Chapter 343 French Lady
In the Denon Hall of the Louvre in Paris, the Baroque reliefs on the dome glow with gold in the morning light, exuding a hint of sacredness in the solemnity.
In the center of the hall, the rabbit and rat heads of the twelve zodiac animals of the Old Summer Palace are quietly displayed in the display case.
The surfaces of the two national treasures are mottled with copper rust, and the lines of varying depths are like the warp and weft woven by time, which cannot conceal the spiritual charm flowing in the eyes of the animal heads.
The rabbit ears are slightly erected as if listening attentively, and the rat tails are curled as if ready to jump, as if time has gone back to the 18th century, and they are still standing in front of Haiyan Hall, singing and telling time along with the water column.
As Henri Pinault's special ambassador for the return of cultural relics, Liu Shishi has a mission to fulfill. At this moment, she is wearing a simple moon-white cheongsam and standing beside the display case with a dignified manner.
Mr. Kong from France stood side by side with Liu Shishi, their eyes fell on the two national treasures on the exhibition stand, their expressions very excited.
On the other side of the display case is Henri Pinault, a giant in the world of luxury goods and the contemporary helmsman of the Pinault family.
After Mr. Kong signed the handover documents on behalf of the Chinese government, the entire hall burst into warm applause, representing that these two treasures could finally return to their homeland after a hundred years of vicissitudes.
Reporters in the media area raised their cameras, and the sounds of shutter clicks and flashes rang out one after another, freezing this historic moment forever.
During the interview, the largest news agency in France asked first: "Mr. Pinault, I am a reporter from AFP. May I ask why you suddenly returned the two treasures in your collection to China? Is there any special consideration behind this?"
Henri Pinault was wearing a high-end suit, with a sapphire brooch on his chest shining brightly. He looked extraordinary and calmly gave a high-sounding reason:
"These cultural relics originally belonged to their native lands. Today I am just returning them to their original owners."
"Ms. Liu Shishi, I'm a reporter from the British newspaper The Times. I understand that you are an actor from China and you were not famous internationally before.
Why did you become the global spokesperson for Gucci and the ambassador for the return of cultural relics?"
The atmosphere at the scene became tense for a moment, and the interview by the British female reporter clearly carried a hint of provocation.
Mr. Kong glanced at Liu Shishi beside him with a little concern, fearing that the actress, who was making her international debut, might handle the situation inappropriately and create a bad impact.
Liu Shishi smiled slightly, without a trace of panic, and showed the elegance of a Chinese woman. She spoke in pure British English:
"I am honored to be selected by Gucci to become the global brand spokesperson! And standing here today as an ambassador for cultural relics repatriation has nothing to do with my identity or occupation. It is my responsibility as a Chinese."
The sonorous and powerful answer brought another round of applause from the audience. Song Ci in the crowd looked at Liu Shishi, who was calm and decent, with his eyes full of satisfaction. His own Miss Liu made a brilliant debut in international appearance.
The British female reporter was somewhat surprised and praised: "Ms. Liu, your English is very standard and fluent."
Liu Shishi raised a faint smile. It was worth it that she had worked hard with a high-end private instructor to hone her spoken pronunciation. Now it finally came in handy.
Mr. Kong was afraid that the foreign journalists would continue to make things difficult for Liu Shishi, so he took over the topic at the right time: "The return of cultural relics is a bridge of friendship between China and France.
Ms. Liu Shishi’s participation has added more humanistic warmth to this cultural exchange. This also proves that people from all walks of life can contribute to cultural exchanges.”
As dusk falls, the Fontainebleau Estate, surrounded by tributaries of the Seine, is brightly lit.
The extended Lincoln sedan slowly rolled over the century-old cobblestone road and finally stopped steadily in front of the archway of the manor. The car door opened, and Asia's richest man Song Ci and his wife Liu Shishi appeared.
Henry Pinault, who was talking to the French Finance Minister, immediately came forward and said, "Song, welcome Mrs. He He!"
The godfather of luxury goods gave Song Ci a hug very enthusiastically, and when his eyes swept over Liu Shishi, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
The wife of the richest man wore a brocade cheongsam embellished with Suzhou embroidery magnolias, with her long black hair tied up with a jade hairpin, which gave her a unique oriental charm among all the high-end dresses in the hall.
On the west terrace of the manor banquet hall, three Parisian socialites dressed in Dior haute couture leaned against the carved railings, looking at tonight's protagonists Song Ci and Liu Shishi from afar and whispering.
