bestfiction Chapter 322 Stormy Waves
Chapter 322 Stormy Waves
Billions of national treasures donated free of charge...
Received a special report from CCTV...
Lifetime honorary title of the National Museum...
National-level awards...
Each word came crashing down heavily, making Bai Li's head feel heavy.
She calmed herself down and cleared her head before opening her phone's chat interface and sending a message to Zhou Chengjing.
Bai Li: "The big prize you're talking about, is it a donation made in my name without compensation?"
While waiting for Zhou Chengjing's reply, she briefly explained the situation to the others as well.
After replying to everyone but still not receiving a reply from Zhou Chengjing, Bai Li guessed that he was probably busy and not in a hurry.
What's done is done, there's no other way but to accept it.
Bai Li edited another text message and sent it to him.
Bai Li: "If that's the case, this prize is far too big."
Bai Li: "You paid for it, I shouldn't accept it for nothing. I'll transfer the money back to you later."
Looking back on the whole incident, her only action was helping to bid at the auction. In fact, because she was kept in the dark and acted somewhat emotionally, she unintentionally drove up the price.
Although it was Zhou Chengjing's fault for concealing his identity, he ultimately paid the price, and the matter was considered settled.
But now he's directly crediting her for this enormous achievement, which makes her feel pressured and a little guilty.
She would rather repay him billions in cash than owe him this kind of intangible "favor".
It's not that she doesn't have the money.
After waiting, I still didn't receive a reply from Zhou Chengjing, but I did receive a message from the operations director first.
At the suggestion of the operations director, Bai Li clicked on the trending topics.
With extensive news coverage, its popularity is sure to be high.
Sure enough, three of the top five trending topics were related to this topic:
Mysterious tycoon Ms. Bai Li donates billions of dollars worth of national treasures (Breaking News)
National treasures such as the Lotus Crane Square Pot have returned to China. (Boiling Point)
The National Museum has opened its reservation channel (hot).
Clicking on the topic reveals a deluge of discussions and news reposts, with several major official media outlets forwarding and tagging her, praising her righteous act.
Countless netizens followed the trail to her social media, leaving enthusiastic comments:
"I knew Mr. Bai was rich, but I never imagined he was this rich! I'm bowing down in admiration!"
"I'm moved to tears. After a century of wandering, I'm finally home. Thank you, Ms. Bai Li!"
"This is what a true elite family is like! They do great things quietly, keeping their achievements and fame hidden!"
"This is the kind of star we should be following! Boss Bai is awesome!"
……
Besides the fans who are entertained day and night, there are many more passersby who are drawn in by the news.
Of course, there were also some discordant voices mixed in:
"With so much money spent on antiques, how can they afford to make movies? [doge emoji]"
However, such voices are only in the minority, and these opinions are quickly drowned out.
"Hey kid, don't think you can save your life just because you're wearing a dog head!"
"Why do you care how much money Mr. Bai spent? If Mr. Bai has the money to spend billions to buy national treasures, he has the money to make movies. Mind your own business!"
Bai Li didn't care about such comments at all.
With increased popularity, some dissenting voices are inevitable.
They're just keyboard warriors; there's nothing to care about.
It's the worst thing to let these people affect your mood.
No wonder the operations director asked himself whether he should monitor and control public opinion.
If the trending topics had been suppressed when they first gained popularity, they might not be so popular now.
Unfortunately, Bai Li was asleep and completely unaware of the political climate in the country.
Bai Li replied to the operations director, "Just control the inappropriate comments under the trending topics and the negative comments on my social media, we don't need to worry about the popularity."
It's too late to suppress the heat now.
Moreover, the high level of popularity is currently advantageous to her.
The more people see the news, the greater her chances of gaining favorability.
According to what Xiaohao said, the favorability rating is still rising slightly.
The most telling example of public enthusiasm is the announcement from the National Museum that reservations are now open:
Thanks to the overwhelming support from all sectors of society, the public's enthusiasm for visiting the recently acquired precious cultural relics is unprecedented. To ensure the safety of the relics and maintain order during visits, it has been decided that:
1. Key donated cultural relics, including the Lotus Crane Square Pot, the Shang Dynasty Bronze Owl You, the Tang Dynasty Gilded Silver Pot with Dancing Horse Holding a Cup, and the Song Dynasty Ru Kiln Sky Blue Glazed Lotus-Shaped Warming Bowl, will be officially exhibited to the public in the "National Treasures Return Home" special exhibition hall starting from the 1st of next month.
