Chapter 463

Chapter 463 The Goddess Who Is About to Arrive

Su Rui had made up his mind this time to squeeze Cao Tianping for everything he could. This iron rooster had decent performance every year, and with his base salary plus commission he was actually making quite a bit. Two hundred thousand wasn’t really a big deal for him. You don’t become the team leader of Group One in Bikang’s marketing department by being a rookie, do you?

The thing was, given the relationship between Su Rui and Cao Tianping, there was absolutely no need for him to come up with this scheme. The only reason he was doing it was to vent his anger. If it weren’t for that fat Cao, how would he have ended up being mistaken for gay by someone? For the great Lord Su, that was absolutely the most devastating blow imaginable.

But right after saying those words with such bravado, Cao Tianming immediately started having second thoughts, because Su Rui wasn’t always that reliable. Or rather, this guy was completely unreliable.

The situation right in front of him was the perfect example. Su Rui had once sworn up and down that he could definitely get front-section floor tickets to Toni Landor’s concert, but now it was clear that this guy had long since tossed the whole thing to the back of his mind.

If he couldn’t even get a single ticket, how was he supposed to get his name up on the big screen?

Su Rui shot him a disdainful glance, taking in every bit of Cao Tianping’s conflicted expression, and immediately knew what was going through his head. He said, “Believe it or not, I’m telling you, this is your one and only chance to make a name for yourself worldwide. Live broadcast, synchronized globally, the whole world will see your name. You think that’s not tempting enough?”

Cao Tianping’s eyes flickered, as if he were wrestling with some incredibly difficult decision. “It’s very tempting, but how am I supposed to trust you?”

“Team Leader Cao, those words really hurt.” Su Rui waved his hand in annoyance. “If you don’t trust me, then fine, we can just call the whole thing off. It’s not like you’re giving me that two hundred thousand anyway. I’m not getting a single cent out of this, so why bother?”

“I trust you, I trust you, I trust you more than anyone!” Cao Tianping immediately backed down when he saw Su Rui’s displeasure.

“I’ve got another chance for you to make an even bigger name for yourself. Want to hear it?” Su Rui flashed a sly smile, looking at the fat Cao the way you’d look at a plump sheep about to be slaughtered.

“I want to hear it.” The fat Cao looked like he was about to take the bait again.

“Of course, if you’re willing to throw in another hundred thousand, I can have Toni Landor thank you personally at the show.”

“Have Landor thank me in person?” Cao Tianping was so excited when he heard this that his whole body trembled like a leaf in the wind. For a die-hard fan, having the goddess you worship thank you personally by name was an honor beyond measure.

But even in his excitement, this iron rooster hesitated and said, “Why are we adding another hundred thousand? Wasn’t it supposed to be two hundred thousand?”

Su Rui gave him a cold look. “Two hundred thousand just gets your name written up there. How much is Toni Landor’s voice worth? So many people would kill to have her say their name and can’t even get the chance. You don’t know how lucky you are. If you let an opportunity like this slip by, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

A die-hard fan is a die-hard fan, let alone one as hardcore as Cao Tianbin.

He gritted his teeth and said, “Three hundred thousand it is, not a cent more.”

Why couldn’t he have just said that from the start?

Su Rui smiled and clapped his hands together. “You can count on me. The tickets will be in your hands tomorrow, guaranteed VIP box seats, even better than front-section floor.”

“Heh heh.” Cao Tianbin rubbed his hands together excitedly. Getting to see his idol up close was something he’d only ever dreamed of.

“Of course, tomorrow you’ll also need to transfer three hundred thousand in cash into my account. Otherwise I won’t be handing over any tickets.” Su Rui looked at this fat guy and felt an immense sense of satisfaction.

Hearing that number, the chubby iron rooster felt a sharp pang of pain once again.

“Look at you, so pathetic.” Su Rui shot him an irritated glance and said, “Come on, I’ve handled everything so perfectly for you. The least you can do is take me down to Colonna on the ground floor for a cup of coffee.”

“Colonna?”

At the mention of that name, Cao Tianping’s face took on that constipated look again.

“That place is so expensive!”

Colonna was an extremely upscale café. A single cup of coffee cost an alarming amount, and the prices for light meals were enough to make your jaw drop. But the atmosphere and service were in a class of their own, catering exclusively to high-end business clientele, and the owner was certainly not short on money.

Of course, the fact that this international chain of upscale cafés had managed to open a location right below Bikang’s headquarters building said plenty about the owner’s close ties with the Lin family of Bikang.

For Cao Tianping, even swiping his card at the company cafeteria felt like too much to spend. As for a place like Colonna, he had never once set foot inside.

“You just spent three hundred thousand, and you can’t afford a cup of coffee that costs a hundred or eighty?” Su Rui walked straight ahead. “Come or don’t, up to you.”

The great Team Leader Cao was completely under Su Rui’s thumb at this point. Seeing how things stood, he had no choice but to steel himself and follow along.

