599 The Sicilians

There was a box in the hallway, where the audience could throw their papers when the conference ended.

Qin Guan watched his paper get buried under the others. He wondered if the Gucci staff would read it.

Sister Xue pulled him towards a big board composed by logos of different brands. The board showcased the formidable array of the Fashion Week participants.

There were plenty of cameras pointed at the board, recording the controversial people that passed by.

Qin Guan stood out among the designers. He definitely qualified for an independent interview, but the shy Asian preferred to stay at home after work. He had never said yes to an interview. If it weren't for the Milan Fashion Week, the reporters wouldn't have been able to catch him.

"Qin Guan, say hello to the Italian public!"

The Italian radio and television station was very popular, its fashion news section especially so. It actually had an audience rating of 70%.

Qin Guan waved at the camera with a splendid smile.

"Qin Guan, will you get a new job in the next six months? A little bird told me that Gucci is negotiating with Armani. They both want you to be their ambassador in 2004. Is that true?"

What little bird? Qin Guan had no idea about this.

"I'm impressed by your knowledgeable sources. Neither I nor my agent have heard about this. As far as I know, Old Giorgio Armani would never abandon a poor Asian boy like me..."

Qin Guan spread his hands towards the camera in mock sadness.

The reporter seemed amused. He didn't repeat the question though. Instead, he moved on to the next one. "You have shot films in London, France and New York. Would you cooperate with an Italian director too?"

The sudden change of topic confused Qin Guan, but he still smiled wide. Even the Italians were obsessed with his smile.

"If it was a good script and a responsible director, I'd look forward to it!"

The reporter was so close to Qin Guan that his smile shocked him. The rest of the reporters rushed over.

Do you see him, my Italian brothers and sisters? Come and look at the fairy! Quick! 

The interview was postponed again and again. In that country, a scheduled timetable didn't mean much after all. Qin Guan returned to his hotel late in the evening.

All the TV stations in Italy were focused on the fashion celebration. They all reported news about the festival, so more and more Italians got to know the beautiful Asian model.

As a country full of beautiful people, Italy was famous for its high standards. Qin Guan still impressed everyone though. Young people began to search for news about him online. He had managed to enter their secret world.

The island of Sicily was located at the southern point of the country, separate from the European continent. People there spoke Italian with a heavy accent. The natives were very tightly united and had their own social network.

The kinship among families connected all the residents on the island like a spider web. Their strict hierarchical relationship was very much like the old Chinese villages that shared a common family name.

Sicily was also the origin of the Italian Mafia.

Italians were cowards when it came to international battles, so their honor lay in their families instead of their country.

Only in China and Italy could one find such united mafia families.

The Salvador family, which was the largest family in Sicily, was having a big party in its manor. This was a good chance for friends and relatives to exchange information.

The TV was on, but only the girls had some spare time to enjoy an ice-cream and watch a TV program.

Their parents were drinking beer behind them, complaining about the difficulties of the business. Suddenly, a kid's voice was heard.

"Laura likes that boy!"

It was a girl with curly brown hair, who was looking at Qin Guan's smiling face on the TV. Michael, who was the most handsome boy in the room, felt jealous. He tried to attract Laura's attention.

"But he is Chinese... I know that country! It's filled with labor workers!"

The adults stopped talking. They held their laughter back as they listened carefully to the two kids.