“Of course. Why?”

“That fight you just had with Colette—”

“How did you know about that?” Rachel gasped.

“Someone videoed the whole thing on their phone from the mezzanine right above your table. It’s gone viral on WeChat! ‘Spoiled Bitch Epic Takedown,’ that’s what they’ve named it. Blimey—nine million views already!”

17

NEWSPAPERS AROUND THE WORLD

LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS

MAR VISTA CHILD KIDNAPPED IN PRIVATE JET

Breaking News—Van Nuys Airport was the scene of a high-speed chase last night at around 9:50 when LAPD officers pursued a private jet containing a two-and-a-half-year-old kidnapping victim as it sped down runway 16R. At least four squad cars were involved in pursuing the jet but failed to prevent it from taking off and leaving U.S. airspace.

Minutes before, the child’s father, Bernard Tai, had made a frantic 911 call reporting that his daughter, Gisele, had been kidnapped from their home at 11950 Victoria Avenue in Mar Vista. Gisele’s babysitter allowed an unidentified woman into the home while Tai was out, and the woman departed with the child. By the time the police had tracked down Gisele at Van Nuys Airport, she was already aboard the private aircraft.

Tai, who is a Singapore citizen but resides in Los Angeles, gave his occupation as unemployed and told LAPD that he was Gisele’s full-time caregiver. Tai was unreachable for further comment. LAPD would not release any more information about the jet pending further investigation.

LOS ANGELES TIMES

CHILD HEIRESS KIDNAPPED BY HER MOTHER

Los Angeles—In a startling new development in the mysterious “private jet kidnapping” of a Mar Vista child two days ago, the Los Angeles Times has learned that the kidnapping victim, Gisele Tai, was taken by her mother, former Hong Kong soap opera actress Kitty Pong. Gisele is the sole heiress and only daughter of Bernard Tai, the president and non-executive vice chairman of TTL Holdings, which is headquartered in Hong Kong.

Tai, who told LAPD that he was “unemployed,” is said to be worth over $4 billion and maintains lavish residences around the world. He is also the owner of the 388-foot megayacht Kitty’s Galore. However, for the past two years Tai and his family have quietly resided in a 2,807-square-foot house in the upper-middle-class neighborhood of Mar Vista. “I always suspected Bernard had money, but I never knew he had that kind of money. I knew he moved to Mar Vista because he wanted to raise his daughter in the most conscious way possible. He’s a terrific father. I never once met the wife,” said Linda C. Scout, who took a Nia class with Tai.

Two nights ago, Tai’s personal chef, Milla Lignel, who resides at the house and was babysitting that evening, allowed the child’s mother, Kitty Pong, into the home. Pong, who is currently estranged from her husband and lives in Hong Kong, removed her daughter from the house. “Madame asked me to make her an omelet, and it only took me cinq minutes, but by the time the omelet was ready, madame and Gisele had disappeared,” said a tearful Lignel.

Tai knew something was wrong when he was served with divorce papers in the middle of a sound-bath healing workshop in Santa Monica. After speaking with Ms. Lignel, he immediately suspected that his wife intended to leave the country with their daughter. LAPD has confirmed that Tai activated a secret GPS tracking device in Gisele’s TOMS shoes that also alerted the police. The police pursued the child to Van Nuys Airport, but it was too late to stop the private Boeing 747-81.

Officer Scot Ishihara, who was on the scene, calmly noted, “We gave chase, but it’s hard to stop a 450-ton jumbo jet from taking off if it wants to.”

Tai, who has filed kidnapping charges against his wife in Los Angeles, has apparently left the country. Calls to TTL’s corporate headquarters in Hong Kong were unreturned.

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

KITTY TAI ESCAPED WITH DAUGHTER ON MAINLAND BILLIONAIRE’S PLANE

Hong Kong—The Los Angeles Police Department, together with officials at Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles, can now confirm that the Boeing 747-81 used in the alleged “kidnapping” of heiress Gisele Tai by her mother, Kitty Tai, was owned by Chinese industrialist Jack Bing.

