Chapter 35 The Happiness of Ignorance
Qin Duo, whom I always remembered as having a good temper and whom I had never seen get angry.
His advice, to the three of them, was indeed not very persuasive.
Besides, none of the three of them believed there was anything wrong with their thinking.
Who is Tang Anru?
Her mother was an internationally renowned dancer, and although she did not follow in her mother's footsteps and pursue a career in dance, she was accepted as a student of a famous violin master from a young age because of her exceptional talent.
From elementary school to high school, I've performed on countless professional stages.
Moreover, they had known Tang Anru since childhood and had always admired this elegant, intellectual, and dazzling actress.
"Then we'll be going now!" The three of them cleaned up the snacks on the table and greeted Qin Duo, who was sitting at the table handling business, with honest expressions.
Then they pushed and shoved each other as they left the office.
Qin Duo didn't speak, but his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the screen with a soft laugh.
The three people who had just left the office couldn't wait to start discussing in hushed tones.
"What do you think we should do about this?"
"Brother Duo is definitely on Anru's side. I reckon this time, the school just wants to promote a real representative, so they put her in this position." The long-haired girl pouted.
"That's ridiculous. She's just an orphan. What does the school mean by this? Do they think they can use her to outdo us in the last half of the semester and motivate us to work harder?" another curly-haired girl said angrily.
"There's no point in saying all this. The facts are already there. I will absolutely not give her a chance to perform on stage." The boy snorted and said smugly, "I've thought of a good idea."
"Hurry up and tell me."
"What's the rush!"
The boy clicked his tongue at them, then smiled smugly and said, "Whether this was arranged by the school or not, the party was for us to see. Tell me, if everyone knew that Meng Er replaced Sister An Ru in the performance, what would they think?"
The best way to deal with her is to make her unpopular.
The three of them simply did not believe that Tang Anru really had 'more important things to do'. They all believed that this was just the result of her following the school's arrangements.
Compared to those children who pay more attention to the big picture in their behavior, they are more enthusiastic about the sense of accomplishment that comes from challenging the rules.
It's as if I've become Sun Wukong, causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace, and doing something cowardly wouldn't dare to do.
"Our job is to spread the word, and then we don't have to do anything else."
The boy said smugly, "We'll see how the school explains this to us."
"Tch, I thought you'd come up with something good." The long-haired girl said dismissively, but then smiled. "But this idea is indeed quite interesting."
"Haha, let her pretend. Anyone who didn't know better would think that everyone in Jingyun is being bullied by her." The boy sneered, "Isn't it because the big shots are all busy right now and don't have time to deal with her? Otherwise, would she be able to act like a bully?"
The curly-haired girl nodded in agreement, saying, "Even my childhood friend from another school came to me asking about her background. It's really funny. People outside who don't know the situation really think she's amazing."
"Anyway, it's all for Sister Anru!" The boy raised his fist and waved it. "As for making her unable to keep up the act anymore, that's just a side effect, understand?"
"We'll just wait and see."
The three exchanged glances and chuckled, then took out their phones to discuss what to say before sharing the story that the school had been 'keeping' from everyone.
-
Delia is fifty-seven years old this year. He is slightly overweight and his age has given him an indelible face of wrinkles, which also make his eyes look deep and mature when he is not smiling.
At this moment, his eagle-like eyes were fixed on the financial report on the screen in front of him.
The assistant stood to the side and confirmed with him again: "Sir, I have reviewed the articles from several media outlets, and there are no problems. They have already arranged the publication date, and the news about your meeting will appear in the best section."
"Hmm," Delia replied casually, taking a sip of her coffee.
Despite her outward calm, Delia was quite pleased inside.
He had even prepared a gift for the girl named Menger: a tech stock that had been performing poorly for a long time was about to see its price skyrocket in the next few days.
Regarding their idea of this meal, although neither Meng Er nor he explicitly stated their purpose, their thoughts were in a similar sense.
Delia needs a good image, and if it can gain positive fame through a legendary story, then the time invested will be well worth it.
As for what the girl wanted, he thought it didn't matter.
The plane landed quickly. Although it was a private trip, Delia's arrival still attracted a lot of media attention, and many funds in Hecheng hoped to meet and contact him.
Separated by a group of bodyguards, Delia left the airport calmly and unaffected, getting into the Maybach that had come to pick her up.
Meng Er chose Shengjinlou as her dining location. It wasn't a Michelin three-star restaurant or anything particularly special; it was simply a decent restaurant that was closest to her rented place.
