Chapter 1459
Wedding
Sanya, Haitang Bay, Conrad Hotel.
This place is a powerful combination, built by Wanda and managed by Hilton.
Old Wang knows how to cooperate and understands that professional tasks should be handled by professionals.
When it comes to operating resort hotels, Hilton is definitely better than Wanda.
This place isn't too far from his villa, less than 10 kilometers away, and it won't take long to drive there.
However, he remained quite cautious and had Brother Long rent a very low-key older Buick minivan, heading straight to the hotel's basement.
Because today's wedding was so lively, the entire area around the hotel was filled with reporters.
He couldn't risk being followed and tracked to his residence.
Take the hotel's direct elevator to the top-floor suite.
This was a room he had his men book for him to rest and change clothes.
The room where the wedding was being held was also surrounded by reporters.
This approach is essentially blind to what's right under your nose; the most dangerous place is the safest place, and no one checks the nearby rooms, as everyone's attention is focused on the homeowner.
The protagonists of this grand wedding were Wang Xiaofei and his wife, who had sent him an invitation well in advance.
Zhang Yuan recalls that the wedding was dubbed the "million-dollar wedding," attracting a media frenzy.
It was very well organized, with extremely strict security.
Who generated that buzz?
Who told the media that these two are getting married, where they are, and when?
Ultimately, neither of these families is easy to deal with.
As he descended the elevator, he entered the main venue amidst a flurry of flashing lights.
"Zhang Yuan is here!"
"Quick, quick, take the picture!"
He changed into a suit custom-made for him by the brand and barely responded to the reporters.
I'll try to keep a low profile, lest the young master who owns the restaurant thinks I'm stealing his thunder.
Upon entering the venue, we were led to the rest area.
Zhang Yuan walked around, greeted some acquaintances, and then gave a soft, cold laugh.
It was touted as a million-dollar wedding, but in reality, it was full of commercial elements.
The reason why many well-known figures in the business world look down on them is precisely this: they are too low-class.
When a family is rich, their weddings are plastered with advertisements.
No respectable family makes money from their son's wedding.
Receiving red envelopes to make money is one thing, but treating weddings as a business is another.
While this mother and son weren't the first to create "celebrity weddings" in China, they certainly popularized it.
Upon entering, a gift box of Jiangzhong Jianwei Xiaoshi Tablets and a gift box of Haiwang Jinzun Detox Pills were placed on the signing table.
They even went so far as to claim that it was provided for guests who ate and drank a lot.
The eco-friendly bags used to pack the gifts are from a Taiwanese brand and originally cost 1500... Zhang Yuan felt that Chun Chun was being ripped off.
The diamond ring, drinks, sunscreen, dining table, flowers, venue decorations, carpets, wedding dress, suit, watch... everything was sponsored.
Director Feng's "Big Shot's Funeral" was filmed too early.
Zhang Yuan remembered someone calculating that the two families could make a net profit of several million yuan by getting married once.
That's all the vision and ambition they have.
But product placement isn't the most low-level approach; there are even more sophisticated methods.
The security is so tight today, not to prevent privacy leaks.
Instead, they've already sold the news rights to the wedding...
Because he had previously provided security for Liu Ye's wedding for free, the groom originally wanted to get the job for free.
He was so angry his mouth almost twisted.
Liu Ye, that was my own choice, you're trying to take advantage of me.
And they act like, "I'm promoting your product, shouldn't you give me some money?"
Drink up!
I wanted to spit in his face even over the phone.
He declined the offer, citing his company's lack of capability to handle security for such a high-end wedding.
Don't even mention asking me to pay you out of my own pocket, I wouldn't do it even if you offered me money, because it would only bring me trouble.
Putting everything else aside, the catering alone is divided into several sessions, including cold dishes, main meals, snacks, and tea breaks.
Reporters photographed an excessive amount of food, raising questions about waste.
It's sponsored, so why worry about wasting it?
But Zhang Lan, being a bit cheeky, said it was all sponsored by Wanda and thanked Lao Wang.
Logically speaking, there should be no problem with her saying that.
Old Wang was too lazy to bother with it.
But Old Wang ignored him, and there was still Little Wang!
This led to the subsequent verbal battle between the two sides, with the mother and daughter being mocked as poor people pretending to be something they'd never seen.
There were quite a few guests, including many who were familiar with the woman.
Cai Kangyong, Blackie, Aya, etc.
Li Yapeng also came, but Wang Fei was not there.
Old Wang wouldn't attend the wedding of someone he didn't know well.
But Yingzi, that is, the eagle, has arrived.
When Zhang Yuan met her, she was arguing with A-mei (Chang Hui-mei), who was also present.
These two are considered rivals of the same generation. Yingzi, with her personality, would start a fight as soon as they met, saying she wanted to compete with the other.
It wasn't singing, it was drinking at night.
……
Hello.
He only stepped forward after they finished talking with the Japanese soldiers.
"Long time no see, you've gotten even more handsome." Big S's older sister came up and hugged him.
