Chapter 825: Chapter 231: Beauty
The colorful lights swung back and forth on the stage, with the explosive rhythm of the music, the cheers from the fans below grew louder. Two girls with different styles, yet both dressed in sizzling outfits, showcased their healthy vitality on stage. Even though the live singing was somewhat distorted by the dance rhythm, it didn’t stop the fans from cheering wildly.
After the song ended, the two dancing girls on stage also stopped, then simultaneously bowed to the audience before retreating together, a thunderous applause followed amidst the screams.
Adrian, seated in the VIP section, also joined in the applause, then checked the time. According to the organizers, this was a short intermission, about seven or eight minutes long, which was the best opportunity. He noticed the hall lights had already dimmed, leaving only glow sticks shining dots of light in the dark. He immediately got up to head backstage.
As he reached the entrance, a staff member from South Korea came out to block him. But before he could speak, another staff member from the United States stepped in, stopping the Korean and gesturing for Adrian to proceed. Seeing this, the Korean staff immediately closed his mouth.
“Sorry, Mr. Cowell,” the American staff member said softly as they walked inside.
Adrian didn’t mind and waved it off. Not many people knew he was at the concert, and situations like this were expected. He hadn’t seen his little pet for a long time and wanted to surprise Britney.
The little pet was indeed very surprised. When Adrian came backstage, she was doing her makeup. Upon seeing him, she was momentarily stunned, then jumped up disregarding everything and lunged over, resulting in her eyebrow pencil drawing a long line at the corner of her eye.
“It’s so wonderful to see you, Master… Ed!” Luckily, she remembered how to address Adrian in public. Despite this, many around were stunned by the spectacle. Of course, most were Korean staff; the American staff were already accustomed to it. The makeup artist even rushed over angrily, grabbed her arm, and pulled her back to fix her makeup.
“You’re still as spirited, Britney.” After helping the makeup artist get Britney back to the chair, Adrian said with a smile.
“Because I saw you, I can’t believe meeting you here… Ed.” Britney stuck out her tongue, still as cute as ever. Even though she needed to prepare for the next song, she kept chattering non-stop, casually introducing her performance guest at the Seoul concert to Adrian: BOA.
The last world tour in Tokyo was managed by Avex, and this time was no exception. After Avex edged Sony Records out of the Japanese market, they ventured into South Korea and Taiwan, achieving significant growth. BOA is one such example. Not yet twenty, this girl has become famous throughout Japan and South Korea, boasting many fans. Thus, she became one of the guests at Britney’s mini concert in Seoul.
She appeared to be very lively and healthy. Upon learning who Adrian was, she was extraordinarily respectful, nearly reaching Japanese levels. Her figure was relatively graceful, known for dance music. Adrian couldn’t help but glance a few more times, making Britney on the side quite jealous.
“Master, will you come see me tonight?” After finally finding a chance, Britney grabbed Adrian and asked softly, eyes full of anticipation.
“Sorry, little pet, I have plans tonight.” Adrian’s answer left her quite disappointed.
“You… you aren’t…” She pouted, put on an innocent look, then sneaked a glance at BOA, who had moved to another side.
“How could I,” Adrian chuckled softly, taking advantage of nobody’s attention, he pinched her pert bottom heavily, “I have to attend a wine party soon and can’t even wait for your concert to end. Listen and be good, when we return to Los Angeles…”
Though the sentence wasn’t finished, the meaningful smile on his face said it all. The little pet immediately beamed with joy and, urged by the assistant, prepared to get on stage. After watching her go up, Adrian immediately walked out, not lingering for long. He wasn’t lying; BOA looked good, but he wasn’t particularly interested. For one, although her figure was decent, her looks could only be considered average. Secondly, when she walked, her legs were too widely spaced, and her career was only three years long, having debuted at… so it’s better to forget it.
Spending time with Britney isn’t bad. But since quite a few Korean staff saw him chatting intimately with the little pet, and this isn’t Los Angeles, where she has many fans here, it wouldn’t be long to stay, so it’s better to move on. More importantly, he really had a social engagement tonight where Lee Kun-hee himself was attending, so he couldn’t decline.
Adrian knew Lee Kun-hee’s intentions. After Samsung cooperated with AC Media, their sales in the United States did increase slightly. Though it didn’t surpass established phone brands, it managed to get a foothold. Plus, thanks to Adrian’s connections, they got a decent order from Apple, so naturally, Lee Kun-hee wanted further development.
“Don’t rush, Mr. Li, take your time. Samsung has great potential, it’s a national industry in South Korea. Other companies may decline in the future, but Samsung will certainly continue to thrive.” At the wine party, talking to Lee Kun-hee about the current situation of Samsung, Adrian privately praised him a bit but didn’t give any promises. It didn’t matter how Samsung developed, as long as it fell within his plan.
