Chapter 24#

Chapter 24: New Product Launch#

The next morning, Lu Yan said goodbye to Director Guan and headed to the airport with Song Hui. The rest of the crew had booked afternoon flights back, so there was no rush.

When they arrived at S City, Qin Feng was already waiting there, having arranged accommodations and meals in advance, saving Song Hui a lot of trouble. Lu Yan took a good rest that day, adjusting himself to his best condition.

Although the launch was in the evening, the busy preparations started early in the morning.

Styling, selecting outfits, familiarizing with the schedule—each task took a considerable amount of time, and with all the miscellaneous details, time was actually quite tight.

By five in the afternoon, everything was ready, and they drove to the hotel venue. The main event was about to begin.

This new product to be launched was a transformative piece for Company M, a series they would focus on promoting next. The launch was the perfect opportunity to announce it to the world, so Company M attached great importance to it, inviting many celebrities and entrepreneurs to attend.

The red carpet was inevitable. That short stretch of road, shining with stars, was also a test of a star’s popularity. Of course, many artists racked their brains to stand out and make headlines.

A female star walking ahead of Lu Yan wore a low-cut gown and heels over ten centimeters high. As she walked, she kept waving to the media and fans crowded on both sides, wearing a sweet and reserved smile, exuding elegance and nobility. However, she wasn’t a very famous star, so the media only took a few perfunctory photos without much enthusiasm. But halfway through, for some unknown reason, she twisted her foot and stumbled. Unfortunately, when she fell, her skirt lifted, revealing her undergarments. The previously indifferent media instantly perked up like bees finding honey, raising their cameras and flashing wildly, with constant clicking sounds.

The female star held her twisted ankle while trying to cover herself, but her skirt was too short, leaving her unable to manage both sides. Her face showed embarrassment and awkwardness as she looked around for help, almost in tears, evoking a sense of pity.

At that moment, besides the media and fans on both sides, Lu Yan was the closest person to her. He frowned slightly but had to quickly step forward and help her up.

The female star showed a grateful expression, tightly gripping Lu Yan’s extended arms as she stood up. But before she could steady herself, she twisted her foot again, falling into Lu Yan. He had to support her, and in the end, he practically half-carried, half-supported her to the other end. Fortunately, once they reached the end, her assistant came over to take her, and Lu Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

However, as the two walked together, the media’s flashes had been going off plenty. Despite Lu Yan’s efforts to keep his distance, the female star leaned against him like she had no bones, making their pose extremely ambiguous. It was almost certain to make headlines, and Lu Yan could already imagine what tomorrow’s newspapers would write.

But if Lu Yan hadn’t helped in that situation, some malicious people might have twisted it into something even worse.

For now, though, there were more important matters. Lu Yan put those thoughts aside and quickly adjusted his mood to handle a brief media interview.

At today’s launch, Lu Yan was almost a co-protagonist. His endorsement contract with Company M hadn’t been officially announced yet, but the well-informed media had already gotten wind of it. Besides the product launch, one of the highlights of the evening was the signing ceremony between Company M and Lu Yan.

Lu Yan’s outfit for the day was chosen with a specific purpose—to highlight the new watch from Company M that he was endorsing. He didn’t deliberately show it off, but his every move drew people’s attention to his hands, which the sharp-eyed media naturally noticed.

“Is that watch on Mr. Lu Yan’s hand the new product Company M is launching today?” a reporter asked.

With a smile, Lu Yan replied, “Yes.”

“Does that mean Mr. Lu is already the new spokesperson for Company M?”

Still smiling, he said, “Well, I think we’ll find out soon.”

“Mr. Lu, why do you think Company M chose you as their spokesperson?”

Lu Yan didn’t take the bait. “I think you’d better ask the person in charge at Company M about that.”

“Mr. Lu, you seemed quite close with Miss Shao just now. Are you two in a good relationship?”

Here it comes, Lu Yan thought to himself. He had prepared for this, though he hadn’t expected it so soon. “We didn’t know each other before; today is the first time we’ve met.” He then added with self-deprecating humor, “I thought I was doing a good deed, but it seems some people misunderstood. I only knew we shouldn’t help an old woman who falls, but I didn’t realize we also shouldn’t help a beautiful woman.”

His remark drew laughter from those around him. The reporter who had asked the question flushed and quickly explained, “Mr. Lu, you misunderstood. I didn’t mean it that way.”

The conversation quickly shifted to other topics, and Lu Yan naturally didn’t dwell on it.

The short interview concluded, and Lu Yan calmly walked off the signing stage.

Another commotion erupted at the other end of the red carpet. Someone big was arriving. Before the host could announce the name, Lu Yan turned to look.