Two grown men going to a café together did feel a bit odd. As they walked away, the gossip-loving fujoshi crowd in the marketing department started staring at their backs and whispering among themselves again.

Colonna was indeed very classy. There weren’t many customers inside, and the atmosphere was quiet and serene.

Su Rui casually ordered two cups of coffee, which was already enough to make Cao Tianping wince in pain.

“When are you getting me the tickets?” Cao Tianping asked anxiously. He really didn’t want his three hundred thousand in savings to go down the drain.

“Right now.”

Su Rui took out his phone, opened his email, composed a simple message, and sent it off.

The content of the email was very simple — heard you’re coming to Ninghai for a concert, I’d like two tickets.

Cao Tianping had been watching the whole time and said with a puzzled look, “That’s all it takes?”

Su Rui rolled his eyes in annoyance. “What did you expect? I’ve already sent the email. What more do you want from me?”

By this point, Cao Tianping was already full of doubts.

He simply couldn’t believe Su Rui had that kind of pull, that just moving his fingers to send an email could accomplish such a monumental task.

…………

At that very same moment, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, a beautiful woman in a white chiffon dress was striding through the VIP corridor.

Her long hair cascaded down like waves. Unlike most Westerners, her skin was fair and delicate, and even behind a large pair of dark sunglasses, you could feel the deep, intoxicating allure radiating from her face.

Yes, in all of America, only one person could achieve this with her features alone — Toni Landor.

Though her chiffon dress was anything but revealing, covering almost every inch of her skin, her figure with its near-perfect golden proportions still showed through completely. Even her most ordinary walking stride carried a kind of captivating charm that no other woman could match.

Not a single male celebrity who had worked with her had been left unaffected by her sensual presence. Some had asked her out, some had sent flowers, some had confessed their feelings, but Toni Landor had turned them all down without exception.

In most people’s minds, a female celebrity with such a seductive appearance must have used some underhanded means to get to the top, and deep down she had to be a woman who couldn’t resist temptation — one invitation and she’d say yes. But as it turned out, they were completely wrong.

Nearly ten years into her career, Toni Landor had not a single romantic scandal to her name. While her agency would occasionally stir up some news to maintain her profile and grab attention, those were nothing more than passing clouds, and anyone with eyes could see what was really going on.

With an appearance that radiated such intense allure, yet a soul as pure as a saint’s, some people had even recently started spreading rumors that Landor was gay.

Walking with confident strides, Toni Landor moved swiftly through the VIP corridor, with several bodyguards in black suits following close behind.

Despite keeping a low profile, she was still recognized by some travelers, and the airport immediately erupted into a wave of commotion.

Toni Landor smiled and waved to the crowd from across the corridor, and the entire departure hall instantly went into a frenzy. Fans of all kinds surged toward the corridor in a wave of excitement that was truly staggering to witness.

That one gesture also put her bodyguards on edge. They quickly closed in around her to prevent any overzealous fans from rushing through and hurting the star.

Fortunately, they had already reached the end of the VIP corridor, where Toni Landor’s private jet was waiting on the tarmac.

Once inside the plane, Toni Landor settled comfortably into her seat and gazed out the window at the airport runway, a look of quiet longing in her eyes.

“Stop hiding from me. I really want to know, just how long are you planning to keep this up?”

Toni Landor was lost in her daydream, and a faint smile crossed her lips without her even realizing it — a smile that left every one of the bodyguards momentarily stunned.

They had been by Landor’s side for years and had seen that smile more times than they could count, yet every single time it gave them a feeling of being swept away. This woman seemed to possess a kind of power that could draw a person’s very soul in.

Just as Landor was daydreaming about the upcoming trip to Ninghai, her agent Hathaway came and sat beside her. “This time, the organizers of the Ninghai concert would like to have dinner with you. The evening of tomorrow.”

Landor said with a hint of displeasure, “Can I get out of it?”

Hathaway was also a beautiful woman, who appeared to be in her thirties, with a full, curvaceous figure, and was quite well known in the entertainment industry. “That would be difficult. The organizers and sponsors this time carry considerable weight in Huaxia, and our company has quite a bit of business dealings with them. Turning them down could create some awkwardness.”

Landor shrugged and said indifferently, “It’s just going through the motions anyway. I’ll leave all the arrangements to you.”

Her mind was completely filled with thoughts of Su Rui. She had no energy left to care about any of this. Besides, with the language barrier, she could just get through it with minimal effort.

Even the biggest stars have their share of helplessness. Sometimes you can’t even decide where you eat your own meals. The glamour people see is only on the surface.

Hearing this, Hathaway could only agree. She had heard about the behavior of some young scions in Huaxia, and could only hope they wouldn’t go too far this time.

But just then, Landor’s phone buzzed.

And immediately after, Hathaway watched as this woman who was normally the picture of cool, smoldering sensuality broke into an expression of pure disbelief.

“He reached out to me. He actually reached out to me first!” Landor covered her mouth, and tears were already streaming down her face from sheer excitement.