Chapter 981 - CEO Jin's Surprise Contest
The bombshell that the celebrity Iris Long and billionaire Jin Liwei dropped through à la Mode magazine about their secret wedding caused an uproar in the country. Aside from the Black Stars and people close to the couple, there weren't a lot of people who expected that the two would actually marry.
Many people were also very surprised that the couple would be so low-profile with their wedding that not a single clue about their preparations was exposed to the public. If another celebrity married a billionaire, most people would expect that the wedding celebration and banquet would be extremely extravagant with hundreds of high-profile guests attending the event. It also wouldn't surprise people if such a wedding was broadcast on national TV as if it was a royal marriage.
As soon as à la Mode released the issue featuring the newly-wedded couple Iris Long and Jin Liwei, the shocking revelation immediately occupied the headlines across the country. Netizens discussed it with great enthusiasm online.
"Wow! CEO Jin must've fallen deeply in love with Iris Long to marry her so quickly."
"Nah, maybe he just got her pregnant, that's why he had no choice but to marry her. Just look at Iris Long's showbiz career lately. She hasn't appeared in public for quite some time now. It's clear that she's hiding something, probably a baby bump!"
"That makes sense. If not for my regular Orchidia Beauty shopping sprees and hearing her songs on the radio now and then, I might've already forgotten about Iris Long now. She's making herself gradually disappear from the limelight."
"Maybe it's true that she'll permanently retire from showbiz after marrying CEO Jin so that she can focus on her duties and responsibilities as his wife and as the new madam of the Jin family."
"Hahaha! Iris Long has really married above her level. Congratulations, girl! Make sure to hold on to your husband's golden thigh tightly and try your hardest to spend as much of his billions before he loses interest in you and moves on to fresher meat. Let's be realistic here. This kind of severely imbalanced pairing won't last. It's already great that Iris Long got a heavenly man like CEO Jin to propose to her and marry her."
The Black Stars' infamous troll unit immediately swooped in at the slightest criticism against their beloved Boss Iris.
"Shit. The Slippers Army are at it again. These assholes!"
"Damn it. I just saw KittyBaby and PantherBaby. Nothing good ever happens when those two trolls are together. Their attack power is insane. Bye, I'm out!"
In contrast to these scenes, the Black Stars' internal forum was extremely festive.
"CaptainBlackStar: As the founder and president of the Black Stars, I would like to convey our entire fan club's sincerest congratulations and best wishes to our beautiful boss @IrisLong and her handsome husband @JinLiwei. I and a few members of our fan club (namely, @LittlePhoenix, @MonkeyFace, @iEatSlippers, @MrsLovePhantom, @JJNumber1Fan, @JJNumber2Fan and @JJNumber3Fan) had the amazing opportunity to personally attend our Boss Iris and CEO Jin's wedding. I can say with great confidence that it was one of the most memorable moments that I've ever experienced in my whole life."
All the members she tagged immediately liked her post. Comments started flooding from the other Black Stars.
"So proud that Boss Iris didn't forget to invite our Black Stars officers. She really cares about us! (tears of happiness sticker)"
"Captain, I saw you and the others' photos in à la Mode magazine! I'm going to frame the beautiful group photo! (shares photo)"
While they were happily chatting with each other, a new post appeared and was automatically stickied to the top of the forum because of the poster's special identityâ@IrisLong, their boss! It was a simple video message but immediately sent all the Black Stars into a frenzy.
The video showed their Boss Iris and her new husband, CEO Jin Liwei, sitting together in what looked like a tropical place. The beautiful blue beach could be seen in the background behind them. Their Boss Iris looked blooming while even the usually cold-faced Jin Liwei had a faint smile on his lips. He barely looked at the camera but had his gentle eyes focused on his wife for almost the entire duration of the video message. It was obvious that the man loved their Boss Iris!
"Hello, my beloved Black Stars. I won't apologize for keeping my marriage with my husband a secret from you because we decided to keep this special occasion as intimate and as special as possible without all the piercing attention from the world. We only wanted to invite the people close to us and that's what we did. And yes, we consider the Black Stars officers close to us, hence why we invited them to witness our marriage because they've been my earliest and strongest supporters after my first showbiz comeback. To the rest of you, Jin Liwei and I are still immensely grateful for all of your tireless support despite my current partial break from showbiz."
Jin Liwei spoke next. Although he looked gentler than usual, many who were watching the video still found him quite intimidating.
"En. Thank you, Black Stars, for always supporting my wife. I hope that you'll continue to do so in the future. As a token of my gratitude and also as a celebration of our happy marriage, I will hold a contest to hand out various cash and other prizes exclusive to Black Stars only."
Iris' eyes widened as she turned to look at him, clearly not knowing about his plan. But she didn't say anything and allowed him to do what he wanted.
"The requirement is simple. Tell me in your own way how my wife is very amazing. Be it a heartfelt message, a poem, artwork, songâwhatever method you choose, as long as it's legal and not a nuisance to public order, I will accept your entries and choose those that I like best as the winners. I'll include the written rules and list of prizes when my wife posts this video. I'm honeymooning with my wife so don't bother us."
Iris' amused and melodious chuckle was cut short when Jin Liwei decisively ended the video.
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Chapter 982 - Vicious Eyes
The Black Stars immediately checked the list of rules and prizes at the end of the post. Indeed, the rules were simple just like what CEO Jin said in the video. The contest's duration was two weeks. Then when they read the list of prizes, exclamations of shock and amazement flooded the comments section.
"Boss Iris' husband is indeed a bigshot! One thousand people will win 10,000 RMB each. More people will win 5,000 RMB. The lowest cash prize is 1,000 RMB. There are even all-inclusive vacation vouchers, brand new cars, computers, smartphones, appliances, shopping gift cards, and so many more!"
