The surrounding media were all watching this scene, and some people who were originally sitting in their seats chatting or playing with their phones stopped what they were doing.
Everyone held their breath and stared at the electronic screen behind the auctioneer. The subtitle "Two Million" appeared next to the manuscript.
Even though many people present did not lack the two million, they were still shocked by the dispute between China's two top actresses.
If Tao Cen spoke up at this moment, things would become serious and would end up in a situation where both sides would be in a difficult situation.
Under the watchful eyes of the public, Tao Cen, with a smile on his face, once again raised the sign in his hand, living up to the expectations of those who were looking for fun.
When Jiang Se held up the sign, one could hear people around him gasping for air.
But by the time Tao Cen raised his sign, there was no more sound. Everyone was staring at the scene in silence. The sound of mobile phones taking pictures in the venue was particularly eye-catching in such a quiet and weird environment.
Things have gotten a little out of control, and all the major media invited to the event are probably frantically filming this scene. Many people can even picture the news that will be on the front pages of major media tomorrow: At the "Times Style" charity dinner, two top actresses from Century Galaxy are competing openly and secretly!
The people from the organizer "Times Style" looked helpless. It had come to this point. If the two invited actresses quarreled and made a big fuss, it would be of no benefit to anyone.
"Brother Shao, what should we do?"
Several staff members of "Times Style" looked at the editor-in-chief Shao Cunjin, who looked solemn. The host on the stage announced Tao Cen's offer:
"Two million, two hundred and fifty thousand!"
"Brother Shao, we can't let them continue bidding."
This has lost its original charitable purpose and turned into a battle of pride and status between two actresses.
"If Jiang Se wants to make another bid..." Shao Cunjin looked at the venue and felt a headache: "Call Luo Ao of Century Galaxy."
Shao Cunjin had a headache. Tonight's charity dinner could have invited two top female stars, Tao Cen and Jiang Se, to perform, which should have been a very happy thing for "Times Style", but after this incident, fans of both sides might be angry with the organizers.
Both of them belong to Century Galaxy. I hope the agency can step in and suppress the conflict between them, or at least prevent it from breaking out at this time.
This matter is obviously disadvantageous to Jiang Se. Tao Cen's actions have put her in a high position. Unless she stops in time, the news will leak out and public opinion will be unfavorable to her.
Century Galaxy intends to support Jiang Se again. She has developed very well in the past few years. If something goes wrong with her, not to mention that Century Galaxy will not let it go easily, the most important thing is that Jiang Se has a prince behind her. She once said in person that she is engaged. That is the most troublesome thing!
While the staff of "Times Style" were getting worried, Mo Anqi beside Jiang Se was almost crying because she saw Jiang Se holding the cards again.
Mo Anqi has been with Jiang Se for many years and has been taking care of her since her debut. From Jiang Se's little movements, one can guess that she is going to raise the sign again.
"Sese is always very calm, why did she suddenly explode this time?"
Mo Anqi was sweating profusely from anxiety. She whispered to Xiao Zhang beside her to relieve the pressure in her heart:
"Taocen is forcing her on purpose."
Tao Cen did this because she wanted the media to see how Jiang Se, as a rising star, competed with her and snatched her "things".
Xia Chaoqun's face was already very serious, but under Mo Anqi's worried eyes, the feared thing still happened.
After the host shouted "Two million, two hundred and fifty thousand, is there anyone who can bid again?", Jiang Se raised the sign again.
Even though the lights in the venue were not glaring at this moment, Mo Anqi could feel that the gazes of the people around her were all looking at Jiang Se.
Everyone's eyes in the venue were focused on Jiang Se. Seeing her raise the sign, some celebrities in the circle seemed to be watching a good show, watching the two actresses compete for the three Amadeus manuscripts. Many people who were jealous of Jiang Se wished she would be more impulsive, make a big deal out of it, and fall under the condemnation of public opinion.
Jiang Se has risen too fast in the past few years and has become too popular. He has not had many scandals, but has received opportunities one after another.
He always tries to get the best endorsements. When he endorsed a Federer watch, he already made many of his peers jealous.
"Two and a half million!"
At this moment, the host on the stage was a little surprised. No matter how precious Amadeus's manuscript was, this price was already too much even for a charity auction.
"Thunder."
Liu Ye turned his head in surprise. He didn't want to get involved in this matter. After all, he always thought that Jiang Se was a calm and smart person who knew when to endure and when it was her turn to step forward.
