Low-Class
Chapter 2/4 of the week.
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“Director Yang, are you possibly thinking of taking up a loan from the bank? It’d bring more harm than good this way,” Zhao Teng said, worried. “If you’re thinking of partnering up with other entertainment companies, I bet we’d run into various arguments for profit splitting. This wouldn’t be very appropriate as well.”
Shaking his head, Yang Chen replied smilingly, “I’ll give you guys a contact method later regarding the specific partnership. Wang Jie, you’ll be responsible for talking this partnership out. You guys can rest assured for their reliability and capability. However, I’ll have to negotiate with them first. At that time, I’ll ask them to contact you guys.”
Naturally, Yang Chen was referring to Rose. Since Rose wanted to wash her current funds via money laundering through Yu Lei’s influence to slowly legalize the businesses of Red Thorns Society, Yang Chen wanted to lend a hand, as this would be beneficial to both sides.
Investing high amounts in movies and variety shows was just like opening a casino, it was the best approach for money laundering.
Although Wang Jie and Zhao Teng both felt doubtful, they felt excited and were looking forward to what the future held, as they saw that Yang Chen didn’t seem to be joking.
After that, the three discussed about the recent developments of the company. Zhao Teng would be in charge of recruitments and interviews of employees, while Wang Jie would be responsible for communications and negotiations with all parties and hunting of high-performing workers from other entertainment companies. These are all steps required in the early stage of the company’s establishment.
Yang Chen heard that Wang Jie was complaining about newly established artists asking for too high of a price. He suggested, “If they’re asking for an unreasonable price, give up on signing them for now. Based on Yu Lei’s brand name, we’re totally capable enough to train our own superstars.”
“Director, are you suggesting… talent shows?” Wang Jie asked. Her thought process was really fast.
“That’s right, but this season isn’t too good. There’s this type of talent shows all over the world. If we want to do it, we’ll have to do it well, accepting both guys and ladies. We should plan and prepare for the show soon, and its launch will be held next year when the weather gets warm again,” Yang Chen said.
Frowning, Zhao Teng said, “Director, doing talent shows is actually a good idea, but they’re really common nowadays. We wouldn’t necessarily have a good start for our show. If we lack contestants and the effectiveness of advertisements is lower than expected, it’s tough for us to be benefitted.”
“You don’t need to worry about this. I’ll naturally have my own idea when the time comes,” Yang Chen said. What’s so hard about making a gimmick? I’ll just have to ask some immoral old folk to find me people capable of pulling popularity.
Wang Jie and Zhao Teng felt that Yang Chen’s words included various mysteries, while being rather believable at the same time. So they stopped talking about it, as it wasn’t going to be launched immediately anyway.
Very quickly, it was noon already. Yang Chen somehow spoke to his two assistants for a few hours, even he thought that it was incredible.
Touching his belly, Yang Chen asked, “Are you guys hungry? I’ll treat you for lunch.”
Yang Chen felt he should treat these two hardworking fellows better, as he’d have to rely on them when he wanted to slack in the future.
Since the superior was treating, Zhao Teng and Wang Jie naturally wouldn’t reject the offer. They felt that talking to Yang Chen was really relaxing, there wasn’t any pressure, unlike their previous superiors. In their hearts, they really quickly accepted Yang Chen.
When Yang Chen led the two out of the office, he happily greeted his fellow employees as he urged them to have their lunch break, surprising quite a few of people. It was evident that this young director was really extraordinary.
Yang Chen didn’t let Zhao Teng or Wang Jie drive. He brought them to the parking lot and entered his white BMW before heading to the city outside.
When Zhao Teng and Wang Jie saw that Yang Chen was driving a car worth more than a million, they were really certain that Yang Chen definitely had a good family background. Otherwise he wouldn’t be able to afford a car like this, having worked for merely a few years judging from his age.
However, no one would expect that everything was a result of heavily relying on his wife.
The thing that surprised Zhao Teng and Wang Jie more was the place Yang Chen brought them for lunch. Initially, they thought that it’d either be a refined Chinese restaurant or a quiet western restaurant. However, Yang Chen chose a simple roadside restaurant that served hot pots.
[TL note: Hot pots]
It was really warm in the small hot pot restaurant, with its main customers being foreign workers who wore construction uniforms. When Yang Chen brought the two into the restaurant, they attracted weird looks as they were wearing very formally.
Being born in the upper class, Wang Jie had never visited a restaurant like this, but she didn’t want to reject Yang Chen’s good intention. Looking at the oily and unclean spots on the table, she frowned slightly but didn’t voice her thought out.
Yang Chen summoned the proprietress of the restaurant over, and successively checked tens of boxes on the food menu, making Zhao Teng and Wang Jie stare at him in shock.
“Director, we can’t finish so much food, we can’t finish…” Zhao Teng said.
Waving his hand, Yang Chen replied, “What are you afraid about? You can eat a hundred plates and the bill would amount to less than a thousand bucks. I’m a very generous man, eat all you want!”
Zhao Teng and Wang Jie almost cried. Even if you dare to order a hundred plates, we won’t be able to finish them!
“Oh yeah, do you want some wine? The sorghum wine that costs ten bucks each tastes rather decent, it reminds me the taste of soju. Should we get two bottles of them?” Yang Chen advised happily.
You can get wine for ten bucks?!