"I estimate that all these prizes are worth around 100 million RMB. Wow! CEO Jin really knows how to splurge and he's doing it for his wife, Boss Iris, and us, her fans! Thank you, CEO Jin! Best husband ever!"
"Based on the photos featured in à la Mode magazine, their wedding isn't too extravagant compared to other high-profile celebrity marriages with rich people. Seems like they chose to share their blessings to others instead of making their wedding flashy. Love this couple! The best!"
"I want to win the 10,000 cash prize!"
"I want the all-inclusive vacation!"
"Bye! I'm going to prepare my entry now!"
###
Jin Liwei was on his way to work. His wife was still sleeping when he left home this morning. He was on the backseat of the car reading and replying to his work e-mails on his laptop.
"Daddy, the video you and my mommy made during your honeymoon that Uncle Dom uploaded last night went viral! Everyone is excited to join and win the prizes. Wow wow! The contest is even being featured in the news! Meow!"
"Good." He looked satisfied.
It was inevitable that such a contest with extremely generous prizes would be leaked to the media. Ketchup informed him that there was a surge of new sign-ups to become official Black Stars. Those people were probably tempted with the prizes. The rules were pretty lax. Anyone could basically join.
Jin Liwei didn't care much whether the participants were his wife's real fans or not because, in the end, they would all still need to praise his wife to the high heavens if they wanted to impress him and choose them as winners. If they were haters, then all the better. How much torture would those haters undergo to praise someone that they hated? He was looking forward to the contest submissions.
Ketchup continued chattering about related headlines. Jin Liwei was half-focused on her gossip while continuing to go through his work e-mails. This was the on-the-way-to-work morning routine of the father and AI daughter. He didn't tell her to stop because she would sometimes share some interesting news.
This time, she shared about news talking about her Uncle Chonglin's upcoming men's line of products for Orchidia Beauty. Next was several speculations about his future plans, whether he would extend his contract with Bright Summit Entertainment Company or not. Then Ketchup hissed all of a sudden.
"The cute and mighty again Ketchup is angry! MREOW!!!"
"What's the matter?"
"Look at the tabloids, Daddy! Meow!"
Ketchup automatically took control of his laptop and showed him the latest tabloid news. His expression immediately turned grim as he read the over-sensationalized headlines.
"Jealous Iris Long Forces New Husband CEO Jin Liwei to Fire Ivy-League Graduate Female CMO"
"Jin Corporation's Security Manhandles a Defenceless Female CMO Before Throwing Her Out of the Company"
"All Females Working at Jin Corporation, Beware of Your CEO's Jealous New Wife"
He already expected that Rose Young and her supporters would do something like this, so he wasn't surprised. However, it didn't lessen his fury especially since they dragged his wife's name into the mix.
"Daddy, Tiantian is calling. Meow~"
"Answer."
The call connected and his assistant, Xu Tian, immediately informed him that some members of the board of directors were demanding for an emergency meeting to appeal Jin Liwei's decision to fire Rose Young.
"Fine. Schedule the meeting for this afternoon."
"Understood, President."
"Cooperate with Ketchup in suppressing the tabloid news. I want them gone by today. Also make trouble for those tabloid companies. If you can shut them down, then much better."
"Will do, President."
"Aye aye, Daddy! The cute and mighty Ketchup will definitely help Tiantian because I'm a good kitty baby who listens to my daddy! Meow~"
Then Jin Liwei called someone else. "Bacon."
"Bacon is here, Father."
"Find out all the specific people who are helping Rose Young right now aside from the Young family."
"Understood, Father."
He paused before adding, "Also ask for your Uncle Zihao's help in dealing with those people."
"Does this mean that Father won't care what happens to those people even if they are surnamed Jin?"
Jin Liwei's eyes flashed with viciousness. "Anyone cooperating with the Young family to steal my company are traitors. Tell your Uncle Zihao that he's free to decide what to do with those people. They also dragged your mother's name which is unforgivable."
"Indeed, Bacon is ashamed to share the same surname as those people. Involving Mother is not classy either." The black cat AI's golden eyes also flashed with the same viciousness as his fatherâno, Bacon's eyes looked more vicious. "Bacon will never forgive them for smearing Mother's name for a woman far below her level."
Seeing her father and brother, Ketchup also squinted her green eyes and mimicked their expressions. However, she looked far from vicious, becoming more adorable instead.
"Ketchup will also punish them with my cute and mighty paws of justice! Mreow!"
Bacon returned to Shadow Winds to follow his father's instructions.
"Xu Tian, after you finalize the time for the emergency board of directors meeting today, send it to Grandfather Lu later because I might be too busy to call him myself."
"Understood, President. Leave it to me. By the way, sir, your schedule is very full today. Are you still planning to attend theâ"
Jin Liwei knew what his assistant was about to say. "Yes. I'll attend it after lunch and return in time for the meeting with the board of directors in the afternoon."
"...Understood, sir."
After talking to them, Jin Liwei leaned back and closed his eyes. He wasn't resting, however, but was organizing several plans in his head. It seemed that he would need to talk to his brother-in-law Nikolai soon.
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Chapter 983 - Contract Expiration
Bright Summit Entertainment Company.
A large number of media representatives crowded inside one of the company's largest halls to attend a press conference. Loud, indistinct chatter filled the place as the reporters speculated among themselves about what Bright Summit and its biggest star were going to announce today.
The main door opened and a tall, cold-faced and handsome man in a business suit entered followed by two bodyguards. A staff member immediately welcomed the new arrival, treating him with great respect, before leading him to a reserved seat at the front row separate from the media representatives. The reporters' attention immediately diverted to him.
"Huh? Who's that man? Why is Bright Summit treating him so respectfully? Is he a VIP?"