The manager of Shengjinlou was initially a little suspicious about the young girl booking their largest private room, but since she paid the deposit so readily, they naturally wouldn't refuse her request since they were open to doing business.
Even today, when he saw Meng Er come alone, he began to have doubts again. He thought it was a student gathering, but it didn't look like it at all.
With a professional smile on her face, the manager asked a waiter to lead her to a private room to sit down.
Soon, a convoy of cars stopped at the gate of Shengjinlou.
Upon receiving the notification, the manager hurried to the door and immediately spotted the elderly foreign man surrounded by bodyguards and assistants.
He quickly straightened his back, ready to demonstrate his English proficiency—having passed the CET-6 exam in college—and show what made him a manager.
The blonde, blue-eyed assistant, speaking Mandarin with a slight accent, smiled and said, "Hello, our friend, Ms. Meng, we've reserved a table here. Would you please show us there?"
"Meng... okay, okay." The manager was a little confused, but seeing that this group of people were obviously important, he suppressed his doubts and prepared to call the front desk to ask if any guests with the surname Meng had made a reservation.
At this moment, the waiter who was responsible for leading Meng Er to the private room came over.
She paused for a moment when she saw the large group of people behind the manager, then walked over to the manager and whispered, "Manager, the guest just now said that she asked me to tell you that her guest should be arriving soon."
"He's a foreigner, what's his name... Delia."
Upon hearing her boss's name mentioned, the assistant in charge of translation smiled slightly and said, "Yes, please lead the way."
"...Okay, this way please."
The manager didn't know who Delia was; he only saw Meng Er, who looked young like a student, come in alone, followed by this group of people with the demeanor of business elites.
These two, one in front of the other, don't look like they'd actually sit at the same table to eat.
Even after escorting the person into the private room, the manager glanced at the row of bodyguards standing guard outside the door, still feeling confused, and quickly went to the kitchen to oversee the dishes.
"Hello, it's great to meet you, Miss Meng."
Delia entered the mahogany-decorated private room, not giving much thought to the surroundings; his gaze immediately fell on the young woman sitting peacefully in the main seat.
It must be said that even though he had seen all sorts of people, he was still surprised by Meng Er's youth.
But Delia also knew that the world was never short of young geniuses, especially children raised by large families.
They had sufficient resources and foundation to understand the concept of finance at an age when others were still crying over the Little Mermaid turning into sea foam, and to try to use this weapon, with the resources provided by their family.
Delia did not look down on her because of her age and gender. She wondered in her mind which Chinese family she was from, or perhaps her name was just an alias.
With a smile on his face, he walked to the table and shook hands with Meng Er, who stood up and extended his hand to him.
The assistant who was following them had already taken a picture of the scene.
Meng Er remained calm and did not stop her. This was a perfectly normal procedure. It was precisely because of this that Delia condescended to fly to a foreign city to have dinner with an unknown ordinary person.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Delia.” Meng Er smiled slightly, his fluent language making it sound like it didn’t need a translator.
Maintaining social distancing, the two sat down.
Apart from one assistant who was responsible for recording the conversation and taking photos, everyone else tactfully left the private room.
The smile on Delia's face was kind, and you could not tell how he had managed to earn the name of a filthy hyena from countless people who had lost everything in the midst of one upheaval after another.
“Both your abilities and your demeanor have amazed me,” Delia said with a smile. “At least, I’m starting to forget about your age without even realizing it.”
Meng Er smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment, but I think age has never meant anything. Just like you, you achieved something that surpassed your predecessors when you were only twenty years old."
"I believe that when you look back at that time now, you should still be proud of your confidence and decisiveness."
Upon hearing this, Delia's eyes clearly showed a more serious warmth, and at least the smile on her somewhat chubby face deepened.
He glanced at the table, where there was only a cup of hot tea in front of him, but he picked it up without a care and said with a smile, "Similarly, thank you for the compliment."
"Then, let's raise a glass to the youth."
The meal began with a pleasant conversation, and the two gradually became very happy.
As Delia gradually relaxed, after asking a few probing questions with unclear intentions, she unknowingly revealed some information or experience that Meng Er could not easily obtain from the internet.
Later on, even when the waiters came in to serve the food, they couldn't interrupt the two's conversation.
Delia looked at Meng Er with increasing admiration and couldn't help but say, "As far as I know, Miss Meng is still in high school, right? Perhaps you have considered universities abroad?"