Tao Cen's bidding tonight was obviously a provocation. Her purpose was too obvious. Jiang Se should not have continued to argue with her. If she continued to argue, she would be the only one who would suffer. She should have imagined Tao Cen's purpose. Why did she still do this
Is it because she thinks she has someone to support her, or is it because Jiang Se herself said that she is already engaged and the wedding will be in more than a year, and she doesn't plan to stay in this line of work in the future, so she doesn't care whether she has a good reputation or a bad one, whether people scold her or not, or which side the public opinion leans towards
“You shouldn’t shoot anymore.”
Liu Ye seldom speaks to people in such a tone. Having been in this business for a long time, he knows that he should be reserved with people. Even if they are good friends on the surface, there are some things that should not be said.
What's more, at his age, he understands what mutual respect means. We are all adults, and he has no right to point fingers at others and decide what they should do.
But it was different this time. If Jiang Se continued to argue and the matter was exposed, she might lose some public favor. He recalled the first time he worked with Jiang Se, on the set of "Rescue Operation", that quiet but serious girl.
Later, when she was filming "The Devil", she personally dressed up as "Zhang Yuqin" to convince herself.
The two have worked together in two dramas. Jiang Se is indeed a very good actor. Among the actresses Liu Ye has worked with, in addition to her talent and appearance which are God's gift to her, her hard work and perseverance are also indispensable.
He really couldn't bear to see such an actor being ruined by such a "thing", so Liu Ye did not go against his usual behavior and said something to her:
"You should understand that Tao Cen deliberately provoked you by doing something like this tonight."
He rarely spoke well of others in the past, and he just watched things in the entertainment industry from the sidelines.
As for all kinds of conspiracies and tricks, unless you have been cheated, you will never know the ins and outs of them.
But now Liu Ye really felt sorry for Jiang Se. He couldn't bear to see such a girl ruined in such a psychological struggle.
"It will do no good if you continue to argue."
From the corner of his eye, he saw Xia Chaoqun folding his hands, and saw Tao Cen on the other side in the distance. She was sitting in the first row, and the light from above made the happy smile on her face stand out.
The media personnel in the distant media booths watched this scene intently, as if they all expected that Jiang Se would make a fool of himself in tomorrow's big news. They looked like they were watching a good show, which made Liu Ye's eyes sharper:
"Take the music sheet. If you like it, two and a half million is enough to buy the rest."
He paused, then continued:
"If you want to win Steinay's favor or even get their endorsement, it's enough to just show your attitude."
The people from Steinay were sitting in the VIP seats on the east side, in a secluded area specially opened for them by the organizer. Next to a white piano, Mr. Chapman, the head of Steinay's China region, had a serious look on his face.
Apparently, this manuscript produced by Steinay has been fought over until now, and has become an act of competition between two top Chinese actresses. Even though the price has exceeded Steinay's original expectations, Chapman can hardly be happy.
He might feel that the original meaning of the manuscript was being desecrated, and if Jiang Se continued to argue, it would only be seen as a "shameful" act in the eyes of many people.
In the media booth, Tao Tao was so nervous that she was shaking all over and could hardly hold the phone in her hand.
Her hands and feet were cold and her throat was bitter.
Originally, she didn't need to appear in person for the interview tonight, but because Longxing Studio learned that Jiang Se, Tao Cen, Liu Ye and others would all attend such a charity gala at the same time, the company's editor-in-chief sent Tao Tao out for the sake of caution and also hoped that such an occasion would produce some big news.
With the successive release of several exclusives by Longxing Studio, the company's development has been getting better and better. The boss jokingly calls Tao Tao a "lucky general" and believes that she has the potential to dig up big news.
When she was sent out, people jokingly said that tomorrow's front-page headlines would depend on Tao Tao.
When Tao Tao came out, she was still thinking that apart from being able to see her idol Jiang Se, she didn't think there would be any big news at an event like this tonight.
Who would have thought that what the boss said would come true? The news that comes out now might cause an explosive effect tomorrow!
Her phone kept vibrating, with messages coming one after another, all from her boss.
The boss is also one of the invited guests tonight, and he should have witnessed such a scene.
Tao Tao knew better than anyone the consequences of Jiang Se and Tao Cen's dispute being exposed by the media.
She felt a little desperate, and because she favored Jiang Se, she inexplicably hated Tao Cen at this moment.
The piano score was what Jiang Se wanted in the beginning, and it was obviously Tao Cen who interfered. However, because of Tao Cen's status as a "senior", the final result might be disadvantageous to Jiang Se.
"Taozi, is Liu Ye trying to persuade Jiang Se?"
