Chapter 10: Real Estate Tycoon

Chapter 10: Real Estate Tycoon

The original owner, carefree and naive, had been a cheerful innocent. Ever since Song Li joined the company, Tang Fei began to feel a sour taste in her heart as she was constantly overshadowed.

When the sulfuric acid incident occurred, her resentment turned into hatred. The logic was straightforward: if the incident were true, how could Song Li's face remain unscathed? Yet, Song Li played the part of a victim flawlessly, implicating the original owner unjustly.

This led the disheartened original owner to plan her marriage and exit the entertainment industry.

But now, with an external aid, Tang Fei, through the system, is filling the gaps in her acting skills and enhancing her performance. She aims to create iconic roles and gain the audience's recognition.

Back then, the slander from someone like Song Li was but a drop in the ocean. Those who had tried to tarnish her reputation surely wouldn't be pleased to see her thriving.

Intent on spoiling someone's day, Tang Fei rallied her energy to compile a comprehensive analysis for the spirit drama's female lead, Li Yunxiu. She meticulously outlined the character's personality traits, appearance, behavior, and background in a systematic manner.

In the novel, Li Xiuyun and the male lead, Su Yang, are childhood sweethearts. At the onset of the Spirit Ability Frenzy, she was bitten by a venomous snake mutated by spirit energy while attempting to save Su Yang. He used his treasured collection of spirit herbs to treat her, though it only served to postpone her recovery without fully healing her. Consequently, Li Xiuyun spent extended periods in bed, unconscious, while Su Yang frequently ventured out in search of rare herbs to sustain her life.

At the outset of the story, Li Xiuyun was gentle and serene. She spent her days alongside the protagonist, listening to Su Yang paint vivid pictures of the world beyond, boasting of tales he'd gleaned from ancient texts, and sketching out a glorious future, sharing his dreams of what lay ahead as they grew older.

He vowed to lead her out of the mountain village, to show her the world beyond. He also promised to traverse the rivers and mountains with her, to marvel at the vastness of the earth and sky.

Li Xiuyun always listened attentively, believing in Su Yang's success. She could see the fiery sincerity in his eyes when he spoke of these aspirations.

She knew that Su Yang wasn't just spouting empty words; he had a vision, a contemplation, and the intention to act upon it.

The advent of the Psionic Tide swept across, and with Su Yang's advancement greatly surpassing his peers due to the Spirit Gathering Ring, hunting ordinary plants became a facile task for him. Gradually, he grew complacent, overlooking the perils of the world. Before he had fully matured, he ventured out of the mountain village with Li Xiuyun. It wasn't long before they encountered an ambush from a psionically mutated venomous snake. It was at this moment that Li Xiuyun demonstrated remarkable composure, resolute decision-making, and the courage to confront death on behalf of her companion.

After her poisoning, Li Xiuyun entered a Sleeping Beauty-like state, remaining unconscious for years. When she occasionally roused, it was only to hold hands with the male lead, their eyes brimming with tears, without any spoken dialogue.

Here, it may seem effortless to act while lying down, as joked by online commentators, but in reality, conveying intricate emotions solely through one's gaze is a more challenging task than delivering a scripted performance with lines.

Tang Fei realized that she had been misguided by numerous reviews before reading the novel. Her previous disdain for the characters was indeed somewhat arrogant, and she needed to guard against such an elevated mindset.

Tang Fei imagined that Li Xiuyun, lying in bed, would recall the words spoken by the male lead during their youth. While he ventured into the vast world, she was confined to her small bed, trapped within limited boundaries.

Although their love journey was untroubled, she couldn't accompany him to fulfill the beautiful future they had envisioned in their youthful days. She couldn't fight alongside him, nor could she explore the magnificent world hand in hand with him, leaving her with profound regret.

The book was a fantasy novel, depicting warmth and passion in a world of enchantment. The vividly imaginative realm truly captivated readers with its endless possibilities.

Yet, at its core, the story was still about people and emotions. It still resonated with reality, reflecting relationships and feelings between individuals, the love between men and women, the simplicity among villagers, the bond of brotherhood that transcended life and death, and the complex mix of rivalry and assistance between villages as they fought external foes with fervor.

No wonder so many fans adore it; even after a decade, the novel remains popular. The author truly put effort into crafting the story, defying the notion that the female lead is just a mere accessory. Despite her seemingly one-dimensional and utilitarian role, the character is intricately portrayed. Li Yunxiu's storyline, though brief, is indeed exquisite.

Not every involvement in combat defines the main plot; Li Yunxiu is Su Yang's love interest.

Tang Fei, adopting the Pure Lotus makeup to embody Li Yunxiu's tenderness, and the Drunken Concubine look to explore a myriad of emotions, methodically prepares for her transformation.

When it was time to meet He Zhou at the hotel, Tang Fei put away her phone, layered herself with a down jacket, gloves, hat, and mask, then descended the stairs. As she stepped out, He Zhou, sniffling from the cold, approached with two shared bicycles.

"Big sis, hop on!"

"..." Tang Fei's mind froze in the biting wind before she recalled the original owner's commitment to frugality and eco-friendliness. With the robust physique inherited from the Tang family, they could manage the distance by bike. Thinking of her dwindling finances, Tang Fei gritted her teeth and mounted the bicycle. "Let's go!"

The silhouettes of two people and their bikes vanished into the cold winter wind. Shortly after their departure, a sleek black sedan pulled up outside her dormitory.

