As if to confirm my guess, I looked down and saw Jenny's eyes. That look didn't need any explanation. Any man who wasn't an idiot would understand what it meant when a woman looked at him like that.
I didn't say anything, I just let go of her hand and patted Jenny on the back, and she finally let go of me.
"Hello, beautiful." I smiled casually, "Long time no see, you've become even more beautiful."
Jenny didn't say anything.
I scratched my head: "Hehe... You're super famous now, there are posters of you everywhere these days..."
Jenny remained silent, just staring at me.
"...This..." I gave an awkward laugh, but suddenly noticed tears welling up in her eyes. I was taken aback and quickly asked, "Huh? Why are you crying?"
I felt a sudden pang of panic. I shouted, "Was it that Korean guy who bullied you?" My face darkened, and I yelled, "Tu! Go break both his legs and make him crawl back to Korea!"
"No!" Jenny finally spoke up, quickly stopping me and shaking her head. Her gaze was complicated as she looked at me for a long time before taking a breath and forcing a smile. "It's nothing... I'm just so happy to see you after so long."
Everyone present witnessed this scene, but only Ning Yan looked somewhat gloomy, sighed softly, and glanced at Jenny with regret.
I had no intention of continuing to face Jenny like this, so I quickly made an excuse: "You guys continue rehearsing, work is important... well, we have something else to talk about."
Knowing full well I was making excuses, Ning Yan smiled and said, "Yes, that's right. Xiao Wu and I still have business to discuss. Jenny, you guys continue rehearsing... um..."
"Yes, yes, yes! You guys continue rehearsing. Leave the stage direction to me... Okay, I'll treat everyone to dinner tonight. Now, let's focus on our work!"
As if fleeing, I escaped the rehearsal room and returned to another meeting room. Only then did I breathe a slight sigh of relief.
After I sat down, I immediately made a call to Bucktooth Zhou at Billy Hill Films in Hollywood. Bucktooth Zhou was entrusted by me to go to Billy Hill Films to complete some final legal procedures, because the investment for the newly started films was divided equally among several companies according to the unspoken rules of Hollywood, and this time I didn't keep all the profits to myself.
"Attorney Zhou, I need a favor." I said quickly on the phone, "I need a few top-notch stage directors. The sooner the better. I don't care if you snatch them up or poach them at a high price. Just get me a few top-notch stage directors to Shanghai, and I need it fast."
After hanging up the phone, I received a reply from the United States in less than half an hour.
This time, the caller wasn't Zhou with buck teeth, but Charlie, the former general manager of Billy Hill Company, who had become the public relations manager after the joint venture with the Rothschild family. Charlie was a seasoned veteran of the American film industry. He actually got the job done in half an hour.
"I found you a top-notch person, Buffy Swan, female, 36 years old, Black... This girl is in high demand. She used to be Madonna's personal stage manager. After Madonna semi-retired, she worked on Britney Spears' world tour for a year. You saw the effect of Britney's concert back then. She got married a couple of years ago and retired from the stage. Christie and Beaune offered her high prices to come back, but it was no use; she wanted to be a housewife. But now she just got divorced last month. I contacted her immediately after receiving your call, and the talks went very smoothly. Her ex-husband is a big name in the American entertainment industry, so she didn't want to stay in the US. When she heard it was going to China, and the offer was high, she immediately agreed..."
I smiled with satisfaction...
Damn, the person who choreographed for Madonna and Britney Spears! How could they not be a master!
After hanging up the phone, I looked at Ning Yan and said, "Okay, I've found a stage manager for you... Buffy Swan, Madonna and Britney Spears's go-to stage manager, is he qualified to coach Jenny?"
Ning Yan was stunned for a moment, then her expression changed drastically, and she stared at me excitedly: "Who did you say? Buffettswan? My God, you actually brought her here!! She's a top-notch expert!"
“Hehe, with Xiao Wu’s popularity and status in the American entertainment industry now… let alone Buffett, even getting Britney to be a guest performer at Jenny’s concert wouldn’t be difficult, right?” Qiao Qiao winked at me: “I’ve read in the entertainment newspapers that Britney said you were her idol in an interview.”
Suddenly, my eyes lit up: "What Qiao Qiao said isn't impossible. It's not difficult to invite one or two big names from Europe and America to be guests at Jenny's concert. It's just that there won't be time for the Shanghai concert this time."
“Well, if Jenny is interested in the future, we can even arrange for her to make movies. Right now, there’s a rising star in Hollywood’s film industry sitting here!” JoJo said with a smile.
I glanced at Qiao Qiao, but I didn't understand why she was suddenly so enthusiastic about Jenny's matter.
"Let's talk about making movies later. Right now, we need to solidify Jenny's position in the music industry. We can make plans for future development in other areas later," Ning Yan said with a smile.
