Reborn with Consumption System

Sunday, evening.

Finally, after wrapping up the whirlwind tour of schmoozing jewelers, Han Lie treated Second Sister Jin, Yu Yun, and the little assistant to dinner.

In actuality, Van Cleef & Arpels, the last jeweler they met, had wanted to host Han Lie. They even subtly hinted that they could arrange for a top domestic actress to accompany him. If that day wasn't convenient, another time would also work. This wasn't surprising. In the current domestic entertainment scene, stars fawning over luxury brands and vying to please them was already old news.

However, the timing wasn't right yet, and the domestic market wasn't large enough. Consequently, basically no female stars could secure spokesperson roles for luxury brands, much less become brand ambassadors. Gong Huang, Man Shen, former Miss Hong Kong pageant winners... even counting those from the Hong Kong circle, only a handful possessed any real influence. The rest of the domestic actresses were considered mere nobodies by the top luxury brands.

Oh, except for Chun Chun. She was the 'kid brother' exception, a top figure in the domestic fashion scene.

As for why they frantically fawned over these luxury giants, let's skip the details. Suffice it to say that in those days, top luxury brands held significant sway over domestic actresses. While they wouldn't go as far as treating them like historical bed-warming maids, inviting them to a banquet and having them diligently pull in clients for the brand was remarkably easy. The brands didn't even need to make a direct request. An invitation was enough; upon arrival and assessing the situation, the stars would eagerly get to work.

Little Fatty: Hey, I'm quite familiar with this work!

A few years later, a male celebrity with a two-character name would charm a wealthy woman at a dinner party, thereby obtaining a title he otherwise wouldn't have deserved. How he captivated her, we truly don't know, but it seems he really went all out.

Currently, luxury brands were somewhat more aloof than they would be in the future, so, logically, they should be even more worth the effort.

Upon hearing the proposition, Brother Lie felt a flicker of temptation. However, Brother Lie didn't agree immediately, instead replying ambiguously, "I appreciate the kind offer, but perhaps another time."

Who do they think they're looking down on? I am Liu Xialie! I can barely handle Yu Yun today, why add more complications for myself?

Yu Yun had no idea what had transpired. In contrast, Second Sister Jin, who had acted as the translator, had thoroughly figured out the implications and pondered this the entire way.

Considering that Yu Yun hadn't really experienced many finer things in life, Han Lie specifically invited her to a novel experience next door—a Japanese Yakitori feast. The restaurant was called Huan Charcoal Grill, located upstairs in the CITIC Pacific Plaza, and had just recently opened.

Japanese-style yakitori is essentially skewered barbecue. Initially, chicken was the primary ingredient, but later it expanded to include anything that could be charcoal-grilled. In essence, it wasn't much different from the skewers found in the Northeast, but the ambiance and service were a significant step up.

They offered set menus as well as à la carte. Han Lie inquired about the day's fresh ingredients, and the waiter responded, "Today, we have bluefin tuna mid-belly and goose barnacles."

The availability of the latter was an unexpected boon, as most of it was reserved for an important guest. Consequently, Han Lie boldly ordered à la carte, securing all the delicacies!

As Yu Yun merrily snapped photos, she had no idea that this meal was her 'sell-off dinner'...

Yakitori platter, softshell turtle chawanmushi, bluefin tuna mid-belly, Wagyu beef sukiyaki with black truffle, shirako (fish milt), crab gratin, goose barnacle sashimi, and almond panna cotta...

Their dishes were truly exquisite, much to Yu Yun's delight. She spent the entire meal snapping photos, posting on her Moments feed, bragging to her middle and high school classmates on WeChat, and gushing to Han Lie about how delicious everything was.

In contrast, Second Sister Jin, who had seen and eaten it all, paid more attention to Han Lie's needs. She was still determined to get on board. What Second Sister Jin hadn't anticipated was that Han Lie had already saved her a spot on the 'slow train,' just waiting for her to bring it up. The subordinate portion of that mixed investment fund was, theoretically, somewhat difficult to sell.

Han Lie didn't want to go around begging, so he deliberately dangled the bait, waiting for Second Sister Jin to take it. Dominance, like sexual positions; any discerning person understands its importance.

After pondering for the entire journey, Second Sister Jin decided to approach things from the entertainment industry angle. That was her forte. Besides, she had just received some insider information—Tangren's very pretty future top actress already seemed to have some budding connection with Han Lie. This clearly indicated that Han Lie wasn't entirely unapproachable; he just had high standards.

"Mr. Han, why didn't you accept Van Cleef & Arpels' invitation?" she asked with a smile, her tone casual as if making small talk. "Their connections are impressive. Top-tier actresses, goddesses of the Hong Kong scene, and even international supermodels would all be amenable. I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed."

This is a rare opportunity. I'd rather use their enthusiasm for something more meaningful...

Han Lie's plan was to use this opportunity to secure some fashion resources for Zha Zha and Qing Ting. He lacked Strength in the entertainment industry, where simply throwing money around could hardly secure top-tier resources like S-grade leading lady scripts. However, by shifting his perspective—using the opportunity of purchasing high-end jewelry to cultivate relationships with elite fashion brands—he could take an indirect route to enhance the commercial value of Zha Zha and Qing Ting. With sufficient commercial value and prestigious titles from top luxury brands, they would have more freedom to choose their projects and gain more opportunities.

This is the extra benefit of spending money wisely. Buy a crown for the empress, and incidentally use the added value to appease the concubines... Come on, tell me, what do you call supreme harem management?!

While these were his thoughts, Han Lie responded, "My standards for not being disappointed are quite high. The actual beauty of these so-called top actresses is just... so-so."