"By the way, I have a small problem, I wonder if you can help me!" Huang He saw that the two of them were getting along well, so he stated his purpose.
"This is simple, I'll just make a phone call!" Vivian said confidently after hearing Huang He's request, then took out her phone and started dialing.
However, after the first call, Vivian's expression changed slightly. After the second, it became quite unpleasant. After the third, she angrily threw her phone onto the bed and said, "These liars! They always say they can help with anything, but they can't even secure a fashion show opportunity!"
"Doesn't your influence work?" Huang He asked, frowning.
"They say the designer for the main show is already set, and the schedule is about 10 minutes behind the original plan. Adding another designer would cause further delays, and they can't bring themselves to ask," Vivian pouted.
"This is just an excuse. It seems the Parisian fashion scene really despises our Jiangnan," Huang He shrugged helplessly.
"That's true. You don't know, ever since I wore your outfit to the banquet last time, so many people accused me of being inappropriate, and quite a few warned me never to wear such clothes again!" Vivian said.
"Why? It's just an outfit!" Huang He asked, puzzled.
"Brother, you don't understand this. Don't think of Paris as just an open city, full of fashion and at the forefront of trends like Paris Fashion Week!"
"But in another sense, they are very conservative. They only accept various clothing styles within their own culture and completely reject those from other ethnic groups and countries."
"It's not just your Hanfu. I heard that the Japanese tried for over a decade to hold a grand exhibition of kimonos at Paris Fashion Week, but it was never approved. Even their Prime Minister intervened, but it was useless. Those old men in the Paris Fashion Association simply wouldn't allow it."
"Later, when the Japanese economy collapsed, they themselves lost interest in holding such a fashion show."
"It's the same for the Koreans. They wanted to have a special Hanbok show, but it never materialized. So, your family's Hanfu is pretty much the same. I initially thought that as an individual designer exhibiting, they might make an exception, but I was still rejected. These old men just want to impose their clothing and design taste as the global standard, ensuring that Paris's title as the fashion capital never fades!" Vivian said.
"I didn't expect you to have such profound insights!" Huang He said with some surprise.
"In families like ours, who are simple people?" Vivian sighed, her expression suddenly turning a little melancholic.
"In that case, I don't care about this darn Paris Fashion Week anymore. I'll organize a Shanghai Fashion Week in the future and infuriate those guys!" Huang He grumbled, but it seemed to be an implicit acceptance of the failure of this Paris Fashion Week attempt.
Huang He genuinely had no better options, as his connections in Europe were indeed not great. He only knew Vivian.
"What a pity, I wanted to see your new outfits at the Tuileries Garden!" Vivian said, also disappointed.
"Tuileries Garden? Is that where Paris Fashion Week is held?" Huang He asked curiously.
"Yes, it was once a French royal palace, but now it's a garden. It only occasionally hosts events like Paris Fashion Week, and there are hardly any tourists on normal days. The French government can't even sell it!" Vivian complained.
"You're saying the French government intends to sell the Tuileries Garden?" Huang He asked in surprise.
"Yes, what's wrong with that?" Vivian retorted.
"Uh... different national conditions..." Huang He said with a grin. If the Tuileries Garden was once a French royal palace, its status in China would be akin to the Summer Palace.
If a Chinese person suddenly heard that the government planned to sell the Summer Palace, they would surely be as surprised as Huang He.
"I heard that to maintain the Tuileries Garden, the French government spends five million Euros annually, a huge financial burden, so of course, they intend to sell it!" Vivian said matter-of-factly.
"But the Tuileries Garden must have historical value. What if it's ruined if it's sold to private individuals like this?" Huang He countered.
"Yes, that's why the Tuileries Garden cannot be sold!" Vivian said. "If you want to buy the Tuileries Garden from the French government, you must sign a very complex contract. It stipulates that the buyer must carry out routine maintenance of the Tuileries Garden in full compliance with regulations, and the demolition or alteration of any traditional buildings within the Tuileries Garden is not permitted."
"Furthermore, even the flower fields within the Tuileries Garden cannot be excavated; this garden must be preserved, a strong demand from environmentalists."
