240: Chapter 238: Paparazzi 240: Chapter 238: Paparazzi He had just sat down, his seat barely warm, when a pleasant, clear voice came from the office entrance, “Tangyu.”
Recognizing the voice, Tangyu stood up with a smile and looked over; Liu Shanshan was standing at the door.
“Xinxin is looking for you,” Liu Shanshan said.
“Okay, I’ll be right there,” Tangyu nodded.
Wang Dazhuang nearby pursed his lips in envy.
The relationship between Liu Shanshan and Tangyu was somewhat known to everyone in the company.
Although it was not confirmed that the two were together, their close relationship had sparked some discussions within the company.
At the very least, many in their group believed that Tangyu had indeed captured Liu Shanshan’s heart.
The group held Tangyu in high regard; they were envious, but more so happy.
After all, for Tangyu, a member of their group, to win over Liu Shanshan, the company’s recognized beauty, was seen as a proud and fortunate occurrence.
Li Xiang was displeased, pouting with a look of hostility directed towards Liu Shanshan.
The young girl, still naive, wore her emotions openly on her face without any disguise.
Those unacquainted with the ways of the world came across as overly simple and found it difficult to navigate social nuances smoothly.
“Did you go out again this morning?” Liu Shanshan asked.
“Yes, I already asked for leave from Sister Min,” Tangyu nodded.
“Oh, although you’ve taken leave from Sister Min, Xinxin doesn’t seem too pleased with you.
These past few days, you’ve been mostly out, and though you’ve already settled the Changyou case, Xinxin has asked me several times what you’ve been up to and why you’re always busy.
I didn’t know how to answer her,” Liu Shanshan explained.
Tangyu grimaced.
Some personal matters plus official ones; there were things Tangyu didn’t want to discuss with Xinxin.
That feeling of being restrained indeed made Tangyu quite uncomfortable; he much preferred having more freedom.
The two quickly made their way to Zhao Xinxin’s office.
Upon their arrival, Zhao Xinxin immediately started packing up and handed the car keys to Tangyu, “Go start the car.” She didn’t mention the issue of Tangyu taking the morning off anymore.
Twenty minutes later, the trio arrived at the Shangri-La Hotel.
After parking the car, Tangyu saw a gathering of about a hundred members from the Tranquil Fan Society at the hotel entrance.
These fans were indeed fanatical; they had been waiting here for several days and still refused to leave.
This showed just how popular Huangfu Jing was – and not only that, some photographers and reporters were also waiting.
The trio bypassed the group of fans and went directly into the hotel.
“Xinxin, who are we meeting?” Tangyu asked directly as Zhao Xinxin had not mentioned the matter during their trip.
“A few key personnel from the Dali Group.
They have rescheduled at the last minute.
The press conference initially set for Saturday has been moved to tomorrow.
At the conference, Dali Group will announce their strategic new products’ advertising plans and which companies they will collaborate with for hard and soft media promotions,” Zhao Xinxin said calmly, her calm demeanor carrying a hint of chill.
This sudden change was undoubtedly a great blow for Xinxin Culture and Art, as Zhao Xinxin hadn’t yet secured a top-tier star.
This meant she had no bargaining chip to counter Shengshi Media and Tianyi Advertising – how could Zhao Xinxin not feel distressed?
This was indeed a devastating blow, catching her entirely off guard.
It was no wonder she looked so frosty during their trip.
Tangyu was slightly stunned, too; the decision would be made today, which was indeed too rushed.
He had planned to meet with Huangfu Jing on Friday but now realized he had to see her immediately.
“Xinxin, you don’t have to worry.
It’s still uncertain who will have the last laugh.
We must believe that there is always a way out.
Victory will ultimately be ours,” Tangyu comforted her, his mind already formulating a plan.
If Tangyu had said these words under normal circumstances, Zhao Xinxin might have agreed, but she felt cornered, powerless to turn things around.
The usually strong and persistent Zhao Xinxin felt despair.
“Let’s go, even if we lose, we can’t lose our dignity.
I want to see just what special tactics Shengshi Media and Tianyi Advertising have up their sleeves,” Zhao Xinxin said, gritting her teeth.
With just two more days, she would have secured a top-tier superstar.
Of course, the company would pay a price, but Zhao Xinxin was prepared to forsake profits if necessary.
This time, relying on Su Yaoji’s influence, they had already contacted a superstar willing to negotiate.
Yet, fate had other plans, upsetting Zhao Xinxin’s arrangements completely.
Her only hope now lay in persuading the person in charge of Dali’s new product to stick to the original plan for the press conference.
Although there was only a slim chance, Zhao Xinxin was determined to try.
Upon entering the hotel lobby, Tangyu saw a figure hurrying in from outside – it was none other than Huangfu Jing’s bodyguard, Brother Qing.
