novellhall Chapter 5 Headline
Chapter 5 Headline
The next morning, news reports about the previous night filled Hong Kong's newsstands.
The Oriental Daily News entertainment section headline reads: "A foreign dragon spends a whopping 30 million! Just to promote Hong Kong's number one beauty!"
The accompanying photo is of Lin Dong holding a wine glass at last night's banquet, with Li Jiaxin next to him in a side profile shot of her arm linked with his. The angle is tricky, making the two look like conjoined twins.
Apple Daily went even further.
Front page headline: "Billionaire patron rendezvous with Li Jiaxin! A night of passion in the Peninsula presidential suite worth thirty million!"
The article is ruthless: "Our reporter exclusively reports that last night, Mr. Xiang hosted a banquet for Wall Street stock king Lin Dong. During the banquet, Li Jiaxin held onto her patron's arm the entire time, actively flirting with him. After the banquet, Li Jiaxin returned to the Peninsula Presidential Suite with Mr. Lin and had not left by the time of publication."
It is reported that Mr. Lin immediately approved a 30 million investment in the new film, with Li Jiaxin as the female lead. Is 30 million for a night of passion worth it? Readers can judge for themselves.
The accompanying photo was a candid shot—a silhouette of Li Jiaxin and Lin Dong walking hand-in-hand into a room in the hallway. The room number was circled in red.
Sing Tao Daily was slightly more restrained, but it wasn't much better: "Wall Street stock king spends 30 million to support Li Jiaxin, her new movie is a hit even before filming."
Sing Pao was even more direct, with an eight-character headline: "People return to the stage, Jiaxin is favored."
The entertainment section also included a small subtitle titled "Li Jiaxin's Love History is Long and Complex," which thoroughly examined her romantic history from Ni Zhen to Liu Luanxiong, concluding that she has finally met her true sugar daddy. Whether they can achieve a happy ending remains to be seen.
At the same time, in the Peninsula Hotel's presidential suite.
A few pieces of clothing were scattered on the carpet.
A black evening gown, a white shirt, a tie, one high heel lying askew beside the coffee table leg, the other in the hallway leading to the bedroom.
There were also several pieces of torn fabric next to the skirt, which were probably originally underwear.
In the bedroom.
Lin Dong opened his eyes.
The ceiling is adorned with crystal chandeliers, and the windows offer a daytime view of Victoria Harbour.
He turned his head to the side, and Li Jiaxin lay on her side beside him with her back to him, the blanket only covering her waist. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a pale golden glow on her smooth back.
He reached out, his fingertips tracing along her spine, from the back of her neck down to between her shoulder blades.
The skin was smooth, still warm from the night before.
Li Jiaxin stirred slightly but did not wake up.
Lin Dong withdrew his hand, leaned back on the pillow, looked at the ceiling, and smiled slightly.
He knew exactly who Li Jiaxin was.
From the age of eighteen when she entered the Miss Hong Kong pageant, this woman knew how to use her beauty to get a better life.
Ni Zhen and Liu Luanxiong, one after another, were all stepping stones for her to climb up the social ladder.
Her attitude towards men has always been clear—you give me security, I give you beauty, a fair trade.
What happened last night has probably played out more than once in her life's script.
But Lin Dong didn't care.
It doesn't matter who the system spends its money on, as long as Li Jiaxin is pretty enough.
Besides, it's not like I'm marrying him, so why care so much?
"woke up?"
The voice came from the side, soft and hoarse, as if the person had just woken up.
Li Jiaxin turned over, pressing the blanket to her chest with her hand. She looked at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of languor and tenderness, her mixed Chinese and Portuguese face resembling a half-dry oil painting in the morning light.
"Are you hungry? I'll ask the front desk to bring breakfast up."
Lin Dong turned to the side and looked at her.
"Hungry."
His hand reached out.
"But I want to eat you."
Li Jiaxin paused for a moment, then smiled. The smile spread from the corners of her mouth to the depths of her eyes, carrying a hint of coquettishness and a touch of understanding.
She reached out and gently pushed him, just enough to let him know she was "rejecting" him, but not enough to make him actually stop.
Outside the window, a ship in Victoria Harbour sounded its horn.
The sunlight moved slowly across the carpet.
The blanket slipped off.
The morning breeze in March slipped in through the gaps in the curtains, carrying the salty smell of the sea and a hint of spring chill.
An hour later.
Lin Dong came out of the bathroom and pulled a white shirt and black casual pants from the closet. His entire outfit still cost less than three hundred Hong Kong dollars.