"If you have any ideas, I can write you a letter of recommendation. I believe Professor Trey of Hannah University will be very grateful to me, after all, I'm recommending a genius, aren't I?"
In fact, Delia was drawn to Meng Er's talent. He could sense that beneath her youthful and beautiful appearance lay ambitions that were almost identical to his own.
If his team could have someone like that join...
Even if he couldn't, he wouldn't mind expressing his goodwill towards her, at least in terms of the benefits Meng Er could bring him at the moment.
“There are still six months until graduation, so I don’t think there’s any rush.” Meng Er put down her chopsticks, not overwhelmed by his kindness. “Thank you for your kindness, but I think that, for the time being, I haven’t decided which university to attend.”
"Perhaps when the day comes that I will pick up a paintbrush?"
"Hahaha." Delia understood her polite refusal and laughed along with her last joke.
“I would be quite disappointed, but I will definitely visit your art exhibition.”
During the meal, Delia completely forgot that Meng Er had extended the invitation in the email as if seeking advice. It wasn't until the meal was almost over and neither of them had picked up their chopsticks that he remembered it.
Somewhat surprised that her conversation with Meng Er was conducted in an equal manner, Delia pondered for a moment, "I'm curious, from your words I can sense that you don't actually need to learn anything from me."
He made no attempt to hide his admiration, saying, "Even in an interview, I think the abilities you've demonstrated during our conversation have already impressed me enough to extend an invitation to you."
"If you'd like, I can even set up an internship for you in the company."
Delia shrugged. “Although I’ve never considered interns who are inexperienced and require time and money to train before, it’s clear that you’re different.”
Meng Er gently shook his head, smiled, and raised his teacup. "Being able to converse with someone with a brilliant mind and legendary experience is itself a learning process."
"As for this job opportunity, I still have to decline it."
"Why?" Delia frowned slightly in surprise. "'Delia' can offer you more than just a job opportunity. Ultimately, your abilities need a platform to be showcased."
He lifted his slightly drooping eyelids, revealing a glint of shrewdness in his eyes, making it clear that this seemingly kind old man was not so simple.
"As many people now say, when I was twenty, I made a fortune in the stock market that would amaze most capital. They only see that, but they don't know that at that time, I was financially supported by the Love family."
Delia winked at Meng Er and smiled, "This is a 'secret' that I rarely tell outsiders, and I hope you can keep it a secret for me. As for why I'm telling you this..."
"It's because I can see your ambition and your potential."
The eyes are the windows to the soul. Even though those clear black and white eyes were indifferent and calm, Delia keenly noticed that she could always see a slight change in her eyes when Delia was talking about some trivial anecdotes.
She is a smart girl, but she is more than just smart. He doesn't know if they will become enemies in the future.
But at this moment, Delia prefers to have her fight for him, and is therefore willing to offer his bargaining chips.
"terribly sorry."
Meng Er raised her glass and drank the nearly empty water in one gulp. Her cold gaze softened slightly afterward, and she gently curved her lips into a faint smile.
“I’m in China, and there’s someone very important to me who needs my company. Please forgive my flippant answer, but I have no intention of being perfunctory.” She smiled and said, “At present, I have no plans to live abroad for a long time.”
This was half true and half false, but it was clearly a very good excuse to appease Delia.
"Because of that person?" Delia asked in surprise.
“Yes, because of that person.” Meng Er’s smile remained unchanged.
“…Such a youthful idea.” Delia chuckled and shook her head, but raised her glass in return. “But, everyone has to have moments in their life when they look back and feel impulsive, otherwise, it would be too boring.”
"I respect your decision, and I believe that anyone who is worthy of your decision must also be outstanding."
"respect--"
“Young!” Delia laughed.
The meal ended just like that, uneventfully.
Until Delia got into the Maybach, he and Meng Er didn't say anything more. In fact, throughout the entire dinner, neither of them expressed any opinion on the current situation in the financial world.
Just like any other ordinary dinner party, the assistant, who was sitting to the side confirming the itinerary, suddenly looked up and said, "Excuse me, sir, it seems you forgot to mention to Ms. Meng about that tech stock."
"Oh."
Delia shook her head and didn't say anything.
Upon seeing this, the assistant lowered his face expressionlessly and then introduced him to the upcoming meetings and other scheduled activities.
