Chapter 283: The First Choice
Xu Youyou frowned slightly, not expecting the Gu family to make a comeback. If she hadn’t seen Gu Shao Bai, the second son of the Gu family, trending on Weibo yesterday, she would have thought that the Gu family had already gone bankrupt.
Since Gu Shao Bai debuted, he had always been in the spotlight, benefiting from the halo of the Gu family’s wealth. Many of his fans followed him simply because of his luxurious family background.
Xu Youyou couldn’t quite understand why fans would admire a star just because their family was rich. Isn’t it supposed to be about their talent, such as singing or acting?
There are indeed grassroots stars in the entertainment industry, but once they reach the top, they lose that “grassroots” label. Gu Shao Bai was still very popular, and Xu Youyou thought something was wrong.
Logically, when the Gu family went bankrupt, the capital behind Gu Shao Bai should have abandoned him, not continue to shower him with top-tier resources as they were doing now.
The reason Gu Shao Bai was trending yesterday was related to a major drama in the industry. Many senior stars had partnered with him, and the resources he was getting clearly showed that he was still the darling of the capital.
Now that she knew the Gu family had revived, Xu Youyou felt that it wasn’t surprising at all.
“Boss, I know you’ve always disliked the Gu family. If you tell Mr. Xie, he’ll help you solve it,” Xu Fang whispered from the side.
Xu Youyou immediately shook her head upon hearing this. “No need to rush, I have my own plans.”
Xu Youyou had never dealt a fatal blow to the Gu family, not because she couldn’t bring herself to do it, but because she feared the consequences.
In her past life, the Gu family had gone through many crises, yet every time they managed to turn the situation around, and sometimes even became stronger.
Looking back now, Xu Youyou almost thought that the Gu family was favored by destiny.
Compared to the deep hatred in her heart, Xu Youyou wanted to preserve everything she had now. She always had the feeling that if she intervened too much, she would end up losing more.
That was why, until now, she hadn’t directly done anything to harm the Gu family—at most, she’d just raised the prices at an auction or caused a little trouble.
Just as they finished their conversation, Lu Jingyao returned.
“Next month, there’s an art exchange event in Hong Kong City. I’ve received reliable news that Wang Xizhi’s authentic works will be exhibited.”
Xu Youyou widened her eyes upon hearing this. “Really? Didn’t they say that no authentic works of Wang Xizhi exist in the world?”
The famous “Lantingji Xu” (Preface to the Orchid Pavilion), which is considered the world’s number one calligraphy work, is only a copy, not an original.
Having practiced calligraphy for so long, Xu Youyou had always been regretful that she had never seen the real works of the “Two Wang” (Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi).
Lu Jingyao smiled, saying, “Whether it’s true or not, we’ll have to see for ourselves. The exchange will be in mid-next month. Can you make time?”
Xu Youyou had spent most of the year staying at home. Occasionally, she thought about traveling, but after the recent gun battles abroad, she had become fearful.
When she heard about going to Hong Kong City, she hesitated for a moment. But when she thought about the possibility of seeing the real works of Wang Xizhi, she nodded in agreement.
Since the trip was decided, Xu Youyou immediately began contacting a security company. She currently had sixteen bodyguards and planned to increase the number to at least twenty.
She thought for a moment and then told Liu Xiangyi to prepare her Hong Kong City travel permit, intending to take her along.
“Boss, are we just going to Hong Kong City? Are you sure you’re not going abroad?” Liu Xiangyi asked repeatedly.
Liu Xiangyi’s previous experience of being deceived into Southeast Asia by a college roommate had made her extremely reluctant to travel abroad.
Xu Youyou understood her concerns and smiled, saying, “Don’t worry, this trip is just to Hong Kong City. Since you’re afraid to go abroad, I won’t take you out of the country casually in the future.”
A smile immediately appeared on Liu Xiangyi’s face.
Xu Youyou thought that a month would pass quickly, but this time felt unusually long. Every day, she received notifications on her phone.
They were all related to Gu Shao Bai, the second son of the Gu family. Sometimes it was about his fashion trending on Weibo, sometimes about the milk tea he was holding becoming a hot item, or sometimes about his incredible performance on stage that made everyone’s eyes dazzle. It was non-stop, with eight hundred trending topics bombarding the internet every day.
Though some people felt exhausted from it, the effect of these trending topics was positive, and many products with “Gu Shao Bai” attached to their names became best-sellers.
In a short period, Gu Shao Bai had created the illusion that he was on the same level as Song Zhibai, the top star.
Song Zhibai’s fans were naturally formidable, but in recent days, many fans had switched to supporting Gu Shao Bai. The two fanbases were in fierce competition on Weibo, but neither had gained a clear advantage.
Such petty celebrity squabbles were usually not reported to Xu Youyou. If it hadn’t been for seeing Gu Shao Bai’s name, Xu Youyou wouldn’t have known about it.
What she cared about were tangible profits.
“Will the competition between Gu Shao Bai and Xiao Song for the top spot affect Xiao Song’s commercial resources?” Xu Youyou called Xiao Song’s manager to inquire.
The manager, who was being personally asked by the top boss, was so flattered that he could be heard through the phone. “Boss, don’t worry. Xiao Song’s commercial resources are still unrivaled in China, and we’ve even had international resources reaching out to him.”
Xu Youyou asked, “What international resources?”
The manager replied, “It’s the director Steve from abroad. He’s invited Xiao Song for an audition for an important supporting role in his new film.”
Just as Xu Youyou was about to hang up the phone, she suddenly felt that something was off. She asked, “What’s the name of the new film?”
“The Past in Paris,” the manager replied.
Xu Youyou’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately said, “This movie cannot be made!”
In her past life, this movie caused huge controversy. The director was indeed a well-known international figure, but in order to break into the Chinese market, he sought to use top Chinese stars. However, he was someone who wanted everything—he wanted the money from the Chinese market but looked down on Chinese culture.
As a result, the film was cold-shouldered by the Chinese market.
But it wasn’t just a cold reception. The film sparked accusations of insulting Chinese culture, leading to widespread boycotts. The top star who had originally signed on eventually fell out of the spotlight because of this, and his past scandals were exposed. Eventually, he was erased from the entertainment industry.
“Boss, but this is director Steve… big stars abroad are fighting to star in his films…” The manager stuttered.
Xu Youyou replied, “Then politely refuse, but don’t make it look too ugly.”
The manager: …
But since it was the boss’s instruction, the manager could only agree.
A day later, at Gu Shao Bai’s studio, his manager jumped up after receiving a phone call, telling Gu Shao Bai, “Shao Bai, director Steve’s new movie has sent you an audition invitation. I’ve learned that his first choice was Song Zhibai, but he suddenly rejected the offer, and now you are his first choice! We’re about to become international stars!”
