How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 30 The Wise One Reaps Heaven's Reward

There is no love without reason in the world.

There is a motivation behind every human behavior.

When you find someone starting to act like they care about you, be wary; they're likely trying to take advantage of you.

Wang Yao didn't believe that his unproven talent could attract the attention and favor of someone like Chi Xin.

Because the interests are mismatched.

Therefore, Chi Xin's purpose was definitely not for Wang Yao's good, but to get He Mingchao.

Because Chi Xin and He Ming's interests align.

Therefore, Chi Xin said that He Ming handed over Qu Shou's project to Wang Yao so that he would take the blame; if it succeeded, the credit would be He Ming's, and if it failed, the responsibility would be Wang Yao's.

Clearly, the intention was to sow discord between Wang Yao and Qu Shou, create conflict, hinder the progress of Qu Shou's project, and even bring He Ming down.

He Ming is no good, and Chi Xin is no good either.

There are no good people in the workplace.
As Wang Yao listened to Chi Xin's vivid description of the whole story, his expression underwent a perfect transformation from shock to anger and finally confusion.

If Wang Yao hadn't already seen the ending, he might have been persuaded by this generous and kind-hearted boss.

"Ah Yao, you're young and talented, but with a leader like He Ming exploiting and manipulating you, it'll be very difficult for you to get ahead. The best way is to find a different platform."
"Moreover, many of your ideas and creativity can't be implemented on domestic platforms, but such radical ideas might yield amazing results abroad. Coincidentally, our branch in Korea is short of an operations director, so I can recommend you for a try," Chi Xin said softly.

"President Chi, I need to go back and think about it. What you said today has had a huge impact on me." Wang Yao looked pained.

"I understand. You should go back and rest first. If there's anything you don't understand, you can tell me, and I'll give you some advice." Chi Xin sighed softly, saw Wang Yao out of the club, and watched him drive away.

"This young man has a good ability to withstand pressure," Chen Yun commented.

"They have great ideas, but unfortunately they're on a ship destined to capsize, called Tianhuo," Chi Xin said with a shake of her head and a sigh.

"Even if the worst-case scenario for Qu Shou happens, it shouldn't have much impact on you, right?" Chen Yun asked doubtfully.

“If it were just Qu Shou, that would be one thing, but there’s something even more deadly.” Chi Xin shook her head.

"So you want to take him to Korea, are you really planning to save a lost sheep?" Chen Yun chuckled.

"Since we can't save it anyway, we might as well use it multiple times. Whether it's one bomb or ten bombs, we'll still have to bear it." Chi Xin curled the corners of her mouth, her smile playful.

"Mr. He, that's how it is."

Wang Yao left the club and went directly to find He Ming instead of going home.

He turned around and relayed what Chi Xin had just said to him.

Having drunk all night, He Ming, already somewhat tipsy, flew into a rage upon hearing this, "That old woman really had ulterior motives! She actually tried to sow discord between us, master and disciple! Ah Yao, I swear to God, I didn't mean to make you take the blame!"
The project proposal and PowerPoint presentation I showed to Mr. Xu listed your name after mine, and if any problems arise later, you will definitely not be the one to take the blame.

Seeing He Ming's somewhat agitated state, Wang Yao reassured him, "Mr. He, of course I believe you, otherwise I wouldn't be telling you all this."

However, judging from President Chi's words, it seems they don't really support Qu Shou's project.

"They just want a bigger slice of the pie," He Ming sneered. "They dare to object to a project personally promised by President Xu? They just want to get involved and make a quick buck."

If I were to spend the entire budget for this project, they would get nothing and work for me for nothing; they certainly wouldn't be happy about that.

"What are you fishing for?" Wang Yao asked innocently.

"Ah Yao, do you remember how much Qu Shou's appearance fee was for 'Happy Camp'?" He Ming asked with a smile.

"Isn't it 5 yuan?" Wang Yao replied.

“Wrong, it’s 10.” He Ming held up two fingers.

"But the contract says 5." Wang Yao was full of surprise.

"Who did you sign the contract with? Do you remember?" He Ming sneered.

"I think it was a company called Orange Sky," Wang Yao recalled.

"This company was introduced by Chi Xin. It specializes in third-party liaison for Meishe and has signed contracts with Mango TV for most of its resources. As far as I know, Mango TV paid Qu Shou 10 yuan for a gig, but Orange Sky cut that amount in half. What do you think they're profiting from?" He Ming laughed.

