??Chapter 211: 210. Paparazzi_1
Chapter 211: 210. Paparazzi_1
The tolling of the New Year’s bells brought not only joy but also a harsher winter.
Jiangcheng was snowbound all year round, and without central heating, the city was particularly damp and cold along the Lingjiang River during winter.
By early January, on a silent night, a heavy snowfall ca suddenly, shrouding the entire city.
The soft snow absorbed all sounds, quieting the entire city down to a peaceful hush, perfect for lighting a fire for warmth, grabbing a book or playing a movie, and watching the snow flutter down outside the window as one drifted off to sleep.
Early in the morning, Lu Ban opened the window and took in the sight of the world outside, draped in silvery white, and breathed in the air of the New Year.
“So cold.”
He closed the window and turned up the heat on the air conditioner by a degree.
Picking up a book about the connection between psychology and dreams, Lu Ban had intended to imrse himself in a sea of knowledge and spend the next few days in leisure, but his phone soon started to ring.
Glancing at the caller ID, it was Song Yunyan’s secretary, Li Zijian.
“Aren’t you taking a day off today?”
Lu Ban asked as he picked up the phone.
“…you really know how to talk.”
Li Zijian responded, before getting down to business.
“The thing is, you’re working on this world view project, right? President Song ntioned introducing so investors interested in it, and she would like to talk to you about it.”
“Investors?”
Lu Ban thought for a mont.
“Are they looking to have a al with ?”
He used a more colloquial term.
“…you could say that.”
Li Zijian was sowhat at a loss for words.
“But I’m not short of money…”
Lu Ban said right away.
Considering the online streaming revenue from “The Hundred Poets” and the inco during film festivals, Lu Ban was already worth at least ten million. With “Cry” screening nationwide and the daily box office breaking one billion, his yet-to-be-settled shares were substantial. With this montum, Lu Ban could actually afford to coast, buying several properties and living off the rent for the rest of his life.
So, he really wasn’t short on cash.
Typical entrepreneurial teams often find themselves short of funds, as early investnts and promotional developnts are usually costly, leading many teams to seek financing. Moreover, many investors are indeed not short of money and don’t mind betting on investnts.
Such situations can sotis lead to capital taking control of the entrepreneurial teams later on, reaping the benefits and possibly causing internal conflicts that result in the team’s dissolution.
But Lu Ban was different; he made money right from the start and didn’t have an entrepreneurial team. It was just him, doing as he pleased, working when he wanted and slacking off when he didn’t; it was great.
Therefore, Lu Ban had no need to bring in investors; he could even consider investing in others.
“Well… actually, it’s like this, President Song has received a lot of help from others over the years in Jiangcheng. Seeing how well you’ve been doing, they wanted to get in touch with you. President Song couldn’t exactly refuse, so… maybe you could do her a favor?”
Li Zijian explained.
To put it simply, so of Song Yunyan’s business friends, knowing that Lu Ban’s first backer was Jiangcheng Industries, wanted to get a slice of the pie. Song Yunyan certainly couldn’t reject them outright without damaging relationships, so the task fell to Lu Ban to handle.
“That’s also fine.”
Lu Ban was not an unreasonable person; Song Yunyan had helped him so much, and he definitely wouldn’t want to embarrass her.
“There’s another thing, you’re already considered a celebrity now, so you have to be careful about your behavior and actions. If you have a girlfriend and want to date, that’s fine, but do not lay a hand on your fans, and don’t engage in any of those chaotic private life activities, also, no drugs…”
Li Zijian advised earnestly once more.
“?”
Lu Ban found it unbelievable. How could soone as positive as him ever do such things?
“Brother Li, you’ve got
all wrong; I’m not that kind of person.”
“Ah, I know, but the girl who often visits your place, isn’t she a little strear? Also, on New Year’s Eve, didn’t you go to the movies with so other girls and co ho very late?”
Li Zijian questioned.
“…These paparazzi are just disgusting.”
Lu Ban was at a loss for words.
His relationship with Qin Tiantian was purely platonic; he had no interest in junior high students, and as for Feng Yu, he couldn’t avoid her enough, let alone think about taking things further.
Right now, Lu Ban’s greatest wish was for world peace. As for the rest, they could step aside for a while.
It was just that those who invaded others’ privacy were disgusting and troubleso.
Lu Ban went to the windowsill and looked at the snowy scene outside. With the aid of True Sight, he quickly spotted several windows in the building opposite, each with caras pointed toward his side, presumably belonging to journalists from different dia outlets.
He didn’t know when they had set up there, but thinking back to the incidents with Qin Tiantian and Feng Yu, journalists had likely been coming over ever since “The Hundred Poets”.
“Alright, Brother Li, you arrange the eting with those folks; I’m free anyway, chatting with them shouldn’t be a problem.”
Lu Ban agreed to et with the investors and, putting down his phone, glanced again across the street.
His eyes quickly found a window where a paparazzo was filming.
Through the lens, Lu Ban locked eyes with the person on the other side.
“Need to think of a way to deal with these people.”
Lu Ban thought and decisively drew the curtains halfway.
…
“…Must be an illusion, right?”
In the residential building opposite Lu Ban’s, the entertainnt journalist Sun Cheng rubbed his eyes.
He was sure he had just made eye contact with Lu Ban, but at such a distance, and using a telephoto lens, how could Lu Ban, a common person, possibly see him?
“I’ve been here for so many days, and it feels like I haven’t captured any material. Why is Lu Ban such a hobody?”
Sun Cheng muttered to himself.
He had rented this place just to capture so side news about Lu Ban’s daily life, like the girl nad Qin Tiantian. Previously, a colleague had photographed them eating out together, and Sun Cheng was convinced that she must have so relationship with Lu Ban, hence he had been staking out for so ti, but he couldn’t find any clues.
Lu Ban lived like an ordinary citizen—getting up at eight in the morning, either reading books or using the computer, eating takeout or a Shaxian chicken leg al for a dozen or so yuan for lunch, then back to reading or studying in the afternoon. It seed like he spent his whole day imrsed in a sea of knowledge, so much so that Sun Cheng felt a twinge of sha.
“Isn’t he supposed to go out and socialize, gather materials?”
Sun Cheng knew many in the entertainnt industry who either socialized daily, attended parties, business engagents or were perennially away from ho, traveling around the world to gather materials. However, Lu Ban seed to just sit at ho every day doing nothing. How on earth did he produce his movies?
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