After hanging up her mother's call, Lin Zhao remained in the bathtub for over half an hour, her mind still in turmoil. Finally, she got up.
Wrapping herself in a bathrobe, she stepped out of the bathroom and saw Xia Panxi sitting at the computer desk in the corner of the bedroom, hurriedly placing the Hermès handbag Lin Zhao had brought back on the side. Noticing Lin Zhao's slight frown, Xia Panxi awkwardly pointed at the computer screen: "I was just looking, Sister Lin. This bag is so expensive—$7,000, which is almost 60,000 RMB. And that's just abroad. You can't even buy it here."
Having only lived in the mansion for a few days, Xia Panxi, though not formally educated, was clever and had quickly learned how to use the computer in the bedroom. She had also looked up everything from the mahogany furniture to the soap brands online. Even though the Chinese internet was still in its infancy, she had managed to gather quite a bit of information.
In short, every aspect of this mansion could only be described as luxurious.
Even the seemingly ordinary curtains were from LV.
Xia Panxi hadn't known what LV was initially, so she clumsily learned how to search in English.
There was no Great Firewall in China yet.
Lin Zhao just glanced at the computer screen and silently walked to the wardrobe. It didn't matter much—the business cards she had collected at the cocktail party had already been taken by Jiang Shanwu before she returned. Only small items like a compact mirror remained in the bag.
She picked out a nightgown from the wardrobe, changed into it, and then headed to the bed, slipping under the covers.
She was so tired today.
She just wanted to sleep.
Seeing this, Xia Panxi also turned off the computer, quietly washed up, changed into her pajamas, and climbed into bed.
There was only one bed in the bedroom.
This was one of the few things the girls weren't entirely satisfied with in the mansion. Nine girls, paired up, with three of them having to share a bed.
Of course, this dissatisfaction was trivial.
Among the girls Chen Qing had selected, even the most well-off, like Lin Zhao, had never experienced such comfort and luxury in their lives before.
The lights went out, but Lin Zhao found herself unable to sleep.
She quietly turned over, lying on her back and staring at the dark ceiling, slowly piecing together the events of the entire day.
It was a world she had never dared to imagine before.
However, what Lin Zhao was most curious about was the boss Chen Qing had mentioned repeatedly throughout the day. Who was he?
Based on the information she had, Lin Zhao could only confirm one thing: the boss was likely not Chinese. Whether it was the 1-billion-yuan deal with Vanke or the 2-billion-yuan golf villa project at the foot of Xiangshan Mountain in the western suburbs, these were not things domestic tycoons could afford to play with at this stage.
Perhaps he was one of the super-rich Chinese tycoons from Southeast Asia.
But who exactly?
Lin Zhao didn't know much about this. The only names that came to mind were the Li family or the Huo family from Hong Kong.
But it didn't seem to fit.
Could it be a wealthy Chinese family from the West?
There were probably many of those.
But she knew even less about them.
In any case, he must be incredibly wealthy.
After struggling with these thoughts for a while, Lin Zhao remembered something and finally spoke up: "Hey?"
Xia Panxi, who was clearly also awake, responded: "Hmm?"
"Today, did they all find out?"
Xia Panxi paused, understanding that Lin Zhao was referring to the conversation Chen Qing had with them during breakfast. She confirmed in the darkness: "Yes, they know."
Lin Zhao hesitated, then asked: "Did anyone... leave?"
"No, it's still the nine of us," Xia Panxi said, shifting slightly and turning toward Lin Zhao. She asked curiously, "Sister Lin, did you meet the boss Chen mentioned today?"
Lin Zhao shook her head: "No."
"Then how did you... I mean, how did you end up attending the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon premiere?"
"Miss Chen arranged it."
"So, you must have met Chow Yun-fat, right? And Michelle Yeoh?"
"Yes."
"Did you get their autographs?"
"No."
"Why not? It was such a great opportunity."
Lin Zhao thought back to the moments before the premiere when Chen Qing had introduced her to the main cast of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She had been nothing more than a decorative vase, unable to even get a word in. How could she have asked for autographs? Moreover, in such a setting, if she had asked for autographs, Chen Qing would have scolded her to death.
Then there was the post-premiere reception.
