Power and Wealth
Chapter 1913 – Another Wave Arrives!
Airport.
The crowd gradually grew larger.
“Why is Chen Ying here?”
“Is she here to shoot a movie?”
“It says ‘Jiao Lin County’ up there.”
“Is the Cultural Festival in Jiao Lin County going to perform in our province?”
“No way, they’re just a county. How can they afford to have Chen Ying perform?”
The onlookers gathered at the periphery, watching the spectacle. Some of Chen Ying’s fans, a few here and there, called out her name, and even the airport staff couldn’t help but pause and watch. Despite being around the airport all year, they rarely saw well-known celebrities—those people were rarely seen or sometimes disguised, so they couldn’t be recognized. So, seeing Chen Ying was a rare treat.
Over there.
Chen Ying symbolically shook his hand after a brief exchange with Dong Xuebing. She then introduced Zhang Dongfang, who seemed happy to shake hands with Chen Ying.
The TV station staff didn’t bother to be surprised; they quickly took care of the camera to capture this moment. Some staff members clicked away with their cameras, with flashes constantly going off.
“Thank you.” Dong Xuebing said with a smile.
Chen Ying waved her hand, “It’s no big deal; it’s just a small favor for an old friend.”
“By the way, our county’s conditions are limited; the appearance fee might be…” Dong Xuebing was concerned that Chen Ying might not know about their situation, so he informed her in advance.
Chen Ying laughed, “I wasn’t planning on taking an appearance fee. I was just helping an old friend. What kind of person would I be if I asked for money?”
“Got it, that’s what I wanted to hear.” Dong Xuebing joked.
Chen Ying gave him a sidelong glance. “You’d better cover my food and lodging. And I’ll expect a big banquet later.”
“Of course,” Dong Xuebing replied, “No problem. You must be tired from your trip. Let me arrange a car to take you to our county.”
Chen Ying nodded. “Okay.”
“Little Su,” Dong Xuebing called his secretary, “Arrange a car to take Chen Ying to our place.”
Su Yan immediately responded, calling over a staff member to help Chen Ying with her suitcase, and they all headed out of the airport.
In addition to the bus, several cars were prepared, nearly requisitioning all the good cars from the county committee and government.
“Chen Ying!”
“Can I get your autograph?”
“Chen Ying, I love you!”
Chen Ying’s departing back was watched by several of her fans.
Chen Ying was stopped three or four times outside, signing autographs for a long time. Finally, under the escort of Jiao Lin County staff, she hurriedly got into a Buick and drove away.
Zhang Dongfang withdrew his gaze. “Secretary Xuebing, Chen Ying carries quite a bit of weight, doesn’t she? Having her come to our county for a performance at the gala should be fine. She’s an old classmate of yours.”
Dong Xuebing nodded, “Elementary school classmate.”
Chen Ying’s arrival immediately gave Jiao Lin County a boost. So, Secretary Dong wasn’t just talking big; he did bring such a big star here without charging a penny. What’s next? Everyone was eagerly anticipating it.
Ringtone.
Dong Xuebing looked at his phone and answered the call, “Ms Zhang.”
“We’re here, ha! You little guy, hurry up and meet us at the gate.” It was Zhang Longjuan.
After hanging up the phone, Dong Xuebing’s expression changed, and he immediately instructed, “Everyone, get ready. Cameras, prepare. The next wave of guests is coming.”
This emphasis on cameras was because Dong Xuebing intended to use footage from the celebrities stepping off the plane to boost their county’s cultural gala that evening. Empty words wouldn’t carry the same impact—no matter how eloquently spoken—compared to using images of celebrities arriving on the news. This kind of publicity would surely bring the county great fame. Once other investors saw it on TV, they wouldn’t need an invitation from Jiao Lin County. There would be a significant number of them coming uninvited. Investors are fans, too, and this is also a way for Jiao Lin County to showcase its strength and attractiveness. Investors would factor in all these considerations. If the cultural gala is successful, it will boost Jiao Lin County’s investment appeal. Dong Xuebing couldn’t afford not to take this seriously. His political achievement depended on it—this was what mattered most to him.
The crowd’s attention shifted, all eyes on the entrance.
“Secretary, County Chief Zhang.” Behind them, the county office director, Meng Hanmei, arrived late, walking into the hall, “Sorry I’m late, just finished something over there.”
Dong Xuebing turned around, “It’s okay.”
Meng Hanmei joined the group, then thought momentarily, grabbed a person from the investment department, and asked, “I just saw our county’s car go past. Was that Chen Ying?”
The staff member nodded, “Yes, Director Meng. Secretary Dong invited her.”
Meng Hanmei’s brows relaxed, and the corner of her mouth curled into a smile. She had been genuinely worried that Secretary Dong couldn’t manage it alone, but he succeeded.
