Chapter 96: Chapter 3 Buy, Buy, Buy! (Please Subscribe)
"Okay, I agree," Sun Dasheng said.
"Thank you!" Wu Xiaoli said sincerely.
"Do we need to be so polite with each other?" Sun Dasheng laughed.
"To you, it might be less than the cost of a car, but for me, it’s a moral shackle that has bound me for so many years," she said, her voice gradually growing somber.
A comforting hand drew her into an embrace, gently stroking her hair.
"It’s all in the past!"
"Yes, it’s all passed," she echoed, a smile blooming on her face again.
After Wu Xiaoli left, Sun Dasheng returned to the company. He began to work through a pile of documents, especially those requiring his signature. Not long after, there was a knock on his office door.
"Come in!"
Yu Xiaoqiang, the manager of the subsidiary entertainment company Xinli Media, walked in. Although he was the manager in name, he didn’t handle many of the company’s affairs; it was more of a nominal position. Despite his lackluster performance, he hoped to gain the boss’s approval and obtain greater authority. He wanted to be involved in things like producing short dramas, too.
"Director Sun," he said, bowing obsequiously the moment he entered, putting on a humble front.
"What is it?" Sun Dasheng gestured for him to sit.
Yu Xiaoqiang perched nervously on the edge of the seat.
He said respectfully, "Director Sun, as per your previous instructions, the online influencer development plan has been fully launched."
"Oh? How’s it going?" If Yu Xiaoqiang hadn’t brought it up, Sun Dasheng would have almost forgotten about it.
"Except for Li Sili, whom you specifically assigned to Supervisor Sun, the other influencers are all steadily gaining followers. We’re already seeing promising initial results."
"That’s not bad at all. Keep up the good work, and you’ll get a bonus at the end of the year."
Even as he said this, he was considering whether he should replace him with someone less capable. This man seemed too competent for his company.
"Thank you, Director Sun." Yu Xiaoqiang stood up to express his gratitude.
Sun Dasheng waved his hand downward, signaling for him to sit down and not get so excited.
"No need to thank me. You deserve it. If you want to thank anyone, thank your own hard-working self."
These words nearly brought Yu Xiaoqiang to tears. His gaze toward Sun Dasheng grew even more devout. When a ruler treats his subjects like his own hands and feet, his subjects will treat him as their own heart and soul. Enough said. Meeting a boss like this is the greatest blessing of my life. From now on, there’s only one word for it: loyalty! I’ll delete those WeChat contacts from recruiters trying to poach me with high-paying offers as soon as I get back.
"By the way, you had a plan to create a top influencer for five million, didn’t you? How’s that going?" Sun Dasheng asked.
"Uh..." Yu Xiaoqiang hesitated for a few seconds before saying dejectedly, "It failed. Director Sun, please punish me. Demote me, cut my salary—I won’t have a single complaint."
He never expected that the project he had the highest hopes for—creating a top influencer—would fail, while the smaller influencers he’d paid little mind to had all started to flourish. Even scouting and developing influencers from other companies was going exceptionally well. It was a classic case of his most carefully planned project failing while the ones he’d neglected succeeded.
Hearing this, Sun Dasheng wasn’t angry at all; in fact, he was delighted. So, it’s not that competent people are unsuitable. It’s just as they say: the more capable you are, the more destructive you can be when heading in the wrong direction. I’ll keep him. I’ll definitely keep him.
As he sat there wiping sweat from his brow, Yu Xiaoqiang had no idea he had just been on the verge of being fired.
"It’s no big deal. Failure is the mother of success. Just keep trying," Sun Dasheng said magnanimously.
Yu Xiaoqiang was overwhelmed. What have I done to merit this?
"Rest assured, Director Sun! I’ll adjust my strategy immediately. I’ll abandon the plan to create a top influencer and build a matrix of micro-influencers instead to help the company become profitable more quickly."
"No, no need to change a thing," Sun Dasheng immediately refused. "Stick to your original plan. Your strategy of creating a top influencer is the right one."
Huh? My plan to create a top influencer already failed. How on earth can Director Sun see it as the right approach? Still, the boss’s word is law. Even if I can’t see the brilliant aspects of my old plan right now, they must exist. I’ll just have to go back and think it over carefully.
With that, he nodded. "Okay, Director Sun. I’ll go back and continue executing the top influencer plan."
"Does the company have enough funds?" Sun Dasheng asked.
"Uh... not quite. Director Sun, are you planning to inject more capital?" Yu Xiaoqiang asked hopefully.
But to his surprise, his boss refused. "The investment company doesn’t put all its eggs in one basket. I’ve already injected tens of millions into your venture. I expect you to use that money wisely and become profitable soon. Otherwise, even if the entertainment company goes bankrupt, the investment company won’t invest a single cent more."
Feeling immense pressure, Yu Xiaoqiang nodded in understanding, bowed, and left.
A short while later, he summoned Wang Hai, the manager of the investment department. I need to invest the money sitting in the company’s accounts into a few failing industries as soon as possible to earn experience points.
Following Wang Hai’s introductions, he selected a few recognized twilight industries.
