MACRM Chapter 1

Hello all! I’m back from my hiatus~ Good news, I got my HSK 2 certification~ I actually finished my HSK 3 education, but I don’t think I’ll be taking the test anytime soon… the listening part will kill me lol

About this novel… yeah, I did say I was going to pick up a Western Fantasy and an Unlimited Flow novels next time, but those two novels I had my eyes on are on 250+ ch. I want something short and sweet for a post-hiatus first novel, so I picked this one!

Just a note, this novel doesn’t focus too much on the career-line of the two leads, so don’t expect a lot of those kind of scenes, yeah? It’s more romance/character-focused.

“We have compared a lot of price offers, and indeed, the Lin family’s offer is on the higher side.”

At the negotiation table, the man in a suit weighed his words carefully. He placed the report lightly on the table, his fingers slowly rubbing the papers. “However, there are still some trivial conditions that need to be compared…”

Lin Song looked uneasy, but he didn’t get angry. He just nodded politely. “Manager Zhang, you can speak in a frank manner. Our offer can be negotiated.”

This cooperation is of great significance to the Lin family’s company. But, the other party has been wavering between several companies, seemingly waiting for someone to offer a higher bid.

In the market, one always needs to figure out each other’s intentions in order to win the bid at the most appropriate price. The opponent, as the “higher” party, might be able to afford to wait until a higher bid is offered. If one raised the price too little, losing is the outcome. On the flip side, if the price is too high, there’s no difference than being taken advantage of.

Manager Zhang glanced at the Lin family members across from him, his eyes flashing with shrewd calculations. He decided to deliberately delay this matter instead. “President Lin, our company is still in the discussing and planning stage. We will give you an answer in about three days——”

“If we add another 500,000, will this negotiation continue?”

Before Lin Song could answer, a clear voice suddenly came from behind him.

The young man popped up from behind Lin Song, pulled out the report with one hand, and pouted his lips disapprovingly. “Ah, Da-ge, forget I said anything.”

Manager Zhang’s eyes suddenly narrowed, and his originally determined look began to crack. He looked in astonishment at the young man whom he had just glanced at.

The young man in front of him looked too young. Although he was wearing a suit, he still looked about the same age as the interns in his company.

His appearance was 50% similar to Lin Song, but he looked much more delicate and elegant. The bright sunlight filtered through the windows revealed a hint of amber in his eyes. The corners of his lips were curled up in a naturally pleasing way, but his expression seemed nonchalant, making him look like a young master who was spoiled too much by his family.

Such rich kids are not uncommon, but what really makes Manager Zhang nervous was the price offer this young man gave.

——It was so accurate that he almost couldn’t help but wonder if he had accidentally let his company’s secret slip, or if someone in the company had leaked it in advance.

The cooperation had actually been almost finalized, but the Lin family’s initial offer was a little too low than the company’s set lowest limit.

Manager Zhang’s heart beat faster. He snuck a glance.

The young man fiddled with his sleeves with one hand, as if he was annoyed by the negotiations that never resulted in a conclusion. The corners of his lips pursed in impatience.

There was a hint of displeasure on his handsome face, but because this young master was born with a particularly elegant face, he didn’t look like an annoying, spoiled brat.

Those amber eyes were exceptionally bright, and just a glance at them made Manager Zhang feel inexplicably uneasy.

He looked away, sweat seeping out of his palms, and finally looked at Lin Song beside the brazen young master.

If Lin Song noticed his hesitation, Manager Zhang would lose the Lin family’s investment. Most likely, the company would fire him as a result…

“Xiao Zhu.”

Lin Song spoke in a gentle voice, obviously not blaming his younger brother for being rude and reckless. He took the report and put it back on the table. “Manager Zhang?”

“Pre-president Li—”

Manager Zhang responded immediately, but before he could continue, Lin Song tilted his head slightly. “I must’ve forgotten to introduce you just now. This is my younger brother Lin Zhu. He is currently working as an agent at Canxing Entertainment[mfn]灿星 cànxīng; 灿 = brilliant, bright, lustrous; 星 = star[/mfn].”

Manager Zhang was startled. He quickly smiled and said, “No wonder, no wonder, such a good family has talents that emerge young[mfn]the OG is 英雄出少年, which if translated more literally goes like “heroes are born young”. I went with a more localized English approach.[/mfn]…”

Lin Song: “If your company needs any endorsement, you can look for him.”

Manager Zhang: “…”

Seeing his expression getting weirder and weirder, Lin Song chuckled. He pushed the report aside and got back to the point. “Alright, let’s get back. If we add another 500,000 to the investment… Manager Zhang, are you willing to negotiate?”

Five minutes later, a certain President Lin and his team came out of the negotiation room refreshed, with the signed contract on hand.