Delia listened to his assistant with his eyes slightly closed. The reason why he didn't give the 'gift' in the end was actually very simple.
He had initially regarded Meng Er as a smart and capable person, so when a smart person provided him with a good idea, he would reward him by revealing some information.
I believe she will be sensible enough to follow in his footsteps and receive the reward she deserves.
But after talking with him, Delia realized that the other party was not as simple as he thought, and that his "gift" was just a handout from a superior to a subordinate.
If he were to speak so confidently in the face of someone like him, it would be unacceptable.
In the other party's mind, this thing that ordinary people would consider a fortune would just be a joke.
“Just wait and see, Jack,” Delia suddenly spoke, her eyes still slightly closed. “We will hear this girl’s name again soon.”
"Oh no... or perhaps it will be difficult to hear her name again."
He forgot that these princes and princesses from prominent families were best at having their subordinates carry out their will.
…
…
Meng Er's busy schedule did not stop after the meal with Delia.
Before entering the Gugu Machine Company, she casually placed the invoice issued by Shengjinlou on the front desk.
Delia flew all the way here, so it's only right and proper for her to pay for this meal. That's why Meng Er chose Shengjinlou, because it offers the best value for money.
Li Ming, along with a small number of Gugu Machine executives and some employees, were already waiting.
When he saw Meng Er approaching with a blank expression, he immediately put on a smile and greeted her somewhat embarrassedly.
The idea proposed by the sponsor was so novel that they could hardly find any precedents to refer to or analyze, so they were always unsure of themselves when planning.
Knowing full well that we should present tangible results to the client instead of discussing and reaching a preliminary agreement, I couldn't help but ask her for her input.
But Li Ming had lost the initial confidence to fight and take risks. Most importantly, after several meetings and discussions, they realized that they still didn't have enough money...
"Before the meeting, I'd like to talk to you first," Meng Er said calmly, glancing at Li Ming's forced smile.
"Okay, let's go to the room next to the meeting room where we'll be having the meeting later." Li Ming nodded quickly and led the way.
Although the executives and employees of Gugu Machine maintained good facial expressions, their eyes revealed surprise to varying degrees. Although they had heard about the investor's age, it was normal for wealthy second-generation individuals to engage in investment. They were surprised for a moment, but then it was nothing.
What truly surprised them was Li Ming's attitude.
Who is Mr. Li? In the past, coal mine owners would come with money, saying they wanted to lavish money on people, but he wouldn't give them a good look. He would tug at his tie, slam his hand on the table, and tell them to take their money and get out.
I've never seen him like this before, almost bending over on the ground.
A group of people watched as the boss and the investor walked into the conference room. Several senior executives who had witnessed Meng Er's behavior that night remained calm. One of them coughed lightly and said, "Since President Li and President Meng have something to discuss first, let's go and wait. Um... Xiao Wang, could you take some people to check the documents again?"
…
"President Meng, please have a seat. Would you like tea or coffee?" As soon as Li Ming entered the conference room, his attitude became even more obsequious, and his smile grew wider.
"No."
Meng Er waved his hand calmly, walked to the conference table, pulled out a chair, sat down, and slightly raised his face to look at him.
"Mr. Li, I know that the series of consequences caused by the previous decision-making errors of Gugu Machine have been a significant blow to you, so I can understand that you are now inevitably hesitant and indecisive when making decisions."
"But I hope you understand why I invested in the Gugu Machine."
"...Please go ahead, Mr. Meng."
Being lectured like this by a girl who was almost two cycles younger than him, Li Ming didn't see anything wrong with it.
Even before Meng Er spoke coldly, he had already subconsciously brought his legs together slightly and stood up straight.
"What abilities does a successful leader need?" Meng Er looked at him with a slightly cold gaze, her words sharp. "If President Li can't calm down, he's already so restless before even starting the project."
"I find it hard to trust you to do this well."
What she needed was a qualified leader; otherwise, there were plenty of companies desperately in need of funding, all waiting for angel investors, so why choose a declining company like Gugu Machine?
Of course, as she said, Meng Er could completely understand Li Ming's mindset at this moment.
Anyone who, after enduring immense pressure for an extended period and struggling with no prospect of a future, suddenly sees hope, will inevitably experience confusion and fear about the uncertainty of the future after the initial excitement.
Unfortunately, Meng Er understood this, but did not intend to offer any sympathy.
