Fame is a perilous thing, much like a pig fattening up for slaughter. Being a star means being in the public eye, and the more you want to earn, the more visible you must become, but the side effects of fame are something you must inevitably confront. For American celebrities, fame means that walking down the street might suddenly bring a swarm of paparazzi, practically lying at your feet to snap pictures up your skirt; if you forget to draw the curtains at home, everything you do will be exposed on camera film. For Japanese celebrities, fame can lead to harassment from the Yakuza... For Korean celebrities, fame can sometimes result in depression and suicide... Everything has its bright side, but the shadow cast by success cannot be avoided. While fame brought Ning Yao wealth and accolades, a host of troubles she had never encountered before also arrived in droves.

"Perhaps I should go over there?"

Ning Yao whispered, seeking Wang Zhuo's opinion. Deep down, she had no desire to meet some Mr. Ma or Mr. Jiang. If she had relied on connections and maneuvering for success ten years ago, she might have been famous already, not having to wait until now. Back then, she was younger, fresher, and more capable of attracting the attention of powerful, wealthy men. Had she rushed headlong into such situations back then, she might already be the young mistress of some tycoon's household.

But she also knew the Beijing Ying Group possessed a deep background, and the surname Ma within that circle signified authority. This man was someone she could not afford to offend. Therefore, a polite appearance was necessary regardless.

This was the side effect of celebrity—or, as they say, once you enter the world of powerful players, you are no longer entirely your own master.

Asking Wang Zhuo’s opinion was merely a gesture of politeness, partly because Wang Zhuo was now her financial backer and partner, and partly due to the subtle, indefinable fondness she held for him.

"Do you know this Mr. Ma?" Wang Zhuo asked, his expression placid, though he already knew the answer.

"No, I don't," Ning Yao shook her head slightly, but worrying that Wang Zhuo might not understand the nature of the Beijing Ying Group, she leaned in and added quietly, "The Ma family is very powerful in the capital. Beijing Ying Group is merely their visible asset."

In the capital, who held true power was self-evident. The so-called second-generation rich or second-generation officials were like coconut jelly next to an iceberg when compared to these ancient, politically connected families. Third-generation reds, fourth-generation reds, and red-topped businessmen—these were the true, shining labels of this group.

Wang Zhuo nodded slowly, indicating he had heard her, then suddenly smiled at Jiao Yuanbo and asked, "Manager Jiao, is the Mr. Ma you mentioned the President of Beijing Ying, Ma Yong, or the General Manager, Ma Shiguang?"

"Ahem." Jiao Yuanbo cleared his throat and replied with a rather odd expression, "How could it be either of those two? Mr. Ma is Ma Qiang, the General Manager of Yingyu Industry, a subsidiary of Beijing Ying Group. Yingyu Industry is..."

He was cut off mid-sentence by Wang Zhuo waving a hand. "Yingyu Industry? Never heard of it. Manager Jiao, if you have time, stay for a drink. If not, that's fine too. Sister Ning doesn't hold her liquor well, so she won't be going over to toast Mr. Ma. When you go back, explain it to him and ask for his understanding."

This statement was not only impolite but clearly a dismissal. Ning Yao’s heart skipped a beat, and both Jiao Yuanbo and Hai Jun looked stunned, completely unprepared for such blunt words after hearing the background of this Mr. Ma.

"Uh..." Jiao Yuanbo truly did not want to leave so ignominiously. After hesitating, he forced a smile. "Sir... you don't seem to know much about the Beijing Ying Group or the Ma family, do you?"

Upon entering, his focus had been solely on Ning Yao; he hadn't paid much attention to Wang Zhuo and the others, only briefly inquiring about Wang Zhuo’s background without even asking his name, hence the vague title.

"It's not about knowing or not knowing," Wang Zhuo said calmly, a faint, humorless smile on his face. "We are strangers, with no prior dealings. We are simply here for a casual meal. We won't be going over to meet this distinguished guest."

With that, he waved at An Qi, who had just stepped through the door, and called out with a smile, "Come in quickly! Why are you standing there?"

Jiao Yuanbo was occupying An Qi's seat. Seeing this, Jiao Yuanbo thought, That's it, I've been asked to leave. Time to go!

He exchanged a few perfunctory words with Hai Jun before they exited the private room. Hearing their footsteps fade, Ning Yao said with concern, "Wang Zhuo, the Mr. Ma they mentioned must be from the Ma family in the capital. You truly haven't heard of that family?"

"The Ma family? What's there not to have heard of?" Wang Zhuo scoffed dismissively. "If it were one of those two, Ma Yong or Ma Shiguang, coming here, it might make sense for you to go offer a toast. But who is this Ma Qiang? Never heard of him!"

"But he's still a Ma family member..." Ning Yao managed a wry smile, wondering what had gotten into Wang Zhuo. He usually gave such an excellent impression, but why was he being so utterly obtuse at such a crucial moment?

"Who cares if he’s Ma family or Jiang family? It has nothing to do with us," Wang Zhuo chuckled, picking up Ning Yao's wine glass and handing it to her. "You lost the bet earlier, remember? Don't try to use this as an excuse to get out of drinking."

