I'm back in 1990

Chapter 580: Paparazzi

After dinner, while busy curling her hair, Fan Yingrong struck up a conversation with Huang Erhe, who was engrossed in the ball game: "Erhe, it's the weekend tomorrow, why don't you take Maowa to see his grandparents?"

Huang Erhe's eyes didn't leave the screen as he casually replied, "Don't go, my parents aren't home."

"Where did you go?" Fan Yingrong asked casually.

"Hong Kong!" Huang Erhe remembered clearly that his mother, Zeng Lijuan, had made a special phone call to her second son before she left.

Fan Yingrong's hand suddenly stopped moving: "How did you know?" The curling iron was hanging in mid-air.

Huang Erhe's mind was entirely focused on the tense game, so he replied perfunctorily, "Mom told me that before she left. I've been so busy these past two days that I forgot to tell you."

"Oh," Fan Yingrong breathed a sigh of relief, assuming her in-laws were just on vacation. "When are they coming back?"

Huang Erhe relayed his mother's words: "I estimate we'll be staying for a while. My brother resigned, saying he has a lot of things to take care of in Hong Kong and will be staying there for a period of time, so he brought Mom and Dad with him."

"What?!" Fan Yingrong's heart jolted, her hand trembled, and a strand of hair was ripped out by the curling iron. "Your brother resigned?! When did that happen?"

Huang Erhe shook his head, his eyes still glued to the television: "How would I know? My brother's affairs? Would he report to me?"

Fan Yingrong's heart pounded like a drum, and she glanced guiltily at Huang Erhe. Seeing that he was completely focused on the game and showed no signs of distress, she calmed down a little. At that moment, the game was at a crucial juncture, and Huang Erhe had no idea about his wife's unusual behavior today—normally, if she knew that her in-laws had gone on a long trip and she had been kept in the dark, she would have already made a huge scene.

Meanwhile, in Central, Hong Kong.

Downstairs at the headquarters of Dadao Group, Cao Charlie and all the group's senior executives stood in formation, braving the sweltering summer heat, awaiting Huang Xiaochuan's arrival.

Shortly after, a 2000 silver-gray Rolls-Royce Silver Spur appeared in everyone's sight, followed closely by two black minivans. As soon as the car came to a stop, Gao Song, the passenger, quickly got out and opened the door for Huang Xiaochuan in the back seat.

Huang Xiaochuan, dressed in a well-tailored custom shirt, stepped out of the car with a composed demeanor. Cao Charlie immediately stepped forward, his attitude respectful: "Mr. Huang!"

The executives behind him filed forward, shaking hands with the legendary tycoon. Their expressions ranged from awe and curiosity to disbelief. Huang Xiaochuan knew most of them well—they wouldn't be in their positions without his approval, and several of them were his own people. However, only a very few of these executives had ever seen Huang Xiaochuan in person. For most, this mysterious tycoon existed only in rumors. Now, finally seeing him, they all shared the same exclamation: "Young! So young!"

Just as Charlie Cao led the executives to shake hands with Huang Xiaochuan one by one, several paparazzi were hiding in an inconspicuous corner across the street. Their professional cameras, equipped with 800mm telephoto lenses, were clicking away, capturing this rare scene without reservation, and the film was being used up at a rapid pace.

The following morning, several tabloids on Hong Kong Island, known for their gossip, prominently featured the same large photograph on their front pages. The photograph focused on the iconic Rolls-Royce Silver Spur and the young face that emerged from the car, surrounded by a group of well-dressed elites.

The newspaper headlines were more sensational than the last.

"The Great Road Changes Hands? A Mysterious Figure Suddenly Arrives, and a Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Demonstrates Its Extraordinary Value!"

The entire senior management of the Dadao Group treated a young man with utmost respect; this mysterious young man had a very powerful background!

A new elite emerges: the owner of a Rolls-Royce Silver Spur is actually a young man?

The reports all emphasized Huang Xiaochuan's youth and speculated about his real age and background.

The novel also devotes considerable space to describing how Cao Charlie, the president of Dadao Group, and his group of senior executives treated him with exceptional respect, as if they were the center of attention, implying that the young man they were welcoming was very likely the true controller of Dadao Group.

The report also cited so-called insiders who claimed that the Dadao Group had a mysterious figure who had been remotely controlling things from behind the scenes for a long time. All of these reports were designed to draw readers' attention to the young man in the huge photo.

These newspapers, like boulders thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirred up waves in the streets and alleys of Hong Kong, in tea restaurants, office buildings, and even on the breakfast tables of luxury homes in the Mid-Levels. Huang Xiaochuan's young yet composed photo became a hot topic of discussion in Hong Kong overnight.

Before the tabloids' uproar had subsided, rumors were flying everywhere within the Dadao Group, spreading like electricity through every corner.

In the break room, the receptionist, clutching her rapidly beating heart, exclaimed as she served coffee, "Wow! Our boss is so young and handsome!"

Another employee chimed in, "Yesterday I saw the president and all the senior executives come downstairs early to wait. What a grand scene! Turns out they were waiting for this Mr. Huang. But to be honest, Mr. Huang is much more handsome in person than in the photos."

The atmosphere was slightly somber in Huang Xiaochuan's spacious office, which was simply decorated yet exuded understated luxury. Several Hong Kong tabloids, still smelling of ink, lay open on the large desk.

A vice president frowned, pointing to one of the exaggerated headlines: "These paparazzi are truly infiltrative; their noses are sharper than police dogs! And the content is so outrageous, it's pure fabrication!"

Charlie Cao looked at Huang Xiaochuan and cautiously suggested, "Mr. Huang, should I speak to the people behind these newspapers and ask them to pull the reports or issue a correction statement?"

Huang Xiaochuan's gaze swept calmly over the sensational headlines and photos, a faint smile even appearing at the corner of his mouth. He casually waved his hand: "No need. Let them be. It's bound to happen sooner or later. After all, gossip news is Hong Kong's 'special snack'."

Upon hearing this, the tense nerves of the executives, including Charlie Cho, relaxed slightly, and knowing smiles appeared on their faces.

Huang Xiaochuan then instructed, "Have someone from the public relations department come to me in a bit."

Charlie Cao immediately replied, "Okay, Mr. Huang! I'll arrange it right away." He knew that his boss's nonchalant approach was not a sign of laissez-faire; the involvement of the public relations department was a clear indication of this.

After leaving Huang Xiaochuan's office, Cao Charlie went to the outer room and instructed his waiting assistant, "Notify Director Liu of the Public Relations Department that Mr. Huang wants to see him now. Tell him to come over immediately." Watching the assistant leave in a hurry, Cao Charlie turned around and returned to his president's office.

Just a few minutes after he sat down, the red light on the internal telephone on his desk began flashing rapidly. His secretary's soft voice came through the speakerphone: "President, Mr. He, Chairman of Zhaofeng Group, is looking for you. He's on the front lines."