Chapter 32: Jinjiang Dufa Let’s buy a diamond ring directly…
The charity gala is a bit far from where Jiang Chen and his family live.
Jiang Chen didn't pay attention when he received the invitation. When he found the location and route, he found that the location of the dinner was very remote. It was out of the city center and closer to the new development zone.
The organizer of the dinner is Cui Ji, a well-known local entrepreneur who has been committed to public welfare. This kind of charity event is held every year, and the funds raised from the auction will be used first to rescue women and children.
Jiang Chen took another look at Cui Ji's photo on the invitation. He was a kind-looking middle-aged man with slightly sparse hair. He was wearing a formal suit and a sandalwood bracelet on his hand.
He smiled happily at the camera, and although the photo was retouched, a few fine lines were still clearly visible.
The car stopped outside the hotel where the party was being held, and the bodyguard got out and opened the door for the two of them.
Jiang Chen closed the invitation letter, and got out of the car one after another with Lu Chiyuan. There was a red carpet in front of the hotel, and there were reporters taking pictures on both sides.
Before Jiang Chen could stand firmly, countless flashes of light flashed before his eyes. He raised his hand to block them, and saw a white scene in front of his eyes. A noisy voice rang in his ears, and someone was shouting vaguely, "Quick take a picture," or something like that, "big news."
Lu Chiyuan leaned sideways to block the lights, and the shadow cast by his tall body completely enveloped Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen then felt a little better and reluctantly opened his eyes.
"Why are there reporters?" Jiang Chen looked around in surprise. It was just a charity gala, was it necessary to make such a big fuss?
Lu Chiyuan was used to it: "You'll get used to it."
Philanthropist is a good personal label. In order to maintain their own image, some businessmen will hold charity dinners under various names.
It doesn’t matter how the stage is built; what matters is that the publicity is in place.
So generally speaking, on such occasions, they welcome journalists to be present, and also invite a few celebrities and industry leaders to liven up the event.
After an event, there is both traffic and hot spots. Everyone benefits from it, and it is tacitly understood.
Lu Chiyuan ignored these people and walked forward with Jiang Chen. The reporters who were taking pictures wanted to follow them, but after taking two steps they realized something was wrong.
"This is the wrong photo. Who reported that Xiao Yin was riding in a McLaren? That's not true at all!"
"Right, that's the time you're talking about? These two entered first, right?"
"Back, back, the car is behind. Take it again and make it look better."
Another black Maybach entered the venue. The reporters set up their cameras again and waited for the car to stop. The people in the car posed before getting out to show off their legs. After the reporters had taken the photos, they got out with a decent smile, straightened their clothes, and greeted everyone enthusiastically.
With the sound of clacking, someone suddenly came to his senses and screamed, "Fuck, the person who just passed by was Lu Chiyuan! Did he bring a male companion with him?"
The sound of taking photos stopped abruptly, and the reporters quickly turned around. Lu Chiyuan and Jiang Chen had already walked the red carpet and arrived at the hotel entrance.
They only remembered it at this time, but it was too late to take pictures again.
Lu Chiyuan doesn't often appear in front of the media, and he and Gu Tingsen are often compared. Besides the fact that they seem like kings don't meet each other, it's also because the two of them are at two extremes.
While Lu Chiyuan is a frequent guest on Gu Tingsen's entertainment section, he has no gossip about anyone. He is occasionally photographed at banquets, either alone or with his special assistant Lu.
As Jiang Chen was a new face around him, the reporters already had countless ideas to grab the spotlight. Many of them began to look through the photos they had just taken, hoping that one of them would be useful.
Xiao Yin, who had just posed on the red carpet, froze and the smile on his face almost disappeared.
The agent stepped forward and grabbed him subtly, then led him forward, warning him in a low voice: "Even if you are pretending, you have to put on a smile. The company bought your hot search tonight and is counting on your retouched photos to go viral."
Xiao Yin cheered himself up. Even though the reporters' attention was no longer on him, he still performed a few fixed movements and walked the entire distance stiffly.
The agent looked up and stared at Lu Chiyuan, who was chatting with someone at the entrance of the hotel. After passing the range of the entertainment reporters, he reminded Xiao Yin: "Try to take a photo with Lu Chiyuan later. Your traffic is not high right now, and it will definitely be helpful for you to get in touch with Lu Chiyuan."
