Chapter 59
7:30 p.m., Jinxiangxie Hall.
A red carpet was laid out from the hotel's main entrance to the lobby, and many media people were invited to take photos on the red carpet.
It was just a dinner party, but they made it sound like an awards ceremony.
Celebrities and CEOs walk in alternating groups, ensuring that there are always things the audience wants to see on the red carpet, and also bringing some popularity to the wealthy individuals.
Hu Zhenzhen arrived a little late.
It wasn't that I was late, but that I missed the moment when the celebrities walked the red carpet.
The three cars that remain are now occupied by the CEOs of entertainment companies.
Hu Zhenzhen glanced towards the red carpet and could still see the swaying figure of the last female celebrity.
She sighed to herself.
As expected of a female celebrity, she can exude charm even with just a few steps.
Compared to them, the company boss walking behind her seemed rather dull.
Chen Zhi may think this step was a good one, but in Hu Zhenzhen's view, it was a bad one.
It's just that these company bosses don't usually watch live streams, otherwise they would be unhappy to be overshadowed by celebrities and then mocked by uninformed passersby.
"Mr. Hu, are you ready? It's your turn."
The staff member in charge of the red carpet order asked her questions by her car.
There are only three people left to walk the red carpet, and Chen Zhi, as the one who initiated the banquet, will definitely be the last one to walk the red carpet.
She must have heard about Hu Zhenzhen's outfit from the staff, so she quickly changed the order.
Unfortunately, Hu Zhenzhen arrived late; most people had already walked the red carpet.
Even if Chen Zhi wanted to avoid this fashion clash, it was too late.
The only option was to let Hu Zhenzhen go to the red carpet first, with a male celebrity standing between them.
"Ready."
Hu Zhenzhen smiled at the staff and got out of the car to walk the red carpet.
This was her first time participating in such an entertainment industry event, and she found it very interesting.
Her red dress with gold trim made her skin appear even fairer.
Hu Zhenzhen is naturally two shades fairer than others, doesn't like staying up late, and takes good care of herself. When she dresses up, she's just as good as those celebrities who have debuted.
On both sides of the red carpet, fans who were preparing to leave were stunned when they saw her.
Huang An'an came today to chase after Deng Weiwei. She has been waiting here for five hours, just to capture a moment of her idol walking the red carpet.
Deng Weiwei appeared in the middle; she had already taken the photos she was satisfied with.
In order not to have come for nothing, and also to make sure that her sister would take some photos of Li Jia.
The red carpet event is now coming to an end, and there aren't many well-known celebrities left.
Just as Huang An'an was about to pack up her telephoto lens and leave, she caught a glimpse of Hu Zhenzhen out of the corner of her eye, and her spirits immediately lifted.
Unlike the other stunned people, she was a loyal user of Dog Castle, going there once a month.
The moment Hu Zhenzhen came out, she recognized her instantly.
"Sister Hu!"
There were only the faint sounds of camera shutters on the red carpet.
Fans only scream excitedly when a celebrity walks by.
The bosses on the red carpet were quite used to it.
After all, they don't often appear in public, so it's normal that no one recognizes them.
But this situation completely changed when Hu Zhenzhen came out.
From the moment Huang An'an called out "Sister Hu," the screams never stopped, and some were even louder than those of second- or third-tier celebrities.
Those who had already entered the hall couldn't help but look towards the entrance upon hearing the sound.
Who is this top celebrity who can cause such a huge screaming?
Looking around the field, I immediately realized something was wrong.
Haven't all the top celebrities already entered the market?
Why are there still such loud screams outside? Who has such a captivating charm?
The screams weren't limited to the fans on the red carpet; they also came from people watching the live stream.
Originally, the comments were urging for the scene to be cut to the inner area, but as soon as Hu Zhenzhen appeared, the comments were flooded with her.
I don't know who started it, but people began calling out "Hello, President Hu!"
The live chat was filled with neat rows of comments, all saying, "Hello, Mr. Hu!!!"
If someone were to enter the live stream right now, they might think they'd entered the wrong place, or that they'd stumbled into some company's online meeting.
Hu Zhenzhen never expected that she would be so popular with fans from both sides.
The reason she's so popular is simple: she's been trending on social media too many times, plus she's beautiful.
Humans are inherently creatures that love beauty.
Many of the fans on the front lines are simply fans who are attracted to good looks.