2. Visits to the special exhibition hall require a real-name reservation system, and the reservation channel opened at 6:00 PM today. Within 10 minutes of the reservation opening, all available time slots for the first month (including weekdays and weekends) were fully booked.
3. Visitors who have not successfully made a reservation are kindly requested to wait patiently for the subsequent ticket release notice (approximately three months later), or pay attention to other permanent and temporary exhibitions of our museum.
Thank you for your understanding and support! We once again extend our highest respect to Ms. Shirley!
The comment section under the announcement was filled with lamentations and astonishment:
"10 minutes?! No! All the reservation slots were gone in ten seconds! I just barely managed to get in, and the page turned black and white! I refreshed it, and then it told me they were all gone!"
"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! Was the entire nation camped out here? I didn't get a single hair!"
"Three months? Three months! Mr. Bai, this prosperous era is exactly as you wished!"
"Who actually managed to snag the tickets? Please, scalpers, leave a way out for those who genuinely want to see the show!"
……
Bai Li fell silent after reading it.
She anticipated that the cultural relics would be precious and popular, but she did not expect it to cause such a sensational "ticket-grabbing frenzy," comparable to a top-tier concert.
"Ding ding ding! Favorability points are increasing, increasing until I'm tired of it~" Xiao Hao sang in his mind, as excited as a 300-pound child. "Host, favorability points have increased again! The momentum is super strong!"
The National Museum's decision to open reservations and the resulting frenzy among citizens undoubtedly added fuel to the fire.
The rate at which my favorability rating is rising has accelerated again; it's now at 5712 points, just a little short of breaking 6000!
If this trend continues, it won't be long before she completes the final system task.
But if she really receives Xiao Hao's final reward because of this incident, it also means its departure. This is a speed far beyond the scope of Bai Li's plan. She really doesn't know whether to cry or laugh.
Just as her mind was in turmoil, Zhou Chengjing's reply finally lit up on her phone screen.
Zhou Chengjing: "Don't feel guilty, you deserve it."
Zhou Chengjing's reply was still very simple.
It is simple yet carries an undeniable sense of power.
Only someone who speaks in such an old-fashioned manner can do so without feeling out of place.
Seeing that he had no intention of accepting the money, Bai Li stared at the screen, her fingertip hovering for a moment before quickly typing a reply:
"This is too much credit; I am unworthy of it."
“Give me the account number. I’m not used to owing favors, especially such a big one.”
Bai Li's words were very straightforward, clearly stating her attitude; she was not just being polite.
This time, Zhou Chengjing responded very quickly.
Zhou Chengjing: "You're overthinking it."
After those five large characters, a ten-second message appeared on the screen: "User is typing..."
Before Bai Li could get a reply from Zhou Chengjing, and while she was still wondering what was going on, a voice call request popped up on her phone screen.
She subconsciously pressed the call button.
Zhou Chengjing's calm voice came from the other end of the receiver, and he explained the reason concisely.
It was probably those cultural relics that he had collected, used as leverage to attract Cui Shengzhe.
Although the investment was substantial, the actual cost was far from the astronomical figure that Bai Li had imagined.
At the auction, no matter how much the white pear ultimately fetched, his final cost was already fixed. Therefore, she didn't need to worry about the money at all.
Bai Li suddenly understood.
Regardless of the complex operations involved, it is essentially a game of "transferring money from one hand to the other".
No wonder the auction house was so confident in letting me bid alone; it wasn't that they trusted me, but that they weren't afraid at all.
This is Zhou Chengjing's meticulous and thorough style of doing things.
Although Zhou Chengjing spoke casually on the phone, as if it hadn't cost much, she didn't believe a word he said.
These cultural relics have been wandering abroad for nearly a century. If they could have returned, they would have returned long ago.
Could we have waited until now?
The sheer amount of financial resources and connections required to collect and connect these individuals is unimaginable.
"Since it was you who pushed for this, I feel even more embarrassed to take credit for it." Bai Li's voice was calm, and although she had just woken up, her mind was very clear.
On the other end of the phone, Zhou Chengjing seemed to pause for a moment.
He then spoke again, his voice noticeably lower than before: "Sister, there's no need to be so clear about things with me. If you really want to compensate me, why not give me some shares?"
Bai Li was taken aback: "What equity?"
"I heard you and Wuhai are going to start a joint venture..."
Zhou Chengjing didn't finish his sentence, only hinting at it, but Bai Li already understood what he was saying.
She couldn't help but feel a chill.