Margaux Bourbon swirled the champagne in her goblet and chuckled, "I heard that Mrs. Song is a TV actress?"
Audrey Keys stroked the sapphire necklace passed down from her family around her neck and spoke with a hint of contempt: "The new rich in Asia always like to use celebrities to decorate their facades, just like the antiques they collect, it's hard to tell whether they are real or fake."
Delphine Arno looked at Song Ci with great interest: "I have to say, this richest man in Asia is really charming, isn't he!
Among all the men I have met, I am afraid that only Leonardo DiCaprio from Hollywood can compare with him in terms of temperament and appearance. I really want to get to know him."
Although the families of these three socialites, Margot and Audrey, were prominent families in French history, they have gradually declined in modern times and their influence is not as great as before.
Delphine's father, Bernard Arnault, is the richest man in France. The LVMH Group controlled by his family is in its heyday, with businesses covering fashion, perfume, wine, watches, jewelry and other aspects.
At the same time, Delphine is also very capable. In 2001, she was responsible for developing and promoting new Dior perfumes, which were a great success in the global market.
At the age of 29, she became the only female member of the board of directors of the Louis Vuitton Group. She was regarded as the heir to the Arnault family and one of the most powerful women in French business.
Therefore, the entire French socialite circle is centered around Delphine Arnault.
Margaux Bourbon and Audrey Guise looked at each other, and seeing that Delphine Arnauld admired Song Ci very much, they followed her words, cleverly changed their attitude and began to compliment her.
"Song Ci is indeed very handsome. The media reported that he is the most handsome man in Asia. It is said that Her Majesty the Queen of England has praised his charm."
"Come on, let's go over and get to know each other." Delphine Arno became more and more pleased with Song Ci. She lifted the hem of her skirt slightly with her fingertips and walked towards Song Ci who was in the center of the banquet.
Over there, Henri Pinault was introducing several French dignitaries to Song Ci.
"This is Françoise Bettencourt-Méry, president of L'Oréal Group; this is Axel Dumas, president of Hermès..."
With a smile on his face, Song Ci shook hands with these French celebrities one by one. His gesture was gentle, yet there was a sense of distance.
In another corner of the banquet hall, several young heirs were watching the actions of their elders, curiosity and calculation flashing in their eyes.
“Why is Uncle Henry so enthusiastic about this new Far Eastern upstart that he not only holds a grand welcome reception for him but also helps introduce him to the political and business elite?
Our family business and Internet companies have no intersection?" Rody Di Ma was very curious. He is the second son of Hermès President Axel Di Ma and has always been outspoken.
Catherine Pinault sipped the red wine in her glass and looked up at her brother, Paolo Pinault, the future head of the family. She was also confused as to why her father spared no effort to please the richest man in Asia.
"The elders have their reasons for doing this." Paul Pino was calm and measured. Although he knew his father's intention, he kept his mouth shut and didn't reveal any clues.
Among the major families present today, the Arnault family and the Bettencourt-Meyer family are currently the richest families in France, controlling LVMH and L'Oréal respectively.
The ancient Gies and Schneider families gradually declined and were no longer prominent, with their influence on the business and political circles rapidly declining.
As for the Pinault family and the Hermès family, they have formed an alliance with each other to continue the family's influence through the luxury industry, but facing the ambitious Bernard Arnault, the business of the two families is being eroded.
As the head of the family, Henri Pinault naturally hopes to take the family business to a higher level and hopes to successfully open up the Far East market with the power of Asia's richest man.
"Tsk, how boring." Seeing that Paolo Pino remained tight-lipped and Roddy Dima couldn't get any information out of him, he immediately lost interest. He straightened his suit and prepared to meet some socialites for a romantic encounter.
After Paul Pino left, only the brother and sister were left at the scene. Catherine Pino had no more worries: "Father has always wanted to transform the family. Is he pinning his hopes on this person?"
Paul Pinault nodded: "After all, the luxury goods industry has limited influence on the national economy, not to mention that countless new brands are emerging nowadays.
LVMH Group is pressing forward again, and my father is under tremendous pressure, otherwise he would not have used the two treasures as bargaining chips to win over Song Ci. "
"Does Asia's richest man really have such great power?" Catherine Pinault looked at the young and handsome Song Ci from afar with a look of disbelief on her face.
Paul Pino looked around and saw that there was no one around. He leaned close to his sister and whispered, "Father told me that Song Ci and Wall Street... shorted... and made our family this much money."
