novelhk Page 65
Page 65
“Of course! Of course! Come on, the stage is yours, the real ‘King’ tonight!” Mayor Duncan led him toward the podium, which was under the spotlight.
Hawke straightened his already neat suit and stepped up the stairs with ease.
The spotlight shone on him. He picked up the microphone, his gaze sweeping across the room, past Stark's sly smile, Hammer's anxious expression, the scrutinizing looks from Osborne and Morgan's representatives, the cold stares from Roxon executives, and so on.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good evening," Hawke's voice came through the microphone, clear and steady, with a peculiar aura that was both approachable and undeniable. "Thank you all for gathering here tonight for the 'Urban Youth Development Fund.' Before we begin, I'd like to say a few words..."
After rambling on for a while, Hawke quickly wiped non-existent beads of sweat from his forehead and stepped off the stage amidst applause.
Next came the mayor's speech, followed by appearances from several small sponsors.
Hawke didn't hear a word of what was being said. He was currently chewing and swallowing beef in large mouthfuls, looking like a starving ghost, and gulping down a mouthful of red wine as if it were a beverage.
Tony pushed past the crowd and walked over, slapping Hawke on the shoulder: "Why are you sneaking off to the corner to eat?"
Hawke's mouth was full: "I've used up a lot of energy these past few days, I need to eat something to replenish myself!"
Tony, filled with envy and jealousy, grabbed Hawke by the neck and said, "You're so fit, yet you still managed to exhaust yourself. Tell me honestly, how big of a party did you throw this time?"
"Don't make trouble!"
Hawke lightly pushed Tony's arm away and said:
"I'm full, I still have to keep working in a bit!"
"Want to continue?" Tony shook his head and said, "You're going to die from a woman sooner or later."
119 You said you were the most devoted person in the world...
"You think you have the right to talk to me like that?" Hawke gave Tony a disdainful look and said, "Besides, I'm a twenty-year-old guy, isn't it normal for me to be capable and strong? Unlike you, who's thirty-eight years old and almost forty."
Tony's face flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead, as he argued, "38 years old can't be considered approaching 40... 38 years old... can a capitalist's age be considered approaching 40?" He then launched into a string of incomprehensible words, such as "tadalafil" and "dapoxetine," which drew laughter from everyone, filling the hotel with a joyful atmosphere.
They laughed and joked around for a while.
Tony took a sip of red wine, and his sly eyes began scanning the guests: "You've been looking for a while, have you found anything good?"
"Of course we have good stuff."
Hawke downed a bottle of red wine, swallowed all the beef he had eaten, finally feeling about 70% full. He wiped his mouth, pointed to the 10 o'clock position, and said:
"How about that?"
Tony looked over.
She is indeed a great beauty.
Japanese-style makeup.
Blue pupils.
Her long, wavy hair, especially the strand in front of her forehead, was curled into a small bun, giving her a rather elfin and quirky look.
Compared to ordinary, common women, her unique blend of mature womanhood and girlish charm is absolutely one of a kind.
She possesses the potential to rival the world's top beauties.
Perhaps because of the banquet, she was wearing a pink evening gown, exuding an elegant and sexy aura.
"Japanese woman?"
Tony rubbed his chin.
Hawke glanced at him sideways: "You don't like it?"
"That works too." Tony asked, "Have you figured out what's going on?"
“I found out her name is Yukiko Kudo, a top Japanese actress. After reaching the top in Japan, she came to Hollywood to try her luck,” Hawke said.
"Not bad, not bad, she's similar to your Chun Song-yi. You raised a Chun Song-yi, so it's not too much for me to have a Kudo Yukiko, is it?"
Hawke rolled his eyes and said, "I think you should just forget about it."
"Why? A woman of that status should be easy to get her on."
"Because I've already tried, and it doesn't work. If I can't do it, what chance do you have? They sell their art, not their bodies!"
"So if I don't pay after the sale, it doesn't count as selling?"
Tony laughed heartily, looking very confident, and walked straight toward Yukiko Kudo.
As for Yusaku Kudo, who was always seen with Yukiko Kudo, Tony and Hawke didn't even give him a second thought...
All I can say is that Cao Cao might die, but the traitor Cao Cao will not.
Looking at Tony's back, which faintly hinted at the cunning of a traitor, Hawke shook his head. Kudo Yukiko and Kudo Yusaku had a deep relationship. Even if she were to be won over, it would take years of undermining her, not something that could be done in one night.
Hawke stood there with his arms crossed, waiting to see what would happen.
as predicted.
Tony got a cold shoulder from Yukiko Kudo and her husband.
No matter how much he tried to act cute or silly, Yukiko Kudo maintained that polite smile.
"Haha, you idiot, I told you you couldn't do it, but you wouldn't believe me."
Hawke was thoroughly enjoying himself.
"It's been a long time, Mr. Hawke."
Suddenly, a young and beautiful woman with wavy hair walked towards Hawke with a smile, holding a wine glass.
Hawke looked over.
hiss--
He immediately turned around, trying to get away, but was suddenly stopped by someone calling his name.
"Hawk Lane!"
Hawke stopped in his tracks, then slowly turned around with a sullen smile, a smile like that of a little fox just caught in the spotlight: "Hi, what a coincidence, Taylor Swift, long time no see, how have you been lately?"
Taylor Swift—Tay Taylor—walked up to Hawke in her high heels and stopped.
Her meticulously styled golden wavy hair shimmered under the dazzling lights of the banquet, and her icy blue eyes seemed to be examining an old object that had been lost and found but was now covered in dust.
