Chapter 185 Return to Yangcheng by private plane
Xia Lili's heartbeat accelerated in an instant!
After a moment, she shook her head and said, "Professor Mo, didn't you say you would donate your collection to the country? Such artistic treasures are better kept by the state."
"Then donate it in your name." Mo Cheng smiled, "This way, your name will be forever engraved on the National Museum's donation list."
Xia Lili stood there in a daze, her fingertips unconsciously clenching the corner of her clothes. She had never imagined that her name would be remembered in such a solemn way.
"Actually..." She calmed down a bit and turned her gaze to the tall figure patrolling the exhibition hall. "This time, thanks to Captain Shang and his firefighters for their timely support. Professor Mo, could you also include Haicheng Fire Brigade 1 in your donation?"
Not far away, Shang Zhihui was half-crouched, carefully checking the status of the fire hydrant valve. Hearing this, he paused with his wrench, a flicker of surprise crossing his bronzed face. This little girl, whom he had only known for less than two hours, was now taking credit for them.
"Comrade Xiaoxia," he straightened up, a smile in his voice, "please don't give all the credit to us."
Shang Zhihui's tone was nonchalant: "We are simply fulfilling our duties—responding to calls, going through fire and water, and protecting the safety of the people."
Xia Lili looked up at the fire chief who was as solid as an iron tower. A mixture of emotion and respect surged in her chest, and she was in awe.
"Of course." Mo Cheng nodded solemnly. "In addition to presenting a banner to the fire brigade and publicly thanking them through the media, I will also donate a batch of new firefighting equipment."
Shang Zhihui was thrilled when he heard this. He raised his hand in a standard salute, his sweat-soaked cuffs drawing a sharp arc in the air. "On behalf of all the team members, thank you!"
It was getting late, so the next step was left to the police and fire department. The whereabouts of the authentic item were unknown, so Mo Cheng had to postpone the exhibition tomorrow, but this was the best outcome he could get.
Xia Lili drove back to the hotel, washed up, and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Xia Lili went to eat the breakfast provided by the hotel with sleepy eyes.
The morning sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the Zhengzheng Lounge. Xia Lili had just sat down with her meal tray when she heard discussions all around her - the focus of the topic was actually her brother Xia Xubai.
"I'm not usually a fan of celebrities, but after watching the performance last night, I was completely hooked!" The girl at the next table excitedly poked her phone screen. "He's so handsome, talented, and hardworking. Who can resist him?"
"Come to think of it, didn't Ling Che previously ask Xia Xubai to change his creative theme? It seems like he wanted to help Xia Xubai because of his eyesight problems."
Another person lowered his voice, "At the time, I thought Xia Xubai's refusal was unkind, but now I think about it... he was completely confident and wouldn't play such a trick."
"That's right!" his companion snorted. "Ling Che could have communicated privately, but he chose to publicly call out on Weibo. It's obvious he's trying to capitalize on the hype..."
Xia Lili bit into her toast, her lips curling up unconsciously. Although she had expected her brother's performance to be a blast, hearing so many sincere praises from passersby still made her heart as sweet as honey.
She suddenly remembered something and quickly pulled out her phone—she'd been so busy last night she hadn't even bothered to check the rankings. The moment the screen lit up, the words "First Place" leaped into view. Meanwhile, Xia Xubai's performance video had amassed over 20 million views overnight!
Xia Lili quickly dialed her brother's number and couldn't hide her excitement in her voice: "Brother! What do you want to eat for the celebration party? It's my treat!"
Xia Xubai's smiling voice came from the other end of the phone: "It's already booked. It's a revolving restaurant with a view of the whole city."
"Okay!" Xia Lili curled her lips. "Send me your location. I'll pick you up around lunchtime!"
Around noon, Xia Lili stepped on the accelerator and drove to the hotel near the TV station.
Artists who participate in the recording of Xuelang TV programs usually stay in this hotel.
As soon as Xia Lili stepped into the hotel lobby, she ran into the ace agent Ming Zhou.
The other person was wearing a neatly tailored suit, with unconcealable joy in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows, and even his shiny leather shoes seemed to be a little brighter than usual.
"Brother Mingzhou, have you struck gold?" Xia Lili joked.
Ming Zhou's voice was filled with suppressed excitement: "It's all thanks to you brothers and sisters!"
He pulled out his phone, and the densely packed call logs on the screen made him dizzy. "Your brother's new song is a huge hit! It's even more outrageous than that song 'Letter from Kirishima'!"
He made an exaggerated gesture and said, "The entire entertainment industry is vying for cooperation. My phone is almost ringing like a hotline."
He lowered his voice and said, "Your brother's current momentum reminds me of when he was with Lin Hesheng..."
Xia Lili noticed that when Mingzhou said this, there was a long-lost light in his eyes.
In this industry where talent is constantly changing faster than turning the pages of a book, artists who can truly be called phenomenal are few and far between. The renewed passion on Mingzhou's face at this moment was undoubtedly the best affirmation.
"Brother Mingzhou," Xia Lili smiled, "it seems your 'star-making myth' is about to continue to write a new chapter."
Ming Zhou laughed and patted her shoulder: "Thanks to you, my lifesaver!"
Xia Lili was chatting animatedly with Ming Zhou when she suddenly felt a sharp gaze. Turning to look, she saw Ling Che emerging from the elevator with his assistant. The moment he saw them, a flicker of unnaturalness crossed his meticulously groomed face.
This contestant, who only came in fourth in the competition, had a mediocre stage performance, relying entirely on fans to keep the show going. Xia Lili snorted inwardly.
"Senior Mingzhou, what a coincidence." Ling Che quickly put on a standard professional smile, his voice so sweet that it was sickening.
Ming Zhou only nodded slightly, not even raising the corner of his mouth: "Hmm."
Ling Che's pupils suddenly contracted. He had never seen this top-tier agent treat a newcomer so kindly. Ming Zhou had previously publicly declared he would no longer manage artists, but now he was making an exception and treating Xia Xubai differently?
As they passed each other, Ling Che clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with resentment and hatred.
…
noon.
Xia Lili and Xia Xubai were having lunch at the restaurant they had booked, but they ran into an unexpected acquaintance.
"Xia Lili?"
Xia Lili heard someone calling her, and when she looked up, it was the famous designer Pei Qinyue, whom she had saved at Old Lady Bai’s birthday party.
Pei Qinyue wore a burgundy V-neck silk shirt today, which made his mixed-race features look even more profound and was in line with his ostentatious style.
"Why did you come to Haicheng without saying a word?"
Xia Lili greeted him lightly, "I came to visit my brother. I've been here for a while and plan to go back."
"You're going back to Yangcheng?" Pei Qinyue raised his peach blossom eyes slightly: "Do you want to take my private plane back?"
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