"Huh? You mean, Orange Sky is taking kickbacks?" Wang Yao exclaimed in surprise.

“This isn’t called a kickback, it’s called a channel fee. But ultimately, it’s people like Chi Xin who can push the project to be implemented. Qu Shou’s project has a budget of one million. How many channels does he need to connect with? How much profit is involved?” He Ming sighed.

"That's too complicated. So, Mr. Chi and Mr. Wu want to be in charge of distribution channels and make money from it?" Wang Yao blinked.

“That’s right. After all, this project is essential for me, but it’s insignificant to them. They’re just taking advantage of our anxiety, which is why they’re trying to hold us back,” He Ming said indignantly.

"Should we compromise and share the profits with them? After all, if we keep holding things this way, the risk will ultimately fall on us," Wang Yao asked doubtfully.

“I’m afraid they want more than just this.” He Ming pondered for a moment and sighed softly. “Actually, Wu Tian and Chi Xin have been eyeing my position. When President Xu chose me from the three of us, they were very dissatisfied.”

"You mean? They're trying to deliberately cause trouble and let things get worse?" Wang Yao suddenly realized.

“If Qu Shou’s affair comes to light, then I will be guilty of a major dereliction of duty and will likely face criticism from investors. So no matter what, I must push this Qu Shou project forward.” He Ming’s eyes flashed with ferocity.

"Ah Yao, I'm going to make a pledge at tomorrow's meeting: if Qu Shou's project goes wrong, I will take full responsibility. That should shut them up."

"Mr. He, what if?" Wang Yao said hesitantly.

"I'm not one to sit idly by and wait to die, and I don't have time to argue with them. I reckon even if Qu Shou hadn't leaked the information, those two would have found a way to expose it."

"Blame my bad luck, but things aren't entirely hopeless. If our plan succeeds, we'll give them a good slap in the face." He Ming sneered, then grabbed Wang Yao's shoulder, his face solemn.

"Ah Yao, I'm determined to make this project a success! So we need to work together."

I mentored you, and I would never harm you. I know words are meaningless, and I won't drag you into this gamble. So, I'm planning to transfer all 25% of my shares in Tianhuo to you.
"That way, you'll be the largest shareholder of Tianhuo, and even if I'm held accountable, headquarters can't do anything to you."

Seeing He Ming's deep affection, as if entrusting his son to someone, Wang Yao was somewhat moved.

Tianhuo Media has a total of 4 shareholders: He Ming 40%, Wang Yao 5%, Meishe and another investment institution each hold 27.5%.

If He Ming gives Wang Yao 25%, then Wang Yao will have 30% of the shares, replacing He Ming as the largest shareholder.

Even if He Ming resigns and a new CEO takes over, Wang Yao's influence will still be significant.

This is equivalent to He Ming arranging a safe way out for him, and according to the valuation, it is also equivalent to indirectly giving Wang Yao 25 US dollars, or more than 170 million RMB!

But there's no such thing as a free lunch. Touched, Wang Yao pulled He Ming aside and promised to live up to his trust, ensuring the matter was handled properly before the two parted ways.

He Ming went home, washed his face, and smiled at Wu Tian, ​​who was lying on the bed.

"Finally, we've managed to get rid of some of the time bombs we had."

The company held a meeting the next day.

He Ming slammed his fist on the table and challenged Chi Xin and Wu Tian, ​​saying that he would sign a pledge that if Qu Shou failed in this project, he would resign.

Chi Xin and Wu Tian looked extremely grim, but they still reached an agreement in the end.

Wang Yao watched the whole thing like an outsider and couldn't help but sigh.

These people who work in the workplace have much better acting skills than actors in the entertainment industry.

Once the leadership reached a consensus, the project was officially launched.

Wang Yao was assigned to Chi Xin to handle public relations with several key partners, such as Hunan TV, Wang Jing, and Su Youpeng's team, to see if they could negotiate and cooperate with Qu Shou in creating hype.

The meeting didn't end until the afternoon. After get off work, He Ming gave Wang Yao a share transfer agreement and asked him to check if there were any problems. If there were no problems, he would find time to go to the notary office to sign it the next day.

Wang Yao sent the contract to Zhang San in Beijing and quickly received a reply. Not only was there no problem, but it was even a bit too reasonable, almost like a free gift. But that just proved it.

