From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

About a minute later, Qiqi finally spoke and asked:

"Brother Lin, I have a question for you."

I looked at her and nodded, indicating, "Go on."

She smiled slightly, a hint of doubt in her eyes, and asked, "You've never been involved in the media industry before, you have no relevant experience, so why did you suddenly decide to enter this field?"

When we arrived at the teahouse, I had already anticipated that she would raise this question, and I had prepared an answer in mind.

I didn't mince words and said frankly, "There are two reasons. First, as you know, I have a deep-seated grudge against Fang Heng of Xingyao Media. In the long run, the purpose of founding this company is to compete with him head-on."

After a brief pause, I continued, "Secondly, the live streaming industry does indeed have a lot of room for development. The barrier to entry seems low, but it's not easy to truly gain a foothold and achieve success. However, I'm confident I can forge a path."

I completely understand her concerns.

Putting myself in her shoes, if I were in her position, I would also weigh the pros and cons repeatedly.

I looked her straight in the eye and said frankly, "I understand all your concerns. I really don't have much experience in the industry, and I even need to figure out the initial steps one by one."

Qi Qi frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with this answer.

I paused briefly, then continued, "But as the old saying goes, the beginning is always the hardest. As long as we successfully take the first step and figure out the way, everything else will naturally follow."

Qi Qi chuckled lightly, seizing the opportunity to retort, "But you yourself said you don't even know where to begin, so how are you supposed to get started?"

No more beating around the bush, I'm throwing out my final card:

"Qiqi, I've come to see you today not just to discuss an employment partnership. In my eyes, this isn't a boss recruiting employees, but a two-way street."

She looked bewildered: "What does that mean?"

"In my plan, you have a part in this company. You're not just a livestreamer working for me, but one of the founders. We'll work together to grow the company little by little."

This is my trump card; it's like directly recruiting her into my team.

If these words still fail to move her, then there is no need to continue this conversation today.

Qi Qi stood there, stunned, and remained silent for a long time before hesitantly speaking: "There's something I don't know if I should say directly."

"Speak freely, don't hold back. Let's lay all the issues out in one go and make them clear; it'll be better for both of us."

She nodded and said bluntly, "According to what you just said, to outsiders, isn't this just trying to get something for nothing?"

It's perfectly normal for her to see through this.

I wasn't embarrassed at all. I smiled and readily admitted, "That's right, you can think of it as getting something for nothing."

When I admitted it without hesitation, Qiqi looked completely astonished.

I continued, "But think about it carefully, how many startups on the market start with nothing and feel their way across the river? Many people earn their first pot of gold this way."

She looked at me, smiled, and asked, "So, you're planning to use me?"

"I won't argue with your interpretation. But let's think about it from another angle: when you sign with any media company, it's essentially a mutual benefit, and the principle is the same."

Qi Qi lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded: "That makes sense. But a legitimate company would at least assign someone to manage the account."

"Then let me ask you, how long have you been in the live streaming industry?"

"Including the six months I spent at Xingyao, it's been almost two years."

"Two years, how many fans do you have now?" I continued to press.

"How many followers does your account have now after two years?" I continued to ask.

"A little over 120,000," she answered truthfully.

I said calmly, "Then you haven't realized the problem. Even if you switch to another established guild, if the root cause isn't addressed, it will still be difficult to break through the bottleneck. Big companies have a constant stream of new talent; why would they spend a lot of resources to promote you? Why not train a complete newbie?"

Qiqi fell silent, pondering my words carefully.

I seized the opportunity to press my advantage: "I completely understand that you don't trust me, after all, I don't have any industry experience. But what I just said was the truth. We're starting a business together, and you're a core member of the company. In the early stages, I've only signed you as my sole streamer, and all human resources will be prioritized for you."

Even if you still have doubts, you can give it a try. If it works, it will be a whole new situation.

"Even if we don't succeed in the end, you can leave at any time according to the terms we agreed on, without incurring any losses, and I will pay you the agreed-upon reward in full."

Having said all that, if she still chooses to refuse, I have no other choice.

She fell silent again for a long time, then looked up at me and asked, "You only plan to sign me?"

"And Anran."

She frowned. "But you just said that all resources would be prioritized for me?"

I explained with a smile, "You and An Ran are on completely different paths. An Ran focuses on her looks, while you have talent and are more versatile. So naturally, the focus will be on you."

After I finished speaking, I added, "To put it bluntly, our first step is to create a benchmark streamer, and that person is you."

These words were essentially empty promises, and I believe she could tell that.

However, when negotiating a startup, a clear vision must be presented.

Human nature is largely like this: even knowing that the future may not be realized, people are still willing to hope for a better possibility.

Qi Qi's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and she spoke softly:

"To be honest, the reason I'm willing to meet with you and discuss this in detail isn't just because you helped me successfully terminate my contract with Xingyao."

"Is it out of gratitude?" I asked.

She gently shook her head: "Not entirely. What I admire about you is your tenacity. You used to be just a courier, but you dared to go head-to-head with someone like Fang Heng. Now you dare to cross over into a completely unfamiliar industry. That kind of drive is rare."

I smiled and said, "Just take it as a compliment."

"I'm telling the truth. If it were anyone else who came to my door, I wouldn't have gone to the appointment at all. I could tell at a glance that they were just trying to scam me."

Standing in her shoes, I nodded: "If I were in her shoes, I would also be cautious and wary."

"After listening to you say so much, I can feel that you genuinely want to make this happen."

Qi Qi took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I've thought about it carefully, and I'm willing to give it a try."

Hearing this, my heart finally settled down, and I breathed a long sigh of relief.

But she changed the subject: "However, I have one request. I'm fine with you managing the account, but I'd like to have control over the livestream content myself, is that alright?"

"Sure, why not?" I agreed without even thinking.

Qi Qi nodded: "In that case, let's reach an agreement."