Chapter 811: Xiao He Boards the Ship
"Are you catching a cold? If you are, don't board the ship. Otherwise, you'll be out in the sea breeze all night and it will only get worse when you go back."
Liu Rulan sat to the side, arms crossed, and asked with feigned concern.
"I don't have a cold!"
Xiao He replied immediately, rubbing his slightly sore nose while gazing out the window with a grave expression. "I strongly suspect someone is thinking about me, and this must be the result of their thoughts!"
Liu Rulan was speechless. "Can you take a look at how many fans you have before saying that?"
If that were the case, Xiao He would sneeze himself to death.
Xiao He: "...Sister Liu, you're really not funny today."
And you're ready to explode at the slightest touch.
Liu Rulan glanced at the time on her wrist, then glared at Xiao He in annoyance. "Who do you think this is for? Because of you guys, I'm almost going through menopause! Once we return to Beijing, I'm definitely going to drink some traditional Chinese medicine to recuperate for a few days!"
She could have had a nice day off, staying in the hotel, humming songs, and taking a bath. Instead, she had to rush tirelessly to the party venue to attend that whatever-it-was party.
Who was she doing this for?!
Xiao He gave a sheepish smile and immediately pulled Tong Junhui, who was in front, to share the heat. "Tong Ge and I will split the responsibility for this fifty-fifty! I'll definitely give Sister Liu a big red envelope later!"
Tong Junhui, who had been dragged out to take the heat, also cautiously averted his gaze, terrified of meeting Liu Rulan's eyes.
Liu Rulan looked at them with disdain. "Ha, do you think I'm short of your few pennies in red envelopes?"
Xiao He and Tong Junhui could only look at each other helplessly.
Fortunately, the car arrived at this moment.
The driver this time was Xiao Chen. He stopped the car, turned his head to look at Xiao He and the others, and said, "Brother Xiao, Sister Liu, we have arrived."
This was the dedicated parking lane for guests. The surrounding area had already been cordoned off, so it was relatively quiet, offering a better transit experience without congestion.
Because of this, Xiao He and his group still had time to prepare.
Everyone emerged from the joking atmosphere, and Liu Rulan's expression became noticeably serious.
She looked at Xiao Chen and Lao Qi in the front row, then at Xiao He and Tong Junhui, and said very seriously, "Once on board, I don't expect you to get my approval for everything you do, but I hope you will think twice before taking action. Although this journey may just be a thrilling but safe adventure, if there are any emergencies, prioritize your own safety and leave the troublesome matters to others."
"Okay."
Xiao He nodded, then looked at Lao Qi. "Lao Qi, I'll have to trouble you to stick with Sister Liu this time."
Lao Qi nodded. "Don't worry, Teacher Xiao, I will stay with Manager Liu at all times."
Due to the invitation limit, the people selected to board the ship this time were: Xiao He, Liu Rulan, Tong Junhui, and Lao Qi.
As for Xiao Chen, who always followed Xiao He, he was left on the shore.
This was mainly because Lao Qi was a bodyguard and more experienced. Even if they encountered any emergencies, he could handle them on his own and contribute manpower, so there was no need to worry too much about the safety of others.
Therefore, Xiao He would feel more at ease having Lao Qi accompany Liu Rulan.
"Then it's settled."
Liu Rulan made the final decision.
Although Xiao Chen was a bit disappointed that he couldn't board the ship, he knew his place. Sitting in the driver's seat, he cheered for Xiao He and the others happily. "Brother Xiao, they're even doing a live stream in front tonight. I'll be watching for you in the live stream!"
This cruise party was a major traffic driver, and many people in the industry had their eyes on it. There were countless media reporters, almost surrounding Victoria Harbour. If you opened any live stream, you could see their broadcast from the perimeter of the venue.
Even if they couldn't board the ship, filming the hull or the red carpet entrance was still not bad.
So Xiao Chen also wanted to say that he was with everyone in spirit.
"Haha, alright."
Xiao He gave Xiao Chen a thumbs-up with a grin. "Remember to find a live stream with a good angle and take plenty of screenshots for me."
"Alright, mission guaranteed!"
Amidst Xiao Chen's voice, the group got out of the car.
"Right, what are the arrangements for the Program Group of 'Travelogue of Mountains and Rivers'?"
Xiao He asked Liu Rulan while following the signpost directions.
"The guests from the Program Group will team up to walk the red carpet together. As for your recording part, Director Hu has already said that since there are too many people live-streaming on the red carpet, they will find us for an exclusive shoot after we board the ship."
Liu Rulan paused. "Actually, given your current situation, it's best not to walk the red carpet."
In fact, laying a red carpet on the road before boarding the cruise ship and setting up a temporary stage was a promotional tactic for the party. After all, they had invited so many big shots and celebrities, and many were willing to walk up and make an appearance.
However, unless someone was escorting them, or they were helping to promote a brand or corporate image, real capital moguls would take the special passage directly and wouldn't bother taking the long way around.
Originally, Liu Rulan had planned for Xiao He to take them through the special passage to board discreetly. After all, Director Zhuang hadn't come this time, and they didn't have a specific task to go up and promote 'Lao', so they could completely save some trouble and worry less.
However, when Xiao He went to pick up the guests for 'Travelogue of Mountains and Rivers', he was spotted by passersby, and other guests from 'Travelogue of Mountains and Rivers' leaked the news, confirming that Xiao He would be boarding the ship this time. As a result, many little box fans in Hong Kong couldn't help but rush over to join the fun, wanting to see Xiao He.
Some fans in fan groups even flew to Hong Kong overnight after learning the situation, just wanting to chase the scene to catch a glimpse.
Although Xiao He didn't particularly approve of this behavior of running to the scene just to catch a glimpse from afar, and hoped that everyone could meet at more accessible event venues in the future, he couldn't stand them up given their sincerity, so he finally decided to walk it himself.
As for Tong Junhui, he could no longer be considered an artist, but rather Xiao He's "temporary assistant," so he would take the special passage with Liu Rulan and board the ship first to wait for Xiao He.
"It's fine, I'm fast. You guys go on board first."
Xiao He waved his hand with a smile.
"Fine then."
Liu Rulan didn't drag things out and directly took Tong Junhui to enter from the other side.
Xiao He followed the other staff members toward the red carpet.
-
"Ahhh! Xiao He, Xiao He!"
"Xiao He! Look here!"
Over ten minutes later, there was a commotion at the red carpet site.
Bodyguard A Nan heard the noise and looked over, and sure enough, he saw that familiar figure from afar.
The young man's attire this time was deliberately leaning towards Hong Kong style—a classic black trench coat often seen in Hong Kong movies when gangs make their entrance. It had both the serious attitude required for a formal occasion and the relaxed, uninhibited vibe of boarding a ship to have fun, making him quite different from the other big shots in suits and leather shoes.
Hearing the screams and cheers of the fans on the shore, the young man calmly raised his hand, smiling and greeting everyone, while the media on both sides raised their cameras in unison, frantically capturing the young man from every angle.
The scene, which had been relatively quiet, was suddenly filled with screams.
A Nan watched the young man walking slowly towards them quietly, feeling a bit emotional.
Having not seen him for a long time, the other party seemed to have undergone earth-shaking changes, yet it also seemed like he had never changed at all.
He was still the same person who dared to rush into a fire with him to save lives back then.
A Nan withdrew his gaze and reported quickly into his headset: "Report, special guest Xiao He is ready to board the ship. Are there any further instructions?"