Hong Kong.
In the headquarters meeting room of China International Capital Corporation (CICC) located in Central Plaza, a meeting that had lasted an hour and a half had just concluded.
It was Thursday, August 28.
The meeting, attended by only a dozen people, was of high importance as it focused on attracting cornerstone investors for China Telecom's IPO in Hong Kong. Cornerstone investors are highly credible institutions, renowned enterprises, or notable wealthy individuals who agree to purchase shares ahead of an IPO to boost market confidence.
Among the attendees, most were prominent ethnic Chinese businessmen from Southeast Asia who had good relations with China. However, there were two exceptions: two women.
Amidst a group of middle-aged and older men, the strikingly elegant and poised Chen Qing and Lin Su stood out. They were participating as direct representatives of Simon, as Westeros Company was also set to join the IPO as a cornerstone investor.
The mere name "Westeros" was enough to solidify its role as a cornerstone investor, offering unparalleled credibility and financial strength. Still, Simon did not intend to monopolize this role entirely.
Whether it's meat or soup, it's better to share with others.
Of course, given Westeros Company's sheer size, it alone pledged $500 million, half of the $1 billion subscription quota assembled by CICC's network of Chinese businessmen.
According to the finalized IPO plan, China Telecom's listing, scheduled for the end of the year, was expected to raise about $5 billion. While the IPO preparations were still underway, $1.5 billion in subscriptions had already been secured from investors with strong global influence, practically guaranteeing the IPO's success.
After the meeting, as everyone got up to leave, Chen Qing and Lin Su, being the younger participants, initially planned to linger at the back. Surprisingly, the older gentlemen also slowed down, allowing the two women to catch up. One of them, a tall, thin man with glasses, spoke warmly in Mandarin: "Miss Lin, do you have time this evening? Mr. Zheng is hosting a party at Repulse Bay. If you're interested, you should come by."
Lin Su, slightly unused to the friendly tone from such an influential figure, politely declined. "Sorry, Mr. Li, but Miss Chen and I will be heading back to the mainland soon."
"Oh, that's alright. Hopefully, there will be another opportunity," the man replied, not showing any displeasure. Instead, he took out a business card and handed it to her. Lin Su accepted it graciously, then retrieved her own card to exchange with the gathered businessmen.
After several minutes of polite exchanges, the two women finally broke away.
Accompanied by four female bodyguards, they descended to the building's parking lot. Once inside the car, Lin Su glanced at Chen Qing, who had been quietly playing the role of an assistant but was now eagerly sorting through the collected business cards. Feeling exasperated, Lin Su glared at her. "If you're so interested in this, why do you keep pushing me forward?"
News of Lin Su's ranking at 387th on Forbes' U.S. 400 Richest list, with a personal fortune of $500 million, had spread rapidly over the past few days.
However, the businessmen's eagerness to approach her wasn't due to her wealth—which, in their circles, wasn't particularly remarkable—but rather because of the man behind her. In today's world, the name "Simon Westeros" was impossible to ignore.
Chen Qing, smiling mischievously like a fox, casually stuffed the stack of business cards into her bag and said, "Because I want to be the mastermind behind the scenes."
Lin Su sighed and muttered, "You… you're always bullying me."
Just as the car exited the underground parking lot, Lily Favell, sitting in the front passenger seat, sensed her phone vibrating. She pulled it from her bag and handed it to Lin Su. "Lin, it's your father. He already called once while you and Chen were in the meeting."
Lin Su hesitated for a moment before taking the phone and answering, "Dad… yes, I'm still here… I'll be back soon. Uh-huh, I mean, Chen and I are heading to Beijing… That's not true! I don't have $500 million… even the most credible magazines can make mistakes. Dad, stop believing these rumors, okay?... I'm not sure, maybe I'll stay in Beijing for a few days before returning to the U.S.… He's my boss's boss's boss—probably several levels above that. I don't even see him once every few months… Alright, I have to catch a flight now. Talk to you later."
After hurriedly ending the call, she tossed the Nokia phone to Chen Qing, saying, "Here, you take it."
Chen Qing caught it and teased, "You lie so smoothly."
Lin Su glared at her. "When did I lie?"
Chen Qing blinked innocently, then nodded. "Oh, you're right. You didn't lie at all. You really don't have $500 million. Right now, you only have $410 million in cash, plus some company shares. Combined, it's probably more than $500 million. You didn't lie at all."
"…"
Following Simon's suggestion, both women had recently sold their 2.65% stakes in Sculper. Thanks to the continued boom in China's VCD industry and the halo effect of Westeros-related stocks, as of August 16, the day Forbes finalized its data, Sculper's valuation had reached $19.1 billion.
A 2.65% stake was worth $506 million.
If they hadn't sold their shares, Forbes' calculations wouldn't have been far off.
As for why Lin Su now had only $410 million, it was due to fluctuations during the selling process and the fact that the money hadn't yet been taxed. After accounting for the 15% capital gains tax, she would have about $350 million left.
