8
Having just lost the first gift her idol ever gave her, Xu Zhaixing was in low spirits all through dinner.
Her mother, oblivious, continued to twist the knife: “Honestly, what’s wrong with you? You buy milk tea and then don’t even drink it, just leave it sitting there! What good is keeping it? Will it magically boost your grades or give you perfect test scores? Thank goodness I found it. Who knows how many cockroaches or bugs spoiled food like that would attract.”
Xu Zhaixing: “…”
Just then, her father arrived home, looking travel-worn.
He had been in their hometown these past few days dealing with the affairs surrounding Uncle Xu’s passing. He’d returned to S City today, went straight to the company, and was only now getting home.
Seeing her father back, Xu Zhaixing’s mood instantly improved. She was confident Xu Yan had already brought up the topic of borrowing money to start a business. The bait had been cast; now it was her turn to step in!
Aunt Liu served Mr. Xu his meal. Mrs. Xu, temporarily letting Xu Zhaixing off the hook, began asking how things had been handled in their hometown.
Hearing that Xu Yan had voluntarily given up his inheritance rights to the houses and land back home, Mrs. Xu sighed with feeling. “Xu Yan, that boy… he’s been abroad since he was young, wasn’t very close to us, but his mother raised him well—polite and sensible. He really got the short end of the stick this time.”
Mr. Xu sighed too. “Absolutely. No matter how distant he might feel from the Xu family, his father’s possessions should rightfully go to his son. Fourth Sister and Fifth Sister really went too far this time, insisting on fighting for it. Luckily Xu Yan didn’t make a fuss. If this had ended up in court, who knows how many people would have laughed at us.”
Xu Zhaixing pretended to be absorbed in the TV but was listening intently. Hearing her father’s words, she immediately grasped that Xu Yan’s strategy of yielding to gain an advantage had been very clever.
Xu Yan was no pushover. If he had really wanted to fight for it, none of those relatives back home would have been a match for him.
Her father, who valued family ties deeply, seeing Xu Yan suffer such an injustice, would undoubtedly feel even more guilty. At this point, if Xu Yan brought up borrowing money to start a business, her father would most likely not refuse.
Cousin, you’re awesome!
Xu Zhaixing didn’t feel the slightest bit sorry for her father, who was walking right into the trap. She listened eagerly as he continued, “Speaking of which, that child Xu Yan asked to borrow money yesterday…”
Mrs. Xu paused, chopsticks in mid-air. “Borrow money? What for?”
Mr. Xu said, “He said he wants to start a business. He even showed me his business plan. The kid has some good ideas, seems steady. His future prospects probably won’t be bad.”
Mrs. Xu asked, “That’s true. Didn’t he graduate from some famous foreign university? Just finished his master’s this year, right? To me, he seems far more cultured than Second Uncle’s family. Starting a business should be supported. How much did he ask for?”
Mr. Xu held up a number with his fingers.
Xu Zhaixing nearly choked on her soup.
Xu Yan, you really have some nerve.
Mrs. Xu was equally stunned. “That much?!”
Mr. Xu nodded with a bitter smile. “The kid just came out and asked for that amount. From his manner, he didn’t seem to be joking. He even showed me a budget breakdown, said the initial investment for this entertainment economy sector is quite high. In the past, it wouldn’t have been impossible to come up with, after all, he’s Big Brother’s only child left in this world, how could we not help? But the economy isn’t great right now, and my company…”
He trailed off here, glancing at Xu Zhaixing, who was still at the table.
Xu Zhaixing stared fixedly at the period drama on TV, pretending to be completely engrossed, even giggling foolishly at it.
Only then did Mr. Xu lower his voice again and continue to Mrs. Xu, “He framed it as an investment. We’d each hold shares; he’d handle the operations, and I’d just collect dividends. But that sum is substantial… And didn’t Second Brother ask me just the other day to join him in that venture capital deal? The liquid funds I can access right now aren’t that much. This…”
Xu Zhaixing, who had been “concentrating” on the TV, suddenly spoke up nonchalantly, “I think investing in Cousin is way more reliable than investing in Second Uncle.”
