kvmb 120. Sir, would you like to apply for a card?
120. Sir, would you like to apply for a card?
The opening of the new Paramount Ballroom is undoubtedly a major event for Shanghai, especially for the wealthy, who now have another place to distinguish themselves from the poor.
The performances on the first floor were more and more spectacular than the last, each one more innovative than the last.
Broadway's exuberant dances, refreshing ballets, captivating operas that you don't want to stop watching, amazing magic tricks, breathtaking acrobatics, fresh stand-up comedy, and a few clown-like actors slapping and joking on stage, making the guests burst into laughter, even pounding their chests in exasperation. The cheers and laughter inside seemed to penetrate the building's walls, immersing half of the bustling metropolis in this exciting atmosphere.
Since tonight's theme is Christmas Eve, Zhou Hongyi had the actors dress up as Santa Claus as the clock struck midnight. They carried sacks and walked into the audience, randomly selecting lucky people to give Christmas gifts. Of course, most of these Christmas gifts were given to foreigners, since they felt more involved.
"Merry Christmas!"
Princess Elizabeth, shedding her usual aloof image, transformed into a Christmas princess and sang a Christmas carol, "Ode to Joy," while a group of lovely church choir children with pure voices provided backing vocals.
The performance was a great success, but only a few people knew that most of the children who performed on stage were orphans that Zhou Hongyi had adopted from the Guanyin Temple disaster area. Some of them had family members who were killed in that catastrophe, while others were little beggars who had fled from war zones to Shanghai.
Zhou Hongyi organized them together, taught them to read and write, and most importantly, instilled in them the concepts of patriotism and national righteousness. Having them sing on stage was not only to build their courage but also to make them remember the Japanese invaders, traitors, and spies in the audience, to recognize their true colors—they were all enemies, traitors. To avenge their families and serve their country, they had to endure humiliation and learn skills.
The guests sitting below the stage were naturally unaware of what the children were thinking; they were all focused on enjoying themselves, immersed in the joyful atmosphere that Zhou Hongyi had created for them.
"Oh my, Mr. Zhou, your novel methods are endless, one after another, it's dazzling! Has anyone ever told you that you are a business genius?"
Gu Tianbo and the others were also watching with great interest. When Zhou Hongyi came over, they hurriedly surrounded him and asked him all sorts of questions. Qiao Si, on the other hand, said with a jealous look on his face, "Young Master Zhou, don't regret inviting me here today. I'll go back and have the Grand World do the same thing as you tomorrow."
Zhou Hongyi laughed and said, "Mr. Qiao is joking. As the saying goes, those who imitate me will die, and those who learn from me will live. What we lack is not a particular program or idea, but rather advanced concepts and unique investment vision. If Mr. Qiao is interested, we can arrange a time to discuss it properly another day. After all, Paramount and Great World are completely different styles and target different customer groups. To put it bluntly, there is no competition between us."
Qiao Si knew that he was just joking. After all, their real business with Zhou Hongyi was the private transportation and smuggling business. Although the Great World was also very profitable, the money earned was all in the open, and it was not as fast as the money earned in the dark.
Zhou Hongyi had a drink with the bosses, gave some instructions to the others, and then led Elizabeth and Manyu into the private room prepared specifically for the Japanese soldiers from the Special Higher Police.
"Kondo-san, Hiramasa-san, how was it? Did you have a good time tonight?"
Upon seeing Zhou Hongyi enter, Kondo and the others showered him with praise and envy.
"Sasuke-kun, I dare say without any hesitation that from today onwards, the Bund will be dominated by your New Paramount, and other entertainment venues will probably only be able to follow behind you and pick up the scraps."
Zhou Hongyi nodded without any politeness and said, "Kondo-kun is right. As for money, of course, whoever is more capable will earn more. Everyone should compete fairly. After all, where customers want to go is decided by their own choices. As long as you do a good job, you won't have to worry about making money."
Zhou Hongyi exchanged a few polite words with Kondo, while the middle-aged Japanese soldier, Hiramasa Kotaro, never took his eyes off Elizabeth.
Zhou Hongyi introduced: "This is our New Paramount's number one star and shareholder, Miss Elizabeth, and this is someone that I believe everyone is familiar with, Miss Manyu, who was the former Paramount's top star and is now the general manager."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Elizabeth and Miss Maggie Cheung. You are both household names in Shanghai. Although I, Kondo, rarely come here for leisure, your figures always appear in the newspapers, which is quite fascinating."
Elizabeth and Manyu bowed slightly to the two Japanese soldiers. Then Manyu said, "You two are too kind. We are just a group of poor women who live off our youth. We only have a reason to live if our guests like us. Mr. Kondo, Mr. Hiramasa, since you are both distinguished guests who know how to cherish women, why don't you get a VIP membership card here?"
Goodness, Manyu is really dedicated. She's already started selling membership cards to the two Japanese soldiers so quickly. This made Zhou Hongyi unconsciously recall the scenes of his previous haircuts at the hair salon. Those hairdressers would always do everything they could to get you to sign up for a membership card. And now, this scene appeared before his eyes, transcending time and space, making him feel a little dazed.
"Miss Manyu, to be honest, the membership card you just mentioned has really piqued my interest. It sounds quite interesting. My teacher will be staying in Shanghai for a while, and as his student, I should get him one. How do I apply for this VIP membership card?"
When Manyu heard that there was a chance, her eyes lit up and she began to talk non-stop. However, when she said the price, Kondo's first reaction was that he had misheard and he asked again how much he needed to deposit in advance.
"Since you two are VIP members and good friends of our boss, I, Manyu, will take the liberty of giving you a 20% discount. You can enjoy royal service for just 80,000 silver dollars. Just let us know in advance when you want to come and spend money, and we will send a car to pick you up."
Kondo was dumbfounded. Just getting a membership card cost 80,000 yen! Good heavens, and that wasn't even the highest-level card. Those membership cards weren't just about spending money; you had to accumulate points based on your spending frequency before you could redeem them. This wasn't spending money; it was robbery!
Although Kondo felt he might have been tricked, he couldn't lose face in front of his teacher, especially since his teacher seemed very interested in Elizabeth. As the head of the Special Higher Police, he couldn't skimp on this money no matter what.
“Okay, no problem. Eighty thousand silver dollars, right? I’ll get one for my teacher.”
Kondo was on a pedestal today, unable to come down. He could only grit his teeth and sign a Citibank draft for 80,000 silver dollars. The moment he handed it to Manyu, he felt his heart skip a beat. This was the biggest expense he had made since arriving in Shanghai, and he never expected it to be spent like this.