Ji Ling was taken aback by the suggestion. This was implying the idea of dual-class shares.
The Yan Group was willing to forgo certain voting rights, as long as it meant securing a larger stake. After the Yan Group invested, although Ji Ling’s shares were diluted, his one share could be exchanged for several votes, ensuring that he wouldn’t lose control.
The Yan Group had taken such a humble approach, something Ji Ling hadn’t anticipated.
It suddenly clicked for Ji Ling.
He asked Yan Yixuan, “Is Yan Yili behind the merger proposal?”
Yan Yixuan didn’t confirm or deny, so Ji Ling took it as a silent acknowledgment.
So, Yan Yili must have known his proposal was going to fail, which is why he quickly sought out a new path. If the Yan Group really acquired Ji Ling’s company, there was no way Ji Ling and Yan Yixuan could stay on good terms.
Ji Ling quickly realized something else: Yan Yixuan had spent the entire day in the conference room. He must have been there to convince the board members of Yan Group, trying to eliminate any thoughts of a merger.
However, since Yan Group wanted to expand into the cultural industry and needed more capital to grow, in the end, they compromised by allowing Ji Ling to retain control through a shareholding structure.
All of this was Yan Yixuan’s effort.
Ji Ling glanced at Yan Yixuan with a complicated expression.
He had just wavered earlier; Yan Yixuan truly was…
Ji Ling sighed in frustration, “I feel like I was played by Yan Yili.”
Yan Yixuan pinched the space between his brows, looking exhausted, and said, “I won’t let him get away with it. I knew he wouldn’t stay quiet, so I was prepared.”
“Anyway, we were supposed to notify you tomorrow, but now I’ve told you early. Take some time to think it over, and we’ll sit down to discuss your shares and voting rights.”
Ji Ling leaned closer, asking, “Why didn’t you just tell me the final outcome earlier? You made me think you guys were really going to force this.”
Yan Yixuan flicked his forehead, saying, “I know how seriously you take the company. Your reaction doesn’t surprise me one bit.”
Ji Ling laughed, “I just don’t want to go back to those broke days, so I’m a bit on edge.”
The feeling of suddenly losing everything—he never wanted to experience it again, so he took his career seriously.
But now, he had something just as important as his career.
Although Ji Ling hadn’t attended the meeting, he could imagine how intense the Yan Group meeting must have been today. Yan Yixuan had withstood pressure and counterattacks, securing the best outcome for Ji Ling and his partnership. How could Ji Ling not be moved?
Ji Ling turned his head again, saying, “I underestimated your intentions. I apologize.” As he said this, he leaned closer to Yan Yixuan, “To show my apology, let me kiss you.”
Yan Yixuan, clearly annoyed by how playful Ji Ling was becoming, thought to himself that he had never been this mischievous before. Late at night, he reached up to pull down the sunshade on the car’s front window and kissed Ji Ling inside the car.
Ji Ling kissed him back, finally feeling satisfied. But then, he thought of something and asked, “Apart from all this, has Yan Yili given you any more trouble?”
Yan Yixuan looked at him, his gaze flickering. “No, I’ve got it all under control.” He glanced at the time and noticed how late it had gotten. He told Ji Ling, “Let’s go. Take me back.”
The next day, as expected, people from Yan Group came to officially discuss matters with Ji Ling’s company.
They presented their terms with sincerity, and Ji Ling acknowledged it, but mentioned that further confirmation was needed.
The news that Yan Group was entering the cultural sector immediately spread through the business community.
Yan Group wasn’t the first real estate company to be involved in the cinema industry, and they wouldn’t be the last. But their actions sent a clear signal: everyone was getting into the cultural industry to make money.
However, Yan Group’s focus wasn’t on a well-established film company—it was Ji Ling.
This boss, Ji Ling, was well known in the entertainment industry. Many investors recognized him, and upon checking his background, they found his career had always been smooth sailing. Several investors were industry bigwigs, and he was still extremely young, instantly becoming a hot topic.