Lin Zhao had wished she could disappear at that point. She wasn't with Chen Qing and didn't dare to approach Chow Yun-fat or the others on her own.
Seeing that Lin Zhao didn't respond, Xia Panxi waited for a while before speaking again, tentatively asking: "Sister Lin, are you... are you going to leave?"
Leave?
Return to Changsha, go back to the construction materials company where she had just found a job as a financial assistant, and continue enduring the leering eyes of her colleagues and boss, as well as the constant surveillance of the boss's wife?
Or, with her chest—what Chen Qing called her "assets"—find a new job.
The cycle would repeat.
As Chen Qing had said, perhaps the best path for her outside of this was to marry someone well-off, become a housewife, raise children, and live a quiet life. After all, with her looks, no man would want her to be out in the public eye often. The wealthier the man, the more this would be the case.
In the past, that might have been acceptable.
You had to accept your fate.
But now, after catching a glimpse of another world, Lin Zhao couldn't imagine going back to her old life.
Well.
Her parents had already spent most of the 10,000 yuan she had recently earned to pay the high sponsorship fee for her underachieving younger brother, Lin Yan, to attend a good high school. If she left now, her family wouldn't be able to come up with that kind of money.
That was a reason to stay, right?
Lin Zhao thought self-deceptively as sleep finally overtook her.
Xia Panxi, noticing that Lin Zhao had fallen silent, waited for a while but was disappointed not to hear any snoring. If Lin Zhao snored in her sleep, something so ungraceful, she would definitely be kicked out by Chen Qing.
Xia Panxi had even prepared to report it to Chen Qing the next day if she noticed.
After all, among the nine girls, it was clear that Lin Zhao was the most outstanding, whether in terms of figure, appearance, or qualifications.
In comparison, Xia Panxi considered herself one of the prettier ones among the nine. Unfortunately, as Chen Qing had bluntly pointed out during breakfast, she hadn't even finished middle school.
She had started working in a factory.
Then, earlier this year, after turning 18, she gradually became aware of her physical attributes. She left the small cotton mill in her hometown county, along with a swarm of matchmakers and suitors who were considered decent by local standards, and went to Guangzhou with some fellow villagers.
She had heard there were many opportunities there. At the very least, she hoped to find a wealthy man.
Unfortunately, aside from her looks, she had no skills. In Guangzhou, she could only continue working odd jobs. But she was clever and kept looking for opportunities, resisting some temptations she knew she shouldn't give in to. In a way, she was waiting for the right offer.
And then this opportunity came along.
Chen Qing had made it clear during breakfast that, by southern standards, they could only be considered mistresses or concubines. But just thinking about the 60,000 RMB handbag Lin Zhao had brought back last night, Xia Panxi knew that if she missed this chance, she would probably never get another one like it in her lifetime.
No matter what, she had to seize it.
The next day was September 5th, a Friday.
After the premiere, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon officially opened wide in China.
The girls had clearly not slept well the night before, so they all slept in. After all, they had already realized that the so-called training was just a formality.
Lin Zhao was one of the earlier risers. When she arrived in the dining room, three girls were already there, eating breakfast and watching TV.
They were the trio who had been grouped together: Zhao Li, Zhuo Xin, and Ban Chuxue. Lin Zhao thought idly that perhaps the three of them had slept poorly because of the crowded bed.
She greeted them and asked the maid for breakfast, sitting down at the large dining table.
She glanced at the TV.
It was a local Beijing channel, and at this hour, it was mostly morning news.
The segment was about a group of young foreign guests visiting the Forbidden City the day before.
Lin Zhao noticed that the so-called foreign guests were all girls, and they didn't look very old.
Zhao Li, sitting on the other side, commented, "It's so frustrating comparing yourself to others. Just visiting the Forbidden City gets them on the news."
Zhuo Xin laughed, "Well, you weren't born abroad."
Ban Chuxue added, "They seem like just a group of young girls?"
"Still, they're foreign guests," Zhuo Xin said. "But they do look quite mature."
"Foreigners are like that. They seem to age quickly too."
"Yeah, I've heard that."
"Wait, that one—Hilton. I think I've heard that name before. Oh, right, the Hilton Hotel. Could those sisters be related to the Hilton Hotel?"
