King of the Wilderness

Chapter 466: Chapter 261: Favored by the LVMH Group

January 1, 2022, 9:00 AM, the rooftop helipad of the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver.

Lin Yu’an stood at the edge of the helipad, dressed in a perfectly tailored Veilance dark gray suit, with the majestic city and bay of Vancouver beneath his feet.

Behind him, a black Eurocopter EC145 helicopter with the LVMH Group logo served as his exclusive taxi at the moment.

LVMH—Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy; in Lin Yu’an’s mind, the name instantly evoked everything it represented.

It was not just a company; it was a massive business empire comprising over seventy top luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany, Bulgari, and Hennessy.

A colossal entity that dominates the global definition of fashion, jewelry, fine wine, and luxury lifestyle.

Its leader, Bernard Arnault, is the man perpetually contesting for the world’s richest title with Musk and Bezos.

And now, the empire’s helicopter was quietly waiting for him outside his hotel.

This was the handiwork of agent Scooter Braun. Upon learning that Archaeopteryx was hosting a press conference, he immediately realized it was a once-in-a-lifetime PR opportunity.

Through his contacts at CAA, he directly reached out to Sophie Arnould, head of Strategic Development for LVMH Group North America.

His words brimmed with devilish allure: ”Sophie, you know, my Midas touch has never failed over the years, this man will definitely interest you.”

”Now, here’s a chance for your brand to appear before global media on his most important debut day, positioning itself as both a savior and potential ally.”

”Would your helicopter be willing to give my client a ride?”

Sophie Arnould, an equally astute Frenchwoman, agreed after considering it for less than ten seconds.

Because she knew clearly that the helicopter was carrying a super IP capable of defining the high-end male lifestyle of the next decade.

And what LVMH needed to do was ensure that the runway for this IP’s takeoff was laid by them.

Lin Yu’an bent down to board the helicopter, and as the cabin door closed, the aircraft slowly ascended, heading towards the headquarters of Archaeopteryx.

January 1, 2022, a new year, 9:55 AM, Vancouver, Archaeopteryx global headquarters.

This press conference was arranged in the flagship product showroom of Archaeopteryx headquarters, which featured the most artistic design, akin to a museum.

The venue was already crowded with top media from around the world, including a fashion reporter from the New York Times and a business editor from The Wall Street Journal.

Founders of trend media Hypebeast and Highsnobiety, along with the chief editor of the most authoritative outdoor magazine, Outside...

Virtually every notable media giant spanning across business, fashion, and outdoor domains was present.

Besides them, on another side of the venue, sat a group of special individuals.

They were the top core customers of Archaeopteryx, genuine explorers and mountaineers who had worn Archaeopteryx gear to climb mountains, traverse glaciers...

Marcus Weber was standing backstage, composed and calm, but his tightly clenched fists betrayed his inner tension.

Today’s conference, for him and for the entire Archaeopteryx brand, could only succeed; failure was not an option! It was not only a signing ceremony but also a meticulously planned brand redemption.

There were five minutes left before the official start of the press conference. The media on site was beginning to grow impatient, and the murmuring grew louder.

Just then, a dull yet powerful roar of rotors slicing through the air approached from afar, coming from above the headquarters building!

”Buzz buzz buzz——”

The sound grew louder, even overpowering the background music in the venue, causing everyone to instinctively look up.

A sharp-eyed journalist from a renowned aviation magazine was the first to see, through the huge glass wall, the black behemoth slowly descending on the rooftop helipad of the headquarters building.

”It’s a Eurocopter EC145! And look at the logo on the fuselage!”

All the cameras and lenses instantly turned to focus on that helicopter!

Through telephoto lenses, the simple and elegant silver logo, interwoven from two letters, clearly appeared on everyone’s camera screens—LVMH!

”It’s the LVMH Group’s private helicopter!”

”Why is it here?!”

The entire media section instantly exploded!

The minds of the journalists, as sharp as the keenest hunting dogs, began to operate frenziedly.

”Could it be... Archaeopteryx is going to have an in-depth collaboration with the LVMH Group? For example, launching a co-branded line of outdoor gear with Louis Vuitton?”

A young fashion journalist from Vogue guessed naively, her eyes sparkling with excitement about cross-industry collaboration.

”Impossible!” The experienced business editor from The Wall Street Journal immediately refuted with a sneer, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, the lenses reflecting the light of the venue and appearing particularly sharp.

”Anna, don’t interpret this matter with the mindset of a fashion magazine. Who’s the parent company of Archaeopteryx? Anta! Who’s the head of LVMH? Bernard Arnault!”