"Dude, are you a newbie? You're seriously asking that question? Don't you recognize that bigshot?"
"Of course, he's a VIP! You work in the news industry and yet you don't know him? I don't believe you!"
"I really don't know him. Can you just tell me whoâ"
"Holy shit! It's CEO Jin! What is the head of Jin Corporation doing here?"
"Get the cameras! Quick, get a shot of him! This is big news!"
Jin Liwei's bodyguards flanked him and shot cold, intimidating glares at the reporters. Some cowered and stepped back while the braver ones continued clicking their cameras nonstop. A handful even had the guts to shout questions at him.
"CEO Jin, is it true that you married Iris Long?"
Jin Liwei shot the reporter an are-you-stupid look, not bothering to reply to the question. He and his wife already announced their marriage through à la Mode which was a popular and reputable magazine. They even granted the magazine an exclusive interview and allowed it to feature photos from their actual wedding. If people still doubted his marriage's authenticity despite all the concrete evidence, then they could only be seen as stupid in his eyes.
"Congratulations on your marriage with Iris Long, CEO Jin!"
This time, Jin Liwei responded and even gave a rare smile. "Thank you."
Following this example, the other reporters started congratulating him. He responded to all of them in a good mood.
"CEO Jin, there have been some reports this morning that you fired your company's female Chief Marketing Officer because your wife, Iris Long, felt jealous of her. Can you confirm if that's true?"
The smile on his face immediately disappeared replaced by vicious coldness. "Fake news. I fired that person because of her lack of professionalism in the workplace and stepping out of the bounds of her position. It has nothing to do with my wife. Anyone who continues this false narrative will receive a letter from my lawyer."
His threat intimidated the reporters and made them hesitate to ask him more questions about the topic.
"CEO Jin, can you tell us why you're here today? You don't usually attend this kind of press conferences."
Before he could answer this particular question, the host of the press conference called for everyone's attention and started the event. After the usual preamble, the host called for the head of Bright Summit. Next, he called for the star of the event and the reason why so many media representatives came today.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the one and only Jin Chonglin!"
Cameras flashed nonstop as Jin Chonglin appeared and stepped onto the stage and flashed everyone his iconic killer smile. He stood by the middle seat beside Bright Summit's President. Then people noticed that there was one more empty seat left on the stage. Huh? Was there someone else coming?
"And also please welcome the beautiful and talented Iris Long!" Then the host caught Jin Liwei's presence in the audience and quickly added, "Or should I say Mrs. Jin?"
Curious murmurs arose from the crowd as Iris Long also appeared and walked towards the stage. Jin Liwei stood up and started clapping his hands. His bodyguards followed suit. Following their example, everyone started clapping their hands, too. It evolved into a situation where Iris Long received a louder and warmer reception than Jin Chonglin who everyone expected was the main star of today's press conference.
Iris saw her husband in the front row and a bright smile blossomed on her face. Her beauty blinded a lot of people, making them sigh at how much more beautiful she looked in person than on the screen. Now CEO Jin's presence in this press conference made sense. He rarely attended anything showbiz-related for his younger brother in the past but started doing so for the sake of his then fiancée and now wife, Iris Long.
After Jin Chonglin and Iris greeted everyone, they sat down on their designated seats with the head of Bright Summit. Then the host prompted the president to speak.
"We invited all of you here today to share some very important announcements. Jin Chonglin has been a part of Bright Summit's family since he started his career in the music industry. We have watched him grow from a young, charismatic and talented teenager with potential into one of the biggest superstars our country has to offer. He has since expanded his talents to other areas outside of music with great success. Bright Summit is very proud to have nurtured such a great seed like Jin Chonglin who grew up into a tall, firm, and fruitful tree. We also appreciate his loyalty for staying with us throughout all these years.
"As many of you are already aware, Jin Chonglin's contract with Bright Summit is set to expire this month."
The reporters leaned forward and paid closer attention. This was what they had been wondering about in the last few weeks.
"We at Bright Summit and Jin Chonglin have reached an agreement not to extend his contract. After his contract with us expires this month, he will no longer be an artist signed with our Bright Summit Entertainment Company."
As expected, the announcement immediately sent the reporters into an excited chatter. Some were shocked while the others already half-expected this outcome. They started shouting questions to clarify the situation but the experienced host quickly controlled the situation, reminding them that there will be a question and answer portion later after all the announcements were made.
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Chapter 984 - LXC Studio
Contrary to what the reporters expected, Jin Chonglin didn't speak right after the announcement to clarify the reason why he decided not to stay with Bright Summit. The entertainment company's president continued speaking instead.
"All of you must be wondering why Iris Long is also here with us on the stage today beside Jin Chonglin, who is now her brother-in-law." The president found Jin Liwei in the audience and gave him a warm smile. "By the way, all of us at Bright Summit send our sincerest congratulations and best wishes to the newlyweds CEO Jin and Iris Long."
Jin Liwei nodded with a smile but his eyes were on his wife the whole time.
"Thank you, President," Iris Long replied, a bright smile on her face.
She pulled up the exquisite red, silk scarf she was wearing around her neck and lowered her head for a few seconds, covering her mouth and nose, seemingly acting shy. However, her husband knew that she was sniffing his scent on the scarf. She had rubbed the scarf all over his naked body last night knowing that she needed to attend today's press conference and might get dizzy from the surrounding smells.
"This brings us to the second important announcement today." Bright Summit's president paused and looked at all the reporters for dramatic effect. "Following Jin Chonglin's departure from Bright Summit, we and Iris Long have jointly and amicably decided to terminate her contract. She will also no longer be an artist signed with Bright Summit Entertainment Company after this month."
