That evening, Liu Jinhua had booked a restaurant, and the first to arrive were, surprisingly, Ou Yunchen and Liu Jinhua.
They waited in the restaurant for a full half hour before the person they wanted to meet finally arrived.
If it weren't for Liu Jinhua's repeated apologies, and the fact that the person they were meeting today was a very good friend of hers, Ou Yunchen would have already gotten up and left.
When the room door was finally opened by a waiter, a woman so beautiful that one couldn't look away walked in.
Liu Jinhua quickly stepped forward to greet her warmly.
Liu Jinhua: "Manman, this is my current boss. You must have heard of him, Ou Yunchen, Mr. Ou."
Zhou Man walked over to Ou Yunchen. Ever since she entered the room, the entire space had been filled with the intoxicating scent emanating from her.
This scent perfectly matched her demeanor, a blend of sweetness and warmth that was unforgettable.
Zhou Man: "Mr. Ou, I've heard so much about you. I am Zhou Man, but you can call me Manman."
The moment they shook hands, Ou Yunchen felt for the first time that the woman's hand was soft and silky. She was indeed a famous actress in the country, exquisitely maintained, with hands so tender and smooth.
Ou Yunchen: "Miss Zhou, our Manager Liu mentioned you wanted to see me. May I ask what it's about?"
Zhou Man: "It's like this. Firstly, Jinhua and I have been friends for many years, and I have great faith in her character. She said that in the capital circles, Mr. Ou is a very capable boss, so I naturally wanted to meet you."
Ou Yunchen: "May I ask what Manager Liu meant by 'very capable'?"
Zhou Man smiled gently, with a hint of shyness.
Zhou Man: "I heard the amusing story of how Jinhua brought Xi Ya to discuss investment with you, Mr. Ou."
Ou Yunchen looked at Liu Jinhua, who smiled and poured him a glass of wine.
Ou Yunchen: "Please elaborate."
Zhou Man: "Mr. Ou, to be frank, what happened might seem terrible to outsiders, but it's a very common experience in our industry. Many newcomers who want opportunities either bring their own funds or can only rely on their looks."
Ou Yunchen: "So, are you implying I got a raw deal?"
Zhou Man burst into laughter. As she laughed, she poured herself a glass of wine. However, less than three seconds after the red wine went down, the tears of a great actress were ready.
Zhou Man: "I am envious. It is the fortune of young artists to be able to develop under Mr. Ou."
This sudden shift in emotion immediately made Ou Yunchen realize that Zhou Man's unspoken meaning was that her own debut was not as glamorous.
If another man were present to hear such words, he would likely have already embraced this beautiful woman and offered comfort.
Ou Yunchen: "Miss Zhou, I am merely a businessman who seeks profit. I can sign TBP because I trust my judgment, and the results have proven that they have indeed earned me substantial profits."
"Why don't we be frank? Since Miss Zhou has heard my amusing story, she should know what kind of businessman I am. Why not tell me directly your purpose for seeking me out?"
Zhou Man's tears had not yet finished falling when Ou Yunchen's words immediately made her unable to continue her act.
Liu Jinhua quickly poured wine for everyone to smooth things over.
Liu Jinhua: "Yes, yes, Manman, I've arranged for you to meet our boss, so just state your intentions directly."
Zhou Man: "I have a film I want to make."
Ou Yunchen: "I know Miss Zhou is a highly recognized actress in China. If you want to make a film, it shouldn't be difficult, should it?"
Zhou Man: "No, I don't want to be an actress anymore. I want to direct this film myself."
At this, Ou Yunchen finally showed a flicker of interest.
Ou Yunchen: "You want me to invest?"
Zhou Man: "Yes, I very much want to collaborate with Mr. Ou."
Ou Yunchen glanced at Liu Jinhua, then at Zhou Man.
He had considered several reasons for Zhou Man to seek him out. Perhaps, as she said, that amusing incident had garnered her good feelings towards him.
Collaborating with a boss like him would surely not be a loss, but Xi Ou only had TBP as a cash cow. In terms of reputation, it was not on par with collaborating with a big star like Zhou Man.
Zhou Man: "Mr. Ou, I also considered it carefully before deciding to collaborate with Xi Ou."
Ou Yunchen: "Then can you tell me the ultimate reason that led you to abandon those big players in the capital and come to me?"
Zhou Man: "In the industry, no matter how glorious an actor is, there's always a side that needs capital to nurture them. Whether it's scripts or advertisements, capital calls the shots. I don't want to always listen to capital; I want to become someone like Mr. Ou."
Only then did Ou Yunchen realize that Zhou Man before him was by no means just an actress. She was intelligent and ambitious.
She was unwilling to be subservient and wanted to challenge capital. She didn't need capital because she wanted to become capital.
Just like the path she was choosing now, from actress to director. Others would only see her performances, but in reality, she was already moving towards capital.
No matter how dazzling her past accolades were, once she stepped into the realm of capital, she was a newcomer.
If she had chosen those old capital magnates, even if Zhou Man were a huge star, in their eyes, she would be a lamb to the slaughter.
Zhou Man was afraid. She knew beauty was an entry ticket, and she also knew that those men would definitely take advantage of her and ultimately turn her into a plaything.
She could play with men of capital, but if their interests were threatened, they would cruelly kick her out.
Ou Yunchen glanced at Liu Jinhua. He knew he had the financial capacity to invest in Zhou Man's film, but he didn't believe Zhou Man had the ability to make money for him.