At that moment, things got a bit chaotic up front—the footsteps were mixed, indicating that the group stepping off the plane had arrived.
Next, the sensually seductive figure of Zhang Longjuan, wearing sunglasses, appeared before everyone with a smile on her lips. Upon seeing Dong Xuebing, she smiled, removed her sunglasses, and walked directly toward him, playfully saying, “Secretary Dong, sorry to have kept you waiting. The flight was delayed; it was supposed to arrive this morning.”
Dong Xuebing, Zhang Dongfang, and Meng Hanmei met her a few steps forward, each shaking her hand. “It’s fine, Ms Zhang. Your presence is our honor. On behalf of Jiao Lin County, we welcome you.” Then, Dong Xuebing introduced Zhang Longjuan to Zhang Dongfang and other local leaders.
The cameras continued to roll.
After Zhang Longjuan warmly greeted them, she turned and looked at a few blonde-haired, blue-eyed women behind her, “Let me introduce my side too.”
The group of foreign beauties removed their sunglasses.
No further introduction was needed, as people nearby already started shouting.
“Ah!”
“Amy, Amy!”
“Is that the SS group?”
“Aren’t those the Ellens?”
“Oh my God, it is them!”
“SS is one of America’s top musical groups, and Amy is the best new artist this year. Ellen, an old-school singer, with her latest album in the top twenty globally last month—what a lineup! How did they all end up in our province?”
“I’m a huge fan of Ellen!”
“Amy, I love you!”
Some older passengers, especially young girls, screamed excitedly, waving their hands and shouting.
Foreigners tend to be more open and flamboyant than locals, showing no restraint or modesty. The members of the SS group, along with the other two female singers, greeted their fans with smiles. Some spoke a few words in English, while others blew kisses.
The fans let out another round of screams, with several young girls almost rushing forward to ask for autographs.
Seeing this, the Jiao Lin County people quickly took measures, forming a barrier to protect them. The airport security personnel also rushed over to help block the excited fans along with the Jiao Lin County team. Previously, Jiao Lin County had already coordinated with the airport—this wasn’t just Dong Xuebing’s personal matter but rather part of the official activities organized by Jiao Lin County for the investment cultural festival. The airport would give them a certain level of leniency for this.
Zhang Longjuan spread her hands, “Well, now I don’t need to introduce them.”
She didn’t need to introduce herself anymore; everyone was already shouting out the names of these celebrities or bands.
Over on the Jiao Lin County side, just a few relatively young staff members recognized a few female singers, while others found them familiar but couldn’t quite place names. Even Dong Xuebing, Zhang Dongfang, and Meng Hanmei didn’t recognize them—utterly unaware of these individuals because they didn’t pay much attention to domestic stars, let alone international ones. However, unrecognized, Zhang Dongfang and Meng Hanmei were not fools. The excited screams from the young people in the airport already indicated that these foreigners were not just ordinary minor celebrities—they were big names.
“Ellen!”
“Amy!”
“Ah, I’m so happy!”
One girl cried out excitedly, waving her hands and shouting at them. Her parents behind her could only exchange helpless looks—they didn’t know how to manage her.
Dong Xuebing also caught on. He thought, “Sister Zhang is thoughtful. I just needed a few celebrities to boost the event, and here Zhang brought along such a big group of well-known names.”
“Ms Zhang, thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. If you’re hosting the evening, I’ll support you. These are all just a few of my little friends. They don’t have schedules for the next few days, so bringing them along is also a bit of a sightseeing trip for them,” Zhang Longjuan said. “Alright, this doesn’t seem like the place for a conversation. It’s a bit noisy here. Let’s get the car ready, shall we? We can talk about things later.”
“Sure thing. I’ll arrange it for you.”
Dong Xuebing instructed the car arrangements, and he, along with Zhang Dongfang, warmly greeted a few of the female celebrities in Chinese.
Zhang Longjuan translated.
Amy and Ellen, along with the others, also exchanged a few polite words with smiles.
The SS band members appeared somewhat more reserved, hugging their guitars and instruments without saying much.
A few minutes later, Su Yan escorted Zhang Longjuan and the foreign celebrities outside, with airport security personnel also shielding them from the enthusiastic fans.
“Amy, don’t leave!”
“SS, I love you all so much!”
The scene was chaotic. Because of their different age demographics, these foreign celebrities’ fans were even more fervent than Chen Ying’s.
Zhang Longjuan and her group left.
The fans mostly chased after them.
Suddenly, the airport became relatively quiet for a moment, allowing Dong Xuebing, Zhang Dongfang, and others to catch their breath and drink water. Despite their exhaustion, everyone’s faces showed anticipation and excitement.
0 Comments