Xiao Yin had just been robbed of the limelight by someone else, and now his face was very sour. He snorted unhappily: "Do I still need to take advantage of his traffic? If his car hadn't entered the venue before me, would I have been so embarrassed?"
The agent rolled his eyes at him. If it weren't for the fact that Xiao Yin had a hit TV series recently, which had generated a wave of traffic and the ability to monetize, he would not have gotten him a spot to attend the dinner.
He cursed him as an idiot in his heart and sneered, “You should be thankful that he walked in front, otherwise those reporters would have chased you off and told you to get out of the way.”
He has just touched the first-tier traffic, and most of his popularity was created by the company. If you dehydrate his performance, he is just a second- or third-tier artist. How come his mind is still unclear and he can't tell the difference between a big king and a small king?
Given Lu Chiyuan's status and position, being able to get close to him and become his spokesperson would be a real benefit.
Jiang Chen and Lu Chiyuan had just walked off the red carpet when they met Huanyu’s partners at the door. The other party came forward to greet them enthusiastically. Lu Chiyuan chatted with them for a few words, and then everyone walked towards the venue together.
Although today's event is just a charity dinner, Cui Ji has a great influence in the local area, and many people will try to get an invitation letter and become a familiar face at the venue.
Jiang Chen and his friends arrived not too late, and the banquet had not yet started, but the venue was already crowded with people.
The hall was brightly lit, the crystal chandelier in the center was dazzling, and the guests coming and going were all dressed beautifully. They gathered in groups of three or five, clinking glasses, chatting and laughing.
Cui Ji was surrounded by people. He looked the same as in the photo, except that he was balder in real life. With his smiling face and slightly protruding beer belly, he looked like the Maitreya Buddha.
"Mr. Lu, I am honored to have your presence here. I am truly flattered."
Cui Ji had sharp eyes, and he saw Lu Chiyuan as soon as he entered the venue, and quickly stepped forward to greet him. He was not surprised at all, after all, he had been hosting banquets for so many years, but he had never invited Lu Chiyuan.
Firstly, Lu Chiyuan didn't like this kind of charity gala, and secondly, he was also busy and far away in other places and didn't want to bother anyone.
Lu Chiyuan politely shook hands with the man and said, "I happened to be on a business trip in City A, and I also wanted to contribute to charity. I hope I didn't disturb your interest."
The invitations for the banquet were usually sent to others one or two days in advance. The one for Lu Chiyuan was sent by Xu Chen on short notice.
He was not in Cui Ji's plan.
Cui Ji heard it and smiled: "How could that be? Your presence at my banquet is a great honor to me. I am afraid that I have not entertained you well enough. If there is anything wrong, please forgive me."
Cui Ji gave a look to the waiter beside him, and the waiter immediately brought the wine over.
He and Lu Chiyuan each took a glass and clinked their glasses.
Lu Chiyuan was not the only guest at the banquet. As the host, Cui Ji had to please everyone. After entertaining Lu Chiyuan, he quickly turned to the next person.
As soon as Cui Ji left, the others seized the opportunity and walked quickly towards Lu Chiyuan. It was a rare opportunity to meet him, so they definitely wanted to show their faces in front of Lu Chiyuan.
Seeing this, Jiang Chen took some champagne and occasionally helped Lu Chiyuan block the wine.
Xiao Yin and his agent also arrived at the venue. The agent first greeted the host, then searched for Lu Chiyuan in the hall and pulled Xiao Yin forward to toast him.
There were also reporters in the banquet hall, arranged by the host to take photos inside. They were much more low-key than the reporters outside, at least they didn't flash around with flash cameras.
Occasionally someone needs a photo taken, just give them a heads up and they’ll be happy to help.
The agent asked Xiao Yin to find a good lens and take as many photos as possible. Xiao Yin ignored him and only smiled unhappily when he got in front of Lu Chiyuan.
Jiang Chen was talking to Lu Chiyuan when his agent suddenly took a big step forward and pushed him away, leaving space for Xiao Yin.
Jiang Chen was stunned for a moment, probably because he didn't expect that he would be pushed away. He looked at the two rude people in front of him, gave Lu Chiyuan a look, shook his head slightly, and simply stood aside with a champagne in hand to watch the show.
