The audience below was stirred, their gazes filled with approval, doubt, or curiosity.
An Xin knew exactly what those people were thinking.
The father and daughter on stage also exchanged a glance.
After meeting An Jingsheng's eyes and nodding in acknowledgment, An Xin stepped out elegantly from behind her father in her seven-centimeter Jimmy Choo heels.
Her steps were light and steady.
The velvet qipao she wore rippled like water as she moved.
Its delicate texture and unique luster were truly captivating.
In particular, the glimpses of snowy white skin through the slit of her qipao caused the camera flashes below to intensify suddenly.
Seeing An Xin's glamorous appearance on stage, Jiang Cheng's fingers, which had been playing with a copper coin, suddenly stilled.
His entire focus shifted to her exquisite and confident face.
Is this the charm of a woman focused on her career?
Bathed in the stage lights, she looked even more strikingly beautiful than when she was sitting beside him just moments ago.
Although An Xin had never given a speech on such a large stage before,
there wasn't the slightest hint of panic on her face.
At this moment, her mind was naturally more focused on the various looks coming from the people in the front row.
After taking her position, An Xin's gaze landed on Jiang Cheng.
Smiling, she began, "Hello everyone, I am An Xin, the General Manager of An Sheng Group. Three years ago at the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, I saw Ming Dynasty Kesi silk displayed alongside Persian tapestries."
Her opening remarks instantly silenced the venue.
Some of the entrepreneurs representing various brands in the audience couldn't help but start whispering again.
"So this is the daughter of the An Family? She's stunning."
"She's more beautiful than the celebrities who appeared earlier, but I heard she got pregnant out of wedlock."
"So what? With those looks and that family background, even being a divorcee wouldn't matter."
"That's for sure. I just wonder who'll be lucky enough to marry into the An Family."
...In the livestream, the Stream Viewers exploded the moment An Xin appeared. The entire screen was flooded with comments and gifts.
"Wow, is this the legendary princess of a wealthy family? She's simply too beautiful!"
"Oh my god, I want to sign up! I want to marry into her family. Do I qualify?"
"The guy above, look in the mirror and see what kind of ugly specimen you are before dreaming about marrying in!"
"Of all these Second-generation rich kids, she looks the least like one. Her charm is even higher than a celebrity's..."
Seeing all eyes fixed on her,
An Xin looked around, adjusted her breathing, and spoke again: "At that moment, I realized that intangible cultural heritage is never a frozen specimen... it is alive, something that can be inherited and developed."
As her speech deepened, An Xin's voice became increasingly steady, her tone revealing a profound understanding and love for intangible cultural heritage.
When she spoke of the Su Embroidery technique where 'a single silk thread is split into sixteen strands,' the intangible cultural heritage successors in the front row couldn't help but whisper in surprise.
Everyone had originally thought these Second-generation rich kids were just here for show, but they hadn't expected An Xin's knowledge of the craft to be so deep.
Seeing that her speech hadn't caused any negative reactions, An Xin's voice gradually became firmer.
She continued to describe the charm and importance of intangible cultural heritage.
She moved from the variations of Su Embroidery stitching to the 'water-milled' melodies of Kunqu Opera.
Finally, she mentioned the efforts An Jingsheng had made in Great Goose Country to spread Chinese culture.
The entire speech was smooth and fluid, possessing both professional depth and emotional resonance.
Jiang Cheng leaned back, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the copper coin.
He noticed that every time An Xin reached a key point, her gaze would sweep across three directions—the Director of the Cultural Bureau, the President of the Cultural Tourism Group, and himself.
This detail made the corners of Jiang Cheng's mouth turn up slightly: She truly was an heir personally trained by An Jingsheng.
Jiang Cheng noticed more and more intangible cultural heritage experts nodding frequently.
Meanwhile, the big shots from the Cultural Bureau sitting beside him were exchanging meaningful glances.
In their eyes, An Jingsheng had played this hand beautifully.
He had both showcased his successor's ability and hinted at the An Group's deep cultivation in the positive field of culture.
Several big shots from the Ministry of Culture exchanged glances, their eyes surreptitiously darting toward Jiang Cheng.
No one knew why An Jingsheng had suddenly decided to step into the limelight.
He had even brought his daughter along.
Unlike Jiang Cheng, these people were already very wary of An Jingsheng.
The An Family even held some leverage over them.
They had been looking for a chance to turn the tables or even escape the An Group's control.
If An Jingsheng stepped into the public eye and expanded his influence, it would be even harder to bring him down.
Seeing An Jingsheng and An Xin on stage, Chen Hong from the Cultural Bureau took the opportunity to lean over and ask Jiang Cheng with a face full of smiles.
"President Jiang, are you from Chengdu?" His voice rose slightly, sounding a bit surprised. "From your accent earlier, it seems you have a bit of a Chengdu lilt."
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng's fingertips gave a light flick, and the copper coin spun nimbly in his hand.
He turned his head, a faint smile on his lips and a calm gaze as he replied to Chen Hong, "I only said one sentence in dialect from so far away, yet Director Chen's hearing is truly excellent. Yes, I am from Chengdu; I grew up here."
The expression on Chen Hong's face didn't change at all at Jiang Cheng's answer; he maintained his jovial appearance.
He continued, "Haha, I see. No wonder you and Miss An get along so well. Since you're from Chengdu and have achieved so much at such a young age, your father must be quite extraordinary, right? What business is your family in?"
Facing Chen Hong's questioning, Jiang Cheng answered frankly, "My family just has a small construction company called Jiang Tai Construction."
Hearing this, a look of slight confusion appeared on Chen Hong's face.
To be honest, he had heard of both Jiang Tai and Xing Chen.
Guijiang had given the land developed on the eastern outskirts to An Sheng, and that land was originally planned for an exhibition hall.
Furthermore, the development of that area involved permits from the Ministry of Culture, so Chen Hong was naturally well aware of the cooperation between Xing Chen Media and Tianlong Real Estate.
What surprised him was Jiang Tai Construction.
To put it bluntly, Jiang Tai and An Sheng were not even in the same league.
Chen Hong couldn't understand why Jiang Cheng could attract An Jingsheng's attention, even prompting him to abandon his usual low profile and give a speech on the big screen for the first time.
It couldn't be because of An Xin and Jiang Cheng, could it??
They had seen An Jingsheng's expressions during the earlier conversation quite clearly.
This was not the posture of someone looking at a prospective live-in son-in-law.
"The An Family's sudden high-profile appearance this time... as their partner, President Jiang must know the inside story, right?" Chen Hong asked tentatively.
"Director Chen must be joking." Jiang Cheng twirled his phone, and a notification for an unread message from Qiao Yinyin flashed across the lock screen. "The An Family has been involved in intangible cultural heritage for so many years; stepping into the spotlight is simply a natural progression."
Chen Hong was about to probe further when he saw An Jingsheng's gaze on him from the stage.
He simply smiled and replied, "That makes sense. It's well known how much tax revenue and employment the An Family has provided for Chengdu over the years..."
Jiang Cheng smiled without speaking, his gaze passing over Chen Hong to meet An Xin's eyes as she took her bow on stage.
After a couple of dry laughs, Chen Hong immediately sat up straight and focused intently on An Xin's speech.