The office suddenly became quiet.
Run Run Shaw swept his gaze over the two of them, his expression more serious than ever before. "Things are different now! He's the true emperor of Hong Kong Land! How many subsidiaries does Hong Kong Land own? How many businesses? They have more than one or two contracts for TVB advertising! 'Dairy Company,' 'Hotel Group'... which one of them isn't our financial backer? Hong Kong Land, in particular, is a long-term, major client! What if, just for publicity, we deliberately push his favorite woman off the top spot, angering him, and he pulls all the ads with a single word? Who's going to cover the losses? Who's going to calm the fluctuations in TVB's stock price?"
When saying this, Run Run Shaw was also feeling an extremely complicated emotion deep in his heart.
A man who had honed his business career for decades, been knighted by the King, and even commanded respect from the Governor's Office, now had to weigh the pros and cons of whether a young man in his early twenties would be unhappy about a "relationship setback"? The very thought weighed heavily on him, a sense of absurdity and the passage of time. This world was truly different.
A brief silence.
Fang Yihua laughed softly. There was no fear in her laughter, but instead it was filled with confidence that no one else could do it better than her. "Sir Run Run, you're worrying too much! Even if Hong Kong withdraws all its advertising contracts! What's the point? That little bit of money is nothing."
Her voice rose, her voice firm. "Once we've hyped TVB's brand value to an unprecedented peak, and the whole of society is debating this, the lost advertising revenue will be nothing more than a drop in the bucket! How many companies in Hong Kong Island? How many businesses in Southeast Asia are all waiting for the opportunity to enter the Hong Kong Island market! Once the popularity and ratings skyrocket, will there be sponsors willing to pay real money to snatch up advertising space? By then, it won't be the advertisers choosing us, it will be us choosing the advertisers! Price? I say what it is!"
These words were like a ray of hope. Li Haohe's heart, which had been lifted by Run Run Shaw's words, instantly fell back into his stomach, and then it was ignited again: "Right, right, right! What are you afraid of? TVB has the confidence! As long as the popularity explodes, the money will naturally follow!"
The last shred of hesitation in Run Run Shaw's eyes slowly dissipated in the face of Mona Fong's almost arrogant yet pointed determination. He remained silent for a few seconds, his gaze once again fixed on the dazzling nightscape of Hong Kong Island outside the window. Ultimately, he didn't nod, but he also didn't object. He simply turned and faced the lights of Victoria Harbour again, leaving behind a silent and solemn figure.
Fang Yihua and Li Xiaohe exchanged a glance, each understanding the other's intentions. Fang Yihua's lips curved into a determined arc.
TVB building, Miss Hong Kong training floor.
The lights in the training room were mostly dimmed. Twenty exhausted contestants, after a day of intense training in posture, stage presence, and eloquence, were packing their belongings and preparing to return to their respective residences. The air was filled with the fragrance of powder, the scent of sweat, and a quiet atmosphere of competition.
I don't know who first caught a glimpse of the newspaper in the hallway, the cleaning lady holding the freshly printed special edition, or who faintly heard the uncontrollable chatter and screams in the distance...
"Jindi! The boss has changed! It's that Kobayashi Tenwang!"
This news was like an invisible electric current that instantly penetrated the entire floor!
"What?! Kobayashi Tenmo... takes over... Jardine Matheson?!" someone screamed.
"Oh my God... am I dreaming? Jardine Matheson Group? How old is he?" People gasped one after another.
The next second, all eyes—astonished, dazed, incredulous, and ultimately all ignited with extreme envy and jealousy—as if drawn by an invisible magnet, all focused on the plain white figure in the corner who was bending over to adjust her dance shoes—Liu Rumeng!
Zhu Lingling paused for a moment, her usual calm and composed face, later hailed as the "Most Beautiful Miss Hong Kong," shattered by the overwhelming shock. Her gaze towards Liu Rumeng betrayed, for the first time, a complex mix of emotions she could barely conceal. The aura surrounding this rival far exceeded the mere weight of the pageant itself.
Zhang Mali clenched her exquisite handbag tightly, her carefully manicured nails almost digging into the leather, and her face turned slightly pale.
A burning poisonous fire instantly burned throughout the body, and the heart seemed to be pinched by an invisible giant hand, and jealousy and hatred were overflowing.
She recalled the times she'd deliberately excluded Liu Rumeng during rehearsals, the little tricks behind her back. Now, facing the words "take over the landed property," they seemed so childish and ridiculous. The gap! The sense of a vast, insurmountable chasm, like a chasm, poured over her like ice water, instantly sobering her up and leaving her feeling powerless.
Lu Ruirong was only slightly stunned for a moment, then quickly regained her composure. She hadn't participated in the beauty pageant for this reason.
At this moment, in her eyes, Liu Rumeng had completely entered another realm she could not imagine. Even the brilliance of Huo Zhenting, the eldest son of the Huo family, seemed to be eclipsed by this absolute control. She lowered her head silently and continued to organize her things.
As the saying goes, when the gap between people is only a hair's breadth, jealousy, comparisons, and even backstabbing will follow. But when the gap becomes so vast that even envy seems futile, all that remains is admiration or a resigned acceptance of fate. This realization instantly gripped nearly everyone present.
Almost in the next second, the remaining dozen or so beauties seemed to suddenly come alive, and surrounded Liu Rumeng like a tide.
The chatter of envy and curiosity instantly overwhelmed the others: "Ms. Liu! How far have you progressed with Mr. Kobayashi Tenwang?"
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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