With the cooperation of the hotel security, Nick and Mira put the four items Linton had purchased into the Rolls-Royce.
Recalling his earlier doubts, Linton called Mira into the car.
"Why were the guests not very enthusiastic about bidding at the auction just now?"
"Didn't you notice? Generally, items at charity auctions sell for at least 15% higher than their market price, and some even go for 20% more."
"I know, but can't it be tax-deductible? It's like I'm buying it with tax money.
Even if it's a bit more expensive, it's still much better than paying it to the tax bureau.
In the end, I still profit."
"Linton, you need to know that everyone has a limited tax deduction quota.
People's own charitable giving is often not enough, so where would they have extra quota to spend lavishly at someone else's charity gala?"
"Their own charitable giving? Is there a difference?"
"There's a big difference! Oh, it's all my fault for not reminding you sooner.
Do you remember what I told you when we first met?"
"Unforgettable."
"For Hollywood stars to succeed, besides producing good works, they must also be good at packaging themselves and creating a persona that audiences (listeners) like."
"For example, for you, what we are presenting to the audience now is a youthful idol, a fantastic singer, talented, a creative Genius, handsome and rugged, and also a Young Master.
These personas are very popular with American teenagers and can help you attract more fans."
"In addition, everyone knows that celebrities make a lot of money.
The income from a movie, a TV show, an album, or even a song can be more than what an ordinary person earns in a lifetime."
"However, the American public will not be jealous or resentful of celebrities making a lot of money.
They will generally pay attention to whether celebrities give back to society."
"To put it simply, the public wants celebrities to do charity.
Doing good charity can greatly enhance a celebrity's image and prestige, increase audience favor, and thus further boost their fame, bringing greater commercial value."
"If a celebrity does not do charity well, or even doesn't give back to society at all, once exposed and slandered by rivals, it can even stir up a public opinion storm."
"It's easy to lose points in the eyes of the audience.
At best, they might lose audience favor, see their commercial value decline, and their career slide.
At worst, their star path could be cut short, and they could fade into obscurity among the masses."
"Therefore, for celebrities, doing charity is a homework that must be highly prioritized.
This relates to whether a celebrity's career can develop better and to their commercial value."
"Previously, you developed too quickly, and we hadn't had time to plan your charity work.
However, the public won't have too many demands on a celebrity just starting out like you."
"But this year, you are already an A-list celebrity, and have even touched the threshold of a superstar.
Your charitable endeavors must begin."
"You need to know that at the end of each year, celebrities will voluntarily disclose their charity lists for that year.
Of course, you can choose not to disclose, but then the audience will assume you haven't done any, which will greatly affect your public image."
"And the disclosed charity list must include genuinely charitable actions, such as donating money and goods to people in need, building roads to improve transportation in impoverished areas, or building schools to improve education in underdeveloped regions, and so on."
"Furthermore, the scope of charity is not limited to the United States; it can be global."
"However, the charity list does not include spending at charity galas.
Your spending today, while recognized by the tax bureau and eligible for normal tax deductions, will not be acknowledged by the public.
They will only acknowledge the charitable actions Vanity Fair takes with the funds raised today."
"Of course, the media might publicize tonight's charity gala, which can also temporarily boost your prestige."
"I understand.
My spending at the gala today can only be tax-deductible and cannot be counted as my own charity to enhance my image, but it can help Vanity Fair do charity and enhance its image."
"If I want to improve my own image, I must undertake specific charitable actions myself, is that right?"
Linton thought of the points Daniel had mentioned.
"Yes, but there was also an extra gain tonight.
We had been trying to contact Vanity Fair for an exclusive interview for you without success, but Tina just proactively invited you for an interview," Mira consoled him.
"Thinking about it that way, I still profited today.
I bought things with tax money, got media publicity to boost my prestige, and secured an exclusive interview with Vanity Fair."
Linton also comforted himself.
"However, I still recommend that you don't use all of your tax deduction quota this way.
It's best to do some real charity."
"Okay, I still have 2 million in tax deduction quota.
Help me plan how to use it for the best effect."
After saying that, Linton thought that as his income would increase, coupled with the importance of charity, it seemed necessary to systematically arrange his charitable endeavors.
He recalled hearing in later generations that many wealthy individuals and big stars in the United States donated their entire fortunes to their own charitable foundations, and he felt it was necessary to delve deeply into the intricacies of this.
As Mira left, she reminded Linton not to forget the American Music Magazine exclusive interview on the 27th and the meeting with Mercedes-Benz headquarters' planning and publicity department executives on the 28th.
Back at the manor, Linton handed the oil painting to the housekeeper, Amy, asking her to have it framed and hung in the reception room, while the other antiques and jewelry were placed in the safe.
