Jiang Shanwu received Lin Zhao's call a little after 1 p.m.
At the headquarters of Jin Shu Media.
Before a seminar at China Film Group, which was scheduled to start at 2 p.m., Chen Qing was in a lounge on a floor dedicated to post-production, teasing a little maid who had come over to do some dubbing work for My Fair Princess. All three members of the trio had come, but since her boss had a preference for the little maid, Chen Qing followed suit. As for the other two, who were only good for providing natural lubrication, she had no interest.
The little maid was also tactful, obediently leaning into Chen Qing's embrace and letting her do as she pleased, but she still managed to slip in a question: "Sister Chen, I heard there's a big Hollywood movie looking for a female lead, and Asian actresses can audition too?"
"Yes," Chen Qing nodded with a smile, pinching the little maid's chin. "But don't get your hopes up. That movie needs an action star. With your petite frame, you'd only be good at getting beaten up in the movie."
The casting for the female lead in The Matrix had become a hot topic in the Asian entertainment industry recently. Not only Chinese actresses but any suitable Asian actress could audition. Landing the lead role in a Hollywood A-list production like this would be a career-defining opportunity for many Asian actresses, something they could live off for the rest of their lives.
As a result, aside from the auditions, many actresses were pulling out all the stops, using every trick in the book to get the role.
Chen Qing had even asked her boss about it and knew more details. Not only were there no suitable candidates in mainland China, but her boss also still preferred actresses from Hollywood. Unless an Asian actress particularly impressed him, the chances were slim.
"Of course, I don't expect to get it. I was just asking," the little maid said sweetly, tilting her face up. "But, Sister Chen, if there are any suitable roles in the future, could you let me audition too?"
"Of course," Chen Qing agreed without hesitation. Promises didn't cost anything, after all. "I'll keep an eye out for you. Now, come here, let me kiss you."
As she leaned down to kiss the little maid's rosy lips, Jiang Shanwu knocked on the door and came in, holding up her phone.
Thinking it might be something important, Chen Qing sent the little maid out and took the phone, asking Jiang Shanwu, "Who is it?"
"Lin Zhao."
Chen Qing immediately lost interest and hung up. "What does she want?"
Jiang Shanwu had already gotten the gist from the call. "Lin Zhao's father is in Beijing. Last time, Sister Chen, you helped resolve the issue with Lin Zhao's brother, and in return... well, you know how it goes. Her father was given a factory manager position. It's a struggling machinery foundry. Now, her father has come to Beijing, hoping Lin Zhao can help secure some investment to keep the factory running."
Chen Qing glanced at her watch. It was already 1:45 p.m. She got up, planning to head over to China Film Group, and tossed the phone back to Jiang Shanwu, leaving her with one sentence: "Tell her to go die."
Jiang Shanwu didn't say anything more. As she followed Chen Qing out, her phone, which she hadn't put away yet, vibrated again. Seeing the caller ID, she answered and, before the other person could speak, said softly, "Sister Chen said, go die."
The little maid was still waiting outside. Jiang Shanwu stood a little further away, waiting for her boss to finish flirting. A moment later, her phone vibrated again. She took it out, glanced at it, and hung up.
---
At the headquarters of China Film Group, just a few hundred meters from Jin Shu.
The afternoon seminar was mainly about expanding film genres, a topic Simon had discussed with China Film's President Tong and Vice President Han during his last visit.
Now, with China's film industry undergoing reforms in various aspects, as the designated industry leader, China Film naturally had to keep up with the times.
Aside from Chen Qing, Jin Shu's Wu Shanlin also attended the seminar.
During the three-hour seminar, Wu Shanlin, on behalf of Jin Shu, proposed two specific projects: a campus youth film titled So Young and a musical titled Our Shining Days.
Both projects were ideas Simon had personally provided based on his memories.
Simon didn't plan to get too involved in TV dramas, but since the topic had come up last time, he decided to give it a push.
Both films were standout examples of their respective genres in Chinese cinema. The former, directed by a big-name director, had been a box office success. The latter, though niche, had a stunning sequence of a showdown between Chinese and Western musical instruments. Simon believed the film's lackluster box office performance was largely due to poor marketing.
Since Simon didn't have time to write complete scripts, he only provided rough outlines, which would inevitably differ significantly from the original versions. However, he highlighted the key details and standout moments for both films.
For So Young, Simon provided two classic campus folk songs that had been lost in this timeline due to the butterfly effect: Youth Without Regret and My Old Classmate.
He believed these two songs alone would be powerful enough to drive the film's success.
As for Our Shining Days, Simon emphasized the sequence of the showdown between Chinese and Western musical instruments.
Additionally, due to the era, the original film's otaku culture elements would be out of place and were replaced with classical dance. Simon also agreed to let the film use some choreography from the Guofeng Art Troupe.
For China at this stage, if these two films were done well, they could significantly expand the range of film genres. If they succeeded, other film companies would naturally follow suit.
Wu Shanlin brought up these projects at the seminar, naturally intending to collaborate with China Film.
With the combined strength of China's film industry's state-owned and private giants, it would be hard to mess up.