Her good looks were a huge plus for them. Even if they weren't familiar with Hu Zhenzhen, they were willing to join in the fun and shout out.
"Sister is so beautiful!"
"Sister Hu loves me, Sister Hu, please look at me!"
"Ahhh! Rich woman, love me one more time!"
Similar cries mingled together, and all Hu Zhenzhen could hear were screams.
The photographers, who were preparing to leave, immediately tensed up upon seeing this scene.
They weren't unaware of Hu Zhenzhen's name; they just hadn't expected that a company boss would be more popular on the red carpet than those top celebrities.
This is not surprising.
Fans are focused on their own idols. When other celebrities appear, they are mostly quiet and only cheer for their favorite stars.
The cheers on the red carpet only get louder when a top celebrity walks by.
Once the person left, the shouts immediately subsided.
It wasn't that there weren't people who came to support them, but their numbers were small; the cheers of a few dozen people were still weak.
Hu Zhenzhen's advantage lies in the fact that she is not in the entertainment industry.
She is a nationally renowned businesswoman, and an absolute millionaire in the eyes of her fans.
She's synonymous with resources and connections, and on top of that, she's incredibly beautiful and frequently does charity work.
Hu Zhenzhen didn't enter the entertainment industry, but she has a better public image than many celebrities in the industry.
In every fan group, there were people who liked Hu Zhenzhen, and with the encouragement of those in front, the screams naturally became louder.
Hu Zhenzhen was flattered. She had originally planned to walk over indifferently, but she forced herself to put on the best posture and waved to them with a smile.
In just a few minutes on the red carpet, she truly experienced what it's like to be a superstar.
The screams continued, and Chen Zhi, who had just gotten out of the car, looked even more furious.
"Is Li Yang ready? Let him go first."
She didn't want to be directly linked to Hu Zhenzhen, and it would be too embarrassing if netizens edited the two together for comparison.
Chen Zhi realized this and was glad that she had left a male celebrity.
But celebrities also have their own ideas.
Chen Zhi is indeed the event organizer, but she's not his boss, so he doesn't have to listen to everything she says.
Li Yang's eyes fell on Hu Zhenzhen, who hadn't finished walking the red carpet yet, and a thought popped into his head.
"Can I go up now?"
The red carpet has a certain length. Generally, when the people at the front reach the end, the people behind can go up. Sometimes, when people are in a hurry, there are three groups of people on the red carpet at the same time.
"OK."
After the staff agreed, Li Yang couldn't wait to step onto the red carpet.
When Chen Zhi's assistant, who wanted to tell him to slow down, arrived, he had already walked onto the red carpet.
The assistant sighed in frustration and quickly informed Chen Zhi, "President Chen, the person has already walked the red carpet. You should also start making preparations on your end."
Chen Zhiliu, the male celebrity, was placed at the end in an attempt to boost the live stream's popularity and prevent a sharp drop in viewership when she appeared.
I didn't expect this person to be so resourceful.
She harbored resentment in her heart as she got out of the car and glanced at the two figures on the red carpet.
The male celebrity walked very fast and was about to reach Hu Zhenzhen's side. Chen Zhi could tell what he was up to at a glance.
They dared to offend her, yet they went to curry favor with Hu Zhenzhen.
This is undoubtedly a slap in the face to her on her own turf.
Due to the occasion, Chen Zhi couldn't show her anger at the time, so she put on a fake smile and gave her assistant some instructions.
"Who is this male celebrity again? Write it down. After the banquet, tell the other company bosses that Yinli's artists will no longer work with him."
The assistant glanced pityingly at the male celebrity who was still unaware of what was happening, and said, "Yes, Mr. Chen."
Hu Zhenzhen, who was walking at the front, had already halfway into the inner area before Li Yang finally caught up with her.
"Mr. Hu, it's a pleasure to meet you."
He took the initiative to greet them, afraid that he wouldn't have a chance if he went inside.
Hearing the voice, Hu Zhenzhen turned around and saw a familiar face, realizing it must be a celebrity.
"Nice to meet you."
Hu Zhenzhen didn't remember his name, so she naturally couldn't include it when she greeted him.
Fortunately, he was sensible and took the initiative to introduce himself: "I am Li Yang. I have worked with Director Lu Ye before. I heard that he is now working under you?"
He's quick-witted and knows how to find topics to talk about.
Whenever Lu Ye is mentioned, Hu Zhenzhen can always chat with people for a while.