If a film required billions to shoot, and Zhou Man's film flopped, who would foot the bill?
Ou Yunchen: "I can invest, but I have a condition."
Zhou Man: "Mr. Ou, please state it."
Ou Yunchen: "You must become an artist under Xi Ou."
Zhou Man was somewhat hesitant. She had become an independent artist precisely to escape the control of capital. If she were to be signed by Xi Ou, she would merely be moving from one cage to another.
Ou Yunchen: "You can use the film's investment however you wish, but I cannot let my money go to waste just because you are famous."
"As you said, the old capitalists profited from you and didn't feel it was a loss even if it failed. But I'm different. I won't take advantage of you, and you can't treat my money as if it's worthless."
Zhou Man frowned slightly and looked back at Liu Jinhua.
Liu Jinhua: "Based on my experience, even if you went to your former employer, Yan Shizong, today, he would force you to re-sign. And you know how he would torment you if you returned to him..."
Liu Jinhua whispered to Zhou Man, but Ou Yunchen vaguely heard the name Yan Shizong.
This was a man Ou Yunchen only learned about after founding Xi Ou. Yan Shizong was known as the top magnate in the entertainment capital world.
Almost everyone in the entertainment industry knew of his existence. Any work he invested in was guaranteed to be a hit.
Not only was his foresight sharp, but his substantial capital background also gave him half of the entertainment industry!
Zhou Man: "Mr. Ou, may I consider it?"
Ou Yunchen: "Of course. Discuss how you want to proceed and how I can help you with Liu Jinhua. My condition is simply this. If you decide to sign with us, then find me. Otherwise, do not contact me."
Ou Yunchen stood up. Zhou Man truly witnessed what Liu Jinhua's indifferent, desireless boss was like. Even her meticulous preparation hadn't managed to hold his attention for long.
Liu Jinhua: "Boss, I'll see you out."
Ou Yunchen took a letter from his inner jacket pocket and handed it to Liu Jinhua.
Ou Yunchen: "No need. Handle this matter as quickly as possible."
Liu Jinhua looked at the envelope, which had a small heart on it, and recognized it as being from Xi Ya. Upon opening it, she found a VIP concert ticket for TBP's tour.
But as Liu Jinhua looked up again, Ou Yunchen had already left the private room and was far away...
***
By the river, Ou Yunchen and Mo Qingyun sat on a long bench, enjoying the night view while eating dorayaki.
Perhaps it was because watching Mo Qingyun eat made her portion always seem tastier than his, Ou Yunchen wanted to try a bite. But the petty Mo Qingyun immediately swatted Ou Yunchen's hand.
Ou Yunchen: "Why are you so stingy? You won't even let me try a bite of yours!"
Mo Qingyun tilted her head, gesturing for him to eat his own.
Ou Yunchen: "But I think yours is tastier. Just let me have a bite of yours."
Mo Qingyun looked at the two dorayaki in their hands. They were indeed slightly different. She had ordered one with strawberry jam, while Ou Yunchen's had red bean paste.
Mo Qingyun extended her dorayaki towards Ou Yunchen's mouth, and deliberately raised her index finger, indicating he could only take a small bite.
Ou Yunchen nodded, and then took a large mouthful...
It was indeed a small bite, leaving only a tiny portion of the dorayaki in Mo Qingyun's hand...
Ou Yunchen immediately got up and ran, swallowing the mouthful of dorayaki. Mo Qingyun, enraged, chased after him, but couldn't catch up. She could only squat on the ground and pretend to cry.
After running a few steps, Ou Yunchen looked back at the dejected Mo Qingyun squatting on the ground and walked back to comfort her.
Ou Yunchen: "Okay, okay, I'll give you mine. Don't cry, it's so embarrassing."
Mo Qingyun still refused to look up. Ou Yunchen squatted down beside her and offered her his dorayaki.
Ou Yunchen: "Don't be angry, I'll buy you another one."
Upon hearing this, Mo Qingyun immediately stood up happily.
Ou Yunchen: "You rascal! You tricked me! You didn't even shed a single tear!"
As Mo Qingyun was about to snatch the dorayaki from Ou Yunchen's hand, Ou Yunchen, quick as lightning, quickly devoured his own portion in a few bites.
Ou Yunchen: "You tricked me, so you don't get any!"
This time, Mo Qingyun was truly angered. She repeatedly punched Ou Yunchen's back with her small fists. 138 Reading Network.
When Ou Yunchen finally swallowed the dorayaki in his mouth, he turned around, wrapped his arms around Mo Qingyun's waist, and gave her a solid kiss.
Seeing that Mo Qingyun was stunned and didn't resist, Ou Yunchen became bolder, holding her tighter. They stood under the moonlight, kissing passionately for a long time before slowly releasing each other.
Ou Yunchen: "Be content. You were kissed by the most handsome man in the world. Isn't that better than me taking a bite of your dorayaki?"
Just as Mo Qingyun was about to gesture with her hand, Ou Yunchen continued, "It's okay, I don't feel like I'm at a disadvantage. Even though you're not as delicious as dorayaki."
Mo Qingyun hit Ou Yunchen's chest a few times, but it didn't hurt at all. Instead, Ou Yunchen enjoyed this "massage" from the little mute.
Ou Yunchen: "Alright, alright, you're delicious. You're sweeter than dorayaki."
Only then did Mo Qingyun put her hands down in satisfaction. Ou Yunchen, with his arm around her waist, walked back with her, bickering playfully.