He touched it lightly and then quickly stepped back.
Don't be so affectionate, or we'll get photographed again...
Congratulations, you look beautiful today.
"Extremely fair-skinned."
"Really? You have great taste!" This person is most happy when others say she's fair-skinned.
Because she has naturally dark skin, she is most bothered by what she lacks. She even resorts to taking blood-clotting medications to make her skin appear paler and whiter.
It's the same trick as medieval Europeans eating arsenic to make their skin whiter.
Zhang Yuan knew that this person wasn't a bad person, just a bit eccentric.
It's the kind of person who lacks education and whose mind doesn't match their wealth.
There are more than just one or two people in the entertainment industry who are this outrageous.
How bumpy is it?
Fearing they'd get sunburned at their outdoor wedding, they started performing rituals to pray for rain a week in advance.
As it turned out, a strong wind really did blow on the wedding day.
At first, she promoted An Yixuan as her good friend and said that she was the matchmaker, inviting An Yixuan to be her bridesmaid.
Shortly before the wedding, they said they were afraid the other party's presence would attract too much media attention, so they canceled the invitation.
"Brother, you're here!"
Just as he was about to get rid of these lewd women, a male voice came from behind him.
"Xiao Fei looks so handsome today!" The mother-in-law clapped and praised.
Wang Xiaofei simply nodded in acknowledgment, paying little attention to his mother-in-law, and went straight to him.
"I am extremely grateful for your presence."
"Here, have a cup of tea, I'll serve you."
"You're too kind."
"Of course!"
The groom pulled him aside for a chat.
They started by talking about everyday things, but then this person suddenly spoke up.
“I remember you said you were also in the restaurant business.”
“I don’t call it catering; people just call it selling boxed lunches,” Zhang Yuan replied, squinting.
"Hey, you can't say that, we're all in the same industry."
"Well... let's find a quiet place, I want to talk to you in detail."
"Okay." He didn't ask any more questions and followed the other person.
When they arrived at the lounge next door, his mother was chatting with some guests.
Weddings often degenerate into a competition of style and beauty between the two mothers-in-law.
Both the mother-in-law from before and Zhang Lan now are heavily made up.
Zhang Yuan could smell a thick layer of foundation even from a distance.
"A big star is here! I really, really love your movies." Zhang Lan greeted him with a wide smile.
They exchanged pleasantries in a pretentious, middle-aged tone.
These two families are quite well-matched, and both are from single-parent families, with the children raised by their mothers.
"Excuse me, everyone, please go out and have some fun first. We need to talk about something."
After her son gave her a wink, Zhang Lan suddenly asked the guests in the room to leave.
Only the three of them remained.
“I’ve heard about you from my son Xiaofei before.”
"A genius actor, or a genius investor?"
They immediately showered him with praise.
"You know what, I used to work as a kitchen helper and sell bento boxes, which are basically Japanese-style boxed meals."
“I don’t feel ashamed of my past experiences. As long as I can make money, there’s nothing shameful about it.”
Although Zhang Yuan didn't particularly like this person, he partially agreed with her views.
This old lady is indeed stronger and more vigorous than her son.
"I heard you have a company that provides catering on set, right?"
"I probably know a little more about the food and beverage industry than you do."
"In today's world, if you want to make money, you have to go for the high-end."
"That's how our company does it."
Zhang Yuan neither confirmed nor denied it.
Making Sichuan cuisine high-end is inherently paradoxical.
High-end restaurants cannot have strong flavors, but Sichuan cuisine would not taste right if it didn't have strong flavors.
Compared to high-end Sichuan cuisine, he still prefers the roadside stalls in the land of abundance, where the dishes are quick, efficient, and meant to make you sweat profusely.
But business people can't wear suits and ties with sweaty foreheads.
He remained calm and listened with a smile as the other person chatted on and on.
They're just praising their own company and talking about their past.
There are two key points.
I'm amazing, and the restaurant I painstakingly built is even more amazing.
But what does this have to do with me?
Theoretically, it doesn't matter, but Zhang Yuan roughly guessed the other party's purpose.
He chuckled to himself, "I've searched high and low without finding it, but it came to me effortlessly."
In the past, he was not very willing to attend large parties such as weddings.
But it happened today.
He wasn't that close to the bride and groom.
One of them I worked with many years ago when we filmed "A Chinese Ghost Story". The other I've only met a few times, and his ex-girlfriend is still with me, and I only occasionally play with her.
One of his purposes in coming today was to "discuss" an investment partnership with the other party.
Unexpectedly, the other party brought it up before I could even speak.
"Coincidentally, if you are interested in the food and beverage industry, our company is about to have an IPO."
"We welcome investors."
“Especially someone like you, Xiao Fei and you are friends, you trust each other.”
Zhang Lan's tone and attitude were kind and polite, just like his own mother's.
In summary, the other party's meaning can be summed up in one sentence.
I, South Beauty, am here to pay. (End of Chapter)