"Hilton is just a surname. It's unlikely. It's like in China—just because someone has the same surname as you doesn't mean you're related."
"I think it's possible. If they weren't connected to the Hilton Hotel, why would they be on the news?"
After a few more comments, they seemed to lose interest. Zhao Li picked up the remote and flipped through a few channels. Soon, the TV screen showed coverage of the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon premiere from the day before.
Coincidentally, Lin Zhao's red carpet moment appeared again.
The three girls didn't change the channel this time. Listening to the news report, they couldn't help but glance at Lin Zhao.
Lin Zhao felt a pang of guilt seeing this scene. The maid happened to bring her breakfast, so she picked up her utensils and lowered her head.
Zhao Li and the others were very curious, but after hitting a wall the night before, they didn't press further. They just whispered among themselves.
The other girls soon joined them.
The conversation naturally turned to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and they all started chattering away.
Finally, the girl sitting closest to Lin Zhao, named Bei Zi, asked her: "Sister Lin, you must have watched it yesterday, right? What's it about?"
Lin Zhao paused. She had been in a daze throughout the entire event and didn't remember much. She could only say, "It's about a sword, I think. Several people are fighting over it."
"Is it like The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, where everyone is fighting for the Dragon Saber, and whoever gets it can rule the martial arts world?"
"No," Lin Zhao shook her head. "Anyway, if you want to know, you can go watch it yourself."
Seeing Lin Zhao's vague response, the girls began to doubt what had actually happened at the premiere. But no one asked outright, and the conversation returned to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
"It should break 100 million, right? Jet Li's Taken didn't break 100 million a while ago. It's at over 70 million now. I watched it with my family. Such a good movie, but it's a shame."
"It's because of piracy. Everyone's watching VCDs now. My family is even thinking of buying a VCD player."
"I heard Taken was heavily cut. The American version is two hours, but ours is only 103 minutes. So it's better to wait for the original VCD version. It'll definitely be more exciting."
"Will Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon be cut too?"
"Who knows?"
"It probably won't be cut as much. Didn't you see the news? Big shots attended the premiere."
"But does that have anything to do with whether the movie gets cut? I think it might get cut even more."
"It depends on the subject matter. A martial arts movie shouldn't have anything too controversial. Even if it's a bit bloody, that's expected."
"I really want to go watch it now. Chow Yun-fat is in it."
"Yeah, Mark Gor from A Better Tomorrow. So handsome."
"Shh, don't forget your current status, girls. If the... the boss finds out, he might get jealous."
"What do you mean 'you'? Pei Sizhu, you're in the same boat."
They chattered through breakfast, and some of the girls had already made plans to watch Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon that afternoon.
But things didn't go as planned.
At 9 a.m., Jiang Shanwu, one of Chen Qing's assistants, arrived on time with a group of attendants. She gathered the girls and asked if anyone had decided to leave.
No one had.
So they continued.
This time, they were presented with a comprehensive training program covering posture, etiquette, makeup, health, cooking, tea art, foreign languages, and more. Some courses were mandatory, others optional, but the overall goal was to mold the girls into refined, aristocratic ladies.
Just tailoring the training plans to each of the nine girls' individual conditions took the entire morning.
After lunch, several cars took the girls away from the mansion for a thorough round of medical checkups, something they had already gone through during the initial interviews in their respective cities.
After a busy day, they anxiously waited until the next day. No one was eliminated based on the medical results, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The intense schedule began.
According to Jiang Shanwu, the training would last three months. But unlike the initial lax approach, this time the days were packed with activities from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., including lunchtime, which was also a lesson in etiquette. Sometimes there were evening activities as well.
There would be monthly evaluations.
After three months, the lowest-ranked girls would be eliminated, though the final decision would rest with the mysterious boss they still knew nothing about.
There was also some good news.
During the three months of training, each girl would receive 10,000 RMB in spending money each month, on top of the initial 10,000 RMB they had received upon signing the contract. So, another 10,000 RMB was distributed.
Well.
That's how money was spent.
Additionally, on Saturday, they were taken to have passport photos taken, as they would need passports and visas.
This clearly meant that they might have the chance to go abroad in the future.
Once this was confirmed, the last traces of hesitation in the girls' hearts disappeared.
Going abroad!
For many people in this era, it was a dream come true.
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