"I'm sorry, President Meng." Li Ming felt somewhat ashamed. The complex emotions he had been feeling over the past two days were forced to subside at this moment. But after calming down, he understood even more why Meng Er had been giving him a dressing down.
Meng Er's ideas are actually quite mature. Many of his concepts, which sound novel and unprecedented, can actually lead to an incredibly high-probability conclusion after analysis.
Even though this is a shock to the current rules of the entire industry, precisely because of this, even though they could see the possibility of those conclusions, Li Ming and the senior executives of Gugu Machine couldn't help but feel somewhat incredulous.
However, standing in front of Meng Er at this moment, her calmness seemed to be constantly infecting Li Ming.
Whenever Li Ming wanted to voice his inner hesitation, he would meet her cold gaze and inexplicably convince himself first.
"I do have a short temper."
Li Ming took a breath and sighed, "To be honest, please don't laugh at me, but I have a feeling that what we're about to do is pioneering and disrupting the entire industry..."
"Or rather, we are leading the entire industry. To put it more boldly, if we succeed, we may be recorded in history."
This breaks the monopolistic practices of the entire industry, giving individual musicians a chance to rise to fame. From now on, any individual musician who becomes famous will not rely on signing with a company or following that assembly-line production process.
They must all express their gratitude to the Gugu Machine for rebuilding a new order.
The Gugu Machine is not facing the challenge of regaining its former glory, but rather of ascending to a divine status.
How could Li Ming not feel apprehensive? He was both excited and scared just thinking about it, and couldn't help but doubt himself: Could it really be done?
“But some things just have to be done.” Li Ming clenched his fist. “President Meng, you’re right.”
"Um."
Compared to his excitement, Meng Er's reaction was much more indifferent.
She nodded noncommittally and said, "I'll be very busy in the coming days, so please don't bother me unless it's absolutely necessary."
"Yes, yes." Li Ming scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, knowing full well that his behavior these past two days had hardly been that of a company CEO.
He said with some guilt, "It was my oversight. President Meng, you must be very busy and have many things to deal with. Don't worry, I will definitely do my best to show you."
"It's not as exaggerated as being extremely busy," Meng Er said calmly. "It's just that final exams are in a couple of days, plus some other trivial matters, so I don't have much time to spare to support you."
“I understand, I understand, final exams…final exams…” Li Ming’s eye twitched slightly. When he met Meng Er’s slightly questioning gaze, he coughed lightly, “Final exams are of course very important.”
"Um... Mr. Meng, is there anything else you need to tell me?"
He quickly changed the subject, "Why don't we go over for a meeting first? The general direction of the talent show plan has been set, and I've had someone make a PowerPoint presentation of the relevant plans. Please take a look and see if there are any areas that need adjustment or suggestions."
"As for the music software, based on your suggestion, we have already discussed a preliminary design. If you have no problems with it, I will contact a professional company to develop the software."
Meng Er nodded, got up, and dragged the chair back to its original position.
"Let's go."
Li Ming, who was a step behind her and remained where he was, breathed a sigh of relief awkwardly.
Suddenly, I couldn't help but wonder if my sponsor would need extra tutoring after their final exams.
The thought of her inexplicably imposing, cold face, yet she would sit obediently at her desk and listen to the lecture, sent a shiver down Li Ming's spine, and he almost burst out laughing.
It wasn't until Meng Er walked out the door that she turned back and gave him a faint look.
Li Ming immediately suppressed his disrespectful thoughts, cleared his throat solemnly, and strode forward.
What are you thinking?
He was about to face the cold scrutiny of his sugar daddy, so what was there to be happy about? Thinking of this, Li Ming's expression immediately turned serious.
Even in the meeting room, his solemn expression exerted immense pressure on everyone else, who immediately straightened their backs and adopted serious expressions.
The two seats at the front were left open. Li Ming eagerly stepped forward and pulled out a chair for Meng Er. After she sat down, he sat down next to her, glanced at Meng Er, and then nodded to the employee standing in front of the screen.
"Let's begin."
You're the woman in the whole company who's best at presenting PPTs; it's all up to you.
The employee, receiving a signal from the boss, straightened up slightly, then picked up the remote and began to introduce the core project of the Gugu Machine to everyone present in a measured and unhurried manner—
The Voice of Dreams
When Song Ruining introduced this project, her mood was completely different from when she presented PPTs to leaders or clients in the past.
She was amazed that the company had such a bold and novel idea.
Regardless of whether the project is realistic or not, it cannot be denied that she can see the significance it represents.