Zhao Teng and Wang Jie both felt like they were aliens. They were very confused by the current situation.
“Erm, are two bottles not enough? We’ll get three then, one for each of us. A bottle only weighs 500 grams. Don’t underestimate the volume, it’s especially strong since it holds fifty percent of alcohol!” Yang Chen said as he finished ordering foods and drinks before sitting down at the opposite of Zhao Teng and Wang Jie.
Zhao Teng lightly cleared his throat. Letting out a stiff smile, he said, “Director, Wang Jie can drink since she used to work in the public relations department. I’ll get drunk through the slightest alcohol.”
“Oh. We’ll do it this way, tell me when you’re drunk and I’ll drink for you. Rest assured, I don’t mind having leftovers. Being wasteful is unacceptable, while acting thrifty is glorious,” Yang Chen said smilingly.
After a short while, a hot pot was served while various kinds of seasoning and meat got sent over. Since Yang Chen ordered tons of food, the proprietress ended up giving a plate of pig blood curd and tofu skin for free, making Yang Chen feel really pleased.
It wasn’t Zhao Teng’s and Wang Jie’s having hot pot, but it was definitely their first eating at such a noisy and small restaurant. Being surrounded by a dirty environment, they doubted they had a business licence, not to mention that the health permit was likely a mere decoration. If they weren’t truly hungry, they definitely didn’t dare to start eating.
Yang Chen ordered so many plates that the small table and a mobile shelf couldn’t contain all of them. Without giving a single damn, Yang Chen dragged the table beside over to link with his table.
Zhao Teng and Wang Jie got dumbfounded. It was their first time coming to such a small hot pot restaurant, it was also their first time seeing such a lord putting such a heroic act of dragging tables!
“Hehe, this is exactly why coming to a small restaurant is great. I can eat and do whatever I want. Big restaurants are too troublesome, I can’t speak loudly or even smoke cigarette,” Yang Chen said while he took out a cigarette before lighting it up. Clipping the cigarette in one hand, he used another hand to pinch different kinds of meat and vegetable into the hot pot using chopsticks. “It’s necessary to enjoy hot pot in a merry environment like this. It’s better if there’s a snowfall outside while I enjoy strong alcohol. Since we’re our own people, I decided to act simply in front of you guys.”
Smiling stiffly, Zhao Teng said, “Director is right, this is rather good… Ahem, ahem…”
The smell of poor-quality cigarette made him cough. However, he only smiled bitterly as he didn’t know what to say.
Smiling, Wang Jie said, “Director, you really shocked both of us. We haven’t seen such an array before.”
“I know,” Yang Chen replied happily. “I brought you guys out for lunch today to mainly show you what kind of person I am. Fancy or low-class things don’t matter to me. I don’t care about surface-level things. I’m lazy, I lack professional knowledge, and I like to be straightforward. The me that you guys see in the office is real, the me sitting in front of you who acts like an old farmer is real as well. Around six months ago, I was still selling mutton skewers at a food market. Believe it or not, while I truly have a master’s degree from Harvard, it’s real that I used to sell mutton skewers.”
Looking at Zhao Teng and Wang Jie who stared at him silently, Yang Chen opened a bottle of wine and filled the cups in front of the two before his own. Lifting the cup to greet, he said, “Let’s drink some. Don’t look at me like a fool. I didn’t run away from taxes since I didn’t enter the minimum tax bracket.”
Zhao Teng and Wang Jie finally laughed. Lifting their cups, although they felt a pungent smell, they still drank a mouthful of wine.
Wang Jie looked fine. Upon pouring the wine into his mouth, Zhao Teng felt that his throat was burning. He coughed quite a few times before finally stopping with his face reddened.
Yang Chen laughed and asked for a cup of plain water from the proprietress for him, and stopped asking him to drink.
“You should’ve told us that you couldn’t drink. I’m not an alcoholic superior, I won’t look down on you if you can’t drink. Don’t force yourself,” Yang Chen said.
Zhao Teng smiled awkwardly as he said, “It’s not that I can’t drink. Director Yang, this wine is too strong.”
The three chatted for a while before starting to eat the hot pot together. However, what Wang Jie and Zhao Teng ate combined was lesser than Yang Chen alone.
In a short while, the mountain of foods that looked impossible to finish got devoured by Yang Chen into his stomach with ease.
Their understanding towards Yang Chen in their minds changed from clear to blurry, and from blurry to clear, changing repeatedly. No matter how they felt, they subconsciously liked this unique superior even more.
“Director Yang, I don’t think you can drive after drinking. How do we go back later?” Zhao Teng asked, worried. “Why don’t we call someone from the company to pick us up?”
Yang Chen waved his hands. “What bird eggs are you afraid of? The magnificent me drifts on the highway after drinking alcohol. I’m more familiar with the police station than my own house. Let’s go! I’ll send you guys back!”
Zhao Teng and Wang Jie paled from the shock. Is this our company’s director or someone who escaped from the prison?!
After settling the bill, when Yang Chen brought Zhao Teng and Wang Jie to the entrance, ready to leave, he saw a familiar backside of a person.
Yang Chen turned weird. Turning around, he said, “Wait here for ten minutes. I’ll go meet someone I know, and be back really soon.”
Without waiting for Zhao Teng and Wang Jie to reply, Yang Chen quickly stepped out of the hot pot restaurant before turning into a small alley.