”These are two sports and luxury giants fiercely battling in the global market; they’re direct competitors! Would Arnault really send his private helicopter to support a competitor’s brand launch? That’s pure fantasy!”

His words were like a splash of cold water, waking everyone from their daydreams.

”Then... what is the signal here?” the fashion journalist inquired further.

”A declaration!” The editor’s eyes glowed with the excitement of discovering shocking news, his voice was small but enough to quiet the surrounding journalists.

”Who’s the protagonist of today’s launch? Lin Yu’an! And the LVMH helicopter was specifically to transport him. Don’t you understand?”

He paused, enjoying the puzzled looks of the crowd, and then said word by word: ”LVMH is using this method visible to the entire world to announce to everyone, especially to Marcus Weber backstage.”

”This person, we’re also very interested in him. You signed him today, good, but don’t think you can always have him.”

This bold and compelling speculation instantly ignited the media frenzy!

”My God, this is insane! It’s like publicly showing goodwill to the new king at Archaeopteryx’s coronation ceremony!” An experienced entertainment journalist from Variety lowered his voice, filled with excitement.

”This is definitely the handiwork of Scooter Braun! That old fox knows exactly how to play with media and capital!”

”Indeed,” agreed the editor from The Wall Street Journal, ”Do you think the few days ago Justin Bieber’s recommendation was really just a casual gesture between friends? I suspect it was CAA’s first shot!”

”Now, the LVMH helicopter is their second, and much heavier bomb. This is the power of hype!”

He continued to analyze: ”Scooter’s move is simply marvelous! He didn’t spend a penny, just made one phone call, and achieved three objectives.”

”First, he had LVMH make the top endorsement for Lin Yu’an, instantly raising Lin Yu’an’s commercial value to a height unattainable by an ordinary star.”

”Second, he exerted tremendous pressure on Archaeopteryx, making them realize that today’s contract signing may just be the beginning, and they’ll have to pay more to retain Lin Yu’an in the future.”

”Third, he declared to the entire industry that CAA can not only make stars but also can mobilize commercial empires like LVMH to pave the way for their collaborators, this is the display of top-level power!”

Next to him, the most authoritative editor-in-chief of Outside magazine from the outdoor circle, who had been silently listening, couldn’t help but express his sentiment.

”We’re still discussing the waterproof index and abrasion resistance of jackets, while they... are redefining a person’s value in ways we can’t comprehend. The survival laws of the wilderness, in front of capital, seem so... pure, yet so powerless.”

”No, quite the contrary,” the editor from The Wall Street Journal rebutted, ”that’s precisely Lin Yu’an’s most terrifying aspect. Why is LVMH interested? Because wilderness and authenticity are exactly the most scarce resources in today’s luxury market!”

”The Arnault Family knows better than anyone, the global luxury market in the next decade won’t be selling logos, but stories, experiences, lifestyles that urban people yearn for, yet are almost unreachable.”

”And Lin Yu’an, he himself is the most typical Eastern and Western representative of this story!”

These words made all the journalists present gasp.

They finally understood that today’s press conference is far more important than they imagined. It’s no longer a simple contract signing ceremony.

This is a top-level capital show directed by CAA and co-starred by the LVMH Group, demonstrating to the world how to turn stones into gold.

At this moment, Lin Yu’an is the unmarked stone about to be inscribed with the mark of the times.

He has not even appeared yet, but his weight and value in the eyes of the media has already been elevated to another level by the helicopter descending from the sky!

When the host finally announced with a solemn tone ”Please welcome the new global brand ambassador of Archaeopteryx for the coming year — Mr. Lin Yu’an,” all the spotlight instantly focused on the stage entrance.

Lin Yu’an took a deep breath and walked out with steady steps from the backstage.

At the moment he appeared, the entire venue erupted with a burst of uncontrollable exclamations!

He wasn’t wearing any hardcore outdoor gear; that perfectly tailored Veilance dark grey suit flawlessly outlined his model-like figure over 1.9 meters tall.

After rebirth, through the dual baptism of the wilderness and forging, the impatience on him had faded, leaving a uniquely distinctive temperament.

It possesses the restraint and depth of Easterners, as well as the perseverance and strength of wilderness survivors.

On his face, there was a polite yet distant smile. His black eyes were as calm as the perennial glaciers of Alaska, yet seemingly contained a sharpness that could penetrate everything.

He just stood there quietly, becoming the sole focal point of the entire venue.

Marcus Weber immediately strode up with a welcoming smile, enthusiastically shaking hands and embracing him, adopting a very low posture.

”Lin! Welcome home!”