“Me?” Taylor Swift tilted her head slightly, her voice as crisp as if she had just taken a bite of a green apple, “It couldn’t be better.” Her tone rose slightly at the end, and her gaze lightly swept over Hawke’s slightly embarrassed face.
0 ······Requesting flowers···· ········
For a moment, the air seemed to freeze, with only the distant clamor of the banquet faintly audible.
Hawke felt his throat was a little dry and his palms were slightly sweaty.
More than a year has passed since we last met. The girl who used to have a touch of country music and eyes full of him now exudes a star aura that says "I'm not to be messed with," sharp and dazzling.
He twitched the corners of his mouth, trying to recapture some of his former roguish charm, but found himself somewhat powerless: "Ha...haha, that's good, that's good. I can see it now, 'Country Music Sweetheart' has become a 'Big Star,' your posters are everywhere."
..... .. 0
“Hmm,” Taylor Swift elegantly sipped her champagne, her long eyelashes fluttering. Her gaze swept past Hawke, seemingly admiring the dazzling lights of the banquet hall. Her tone was relaxed and casual, as if discussing the weather. “The new song is doing quite well.” She paused, then her gaze snapped back, locking precisely into Hawke’s eyes, a hint of teasing in her voice. “And you, Mr. Hawke, still as… ‘capable and fierce’ as ever?”
These words were like a needle, precisely piercing the very spot where Hawke had just made his outrageous remarks.
Hawke cleared his throat awkwardly, his eyes starting to dart around: "Uh...cough cough...Taylor, you know, men...sometimes when they've had too much to drink, they like to brag...well, mainly it was Tony who provoked me..."
"Oh? Is that so?" Taylor Swift's smile deepened, carrying a knowing glimpse of everything. She took a small step closer, lowered her voice, and added a teasing tone that only the two of them could understand. "I remember the version you told me back then wasn't like this. You said you were the most devoted person in the world, that you wouldn't marry anyone but me, and that you were stuck with me for life."
She deliberately dragged out the word "devoted," as if savoring an old, corny joke.
Hawke wiped the sweat from his brow.
His smile was slightly awkward: "Well... it's all in the past... I was young and naive, so it's inevitable... it's inevitable to make mistakes... Look how good you are now, your career is taking off, you have a bright future, I'm really happy for you!"
120 just made a mistake that all men make...
Taylor Swift quietly watched his unusually embarrassed expression, a hint of indescribable emotion flashing across her icy blue eyes, like seeing a broken old toy, feeling a little regretful, yet also a little amused.
She gently swirled her wine glass, her tone softening slightly, becoming more casual: "Alright, Hawke. Stop making that face at me, like I've bullied you."
She raised her chin slightly, with a hint of pride, "I'm very busy right now, writing songs, recording albums, performing... I don't have time to keep thinking about those trivial things from the past."
Hearing this, Hawke breathed a slight sigh of relief.
However, Taylor Swift then seemed to remember something, winked mischievously, and added, "But...inspiration can't be stopped when it strikes. Who knows if the next song will suddenly remind me of some 'capable, fierce' but 'young and clueless 520' jerk? Anyway, there's more than one or two jerks whose initials are 'HL'..."
Hawke's heart, which had just settled, instantly leaped into his throat again. He was about to speak—
"Miss, sir, would you like some more drinks?" A waiter carrying a tray appeared at the opportune moment, interrupting the delicate yet slightly tense atmosphere.
"Oh, thank you, no need." Taylor Swift immediately regained her bright and generous star demeanor, politely smiling and nodding to the waiter.
When she turned back to look at Hawke, her gaze became complicated again. She leaned closer to Hawke's ear and said, "I want to ask when you plan to hold the wedding you promised me. I still have a few of your love letters, promises, and... letters of repentance."
After speaking, she turned around, her skirt swaying like a proud golden butterfly, gracefully blending into the crowd.
"hiss--"
Hawke stared wide-eyed at her departing figure, having completely forgotten about the incident. He instinctively picked up a wine glass that someone had left on the table next to him and took a large gulp.
Taylor Swift is different from other women. This is a girlfriend she seriously pursued. At the time, Taylor Swift did not know Hawke's true identity and only thought of him as an ordinary high school student in New York. At that time, Taylor Swift was just a girl who dreamed of music and had just released her first album!
As for the reason for the breakup... Hawke simply made a mistake that all men make...
Only after being discovered did he write a letter of repentance to Taylor Swift...
Tony, who was walking back from a distance, spotted Hawk standing there with a strange expression.
"Hey! What are you standing there for? Are you scared by a ghost?" Tony slapped him in an annoyed tone.
Hawke snapped out of his daze, looked at Tony's equally discomfitured expression, and forced a gloating smile: "Ha! Looks like someone's 'no money, no sale' plan has fallen through too? How about it, got thwarted?"
Tony's face darkened even more.
As the hustle and bustle of the dinner party gradually subsided, Hawke was preparing to go with Tony to conquer the San Fernando Valley when his gaze inadvertently swept over the vicinity of the entrance, and he stopped in his tracks.
Taylor Swift stood there alone, not leaving with the crowd.
She seemed to be admiring the hazy night, but Hawke keenly sensed that the faint gaze, passing through the sparse crowd, finally landed on him.
There's no way to escape it, especially since that damned letter of repentance is still in her hands.
Hawke took a deep breath, patted Tony on the shoulder, and said with a look of grim determination, "I can't go to the San Fernando Valley. I have some historical issues to deal with."