Regardless, for a woman who had immigrated to the U.S. only two years ago, having hundreds of millions of dollars suddenly in her account was bewildering. What Lin Su hadn't anticipated was being thrust onto the Forbes list, a move orchestrated by her close friend and a certain infuriating man.
Seeing Lin Su's dazed expression, Chen Qing was about to say something when the phone she was holding rang again. Without thinking, she answered, "Hello… Oh, Minister Wu, this is Chen… Lin? She's asleep. She's been a bit tired these past few days. Should I wake her?... Alright then… Yes, the meeting just ended, and we're heading to the airport now… Tomorrow morning? No problem. I'll let her know when she wakes up. Alright, goodbye."
After hanging up, Chen Qing turned to Lin Su. "That was the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. They want you… no, Miss Lin, to attend a seminar on China's information industry tomorrow morning. I've already agreed on your behalf."
"…"
Chen Qing offered, "Want me to go instead?"
Lin Su glared at her. "I don't plan on taking you with me."
Chen Qing immediately leaned closer, feigning hurt. "How can you treat me like this, Su…"
Feeling exasperated, Lin Su swatted at her a few times.
Instead of getting upset, Chen Qing burst into laughter. "Maybe I miscalculated. If I'd known, I would've stepped forward myself."
"Just now realizing this?"
"Kidding," Chen Qing replied with a grin. "I don't want the spotlight. Su… Okay, okay, Su-Su… Stop hitting me! I mean it. From now on, I'll be your assistant. You can just stay in the mansion and be the lady of the house. I'll handle everything else."
Lin Su sighed and thought for a moment before saying, "By the way, I don't want the media here—especially in China—making a big fuss about me."
"Don't worry," Chen Qing assured her. "I've already handled it. This won't appear in the public media."
Lin Su quickly asked, "Then how did my dad find out?"
Chen Qing chuckled. "Those who need to know will always find out."
Lin Su pursed her lips, wanting to say more but ultimately stayed silent.
After a moment, Chen Qing suggested, "Why don't you let me manage your money?"
Lin Su hesitated. "I'll ask for his opinion."
"What opinion? Do you think he cares about your small fortune? Our man has $1.5 trillion!"
Lin Su ignored the term "our man" but refrained from arguing further. Deep down, she still felt as if she were merely holding this money for him. After all, she had never imagined herself as a multimillionaire.
Seeing Lin Su's silence, Chen Qing quickly added, "Oh, and don't donate it randomly like you used to."
Lin Su rolled her eyes but didn't respond.
For the past two years, Lin Su had donated a significant portion of her earnings to charity, though it had mostly been from her salary. As for the recent windfall, she had no intention of touching it—let alone donating it. In fact, she felt it might be better to return the money to him, as it was simply too much for her to handle.
Chen Qing, observing her expression, felt reassured. Relaxing into her seat, she remarked,
"I don't understand why the boss didn't just have Westeros Company invest directly in this IPO. Using a third-party intermediary could've gotten us a better discount."
Lin Su glanced at her, wanting to say something, but paused and fell silent again.
Noticing Lin Su's hesitation, Chen Qing smirked subtly.
After arriving at the airport, they boarded a Gulfstream V private jet—essentially their personal transport—and flew to Beijing, landing in the evening. From there, they returned to Simon's courtyard residence in Mao'er Hutong, Nanluoguxiang.
The courtyard was no longer solely inhabited by the team of female attendants.
A few days earlier, Zhu Momo and her group had returned to China. Chen Qing, who also managed Simon's properties in the country, had arranged for them to stay at the residence.
With its vast size, the courtyard easily accommodated the five newcomers—Zhu Momo, Jill Peckett, Zhao Anni, Li Youhu, and Teacher Yu—alongside the existing staff.
The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon production team was also stationed in Beijing for pre-shooting preparations. Filming was set to begin in late September, starting with scenes in the capital. Afterward, the crew would embark on a nationwide journey.
While the news about Lin Su's Forbes ranking hadn't spread widely in China, Jill Peckett and the others were already aware.
When Chen Qing and Lin Su returned and happened to run into Zhu Momo and her group, who had just finished classes at the Central Academy of Drama, the atmosphere was warm and friendly. The women exchanged pleasantries and moved into the inner courtyard. Chen Qing and Lin Su continued staying in the west wing, while Zhu Momo and the others occupied the east wing. The main building remained unoccupied—reserved for a certain man's arrival.
Unless Simon himself was present, none of the women dared to use it.
Throughout dinner, the atmosphere was lively, though Chen Qing and Zhu Momo couldn't help exchanging subtle jabs.
"Keep Cool, huh? I've read the script—it's an interesting story," Chen Qing remarked. "But considering the current state of China's film industry… well, there's hardly an industry to speak of. Even Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, for all intents and purposes, is a Hollywood film. So, Momo, you don't need to take it too seriously."
Zhu Momo, who had just mentioned her upcoming collaboration with Zhang Yimou, was slightly taken aback. However, she quickly retorted, "Chen Jie, by that logic, does that mean Simon's emphasis on China's film industry is entirely unnecessary?"
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