Meng Er listened attentively to Gugu Machine's plans for "Voice of Dreams" and the costs involved in producing such a program, his eyes calm.
Even though many employees and singers have left Gugu Machine, the remaining people are clearly not to be underestimated.
The overall planning was quite mature, and it was as if Meng Er was seeing a very familiar program presented to him.
She turned her head slightly, glanced at Li Ming, and chuckled softly to herself.
So that's what they were planning.
"Mr. Meng, I think what you said is absolutely right. Supporting dreams that seem unrealistic right now is just to make the world a more interesting place."
Li Ming noticed Meng Er's gaze and whispered, "So, we're going to use that as the slogan for this program."
"This is also a benefit we offer to our participants. As long as they pass the preliminary round, we will cover their food, accommodation, and travel expenses for the rest of the competition."
He wasn't entirely sure when he said that.
After all, to investors, this decision sounds like an unnecessary waste of money.
The goal is to make money. The sentimentality is just used to deceive the public and those unknown individual musicians. Without food, lodging and travel expenses, would they give up this opportunity to become famous?
"Hmm, that's good." Meng Er said calmly.
Li Ming breathed a sigh of relief, and his smile broadened.
“You have to understand, by making this show, we are just seizing the initiative. After that, when other companies realize that they cannot stop the rise of this model, they will only follow suit faster and faster.”
Meng Er spoke in a cold voice, calmly stating the inevitable facts of the future: "Even if we are the first to try something new, we cannot guarantee that we will not be surpassed and forgotten."
Currently, the music industry in China is dominated by three major players, each controlling the narrative.
They have enough resources and channels to do a better job than Gugu Machine, and could even make the popularity of Gugu Machine disappear online instantly.
No shady dealings are needed; just spend more money on advertising and create more hype. Gugu Machine will be unable to compete with it in terms of connections and resources, so it's perfectly normal for its popularity to decline or even disappear.
"Therefore, we must always have some aspects that make us special compared to others."
Li Ming didn't quite understand what she meant, but he was worried about what Meng Er was talking about.
He knew that Meng Er was not exaggerating; such things happened frequently in the industry.
Company A launches a singer with a new style, and Company BCD can immediately launch a singer with the same style, or even combine and innovate, creating various competitions. Those without the ability will naturally die on the beach.
This is an open and blatant scheme that cannot be countered.
"Think carefully about what we're doing. If they were to do it, how would things be different?" Meng Er reminded him.
"..."
Li Ming fell into deep thought. He initially thought about the usual practices of these companies, what kind of gimmicks they would use, or how much power they had to play the "dimensional reduction attack" game.
But recalling what Meng Er had just said, his expression changed from thoughtful to surprised in less than a minute.
"President Meng, you mean... capital and interests?" Li Ming vaguely felt that he had grasped the key point, but he still couldn't see through it completely. His thoughts were always blurred by something.
Looking at the PowerPoint presentation on the screen, Meng Er said calmly, "I've heard an interesting story about President Li. Once, a coal mine owner came to you with a large box of cash, but he couldn't impress you."
Is this true?
Li Ming smiled somewhat embarrassedly and said in a low voice, "There is such a thing, but it's not as exaggerated as they say. Three people carrying two boxes of money, at most it's a million."
But even now, let alone back then, he still can't accept such a thing.
Li Ming doesn't consider himself a saint, but he never believed that such improper behavior could make a company last long, especially since he also has a wife, children, a sister, and a mother.
Are the female singers in his company not someone else's daughter, mother, sister, or wife?
Li Ming can't control what others do, but he has this bad temper when it comes to himself.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but show a hint of pride on his face. Sigh! Finally, he had the right to hold his head high in front of his sugar daddy.
“Capital can create momentum, but you can also avoid being swayed by it.” Meng Er said calmly, his expression indifferent. “President Li is a smart man; he should understand what this means.”
“…” Li Ming did understand.
It couldn't be clearer.
Just like the person involved in that incident, when Gugu Machine was at its lowest point, she still refused other companies' A-level contracts that offered compensation, choosing to stand with Gugu Machine through thick and thin.
The fact that Gugu Machine is still barely clinging to life is thanks to her and another little superstar.
Almost instantly, Li Ming understood far too much behind Meng Er's words.
He was so excited that his face turned red. When Song Ruining, who was standing in front of the screen explaining, glanced over unintentionally, he was startled and even stopped listening to the explanation for a moment.