The agent smiled so hard that his teeth were showing. He came up and started praising Lu Chiyuan enthusiastically, wanting to shake hands with him.
Lu Chiyuan just nodded and listened to him expressionlessly without extending his hand.
The agent had seen big occasions before and was not embarrassed. He introduced his own artists in a torrent of words and asked Xiao Yin to toast Lu Chiyuan.
The reporters nearby found a good position and prepared to take pictures for them.
When Jiang Chen heard the word "Xiao Yin", his mind moved slightly.
[He is Xiao Yin! He looks different from what the author described. Did the author add a filter to him? ]
Jiang Chen looked at Xiao Yin, who was wearing a burgundy suit and looked about the same height as him. However, he was obviously shorter than Lu Chiyuan and looked completely out of place because of Lu Chiyuan's aura.
The book says that he has a handsome face, is a modest gentleman, and has the appearance of a dragon and a phoenix.
But from Jiang Chen's perspective, the lighting at the venue made his facial lines less smooth, his cheekbones slightly protruding, and his profile slightly rugged, but he still looked good from the front. His facial features were regular, and as long as he didn't make big movements, his expression didn't collapse, and the lighting was better, the retouched photos would still be good.
All in all, it kind of depends on the vibe and the styling.
Snowball was moved by the melon, jumped into the venue, and squatted on Lu Chiyuan's shoulder as usual. He glanced at him and made a sound.
[He just got up from the high-rise bed and was dragged to work by his agent. No wonder his face is so sullen. He must be unsatisfied.]
Jiang Chen was choked by Xueqiu's words and coughed twice. Lu Chiyuan looked up at him and just ignored Xiao Yin's toast.
[Isn't he Shen Zhiyi's licker, a pure and innocent dog, keeping his virginity for Shen Zhiyi, and selling a wave of affectionate personality? Their company's senior executives are men. ]
Jiang Chen recalled the plot about Xiao Yin. The story did not mention that he had an affair with the top management. However, when he appeared, he was already a top star with millions of fans.
He's not at that level yet.
[Being a bootlicker for the heroine and being supported by a male executive do not conflict.] Xueqiu has been through many battles and is used to this kind of little melon, [He is the one below, as long as he has not been used before, according to the author's logic, it is considered a virgin...]
Jiang Chen's silence was deafening. What a master of logic.
After a while, he asked sincerely: [Qiuqiu, as a romance novel, isn’t the amount of melon you eat too high? ]
Jiang Chen made a rough calculation and found that except for Liu Yunyan and Gu Tingsen who appeared earlier, all other emotional entanglements involved two men.
The key point is that when Jiang Chen was reading the book, he only found that the relationship between Lu Chiyuan and Lu Mingxuan was ridiculed, but no one else had this tendency.
[The improvement of world consciousness will be affected by the main world. This is the norm in the entertainment industry and is not surprising.]
The formation of the novel world depends on the main line progress of the male and female protagonists. After their respective destinies are closed, the destinies of others will be improved based on the main line and main world of the novel.
As a melon-eating system, Snowball has eaten all kinds of weird melons. This is not a problem for it.
Jiang Chen still felt something was strange, but he couldn't tell what was wrong, so he could only believe Snowball's explanation for the time being.
On the other side, the wine glass held by Xiao Yin was ignored. A trace of gloom flashed in his eyes. The agent's mouth twitched. Seeing that Lu Chiyuan was looking at Jiang Chen, he felt embarrassed to block Jiang Chen, a living person.
As long as Lu Chiyuan can be photographed, what's the problem with more people? We can just cut them out in post-production.
Seeing him stepping away, Jiang Chen glanced at him with a half-smile, took the wine glass from Lu Chiyuan's hand, and said, "Brother Lu, it's a bit stuffy here, let's go out for some fresh air."
[This Xiao Yin and Gu Tingsen were in cahoots in the later period, and he was a frequent guest on the hot searches. He was best at dragging down his opponents, pretending to be innocent, and creating traffic for himself. Being involved with him was like being involved with something unclean. Even after washing it, it still smelled.]
[Just let him harm Gu Tingsen, stay away from my boss Lu! Damn it, don't get close to this unlucky thing.]