As for the comedy genre Simon had emphasized during his last discussion with President Tong, after Love Call Transfer at the end of the year, Dream Factory, which had been shelved for a year, would follow. Jin Shu wouldn't share this with China Film, as being too selfless wasn't good. If China Film wanted to make a breakthrough, they would have to do it themselves.
Of course, there was also the blockbuster.
During the seminar, China Film also mentioned the big-budget Chu-Han Contention film Jin Shu was quietly preparing. However, compared to the low-budget So Young and Our Shining Days, the Chu-Han Contention project was too significant to be decided on the spot.
By 5 p.m., the seminar ended, followed by a high-level dinner.
As night fell, while Chen Qing was chatting and laughing with industry bigwigs at the dinner, Jiang Shanwu approached her again, saying that her sister Jiang Yuanchi had called from the mansion. Lin Zhao had gone to Mao'er Hutong and was waiting alone outside the gate.
Chen Qing was utterly annoyed and whispered, "Let her wait," before ignoring the matter.
The dinner ended a little after 9 p.m.
Returning to Mao'er Hutong, as the car was about to enter the underground garage that had just been officially opened the previous week, Jiang Shanwu, sitting beside Chen Qing, who was slightly tipsy, softly reminded her, "Sister Chen, over there at the gate."
Chen Qing turned to look and saw a tall figure in a camel-colored coat standing alone under the streetlight. Seeing the car, she didn't dare approach, just staring pitifully in their direction.
She was quite persistent.
Chen Qing sighed. "Let her in. Take her to the inner courtyard and have her wait for me."
Jiang Shanwu acknowledged and made a call to relay the instructions. The car then entered the underground garage.
The five-courtyard mansion's underground space, which had been secretly under construction for nearly two years, was equivalent to building another luxurious mansion underground. With top-notch materials and design, the project had cost over 100 million RMB, more than ten times the price of the above-ground mansion.
The underground garage occupied only a quarter of the space. With over 600 square meters, it could easily accommodate dozens of luxury cars.
With such a heavy investment, the garage's style was nothing like the typical underground parking lots in buildings. Chen Qing got out of the car under the bright lights, surrounded by square pillars in light marble, walls in white maple wood style, and glass curtain walls, giving it a highly modern feel.
There was an elevator leading directly to the ground, but Chen Qing didn't go up. Instead, she entered the inner basement area through a large door.
This area also had a clean, modern design, including a wine cellar, a home theater, a gym, a game room, and a complete bedroom suite in the innermost courtyard, with a corridor leading to the underground pool in the east courtyard. Due to the artificial lake in the central courtyard, only part of the basement was built there.
Originally, the basement was designed to match the above-ground mansion's traditional courtyard style, but the design sketches were rejected by Simon.
It looked too much like a tomb.
Bad luck.
So the current style was chosen instead.
Chen Qing thought the underground suite would be perfect for some rather wicked activities. She had hinted at this during a video call with her boss the previous night, and he hadn't objected, so she planned to make some discreet arrangements.
After carefully inspecting each room, Chen Qing went to the inner courtyard but still didn't go upstairs. Instead, she walked through the corridor connecting the courtyards to the underground pool in the easternmost courtyard.
She planned to take a bath to relax and sober up.
As she stepped into the small hot spring pool next to the large one, Chen Qing let Jiang Shanwu and her sister give her a scrub and massage while she flipped through the day's economic reports from various Asian countries and regions.
After Simon left, the stock, bond, and currency markets in mainland China had stabilized, but the rest of Asia was still in turmoil.
Today had been particularly eventful, with two major incidents.
The first was the abandonment of the New Taiwan Dollar's fixed exchange rate.
This was something many hadn't expected, including many international speculators. Unlike South Korea, which was almost out of ammunition, Taiwan had over $80 billion in foreign exchange reserves, well-armed and ready for battle.
And yet, they abandoned the fixed exchange rate.
This reminded Chen Qing of a famous line: "Our army retreated a thousand miles, and the enemy couldn't catch up."
Truly a tradition.
However, Chen Qing wasn't so shallow. She understood the deeper reasons.
Unlike South Korea, whose stock, bond, and currency markets were in shambles, Taiwan's economy was very healthy. By voluntarily abandoning the fixed exchange rate, they avoided unnecessary massive foreign exchange losses. Moreover, with the currencies of other Asian countries and regions depreciating, if the New Taiwan Dollar continued to hold firm, it would effectively appreciate, severely impacting the region's export-oriented businesses.
This was indeed the case.
Everyone knew Taiwan's strong fundamentals, so even though they abandoned the fixed exchange rate, international speculators didn't swarm in. In just one day, the New Taiwan Dollar depreciated by only 3.4% against the US dollar, which was insignificant.
However, Taiwan's abandonment of the fixed exchange rate meant one less resistance force in Asia, indirectly increasing the pressure on other regions. As a result, the stock, bond, and currency markets in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore all plummeted today, leading to the second major incident.
The South Korean government lifted the won's trading limits.
