Yan Yili’s recent actions were clearly aimed at shaping his public image, making sure people knew that aside from Yan Yixuan, there was another son of the Yan family. And with the rift between him and Yan Yixuan already out in the open, who was he fooling with that talk about not caring about the Yan Corporation’s throne?
Everyone knows that Yan Jisheng’s health isn’t good right now, and the next leader is assumed to be Yan Yixuan. But who can guarantee that no one will unexpectedly step in, like a wild card?
Ji Ling had thought that Yan Yixuan wouldn’t directly answer this, but instead, Yan Yixuan just paused for a moment before calmly replying, “Not much, he can’t do anything.”
Ji Ling leaned back in his chair, letting himself fall into the comfort of the office chair.
Young Master Yan didn’t need his reminder—he was probably already prepared for this.
Ji Ling pondered the situation in the Yan Corporation.
Right now, Yan Jisheng was the chairman, and he probably held most of the shares, followed by Yan Yixuan and Yan Yili. He wasn’t sure if Yan Yueshi had any assets, but even if she did, it wouldn’t be much.
Yan Yixuan had said that Yan Yili didn’t have many shares, and Yan Yili had also mentioned that the board was still under Yan Yixuan’s control.
Aside from the occasional provocation from Yan Yili, the situation remained stable.
This battle in the Yan Corporation wouldn’t really take off as long as Yan Jisheng was still around.
To say something unpleasant, the next leader of the Yan Corporation would depend on how Yan Jisheng wrote his will. Whoever the old emperor wanted to lift to the throne would be the final winner.
But for now, the crown prince was Yan Yixuan, so there shouldn’t be any problem, right?
Still, compared to Yan Yili’s direct attacks, Yan Yixuan always seemed a little hesitant. Was there something more to this?
Ji Ling’s thoughts drifted away, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Young Master Yan, do you remember the story about the king I once told you?”
Yan Yixuan paused, not expecting him to bring that up. After a moment of thought, he recalled it and said, “You mean the story where the old king might fight the new king for the throne?”
Ji Ling nodded, then realized Yan Yixuan couldn’t see him, so he answered, “Yes, the answer you gave me—do you remember it?”
Yan Yixuan was silent for a long while, then said, “I said, what’s mine is mine, and I would never give it up.”
Ji Ling smiled.
In the business world, everyone held the power of life and death over their companies. Who would willingly hand over such power?
Himself, Yan Yixuan, Yan Yili, his brother Zong Jiqi, even Luo Tao—who didn’t have ambitions for their careers?
Ji Ling said sincerely, “I’m just a little worried.”
He admitted that he was indeed a bit curious about the situation in the Yan Corporation. Whenever there was an opportunity, he couldn’t help but ask around, which was probably why he had asked Yan Yueshi. This action must have made Yan Yixuan a little wary.
As for why he was both concerned and curious, he wasn’t really the type to meddle in other people’s business, but somehow he always ended up involved in matters concerning the Yan family. The reason behind it was something he vaguely sensed, but it was always hard to pinpoint.
On the other end of the phone, Yan Yixuan seemed a little shocked, staying silent for a while.
After a moment, he gruffly spoke, as if trying to cover something up, “There’s nothing to worry about. Just mind your own business. Made a few billion, huh? Boss Ji?”
Ji Ling could tell that Yan Yixuan had started teasing him again, which meant his mood had improved significantly. So, he humbly responded, “It’s not much, not much. I don’t dare to say I’ve made a lot in front of Young Master Yan.”
Yan Yixuan snorted, then left him with a final remark, “Anyway, don’t try to pry anything out of my sister.”
And then he hung up.
Ji Ling stared at his phone.
It almost sounded like he was bullying Yan Yueshi.
He put the phone down and realized the program on his computer had already finished. Yan Yili’s face had disappeared from the screen.
He shut off the computer, stood up, and opened the window.
The hot summer air rushed in, scattering the coolness from the air conditioner.
The bustling sounds from the business district outside also flowed in with the air, making even the high floors feel noisy.
Actually, Yan Yixuan had a point.
He really couldn’t get involved in the Yan family’s disputes.
Ji Ling took a deep breath of the scorching summer air, and his mind cleared a little.
He stood by the window for a long time, deep in thought, quietly making a decision.
Shen Dongqing’s movie had made a small splash, with good reviews and ratings above average on various websites. In the end, the box office results wrapped up with a comedy finish. For an art film, to make it in the cutthroat summer market was quite a win, both in fame and profit.
Ji Ling’s performance had once again been recognized, earning a lot for both himself and Tiansheng Entertainment. What should have been a joyous occasion, however, had sparked a small complaint from Luo Tao.
That day, Ji Ling had been invited as a guest to an event at the Film Academy for supporting a summer activity. When he arrived at the school, he just made a brief appearance and then left the scene. To his surprise, he ran into Luo Tao near the teaching building.
Luo Tao was surprised and asked, “What are you doing here?”
Ji Ling answered him and then asked, “Is Mr. Luo here on business?”
Luo Tao answered graciously, “Shen Dongqing has something to do at the school. I’m just here to see him off.”
The CEO himself was personally seeing off the Best Actor. Ji Ling didn’t dare to express his true thoughts, simply nodding, preparing to say a quick hello and leave.
Unexpectedly, Luo Tao grabbed his arm and said, “Let’s go together.”
Luo Tao had come from a singing background and transitioned into business, so his personality was more lively compared to other businessmen. He was always carefree, not bothered by the little things, and when he decided something, he just went for it.
