novellhall Chapter 14 Zhang Baizhi at age 8
Chapter 14 Zhang Baizhi at age 8
Felix restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Li Jiaxin picked up her wine glass and looked at Lin Dong through the rim. He was cutting his steak with his head down, his wrist still free.
"Ah Dong."
"Um."
She took a dark brown velvet box out of her bag and pushed it across the table.
Lin Dong opened it.
Patek Philippe, 5035J, gold case, creamy white dial, Roman numeral hour markers. The alligator leather strap has a matte finish in candlelight.
He picked up the watch, turned it over to look at the back—it was transparent, and the gears of the movement were stacked one on top of another, turning quietly under the glass.
"This is for you, take it and see!"
Lin Dong smiled and put the watch on his left wrist. The gold luster clung to his wrist, the hands moving steadily. He raised his hand to look at it, then put it down.
"nice."
Li Jiaxin's lips curved slightly, she picked up her wine glass, and said nothing more. The 52 yuan hadn't been wasted.
After dinner, Li Jiaxin took his arm and walked towards the car. She walked slowly, her whole body draped over his arm, her face slightly turned to the side, her lips almost touching his shoulder.
"Mr. Lin? Miss Li?"
The voice came from the side. It was young. There was a hint of uncertainty, but mostly eagerness.
Lin Dong turned his head away.
A girl stood a few steps away. She had long hair, no makeup, wore a white T-shirt with a light blue knitted cardigan over it, jeans, and canvas shoes.
Her face still had the youthful innocence of a student, but the natural beauty of her features was already undeniable—high brow bones, a straight nose, and a clean, defined jawline.
Zhang Baizhi at the age of eighteen.
"You must be Mr. Lin? I'm Zhang Baizhi."
Lin Dong looked at her.
She was waiting for him to ask, "How do you know me?" He didn't ask. These days, countless people throughout Hong Kong know him and Li Jiaxin.
"Is something the matter?" he asked.
Zhang Baizhi's lips moved slightly. She was clearly unprepared for what to say next, but she did not back down.
There was something primal about his eighteen-year-old face—not ambition, but hunger.
The kind of hunger you feel when you return to Hong Kong from Australia with little money in your pocket, knowing you're good-looking but not knowing if your looks can buy you food.
"Mr. Lin, I'm filming GG," she said, her speech quickening. "Sunshine Lemon Tea. After it aired, some magazines contacted me, but—" she paused, "but I want to act."
As she spoke, her chin was slightly raised. It wasn't arrogance, but the gesture of someone putting all their remaining chips on the table.
Lin Dong didn't reply, but turned his head to look at Li Jiaxin.
His gaze held a hint of amusement—not at Zhang Baizhi, but at Li Jiaxin. He wanted to see how this woman would handle the situation.
An eighteen-year-old newcomer, with a face full of collagen and ten years younger than her, volunteered himself to her man in front of her.
She made a couple of sarcastic remarks about Rosamund Kwan that time.
What about this time?
Unexpectedly, Li Jiaxin didn't make any big moves, she just stood elegantly beside Lin Dong, but she had already declared her ownership without even realizing it.
Then he slowly opened his mouth.
"Miss Zhang."
"You're very photogenic. You're sure to have a bright future."
Her tone was generous and appropriate, without any faults. But every word was underlined—you are a junior, a newcomer, a young girl who has just emerged and is not yet a real person.
I praise you because I stand high enough.
Zhang Baizhi understood. She pursed her lips slightly, but said nothing.
Lin Dong smiled.
He glanced down at Li Jiaxin—she was still leaning on his arm, with that standard, Miss Hong Kong winner's smile on her face.
This woman is so clever.
He looked up at Zhang Baizhi.
"You have a good temperament."
Zhang Baizhi held his breath.
"If it's convenient, leave your phone number," Lin Dong said. "I just started a company. If you'd like, I can have someone contact you and you can sign under my company's name."