Mrs. Xu scolded her, “Eat your dinner! What do you, a child, know? Don’t interrupt when adults are talking!”
Xu Zhaixing pouted, as if deliberately arguing back with her mother. Unhappily, she said, “But it’s true! What does Dad know about Second Uncle’s venture capital stuff? He never went to university, never studied economics or finance.”
She looked at her father with feigned indignation. “So, if you go into it, you won’t understand anything, won’t know how to do anything. It’ll all be up to Second Uncle. Wouldn’t we just be taking advantage of him? Second Uncle might not mind at first, but over time, he wouldn’t be happy either.”
Her father actually hadn’t considered this angle. He stared at Xu Zhaixing, dumbfounded.
Mrs. Xu, realizing her daughter had a point, pondered this. “She’s actually right. We can’t just sit back and take money without doing anything. And that Second Brother of yours, don’t get mad—he’s not the most broad-minded. If this went on long-term, there’d probably be conflict.”
Xu Zhaixing shoveled a couple more bites of rice, turned her attention back to the TV, and continued casually, “What Cousin wants to do, that entertainment economy thing, isn’t that related to Dad’s company’s work? Dad could even keep an eye on it, help manage it a bit. My teacher says you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket. Right now, Dad just has one company. What if it went bankrupt? Then there’d still be Cousin’s company.”
Mrs. Xu laughed, swatting her playfully on the back of the head. “You silly girl, what’s all this talk about bankruptcy? Can’t you say something more auspicious? Bah, bah, bah!”
But Mr. Xu, hearing her out, actually agreed. “Stop hitting the kid. What if you damage such a smart brain? I think Zhaixing makes a lot of sense. Ah, my daughter really takes after me—outstanding!”
Xu Zhaixing puffed up with pride. “Of course! I even know you should help those in urgent need, not just the poor. Second Uncle’s family isn’t poor, and he’s not in urgent need either. On the other hand, Cousin just graduated, full of ambitions waiting to be realized. He needs the money now. Shouldn’t we help him instead? And Second Uncle is all talk—we haven’t seen anything concrete. Cousin actually gave you a business plan. That’s much more substantial.”
Xu Yan had already laid down plenty of hooks. All she needed to do was reinforce the bait, and that would be enough to securely hook her dad, the big fish.
Ah, Dad, don’t blame your daughter for setting a trap. It’s all for your own good.
After finishing her meal, Xu Zhaixing tossed out an “I’m going to do my homework” and went upstairs to her room, leaving Mr. Xu alone downstairs to ponder.
But she knew, just like when Xu Yan had said, “I’ll give you an answer tomorrow,” her father’s decision was already clear.
His deceased elder brother, the only remaining bloodline… just that alone was enough to tip the scales.
Sure enough, two days later, Xu Zhaixing received a text from Xu Yan: Success.
In the end, Mr. Xu chose to partner with Xu Yan, establishing “Star Era Entertainment Co., Ltd.” Mr. Xu served as the legal representative, holding 51% of the shares, while Xu Yan held 49%.
Since this wasn’t a small investment, Xu Zhaixing wasn’t sure how the negotiations went, but her father ultimately retained his highest executive authority. However, Xu Yan, as the talent providing technical expertise without any capital investment, ended up with 49% of the shares and was appointed General Manager of Star Era Entertainment, with full decision-making power over company affairs.
Mr. Xu’s time and energy would undoubtedly remain focused on his own Morningstar Culture Media. His controlling stake in Star Era Entertainment was likely due to concerns about Xu Yan’s young age and inexperience; he probably wanted to keep an eye on things.
Morningstar Culture Media was losing money year after year. With this major investment, Mr. Xu wouldn’t have liquid funds available for venture capital in the short term. No longer needing to worry about Xu Zhiwen’s antics, Xu Zhaixing finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
Star Era Entertainment was registered in B City, and its future development would also be centered there—a joint decision by Xu Yan and Xu Zhaixing.