“Da-ge, how is it?”

Now that they’re back in Lin Song’s office, Lin Zhu casually pulled off his tie, took off his suit and threw it hastily on the sofa, then inched closer to his big brother with great interest. “I’ve helped win this negotiation, so will Dad take care of me anymore? I still have things to do in the company…”

“Who at home is willing to take care of you?”

Lin Song glanced at his younger brother and flicked the younger man’s forehead. He then stood up, poured a cup of strong coffee, mixed it with half a cup of milk, added two sugar cubes, and placed it next to Lin Zhu.

Negotiation is a physical job. Lin Zhu was very thirsty. He took a few sips of coffee and rushed to him, imaginary tail wagging. “Da-ge!”

Lin Song, who has always been unable to bear his younger brother’s puppy eyes, had no choice but to compromise. He sighed softly, and raised his hand to ruffle his hair.

Lin Zhu is 23 years old this year. He is the youngest agent in Canxing Entertainment and also the youngest master of the Lin Group.

This young master was lost for several years when he was young. When he was found, he needed extra health care for more than a decade before he was fully healthy. His family was so distressed that no one was willing to scold or discipline him.

There were several paths of ease and comfort arranged for him, but Lin Zhu disdained all of them. He was determined to enter the entertainment industry, which had nothing to do with the Lin family’s business. On top of that, he was determined to become an agent..

In the end, the Lin family can only let him become an agent.

In the entire Lin family, Lin Zhu ranks first, and everyone else has to take a backseat.

Mrs. Lin put her foot down and didn’t let anyone object. She secretly sent her youngest son out of the house. Mr. Lin was unhappy because of this. He secretly sent someone to buy the entertainment agency his youngest son was going to work at, but he gave up after being persuaded by his family and confidants.

Everyone originally thought that this young master would naturally give up after several obstacles in his career. However, not only did Lin Zhu never get an obstacle, he actually thrived.

In less than a year, he made a name for himself as a gold medal agent in the industry. Plus, he made his artists rise rapidly and gained a place in the industry.

However, Lin Zhu’s artists were never able to stay under him for long — the longest-serving one lasted less than half a year before he voluntarily transferred his artist to a more experienced and established agent. Currently, Lin Zhu had no artist under his management, and he had a lot of free time.

That’s also the reason why he helped Lin Song with the negotiations just now.

Lin Song had been with him all along and knew everything in detail. He pulled his younger brother to sit down, then gently pinched Lin Zhu’s neck. “It’s easy to talk to Dad. If you never come back, just how long are you going to make Dad wait?”

“I’m working to…”

Lin Zhu was quite dissatisfied with his older brother’s question. He took off his glasses and poked them on his face. “You knew it’s three years. I still have one month left.”

Lin Song raised his eyebrows. Feeling helpless, he teased Lin Zhu. “You have chased that celebrity for this long… you are very loyal.”

When Lin Song mentioned this matter, the young master’s fearless face suddenly turned red. He angrily sank into the sofa and stopped talking.

Lin Zhu has a favorite star — his family heard that Lin Zhu has liked this star since his childhood. His name is Zhong Yao. He debuted as a teenager, and won the Golden Wind Festival Best Actor Award in his twenties. Just when he was on the rise, he was framed and involved in a lot of scandals.

Although the matter was clarified later, Zhong Yao still decided to “retire” not long after. He told his fans that he’s going to take a three-year break from the entertainment industry and go abroad to further his acting studies.

Three years have passed in a flash, and there is only one month left.

“Okay, go and wait for your one month.”

His younger brother was still curled up on the sofa. Lin Song reached out and dug him out, patted his back and set him sitting straight. “If you’ve been wronged, remember to go home and tell us.”

“How could I be wronged? I’ve always been the one bullying others!”

Lin Zhu raised his chin with a proud look on his face. “Da-ge, don’t worry, I’m very capable!”

Seeing his beaming joy, Lin Song’s eyes gradually showed some smile, and he rubbed his neck again.

Despite his current bravado, Lin Zhu was very different when he first returned to the Lin family.

The thin and weak boy suffered untold hardships in the orphanage. He was shy, didn’t talk much, always avoided people’s gaze, and woke up several times at night.

He never told anyone what he liked to eat. What he liked to play. What his favorite hobbies are, or what things he didn’t like.

Lin Song was only a high schooler at the time. He racked his brains to dig out his traumatized little brother to make him happier. He worked hard to win a lot of Zhong Yao’s posters and other merchandise for decades. That’s why Lin Song really understood why Lin Zhu was hell-bent on being Zhong Yao’s agent.