"Yes, Director Lu is now working under me, and filming will start in September."
Which film did you work on with Director Lu?
Hu Zhenzhen asked casually, but unexpectedly, she touched on a sore spot, and Li Yang immediately looked embarrassed.
"That movie is quite famous, you may have heard of it, it's called 'Green Apple'."
Hu Zhenzhen had indeed heard of it and understood why Li Yang looked so embarrassed.
"Green Apple" is Lu Ye's lowest-rated work.
His previous movies at least featured beautiful women, and even if the plot was terrible, some viewers would still buy into them just because the visuals were beautiful.
But this movie is different; Green Apple tells a story related to monsters.
When casting, the investors brought their own actors, filling almost all the main and supporting roles, leaving Lu Ye with little room for choice.
What good movies can a director and an entire cast produce if they are dissatisfied with each other?
The answer is obvious: Green Apple's box office performance was exceptionally poor when it was released.
The comments section was filled with all sorts of insults, from the director to the lead actors, from the lead actors to the investors, and the entire crew was subjected to abuse.
It was because of this film that Lu Ye became disheartened and, in a fit of anger, switched careers to become an advertising director.
Li Yang was one of the supporting actors in that drama. He played a monster who turned a golden pheasant into a spirit, a dark chapter in his life that he still doesn't dare to look back at.
Every time someone becomes a little famous and wants to post some cool photos of themselves on Weibo, they see memes of the Golden Pheasant Spirit in the public square.
Because of this, Li Yang's "handsome guy" persona has never really taken off, but his "funny guy" image has spread throughout his fan base, making it impossible for him to deny it.
“Green Apple,” Hu Zhenzhen chuckled, “that is indeed Director Lu’s classic work.”
It's quite remarkable that the male actor who came from that drama has reached where he is today.
Hu Zhenzhen felt sorry for him for a few seconds, then forgot about it and followed the staff to her seat.
Before the banquet officially begins, similar to an awards ceremony, the CEOs of each company are given the opportunity to speak.
Leaders always like to give speeches, and this arrangement probably suited their tastes very well. The Vanity Fair has been held for five or six years, and this segment has continued to this day.
Of course, whether the others sitting below will listen is another matter.
Those who are allowed to sit here are either top-tier celebrities in the entertainment industry or bosses and presidents of various entertainment companies.
Everyone has ability and money, so of course no one will listen to long, rambling speeches.
But everyone is willing to come.
The admission ticket you get here is enough to show off to others.
The same applies to celebrities.
Every year, the world of fame and fortune is a grand spectacle. The fans of the stars who have obtained their tickets celebrate, while they prepare various announcements to criticize their rivals.
If a celebrity who can't get a ticket dares to come up at this time, they will only be ridiculed and mocked.
How can someone who can't even get into the world of fame and fortune dare to call themselves a top-tier celebrity?
[This is hilarious! Top-tier celebrities? I wonder if they can even get into the world of fame and fortune?]
Similar statements appear every year, yet some people still enjoy engaging in these staged accidents.
In the entertainment industry, being famous for being controversial is also a way to gain attention. As long as you can get attention and grab people's eyeballs, there are plenty of people willing to do it even if they get criticized.
Chen Zhi herself is a bit petty, which is common knowledge within the industry.
But she was so successful in the world of fame and fortune that no one wanted to offend her or give up their easily attainable ticket to the top.
Hu Zhenzhen was seated in the first row.
Even if she only has one martial arts film and television work that is not yet well-known, she can still sit firmly in the middle of the first row based on her wealth and reputation.
She knew the person sitting to Hu Zhenzhen's right very well.
No sooner had he sat down than Xiang Wei's teasing words were delivered.
"What? Are you surprised to see me here?"
Hu Zhenzhen nodded sincerely, genuinely surprised. "Your Xiang Group is involved in far too many things."
Xiang Wei raised an eyebrow. "You have the nerve to say that to me? I'm just a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Besides my main job, I'm just investing in the entertainment industry. You, on the other hand, are really crossing over into a new field."
From food and snack streets to the recently famous Dog Castle amusement park, and then to a film and television company in the entertainment industry, Hu Zhenzhen's businesses seem to have absolutely no connection with each other.
After being told that, Hu Zhenzhen realized this and smiled helplessly.
"I had no choice, I was forced into this."
"What? Is someone forcing you to be the best in every industry?"