Before Xu Yan left for B City to begin his entrepreneurial journey, Xu Zhaixing, leveraging her “foresight,” prepared a detailed plan and gave it to him.
The plan highlighted which variety shows, TV dramas, and films Star Era Entertainment should invest in at this stage. It also listed several names Xu Yan had never heard of, complete with their basic information, instructing him to find a way to sign them.
Some were students at certain universities, some were performing at bars in B City, some were extras at film studios, and one even listed their occupation as “feeding pigs at a pig farm in a certain county”!
Feeding pigs? Are you kidding me?
Xu Yan felt a headache coming on.
The night before his departure for B City, Xu Yan came over for a farewell dinner.
During the meal, Mr. and Mrs. Xu, of course, gave Xu Yan plenty of advice and reminders, as in their eyes, he was still just a young man. Having just lost his father, with his mother abroad, he was now heading to B City alone to make his way. Even with Mr. Xu’s financial backing, in this era of rapid economic development, throwing in a few million or even tens of millions might not even make a ripple.
Xu Yan smiled throughout, nodding in agreement to everything. Seeing his steady, polite demeanor, Mr. and Mrs. Xu felt somewhat reassured.
After dinner, Xu Zhaixing, under the pretext of needing Xu Yan to tutor her with homework, called him to her room.
Locking the door, she quickly pulled out the original copy of her plan, opened it, and went through it point by point with Xu Yan. “You absolutely must remember everything I’ve written here. You have to find a way to invest! The prospects are excellent; it’s absolutely going to be a hit! Don’t be timid. Invest boldly and confidently!”
Then she pointed to the section on signing artists. “And these people I’ve already scouted them in person. They’re promising talents! After some packaging, they’re definitely going to be famous!”
Xu Yan found this strange. “How do you know they’ll be famous?”
Xu Zhaixing said with utmost seriousness, “They all have a red glow between their eyebrows. Fire is in their destiny.”
Xu Yan looked at her with a complicated expression. “I didn’t know you could read fortunes.”
Xu Zhaixing’s face was now thick as a wall. “I’m ashamed, just know a little.”
Xu Yan had a virtue: even though he knew his little cousin was full of mysteries, he wouldn’t pry to the bottom of things.
After listening to Xu Zhaixing chatter on for quite a while, he finally nodded in promise. “Alright, everything you’ve written here, I’ll carefully investigate once I get there. If things are truly as you say, I’ll definitely find a way to make it happen.”
He flipped to the last page and pointed to a name circled in red, with an ‘X’ drawn over it. “What’s the deal with this Cen Feng? Sign or not sign?”
The lively expression instantly vanished from Xu Zhaixing’s face.
Xu Yan even caught a glimpse of some inexplicable sadness on her face.
It was a long moment before he heard her say, “I originally wanted you to find a way to sign him, but…” She paused, sighed, and mumbled unhappily, “Go ask him. He performs at the address written there. Ask him if he wants to sign with Star Era. If he’s unwilling…”
Xu Zhaixing looked down at her fingers. When she raised her head again, the familiar liveliness had returned to her expression. “If he’s unwilling, then forget it. Right now, he’s a trainee under Zhongtian, bound by a ten-year contract. The penalty for breaking it probably isn’t small.”
Xu Yan nodded thoughtfully.
Xu Zhaixing put away the plan and chatted a bit more with Xu Yan about her thoughts and ideas. It wasn’t until Mrs. Xu called for him that Xu Yan finally said goodbye and left.
Before bed, Xu Zhaixing took out the plan again and looked it over.
On the last page, Cen Feng’s name was crossed out with red pen.
She had indeed considered signing him to Star Era as quickly as possible, to prevent all the future darkness.
But for some reason, she felt strongly that Cen Feng would refuse.
**