The screen dimmed and the studio lights dimmed, but the afterglow of the debate and the huge amount of information lingered like gunpowder smoke.
Thousands of households in front of the television, those ordinary Hong Kong people who once looked up to Hong Kong Holdings as a god in the clouds, and those stock investors who struggled in the panic of the stock market, are destined to chew on their own shock, confusion, excitement and bewilderment tonight, and will find it difficult to fall asleep along with this shaking Pearl of the Orient.
And in the TVB general manager's office, on the top floor.
Outside, the lights came on, radiating a dazzling spectacle across Victoria Harbour. But the light couldn't reach the room. The air was heavy and leaden.
Li Haohe pinched the newly delivered telegraph express, his fingers exerting force, stretching the edges of the paper straight. The usual shrewd businessman's demeanor on his face disappeared, leaving only a brief blankness after being hit by a huge accident.
Next to him, Sir Run Run Shaw sat motionless in a large leather swivel chair. He seemed frozen, his eyes, those worldly-wise eyes that would have commanded respect even from the Governor of Hong Kong, fixed on the same spot on the press release: "actual controller." It was as if he was seeing for the first time the weight of those two words combined.
Hong Kong Land Group.
How many companies does it own? How many properties? Who is the payee of the rent bill for the TVB building on Broadcast Road? He knows better than the employees downstairs the radius of power that "controlling Hong Kong Land" implies.
The figure of the young man who came into the public eye because of the comic magazine "Dragon Jump" and his "jealousy" with Peter Ho, suddenly expanded in his heart, so huge that it was almost suffocating.
Dead silence.
There was only the monotonous hum of the air-conditioning vents.
The door opened, and Fang Yihua walked in. Her steps were quicker than usual, her face brimming with an uncontrollable, sharp excitement, as if she had seen through everything. Her eyes were startlingly bright. As soon as she opened her mouth, her voice cut straight to the point: "Sir Run Run, Homan! Did you see the news? Kobayashi Tenmo... He really has acquired Jardine Matheson!" She paused, her tone firm, "The time has come! The plan I proposed earlier is now as ripe as it can be!"
Li Xiaohe suddenly raised his head, as if he had been injected with a shot of cardiac stimulant: "Mona! Tell me!"
Fang Yihua stepped between the two men. Her voice was low, but every word was clear, filled with cold calculation: "The higher Xiaolin Tianwang's status, the greater the commotion. The woman he is currently competing with Huo Zhenting for, Liu Rumeng—our trump card—will cause a greater sensation!"
She pointed at the bustling lights outside the window. "He's now the envy of all of Hong Kong, a symbol of power controlling Hong Kong Land. Liu Rumeng, who has a 'close relationship' with him and is currently participating in our Miss Hong Kong pageant, has instantly become the focus of the entire city, no, all of Asia! She herself is a moving gold mine!"
Li Xiaohe nodded repeatedly, his face full of the greed of a businessman who saw huge profits: "Yes! Yes! We should take advantage of this favorable situation..."
Fang Yihua's lips curled up slightly as she interrupted, "It's more than just a tailwind. To truly ignite it and reach its peak, we have to follow my original plan—" Her eyes swept over the two of them, "—I absolutely cannot let her win the championship!"
Run Run Shaw's brows furrowed instantly, and he turned his sharp eyes to Fang Yihua.
Fang Yihua remained undeterred and continued her analysis: "Liu Rumeng is now the favorite to win. Is this public opinion? Is this public opinion? Everyone thinks her victory is a foregone conclusion."
If we really give her the role based on public opinion, the hype will cool down quickly after the dust settles. The audience will say, "Oh, as expected, TVB finally succumbed to Lam Tin-wang's pressure."
She paused, a cold glint in her eyes. "But what if, on the other hand, we were to use the most professional and impeccable method on the night of the finals, under the watchful eyes of millions of people, strictly following the rules and weightings we set on the spot, and let her 'reasonably' only get second place, or even... just third place?"
She looked at the sudden light in Li Xiaohe's eyes and spoke in a deeper voice, "What will happen? Doubts! A tsunami of doubts! Everyone will ask: Why? How dare TVB not give Xiaolin Tianwang face? Is Liu Rumeng really incompetent? Or does TVB really have the spirit of 'not fearing the powerful'?"
She met Run Run Shaw's scrutinizing gaze and emphasized, "The latter interpretation will be TVB's best talisman and ladder to success! We will prove to the whole of Hong Kong and the world: the Miss Hong Kong crown is based solely on strength and rules! Even if you are a giant controlling Hong Kong Land, you cannot influence TVB's independent judgment!"
The hype surrounding this controversy will propel the Miss Hong Kong pageant and TVB's brand value to an unprecedented peak! Advertising fees? By then, the crowds lining up to give money will crush the barriers to entry!
Li Haohe was so excited that she almost jumped up from the sofa: "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! This is true business acumen! If this works, Miss Hong Kong will be a golden signboard. I can earn money even without doing anything for ten years! Run Run, listen to this! This is how to make the most of influence!"
Run Run Shaw didn't immediately express his opinion. He listened to Mona Fong's meticulous deductions, watched Li Ho-wo's enthusiastic face, and his mind raced with thoughts. The prospect of enormous profits was like a tempting poisonous fruit.
TVB needed this kind of disruptive stimulation to break through. Fong Yi-wah's mastery of the "controversy is profit" principle was precise and ruthless. Even she had to admit this.
However, his intuition gained from half a lifetime of experience in the business world and an inexplicable fear of this young controller made it difficult for him to fully agree.
"Mona," Run Run Shaw finally spoke, his voice low and solemn. "Your idea is indeed... tempting, and its execution seems... plausible." He changed the subject, his gaze sharp as a knife. "But have you ever considered whether this might completely infuriate Kobayashi Tenmo?"
…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
