Time crept by, and in the annals of Huaxia history, no matter the day, if it was a celebration worthy of merit, there would always be an auspicious hour.
“It’s ten o’clock in the morning; the timing is perfect. Send the order immediately—the opening ceremony begins now!” Long Yi glanced at the time on his phone and spoke to a senior member of the Black God Gang standing nearby.
“Yes!” a man in a black suit responded.
“Long Yi!” Xu Ming and Ye Xiaohou appeared beside him, calling out.
“You’re here. Where is the Dragon Lord?” Long Yi inquired.
“At an occasion like this, just think about it—do you expect the boss to show up?” Xu Ming shot a disdainful glance at the man who had sentenced him to death just last night.
“Ah!” Long Yi paused, then said, “Right. That makes sense. Alright, you two go prepare yourselves; it’s starting soon.”
“Got it!” After responding, the two walked off toward their respective companies.
Watching the steady stream of staff, observing the continuous red carpet stretching from the gate of the Black Guard Company all the way to the gate of the Dragon Guard Company, a crowd began to gather, some holding wine glasses as they watched the spectacle.
A strikingly beautiful woman, impeccably dressed, took a microphone and walked to the center of the red carpet, right in the middle of the street. She cleared her throat and announced, “Welcome, business leaders from all sectors, to this gathering. Today marks the official establishment of Black Guard Pictures Co., Ltd., and Dragon Guard Co., Ltd. We thank everyone for coming to offer their congratulations!”
“Clap, clap, clap!” A wave of applause accompanied by feigned smiles washed over the scene, yet in the eyes looking towards Yang Yi, there was a distinct mockery.
Whether one navigated the worlds of commerce, the underworld, or even legitimate society, that artificial smile was indispensable. Because while this veneer could sometimes gain you much, it could simultaneously cause you to lose just as much.
“We now invite the General Managers of both Black Guard and Dragon Guard to come forward and give their speeches!” the beautiful mistress of ceremonies said with a cheerful smile.
“Alright, it’s your turn. Just read exactly what I gave you on those slips,” Long Yi instructed.
“Heh, don’t worry. Since the Boss wants us to make this grand, we certainly won’t disappoint him,” Xu Ming stated calmly.
“Good that you understand!” Long Yi smirked inwardly. Although these were merely verbal sparring matches, paper talk, at least for now, the procession of their speeches would be recorded and uploaded across major networks. This meant the two companies were guaranteed to become famous.
Xu Ming took a deep breath, settled his nerves, and stepped out onto the red carpet. On the other side, Ye Xiaohou walked swiftly to the center of the street, a faint smile playing on his lips. When his eyes met Xu Ming’s, it seemed like an unspoken agreement passed between them; they paused their steps and shook hands.
The onlookers and the gathered business figures, seeing how young the general managers of both companies were, couldn't help but show a flicker of surprise, their faces etched with disbelief.
“Third Brother, you go first. Put on a good show. Everything that happens next is going to be posted online by Long Yi,” Ye Xiaohou maintained his smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes, as everything they were doing was purely for show.
Yet, it had to be admitted that while all their current movements were contrived, certain things they spoke of would soon come to pass in Shanghai.
“Hello everyone, and welcome to the opening ceremony of Black Guard and Dragon Guard. I am the General Manager of Black Guard Pictures Co., Ltd.,” Xu Ming began, sweeping his gaze across the crowd.
“Some of you might be asking, given the immense investment capital of Black Guard, what exactly is our future trajectory?”
“Indeed, Mr. General Manager, you possess such capability at such a young age. May we ask where your company’s development goals lie?” a man in a black suit and leather shoes asked, holding his wine glass.
“Sir, that is an excellent question, and indeed it is. Black Guard Pictures Co., Ltd. has a registered investment capital of one hundred million US dollars, founding capital of three hundred million, and working capital of five hundred million. Looking across the world, no company can rival that.”
“Therefore, since our investment is this large, our goals are equally immense. My film company intends to break into the Hollywood market, to strike the first major blow for legitimate Chinese cinema, allowing proper film artistry to firmly establish itself in China. This is our development objective.”
“Whoa!” “Whoa!” A ripple of shock went through the crowd. That statement was utterly audacious. Hollywood is undeniably the world’s premier film hub, but to aim to surpass the Hollywood market and spearhead Chinese cinema—this statement effectively dismissed Hong Kong’s long-standing efforts in the film industry.