Though Lee Kun-hee was smug, his main goal now was to surpass Sony; he hadn’t thought too far ahead — perhaps he had future plans, but for now, they were just plans. Steering his thoughts with foresight wasn’t particularly difficult. Although Lee Kun-hee was a cunning old fox, Adrian had to personally step up since only he could foresee the future, but he wasn’t without means to handle it.
“Sorry, Mr. Li, I got a bit excited today and drank a bit more. I need to rest first… No, no, it’s fine; I have to go somewhere else, thank you for your offer.” With these words, Adrian left the wine party, smelling of alcohol.
Speaking too much will lead to errors. No matter how good your speech is, speaking too much will reveal flaws, especially when dealing with a cunning old fox. Even if you don’t want to speak anymore, he has ways to make you say a few more words. So, drinking a few more glasses and looking slightly drunk, speaking in slightly exaggerated terms, even if Lee Kun-hee wanted to analyze, he might find nothing.
Plus, Samsung surely analyzed his experiences and behavior, aware of his foresight, no need to worry about the old fox not taking the bait. Sitting in the car, Adrian couldn’t help but laugh at this thought, then furrowed his brow, rubbing his head. To achieve the desired effect, he indeed drank several more glasses, truly feeling a bit drunk.
Perhaps he should find someone to handle affairs in East Asia? No need to deeply understand his plan, just deal with Lee Kun-hee accordingly. Gazing outside, Adrian fell into deep thought until the car stopped and brought him back. The destination wasn’t a hotel but a villa in the Gangnam District of Seoul.
Once at the door, lightly laughing with alcohol on his breath, Adrian rang the doorbell. After a few rings, someone quickly came to open the door, but in front of him stood a strange young girl — not entirely unfamiliar, somewhat familiar, yet he couldn’t recall her name. She eyed Adrian with some caution, then asked in Korean.
“Sorry, can you speak English?” Adrian furrowed his brow and didn’t wait for her reply when a question in Korean came from behind the young lady. Then the face he wanted to see appeared.
“Ah… you… Hello, Mr. Cowell.” The similarly young girl was noticeably startled, then somewhat nervously spoke in English. It wasn’t the nervousness of encountering danger but rather the nervousness of not doing well.
“Hi, Tae-Hee, long time no see.” Adrian gave a slight smile, “May I come in and have a seat?”
The second to arrive was his Korean toy, Kim Tae Hee. She was a very qualified toy; as long as Adrian made a call, she’d obediently fly from Seoul to Los Angeles to serve him, quite devotedly. Since he was in South Korea, and couldn’t get intimate with the little pet, visiting her was a natural choice.
“Sure, go ahead.” Kim Tae Hee quickly adjusted her emotions and, under her friend’s strange gaze, obediently led him inside.
“Are you alone? No servants?” After sitting down, Adrian exhaled and asked.
“They’ve gone home. I… don’t need so many people taking care of me, and… occasionally friends visit.” Kim Tae Hee responded gently, with double entendre, then asked a bit flatteringly under her friend’s increasingly peculiar gaze, “Would you like a drink to sober up? You seem a bit drunk.”
“It’s okay, just had a few extra drinks.” Adrian carelessly waved it off, then looked at her friend with interest.
“This is Hyun Joo, Kim Hyun Joo,” Kim Tae Hee intuitively introduced, “She’s also an actress, stage name Han Ga In.”
Then she introduced Adrian to the young girl, “Hyun Joo, this is Adrian Cowell, Hollywood’s famous Miracle Director.”
Han Ga In instantly showed a surprised expression, standing up a bit nervously and excitedly, then bowed slightly, “Didn’t expect to meet you here, Mr. Cowell, I’m truly… I’m very fond of your movies…”
Her English was not very good, somewhat helpless, but her smile was sweet and pleasant, which made the alcohol-filled Adrian squint his eyes.
“I’m also pleased to meet you, Kim… Miss Han Ga In. I really like this name, so I’ll call you that.” He smiled and reached out to shake her hand, his thumb brushing lightly over her smooth hand.
Han Ga In, somewhat surprised, withdrew her hand, with a look of disbelief passing through her eyes. Although Kim Tae Hee noticed, she lowered her eyelids, pretending she didn’t see anything.
“Is Ga In your friend? Why haven’t you mentioned her, Tae-Hee?” Adrian smiled nonchalantly, turning to ask Kim Tae Hee and then patting the spot beside him.
Kim Tae Hee obediently sat next to him, letting him wrap his arm around her shoulders in front of Han Ga In: “We met only two months ago, Hyun Joo is a great person, and we have a lot in common.”
“I see.” Adrian’s eyes lit up, and his gaze toward Han Ga In became shameless, while Han Ga In felt as if she was sitting on pins and needles.
“I think… I’d better leave now, so as not to disturb you.” She stood up and said.
“Leaving so soon? Stay a bit longer,” Adrian stood up, his eyes flashing dangerously, “Tae-Hee and I were about to play a game. Why don’t you join us?”