Compared to Jin Chonglin's decision not to extend his contract with Bright Summit, this announcement about Iris Long terminating her contract with the entertainment company was more shocking to everyone. They knew that she still had a few years left on her contract. This meant that she had to pay a hefty termination fee as penalty to Bright Summit. They studied the expression of Bright Summit's president for any hint of displeasure but the older man was all smiles. Perhaps he was faking it for the cameras or maybe it was because a powerful man like CEO Jin was present, but nobody could glean any useful hints from the president's expression alone.
Terminating a contract before its expiration was usually extremely disadvantageous to the artist. If this were any other celebrity, he or she might be in deep trouble especially if he or she also offended the entertainment company that contracted him or her. He or she might even be blacklisted in showbiz. However, this was Iris Long, the new wife of Jin Corporation's President-CEO Jin Liwei. She now had a lofty status that protected her from this kind of bad situations.
The reporters glanced at the man in question, CEO Jin Liwei, who was also sitting in the audience. Now they began to understand the real reason why he attended today's press conference. He was showing everyone that his wife had his full support and Bright Summit shouldn't dare to perform any monkey business against her.
They were all itching to fire a flood of questions to both Jin Chonglin and Iris Long, mostly to Iris Long because her situation was more interesting, but the host still wasn't letting them.
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"Thank you very much, President," the host said, nodding at his boss. "Now we'll move on to the next portion of this press conference. Jin Chonglin and Iris Long also have an important announcement to make today."
Jin Chonglin took the mic in front of him and greeted everyone again, not forgetting to charm everyone with his killer smile. "I already have an idea of the kind of questions you want to ask me and my sister-in-law, but I want to clarify something. Although the two of us are leaving Bright Summit, we are doing so very amicably with the company. There are no hard feelings. None at all."
Not many believed his claim. After all, he had been Bright Summit's biggest star and fattest cash cow. And although Iris Long's current fame and status in showbiz couldn't be compared to a superstar like him, her extraordinary achievements so far and rising popularity since her first comeback was without a doubt a great asset to Bright Summit. There was no way that Bright Summit would just let the two of them go without any bitter feelings.
"I also know that all of you are wondering what the two of us are planning to do now that we've decided to leave Bright Summit."
They nodded and waited for his next words in anticipation.
"My sister-in-law Iris Long and I have decided to start our own entertainment company. In Bright Summit, the two of us had a senior and junior relationship, but in our new company, we will become partners instead."
Then Iris also took the mic in front of her and spoke next. "Indeed, everything that Brother Chonglin said is true. You may remember that there is a company called LX Productions that co-produced the now successful and award-winning indie film called "Strong Yet Broken". To tell you the truth, it is actually my husband's company. We have decided to transform it from a film productions company to a full-fledged entertainment company which we will now call LXC Studio."
All the reporters were shocked by all of these successive revelations. The itch to fire questions grew stronger.
"Brother Chonglin owns 50% of the company while my husband and I own the other half."
This revelation shocked them again. What?! Didn't that make Jin Chonglin the majority shareholder? They thought that with CEO Jin Liwei in the picture, he and Iris Long would own a bigger piece of the pie together, or in a fairer situation, all three of them would be equal partners.
"The current CEO of LX Productions will continue his duties at our newly transformed company, LXC Studio. Brother Chonglin will be the President while I will be the Vice-President."
This time, they nodded, not surprised that Jin Chonglin held a higher position than Iris Long in the company. It was only appropriate because he was the superstar and had more experience and connections in the showbiz industry than her.
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Chapter 985 - I Can And I Will
Finally, it was time for the question and answer portion. Almost all of the reporters raised their hands for the opportunity. The host pointed at a random reporter.
"Question for Jin Chonglin. Unlike most superstars who immediately started their own studios the moment their careers started to take on new heights, you stubbornly stayed with Bright Summit throughout all these years. Everyone admires your loyalty and thought that you'll stay with Bright Summit, the company that supported your showbiz career right from the start, until you retire. What prompted you to leave Bright Summit? Please be honest and tell us if you had any disagreements with anyone at Bright Summit. Maybe that's one of the reasons why you're leaving Bright Summit and decided to start your own entertainment company with your sister-in-law Iris Long?"
Jin Chonglin flashed the reporter his killer smile. "That's more than one question but I'm in a good mood today so I'll answer all of them as best as I can. Let me just say this once and for all. I'm truly grateful for all of the support that Bright Summit granted me throughout my career while signed with them. I'll always think of them as family no matter what happens. As for the loyalty that you're talking about...hehe."
He smirked and looked every bit the playboy that he was known for. "Jin Chonglin's number one loyalty will always lie on my craft as an artist. Meaning, I'll always pursue the road which I think will take my artistry to a whole new level, and I believe that LXC Studio will give me that. Owning my own company, or in this case, owning it with my sister-in-law and brother, will ultimately give me unprecedented freedom to do many things that I've never tried before as an artist. As for any disagreements with Bright Summit, there's none of that. Right, President?"
The head of Bright Summit coughed before smiling. "Of course, there's none of that!"
"I want to ask Iris Long," another reporter said.
She smiled. "Alright. Go ahead."
"First of all, congratulations on your marriage with CEO Jin."
"Thank you."
"My question is: are you pregnaâ"
Darkness fell over the entire hall.
"!!!"
"What the hell?! What happened?!"
"Come on, Bright Summit! Why aren't the emergency lights turning on?"
The sudden black out caused a commotion. Bright Summit staff frantically tried to solve the problem while doing their best to calm everyone down. Many turned on the flashlight function on their phones.
Staff members led their president, Jin Chonglin and Iris Long to a safer place backstage away from the reporters in the hall. Moments later, Jin Liwei and his bodyguards followed them inside. Jin Liwei found Iris and pulled her in his arms.