Brother Qing saw Tangyu too but didn’t come over to greet him; instead, he just gave a sign with his eyes and disappeared.
Following Zhao Xinxin, the trio headed to a luxurious private room on the eighth floor.
As they entered, Tangyu’s eyes immediately landed on two figures seated on a sofa, chatting and laughing.
It was Chen Haotian from Tianyi Advertising and Zhang Guoli from Shengshi Media.
Today, Zhang Guoli had not brought a beautiful companion, only two capable bodyguards.
His two subordinates saw Tangyu and immediately glared at him with fierce, murderous looks.
Zhang Guoli’s gaze also fell on Tangyu, his expression terrifyingly cold as if they were sworn enemies.
This darkened the atmosphere in the private room instantly, filling the air with a palpable sense of animosity.
The key personnel from Dali’s new product hadn’t arrived yet, but Zhang Guoli and Chen Haotian were already there early.
“President Zhang, President Chen, you two are early,” Zhao Xinxin broke the ice and walked over to them with a smile.
“You’re early too, President Zhao,” Chen Haotian replied.
Tangyu’s gaze swept over Zhang Guoli and noticed that he appeared unscathed, showing no signs of having been bitten by the Venom Scorpion Demon King.
Although the Venom Scorpion Demon King was not yet of age, its venom was something few could counter in this world.
This clue concerning Zhang Guoli must be pursued.
Seeing the cold, challenging smirk in Zhang Guoli’s eyes, Tangyu felt as if Zhang was issuing a challenge of war to him.
These two had arrived early, and they were here chatting and laughing with an air of confidence, making it clear that they had done their homework.
Perhaps, the reason Dali Group had moved the press conference forward was also manipulated by these two.
If Xinxin Culture and Art wished to win, their only chance was to secure Huangfu Jing, whose immense popularity could prove to be the decisive factor.
Nowadays, advertising relied on the star effect.
In the vastness of Huaxia Country, how many true geniuses really existed?
What Dali Group valued was also the star effect.
“Sister Xinxin, I’m going to use the restroom,” Tangyu said.
“Hmm,” Zhao Xinxin nodded, currently too preoccupied to pay much attention to Tangyu.
Leaving the private room, Tangyu headed directly for the presidential suite where Huangfu Jing was staying.
However, after only a few steps, a man resembling a bodyguard approached him, saying, “You are Mr.
Tangyu, right?”
“Yes, I am,” Tangyu nodded.
“Mr.
Tangyu, Miss Huangfu Jing has requested your presence,” the bodyguard said.
Tangyu’s mouth curved into a slight smile.
It seemed that Brother Qing had gone back and informed Huangfu Jing, who directly sent someone to fetch him.
This was also good as it saved him the trouble of visiting her proactively.
“I was just about to go see Miss Huangfu Jing myself, thank you.”
“Please follow me, Mr.
Tangyu,” the bodyguard made a respectful gesture.
Following the bodyguard, they quickly reached the eighteenth floor.
As they exited the elevator and were about to head towards Huangfu Jing’s presidential suite, Tangyu frowned slightly and scanned a fire door in the corridor that was slightly ajar.
He saw a figure inside who quickly withdrew, but not before Tangyu caught a glimpse.
“What is it, Mr.
Tangyu?” the bodyguard asked, looking in that direction as well but noticing nothing.
“There’s someone inside, probably a paparazzo,” Tangyu said.
“Ah, a paparazzo?” the bodyguard frowned; stars generally despised paparazzi.
Hearing ‘paparazzo,’ the bodyguard quickly dashed over there, with Tangyu following.
Upon opening the fire door, indeed, a thin man who looked about twenty-five or twenty-six and as petite as a high school student was hiding inside.
Caught in the act, his face showed fear and apprehension as he tightly protected his camera while pleading, “I’ll leave right now, I really didn’t capture anything,” trying to exit, but Tangyu and the bodyguard blocked his way.
“Sorry, sorry, please make way, I won’t dare do it again,” the paparazzo said.
Being a paparazzo required certain unique skills; otherwise, who would dare undertake such hazardous work?
“Stop, I didn’t say you could leave,” Tangyu said.
The bodyguard glanced at Tangyu, and the paparazzo also looked at Tangyu with a pleading expression: “I really didn’t capture anything.”
“Mr.
Tangyu, let’s not bother with these people; he probably didn’t capture anything,” the bodyguard said.
“You did capture something earlier.
Hand over the camera, and after I delete the photos, I will naturally let you go.
However, I have to warn you, if you dare to write nonsense about me later, don’t blame me for being unkind.
I am not one of Huangfu Jing’s people, nor am I involved in the entertainment industry.
If you dare drag me into your mess, consider this a warning laid down today,” Tangyu stated.