“No… no need.” Han Ga In forced a smile, about to leave, but Adrian suddenly stepped forward and hoisted her up.
“Ah!” The young girl cried out, instinctively struggling and wriggling her limbs, but Adrian paid no attention. Instead, he looked at Kim Tae Hee and asked, “Where’s the bedroom?”
Kim Tae Hee, startled by his actions, hesitated for a few seconds before leading the way: “Please follow me.”
“Put me down! Stop! Put me down!” Han Ga In screamed, desperately struggling, but no matter how much she twisted and pounded him, even kicking off her high heels, she couldn’t free herself from Adrian’s grip. And when she struggled too wildly, he would mercilessly smack her rear with a slap.
“You don’t need to go in.” At the bedroom door, Adrian said this to Kim Tae Hee, ignoring the struggling Han Ga In.
“Tae-Hee! Tae-Hee!” Panicked, Han Ga In started shouting in Korean, looking at Kim Tae Hee with pleading eyes, hoping she could save her. But Kim Tae Hee, standing by the door, only lowered her head further.
Bang, the door slammed shut, and then Han Ga In was tossed forcefully onto the bed. She crawled to a corner, hugging her arms to her chest, shivering as she looked at Adrian.
“Please…” She cried in English, not knowing this only stirred the man’s desires even more.
Adrian took off his coat and loosened his collar, exhaled long with a hint of alcohol, smiled lightly at the helpless lamb before him. At another time, he might have done some pretense at civility, but now alcohol rushed to his head, facing a Korean woman, he was too lazy to bother. He had only notified Kim Tae Hee that he was coming to South Korea, but not when, yet unexpectedly stumbled upon such a catch, it was great, why let go of a ready meal?
“I’m sorry, Hyun Joo.” Standing at the door, listening to the cries and struggles inside, Kim Tae Hee could only bow repeatedly toward the door.
—————
Han Ga In woke up, dizzily moved her somewhat powerless limbs, then turned her head, and the sunlight outside the window immediately pierced her eyes. She squinted, taking several seconds to adjust, looking around somewhat blankly. She was alone, wrapped in a blanket on a large bed, not a piece of clothing on the bed, which was messy, and clothes were scattered all over the floor.
Here, Han Ga In finally remembered what happened, snapped back to reality, pulled the blanket tighter around her chest, and realized that the Demon wasn’t in the room, which made her nose tingle, unable to hold back tears. She came as a guest to Kim Tae Hee’s house, how could this happen?! And Kim Tae Hee even watched as she was…
Thinking of this, resentment arose in Han Ga In’s heart, just then the door clicked open, and the young girl, like a startled bird, helplessly dragged her aching body and cowered into a corner. Fortunately, it wasn’t the Demon who entered, allowing Han Ga In to breathe a small sigh of relief, but the resentment in her heart only grew stronger.
“Are you… are you okay, Hyun Joo?” Kim Tae Hee sat by the bed, hands clasped in front, somewhat afraid to look at her.
“Why?” Han Ga In bit her lip, her eyes turning red again.
“I’m sorry.” Kim Tae Hee said simply, her head remaining low.
Seeing her like this, Han Ga In couldn’t explode, her chest suffocating for a long while before she asked again: “What is your relationship with him?”
“Mr. Cowell… Mr. Cowell…” Kim Tae Hee hesitated for a moment and eventually spoke: “Mr. Cowell has kept me.”
After saying it, as if relieved, she finally raised her head and her expression became calm, in contrast, Han Ga In was shocked beyond words.
“Kept… kept?!” She struggled to utter the word, disbelief written all over her face, “Your family… your family… your father… your father isn’t…”
“Yes, that’s right, but…” Kim Tae Hee sighed, a touch of sorrow crossing her eyebrows, “Samsung’s Mr. Li wants me to do this.”
“Samsung’s Mr. Li?” Han Ga In didn’t react at first, but after chewing the words in her mouth a few times, she suddenly understood, her eyes widened again, shock turning to fear, and her hands clutching the blanket started shaking.
“I… I…” She was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say, while Kim Tae Hee handed her phone over: “I’ve already told your agent about this, he wants me to give him a call after you wake up.”
Han Ga In, like grabbing a lifeline, snatched the phone and was about to dial when she suspiciously raised her head again.
“He… that person is here now?” Han Ga In asked in a trembling voice.
“He’s just downstairs having breakfast.” Kim Tae Hee replied very calmly.
Han Ga In’s face turned pale, under such circumstances Kim Tae Hee even took the initiative to inform her agent, recalling her previous words, Samsung’s Mr. Li, an extreme unease enveloped her heart.
Looking at the phone, then at Kim Tae Hee waiting for her, a shivering Han Ga In finally pressed the number, the connection tone that followed seemed to last forever before finally connecting.(To be continued. If you like the work, please visit Qidian () to vote for recommendations, monthly votes, your support is my greatest motivation.)