"You okay, love?"
She pressed her face against his chest and took a deep inhale of his scent as if her life depended on it. The air backstage felt a little stuffy and it was making her uncomfortable, but she still nodded to reassure him. Then she pulled his head lower and whispered directly to his ear.
"Did you do this?"
"No, Ketchup did."
Their eyes were already starting to adjust in the darkness. She gave him a knowing look. "But you instructed her in advance, didn't you?"
"En."
She sighed but still smiled. "Thank you. I still want to keep our babies for ourselves. I don't want random people paying attention to them and disturbing their growth. At least, not for now."
"En. Don't worry, love. I know. I'll keep you and our children safe. Always."
The couple's whisperings caught the attention of the others who were with them backstage, but they couldn't hear their conversation. Even if they wanted to eavesdrop, they couldn't because the two bodyguards were blocking them from going too near the couple.
Jin Chonglin rolled his eyes. "Che. To the husband and wife acting all lovey-dovey in the corner, can you have some decency to spare us single dogs here?"
"I have a wife," Bright Summit's president said.
"I have a girlfriend," the host said next.
"I have a fiancée," the staff who led them backstage said.
Jin Chonglin's expression turned ugly. He stomped to another corner and started sulking there. Fine! So he was the only single dog here! What was wrong with that?! He had many women lining up to become his girlfriend!
They started laughing at his expense. The mood lightened in an instant but it only lasted for a short time before Bright Summit's president apologized to Jin Liwei for the black out.
"It's very rare for a black out to occur in this part of the city but it occasionally happens. That's why we have backup generators throughout the company building. I don't know why they didn't activate."
"It's fine," Jin Liwei said. "It's not something we can control."
Iris hid her face against his chest. He could really say that with a deadpan expression when he was the one who instructed their AI daughter to force a black out if a reporter dared to ask her if she was pregnant.
Ten minutes later, the electricity finally returned. It took another ten minutes for the press conference to continue where it left off. However, before the previous reporter could repeat the same question she asked Iris Long before the black out, the host reminded everyone that they would only welcome questions about the announcements today. Fortunately, the reporters got the message.
Or more specifically, they didn't want to offend the icy man flanked by two bodyguards sitting nearby emanating a frightening aura whenever they directed questions at his wife onstage. Nobody dared to ask her any too-personal questions, so they decided to change tactics.
"Iris Long, many noticed that you've been limiting your public appearances lately. Are the rumours true that you're going to permanently retire from showbiz to focus on your duties and responsibilities as the new Madam Jin? You're leaving Bright Summit and started LXC Studio with Jin Chonglin instead. Perhaps you're planning on taking more of a backseat role now."
Iris tilted her head to the side, as if the question baffled her. "Why do you think that I need to retire in order to fulfill my duties and responsibilities as my husband's wife? I'm not an incompetent woman that I won't be able to handle being a wife while continuing to work on my own career. I can and I will have both."
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Chapter 986 - Save Fuel, Save The Planet
"Nice answer!" Jin Chonglin secretly gave her a thumbs-up below the table.
Iris nodded at him before facing the reporters again. "Yes, I'm currently limiting my public appearances but it doesn't mean that I'm retiring from showbiz. I love being a musician, not only composing songs, but also performing on the stage in front of my fans. Like Brother Chonglin, I place a high level of importance on honing my craft as an artist. At this moment, I'm working on a very important project. I want to devote more time and focus on it."
"Is that project your collaboration with the legendary hitmaker, Mr. Enrique Valdez?"
"Correct." She didn't deny it.
Although it wasn't the whole truth why she was limiting her public appearancesâthe main reason being her pregnancyâshe wasn't lying either. It was indeed true that she was working on her collab with her music instructor, Enrique Valdez.
Other reporters wanted to ask her for more details about her collaboration with the legendary hitmaker but she reminded them that they should focus on asking about the announcements made today. Fortunately, they decided to do that. After all, the press conference was going to end soon. They were already delayed by almost half an hour because of the black out earlier. They didn't want to waste asking any more unrelated questions or else they might get into trouble with their bosses who sent them to the press conference.
The next questions were not difficult for Jin Chonglin and Iris Long to answer because they were just clarifications about their departure from Bright Summit and on starting their new entertainment company, LXC Studio.
"Mr. President, please tell us the truth. Be honest. Do you really not regret letting go of these two? Jin Chonglin is a superstar while Iris Long has written hits after hits and won outstanding awards in the past year alone."
The head of Bright Summit paused for a moment to formulate the best way to answer the question. "I'll be lying if I say that I don't regret it."
The reporters' eyes lit up.
Jin Chonglin and Iris glanced at him from the corner of their eyes while Jin Liwei's expression turned icier.
"But it's only natural to feel regret. Deep in my heart, I want both of them to stay, but I and all of us here at Bright Summit support their decision to leave and start the of their careers. I look forward to watching how much more the two of them will grow now that they have full control of their careers. It's exciting, don't you think? I feel like a parent whose children have grown up and have decided to leave the nest to venture out into the world on their own."
It was a very diplomatic answer. As expected of the head of Bright Summit. Although the reporters felt unsatisfied with his answer because they wanted more drama, they could only accept what he said as time was running out.
A few more crafty questions and skillful answers later, the press conference finally ended.
###
"Why are you riding with us again?" Jin Liwei asked his younger brother, his tone filled with cold dissatisfaction. "Don't you have your own car?"
Jin Chonglin flashed him a sheepish grin. "Sister Xiulan and I are both heading to Orchidia Beauty. Since you're dropping your wife off, you should drop me off, too! Save fuel, save the planet. Am I right?"