Guan Yingying merely ate her food, sipping her drink lightly. She had some awareness of the Ma family's background. Where Ning Yao saw Wang Zhuo offending the Ma family as unwise, Guan Yingying saw it as perfectly reasonable. She had already mistakenly assumed an intimate relationship between Ning Yao and Wang Zhuo, and given Wang Zhuo’s protective and possessive nature, how could he tolerate his woman going off to offer toasts and socialize with other men? The Ma family was irrelevant; anyone trying to lay claim to Wang Zhuo's exclusive property would be met with resistance!

An Qi and An Qi, however, only grasped the gist of the situation, feeling lost in the details. It seemed a very important figure was also dining at the restaurant, a fan of Ning Yao's. The important figure's entourage wanted Ning Yao to come over for a toast, Ning Yao wanted to go, but Wang Zhuo stopped her. It appeared this important figure carried significant weight, yet Wang Zhuo didn't seem to care!

...

"You're saying you had already successfully invited Ning Yao, only to be blocked by some young punk traveling with her?"

In the opulent private room, Ma Qiang sneered, rapidly spinning a chopstick between the three fingers of his right hand.

"Yes, yes, exactly like that," Jiao Yuanbo flattered. "But that person seemed quite close to Ning Yao. When we first entered the room, he was playing a hand-slapping game with her, and later, when he chased us out, no one—including Ning Yao—objected. It seemed he was the leader."

"I recall something," Hai Jun interjected. "When Manager Jiao first asked about his background, he said he made a living with his hands!"

"Right! That's what he said. I suspected his elder might be a director or a scriptwriter, but then I thought it didn't quite fit," Jiao Yuanbo said with a wry smile. "His attitude was too arrogant."

Ma Qiang laughed upon hearing this—a laugh of disdain and contempt. What right did some boy dining with an actress have to act superior in front of a fourth-generation elite? Let alone dealing with him, dealing with the people behind him would be little harder than crushing an ant!

However, Ma Qiang's success at a young age meant he wasn't a complete idiot. He had a method to his madness. After his cold laugh, he asked Jiao Yuanbo, "There are only five of them? What is that man's surname?"

Surname? Jiao Yuanbo genuinely didn't know. This was a major oversight; failing to answer correctly would cost him points in front of Mr. Ma!

Fortunately, Hai Jun came to his rescue with timely information. He had faintly heard Guan Yingying call Wang Zhuo something, though he missed the full name, he caught the surname. "He is surnamed Wang, about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, and he's a bit over 1.8 meters tall!"

Wang is a common surname, unlike Ma, which immediately suggests the Ma family. Thus, Hai Jun's information was only marginally useful. Ma Qiang nodded and stopped asking unnecessary questions, dropping the spinning chopstick and standing up.

"Since Ning Yao won't come over, I suppose I'll go myself," he said with a faint smile, waving to Jiao Yuanbo. "Manager Jiao, would you mind leading the way?"

The group of five left the luxurious room and headed toward Wang Zhuo's cozy little room. Jiao Yuanbo and Hai Jun led the way, Ma Qiang in the middle, followed by an assistant and a driver/bodyguard.

There was a vast gap between the luxurious room and the cozy one, much like the inherent superiority Ma Qiang possessed versus the grassroots spirit emanating from Wang Zhuo's very bones. Walking down the corridor, Ma Qiang still didn't give the Wang-surnamed kid who dared to challenge him a second thought. In his eyes, one couldn't discuss ice with a creature born in summer; what common ground could he possibly have with an arrogant youth who didn't know his place?

At that moment, Ma Qiang’s entire focus was fixed on the imminent meeting with Movie Star Ning. All five members of his entourage were fans of Ning Yao; his stepmother had been moved to tears countless times watching Let’s See Divorce Through to the End. Having the chance to meet Ning Yao today, he felt excited, as if he could already see that strong, pitiful, virtuous, and beautiful woman from the drama already conquered by him.

Unlike Wang Zhuo’s "late bloom," Ma Qiang had been immersed in such pursuits since middle school and had long since experienced countless women. Wang Zhuo took them one by one, but Ma Qiang discarded them after a fling. Among the younger set in the capital, he was notoriously known as a "Stamp Collector."

The term "Stamp Collector" meant treating sexual encounters with celebrities as collecting stamps, taking pride in the quantity, and taking pride in the quality. Ma Qiang’s "album" was already quite full, but he had never acquired one of Ning Yao's caliber.

To make Ning Yao, the woman who brought his stepmother to tears, submit to him... what a glorious prospect that was... Ma Qiang strode forward, filled with this blissful, excited anticipation!

Meanwhile, inside the small room, Wang Zhuo was already observing every detail of Ma Qiang’s performance from beginning to end with his Heavenly Eye-like X-ray vision. After Jiao Yuanbo and Hai Jun left, he had split his attention to track the two men, and later, he even witnessed all their dialogue through lip-reading!

A young elite playing with female stars? Ning Yao really was a magnet for trouble... Wang Zhuo thought with a mix of bitter and cold amusement. He wanted to see just how capable this group of privileged brats was, and whether they could pass the inspection of Director Wang!

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