Mr. Bing, who is said to be worth upward of $21 billion, apparently lent Mrs. Tai his $350 million jet at the behest of a mutual friend. Mr. Bing’s spokesperson today issued this statement: “Mr. Bing lends his planes from time to time to various individuals and organizations on humanitarian grounds. Mr. Bing is not acquainted with Mrs. Tai in any way, but was urged to provide the plane for what he understood to be a humanitarian rescue mission. Neither Mr. Bing nor his family has played any role whatsoever in what is a private family matter between the Tais.”

After a brief refueling stop in Shanghai, Bing’s jet landed in Singapore, where representatives for Mrs. Tai say she intends to divorce Bernard Tai and sue for shared custody of her daughter. Tai, who arrived in Singapore earlier today, has already countersued and filed kidnapping charges in both Los Angeles and Singapore.

Giving a brief statement after landing at Changi Airport, Tai, whose face appears to be drastically altered by cosmetic surgery, said, “My wife has never played an active role in the raising of our daughter, and this is a well-documented fact that can be confirmed just by looking at any society magazine to see all the events my wife attends in Asia while her daughter has been in Los Angeles. Gisele has spent most of her conscious life in Los Angeles, and she is missing out on valuable learning and developmental opportunities. This is a tragedy of epic proportions and Gisele needs to be immediately returned to those who truly love her and care for her.”

Mrs. Tai was unavailable for comment.

NOBLESTMAGAZINE.COM.CN

The latest scoop from China’s most trusted society columnist, Honey Chai

Is everyone sitting down? Because I have so many scoops for you that we might as well make a giant banana split! First scoop, and you heard it here FIRST: Mrs. Bernard Tai, aka Kitty Pong, is the mistress of Jack Bing! Extremely reliable sources tell me that Pong and Bing have been carrying on for quite a while now; they met two years ago at—get this—the funeral of Kitty’s father-in-law, Dato’ Tai Toh Lui! Tai was a great mentor of Bing’s, and apparently sparks really flew at the crematorium when Jack met Kitty. Meanwhile, a devastated Mrs. Bing has reportedly checked into the health spa at Brenners Park-Hotel in Baden-Baden, Germany. Colette Bing, who by all accounts is furious with her father, has also left Shanghai and was last seen canoodling with a certain notorious playboy at a club in Ibiza.

Which brings me to my next hot scoop: Everyone on the planet has by now seen the leaked video of Colette’s epic takedown by an unidentified woman. It’s the video that made Prêt-à-Couture cancel the multimillion-dollar endorsement deal with Colette. I can now reveal that this woman, whose monologue has become a rallying cry for every non-billionaire in China (and unfortunately, there are still quite a few of us who didn’t make it onto the Heron Wealth List!), is none other than Rachel Chu, the sister of Colette’s ex-paramour Carlton Bao. (Everyone still with me here?) Anyway, the video also led to Carlton and Colette’s breakup, and when I asked Carlton how he felt the other night at DR Bar, he gave me a frown and said, “What breakup? I’ve always said that Colette wasn’t my girlfriend. But she was a good friend at a time I really needed one, and I wish her the best.” That’s a classy response in my book.

Speaking of classy, Carlton’s parents, Bao Gaoliang and his wife, Bao Shaoyen, hosted a farewell dinner party at Yong Foo Elite last night for his daughter, Rachel Chu, and her husband, Professor Nicholas Young, who would be heading back to New York shortly. There wasn’t a dry eye in the splendid art deco room when Bao made an emotional toast to his “long lost” daughter, recounting the harrowing story of his youth and how he rescued his infant daughter and her mother from the clutches of an abusive family. The glittering crowd of China’s top political and financial powerhouse families clapped wildly after his speech, including Hong Kong’s tech titan Charles Wu. Wu, who stunned le tout Hong Kong by announcing his separation from his wife, Isabel, just weeks ago, spent the whole night glued to the side of a beautiful lady wearing the most drop-dead-gorgeous pleated white dress. Many at the party seemed to know her, but I was never able to catch her name.

When I can mention Yong Foo Elite, abusive families, and girls in white dresses in the same breath, I know it’s time to end my column. In the meantime, stay tuned for more updates on the Bing-Pong affair. I just know there will be more bombshells hurtling our way once all the legal teams get involved!

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