It was clear that Jin Liwei didn't appreciate his brother's eco-friendly slogan when Jin Chonglin was encroaching on his precious time with his wife. He was about to scold his younger brother when he saw his wife falling asleep beside him. He quickly rearranged their positions so that she could sleep on his chest more comfortably.
"Don't be noisy."
"Fine." Jin Chonglin shrugged and used the big teddy bear wearing his older brother's shirt as a pillow. It was Iris' Little Liwei.
They were in Jin Liwei's business limousine. He had his subordinates change vehicles before picking them up from Bright Summit to give his wife more room to rest before dropping her off at Orchidia Beauty. There was no Jin Chonglin in his original plan but his annoying younger brother just had to force himself into the limo with them without permission, leaving behind his own assistant to follow them to Orchidia Beauty. Even Dom could only stuff Little Liwei into the limo before wisely deciding that it was better to ride in another car.
After a long moment of silence, Jin Chonglin spoke. "Hey, Big Bro."
"Hm?"
"What's the deal with Rose Young? I saw the tabloids."
Jin Liwei sneered but still made sure that the arms holding his wife remained gentle. "I fired her because she wants to steal my wife's place. As if I'd marry another woman."
"Damn. I always knew that she likes you but I never expected that she'll try to steal you away from Sister Xiulan. She has guts."
"That woman is big trouble. Stay away from her."
"Big Bro, you don't need to remind me. Rose Young is not my type. Have you seen her chest? My type is..." Jin Chonglin's eyes drifted to the full and shapely chest of the woman sleeping in his brother's arms.
Jin Liwei glared at him. "Look at your sister-in-law like that again and you'll force me to blind my own brother!"
Jin Chonglin immediately looked elsewhere before placing Little Liwei on his lap to hide behind the teddy bear. "I didn't see anything. Big Bro, relax! I was just joking, okay?"
There was another moment of silence between the brothers.
"I'm serious about what I said. Stay away from Rose Young and her family. They're bad news." This time, it was Jin Liwei who broke the silence.
"I understand. Don't worry. I'm not close to her, anyway."
"The Youngs managed to turn a few members of our branch families into traitors."
Jin Chonglin's eyes almost fell out of their sockets. "No way. Who's stupid enough to betray us? Betray you? Do they have a death wish?"
"Indeed, they have a death wish."
Jin Liwei's voice was devoid of any emotions and it sent chills down Jin Chonglin's spine.
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Chapter 987 - My Husband Is Too Formidable
Before Jin Chonglin could ask his older brother for more information about the traitors among the branch families, Iris stirred in Jin Liwei's arms and opened her eyes.
"Hm? Where are we? Have we arrived yet?"
Jin Liwei stroked her hair. "Not yet. Go back to sleep. I'll wake you up when we arrive at Orchidia Beauty."
She stretched and yawned before sitting up. "It's fine." Seeing Jin Chonglin hugging her teddy bear, she pouted. "Please don't rub yourself on my Little Liwei too much. What are you going to do if your scent overpowers my husband's?"
"Huh? Scent? What are you talking about?" Jin Chonglin was confused.
Jin Liwei stretched his hand. "Give the bear back."
"I'll give it back later. I'm using it as a pillow right now."
"Give it back." Jin Liwei's tone brooked no argument.
"Oh, come on! You two are becoming too stingy!" However, he still returned the teddy bear to them with a sulky expression. He didn't dare offend his older brother especially since he was caught eyeing his sister-in-law's chest earlier. In addition, Iris' temper had become too unpredictable and volatile after his brother got her pregnant. It would hurt his heart too much if she aimed her line of fire at him after unknowingly angering her.
As for Jin Liwei, he placed the big teddy bear on his other side in order to "recharge" it with his scent. Then he grabbed a chocolate bar from the snack basket specially prepared for his wife, opened the wrapper, and then fed it to her.
While enjoying the chocolate, Iris began sharing her dissatisfaction about the negotiation process with Bright Summit. "They only agreed to our terms not because of my negotiation skills but because I'm now Jin Liwei's wife."
"What's wrong with that?" Jin Chonglin asked while opening a can of coconut water from the limo's minibar. There was no alcohol in there at all. "Big Bro is now your husband. There's nothing wrong in using his status to make things easier for you. Don't tell me you want to make things hard for yourself instead?"
"That's not what I mean. I was looking forward to practicing and improving my negotiations skills but things went smoothly with Bright Summit instead. Too smoothly." She looked at her husband. "Someone told me that you called Bright Summit's President in advance before I could talk to him."
"En." Jin Liwei didn't deny it. He also wasn't surprised that Ketchup snitched about his secret actions to her mommy. "Are you angry?"
She shook her head, smiling. "Not at all. My husband is too formidable. I need to work harder, so that someday in the future, it'll be your turn to use my status to get what you want."
"I'm looking forward to that day." He leaned down and grazed his lips against hers.
"Come on, people! Don't forget that I'm still here!" Jin Chonglin couldn't take the lovey-dovey scene playing right in front of him.
Jin Liwei gave him a side-eye. "Who told you to ride with us? If you don't want to see me kissing my own wife in our own vehicle, you're welcome to get off. Should I tell the driver to leave you by the side of the road?"
"Fine. Do what you want." Jin Chonglin continued to sulk while chugging the coconut water and using his phone with his other hand.
Jin Liwei ignored him and focused entirely on his wife. "I didn't want you wasting time negotiating with Bright Summit, that's why I did that."
"I know. My energy is severely limited now that I'm pregnant. I appreciate it, darling. But next time, I would like it better if you inform me beforehand. This concerns my career after all. I prefer to be in full control of it."
"Okay, love."
Iris was satisfied by his answer, then she sighed. "It's good that Bright Summit agreed to let Brother Chonglin and I leave without kicking up any fuss. They even agreed to a limited partnership with our LXC Studio to share resources and connections which is extremely beneficial to upstarts like us."