Li Jiaxin sat in front of the dressing table drawing her eyebrows, glancing at him in the mirror while her hands continued to work.
"Lin Sheng, do you always dress like this?"
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." She put down her eyebrow pencil, turned to look at him, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "It's just... you clearly have two billion US dollars, so why are you dressed more plainly than the security guard downstairs from my house?"
Lin Dong buttoned up the last button and turned around.
"Clothes should be comfortable."
He walked to the dressing table and glanced at her in the mirror.
"not to mention--"
"Even the most ordinary clothes will look extraordinary on me."
Li Jiaxin looked at him in the mirror and froze for a second.
Then she smiled, her eyes crinkling with laughter, and nodded gently.
"That's absolutely right!"
The phone rang.
Lin Dong answered the call.
"Mr. Lin, the agreement is ready. You can come over to sign it anytime." Xiang Yeqiang's voice came through the receiver, full of energy.
"Okay. I'll be right there."
He hung up the phone and glanced at Li Jiaxin.
"Walk."
The entrance to the Peninsula Hotel.
A red Ferrari 348 TS was parked under the porch. Li Jiaxin, wearing sunglasses, opened the car door and got into the driver's seat, while Lin Dong got into the passenger seat.
The red car slid off under the watchful eyes of the Peninsula Hotel doorman and merged into the traffic on Salisbury Road.
"Where is Xiang Sheng's company located?"
"Tsim Sha Tsui, ten minutes away."
Win's Entertainment Film Company, conference room.
Xiang Yeqiang stood at the end of the long table, with Xiang Tai beside him. Wang Jing sat on his left, his chubby face bearing his usual smile, but today he had noticeable dark circles under his eyes—he had been working on the script outline all night and probably hadn't slept for more than three hours.
Andy Lau was sitting to Lin Dong's right. Dressed in a sharp suit, he was the first to stand up when Lin Dong entered.
"Lin Sheng".
Be polite and sincere.
"Wah Jai." Lin Dong nodded.
"Thank you, Mr. Lin." Andy Lau didn't sit back down, but bowed slightly. "I feel unworthy of eight million in payment. But since Mr. Lin has offered this price, I will definitely give it my best."
Lin Dong waved his hand: "You're worth the price."
Andy Lau glanced at him, a rare smile appearing on his lips—not the standard idol smile on stage, but a genuine expression of gratitude.
Xiang Yeqiang pushed the agreement over; it was a thick stack, with a red label pasted on the signature area of each page.
"Mr. Lin, the terms are the same as what you said yesterday. Yong Sheng will receive a fixed service fee and will not take a share. You will invest 30 million and take 100%."
Lin Dong opened it and glanced at it.
Wang Jing rubbed his hands together beside him: "Mr. Lin, I finished the script outline last night. Once you sign it, we can review it anytime. If there's anything you're not satisfied with, I'll revise it on the spot."
"No need to look anymore." Lin Dong picked up a pen, signed his name on the last page with crisp strokes, and said, "Director Wang, I trust you when it comes to films about women."
Wang Jing's chubby face broke into a wide smile.
Lin Dong pushed the agreement back to Xiang Yeqiang: "Ten million will be deposited into the special account this afternoon. Mr. Xiang, it's been a pleasure doing business with you."
Xiang Ye was stunned for a moment. He had seen people sign contracts readily, but never one this readily. A 30 million investment, the agreement wasn't even flipped through; he signed his name and turned to leave.
"Mr. Lin!" He stood up. "Would you like to take a tour of the company? I'll have someone prepare—"
"No."
Lin Dong had already turned around, and Li Jiaxin's hand was on his arm again.
"Contact me by phone if needed."
The elevator doors closed.
Xiang Yeqiang sat back down in his chair, looked at the signed agreement on the table, remained silent for a few seconds, and then suddenly smiled.
"Xiang Sheng, what are you laughing at?" Wang Jing asked.
"I laugh at myself." Xiang Yeqiang put the agreement away. "In all these years, what kind of sugar daddies haven't I seen? This is the first time I've seen one like this."
Mrs. Xiang held her teacup, a slight smile playing on her lips: "What do you call this? This is called confidence."
The elevator doors opened on the first floor, and the two walked through the lobby. The red Ferrari was still parked at the entrance. Li Jiaxin got in, started the car, and the engine gave a low growl in the porch.
The car was not turning towards the Peninsula Hotel.
Instead, we drove along Salisbury Road out of Tsim Sha Tsui, through the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, and up the hill from Causeway Bay. The car then stopped in front of Tregunter House.