It was clear the words were incredibly arrogant, yet they possessed the capital and the ambition for that arrogance. Such arrogance, when backed by substance, was not a fault. After all, every person watching was utterly dumbfounded.
“Many of you might think that what General Manager Xu just said was an international joke. But I can tell you this: Dragon Guard Entertainment Co., Ltd. not only aims to break beyond the confines of China, but we intend to pierce the global entertainment sphere and create the very first divine altar belonging to us Chinese in the world of entertainment!” Ye Xiaohou saw the stunned expressions and knew this was exactly the effect he needed.
“Those two are absolute actors. Sigh, Brother Yi said that if they became actors, winning an Oscar would be as easy as picking up vegetables. It seems he wasn’t wrong,” Fatty Lin muttered, looking at the expressions on Xu Ming and Ye Xiaohou’s faces in the distance, feeling thoroughly deflated.
“Haha!” Yang Yi let out a hearty laugh at Fatty Lin’s crestfallen look. “That’s why I sent the Third and Fourth Brothers out to speak while keeping Long Yi backstage.”
“Brilliant!” Fatty Lin chuckled. “A keen eye for talent!”
“Those two delivered a great speech; you can tell by the expressions on those faces. Once this hits the internet tomorrow, the entire commercial sector in China will be buzzing,” Yang Yi said, feeling quite satisfied with the current outcome as he watched the business figures whose mouths were agape wide enough to fit an egg.
“But, Brother Yi, when can we go mess around with computers? I looked at Long Yi’s technical skills yesterday; they are absolutely top-notch. He can post a single message across all the major networks instantly, flooding everything with information about Black Guard and Dragon Guard.” Fatty Lin suddenly seemed very interested in computer technology.
“Heh, we’ll talk about it when there’s time. Besides, the current situation is just the beginning for us!” Yang Yi said with a faint smile.
“Right. If the Nakagawa Group doesn't make a move later today, they definitely will tomorrow.”
“The little Japanese guy from last time seems to be his son, doesn't he? I heard the news that he’s started investigating me. Haha, what a coincidence this is turning out to be.” Yang Yi laughed heartily, already brewing some unknown scheme in his mind.
“Young Master, perhaps we should head to the company premises to wait for them?” Feng Shi asked Yang Yi.
“En.”
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“What incredibly arrogant statements. Both companies harbor such massive ambitions. No wonder their initial investment capital is so substantial.”
“Boss, do we approach them for discussions now, or…”
“Hmm. Prepare the documents first, and await my command later,” Nakagawa Tengun said coolly.
“Yes!” the middle-aged man in the black suit acknowledged.
Following the round of speeches, although the opening ceremony felt slightly overblown, it ultimately pleased the assembled business figures. After all, who in the commercial world wouldn't want to connect with a company that possessed such obvious strength? Consequently, a crowd of people began exchanging business cards with extreme pretense, using the opportunity to network.
“Damn, I’ve never been this tired before!” Xu Ming gasped as he entered the company building.
“Tell me about it. Those people are so damn phony,” Ye Xiaohou echoed with genuine agreement.
“Alright, you two go rest now. I’ll handle what comes next,” Long Yi said, walking over to them.
“Sounds good, we’ll take a break,”
“Boss, everything is prepared,” the middle-aged man in black reported to Nakagawa Tengun.
“Good. Let’s go eat first. We’ll come back when the crowds thin out around noon,” Nakagawa Tengun said, casting a meaningful glance toward the Black Guard and Dragon Guard headquarters.
“Yes, sir.”
Just as Nakagawa Tengun was preparing to approach Xu Ming and the nominal General Manager for talks later that day, the moment his car pulled away, a silver sedan appeared. A man and a woman sat inside—the man handsome, the woman beautiful.
“I didn’t expect even the Nakagawa Group to show up. It seems these two companies really are that audacious,” the young man, Shangguan Tengfei, said, watching the black car disappearing ahead of them with an impassive expression.
“I suspect the Nakagawa Group will make a move against those two companies before the day is out,” the woman, Shangguan Yunmeng, stated.
“En,” Shangguan Tengfei murmured thoughtfully before asking, “Sister, how do you think we should handle this matter?”
“Heh, this situation is likely not simple. One wrong step and the whole game is lost,” Shangguan Yunmeng replied with a captivating smile.