Su Min, who came out of Long Xing Studio at the same time, leaned close to Tao Tao's ear and asked excitedly.
Liu Ye is well-known for his self-protective character and has rarely meddled in other people's affairs since his debut.
He maintains superficially good relationships with many bigwigs in the industry, but he doesn't have many close friends. It's rare for him to speak up and give advice to Jiang Se at this moment. Does it mean that in Liu Ye's heart, Jiang Se is a friend of a different importance
Tao Tao couldn't listen to any of this, because she saw the cold face of Jiang Se's agent Xia Chaoqun, saw Tao Cen's somewhat sweet smile, and she saw Tao Cen raise the sign in his hand again, "Three million!"
Three million.
The price of these manuscripts was several times higher than their original value. When Tao Tao heard this number, her heart skipped a beat. She could only pray secretly that Jiang Se would stop competing.
She was still fantasizing that she hoped someone would come to help Jiang Se out at this time and lower the number so that the manuscript would not end up in a situation where the two actresses were arguing over the price.
"I understand, Brother Liu."
Jiang Se turned her head and knew what Tao Cen was thinking. She knew that the situation tonight was not favorable to her. She also understood what Xia Chaoqun, Mo Anqi, even Liu Ye, Tao Cen and all the people attending the charity dinner tonight thought about her bidding with Tao Cen for the manuscript.
Her eyes were clear and twinkling, and as she smiled, the corners of her eyes curved slightly, "I understand your reminder."
"Stop taking pictures of Sese."
Liu Ye felt relieved that she did not seem to have lost her mind due to the impulse. There seemed to be something brewing in her eyes, which was a little difficult to understand, but Liu Ye instinctively felt that something was wrong.
Just as Jiang Se was about to speak again, the phone in her purse vibrated.
She gave an apologetic smile, opened her bag and took out her cell phone. During this time, she kept receiving messages, all from Luo Yin himself. They said: Don't argue, be patient for a while, the company will compensate you with resources.
"Sister Xia..."
There was already some tearful tone in Mo Anqi's voice. Jiang Se had worked so hard over the years. It would be a pity if she were to compete with Tao Cen now and tarnish her reputation.
"Please stop Sese."
Xia Chaoqun had already noticed Jiang Se's move to take the phone. It seemed that she didn't need to persuade him, as someone in the company might have already taken action.
The only person who can control the situation at this moment is the company's chairman Luo Yin.
Jiang Se has just renewed her contract with Century Galaxy, and Luo Yin even gave her 0.5% of the shares to keep her. It is obvious that he values Jiang Se very much, and Luo Yin certainly does not want Jiang Se's reputation to go wrong.
But can he stop her? This was the first time that Xia Chaoqun had this thought in his mind.
She has been working with Jiang Se for many years, and Jiang Se always listens to her in daily matters, whether it is career planning or etiquette courses.
She obeyed whatever she arranged for Jiang Se. She told Jiang Se what time to go to bed, and Jiang Se always insisted on going to bed. She told Jiang Se to learn piano, and Jiang Se learned it. She asked Jiang Se to take fitness classes and learn fighting. No matter how hard or tiring it was, Jiang Se listened to it.
But deep down, she does have her own personality.
In a way, she and Xia Chaoqun should be the same kind of people, and each has her own persistence.
But now, because of a small matter and some face, Jiang Se was provoked by Tao Cen and couldn't keep his temper. Was it because he had too high expectations of Jiang Se at the beginning, or was it because he misjudged him
Xia Chaoqun pursed his lips. The host continued to ask:
"Three manuscripts of Amadeus's music score, three million, once... three million, twice." The host asked with a smile:
"Anyone else bidding?"
The place was unusually quiet, and the people from Time Style breathed a sigh of relief.
Liu Ye also breathed a sigh of relief, and Mo Anqi and Tao Tao in the media seats slowly loosened their clenched hands.
Jiang Se held the phone and looked at what Luo Yin said in the text message: "The company will provide resources to compensate."
She smiled slowly.
She is not a princess and does not need the protection of a knight.
She doesn't need anyone to compensate her for what she wants; she can just reach out and take it herself.
She held up the sign and raised it again in front of everyone.
"Five million!"
"Wow!" There was a commotion in the venue.
From the extreme silence just now to the whispering of everyone the next second, it seemed like just a moment.
Tao Tao had a relieved smile on her face the moment before, but her eyes widened the next second, her hand holding the phone loosened, and she covered her open mouth with both hands.
"Five million!"
The host couldn't help but repeat the number, obviously to confirm it, fearing that he had read it wrong. (To be continued)