Seeing Lin Zhu’s lively and energetic appearance, the Lin family members were happy. Naturally, nobody dared to disturb his happiness.

With the approval of his elder brother, Lin Zhu became even more confident. His eyes lit up with joy, he picked up the suit thrown on the sofa, and ran out of the room.

“Xiao Zhu!”

Lin Song didn’t expect this. This President – who always looked calm and composed in front of his employees – jumped up and finally stopped Lin Zhu who was running down the stairs. He threw Lin Zhu’s tie and a bottle of iced drink down together. “It’s hot outside, remember to drive, charge your phone, don’t fight with others, and don’t get into untrusted people ca—”

“I know!”

Lin Zhu couldn’t stand his brother’s nagging, so he took the drink, shook his tie at him, and went downstairs nimbly.

His younger brother really has grown up, hasn’t he?

The nagging General Manager Lin stood at the stairwell for a moment. Then, he shook his head with a smile, before turning around to go back to his office.

The sun shone brightly, peeking out from the thick leaves, enveloping the daytime with a cozy feeling.

Lin Zhu did not have a good physical foundation when he was young. He was afraid of the cold in winter and the heat in summer. He ran out excitedly, but was soon wilted by the sun.

Because of the overhead sun, Lin Zhu decided to use his car. When he arrived at Canxing Entertainment, he still had his cool drink on his arm. However, his gaze lingered towards the gate of Canxing.

Just as he reached the door of the building, he was suddenly blocked by a group of reporters.

It’s not directed at him.

This group of people carried cameras with long lenses, surrounding Qi Zhi and his new agent who had just appeared. They all impatiently handed over microphones one after another.

Qi Zhi was a newly-popular celebrity that Lin Zhu managed.

Lin Zhu has always had a way of managing newcomers. He could easily grab gigs that looked impossible to get, and he always knew when to advance and when to retreat. He also neither was humble nor overbearing. Although he was a new agent, he has not made any enemies or rivals, but he also never let anyone take advantage of him.

He was Qi Zhi’s agent for around half a year. Everyone thought this would continue, but Qi Zhi was suddenly snatched away by a veteran and experienced agent.

In this circle, one cannot rely solely on their ability. No matter how strong Lin Zhu’s capability is, he is just a newly-minted agent. The resources in his hand weren’t as good as senior agents’.

On the day Qi Zhi changed his agent, the company had prepared all the conditions to appease him. They also prepared a thick stack of information about obedient and easy-to-manage newcomers. However, Lin Zhu didn’t look blindsided by this sudden change. He signed the transfer agreement calmly, and even shook hands with Qi Zhi in a friendly manner.

It was as if he knew the whole thing already.

It was no small matter for an agent to be betrayed by their artist. Lin Zhu behaved as if nothing major happened, in contrast to his coworkers, who were very worried about him.

Recently, every now and then, a cleaning lady with a kind face would give him fruits, milk and red eggs. A young intern would buy him ice cream, a blush adorning her face. His fellow agents would drag him out for a walk with their arms around his shoulder. He would be gifted biscuits, cakes, chocolates, and other snacks everyday.

Lin Zhu gained three jin[mfn]1斤 = 0.5 kg. So, Lin Zhu gained 1.5 kg[/mfn] thanks to their care.

Lin Zhu’s heart was entirely on Zhong Yao. Originally, Qi Zhi’s matter was of no concern for him — but now, thanks to Qi Zhi, he was enthusiastically fed until he was bloated.

Lin Zhu slipped to the edge of the crowd without a trace. Just as he was looking for an opportunity to escape, a gray car suddenly slowed down and drove past him.

Even though Lin Song had taught him several times, Lin Zhu still had no idea about a car’s model or brand. He vaguely remembered that the car of the coworker who brought him milk beer yesterday was also of this color. So, he quickly grabbed the car door and said, “Hurry up, help me, help me!”

The person in the car seemed startled. They saw the crowd of reporters outside the car, reached out to the back seat, and opened the door for him.

The reporters behind Lin Zhu were still pushing and shoving, but Lin Zhu nimbly jumped onto the back seat. The cool air in the car wrapped around his body, making him involuntarily let out a long sigh of relief.

The car started steadily and continued to move towards the parking lot.

Lin Zhu, who had melted in the back seat, was saved by the air conditioner. He excitedly returned to his casual banter mode, hugging the driver’s shoulder from the back seat. “Thank you, thank you~ I’ll treat you to barbecue later–“

His words suddenly got stuck in his throat. His eyes gradually widened.

In the rearview mirror, Lin Zhu could see this man’s face. This handsome face was leagues different from his coworker. The man raised his head slightly, looking at Lin Zhu with interest in his eyes. A faint hint of amusement gradually appeared in the bottom of its dark pupils.