Since we are both reborn, of course I would choose the rich woman!

Chapter 408 Can I ask you something? (6k views, please subscribe)

Xinwang News is considered one of the larger new media entities in China, and one of the more significant internet-based transformation entities.

Xinwangshe has found partners on all major online platforms, with a total of tens of millions of followers across the internet. In addition to live streaming important interviews, Xinwangshe's new media department is always at the forefront of major conferences, press conferences, and events.

With the increasing development of the domestic internet, new media platforms have gradually become the main battleground for various media outlets.

Many of the original media organizations are now investing their resources in the field of new media platforms.

With a large amount of resources allocated to them, internet platforms in 2017 were making a killing just from the official promotional fees.

However, many traditional media outlets are unable to keep up with the overwhelming waves of the new era. By the time they realize it and try to enter the new media arena, they are struggling to adapt to the faster pace and greater sensitivity to novelty from netizens.

For example, some local government-funded media organizations, after entering the new media arena, have failed to gain traction because of poor content. As a result, older people ask, "Why is the account not performing well? What? No traffic? Why is there no traffic? Go and ask the platform to give us some traffic."

What can subordinates do when faced with unreasonable demands from their superiors? They can only manage a wry smile.

Many older people seem to have lived their entire lives in a huge ivory tower of consciousness, flattered by others their whole lives, living their lives according to their own way, and gradually becoming paranoid and extremely self-centered, to the point that they feel that by relying on the government, they can have unlimited authority.

Such media organizations are destined to fail in the new media industry.

Companies that have capitalized on new media, such as Xinwang News, have already reaped enormous benefits. The influence brought by new media can not only play a role in the traditional media field, but also in areas where traditional media cannot exert its influence, thereby creating more impact.

Just like Li Ziqi, after the live broadcast on Xinwangshe, the hashtag #LiZiqiXinwangsheInterviewLive# immediately surged into the top five of the trending topics on major platforms. On Weibo, WeChat official accounts, Douyin, and even smaller platforms like Bilibili, news about #LiZiqi# has been all over the place.

All of Li Ziqi's accounts on the Chinese internet experienced a surge in followers during the live stream.

Such widespread exposure also made Li Ziqi's hometown see an opportunity. In Mianyang, all departments related to publicity began to exert their efforts, and all official accounts began to work together to forward the replay of Li Ziqi's interview live stream. Many public institutions even assigned the dissemination of this video as a task in their work groups.

Besides promoting Li Ziqi, Mianyang is doing this to help her "make the rice into rice" (a Chinese idiom meaning to turn something nascent into something tangible).

But in reality, the promises made in the video to do charity and establish a "New Rural Development Support Fund" were just a way to attract government involvement. There are no bigwigs or oligarchs on this land of Dongda University, only supreme immortals.

If you want to make anything big and strong, you can't get around this group of people, so Lü Yao has to throw out some bait to attract the attention of the gods.

As the official voices in Mianyang began to exert their influence, Lü Yao knew that the bait he had thrown out had been taken.

This is a good thing.

During her rise to fame, Li Ziqi received the favor of many deities. At her peak, she not only gained access to prestigious institutions and the support of the fortunes of Sichuan, but also stepped into the national halls of fame. At that time, Li Ziqi truly had "the power of heaven and earth."

However, after the copyright contract issue came to light, she disappeared from the public eye. Fortunately, Li Ziqi did not get too involved in the cause and effect, which gave her the opportunity to self-isolate and make a comeback three years later.

In Lü Yao's view, Li Ziqi carries a great deal of "opportunity." If used well, Li Ziqi can not only become Lü Yao's trump card for breaking into the overseas internet market, but also become his own protective charm in China.

Take the future wolf-devouring sheep, for example. Even though such a big thing happened to them, weren't they still protected in the end?

As the internet continues to develop, the power of internet giants is also constantly increasing.

……

As Li Ziqi's story spread wildly on the internet, the previous smears and slanders against her seemed to melt away like snowflakes. Liu Tongxiong, who had already sold everything related to "Li Ziqi," was staring at the information on the internet with a gloomy face and a sinister look in his eyes.

This information wasn't something Liu Tongxiong wanted to see; rather, it's something he sees regardless of which platform or website he opens.

Li Ziqi seems to have become an internet ghost haunting Liu Tongxiong, one that he can't escape unless he cuts off all contact with the outside world and goes back to being a caveman.