Goodness, she did say it very well.
But wasn't Mr. Li's reaction a bit exaggerated?
But they'll probably give her a raise.
"I understand." Li Ming said in a low voice, suppressing his excitement, "President Meng, don't worry, I know what to do, really!"
"A single word has awakened me from my dream!"
"Well, tell me how much more money you want," Meng Er said calmly.
"……cough!"
Li Ming no longer needed to suppress his excitement. He wasn't surprised that Meng Er could see through it, but he was still a little embarrassed to be so direct.
“Making the show, promoting it, and hiring more staff, etc.,” he said softly. “Plus, you want the music app to be broadcast and launched simultaneously with the show, so the funding gap… will be at least another 20 million.”
In fact, he had already tried to reduce this cost as much as possible during his meetings with senior management.
As long as Meng Er is willing to invest money, Gugu Machine will not suffer much loss regardless of whether the next two projects succeed or fail.
On the contrary, it will leave them with the fame brought by the popularity, as well as new blood signed by the show.
Strictly speaking, this was just a high-stakes gamble by Meng Er alone, using their shell as a front.
If they succeeded, everyone shared the cake; if they failed, she bore the burden alone.
Gugu Machine still has the opportunity to receive another round of investment, although it will be more difficult, but it won't be worse than it is now.
But Li Ming is a grateful person. He wants to do things, but he won't waste the investors' money.
At least after having contact with Meng Er, he always held an indescribable sense of awe for this young patron.
Of course, he doesn't really admit to this.
"Twenty million?"
Meng Er's eyes, which gleamed with a cold, eerie light from the screen, turned to him, staring into Li Ming's eyes, which he dared not look directly at.
"Don't be stingy. I can add another 50 million in investment, on the condition that—"
She spoke the most arrogant words with a calm expression.
"You are determined to provoke the entire industry."
Meng Er certainly didn't have any money. No problem, she'd get something for nothing—
"I will earn it myself," Meng Er thought to herself, subtly offering a more positive interpretation of the truth.
What was Li Ming's reaction?
He felt like he'd been injected with adrenaline, completely forgetting Song Ruining who was still talking eloquently, forgetting that this was a meeting room, and even ignoring the executives and employees who were silently pretending not to hear the two big shots whispering to each other.
He suddenly stood up, clenched his fist, and shouted, "President Meng, I will certainly live up to your expectations!"
"...As mentioned earlier, the voting model is based on the existing member voting mechanism..." Song Ruining paused, silently reminding himself 'I'm a professional' and 'I can't embarrass myself alongside President Li,' before continuing with practiced ease.
…
Li Ming personally escorted Meng Er out of the building. If Meng Er hadn't refused with a blank expression, he would have loved to drive his sugar daddy home.
With a beaming smile that bordered on obsequiousness, he followed Meng Er around like someone from some long-lost profession.
Meng Er took out her phone and glanced at the recent stock market changes.
The stocks she was watching were indeed still in a slump and were nearing their daily limit down.
Meng Er remained calm. She knew it was time for her to set out and try to get something for nothing.
"Oh, Mr. Meng, you even trade stocks?" Li Ming was excited, his voice laced with laughter.
"Just want to know a little bit," Meng Er said.
"Oh, but it's best to avoid stock trading altogether," Li Ming said seriously. "I've done it before; you throw money in and it's all gone without a sound, just mysteriously disappearing."
Moreover, given his experience with the dramatic drop in the stock price of the Gugu Machine, he was still quite wary of it.
"Yes, indeed."
Meng Er listened calmly as Li Ming shared his story of stock market failures.
Ignorance is bliss.
I bet Mr. Li will never know in his lifetime whether all his hopes and those grand ambitions of Gugu Machine can be realized. It all depends on the calm and collected patron in front of him, who throws money into what he considers a bottomless pit and then brings back a pile of money.
"People who aren't professionals really shouldn't touch this. Hey, you know what, I'm actually quite envious of those stock market gurus and fund managers. If you put a dollar in their hands, they can turn it into ten or a hundred times its original value," Li Ming said with admiration.
"Yes, that's impressive."
Meng Er nodded in agreement.
"Well then, Ms. Meng, I'll leave you here. Take care on your journey." Li Ming said goodbye to her, his departing figure filled with hope and energy.
Meng Er turned around and glanced at him, a faint smile suddenly appearing on her fair face.
There's no pressure when you know nothing.
fine.
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