We chatted for a while longer before Ning Yan went out to make some arrangements due to work. The four of us, the "jackals," remained in the room, along with YoYo.
"You... Qiaoqiao." I coughed and glanced at Qiaoqiao: "Why were you so enthusiastic just now?"
Qiaoqiao glared at me, then sighed: "Why are you pretending to be stupid again?"
Before I could say anything, I noticed that Mu Tou and A Ze were both looking at me with strange eyes.
After being stared at by these three guys for a long time, a thought suddenly struck me, and I blurted out, "You... you knew all along, didn't you?"
None of the three spoke, which was taken as tacit agreement.
The three of them were originally in the country, so it seems they already knew about it.
After a while, Mu Tou slowly spoke, "A woman, young and beautiful, with a painful past... and then a powerful man appears and rescues her from her suffering. Plus, this man is young, handsome, and capable... In this situation, 99% of women would fall in love with him. Even if they don't, faced with such a great favor, they can only repay him with their bodies... Haven't you thought about such a simple truth?"
I was speechless, and could only cough a few times to cover up my embarrassment.
"What does 'offering oneself in return' mean?" Just as the four of us were glaring at each other, YoYo, who had been sitting quietly to the side, suddenly asked. The little girl looked at us innocently with her big, wide eyes, and finally her gaze fell on me: "Are you talking about my sister?"
"Ahem..." I coughed and then put on a smile: "Adults are talking about things. Kids shouldn't ask so many questions."
YoYo's eyes darted around as she looked at me and said, "You don't need to hide it from me, I know you're talking about my sister." She looked at me and continued, "My sister offered herself to you, right?"
I don't know how to answer.
YoYo lowered her head and thought for a while, then suddenly looked at me with a very serious expression: "My sister said that you are our benefactor, and we must repay you... Well, if my sister were to give herself to you... then... then..." A shy look suddenly appeared on the little girl's face: "Then... I'll give both my sister and me to you, okay?"
...
…………
"I knew all along that this guy's motives for saving that little girl back then weren't so pure!" Aze sighed.
“Yeah!” Qiao Qiao glared at me fiercely: “So you’re a ‘lolicon’ after all! Humph!”
While I was still both amused and exasperated, Wood slowly added, "A lolicon plus a nurturing type..."
"..." I glared at those guys and said, "Damn it, I'm not going to talk nonsense with you anymore! I can't afford to mess with you, but I can avoid you!"
Aze: "Look at you, you're already angry."
Qiaoqiao: "Hmm, it must be because we exposed their evil intentions!"
Wood: "This is a fit of rage after a conspiracy has been exposed."
I was "furious," and I jumped up from the sofa, rolled up my sleeves, and laughed as I yelled, "Fine! You three! Haven't had a fight in a while, are you all itching for a beating? Come on, come on!"
After we finished speaking, the four of us started laughing and playing around in the room.
Immediately, the four of them were already tangled together, some holding their heads, others twisting their arms.
"Damn, have you ever seen a fist the size of a clay pot?!"
"Watch my groin kick..."
"Damn it! Qiaoqiao, why did you kick me?!" This was Aze's miserable cry.
YoYo, standing to the side, stared in disbelief as the four of us adults, who had been chatting happily, suddenly turned into a brawl, rolling around on the ground. This scene left YoYo somewhat bewildered and at a loss.
After a while, exhausted from playing, we finally stopped, sat on the ground panting, and then chuckled as we pulled out cigarettes to smoke—this kind of playful banter was something we used to joke around with all the time when the four of us hung out in Nanjing. Just some close friends playing around.
I had just lit my cigarette when Mu Tou snatched it away, saying, "No smoking here, you're a minor." Then he quickly took the cigarettes from Aze and Qiao Qiao's hands.
"Fine! We can't afford to mess with them. We can at least avoid them." Qiaoqiao opened her mouth, then pulled Aze up from the ground: "Come on, let's go outside for a smoke."
Without even glancing at Qiaoqiao and the others, Mu Tou got up from the ground, walked over to YoYo, patted her head, and said with a gentle smile, "YoYo, don't be afraid, we were just playing around."
I sat back down on the sofa, glanced at YoYo, and suddenly said, "I've taken on a disciple abroad, a girl. She's about your age. I'll introduce you two sometime."
Mu Tou immediately nodded: "That's good too. It's good for YoYo at her age to have more friends. Your apprentice, that little girl, is also a smart girl...sigh, it's just that sometimes she's a bit too smart."
Qiaoqiao came over and gently nudged me: "Alright, they're having a 'father-daughter moment.' Let's go outside for a smoke."
I didn't move, but the way I looked at the wooden figure was indeed a rare and tender warmth. It was rather eerie to see such a gaze in the eyes of a medical eccentric who loved reading comics and keeping skull specimens in his refrigerator.