Ji Ling was surprised and asked, “What about the big star, Shen?”
Luo Tao waved his hand and said, “He can handle his own affairs. I’m more afraid of the people at the school—they’re all smooth talkers, and once they get going, they can talk for hours. Are all teachers this good at talking? I’ll leave the car for him; you take me.”
Ji Ling thought to himself, this is crazy. He was almost becoming a professional driver—first, he played the chauffeur for Yan Yixuan, now he was driving for Luo Tao.
The two of them got in the car. Luo Tao sat next to Ji Ling, clearly unable to sit still, so he started chatting with him.
He had the nerve to criticize others when he was just as talkative himself.
“The last movie of Shen Dongqing’s didn’t flop,” Luo Tao said with a regretful expression, “I was actually waiting to see him make a fool of himself.”
Ji Ling replied, “Well, with me around, how could it flop?”
Luo Tao laughed loudly, “Boss Ji, you’re amazing.” He couldn’t help but sigh, “Honestly, for you, I’m just an early investor. I thought it would take me years to see a return, but right now, the dividends you’ve given me have already far exceeded my investment. I really admire you.”
Ji Ling also responded, “When I had no money, you lent me a hand, and you’ve provided me with work opportunities time and time again. I’m equally grateful.”
This was probably what they called a pleasant cooperation.
“Hahaha, let’s stop blowing smoke up each other’s backs,” Luo Tao said, but his tone was still proud. “But there’s one thing I need to complain about.”
Ji Ling raised an eyebrow while driving, “I’m all ears.”
If Ji Ling wasn’t driving, Luo Tao would’ve slapped him on the shoulder, “Stop being so formal, it makes me uncomfortable. Tiansheng Entertainment originally had a promotion department, but lately, they’ve had nothing to do.”
Ji Ling was stunned for a moment, then chuckled.
He knew Luo Tao was exaggerating. In most entertainment companies, the promotions department primarily handled external relations, and it was rare for them to manage marketing directly. But since Ji Ling and Luo Tao were so familiar with each other, many of the steps had been simplified, and Ji Ling had taken over those responsibilities, indirectly causing the promotions department to shrink.
“You can’t blame me for that,” Ji Ling said.
This was Tiansheng Entertainment’s issue. While it might have been triggered by Ji Ling, to put it bluntly, it wasn’t directly his responsibility.
“I’m not unhappy, just venting to you,” Luo Tao said, “So now, I’m thinking about restructuring the promotion department.”
Ji Ling thought it made perfect sense—cut the redundancy, and focus on the advantages of restructuring.
Wait a minute.
He was driving but couldn’t stop thinking about what Luo Tao had said.
“How come you’re not offering your opinion?” Luo Tao noticed Ji Ling had gone silent and asked him.
Ji Ling, deep in thought, mulled it over for a moment before responding, “I was thinking… what if your promotion department merged with my company?”
Luo Tao, sitting in the passenger seat, froze.
“What do you mean? Are you planning to acquire me, or am I supposed to acquire you?”
Ji Ling smiled and said, “Well, your promotion department’s basically dead weight. Instead of keeping it around, why not just give it to me? We’ve been working together fine, so why bother with a formal acquisition? Why not just treat the restructuring as a technical investment?”
Luo Tao still seemed a bit confused. “So, you mean I’ll give you the resources and take equity in return?”
Ji Ling nodded.
Luo Tao continued, “But wait, that’s still not right. I’m already a shareholder. Are you asking me to make a second investment? How do we assess the valuation for that?”
As Luo Tao kept talking, he found himself falling into the trap, and Ji Ling couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’re so uncomfortable with it, why don’t you ask your brother for help?”
Luo Tao suddenly realized, “Oh, so it’s my big brother you’re after!”
The two brothers from the Luo family—Luo Tao may have been in charge of Tiansheng Entertainment, but ultimately, Tiansheng was still part of the Luo family, with Luo Teng being the real powerhouse behind it all.
If Ji Ling could get in touch with Luo Teng, it would truly be his direct connection to the Luo family.
Getting Luo Teng involved would give Ji Ling’s company access to far more powerful resources.
Many people had tried to use Luo Tao to get to Luo Teng, but Luo Tao had always turned them down.
Yet Ji Ling’s proposal—just mentioned casually on a drive back—didn’t make Luo Tao uncomfortable at all.
“You and your brother are family. If he steps in, we could do this restructuring the right way. Your family would hold more shares, and we’d be strategic partners.”
Ji Ling continued persuading him.
“You know how things are going for me, so think about whether you want to increase your stake.”
The two of them sat in the car, looking relaxed, but as they kept talking, the conversation inevitably shifted to business.
“You’re one sharp guy,” Luo Tao said. “But I’ve told you before, I was going to have you talk to my brother about financing. The timing wasn’t right back then, but now it seems like a good opportunity.”
Ji Ling understood that Luo Tao’s words meant consent, and a smile spread across his face. But then Luo Tao added, “Though, I’ll still need to check with my older brother.”
Ji Ling steadied his thoughts and asked, “Could you introduce me to Mr. Luo? I’d like to speak with him directly.”
Luo Tao replied, “I can, but my brother isn’t as easy to talk to as I am. I’m afraid you might come back with a layer of skin peeled off.”
Ji Ling didn’t look scared when he heard that. Instead, his eyes darkened, and a glimmer of excitement flashed through them.
“It’s fine. I’ll handle it well.”
After all this time, the fishing line he’d cast was finally ready to be reeled in.
He was finally going to meet Luo Teng.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