When Liu Tongxiong finally resigned himself to his fate and began browsing news about Li Ziqi, he learned how much money Li Ziqi had earned, how much economic value she had created, and how she had been favored by official media and even personally promoted by local official media. A sense of annoyance and regret began to burn in Liu Tongxiong's heart like the most intense and ferocious flames.

"Li Ziqi was originally my property!"

"But she was forcibly taken away from him, Lü Yao!!"

Seeing Li Ziqi, who was becoming a huge internet sensation, Liu Tongxiong was so angry that his jaw muscles bulged, his forehead veins throbbed, and his hatred for Lü Yao reached its peak.

He just couldn't understand it. Lü Yao didn't seem like someone who needed a resource like Li Ziqi at all. With a business worth hundreds of millions a month and a profit of less than half a hundred million, why was he risking his life? Why did he have to compete with me?
hateful! !
Liu Tongxiong slammed his fist on the table with a "bang," his intense anger making him ignore the pain of his "futile attempt to fight a losing battle."

But he could only bury his hatred for Lü Yao deep in his heart; there was nothing he could do, nothing he could do.

Just as Liu Tongxiong was feeling extremely frustrated, he suddenly received a phone call. Liu Tongxiong glanced down at the phone beside him; it was his personal phone, and very few people knew this number. Therefore, any number that could call him meant that this number was definitely not ordinary.

Liu Tongxiong answered the phone: "Hello?"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone. Just as Liu Tongxiong was about to lose his patience, the person on the other end suddenly spoke: "Mr. Liu, hello, would you like to chat?"

Liu Tongxiong had received several such mysterious phone calls. Two of the callers had already been buried in the mountains by Liu Tongxiong to grow ginseng. He patiently continued, "Aren't we chatting right now?"

The steady voice on the phone carried a hint of amusement: "What I mean is, let's talk in person."

Liu Tongxiong continued expressionlessly, "Okay, time and place."

The person on the other end said again, "I'm right outside your yard."

Liu Tongxiong was somewhat surprised, but his tone remained calm, and he simply said, "Okay."

After hanging up the phone, Liu Tongxiong got up and went to the courtyard of his villa. He opened the gate and saw two cars parked on the road in front of his gate: a Bentley and an Avalon.

Just as Liu Tongxiong was guessing which car the person making the call was in, the back door of the silver-gray Avalon parked outside opened, and a man wearing a trench coat and a scarf got out.

The man was very tall, but he appeared very thin, like a piece of dark, black cloth hanging from a slender flagpole.

This person looked quite old, with a very receding hairline, so he chose to shave all his hair off. The shiny front of his head and the bluish back of his head clashed together, making him look very tough.

What impressed Liu Tongxiong the most was the other person's huge hooked nose.

The other person's hooked nose became his most prominent feature. Combined with his attire and mysterious aura, when the other person walked towards Liu Tongxiong, it was as if an eagle was swooping down on him.

Liu Tongxiong's memories flashed through his mind as he tried to find information about this person.

But after a frantic search of his mind, he couldn't find any relevant information. He had never seen this person at any of the high-end banquets or occasions he had attended.

Liu Tongxiong was very confident in his memory. He would carefully remember any meetings, banquets, or gatherings that he considered important and attended. After the gathering, he would even take photos of the important people present, along with a relationship diagram and a classification chart of their personal information.

He compiled all these materials into a pictorial and displayed it in a villa. Whenever there was an update on the intelligence, he would go there personally to update the intelligence and review what he had learned.

That's why he was certain he had never seen the man in front of him before.

Liu Tongxiong politely invited the other party into his villa. After entering the reception tea room, he brewed tea for the man while saying, "I still don't know how to address you."

The man, who had a grooved nose and was practically bald, gave a very refined smile. He took out a flat metal box from his pocket, took out a thin cigar, lit it, took a nice puff, and then said, "My surname is Hai."

sea?
It is a rare and unusual surname. The only famous person with the surname Hai that Liu Tongxiong can think of is probably Hai Rui.

After pouring Mr. Hai a cup of tea, Liu Tongxiong asked, "How did you find me? Why did you look for me?"

Mr. Hai smiled and said, "It's like this. We understand that you, Mr. Liu, have recently encountered some very bad things that have had a huge impact. So I came here today hoping to be able to help you, Mr. Liu."

Liu Tongxiong keenly perceived the key information the other party wanted to convey in their words—"we"?
Who are these "we"?
Who does he represent? Why does he want to contact me?
As for Mr. Hai's offer to help him, Liu Tongxiong simply ignored it. He didn't care. The so-called "help" was just a conversational technique, the purpose of which was to bring the two people in the conversation closer.