Jiang Chen saw through his agent's intention and found an excuse to take Lu Chiyuan away.
The agent's face froze and he tried to hold on.
Lu Chiyuan took a step towards Jiang Chen, raised his hand and placed it on Jiang Chen's waist, pulled Jiang Chen in, and nodded, saying, "Excuse me."
He was considerate in his actions, and now there was a faint smile on his face.
Jiang Chen leaned towards him cooperatively and walked away from Xiao Yin and his agent.
Xiao Yin's face fell immediately after being rejected. The agent stared at the hand on Jiang Chen's waist, with a calculating look in his eyes.
He got a rumor some time ago that Universal is planning to develop the entertainment industry and the holding company is promoting new people. Could this be him?
The manager was thinking about something, and when he turned around, he saw that his artist was already looking grumpy, and the reporters at the venue were still taking pictures. He quickly moved aside to block them, feeling exhausted.
The auction was only a few minutes away, so Jiang Chen and Lu Chiyuan did not walk far and sat in the small garden outside the venue.
As soon as they went out, Gu Tingsen made a high-profile appearance. Many artists looked at him with eager eyes. They had heard that Gu Tingsen would attend, so they got the invitation. Even Xiao Yin looked up, and his sullen face changed to a full smile.
It's not that he doesn't know how to do business, he just doesn't like the agent's arrangement. Lu Chiyuan is the president of Huanyu, but he doesn't do marketing, doesn't show up, and has a cold face. Even if he gets close to someone, he may not help hype it up.
But Gu Tingsen is different. He is a frequent visitor to the entertainment section and is a hot topic in his own right. If you can be associated with him, wouldn’t it be easy for you to become a hot search?
Moreover, he does not object to others using him for hype. Both parties can market tacitly and achieve win-win traffic.
When Jiang Chen and Lu Chiyuan returned to the banquet hall, Gu Tingsen had become the focus of the whole audience. He appeared today with his partner, who coincidentally was Shi Youwei, the project partner that Lu Chiyuan had turned down.
Jiang Chen just glanced at it, and the unlucky words were already on the tip of his tongue.
Gu Tingsen seemed to sense something and looked in the direction of the two of them. He met Lu Chiyuan's eyes across the crowd, and then walked forward with the wine in his hand.
It was a rare occasion for everyone to see the two of them at the same meeting, so they tactfully made way.
Gu Tingsen stood in front of the two of them, raised the wine glass in his hand, and said, "Mr. Lu, long time no see. I didn't expect you to attend such an occasion."
Lu Chiyuan looked indifferent. He took the champagne brought by the waiter and said, "It's been a long time since I last met Mr. Gu, but I just met the person next to Mr. Gu. Mr. Gu is really fast."
Shi Youwei suffered a loss in front of Lu Chiyuan, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he got, so he simply reached an agreement with Gu Tingsen. Now that he had Gu Tingsen's support, he spoke with more confidence: "I have to thank President Lu for his anger, otherwise I wouldn't have found a better choice."
A better choice?
Lu Chiyuan's eyes swept between the two of them. One of them wanted to convert capital, and the other wanted to recover losses. Both of them had ulterior motives and felt that they had made a profit.
It's really a two-way journey.
Lu Chiyuan said meaningfully: "Mr. Gu has a unique vision. I wish you a happy cooperation."
Shi Youwei wanted to show off, but he didn't expect his punch to hit cotton, and Lu Chiyuan didn't care at all.
Jiang Chen, who was standing aside, raised his lips slightly, already looking forward to the scene of the two of them fighting each other.
When Shi Youwei saw his smile, he thought of the day when he was embarrassed at the company. There was a hint of cruelty in his eyes, like a cunning poisonous snake.
He moved his mouth slightly, probably wanting to say something, but was interrupted by the sudden change in music in the venue.
Cui Ji walked onto the stage, picked up the microphone and said a bunch of polite words. Everyone's eyes were focused on him. After an opening speech, a staff member in a tuxedo came on stage and led everyone to the auction room on the other side.
The items for the charity gala have been carefully selected and are moderately priced. There is no minimum reserve price, but there is a maximum limit. After all, the purpose of the gala is charity, and if a high-priced item is auctioned, it will only have the opposite effect.
