answering Zhuang Rui's question, but his eyes were fixed on Julie's ample bosom. He wondered if Mr. Pete would challenge him to a duel if he saw Huangfu Yun's lecherous behavior.
In fact, not only Huangfu Yun, but most people in the room had their eyes fixed on those Hollywood actresses. These tycoons are human too; conquering these extremely seductive female stars would obviously give them a greater sense of accomplishment.
Zhuang Rui swallowed hard and withdrew his gaze with difficulty. It seemed that he definitely couldn't come abroad too often; the temptation was just too strong. Although Zhuang Rui had no intention of having a one-night stand or an extramarital affair, in this turbulent place, he couldn't help but feel the urge to assert the masculinity of a Chinese man.
"Hey, Chinese?"
Just as Zhuang Rui was about to recite a few lines of the Heart-Cleansing Mantra, Smith brought a glass of red wine to Zhuang Rui and the others. This was originally a social occasion, and it was actually a bit of a stretch for Smith and his group to be here, so they wouldn't put on airs like celebrities today.
Especially after witnessing Bonaparte's attitude towards Zhuang Rui, these celebrities were all curious about Zhuang Rui's identity. After Will came over, Julie and Spielberg also came over.
"Hello, Mr. Smith, I'm from China..."
Zhuang Rui stood up and shook hands with Smith. Since 2000, and especially in recent years, the spending power of Chinese people has shocked the world. Things like being mistaken for Japanese people, which used to happen, rarely happen today.
"Just call me Will. China is a very ancient and mysterious country. By the way, there are kung fu stars like Jackie Chan there. I think... I'll go to China to film someday..."
Will Smith was very talkative, gesturing wildly as he talked to Zhuang Rui. The arrival of several world-class stars made Zhuang Rui relax and he discussed the movies he had seen with them in a humble yet confident manner.
"Damn it, if Liu Chuan knew I was sitting next to Julie, would he immediately sell the Tibetan Mastiff base and chase after me all day?"
Chatting with several big stars, Zhuang Rui felt a sense of unreality. Just a few years ago, when he and Liu Chuan watched a movie starring Angelina Jolie, Liu Chuan had used certain words to describe their physical and fluid interactions.
The group chatted and the time passed quickly. The one-hour meal was over in no time, and the second agenda item of the day, the auction, was about to begin. More than a dozen staff members pushed several specially made glass and crystal display cases into the banquet hall, which immediately caused a burst of screams from the women.
"Bonard really put in a lot of effort for this auction..."
Zhuang Rui and the others also gathered around. Although separated by a crystal display case, Zhuang Rui could tell at a glance that the jewelry and diamonds displayed inside were top-tier luxury goods, with each piece costing at least $10 million.