In the evening, many families gathered to eat dinner together in the Philippines. Those who were still working overti or the night shift turned on the evening news to help keep them awake if their workplace allowed watching television or listening to the radio.
So were stuck in traffic. Those who had their own vehicles freely turned on their radios or portable TVs to listen to or watch the evening news. Those who used public transportation were at the rcy of their drivers when it ca to the channel. Those who had their own mobile devices wore earphones to enjoy their chosen entertainnt.
Millions of Filipinos tuned in to today's evening news as usual.
"Good evening, Philippines. This is 'Patrol 24' giving you tily news from all over the country and the world."
The headlines were a mixed bag as usual. There was good news, bad news, interesting news, and boring news.
Politics, cris, calamities.
Achievents, feel-good stories, funny incidents.
"Patrol 24's" team of news anchors were all known household nas. They were all professional and held high status within the country's journalism world.
Finally, it was ti for one of the news program's most popular segnts.
A celebrity actress had been moonlighting as the segnt's host for a few months now.
"For tonight's 'Showbiz Hour', Chinese singer Iris Long's private jet landed at the Manila International Airport late afternoon earlier today. She is here in the Philippines to promote the launch of Orchidia Philippines. A crowd of her fans called the Black Stars Philippines all gathered outside the airport to welco her arrival. One of our correspondents also went there and managed to get a brief interview with her."
Next, footage showed a crowd of fans outside the airport's waiting area holding signs that read "Welco to the Philippines, Boss Iris". Many of them wore suits that looked handmade.
They sang Iris Long's most popular songs in the country, "Shining Eyes" and "I, the Drear".
Their voices harmonized together like a lively choir.
Finally, another footage showed the actual arrival of Iris Long. Her fresh face and casual outfit only emphasized her natural beauty.
Screams erupted as soon as her fans saw her.
"Boss Iris!"
"We love you, Boss Iris!"
Then they all began singing "Black Star" in original Chinese.
"Oh, stars above
Oh, land of dreams….
"Now I sing this song
A song entirely mine
A song only I can sing….
"I'm a black star with no light
But so what? I'll glow again
My dream glows bright in my heart
I'm a black star that'll light up, you'll see"
In the video footage, Iris Long was seen holding back tears as she took the ti to listen to her fans serenading her with her own song. After they finished singing, she sent them several flying kisses before giving them her iconic curtsy bow which sent the entire crowd in another cheering frenzy.
Then she approached them and took her ti chatting with them while signing autographs and smiling for selfies.
Her bodyguards protected her tightly without being rude to her fans. In fact, the airport security and the local police were rougher, pushing so fans away, to which she could be seen intervening and asking them to be gentler.
While all these were happening, the reporters present began asking her questions.
"I'm from 'Patrol 24'. Welco to the Philippines, Iris Long!"
"Thank you very much."
"Why did you co to the Philippines?"
"I'm here primarily to promote the launch of Orchidia Philippines. I'm so excited to bring my company, Orchidia, to the Philippines. For the longest ti, I've been working hard with our Filipino partners to bring our innovative and high-quality products to this country and the Southeast Asian region while keeping the costs as reasonable as possible. Please co to our launch party tomorrow. I'm sure that you'll find sothing you'll like from our wide product range."
"Is this your first ti in the Philippines?"
Iris Long bead. Her bright smile almost blinded everyone present. Another round of screams erupted.
"Yes," she said. "This is my first ti in the Philippines. My best friend and assistant is Filipino. And our families are very close. They've invited to visit their ho country many tis in the past, but it's only now that my schedule allowed to finally do it. So I'm super excited to explore your beautiful country. I kept hearing that it's more fun in the Philippines!"
Everyone cheered upon hearing her words.
The cara also zood in on the flamboyant man standing beside Iris Long. Dominic Chua smiled and waved.
"Do you have any other plans while you're here in the Philippines?" the reporter asked next.
"I'll be doing so exciting things which you'll find out in the next few days. I'm also looking forward to exploring your beautiful nature, tasting your delicious local food, experiencing your unique culture, and most importantly, eting all of you, the Filipino people."
