novellhall Chapter 2 Li Jiaxin
Chapter 2 Li Jiaxin
The banquet hall is on the third floor of the hotel.
Before Lin Dong even reached the door, he saw a man and a woman already standing there waiting.
The man was around fifty years old, with a square face, sharp eyes that were also kind, wearing a dark suit, and his back was ramrod straight—it was Xiang Yeqiang.
Standing next to him was a smiling woman with short hair and a commanding presence; she was his wife.
The couple appeared at the door at the same time to wait for someone.
In Hong Kong's entertainment industry, only a handful of people can enjoy such a level of prestige.
"Lin Sheng!" Xiang Yeqiang saw him from afar and immediately came to greet him, his smile so genuine it was unbelievable. "It's an honor to meet you! You must have had a long journey!"
Mrs. Xiang smiled and extended her hand: "Mr. Lin is so young. The newspaper said he was twenty-six. I thought it was a mistake."
Lin Dong grasped Mrs. Xiang's hand and smiled, "Mrs. Xiang doesn't look like a mother of two."
Mrs. Xiang's eyes lit up, and she smiled even more broadly: "Mr. Lin really knows how to talk."
Xiang Yeqiang laughed heartily beside him, "Mr. Lin, please come in!"
Inside the banquet hall, stars shone brightly.
The light from the crystal chandelier shone on hundreds of people; half of Hong Kong's entertainment industry was now gathered in this hall.
Lin Dong was personally led by Xiang Yeqiang across the red carpet. The crowd automatically parted to make way, and countless eyes fell on him—some curious, some scrutinizing, some fawning, and some indifferent.
Xiang Yeqiang cleared his throat and said in a loud voice, "Everyone, let me introduce you—this is Lin Dong, Mr. Lin, who just returned from America! The genius stock market king of Wall Street! From today onwards, Mr. Lin is one of our own in Hong Kong!"
There was thunderous applause.
"Mr. Lin told me that what he's most optimistic about this time he's back is our film industry! Everyone, there will be plenty of opportunities to collaborate in the future!"
The applause grew even louder.
Next came round after round of toasts.
The first to arrive was Andy Lau. In 1998, Andy Lau was 37 years old, at a crucial stage of transitioning from an idol to a respected actor.
Although singing Chinese songs had some impact, it wasn't a big problem, and he also had a close relationship with Xiang Yeqiang and his wife.
He approached with a glass of red wine, smiling gently and humbly: "Mr. Lin, welcome back to Hong Kong."
Then came Wong Jing, Stephen Chow, Jet Li… and so on, one after another—
Lin Dong smiled and agreed to everything, clinking glasses with this person and nodding to that person.
There were too many people; there were some he couldn't remember, nor did he need to.
With the system in hand, these people will eventually come to him on their own initiative.
He drank champagne glass after glass, no less than twenty glasses, and even though he had a good alcohol tolerance, he was starting to feel dizzy.
Just then, a voice came from behind.
"Lin Sheng".
Two words, yet they seemed to freeze the surrounding air for a moment.
Lin Dong turned around.
A woman stood behind him.
She wore a simple black evening gown, and her face, of mixed Chinese and Portuguese descent, seemed to glow softly under the crystal chandeliers in the banquet hall. Her features were so exquisite that it looked as if God had measured them millimeter by millimeter.
Li Jiaxin.
In 1998, Li Jiaxin was 28 years old, the prime of a woman's life.
She held a glass of red wine, her beautiful eyes lingering on Lin Dong, a faint smile playing on her lips—neither obsequious nor reserved, her demeanor perfectly balanced.
"Mr. Lin," she called again, her voice soft and carrying a touch of Cantonese charm, "Welcome back! You seemed to have had quite a bit to drink. Would you like to go to the balcony for some fresh air?"
Lin Dong looked at her.
This woman...
Born of mixed race, she was scouted by talent agents at the age of seventeen and won the Miss Hong Kong title at eighteen. Her reputation as the "Most Beautiful Miss Hong Kong" is known to everyone in Hong Kong.
Lin Dong knew this, of course, and could only say that she was indeed beautiful.
He smiled and said, "Okay."
The two men, holding wine glasses, walked through the crowd.
Seeing this, the others wisely refrained from disturbing them and gave them space. After all, it wouldn't be worth offending this big spender due to their recklessness.
From the balcony, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Victoria Harbour at night. The lights of Central are dazzling across the water, and the sea breeze carries a salty, damp scent.
Li Jiaxin leaned against the railing, turning her head to look at him.
"Did Lin Sheng come back from America?"
"Um."
"I've never been to America," she said, taking a sip of red wine and gazing at Victoria Harbour in the distance. "I've heard that people on Wall Street are incredibly capable, and Lin Sheng, being a genius stock market king, must be even more so!"
Lin Dong leaned against the railing and glanced at her sideways.
The sea breeze from Victoria Harbour carried the scent of her perfume, faint and pleasant, mingling with the cool March air.
"What's so great about them?" He swirled his glass, speaking casually. "Nine out of ten people on Wall Street rely on luck. The remaining one just gets lucky."
Li Jiaxin smiled slightly, her eyes sparkling: "Lin Sheng is really joking. A net worth of two billion US dollars can't all be luck, can it?"
"Who knows?" Lin Dong turned his gaze to the lights across Victoria Harbour, a smile playing on his lips. "Maybe they'll be gone by tomorrow."
That's only half true.
He knew perfectly well that he only had five thousand dollars in his pocket, and the two billion was something he could only look at but not spend. In a practical sense, the two billion was indeed not "his."
But to Li Jiaxin, this was just the kind of self-deprecation that the wealthy were used to, and it even carried a hint of unfathomable depth.
She turned slightly to the side, placing her wine glass on the railing, the shoulder strap of her evening gown slipping slightly with the movement.
She didn't try to pull him away; she just looked at Lin Dong with those eyes that Hong Kong media called "earth-shattering."
"Lin Sheng," her voice softened slightly, "don't you feel... that all these people are very nervous tonight?"
Lin Dong raised an eyebrow: "What's there to be nervous about?"
"I'm worried about you." Li Jiaxin smiled, her gaze sweeping over the crowd of people clinking glasses in the banquet hall. "The financial crisis has lasted so long, many film companies can't hold on. Golden Harvest has reduced production, Win's Entertainment has scaled back, and even Mr. Raymond Chow is looking for foreign investment..."
As she said this, she raised her eyes to look at Lin Dong, her gaze carrying a very subtle meaning—not flattery, but more like a hunter assessing the weight of its prey.
"For many people, Lin Sheng's arrival at this time is a lifeline."
Lin Dong looked at her and suddenly smiled.
This woman is indeed intelligent.
He didn't respond, but straightened up and glanced into the banquet hall: "You've had your fill of wind. Miss Li, you should go back."
Li Jiaxin was slightly taken aback, but quickly adjusted her expression and nodded with a smile: "Okay."
She picked up her wine glass, preparing to follow Lin Dong back.
Just then, her left hand naturally rose up, and her fingertips gently rested on the crook of Lin Dong's right arm.
It wasn't a hug.
It's the kind of extremely light, almost ethereal arrangement.
This movement was performed so naturally.
Lin Dong glanced down at it and didn't find anything abrupt.
Lin Dong smiled and did not refuse.
Firstly, at this level of contact, refusing would seem like making a mountain out of a molehill.
Secondly—he looked down and glanced again at the hand resting on his forearm—it was indeed quite pleasing to the eye.
So he maintained his original pace and walked back to the banquet hall at a leisurely pace, with a composed demeanor.
Li Jiaxin walked half a step to his side and stepped into the halo of the crystal chandelier with him.