Jin Chonglin shrugged. "Of course, they'll agree. They can continue to borrow me for collaborations and enjoy the benefits that my name and status give them."
"That's true, but my husband is still the biggest reason why they agreed."
"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes, already feeling tired of the couple's stickiness with each other.
"It's just a pity that they didn't agree to let the other artists under our managers to leave and follow the two of us, even though I offered to pay all of their termination fees in full. There were quite a few who expressed their intention of following us to LXC Studio."
"That's only natural," Jin Liwei said. "Letting both of you go is already painful for Bright Summit. If they allowed more of their artists to leave and follow you, it might create some unsavoury rumours and sully their reputation as a company. You already did your best, love."
She nodded but her eyes still showed some of her disappointment.
Jin Chonglin reclined on his seat and looked like a carefree prince. "It's fine. If those other artists really want to follow us, they can do so after their contracts with Bright Summit expires. We'll welcome them, then."
"Yes, we will." Then she smiled. "At least I was able to persuade Bright Summit to let Pandemonium go. Elder Sister Yiyi and Mr. Lin Dong are now in the process of finalizing their contracts with LXC Studio. Mr. JJ is also interested in signing them to his record label."
Jin Chonglin nodded. "Those kids are quite talented and have good potential. If they're willing to work hard, we'll nurture them well."
Jin Liwei listened to his wife and younger brother discussing their plans for LXC Studio. He felt peaceful and fulfilled to see the two working on the of their careers with great enthusiasm. He would support them, especially his wife, with everything he had.
At that moment, the issue about Rose Young and her ambitious family, the traitors in the Jin branch families, and the impending board of the directors meeting that he had to face this afternoon was far from his mind. He relaxed, feeling warm surrounded by his real family.
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Chapter 989 - Challenged Authority
Jin Liwei's words and posture were filled with arrogance but his tone was very calm. Too calm, most of the people in the meeting room thought, including Rose Young.
His words cut through her pride, angering her, but she redirected all negative feelings Jin Liwei was causing her to his wife instead, that slut Iris Long. She cursed Iris Long nonstop in her mind, wishing torture and death upon the slut, so that she could finally have her chance to seduce Jin Liwei and marry him.
Despite all of these dark thoughts running through her head, she still made sure to maintain the vulnerable-yet-trying-to-be-strong façade that she was showing everyone to acquire their sympathy and have them help her overturn Jin Liwei's decision of firing her.
"CEO Jin, your decision is certainly not final," someone finally dared to oppose Jin Liwei to his face. "As elected members of the board of directors representing Jin Corporation's shareholders, all of us here have the right to challenge the decisions of the CEO if we think that he made an error. And in this case, we do think that you made a big mistake in firing Miss Young. She graduated from the same Ivy-league American university that you attended with almost similar excellent marks. Other multinational companies are vying to hire a talent like her, but she still chose to show her loyalty to Jin Corporation despite all the other more enticing offers from other companies."
"I agree. Miss Young is indeed someone that Jin Corporation needs. Her foreign experience is a great asset to our company, but she still has a deep understanding of the domestic market. She has only been working in the company for a few months but we're already seeing noticeable good results from the marketing department. With her excellent performance, we believe that she should return to her position as Chief Marketing Officer."
There were quite a few people who spoke up for Rose Young. There was even someone who was neutral at first but already sided with her. Most of the other neutral ones were wavering while a handful remained neutral, continuing to wait and see how things would develop before making their final decision. Fortunately, Jin Liwei's supporters remained loyal to him and weren't the least bit moved by Rose Young and those who were fighting for her.
As for Jin Liwei, he remained leaning back on his seat with steepled fingers over his chest, looking cold, arrogant and indifferent more than ever. He didn't interrupt those who were speaking. When the voices slowed down, he finally spoke again in a tone filled with frost.
"It seems like some of you no longer acknowledge my authority as the President and CEO in my family's own company."
His eyes swept over all of the board members. Those who challenged him couldn't help but flinch under his penetrating gaze.
Someone cleared his throat. "CEO Jin, that's n-not the case...not at all! We still acknowledge your authority as the President-CEO, of course, but we also have our duty as elected members of the board of directors to keep the company in check if we think that it's heading in the wrong way."
Jin Liwei started chuckling. If the situation were different, it would be a very pleasant sound. In fact, Rose Young instinctively felt herself getting wet upon hearing his sexy chuckle. To the board members, however, it was a frightening sound, like when the devil was laughing in malevolent mirth before torturing his victims.
"Keep the company in check, huh." Jin Liwei stopped laughing. The sudden change of his expression into cold viciousness made a lot of them shiver.
The atmosphere was extremely uncomfortable but Rose Young took the ensuing silence as an opportunity to finally speak up for herself.
"President Jin, I apologize that things escalated like this." This time, she didn't call him Big Brother like she usually would do in front of other people to make them think that the two of them were close.
Her father's most recent advice got through her. She had to be careful right now and watch her every words and actions. Her most urgent mission at the moment is to convince these members of the board of directors that her firing was a huge mistake and that she deserved to reclaim her position as Chief Marketing Officer.
She pinched her thigh under the table, causing her eyes to water from the pain. Then she showed everyone her trying-to-be-strong expression. "I think you and your...wife misunderstood some of my words and actions in the past."
There was no visible change in Jin Liwei's expression but he was frowning inside, just like how his assistant Xu Tian was frowning now.
So this was how this woman wanted to play, huh?
"I was born in Singapore and grew up there, surrounded by people from other different cultures. In addition, before I studied in the same American university as you did, I spent the yearly breaks going on trips in multiple countries. I think that these experiences made me more liberal compared to people here in China."
Some of the board members nodded in understanding.