Zhang Baizhi's eyes widened suddenly for a moment. Then she quickly rummaged through her bag for paper and pen, wrote down a string of numbers, and handed the note to Lin Dong with both hands.
"Mr. Lin, this is my home phone number. I'll be on it after 10 PM."
Lin Dong took the note, folded it, and put it in his shirt pocket.
"See you later."
He turned and walked out. Li Jiaxin took his arm, her steps as leisurely as when she came. She didn't look back at Zhang Baizhi even once.
Halfway up the mountain, Ligende Pavilion.
As soon as the door closed, Li Jiaxin pushed him onto the sofa.
She was different tonight. It wasn't the euphoria from a stock market rally, nor the flirtatious teasing she used before.
Her lips were pressed against his earlobe, her breath hot and rapid, and her fingers unbuttoned his shirt twice as fast as usual.
"Ah Dong."
Her voice muffled in his chest.
"I want to sign with your company."
Lin Dong looked down at her. Her face was buried in his chest, her hair was loose over her shoulders, and her fingers were still wandering over his body, like a stream that couldn't find its way.
"You still watch plays now?"
She paused for a moment. Then she shook her head very, very gently.
I really don't think much of it. A stock market profit of hundreds of thousands of dollars overnight is less than the salary for several months of filming a movie, after deducting commissions and taxes; it's not as quick as a stock market tick.
Lin Dong thought for a moment.
"Once Chen Xinjian has set up the company's framework, you will become the manager of the artist department."
She lifted her head from his chest, her eyes lighting up.
"All the artists you sign in the future will be under your management."
Her lips curved into a smile, and she nodded.
"it is good."
It was 10:30 p.m. that night. The stock trading machine screen on the bedside table was lit up, and Li Jiaxin sat cross-legged on the bed, her fingers flying as she typed in the code.
The screen flickered—76.16. She'd made a profit again.
Lin Dong leaned against the headboard, glanced at the screen, and closed his eyes. He was used to the daily rise in US stocks.
The next day, Lin Dong was awakened by the sunlight.
Li Jiaxin wasn't in bed. The sound of water came from the bathroom.
He rolled over and reached for his phone on the bedside table. The screen was lit up with more than a dozen missed calls: Xiang Yeqiang, Wang Jing, Huang Baiming, Chen Xinjian, and even a few unknown numbers.
He dialed Chen Xinjian's number.
"Mr. Lin," Chen Xinjian's voice was more serious than usual, "Have you read today's newspaper?"
"no."
"I'll read it to you."
The rustling sound of newspapers turning over came from the other end of the phone.
The Oriental Daily News's financial section headline reads: "Celebrity surnamed Li invests over 100 million in US stocks, with unrealized profits exceeding 20 million."
The article states: According to reliable sources, a well-known Hong Kong female artist surnamed Li has recently made a major foray into the US stock market, opening a trading account through HSBC and using double leverage, with a total investment of over HK$100 million.
As of yesterday's US stock market close, the unrealized profit from his holdings had exceeded HK$20 million. It is understood that the artist has been mentored by a Wall Street expert…
"Apple Daily was even more direct," Chen Xinjian continued flipping through the pages. "The headline was 'Jiaxin, the stock market guru! Seventy million turned into ninety million! Lin Dong teaches stock trading in bed?'"
"The Sing Tao Daily, Sing Pao, and Ming Pao all followed up. Although most of them did not name names, all the clues pointed to the same person—Li Jiaxin."
Lin Dong said, "I understand," and then put down his phone.
The bathroom door opened. Li Jiaxin walked out wrapped in a bath towel, her hair not completely dry, the ends sticking wetly to her shoulders.
"The news that you made a fortune in the stock market has leaked out," Lin Dong said with a smile.
Li Jiaxin was taken aback, then asked, "Who leaked it?"
"They're from HSBC," Lin Dong said. "With your double leverage, which of the account managers, risk controllers, and back-office staff involved couldn't sell information?"
She was silent for a few seconds, then smiled.
"So what if they find out!"