One was a small chain of internet cafes with about a dozen locations in Pudong, each representing an original investment of around five million. In total, the initial investment amounted to a hefty sixty million. Of course, that was the actual cash the founder had put in. Now that he was trying to sell, the cost of depreciation for computers and furniture, plus renovation expenses, had to be deducted. The final price was slashed to a valuation of thirty million.
Sun Dasheng grinned. Investing in internet cafes really burns through money fast. Look at this guy—he lost thirty million in less than half a year. A perfect project!
He put a checkmark next to it.
Next, he put a checkmark by an obscure milk tea chain valued at 15 million. It was the kind of chain that now only operated within Shanghai City. Of course, it had started as a nationwide franchise, but unfortunately, it had been beaten to a pulp by industry behemoths. In the end, it could only retreat to its home base in Shanghai City, where it was slowly bleeding money, surviving only on its past reputation.
After selecting these two, he had Wang Hai take the investment department team to handle the negotiations. As a mere tool selected by the System, Wang Hai didn’t ask any questions; upon receiving the boss’s instructions, he simply said he would get right on it.
Sun Dasheng looked at the investment company’s remaining cash balance of 47 million. He had no choice but to stop here and focus on these two projects for now.
It’s not that I haven’t considered cutting corners. I thought about taking the company’s money and going all-in on the stock market. That would have been a hell of a fast way to lose money. Unfortunately, the one million I used to test the waters vanished without making a ripple, and I never got a ’System notification of investment failure.’ It seems that as far as the System is concerned, speculative gambles are invalid investments. They don’t yield any experience points.
After finishing his work, he played on his phone for a bit. He went through his social media, liking the photos the three of them had posted from their trip to Hengdian. He then transferred 200,000 yuan to Jiang Ziyan via WeChat, telling her to take Xiang Yiren and buy some daily necessities when she woke up. Since she’d run away from home, she hadn’t been able to bring much with her.
Then, he noticed the recent cold wave in the weather forecast.
He transferred one million yuan to his mother back home, telling her to renovate the house and, at the very least, install a fireplace.
To his surprise, his mother called almost immediately.
Her first words were, "Well, Boss Sun, where have you been striking it rich lately?"
"Mom, what are you talking about?"
"What am I talking about? The last time you secretly sent your dad a million without telling me, you said it was because you got a promotion and a raise. You were being a filial son, so I accepted it. But it’s only been a few days, and now you’ve wired another million! Did you print this money yourself? Don’t you dare try to fool me with that promotion nonsense. I may be old, but I’m not senile yet. Spit it out, what’s really going on?"
Damn, her words are like machine-gun fire. But since he’d already sent the money, he naturally had an excuse prepared.
"Mom, it’s not that I was trying to hide it from you, it’s just..."
"Just what? Honestly, Da Sheng, you never used to be so cagey. Has living in the big city changed you this much?"
"Okay, Mom, I’ll tell you the truth. I earned the money on the stock market. It’s a pretty big sum, and I was afraid of scaring you and Dad if I told you."
"You earned it WHERE?" his mother, Xie Guixiang, shrieked, her voice jumping an octave.
I knew this would happen. Stock trading was a taboo subject in his family; the topic was never to be mentioned. But he had no other choice—it was the only plausible explanation for getting so much money so quickly without breaking the law.
"Mom, don’t worry. The money’s been withdrawn and is safe. I’ve already closed my brokerage accounts. Now I’m just focusing on my investment work. I’m not touching that stuff anymore," he swore, finally managing to calm Xie Guixiang down.
"You were lucky this time, but a person can’t be lucky forever! It’s right not to touch that wretched thing again."
"Mom, you can rest completely assured. I’ve put some of the money with you to act as a safety net, right?"
"Fine. I’ll hold on to the money for now. We’ll consider it savings for when you get married," his mother said, pleased by his sensible thinking.
Why do all mothers read from the same script? My marriage prospects are the least of your worries. The real fear is whether you’ll be able to handle it when I bring home too many wives. You wouldn’t unleash some legendary, heaven-sent smackdown on your own son, would you?
"We can’t install a fireplace. Our old apartment complex has too many safety hazards; it’s not allowed."
When it came to practical matters, his mother shattered his wonderful idea. She’s right. Fireplaces use an open flame, so they’re best for detached houses. You can’t install them in a high-rise because of the fire risk.
He felt a headache coming on. Living in the central region, they didn’t have the warmth of the south or the central heating of the north. In winter, they had to brave the cold with sheer grit. Air conditioning was not only inefficient for heating, but it also made the air extremely dry. His plan to install a fireplace for his parents was now clearly impossible.
In that case, I should change my approach. If I can’t install a fireplace in the current house, why not just buy a house where I can?
"Mom, are there any new villa developments back home?"
"Why are you asking that?" his mother asked, puzzled.
"I’m thinking of buying one!"
"Don’t we have a house for you to live in? Why waste money on this?" she said, confused.
"For getting married, of course," Sun Dasheng said, hitting his mother right where she was most vulnerable. "You know how materialistic women are these days. Who would be willing to marry a man without a decent house? Now that the house in Shanghai City is sold, all we have left is this old, small, run-down place. If I don’t buy a respectable new house, your son is going to be a bachelor forever!"
That did it. His mother panicked and blurted out, "Buy it! Buy it! We’re buying!"