"So I apologize if there were some things I said or did that you and your...your wife find too liberal. Even if you find my normal actions not to your liking, please don't let it influence your objectivity when evaluating the quality and results of my work."
A board member on her side immediately exclaimed his support. "Indeed! A person should be evaluated in work quality and not by minor personality flaws."
Rose Young controlled her expression and restrained herself from snapping at the board member. What personality flaw? Well, at least he said "minor".
There were murmurs from some of the other board members, expressing their agreement to the rationale. Rose Young felt excited upon seeing that almost all of the neutral board members were starting to tilt in her favour.
Jin Liwei banged his hand on the table to get everyone's attention. "You keep on dragging my wife into this mess when she has nothing to do with how I run my company. You think that I, Jin Liwei, will fire an executive without good reason?"
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Chapter 990 - A Waste Of Time
The door opened all of a sudden, interrupting Jin Liwei's cold anger.
"It's not even rush hour yet but why is the traffic already so horrible at this time? I want to know!"
A familiar booming voice made everyone jump up their seats on instinct. Rose Young and her supporters paled, not expecting the arrival of this formidable figure.
Grandpa Lu, or more known to everyone else as Sir Lu Jianhong, the other half of the business genius duo who decades ago founded what was now known as Jin Corporation, entered the meeting room, immediately filling the entire place with his huge force of presence.
"S-sir Lu, good afternoon!"
"Hello, Sir Lu Jianhong!"
The board members' greetings were disorganized. Xu Tian immediately stepped forward and led the old man to the other head of the table opposite where Jin Liwei was sitting.
Jin Liwei also greeted Grandpa Lu, but unlike the flustered board members, he was very calm. He made eye contact with the old man and saw Grandpa Lu's slight nod. Without showing any visible change of expression, Jin Liwei allowed himself to relax as he inwardly sighed in relief at the old man's arrival.
When Grandpa Lu hadn't arrived yet, Jin Liwei had been ready to face everyone by himself and remind them that his authority shouldn't be challenged so easily. He was confident of himself but defending what should've already been a final decision was, in his opinion, a big waste of time. There were more important things that he could spend his precious time on. For example, spending more quality time with his pregnant wife and doting on her.
Fortunately, Grandpa Lu arrived just in time to take the burden from him. The old man's status, in addition to his 50% shares, were held in the highest regard by everyone at Jin Corporation. It wasn't too much of an exaggeration to say that Sir Lu Jianhong's words were law in the company.
Unlike Jin Liwei's cold intimidation which made the others shiver in fright earlier, Grandpa Lu looked very friendly, yet he still made the others shake for an entirely different reason. He was retired and rarely interfered in the running of the company but when he did interfere, nobody could challenge him with his 50% ownership of Jin Corporation.
The board of directors had the right to keep the CEO and the way he ran the company in check, but Grandpa Lu had the authority to keep the board itself in check. In short, the board of directors had no power over Grandpa Lu at all.
"Why are you all still standing like a bunch of kindergarteners? Sit down, all of you!" Grandpa Lu was full of smiles as he greeted those he knew, joking with them and making them feel more at ease.
He leaned back on his chair, looking very relaxed as if he just stopped by to watch something interesting. "You don't mind that this old man is late, do you? Continue with the meeting! What have you talked about so far? I want to know!"
One of the board members, a supporter of Jin Liwei, volunteered to summarize what happened during the meeting so far. He was very thorough and even mentioned the tabloids accusing a jealous Iris Long as the reason why Jin Liwei fired Rose Young from her position as CMO.
Grandpa Lu had someone hand him the tabloids. Nobody said anything as they watched him scan the articles. They couldn't tell what the old man was thinking just based on his expression alone. He was flipping the pages with one hand while stroking his perfectly groomed white mustache with the other. Then all of a sudden, he crumpled the papers into a ball and threw it accurately to the trash can in the corner.
"Bah! Such garbage belongs to the trash can! Who's the idiot who brought such useless papers containing utter nonsense? I want to know! This is Jin Corporation where serious businesspeople work, not the streets where you spread gossip! Actually bringing the tabloids to a business meeting and using it as evidence, you sure have guts!"
The person who brought the tabloids was indeed feeling like an idiot right now. He felt ashamed of himself.
Any hint of good nature was now gone from Grandpa Lu's expression. His sharp eyes landed on Rose Young.
"You are the one President Jin fired?" Even the way he addressed Jin Liwei was formal, showing everyone that he was now serious and meant business.
Rose Young felt her heart shake and her back soak with cold sweat. However, she still forced herself to give the old man a professional smile. "Yes, Sir Lu. My name is Rose Young and I am...I was the Chief Marketing Officer. But due to a misunderstanding, President Jin removed me from my position."
"Misunderstanding?" Grandpa Lu swept his piercing gaze across the entire room. "I was told that there's an emergency board of directors meeting which usually means that that company is in serious trouble, so I hurried over here today! But what is this? Where is the serious trouble? I thought that the company I founded with my late brother is going bankrupt or something serious like that, but I arrive here and all I find is just a former executive whining about being fired! Hah, so childish! Why waste people's time and call for an emergency board of directors meeting? I want to know!"
Rose Young paled even more. She was unable to defend herself because the old man was like a bulldozer knocking everything and everyone out of his way.
"Have you all forgotten that time is money? What are you all doing here wasting your time in this useless board meeting when you could be doing more productive work for the company? This meeting is an utter waste of time! Is this the kind of work that the board of directors are doing now? If you have so much free time to do useless things like this, then you might as well retire like me!"
The board of directors were now shaking in their boots. This was bad!
Grandpa Lu harrumphed. "It seems like it's time to elect new members to replace the unfit ones in the board of directors."
No, this wasn't just bad. This was a disaster!
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