Suddenly, an idea struck me: "Wood, I think you... well, why don't you just have YoYo become your godfather?"
Qiaoqiao immediately burst into laughter, clapping her hands and exclaiming, "Great idea!"
Aze sighed deliberately, "Alas, poor Wood, still a member of the Pistol Gang... He's never even touched a woman, yet suddenly a daughter appears... Poor thing, so poor!"
Even the usually composed Mu Tou couldn't help but get a little anxious: "You're the one with the pistols!"
"Ha!" Aze laughed loudly on purpose, "Me, Aze, a pistol party member? Humph! I've already killed a thousand people! The title of 'pistol party member' doesn't even apply to me, Aze."
Indeed, it's impossible to label someone like Aze, a well-known playboy, as a "pistol man."
Qiao Qiao sighed and patted Mu Tou's shoulder: "Alright, let's vote by raising our hands... In this room, the only pistol party member is Mu Tou, raise your hand if you agree."
After saying that, Qiaoqiao raised her hand, then Aze, and finally I glanced at Mutou: "Brother, it's not that I don't want to help you, but facts speak louder than words."
The muscles on Wood's face twitched, but Qiaoqiao deliberately teased him, exclaiming in surprise, "Hey? Wood, are you trying to deny it? Why can't you get it up?"
"Impotent?!" Wood finally couldn't hold back any longer and yelled, "Damn it! You! You! You're the one who's impotent!!"
Enraged, Mu Tou had long lost his composure and chased after Qiao Qiao and A Ze until they fled in terror. The three of them quickly chased after him out the door.
I was sitting there, clutching my stomach and laughing, when I suddenly noticed YoYo's big eyes were still looking at me with great interest.
Only the little girl and I were left in the room. YoYo stared at me intently for a long time, her eyes seeming to grow increasingly interested.
Suddenly, she spoke in a clear, delicate voice: "Will you...will you still be my brother-in-law?"
"Uh...uh? What?"
"Back when you were at my house, you said you were my brother-in-law," YoYo said very seriously.
I gave a wry smile and thought about it carefully. It seemed that there was indeed such a thing, but it was just a joke to coax a child during a special time.
YoYo looked at me without saying anything, then suddenly sighed softly, "Sigh, so you've changed your mind now."
"Hmm." Xiao Tian nodded vigorously, then whispered, "I know, men turn bad once they have money... You seem to be very rich. Hmm, that must be it, so you want to abandon my sister, right?"
"This...it's not like that..." I said with a long face, and after a lot of talking, I finally managed to come up with a reason to coax the girl. I didn't care whether she could understand or not, and I explained the situation in detail. Of course, I didn't tell the little girl about the fighting and killing.
After hearing this, YoYo still looked a little confused, but she thought about it seriously for a moment, then smiled and said, "So, you didn't abandon my sister?"
“I…” I finally sighed: “I have a wife. Your sister and I are just friends, there’s no question of abandoning or not abandoning her.”
"You have a wife?" YoYo looked at me in shock. "You really have a wife?"
After saying that, a sullen expression appeared on his face. He kept sighing.
Seeing the little girl's disappointed expression, coupled with her angelic face and innocent eyes, I suddenly felt a pang of guilt and couldn't help but say softly, "Alright, you're still young, these things aren't for you to think about. Um, could you... Oh, don't be sad, come on. Smile."
YoYo shook her head: "I can't laugh. I feel terrible inside. My sister must be feeling terrible too."
I couldn't very well tell her that her sister's feelings were unrequited. It wouldn't make sense to a little girl her age. After thinking for a while, I finally had an idea: "How about I tell you a story?"
"Tell a story?" YoYo glanced at me, a hint of amusement on her face. "You can't tell stories. I know that."
Hmm... I almost forgot, back in Vietnam. The truth is, not only did I not know how to tell stories, but this little girl, to comfort me, sat next to me and told me Andersen's fairy tales for two hours.
I, Chen Yang (Chen Xiaowu), a ruthless and bloodthirsty man who has committed murder and arson, actually lay there dumbly listening to a ten-year-old girl tell me the story of the Little Match Girl and the Frog Prince and Princess for an entire afternoon... If word got out, wouldn't people laugh their heads off?
"Hmm... I really can't tell fairy tales." I sighed.
"Who wants to hear fairy tales..." YoYo pouted, "Do you think I'm still ten? I'm thirteen now, and all my classmates are reading romance novels... Can you even tell a love story?"
Uh… me, a woman with a bunch of philandering men, spending time with such a beautiful, stunning young girl, and telling her love stories… just imagining that scene… it looks like a creepy old man seducing a minor…
However, in order to make the little girl forget about the topic of "brother-in-law" for the time being, I forced a smile and said, "Okay, I do know a love story..."