69novels Chapter 141 Promoting and Degrading
Chapter 141 Promoting and Degrading
Chapter 141 Promoting and Degrading
Chiang Tin-sang, Prince, and others stood watching from a distance, their expressions complex. Hung Hing was renowned in Hong Kong, but in terms of such glamorous commercial adoration, it paled in comparison to Song Zhaowen at this moment.
"Damn it, these rich bastards really know how to suck up. Our Hung Hing is several times bigger than Cheng Hing, and we don't have these people greeting you, Mr. Chiang." The prince cursed under his breath.
Jiang Tiansheng, however, took it in stride: "The underworld is forged through fighting, and money is earned. Song Zhaowen is skilled at both fighting and making money; that's his talent. He and our Hung Hing take different paths."
Just then, an even bigger commotion broke out at the entrance to the main hall.
The crowd automatically parted to form a passage.
Huang Tian, the chairman of Huang Tian Group, a wealthy man in the city and a newly appointed Justice of the Peace, walked in slowly, dressed in a low-key dark gray Tang suit, accompanied by his eldest daughter Huang Lei and youngest daughter Huang Yin.
Huang Tian is a legendary figure! He started out selling insurance door-to-door in his youth, and within ten years built the most powerful insurance company in Hong Kong. Then, the company expanded into real estate and retail, becoming the chairman of a listed group with a net worth of billions. He is a true top tycoon, with influence spanning both political and business circles. His arrival carries more weight than anyone else.
Upon seeing this, Song Zhaowen immediately apologized to those around him and quickly went to greet them.
"Mr. Huang, I am truly flattered that you have come in person!" Song Zhaowen said respectfully, bowing slightly.
Huang Tian was able to come for two reasons: first, because of his daughter Huang Lei, who was a business partner of Song Zhaowen; and second, because Wenji was preparing for its IPO, and Huang Tian Group was particularly interested in this matter and wanted to invest and become a major shareholder.
No one who becomes a billionaire is a fool.
Man Kee's various frozen products, including beef balls, have become bestsellers in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and even Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. The brand's strength and reputation have been fully established, crushing any imitators.
Not only that, Man Kee is definitely not standing still. The second phase of the factory in Yuen Long and the third phase in Shenzhen will soon be put into operation. In Huang Tian’s eyes, the fast-moving consumer goods called instant noodles will definitely be a huge business in the future.
Finally, there's Song Zhaowen's relationship with the mainland.
Six months ago, Song Zhaowen still needed Huangtian Group to introduce him to connections in mainland China, but somehow he managed to get in touch with the State Council of the People's Republic of China, which is quite remarkable.
Of course, only a very few people knew about this relationship, and even Huang Tian only knew the general idea.
Although Song Zhaowen has a triad background, he is neither entirely innocent nor entirely innocent.
But Huang Tian was not a rigid person; none of the Hong Kong tycoons he had met were cleaner than the others when they were young.
As the saying goes, investing is about investing in people.
So Huang Tian, who doesn't like crowds, rarely showed up on the Star River to support him!
Regardless of Huang Tian's intentions, in Song Zhaowen's eyes, this was already a tremendous favor.
Huang Tian chuckled and patted Song Zhaowen's arm: "Ah Wen, you've done a great job. This ship is impressive! It's just as impressive as the ones I saw when I first went to Las Vegas. When I was your age, I was still selling insurance on the street, bowing and handing out business cards to everyone I met. You young man, you've created such a grand spectacle in less than a year. You're much more impressive than I was back then."
"Mr. Huang, you flatter me. It's all thanks to the support of all our friends and your continued care. You built a multi-billion dollar empire from scratch, and you are a role model for us younger generations to learn from." Song Zhaowen's tone was sincere. These words were not just politeness. Wenji's rapid development was indeed inseparable from the channel and resource support of Huangtian Group in its early days.
"Haha, what a flatterer!" Huang Tian's youngest daughter, Huang Yin, standing beside him, suddenly interjected in a cheerful voice. She was only sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in a white princess dress, with her hair in pigtails, her face displaying girlish playfulness and naiveté—clearly spoiled: "Daddy, listen to how well this person talks!"
Huang Tian affectionately ruffled his youngest daughter's hair: "Yinyin, don't be so disrespectful. Call him Brother Wen."
"Brother Wen~" Huang Yin called out obediently, her big eyes darting around to look at Song Zhaowen with curiosity.
Song Zhaowen nodded to Huang Yin, then his gaze fell on Huang Lei. Huang Lei was indeed stunningly beautiful today. A champagne-colored long dress accentuated her fair skin, and her outstanding气质 (qi zhi - a combination of temperament, bearing, and presence) made her the center of attention wherever she stood.
"Miss Huang, you look absolutely stunning tonight," Song Zhaowen praised sincerely again, this time with less formality and more appreciation.
Huang Lei seemed to be in a good mood today. Hearing this, she smiled sweetly, her eyes sparkling. "Mr. Song, you're the star tonight, all the rage. Yin Yin and I came here to see your performance~" She paused, then said, half-jokingly, half-seriously, "But Mr. Song, I heard you're going to personally perform tonight? And you're going to be playing with those old devils, Chen Jincheng and Nie Wanlong? Are you confident?"
Huang Lei smiled and readily accepted the compliment: "Mr. Song, you flatter me. You're the star tonight, you're incredibly impressive." Her gaze swept over the eager faces behind Song Zhaowen, and she said with a hint of teasing, "Looks like there's a long line of people wanting to work with you, stretching all the way to Tsim Sha Tsui~"
Song Zhaowen smiled wryly: "Miss Huang, please don't tease me. It's all just empty fame, nothing compared to your real skills, Miss Huang." He paused, then suddenly extended an invitation, "By the way, Miss Huang, when the competition starts later, I wonder if I would have the honor of inviting you to be my table companion? With such a beautiful companion like you, I think my luck will improve a lot."