How did Zhou Chengjing know that her joint venture with Wuhai hadn't even been registered with the industry and commerce authorities yet?
Wu Hai would never have revealed that information voluntarily; Zhou Chengjing must have obtained it through his own channels.
There are no secrets in this world.
This man is truly terrifying; he's practically everywhere.
Much information is almost transparent to him.
Bai Li became even more vigilant.
“That won’t do,” Bai Li replied firmly.
One reason is that Wuhai will cause a stir, but more importantly, one of the core purposes of that joint venture is to maintain a balance of power, and Zhou Chengjing must not be allowed to get involved.
Zhou Chengjing chuckled softly: "I was just kidding."
Bai Li was surprised that he had been serious when he brushed it off so casually.
He then changed the subject: "Are you free in December? Come with me to Davos."
Zhou Chengjing's statement was rather general.
But Bai Li knew what he meant.
Davos is a forum, also known as the World Economic Forum.
It is a non-governmental international organization that holds its annual meeting in the town of Davos every winter.
Leaders from business, politics, academia, and other fields around the world will participate to discuss major global issues and trends.
It is also a top-tier venue for business exchanges.
In December, the production of "The Craftsman" was almost complete.
If "Tian Gong" can be successfully released during the Spring Festival, the real highlight—the Lingxi technology—will also be served up along with the film's release.
Even if Zhou Chengjing doesn't invite her, she plans to go anyway.
"Okay, sure, but you have to tell me your whole plan in advance." Bai Li agreed, but with a condition.
That's why she doesn't want to owe favors; if it were just about repaying money, the matter would be much simpler.
But now he'll have to cross paths with Zhou Chengjing again.
If he's just going to Davos for the conference, that would be fine. Hopefully, this extraordinary Brother Zhou won't cause any unnecessary trouble.
"Don't worry." Zhou Chengjing's voice was gentle, with a hint of reassurance, and this time it sounded quite credible.
"Okay, see you then." Bai Li hung up the phone without any hesitation.
Zhou Chengjing stared at the blacked-out phone screen, and for a rare moment, he was stunned.
For the first time in his life, he actually tasted a bit of... being disliked?
Is it just my imagination?
----------------------------
The deafening roar almost lifted the dome of the venue.
The dazzling spotlights flashed.
The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and the atmosphere of frenzy. Every kill scene that appeared on the giant screen would trigger a violent scream.
Bai Li sat in the VIP seat with the best view. The scorching air, carrying the cheers of the audience, rushed towards her, making her heart burn.
On the stage, several teams sat scattered about.
Unlike the League of Legends finals, where only two teams are left to fight it out.
TOE is even more passionate.
—After more than a month of bounty tournament, those who have made it to the final battle are the strongest of the strong.
At this point, almost no one was holding back their tactics or showing leniency by letting others win.
Every team is driven by an unwavering belief in victory, employing the most aggressive shooting skills and the most cunning tactics possible, resulting in an incredibly intense and unpredictable battle with numerous unexpected turns of events.
The smaller the safe zone is, the closer it gets to the final circle, the less room there is for survival, the higher the probability of teams running into each other, and the more difficult the battle becomes.
However, for the audience, the level of excitement is also getting higher and higher.
The commentator exclaimed excitedly, "Let's focus the camera on Yang Shen! He's instantly sniped and taken down two opponents!"
"It's him! It's him again!"
"He was a sharp knife that tore through Valkyrie's defenses!"
"Longyuan has turned the tide!"
……
Bai Li spotted Ying Xiangyang on the stage immediately, whom the commentator called "the sharp knife," and smiled with amusement at the vivid metaphor.
Longyuan's team uniforms are a blend of scarlet and gold, which is not only very characteristic of China, but also particularly eye-catching, shining brightly among the team uniforms of blue, purple and black.
Especially when worn by Ying Xiangyang, it has a unique charm.
In short, he is exceptionally handsome.
Although Bai Li was unwilling to put others down, she still muttered to herself: This team uniform looks like two different clothes on other people and on Ying Xiangyang.
She briefly pulled her thoughts away from the competition, racked her brains for a while, and finally confirmed that she had never seen Ying Xiangyang wearing red clothes.
A slight stirring in her heart prompted her to instinctively take out her phone, open the camera app, and zoom in and out until only the scarlet, gilded figure remained in the frame. Holding her breath, she quickly pressed the shutter button and snapped several photos.
The person sitting next to Bai Li, seeing her taking pictures like this, couldn't help but ask, "Are you also a fan of Yang Shen?"