This company definitely has problems; I'm warning Wang Yao to be careful.

Wang Yao was well aware of this, but it didn't matter; the ending was destined to be a reversal anyway.

Thursday, October 1th.

The transfer of shares between shareholders does not require public announcement or the consent of other shareholders.

With the notary office as witness, Wang Yao quietly and officially became the largest shareholder of Tianhuo Media.

It was inexplicable, but I went along with it anyway.

Instead of accepting He Ming's invitation to a celebratory dinner, Wang Yao handed him a business cooperation proposal.

"Online store photography? A collaboration project worth 100 million? Where did you get that?" He Ming was startled.

He had never heard of a collaboration between an online store and a photography studio with a budget of 100 million.

Are all online stores making this much money now?

"I was quite surprised by the new business proposal, but they offered an annual contract, providing a batch of models and photographers every month," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Whether it's real or fake, as long as I get paid, is that all that matters? Are there any requirements for the models?" He Ming narrowed his eyes.

"No." Wang Yao shook his head.

"Then let's help them put together a good set, give them expensive and high-quality items," He Ming said with a smile.

"Okay, then I'll combine the two packages, A and B? Package A: Model + Photography 3000 yuan/day/set, Package B: Model + Photography 1000 yuan/day/set, photo retouching included?" Wang Yao said.

"The cost of an A-level model is 1000, the cost of photography and retouching is 500, and the profit per set is 1500. The cost of a B-level model is 400, the cost of photography and retouching is 300, and the profit per set is 300. Based on this profit margin, if you want to specify popular models, such as Qu Shou, Pan Shuang, or Ma Ruo, add an additional 2000 designation fee."

"If you calculate it this way, this order alone could solve the work for dozens of models and photographers in the first half of the year! Plus, we can collect a commission, making the profit close to 45%." He Ming stroked his chin.
"Ah Yao, if this online store model works, could we create a website specifically for providing services to online stores? Anyway, we can use Meishe's resources for models and photographers, and we can even earn a commission."

"It sounds like our positioning overlaps somewhat with Meishe.com," Wang Yao said, frowning.

"Meishe has many profit models, but they're not precise enough. The online store photography market isn't large, but it's stable. You should pay more attention to it; if it's feasible, we can do it ourselves."

"By the way, don't sign this contract directly with Tianhuo. Use a company I found to sign it, with one middleman, and we'll split the profits ourselves," He Ming said, waving his hand.

He Ming is quite clever; he saw the potential in this collaboration to create a niche market for photo shoots. However, while the idea is good, it's difficult to make it work.

In two months, Taobao will launch its own photography service platform, Taobao Girl, specifically for online stores.

"The other party's payment method is a 5% prepayment, and then payment in installments after the first batch is inspected," Wang Yao reminded.

"A 5 yuan prepayment? Then let's just go with the 5 yuan budget. Let's sign the contract first, and I'll give you a copy later," He Ming said with a smile.

"Okay." Wang Yao nodded.

"Brother, this Lao He is really ruthless. He made 100 from a 50 million contract. I seriously suspect he's made a lot of money."

Zhou Cong pressed the company seal on the contract under the "Party A" position.

The company named Tianshou, which was registered under their grandfather's name, was registered specifically for this 100 million yuan online auction contract.

Tian Shou Company and He Ming's company signed a contract worth 100 million yuan.

Then He Ming's company signed a 50 yuan contract with Tianhuo Media.

Same contract, same terms, same service.

The only differences are the client and the amount.

This is business.

"It doesn't matter, as long as we don't lose money in the end." Wang Yao smiled nonchalantly. "For the first batch of models, we'll start with Ma Ruo and Feng Jiao."

"Why not specify Qu Shou? She's popular. I saw the preview for 'Happy Camp' today, and I estimate her popularity will increase even more later on. This is all organic growth."

Zhou Cong has recently learned a lot about online store operations.

"She has more important things to do, so she's going to sleep. She'll be busy all day tomorrow." Wang Yao stretched.

Those who overwork die suddenly, while those who are overly intelligent are taken away by Heaven.

The good times have just begun.

Meanwhile, Zhang San's team in Beijing had completed all preparations, with Qu Shou filing a police report, formally initiating an investigation, and arresting suspects to cooperate with the investigation.

We are just waiting for the case to be closed.

One drink and one peck, could it be a predestined decision.

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(End of this chapter)