Skills are just skills; they have no real value.

Liu Tongxiong said expressionlessly, "President Hai, you might as well put it more bluntly."

Now that you've found yourself, why are you still hiding things like this, all mysterious and secretive? What's going on? Times have changed. This isn't your era anymore. We young people do things with one word now—reckless.

Mr. Hai smiled and exhaled a cloud of smoke as he said, "Then I'll be frank. We suspect that you must harbor a deep resentment towards Lü Yao for taking away your important assets. It's not a good thing to keep such resentment bottled up inside. We can provide you with an opportunity for revenge."

revenge?

joke!

When Liu Tongxiong learned of the other party's true intentions, he smiled.

He claimed it was to give himself a chance for revenge, but wasn't he really just trying to use him as a pawn? He did hope to turn himself into someone else's weapon back then, but now that the deal was done and so much time had passed, those people who wanted him as a pawn have resurfaced?
Is this right?
Timing is a crucial element in the game of strategy.

At the right time, such as when Liu Tongxiong wanted to compete with Lü Yao, he hoped to invite the wolf into the house and then use it to devour the tiger.

But now that things have calmed down, someone wants to use him to get him to step forward and deal with Lü Yao? Do they really think he, Liu Tongxiong, is a complete idiot?

Liu Tongxiong picked up the teapot and continued to pour tea for "Mr. Hai". This time, Liu Tongxiong did not stop there. Instead, he poured the tea until it overflowed. His intention was all too clear.

Mr. Hai looked down at the full cup of tea, his eyes taking a playful look.

Liu Tongxiong, however, was rather blunt, and said in a dismissive tone, "President Hai, I think you may have misunderstood. My relationship with President Lü is just normal business negotiation, there is no hatred between us. You can't say such things even in private. We have to be responsible for what we say."

Mr. Hai, sensing the situation, withdrew his gaze from the overflowing teacup, then pursed his lips and said with some regret, "That's a real pity. I know that you, Mr. Liu, may be afraid of Mr. Lü's power, but you should know that Mr. Lü has also made many enemies during his rapid rise to power. And I don't need to elaborate on the kind of power that someone who can stand against Mr. Lü possesses, do I?"

As Mr. Hai spoke, he stood up, and by the time he finished speaking, he had also straightened his clothes. This not only showed his tact but also allowed him to express what he wanted to say.

After tidying up his clothes, Mr. Hai smiled politely and said again, "Then, farewell."

After saying that, Mr. Hai turned and left, showing no intention of needing Liu Tongxiong to see him off.

It wasn't until Mr. Hai had left for about ten seconds that Liu Tongxiong went up to the second floor and saw the Toyota Avalon slowly driving away from his doorstep from the second-floor window.

After confirming that the other party had left, Liu Tongxiong quickly called someone he trusted and asked them to bring people to pick him up.

It seems he can no longer live in the villa he's currently staying in.

Forty minutes later, Liu Tongxiong's good friend arrived. He seemed a little confused by Liu Tongxiong's sudden decision to bring so many people to pick him up. He asked, "What's going on? You're acting like this is a major crisis."

Liu Tongxiong briefly explained Mr. Hai's arrival, and then the Liu brothers were even more confused: "No, isn't this a good thing? What are you afraid of?"

Liu Tongxiong glanced at his brother.

His brother is honest, loyal, and reliable. He can often handle things that he himself shouldn't do very well and reliably. His only drawback is that he sometimes seems a bit slow-witted.

Of course, this can't be called a drawback.

Sometimes, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

After getting into the heavily modified car surrounded by people, Liu Tongxiong finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then he explained to his brother, "That guy came to me in such a sneaky way. His methods were already low-class. No matter how dishonorable or despicable the way that President Lü Yao made his fortune was, he still stands in the sunlight."

"But Mr. Hai, who came to see me, acted so mysteriously, which shows a lack of sophistication."

Liu Tongxiong sighed: "Another point is that when I was preparing to work with President Lü, I once revealed that I did intend to use one wolf to devour another. But if they really had the will, they should have contacted me at that time. Offending President Lü would have been my pledge of allegiance, and their help to me at that time would have been my dowry."

"But what do you mean by coming to me now? They're making me the scapegoat, so what's the price?"

Hearing Liu Tongxiong say this, the man who came to pick him up finally realized: "They're trying to use you as a pawn, and they don't want to pay the bill?"