Walking over was not a celebrity, but he was still a heavyweight: Su Jue, Vice President of Starlight Entertainment.

Unlike his older brother, Su Jue was not low-key. Although not excessively flamboyant, most of his romantic partners were well-known, and they often wanted the whole world to know about their relationship with him. Coupled with his handsome looks and wealth, his exposure was naturally high. The media chased him no less than any popular star.

Walking the red carpet with Su Jue at that moment was the President of Company M’s Asia division. The two seemed quite close. Lu Yan guessed it wasn’t just because Su Jue was VP of Starlight, but also because of the Su Group behind him.

Under the contrast of David, the middle-aged President of Company M Asia, Su Jue appeared even more elegant and handsome. His free and easy charm, along with his signature smile, added to his appeal. Many female fans on both sides started screaming.

Seeing Su Jue, Lu Yan couldn’t help but think of Su Mo. The two brothers, though different in style and temperament, were undeniably blessed with good looks.

Lu Yan silently compared them and quickly concluded: Hmm, the older brother is still better.

The launch venue was packed with reporters. Guided by staff, Lu Yan took his assigned seat in the front row.

Su Jue happened to be sitting next to him.

Although they were both at Starlight, Lu Yan rarely ran into Su Jue. A while since they’d last met, Su Jue seemed even more confident and spirited.

Seeing Lu Yan, Su Jue said bluntly, “Big Brother’s been busy lately, so I’m here in his place.” A playful smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Lu Yan didn’t react to his insinuation. It was clear that Su Mo hadn’t told Su Jue about the situation between them; otherwise, Su Jue’s attitude might not have been so friendly.

Still, knowing that Su Mo couldn’t come left Lu Yan a little disappointed. He didn’t want to admit it, but he had been secretly hoping. He attributed this feeling to wanting to see just how far that person’s persistence would go.

At seven o’clock, the venue lights dimmed, and the large projection screen in front of the stage lit up.

Silence fell immediately.

There was no warm-up from the host. A light-hearted melody began to play, and on screen, a room appeared. A young man opened his eyes, as if waking from a beautiful dream. He smiled slightly, got up calmly, and went about his routine: washing up, jogging, showering, having breakfast… Before leaving, he naturally picked up the elegant watch on the table and fastened it, glancing down with a confident, composed smile. The tagline followed: “Control your time, and you can own the world.”

In just sixty seconds, the ad drew viewers into a sense of relaxation and confidence. The brand name never appeared, but it only made people want the product more.

When the ad ended, the lights came back on, along with applause.

Su Jue clapped and leaned in to whisper in Lu Yan’s ear, “Great job!”

The male lead in the ad was, of course, Lu Yan. Even though he had seen the final cut before, seeing it suddenly played like that made even Lu Yan himself feel the effect was extraordinary.

This, of course, confirmed the rumors about Lu Yan’s endorsement.

The host appeared amid the applause, and the launch followed the usual format. Although the expert’s explanation of design concepts and new features was a bit dull due to language barriers, the later session of randomly giving away limited-edition gifts was well-received.

Finally came the signing ceremony. To show its importance, Company M had arranged to hold the signing at the launch site. The previous contract they had signed was a temporary one, which would be void once the formal contract was signed.

As the music and lights played, Lu Yan walked onto the stage. Su Jue, as his agency’s boss, went up with him.

After standard speeches and thank-yous, the official signing began. Two copies of the contract were signed, and then both parties posed for photos, smiling together. Cameras flashed continuously. Barring any surprises, Lu Yan believed this photo would become the headline on most entertainment and even financial sections.

Everything about tonight’s launch was perfect, except for that little incident on the red carpet.

But that little incident had indeed happened.

On the way back, Song Hui drove while Lu Yan and Qin Feng sat in the back.

“Brother Feng, what do you think about what happened on the red carpet earlier?” Lu Yan started the conversation.

“Are you worried the media will make a big deal out of it?”

Lu Yan nodded. “It might not be too serious, but I have a bad feeling. If someone wants to make trouble, it could affect things. I just signed a contract with Company M, and they care a lot about their spokesperson’s image.”

“Hmm, you have a point.” Qin Feng agreed. “This could be big or small. You’re on a hot streak now, so some people are bound to be jealous and look for trouble. But don’t worry too much. With careful planning, we might not lose. I’ve been in this industry long enough to have some connections. Plus, your response during the interview was pretty good. If someone tries to stir things up, we might even turn it into an opportunity to make things better.”

Lu Yan smiled. “With you saying that, Brother Feng, I’ll feel much more at ease.”