"One would, hic, throw themselves into my brother's arms and splash soda on Sister Song Li, yet still linger in the dorm?" Two individuals emerged from the car, one appearing around twenty with delicate features, flushed cheeks, and unsteady steps - a clear sign of intoxication. The security guard, recognizing them as his superiors, dared not interfere.

"Guan Mo, you should give people time to find a place. It's unfair of you to involve the production team like this. Hanging from wires is risky, and if something really happened, you couldn't shoulder the responsibility. You wouldn't want to chase her away now, would you? That would be inhumane. Hic."

The other person, hugging themselves with both arms, stomped their feet while hiccupping. Rubbing their temples, they shook their head. "On such a cold day, you're just bored from being full, huh?"

"I wouldn't do that. I... Didn't I give the production team two hundred thousand to compensate her? She was the one who threw herself into my brother's arms while secretly arranging for photos to force him to acknowledge her. Thankfully, thanks to, to, Sister Song Li, who discovered it and bought back all the negatives. She even called our Guan Yun a midget and praised Sister Song Li's face shape as resembling a pancake.

Who could help but be angered when her past bullying of Sister Song Li resurfaced? Shen Hang, your company's standards for signing artists are terrible. No matter how good-looking she is, my brother wouldn't give her a second glance. What's the point of her throwing herself at him? Her heart is corrupted, beauty doesn't matter.

If this time it turns out that your company deliberately used her for publicity, then I admit I was wrong. Can't I apologize?"

As Guan Mo spoke, she walked towards the elevator. "Quickly take out your card and swipe for her floor. I'm just going to apologize. Isn't that enough?"

Shen Hang staggered after her, his speech slurred. "She doesn't even know you. If not for... For my brother's sake, I wouldn't be accompanying you in this madness."

Guan Yun, the younger sister of the butler family, had entered Yao Hui, and the butler's ink-printed conglomerate had invested in Yao Hui just for her. To others, Yao Hui wasn't only a hub for entertainment resource exchange between Hong Kong and Taiwan circles but also a company backed by the butler family. With over ten film shooting bases across the country, nine of them belonged to real estate tycoons from the butler family, holding more than half the stakes. Who dared to provoke Yao Hui?

Guan Mo chuckled. "My brother wouldn't bother with such trivial matters. He hates, hates entertainment gossip the most. He doesn't even allow reports about himself, only about the company."

Arm in arm, they swayed their way to Tang Fei's door. Shen Hang fumbled with his key, unable to get it in the lock for a while. He then chuckled, slapping his own head. "Why am I even trying to unlock this? It's not my place."

Shen Hang called the dormitory management to send over a spare key. Once inside, he was perplexed. "Where is everyone?"

"Would you still have asked for a key if someone were here? You'd just knock, wouldn't you?" Guan Mo surveyed the room, stumbled, and awkwardly tripped over his own feet, collapsing on the floor and struggling to regain his footing.

Shen Hang burst into laughter, moving to help Guan Mo up. However, Guan Mo pulled back with force, toppling Shen Hang down as well. "Serves you right, now we're both down here."

In the end, neither could manage to stand, feeling exhausted. They simply fell asleep on the carpet.

It wasn't until the dead of night that Guan Mo felt an unbearable weight on his body, accompanied by labored breathing and a parched throat. He abruptly opened his eyes, realizing he was in an unfamiliar setting with Shen Hang's leg pressing against his chest.

He promptly pushed himself up and got to his feet.

Shen Hang, likewise, woke up dazed. Both of them suddenly recalled their earlier actions that day. Was it a reckless adventure fueled by alcohol? It was absurd, yet neither of them spoke, silently opening the door, descending the stairs, and getting into the car without a word.

The driver was still waiting for them and wisely refrained from asking what they had been doing upstairs for hours.

Stretching himself, Shen Hang leaned back into the seat. "I used to have high hopes for her. Though not the brightest, she delivered decent returns on the resources we invested. Because of you and your sister, our company let go of a profitable asset.

"Didn't Elder Brother provide a substantial investment when you signed Guan Yun? Can't that offset it?"

"Mm-hm, it can." Otherwise, how could you have gotten away with such recklessness?

Shen Hang yawned, urging the driver to speed up. Both of them were still uneasy after the bizarre episode of intoxication earlier.

Backtracking a bit in time, around three in the afternoon, Tang Fei had already left the hotel. Her next destination was the chamber of commerce, where a presentation on a smart real estate project was being held. Sponsored by the large-scale developer, Ink Impression, and jointly developed with Capital University, the event aimed to attract investors. The session was about to begin, forcing Tang Fei to summon a car despite her reluctance.

During the ride, Tang Fei put on her headphones to observe the hotel front desk operations and recordings. The wealthy girls staying at the hotel displayed diverse lifestyles—some worked out rigorously in the gym, others swam in the pool, some kept their rooms unoccupied but checked in frequently, and occasionally, there were those who couldn't stop taking calls even during meals.

Overall, they seemed relaxed, enjoying leisure moments at the hotel.

Upon arriving at the chamber, Tang Fei was assigned to prepare cakes in a room for a tea break. Through a gap in the partition screen, she could see someone on stage delivering a speech. The renowned real estate tycoon and owner of Ink Impression, Guan Yin, stood under the spotlight, elucidating his company's real estate philosophy. He spoke about the 5G era of smart homes, accompanying theme parks, and an integrated, multi-dimensional shopping complex. With simplicity and clarity, he painted a grand and alluring picture.