"In addition, there are dozens of other regulations, all of which severely restrict the commercial development of the Tuileries Garden. If you buy the garden, at most you get some land around the garden, and the right to build new facilities in a few limited areas within the garden. You cannot touch anything else and must maintain it to the highest standards." xxs one
"My father said that buying the Tuileries Garden isn't like buying real estate, it's like buying an ancestor that costs millions of Euros a year to serve, yet this ancestor doesn't earn much. The annual tourist numbers are only tens of thousands, barely enough to cover the maintenance costs."
"After calculations, those large companies believe that after buying the Tuileries Garden, they would lose about 4 million Euros annually, so no one is willing to accept it!" Vivian said with a grin.
"That's true!" Huang He nodded. It was like suddenly being told that the Forbidden City was for sale to the public, and asking if you wanted to buy it.
If you had money, you'd definitely want to buy it.
But then you discover that after buying it, you can't touch a single brick or tile of the Forbidden City, you have no claim to anything within it, you can't damage its traditional cultural atmosphere, and you can't even open a restaurant in one of the non-main buildings. At most, you can only develop a few small stalls at the entrance.
However, you are required to invest hundreds of millions of yuan annually for its maintenance and renovation. Would you still be willing to buy the Forbidden City?
Only a fool would do such a thing.
Therefore, even though the French government has been trying very hard to sell the Tuileries Garden, no capital is willing to undertake such a foolish endeavor. As a result, the Tuileries Garden, this former French royal palace and a building that should undoubtedly be a key cultural relic protection unit, remains on sale.
"Are there any restrictions on the nationality and identity of the buyer?" Huang He asked curiously.
"There shouldn't be, but brother, you're not interested in the Tuileries Garden, are you!" Vivian asked with wide eyes.
"Hmm, a little interested!" Huang He nodded. "How about this, tomorrow when I attend the event with you, I'll go talk to that president and see if I can buy the Tuileries Garden!"
"..." Vivian's mouth hung open, unsure of what to say. After a good while, she finally said, "Brother, you're Chinese, why would you buy the Tuileries Garden? It has almost no investment value and is impossible to make money from. Don't get carried away!"
"I'm not expecting to make money from the Tuileries Garden!" Huang He smiled. "I was just thinking, if I bought the Tuileries Garden and then banned Paris Fashion Week from holding events there, what would their expressions be like."
"..." Vivian was once again stunned by Huang He. After a pause, she said, "Brother, you're buying the Tuileries Garden just for this?"
"Yes, just for this!" Huang He nodded. "No one in the world can make me unhappy. If I'm unhappy, no one else gets to be happy!"
"Brother, you are truly too handsome!" Vivian's eyes sparkled. Of course, she didn't think Huang He would actually buy the Tuileries Garden. She thought he was just showing off in front of her. How could anyone actually buy the Tuileries Garden just to annoy someone?
However, Huang He looked incredibly handsome when he said it.
"Heh heh!" Huang He gave a dry laugh and then saw two maids by the door peeking, trying to see what was happening between their princess and Huang He. He smiled and said, "I'm leaving now, see you tomorrow morning!"
"Don't go, brother, I'll treat you to dinner tonight!" Vivian said, but unfortunately, Huang He patted his buttocks and left.
When Huang He returned to his hotel, he found Qu Wei sitting alone in the lobby, looking completely lost. Seeing Huang He appear, she quickly rushed up and asked, "How was it? Does Her Highness the Princess have any solutions?"
"She said she couldn't do anything either. It's a collective boycott of other cultural styles by the Western fashion circle. She can't do anything about it," Huang He said.
"Then there's really no solution!" Qu Wei's eyes welled up, and she seemed about to cry.
"Don't cry, I have one last plan!" Huang He tapped Qu Wei on the head. "Go back and rest. Wait for my news tomorrow!"
"Okay!" Qu Wei nodded foolishly, then said, "Boss, good luck, you must try your best!"
"I know!" Huang He sighed.
"If you manage to fix it, I'll wear a silk vest for you!" Qu Wei suddenly said.
"What?" Before Huang He could react, Qu Wei, blushing, fled.
"Bitch..." Behind Huang He, Hu Jing said with a cold expression.