Liu Tongxiong smiled upon hearing this, but in his heart he was thinking, "Yes, they don't want to pay."

From this perspective, Lü Yao is indeed much better at doing things than those hesitant and secretive guys. At least Lü Yao has put real money into it. Especially after reaching a deal with Lü Yao, many people in the Hangzhou circle felt that Liu Tongxiong had established contact with Lü Yao, so they have been cooperating with them quite a lot recently.

This could be considered a small perk he received from Lü Yao.

As for the little dramas he caused on the internet before, nobody cared.

Just like how President Lü didn't care at all back then, and even called me with a smile.

……

In Mianyang, unaware that someone had contacted Liu Tongxiong, Lü Yao and Lin Qiaoyi returned to the villa. As for the interview team that came with Lin Qiaoyi, they had a hotel for business. After finishing their work, they went back to the hotel to rest, or planned to wander around Mianyang that evening.

Business trips paid for by the company are usually quite generous for well-performing new media organizations like theirs. Especially in the past year, Lin Qiaoyi's status within the new media organization has risen sharply, so she has secured good benefits for her team members.

As for Lin Qiaoyi following Lü Yao back to his residence, it is against regulations.

But who cares?
Why Lin Qiaoyi was promoted so quickly was no secret within the New Network Agency, so the interview team wasn't surprised at all that Lin Qiaoyi would go back to the villa with Lü Yao; on the contrary, they thought it was quite normal.

Even with the rumors, Lin Qiaoyi didn't care. In fact, she was secretly pleased. A young, pragmatic man as handsome, wealthy, and energetic as Lü Yao was the dream lover and prince charming of countless women.
Although Lü Yao has many scandals, at the very least, he's not married! He's single! So what's wrong with me having an ambiguous relationship with Lü Yao?
As for the rumors circulating that Lü Yao already has a daughter, let's not even mention that this matter has never received an official response. Even if Lü Yao really does have a daughter, so what?
Anyway, if she has something going on with Lü Yao, she will not only benefit, but she will also make a really good profit!

After all, Lü Yao is so handsome.

So, when they were almost back in the city, Lin Qiaoyi practically begged Lü Yao not to get out of the car and to take her back to the villa.

Lu Yao still chuckles when he recalls Lin Qiaoyi's pleading expression in the passenger seat, begging him to take her back. At that time, Lin Qiaoyi clasped her hands together, pleading pitifully with Lu Yao: "Please, please, let me go back with you! Everyone in the company knows I'm your nepotism hire. If you let me go back now, I'll lose face."

Lu Yao knew something about Lin Qiaoyi's situation, and since she worked in journalism, he did her a favor.

Anyway, his residence in Mianyang is big enough, so one more person won't make a difference.

After bringing Lin Qiaoyi back to his villa, as Lü Yao got out of the car and walked into the villa, he called out to Cheng Xinyu, Zhou Bella, and Gao Chuning, "We have guests at home, please help entertain them."

After saying that, Lü Yao went upstairs to do his own thing.

Watching Lü Yao's retreating figure as he went upstairs, Lin Qiaoyi felt a little puzzled. She had gone to such lengths, so why was Lü Yao still completely unresponsive? Logically speaking, with so many women around him, Lü Yao couldn't possibly be a blockhead, completely oblivious to romance.

So that means I'm completely unattractive?
The moment this conjecture occurred to her, Lin Qiaoyi completely deflated.

This feeling of trying so hard but failing to arouse anyone's interest is even more unpleasant for a woman than being sexually harassed by her boss. At least being sexually harassed proves one's charm, but this current state of keeping one's distance makes Lin Qiaoyi feel completely unattractive.

Under the shadow of this idea, Lin Qiaoyi fell into a huge internal struggle.

Just as Lin Qiaoyi was feeling lost, Cheng Xinyu brought over a cup of hot cocoa coffee. She smiled and said, "There are still quite a few empty rooms here. You can choose any one to stay in. It's just like being at home here, so don't feel uncomfortable."

Lin Qiaoyi subconsciously took the coffee, looking at the gentle, virtuous, and beautiful Cheng Xinyu. She thought that since Cheng Xinyu could stay so close to Lü Yao, she must have some special skills. So Lin Qiaoyi bit her lip, struggled with herself for a moment, and then looked at Cheng Xinyu with a pitiful and pleading expression: "Um... can I ask you something?"

(End of this chapter)