Xiang Wei said it in a joking tone, and Hu Zhenzhen jokingly replied in return.
"That's right. Our dog Wangcai barks every day, saying that I should get involved in the dog food industry so that I can produce the best-tasting dog food for it every day."
"That's ridiculous."
Xiang Wei said something to her, but she laughed.
In this kind of situation, it's not easy to run into a true friend and exchange a few jokes.
With no one else to bother them, the two of them simply started chatting idly, passing the time.
The organizers are always the first to go on stage.
Chen Zhi was the first to speak on stage today. Standing there, she immediately spotted Hu Zhenzhen whispering to herself.
Hu Zhenzhen's fiery red dress stung her eyes.
As the old saying goes, it's not scary to wear the same clothes as someone else; the one who feels ugly is the one who feels embarrassed.
Beauty and ugliness are highly personal definitions. Sometimes, even if two people are wearing the same clothes and are equally confident and beautiful, they will be praised by onlookers at the same time.
But once one of them feels that they are inferior to the other, the gap will become very obvious.
A person's spirit is invisible and intangible, but this magical spiritual energy can change many things.
Chen Zhi is known for her stinginess in the industry, and she obviously doesn't have the magnanimity to ignore Hu Zhenzhen, who is wearing the same color dress as her.
Hu Zhenzhen was even a shade lighter than her, her skin so white it was dazzling under the lights.
It's even more of an eyesore.
Both of them were owners of entertainment companies, and Chen Zhi couldn't do anything to her, so she could only swallow her anger for now.
But Hu Zhenzhen just had to push her to the limit and challenge her nerves.
She was giving a serious speech, and to liven things up, she even cracked several jokes, but Hu Zhenzhen didn't listen at all, only chatting and laughing with the people next to her.
Actually, there were quite a few people in the venue who weren't listening.
But with both new and old grudges, Chen Zhi only had eyes for Hu Zhenzhen.
Incited by this evil impulse, Chen Zhi made a rather unwise decision.
She changed the original order of speaking.
When speaking on the stage, he took the initiative to speak up, saying, "Today we are honored to have Mr. Hu, who has just established a film and television company, here. Mr. Hu, why don't you come up on stage and say a few words to everyone, so that we can also learn how to run an entertainment company?"
The malice in those words was palpable.
Hu Zhenzhen was initially unsure of her attitude, but now she understood everything.
Since Chen Zhi dared to make a move, she dared to accept it.
In front of a group of bosses who had been in the entertainment industry for ten or even several decades, Chen Zhi claimed that she wanted them to learn from Hu Zhenzhen, who had just entered the industry.
This crude provocation is unsightly for both sides.
When Hu Zhenzhen took the microphone at this moment, it meant that she agreed with Chen Zhi's words and wanted to teach these big shots a lesson.
If she doesn't answer the phone, she'll be seen as timid and weak, giving people the impression that she's easy to bully.
It seems that no matter what choice Hu Zhenzhen makes, the outcome will not be good for her.
She stood up, her red dress swaying in the air with her movements; the satin material itself had a ripple-like feel as she walked.
With Hu Zhenzhen positioned under the lights, the dress looked even more beautiful, managing to exude a certain charm even without any other kind of allure.
Hu Zhenzhen walked onto the stage with a smile on her face, showing no fear whatsoever, and took the microphone from Chen Zhi.
With just this one movement, she noticed that many people below the stage had a slight change in expression.
"Since Mr. Chen has so kindly invited me to come up and give a speech, then I will not stand on ceremony."
Upon hearing her opening remarks, Chen Zhi's smile became much more genuine, and she calmly walked off the stage.
Hu Zhenzhen dared to say such things, and Chen Zhi wasn't afraid that she wouldn't offend anyone.
"In the entertainment industry, you are all my seniors, so it is only right that I, as a junior, should speak first."
Chen Zhi sat down, feeling completely at ease, waiting to see how Hu Zhenzhen would offend someone.
The entertainment industry is a small world, and interpersonal relationships are unavoidable.
Even though Hu Zhenzhen runs a film and television company, she still has to deal with people from other circles. She always needs to commission singers to write theme songs for film and television dramas, and the TV series she produces will eventually be released, which also requires cooperation with platforms.
Young people are still too hot-blooded.
In his excitement, he rushed onto the stage without considering the consequences.