Her words made everyone so excited that so people even started sobbing from too much happiness.
"How is your family?" the reporter asked. "Your husband and your children?"
Her entire deanour softened at the ntion of her family.
"My husband will co and join tomorrow. As for our children, we decided that they're still too young to co here now. But we're already planning a family trip here to the Philippines when the kids are older."
Then the footage showed Iris Long waving goodbye to everyone as her bodyguards led her to a waiting van.
Finally, the segnt about Iris Long ended. Even the celebrity actress hosting the "Showbiz Hour" couldn't hide her excitent after reporting about Iris Long's arrival.
Most Filipinos watching the evening news had no idea who Iris Long was until tonight. However, most of them had heard her hit songs "Shining Eyes" and the newest one, "I, the Drear". These songs were constantly being played everywhere—in the cabs, jeepneys, restaurants, and malls. Everywhere.
"Shining Eyes" was also a popular choice for singing with the karaoke. Recently, the powerful song, "I, the Drear", was already being used to compete in singing contests at the local municipalities, towns, and cities.
Now, many Filipinos finally learned what the singer behind these hit songs looked like.
###
After checking in at the hotel and leaving their luggage in their rooms, Iris and her team drove straight to the Chua family's ho.
The Chua family's ancestors travelled all the way from China to escape the great famine decades ago and sohow reached the Philippines. Here, they decided to take root and build businesses. They thrived and beca the first wealthy Chinese-Filipinos in the Philippines.
However, Dominic Chua's family was just a minor collateral branch that didn't inherit anything from the main branch of wealthy Chuas.
Dominic and his sisters grew up in a normal, average working-class household. Their parents, Reina and Domingo Chua, worked hard to provide their children with a decent upbringing and a focus on education.
Their family had never been dirt-poor, but they had never been rich either.
It was only when Domingo Chua managed to connect with his distant cousin in China, Cai Guang, who was Long Tengfei's long-ti assistant that his son, Dominic Chua, had the opportunity to find better career prospects outside the Philippines.
Then Cai Guang recomnded his distant nephew, Dom, to the newly awakened Iris Long who had been in a coma after a serious car accident.
It was then that Dom's life had completely changed, and in extension, the entire Chua family's fortune improved by leaps and bounds.
Iris Long provided Dom and everyone in his family with countless opportunities to develop their skills and to prosper economically in ways that they could never have imagined before eting her.
Their only son, Dominic, was Iris Long's closest confidante second only to her own husband. He also lived with her family, granting him direct access to her family's massive wealth of resources. He was her right-hand man who had the authority to make decisions under her na. Thanks to his friendship with Iris Long, he was able to recomnd his own family mbers to Iris Long and her husband.
The eldest daughter, Marjorie Chua-Ferrer, and her husband, Paul Ferrer, were now the bosses of their own property developnt company in partnership with Jin Liwei who provided them the capital funds.
The second daughter, Linda Chua, had now beco the CEO of Orchidia Philippines.
The youngest daughter, Clover Chua, was currently in France as the CEO of Liberté.
And as the parents, Domingo and Reina Chua were now semi-retired but would still help their eldest and second daughters with their companies.
Now all of their children were literal bosses.
Their only son, Dom, might not be a "boss" but as the assistant to their greatest benefactor, Iris Long, he was the one who paved the way for all of them. Without him, they would never have imagined that they would one day beco close to reaching the level of the main Chua family's wealth.
When Marjorie and her husband, Paul, and Linda began building their companies, the main Chua branch noticed. At first, the main Chu family pretended not to care. But now that Domingo Chua's branch family had beco high-profile, especially when they had been preparing for Iris Long's arrival in the Philippines, the main family finally took the initiative to contact them and "reconnect".
Although Domingo and Reina knew that the main family only wanted their connection with Iris Long, and of course, her billionaire husband CEO Jin Liwei, they decided that there was no reason to refuse the main family's gesture. Hence, they accepted.
After this "reconnection" of their minor collateral branch family with the main family, Domingo and Reina Chua along with their children were granted access to exclusive connections among the elites in the Philippines.
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