"Those vampires on Wall Street are actually working with him!" Catherine Pino exclaimed, but realized she was speaking too loudly and hurriedly covered her mouth.
The eyes looking at Song Ci became hot. The financial market was changing rapidly. Futures and foreign exchange transactions were not something even big families like them dared to try easily. They did not expect that Song Ci could make a fortune in the financial market.
"That's why my father is so enthusiastic." Paul Pino showed a matter-of-fact expression. As long as he could bring the Pino family to make a lot of money, he would be treated as a distinguished guest and even worshipped as an ancestor.
At this time, Delphine had already walked up to Song Ci. The beloved daughter of the richest man in France first bowed to Henri Pinault and other elders, then opened her red lips and said:
"Mr. Song, I've heard a lot about you. I'm Delphine Arnault, the president of Dior."
"Hello, Miss Delphine." Song Ci looked at the Queen Dior in front of him calmly.
The rich scent of her perfume mixed with the scent of temptation made her look like a poisonous rose.
Henry Pino grinned mischievously: "Song, Delphine, you young people can chat! I have other guests to entertain, so I'll be gone for a while."
Several French business tycoons also understood the message and looked for new targets for conversation.
"Mr. Song, you really fascinate women, and your talent in business is equally amazing." Delphine's eyes were burning, and she did not hide her admiration for Song Ci.
"Thank you!" The French woman's naked gaze and straightforward attack made Song Ci a little overwhelmed.
Not far away, Liu Shishi, who was chatting with several diplomats' wives, noticed a foreign woman harassing her husband. Her face suddenly darkened and she was about to step forward to assert her sovereignty.
After taking only two steps, he was blocked by two of Delphine's followers.
The two ladies had a long conversation in French, but Liu Shishi didn't understand a word. She frowned and said, "Sorry, I don't speak French."
Margaux Bourbon and Audrey Keys looked at each other with a haughty expression, and asked in English, "Are you the Gucci spokesperson, Liu Shishi?"
Liu Shishi was very unhappy with their condescending attitude: "I am Liu Shishi, what can I do for you two?"
"Delphine is discussing important matters with Song Ci, you shouldn't disturb her. It would be rude to go over now!" Margot Bourbon raised her chin, not taking Liu Shishi seriously at all.
"Do we know each other? How dare you talk to me like this?" Liu Shishi laughed in anger. Someone was trying to hit on her husband, but the other party was so shameless as to ask her not to disturb him.
On the side, Mrs. Kong saw that the atmosphere was tense and was afraid that Liu Shishi would have a conflict with the two socialites, so she hurried forward to smooth things over.
Song Ci noticed the movement from his wife's side: "Ms. Delphine, who are those two?"
Delphine followed Song Ci's gaze and said casually, "They are Margaux Bourbon and Audrey Guise. Both of them have a long family history."
"History?" Song Ci sneered, "The old aristocrats in Paris always thought that bloodline was more eternal than the stars, but they ignored the fact that this is the age of technology.
Do they, who rely on selling their ancestral property to maintain a decent life, know the impact of future technology on the world?"
Delphine looked at the domineering Song Ci and was shocked. She couldn't help but think of the new technology elites in Silicon Valley who are constantly competing with the old money families for the right to speak.
I immediately understood why the Pinault family valued Song Ci. He is the helmsman of the world's top Internet company and the only one who can compete with the Silicon Valley giants.
"How dare you talk to me like that?" Margot Bourbon and Audrey Guise couldn't believe that an oriental actor would dare to talk back to them.
He said angrily: "You vulgar woman, do you know the dignity of the two great surnames of Bourbon and Guise?"
Liu Shishi sneered. She had just figured out the details of the two people from Mrs. Kong's introduction.
They were just two declining families that had long lost their former glory. They had no right to boss around the wife of Asia's richest man.
"I heard that your family is short of funds and is worried about the restoration of the castle. Would you like my foundation to donate some money for the repairs? Otherwise, if the ancestral property suddenly leaks one day, it will be difficult for you."
Liu Shishi's words were really heart-wrenching, accurately hitting the most painful scars of the two socialites and deeply irritating them.
Margaux Bourbon and Audrey Guise were so angry that they were shaking and couldn't speak for a while.
Liu Shishi, who had won the battle, was smiling like a flower. Seeing Song Ci coming to her side, she affectionately took her husband's arm in the spotlight, ruthlessly crushing the so-called aristocratic dignity.
(End of this chapter)
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