Chen Zhi leisurely sipped her tea, waiting to see Hu Zhenzhen make a fool of herself.
Hu Zhenzhen knew what she was thinking. She caught a glimpse of Chen Zhi's actions out of the corner of her eye and changed the subject.
"However, when it comes to doing business, I'm on the same track as all of you seniors, so there's no need for formalities."
"In business, there are no seniors or juniors, only successful and unsuccessful people. It just so happens that I have always been successful, which is why I can sit here with you all."
"Many of you here are probably wondering why I'm here. That's right, I own a film and television company called Jianghu Film and Television."
Hu Zhenzhen shrugged, glanced at the camera that was turned on in the distance, and seemed to be in a better mood.
"I dare say that Jianghu Film and Television Company will become your formidable rival in the future."
Chen Zhi, sitting in the audience, couldn't help but glance at the faces of those bigwigs in the film and television industry. Hu Zhenzhen was really bold to dare to say such provocative things.
All eyes were on the stage, eager for a good show.
Clearly, Chen Zhi wasn't the only one with similar thoughts.
"I haven't counted how many high-quality dramas, movies, and songs your companies produce each year, but I'm sure that every single one of Jianghu Film & Television's upcoming works will be above average."
"Give me some time, and I will surpass you all."
"At this point, many people may laugh at me for being foolish and say that I was young and reckless."
When Hu Zhenzhen said this, someone even shouted "Yes!" in agreement with her.
Upon hearing this, she didn't get angry but laughed instead.
"I was indeed young and impetuous. At twenty-five, it should have been the time to be wild and adventurous. If I didn't do it now, no one else would."
Hu Zhenzhen has a very clear understanding of herself.
"Compared to other bosses, I probably only have one advantage, which is that I'm not afraid of losing money."
She spread her arms, making an extremely confident gesture.
"No matter how much money I lose, I will continue to implement Jianghu Pictures' policy. I want my company to produce high-quality works, and I want to cultivate the best directors, the best screenwriters, and the best actors."
"I want to give the audience the best audio-visual feast, so that everyone who watches our work will praise it."
"Therefore, from now on, Jianghu Pictures welcomes every actor who focuses on acting skills, every screenwriter who focuses on scripts, and every director who demands high-quality works."
When she mentioned these three joining, Hu Zhenzhen's eyes were fixed on the camera.
She's not an actress and hasn't learned how to look at the camera.
But some people are naturally photogenic and know how to maximize their charm.
Hu Zhenzhen happens to have this ability.
As Chen Zhi listened, the smile on her face disappeared.
She looked around and found that the many unfriendly stares that had surrounded her had almost completely disappeared.
When someone foolishly tries to provoke all their seniors, they will naturally be ostracized by everyone.
But if she were truly a brave person who could challenge the current situation, those around her would actually have some respect for her.
Chen Zhi's plan not only failed, but she also realized that she was about to benefit Hu Zhenzhen, so she became anxious.
The world of fame and fortune has been around for so many years, how can it become Hu Zhenzhen's job fair? That won't do!
Ignoring the possibility of being discovered by those around her, she quickly called over her assistant who was standing guard by the wall.
"Cut off the live stream! Immediately!"
Chen Zhi's idea is not wrong. She can no longer stop Hu Zhenzhen from speaking, so at least she should prevent more people from hearing or seeing it.
Unfortunately, no matter how quickly she reacted, she was still a step too late.
"Mr. Chen, it's too late. The delay is only one minute. Cutting off the live stream now will have an even worse impact."
Chen Zhi understood the gravity of the situation and waved her away in annoyance.
Looking at Hu Zhenzhen, who was full of vigor on the stage, she felt a surge of frustration build up in her chest.
Are you suggesting we just let Hu Zhenzhen show off on her turf?
The more beautiful and confident Hu Zhenzhen was on stage, the uglier Chen Zhi's expression became offstage.
However, not only those on and off stage couldn't understand Chen Zhi, but even the audience in front of the screen were completely captivated by Hu Zhenzhen's words.
[Great! Sister Hu is cleaning up the film and television industry!]
[If you don't understand, just ask. Why didn't anyone argue when they said it was a high-quality drama? The Chinese entertainment industry is truly rotten.]
[Who understands? Sister Hu is so handsome, so handsome I'm smitten. I'll be waiting for her in bed tonight.]
[Waiting for Sister Hu's promise, I'm starting to look forward to Jianghu Films.]
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