Chapter 618: Sometimes there is no turning back
It was Huang Yaming who helped Zhang Xingke to divert most of the firepower.
Some called him first bastard. Some said he was a charming bastard. Bars, entertainment, coal mines...Huang Yaming was completely high in playing magnate in three roles.
Actually, it was a very minor matter initially. An ordinary girl who didn't even have many followers posted on Xingchen Weibo: Why are there so many bastard men?!
Huang Yaming ever-so-leisurely sent a reply: Just give birth. If it's the money you want, fine. If it's the person you want, no.
One day, these words were suddenly dug up. Getting out of bed in the afternoon, Huang Yaming found that he was under attack on Weibo, facing an entire screen full of 'bastard'.
In truth, Huang Yaming didn't even know who that girl was.
After the girl herself stepped forward to clarify things, this matter finally seemed to reach an end, aside from the fact that Huang Yaming had gained over a million followers on Weibo. Of course, most of these people were just standing ready to slam him at any time.
They were not disappointed, for a second incident soon occurred.
One night, a bored Huang Yaming went to attend a low-level party of actors, screenwriters and directors. When he woke up the next day, he discovered that sleeping beside him was a female student who was still in acting school.
He panicked a bit here. Sleeping with this kind of minor actress who was not qualified but wished wholeheartedly to be a star as she acted in less popular things was actually a very troublesome affair for him. It was at least scarier than having slept with a celebrity who had some level of fame and had her image to consider.
The two both could not remember what they had talked about the previous night. Still, it was obvious what they had done.
Getting up and making two cups of milk, the actress asked, "Hi, are you a director?"
"Huh?" Realising that she did not know him, Huang Yaming was relieved as he said, "No."
"A screenwriter?"
"No."
"An actor?"
"No."
"What are you then?"
"A university student. I'm in my third year...though I don't really attend lessons."
"You...get lost."
"For real? I'm at least a handsome guy, right!"
"Oh, if it was three years ago, I would still sleep with a guy because of his looks. But now, sorry, I only want a backer, shows to act in…"
"Makes sense. In that case…"
"Get lost!"
"...Fine."
Huang Yaming retreated just like that.
Then, the actress was watching her classmate using the internet one day when she chanced upon a picture of Huang Yaming at the press conference for the release of <>. He was the one who had produced it! They had just started the filming for their new film, <> too…
She looked him up. He was thought to be a Tianyi shareholder.
She looked him up. He was the boss of Yanzhou's Bright Brilliance which was soon to open its branch in Shenghai.
She looked him up. He seemed to be one of the youngest and most high-ranking mine bosses in the Binzhou mine district…
The actress really felt like kicking herself.
Despite sending him over a hundred Weibo private messages yet being ignored, the actress did not give up. With great difficulty, she managed to meet Huang Yaming by waiting for him at the entrance of Shenghai's Bright Brilliance that was soon to open.
"Hi, do you still remember me? Right, I'm sorry," The actress said.
Huang Yaming shook his head.
"We did it…" The actress said the time and the place.
Huang Yaming shook his head again, asking, "How about you take off your clothes and let me identify you?"
The actress hesitated for a bit and said, "Alright, I'll go to your house and take them off for you to identify."
"..."
"I'm sorry! That day, I...that day, we were both drunk…"
"Sigh!" Huang Yaming sighed, "To be honest, if I hadn't gotten drunk that day, I would never have slept with you. Got it?"
He drove off in the Ferrari that he had casually acquired from Old Jin.
Two days later, the actress grit her teeth and steeled herself. For the sake of revenge and blowing the matter up, she publicly revealed what had happened between she and Huang Yaming on the internet..
Actually, she had no pictures and no evidence.
Still, because of that previous incident, many people chose to believe the actress's words.
The netizens attacked like crazy.
Huang Yaming replied arrogantly, "Sorry, but I really don't remember having slept with her."
To the netizens, this was a blatant provocation!
There was no privacy in the internet era. Discounting Chen Jingqi's abortion incident which only those close to him knew, all of Huang Yaming's other 'deplorable behaviors' were dug up, such as how he had gone missing at his engagement ceremony…
Going by the logic that bastards only did dastardly stuff and those who met bastard men were definitely good girls, virtually everyone stood on the side of 'that pitiful girl', believing that Tan Qingling was the victim and stomping mercilessly on Huang Yaming.
Some reporter interviewed Tan Qingling, who perfectly acted the role of a pitiful woman...more and more people sympathised with her, wanted to help her. Someone invested in her female clothing store, its business booming.
Some senior high classmates who had been present on that day stepped forward to defend Huang Yaming. Still, their voices were quickly drowned by the chastising of those netizens.
Tianyi's PR department felt PR was utterly necessary at this point.
Its employees proposed that Huang Yaming upload that video he had broadcasted at his engagement ceremony on Weibo. That would be enough for Huang Yaming to reverse public sentiment...while Tan Qingling would not have a good time at all.
Still, Huang Yaming refused.
"We've both stabbed each other. Love, hatred, debt, enmity, everything is over between us. Let her live her life in peace."
He tacitly admitted and bore everything in silence just like that.
However splendidly Tan Qingling was doing, however rebukes filled the heavens and covered the earth.
Then, even he himself had not expected this, but because information regarding his wealth was revealed, many money-loving women who believed themselves intelligent came lunging over. You say Huang Yaming's a bastard man who doesn't deserve love? Well, it wasn't his love these women desired...they merely wanted wealth and opportunities.
Also, Huang Yaming was young and handsome.
His handsomeness was not of the traditional Chinese type. He looked a bit rascally at first glance, with a dark smile that always ticked people off...he also had a very Westernised pair of eyes, with thick brows, deep eye sockets, a high nose and big and deep eyes.