The atmosphere of the entire auction was relatively harmonious, and everyone made symbolic bids that were all within an appropriate range.
If he encounters an interesting item, Jiang Chen will just shout out a few times. His attitude is rather casual, no different from other bidders.
When it was his turn to get the brooch he wanted, he still had the same attitude, making it hard to tell whether he wanted it or was just playing around with it.
The actual brooch is more exquisite and gorgeous, but because of its name, many artists are cautious about it, fearing that people will take it out of context, and so they bid very conservatively.
Jiang Chen raised the price once and successfully won the item.
When the waiter handed the thing to him, he was a little surprised and subconsciously looked in the direction of Gu Tingsen.
[In a normal novel, shouldn't there be a fierce competition at this time? ]
Xueqiu explained kindly: [Dear, this is a charity gala, the focus is on charity, these items don’t have much collection value, even if the price is crazy high, it’s just the maximum limit. ]
Jiang Chen thought so too. He opened the box and took a look at the brooch. The real thing sparkled under the light, like a real snowflake, frozen in his hand.
[Looking at it again, it still suits Brother Lu very well, but how can I give it to him so that it won't seem awkward? ]
Now that he had the gift, Jiang Chen began to worry about how to give it.
Would it seem too casual to just hand it to him?
Xueqiu said: [You can prepare a candlelight dinner and order a bouquet of flowers. If the atmosphere is right, then giving gifts won’t be awkward. ]
Jiang Chen pursed his lips: [Do you think this is appropriate? In this kind of atmosphere, a diamond ring should be given as a gift. ]
Whose nice person orders a candlelight dinner and brings flowers, is it to give a brooch?
Snowball's eyes lit up, and he chuckled twice: "Chenchen, you suddenly got the message. Forget about your brooch for now, let's buy a diamond ring directly!"
Jiang Chen: “…”
Snowball successfully diverted his thoughts. He ignored Snowball's strange ideas, put the brooch away for the time being, and tilted his head slightly to look at Lu Chiyuan.
The lighting under the auction stage was a little dim, with a lot of light focused on the auction items, and more colorful lights projected into the venue.
The dim light made Lu Chiyuan's eyebrows look thicker, and his nose looked even taller, giving him a kind of awe-inspiring look. He was sitting upright, with his hair fixed with hairspray. There was not much loose hair on his forehead, and his forehead was smooth and full.
Jiang Chen stared at his face, liking it so much that he never got tired of it.
The auctioneer on the stage was still excited, but Jiang Chen's gaze had already dropped from Lu Chiyuan's face to his hands.
He wore a watch on his wrist, his fingers were long, with distinct joints, and his nails were round, full and neatly trimmed.
Jiang Chen looked at his ring finger for a few more seconds, then compared it with his own hand. His hand was a little smaller, so if he used his hand as a reference, he could actually roughly estimate the size.
Jiang Chen thought about it and was the first to laugh.
[I've really let Qiuqiu get confused. It's not my turn to give away rings or anything like that...]
Jiang Chen hadn't finished his thoughts when his hand reaching out to Lu Chiyuan was suddenly grabbed by someone.
Lu Chiyuan turned around and looked at him at some point, raised his hand and clasped his fingers together, then pressed his hand on the armrest of his chair. This action made the meridians on the back of his hand more visible.
His long eyelashes drooped as he stared at Jiang Chen's eyes in the colorful light and shadow, which were as deep as a dark pool with no bottom in sight.
Jiang Chen's heart skipped a beat. The inexplicable emotions were like a dense spider web, entwining around his heart, tightening in circles.
The surroundings became chaotic and his consciousness was floating in confusion.
Lu Chiyuan's lips curled slightly, with a subtle smile on his face, and he asked softly, "Is there anything else you like?"
Jiang Chen's face felt a little hot when he felt the heat coming from his palm. Lu Chiyuan's grip was not tight and he could easily pull it out, but his brain did not give such an order and only told him to avoid his sight and answer Lu Chiyuan's question.
"there is none left."
"Okay." Lu Chiyuan responded, glancing at Jiang Chen's reddened earlobe, and said, "Then sit for a while and then leave."
Jiang Chen nodded, his mind no longer on the auction.
The bustle of the venue had nothing to do with him at this moment. He was in a state of confusion, and only the clasped hands were so clear to him.
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