A female companion at the gambling table is often a symbol of intimacy and trust.
Huang Lei was slightly taken aback and glanced at her father, Huang Tian. Huang Tian's smile remained unchanged, and he nodded slightly.
Huang Lei then smiled at Song Zhaowen and readily agreed, "Sure! I've never been a date at a gambling competition before, it must be so exciting! But Mr. Song, my luck is unpredictable, so don't blame me if I drag you down with me~"
"How could that be? With Miss Huang around, winning or losing is always a happy thing," Song Zhaowen said with a smile.
This scene held extraordinary significance for those around them.
Huang Tian's personal presence at the event was already a huge honor. Now, his beloved daughter has even agreed to be Song Zhaowen's gambling partner! The signal couldn't be clearer—the Huang Tian Group, or rather Huang Tian himself, highly values and supports Song Zhaowen!
Those wealthy individuals who had initially been hesitant now looked on with even greater eagerness. Establishing a connection with the young man Huang Tian favored was definitely a sure-fire way to make money!
Even Jiang Tiansheng secretly sighed: Song Zhaowen is not only ruthless and lucky, but also has a first-rate ability to climb the social ladder. With Huang Tian's connection, probably very few people in Hong Kong will dare to touch him in the future.
Ah Le watched with envy and a sour feeling in his heart: Damn it, different people have different fates! I'm still worrying about tens of millions, while he's already on brotherhood with a billionaire and even got his daughter!
Broken Tooth Koi watched from a distance, his face growing even more gloomy. The more successful Song Zhaowen was, the more displeased he became.
After exchanging a few words with Huang Tian's family, Song Zhaowen personally led them to the VIP seats with the best view.
Huang Lei naturally stayed by Song Zhaowen's side.
With Huang Lei, his radiant companion, Song Zhaowen was surrounded by a dense crowd. The compliments and laughter nearly lifted the roof off the boat.
At the other end of the casino, Chen Jincheng pushed up his brown-tinted glasses and looked at Song Zhaowen, who was surrounded by admirers, and the radiant Huang Lei beside him. A subtle, enigmatic smile appeared on his lips.
Nie Wanlong snorted and said to Lisa beside him, "What kind of skill is it to get ahead by relying on women!"
Sun Yifeng didn't pay any attention to this side. His whole mind was on Jiang Zhen. He was just a gangster. No matter how rich he was, he was still a gangster. He wasn't worth paying attention to.
Jiang Zhen sat in a wheelchair and was pushed by the butler to a relatively quiet corner of the VIP area. He closed his eyes, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding noise, but the fingers gripping the armrests of the wheelchair tightened slightly.
Ten minutes until the God of Gamblers showdown!
The enormous crystal chandelier illuminated the three giant gaming tables in the center with crystal clarity. The tables were covered with brand-new dark green velvet, edged with shimmering gold piping. Ample space had been reserved around each gaming table for spectators and media, and it was already packed with people.
At the front of the stage, TVB's top hosts, Carol Cheng (DoDo Sister) and Ho Sau-shun (Ho B), made a joint appearance. Their appearance immediately drew enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience—these two are TVB's leading hosts, earning as much as HK$500,000 per appearance.
It is evident that Song Zhaowen spared no expense to ensure the high standard of this competition.
"Distinguished guests, friends, welcome to the Galaxy," welcome to the inaugural Hong Kong and Macau God of Gamblers Competition. I am Carol Cheng.
"I am Ho Sau-shun," Ho B interjected with a beaming smile. "Tonight, we will witness together who will claim the title of 'God of Gamblers' amidst the dazzling stars and win a staggering HK$100 million in prize money!"
"This year's competition adopted a combination of invitation and high-stakes entry," DoDo explained. "Ultimately, only six top players, with an initial stake of over HK$30 million, qualified for the main tournament!"
He B then said, "Let's give a warm round of applause to welcome these six gambling elites to the stage!"
The spotlight swept across the entrance to the casino in turn as he spoke.
The first to walk in was "Gambling Demon" Chen Jincheng. He was still wearing a white suit and brown glasses, walking with a calm demeanor, with a half-smile on his face. He nodded slightly to the camera and the audience, showing the demeanor of an international gambling tycoon.
Next up was "Gambling Maniac" Nie Wanlong. He strode confidently, his burgundy shirt collar open, a haughty smile on his face, waving to the surroundings as he walked, as if he were already the victor.
The third person to be wheeled out was "Gambling King" Jiang Zhen. He was sitting in a wheelchair and was slowly pushed in by his butler.
Sun Yifeng, the "gambling addict," was the fourth to enter.
The fifth person to enter caused a small commotion and discussion. It was a woman in a long black lace dress, exuding a cold and mysterious aura. She was around thirty years old, with exquisite makeup, striking features, and sharp, deep eyes, like a black rose in the night.
All people know about her is her name, Zhuo Lan. There are many rumors about her background, but the fact that she can come up with 30 million in chips already speaks volumes about her strength.
Finally, the spotlight focused on the entrance.
Song Zhaowen walked out slowly. And walking arm-in-arm with him was none other than Huang Lei, who was the most stunning woman in the entire venue that evening. Her champagne-colored gown shimmered under the lights; her smile was radiant and her demeanor graceful. Standing side-by-side with Song Zhaowen, they looked like a perfect couple, instantly attracting all eyes and countless flashes of light.