And so some people called him first bastard.
Some people said that he was a charming bastard.
Amidst all this internet strife, Shenghai's Bright Brilliance opened for business.
The netizens said that this was a bar opened by a bastard and it was unlike Yanzhou's Bright Brilliance where they had invited Apple to the opening. They should wait to shut up shop when no business came. Yet, Shenghai's Bright Brilliance surpassed everyone's expectations when it opened.
The reason was very simple. Due to this series of events, Bright Brilliance was very famous. Also, it was very luxurious, very high-end and very stylish.
When somebody called to ask their friends or girlfriend out to drink and the other party asked where, the answer would be Bright Brilliance. This was enough, sufficiently grand...who cared if the owner was a bastard?
A girl posted on Weibo that she had gone to Bright Brilliance the previous night but been prevented from entering. She also @ed Huang Yaming.
Huang Yaming replied: If you're willing to dress sufficiently sexily and come again tonight, tell me, and I'll drive a car to pick you up.
That night, dressed in an English-style suit, carrying flowers and driving a Ferrari, Huang Yaming brought that sexily-dressed chick to Bright Brilliance, receiving princess-esque treatment throughout...also, he personally gave her a Bright Brilliance VIP card.
Bright Brilliance Cinderella version.
The whole thing was uploaded onto the internet. It went viral throughout the entire internet within a short time.
Those with discerning eyes all knew that this was actually a sort of advertisement from Bright Brilliance.
Still, the chicks didn't care. Their eyes were shining...Huang Yaming in the video was none other than a middle century prince from Europe. Even if he was a bastard, he was still a roving bastard prince!
"So what if he's a bastard? Even if it's just one day...at least today, he is the perfect lover who can satisfy the fantasies of all us young girls!"
"Huang Yaming, come hit on me! You don't have to take responsibility. Just give me a good memorable experience."
"Has anyone read the hidden circumstances behind the fleeing engagement incident that circulated on the internet? I believe it. No one is born as a bastard. He's just been hurt. Afraid of being hurt again, he no longer dares to put his heart into relationships. I want to save him."
"Actually, it can be seen from how he didn't defend himself at all when everyone was rebuking him. Say, with his wealth and connections, would he really have no way of doing PR? He only doesn't want to hurt that woman again, even if he hates her. Since it's ended, it should remain ended."
"How manly! A true man. I want to conquer him."
"Still, you can't deny that he's still a bastard…"
"Then, he's still got to be the number one charming bastard I've seen."
Huang Yaming accidentally got turned into a charming bastard.
Soon, Tianyi announced that they would be collaborating with some TV station to produce a brand new dating program - <>. Huang Yaming would be investing to produce the program. In it, one man would be meeting and choosing from many women present.
The requirements for the male guests were very simple: Single, at least thirty million worth of assets, rich and with a career.
The first two male guests had already been decided upon.
The first episode: Zhang Xingke.
"Second bastard...incisive in his words, assets in the tens of millions, a domineering CEO who is greatly talented and has far-reaching prospects.
The second episode: Hu Shengming.
"A super celebrity on Weibo, flashy rich dude, a fat tiger (Hu) who's said to have assets reaching over a hundred million! Super funny, super interesting."
Whether they ended up scolding or praising it, this program was simply destined to be a hot topic.
Huang Yaming intensified this fire, announcing that after he graduated from university, he would personally participate in this program as soon as possible in the capacity of the male guest.
Public sentiment erupted again. Some suspected that he was doing so just to raise hype. When on the program, he would simply be acting.
Huang Yaming said, "Just wait and see. I'm being sincere for once...I want to hurry up and get married and have children."
"Why?"
"Ask those unchivalrous bros of mine!"
Huang Yaming was still frequenting the bar and various parties and drinking meets night after night without reservation...he played when he should and did not stand on ceremony when sleeping with women too.
Seeing the entirety of this series of incidents, Xu Tingsheng and Fu Cheng were a little worried, forcing a smile as they felt concerned for him…
Fu Cheng called Huang Yaming, advising him to hold back a little.
A drunken Huang Yaming laughed, "Stop it...I'm not Fu Cheng...nor am I Xu Tingsheng."
The artistic youth Fu Cheng used his usual idealistic logic, "There'll surely still be someone…"
"Don't be silly. Do you think I've never thought about it…" Huang Yaming said, "Nope]. Who will truly love me still? Even if there is, I won't be able to tell! How can I then truly love somebody? Would I dare to want her even if I truly love her? Everyone knows how it'll end-just another Chen Jingqi."
Fu Cheng still wanted to speak.
Huang Yaming said, "It irks me to talk about these things. Let's stop."
Xu Tingsheng called Huang Yaming.
"Quite the popular man, Boss Huang," Xu Tingsheng said.
"I've even thought of a way to turn it into business, turn it into money already," Huang Yaming said.
Xu Tingsheng was silent for a moment before he said rather guiltily, 'Fu Cheng and I are a bit worried about you…"
"Your mother," Huang Yaming said, "Fu Cheng has a wife and a daughter, a life simple but happy. You, Xu Tingsheng, are foolishly standing by some young girl, and are happy too. His mother, that Tan Yao reformed and left me alone to gallivant. I don't blame him...still, how could he just go poof all of a sudden?"
"I loved Tan Qingling wrong. Still, I can't do anything about it! I know how good Chen Jingqi is...but how did it end up? She was hurt too much by me and left, afraid. I know that we will always be best bros...still, it's really freaking emotional sometimes. I do feel freaking lonely!"
"That's enough, Tingsheng. I don't want to pass every night alone and sober...much less consider these problems."
There was no turning back from this path of gallivanting, simply because there was no way to.
Huang Yaming chose to have an unstoppable momentum on his path of a magnate.