The next day, Linton was interviewed by American Music Magazine at Universal's office.
The entire interview was very harmonious, with Editor-in-Chief Singer highly praising Linton's achievements in just one year, calling him a new force in American music.
Following the script prepared by Universal, Linton first reviewed his work over the past year, and humbly stated that he was still young and needed to learn more from his Senior in the music industry.
He then praised American Music Magazine, highly commending its contributions to American music.
In any case, for Grammy lobbying, Linton went against his conscience and lavished praise on American Music Magazine.
After the interview in the morning, he was taken to the studio by the magazine's photographer in the afternoon to shoot photos for the magazine, but Linton felt that the American Music Magazine photographer's skill was quite mediocre.
When taking photos in the office that morning, the lighting setup and natural light were basically indistinguishable.
After toiling for an entire afternoon, they finally got satisfactory photos.
He couldn't help but inwardly complain, no wonder American Music Magazine's sales were so poor; the editor's interview was conventional, full of clichés, without any explosive points, and the photography level was so bad.
It would be a miracle if it attracted readers.
On January 28th, in a conference room at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel, sat two executives from Mercedes-Benz's planning and publicity department, Will and Jack.
They were there to personally assess whether Linton met the criteria to be the spokesperson for the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
For Mercedes-Benz, the first choice for a spokesperson would naturally be a German star, but unfortunately, within the realm of film and television stars, Germany simply couldn't find a suitable candidate.
And Mercedes-Benz cars are aimed at a global middle-class consumer group, so what was needed was global fame and influence.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class focuses on sport and off-roading, and the new spokesperson's age limit was under thirty-five.
Ultimately, they turned their gaze to Hollywood.
Their initial choices were Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger; their tough-guy images previously portrayed on screen were a perfect match for the G-Class cars.
But later, a check of their ages revealed one was 45 and the other 48, far exceeding the age range.
When Linton went to Germany to promote his album last time, he was discovered by the work team, who felt his image was very suitable, and he was nominated as one of the candidates.
A knock on the door sounded, and the assistant pushed it open, saying, "Linton-Anderson and his agent have arrived."
Will nodded slightly, "Please show them in."
Soon, the assistant led two people in.
First to catch Becker's eye was a blonde woman, dressed in a tasteful business suit.
Behind her was a tall, strong man.
At first glance, he looked to be around twenty years old, but with another look, he seemed very mature.
This man had a handsome and cool appearance, tall and rugged, with clearly developed and strong muscles.
His entire being exuded a tough and powerful aura!
Furthermore, one could sense a wildness about him.
He appeared refined, but the wildness in his bones was simply uncontainable, emanating a hormonal scent, yet inexplicably carrying an approachable aura, making him extremely charismatic.
Their first impression of Linton inexplicably gave them the feeling that this person was indeed suitable for the image of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class off-road vehicle.
After a brief exchange with Linton and Mira, they discovered that the two had done very detailed homework on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class off-road vehicle, which made them even more satisfied.
The first meeting between the two parties quickly concluded, and Linton and Mira excused themselves and left.
After they left the reception room, Will asked, "How do you feel?"
Jack thought for a moment, "I think he is quite suitable to be the spokesperson for the G-Class."
Will nodded, "I also agree with your point of view.
Both in terms of temperament and image, Linton's compatibility with the G-Class car is very high."
Will made a decision, "Alright, let's fully initiate the endorsement assessment and investigation for Linton, aiming to have results by February."
Linton and Mira got into the Rolls-Royce car.
"What do you think?" he asked Mira.
Mira pondered for a moment and said, "I think they should be quite satisfied with you."
"I think so too.
I judge that the chance of this cooperation is likely over fifty percent."
In fact, after Foundation Establishment, Linton usually restrained his Qi, appearing refined in public.
But today, he did the opposite, emphasizing his rugged and wild side, and during the meeting, he subtly revealed a bit of the powerful Qi and charm of a Cultivator.
It seemed the effect was quite good.
Mira reminded him, "They will certainly conduct a rigorous assessment and investigation afterward.
You need to be careful not to have any scandals during this period."
"Moreover, negotiations with Armani menswear and Timex watches are also at a critical juncture."
"The company is also going all out for Grammy award lobbying."
"Don't worry, when have I ever had a scandal?" Linton silently added in his heart, 'Rumors are not scandals.'
"Also, I suggest you buy a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen.
Use it for your travels recently to show our sincerity to Mercedes-Benz."
"That's a good idea.
Let's go to the car dealership now; the manor needs more vehicles anyway."
The three arrived at the car dealership and spent 130,000 US dollars to pick out a top-of-the-line black Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen.