After abandoning the defense of the won's exchange rate on October 16, the Bank of Korea issued an emergency notice today, announcing the removal of the 12% daily trading limit on the won in the foreign exchange market, allowing the exchange rate to float freely without restrictions.
As a result, in just one day, the won depreciated by 17%, dropping from 1,363 won to 1,594 won per US dollar.
According to the reports Chen Qing had, due to public dissatisfaction with the government's decision to lift the won's trading limits, small-scale protests broke out in Seoul today.
Chen Qing found this somewhat amusing.
Truly, the majority can be foolish.
South Korea's current situation was that a large number of foreign investors were selling off assets, cashing out, and fleeing. If the won's trading limits were maintained, it would effectively protect the assets of foreign investors, allowing them to exchange their won or corresponding assets for other currencies at a higher value before withdrawing from South Korea.
This would cause South Korea's foreign exchange reserves to deplete even faster.
By lifting the trading limits and allowing the won to depreciate rapidly, it might seem like the currency was losing value, but this move not only reduced the pressure on the country and businesses to make payments but could also force some capital to stay, hoping for a turnaround in South Korea's economy.
However, the general public didn't understand these well-intentioned measures by the government. They only saw that the national currency was depreciating rapidly and believed it shouldn't be allowed. Just like the hundreds of thousands who took to the streets a few days ago to protest South Korea seeking help from the IMF, delaying would only weaken the country's negotiating position, pushing it to the brink and forcing unconditional surrender.
After carefully reading through the 20-plus-page report, Chen Qing's slight intoxication had completely worn off.
Only then did she remember that someone was still waiting for her. She asked Jiang Shanwu, "What exactly is going on with Lin Zhao?"
Jiang Shanwu looked at her sister. She had been with Chen Qing all day and didn't know much more.
Jiang Yuanchi, however, had already gathered the details, including the Vice Mayor Jiang who had come with Lin Zhao's father and the scene of Lin Dacang throwing a tantrum at Xidan Mall earlier that day.
After listening to Jiang Yuanchi's detailed account, Chen Qing said irritably, "First Qin Buzui, now Lin Zhao. Why is it all family drama? I hate these kinds of soap operas." She then glared at the sisters beside her. "You two, keep an eye on your own families. If they cause any trouble and annoy me, you're out."
The sisters nodded like obedient chicks.
Jiang Yuanchi had been about to ask what to do about Lin Zhao upstairs but decided to keep her mouth shut.
If it were just Chen Qing, she wouldn't bother with such trivial matters. The problem was, she was her boss's chief steward in Asia. She couldn't just ignore these issues, as it would be inappropriate to let every little thing reach her boss. After some thought, she finally asked, "Where is she from?"
"Hunan."
"Hunan, huh? Have Sany and Zoomlion been causing any family drama lately?"
Jiang Yuanchi, hearing the comparison, smiled. "No, after we pushed for the merger of the two companies earlier this year, all the troublemakers were weeded out."
"That... Xiao Wu?"
"The machinery foundry," Jiang Shanwu, sensing Chen Qing's thoughts, answered promptly, then added, "If it's not too bad, it could supply some parts for Sany."
"Tomorrow, have Sister Ran contact Hunan and check it out. If it's usable, give them some orders. If they need money, let them take out loans themselves. If it's not usable, tell Lin Zhao to stop bothering me."
Jiang Shanwu nodded and tentatively asked, "What about... upstairs?"
"Annoying. Have someone send her back later. The farther away from me, the better."
Jiang Shanwu smiled and agreed.
After a moment, Jiang Yuanchi brought up another matter. "Sister Chen, Qin Buzui is back from Sichuan. She called several times today?"
"Everyone's causing trouble. So many things," Chen Qing complained but still instructed, "Let her wait. Also, keep an eye on her, especially around Wenyu River. Don't let her go there and start another fight. Ugh, all these trivial matters are so annoying."
Jiang Yuanchi also agreed, smiling as she helped Chen Qing tidy her wet hair, adding, "She definitely won't find it."
Chen Qing shook her head slightly. "Actually, I'd love to see the mother and daughter fight. It sounds exciting, but if they get hurt, the boss will definitely hold me accountable. Ugh, so annoying."
Jiang Yuanchi, having finished tidying Chen Qing's hair, paused and said, "Then call the other two over. I mean, there's also a mother and daughter at Wenyu River. Let them fight for you to watch. If it's not Qin Buzui, just be careful not to let them get hurt. The boss won't know."
Chen Qing was suddenly enlightened and leaned over to kiss Jiang Yuanchi's cheek. "Why didn't I think of that? So smart. Alright, let's do that. Have Lian Ying bring them over now."
Jiang Yuanchi nodded.
She felt like she was aiding and abetting, but so be it.
After being around Chen Qing for so long, Jiang Yuanchi felt she had unknowingly become a bit corrupted. But, whatever, she was just a little maid. To make life easier, of course, she had to understand her master's thoughts. So she squirmed slightly in Chen Qing's embrace, took out her phone, and called Lian Ying, the housekeeper at the Wenyu River mansion, to relay the instructions.
______
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