Some even posted his picture online, and people quickly realized not only was he young and handsome, but also wealthy and highly regarded by big capital—his future was incredibly bright. He was dubbed the ‘CEO from a novel’ on the internet.
“Boss, you’ve become an internet celebrity,” someone joked in Ji Ling’s company recently, during the lunch break. Mo Yulan couldn’t help but gossip a little.
“…I’m just being dragged into it,” Ji Ling replied, uninterested in all the hype.
“Now, lots of CEOs are internet celebrities with huge fanbases. You should open a Weibo account and promote the company; I’ll help you buy some ads.”
The receptionist chimed in, “Yeah, yeah, you could live stream, make a million a month.”
Mo Yulan gave her a disdainful look, “A million? We spend tens of millions on just the publicity for a movie. A million is nothing.”
The receptionist quietly turned away, muttering, “I’m always wrong, aren’t I?”
Ji Ling chuckled, watching them bicker.
There had been CEOs who became internet celebrities to promote their businesses, but the results weren’t always great. At the end of the day, appearance alone wouldn’t make a business successful.
He could joke with his subordinates, but when it came to business matters, Ji Ling still needed the advice of professionals.
Ji Ling called Luo Teng.
“Boss Ji, you’re really in the spotlight right now. That photo of yours is going viral!” Luo Teng teased him.
Ji Ling sighed helplessly, “Why does Chairman Luo also call me ‘Boss Ji’?”
Some things, even though you know them in your heart, remain unsaid between the two people. You continue to maintain a relationship that’s both collaborative and collegial.
Luo Teng laughed, “What can I do? Everyone online is calling you that, so I just went along with it.”
Ji Ling laughed as well, “Spare me, I’ve had enough of mixing with the entertainment industry and young idols every day.” He said to Luo Teng, “I’ve got proper business to handle.”
Luo Teng seemed to put down whatever he was holding on the other end of the phone before replying, “It’s about the cinema project with the Yan Group, right?”
As the major shareholder in Ji Ling’s company, Luo Teng had placed people in the management team, so he was quite familiar with these matters. Ji Ling explained Yan Yixuan’s proposal about the unequal voting rights and shared the details with Luo Teng.
Luo Teng paused for a moment and said, “In the end, the Yan Group is still wary of me. They want to expand their business but are worried about your influence, afraid I might benefit from it, so they want to be your largest shareholder. They want you to retain control while diluting my voting rights.”
Ji Ling listened, nodding. Suddenly remembering that Luo Teng couldn’t see, he said, “Yes, so, you could say it’ll harm some of your interests, which is why I wanted to hear your thoughts.”
Luo Teng laughed, “Don’t worry about me. Business is all about interests, but it’s also about relationships. That’s what keeps things going long-term. You sell the Yan Group a favor, I’ll sell you one, and then we can all make money together.”
Ji Ling thought to himself, no wonder he and Luo Teng got along so well; it was because Luo Teng’s way of doing things suited him perfectly.
Luo Teng’s approach to business was exactly to his taste.
Ji Ling said, “Since Chairman Luo is so generous, I’ll be at ease.”
Luo Teng then added, “I’m fine with it, but you should think about it carefully. The Yan Group is making a big move this time. Even though they’ve allowed you to keep control, they might have other plans down the line.”
Ji Ling thought to himself, it’s not even about the future; Yan Yili had already stirred up the board to try to acquire him.
Luo Teng then asked, “Do you trust the Yan Group?”
Ji Ling recalled the conversation he’d had with Yan Yixuan in the car that day.
At the time, he’d been genuinely touched.
Yan Yixuan might not have taken it to heart, but Ji Ling had remembered it all along.
“Someone gives me a wooden peach, and I must return it with jade ornaments.” Ji Ling didn’t want to disappoint the feelings that were overflowing in his heart.
He replied to Luo Teng, “I trust Yan Yixuan.”
“Oh?” Luo Teng sounded a bit surprised, then laughed, “So that’s how it is.”
He didn’t ask more but brought up another question, “But the Yan Group’s plan is so big. From what I know, they still have several projects under wraps, and there are malls under development. Now they’re investing a huge amount into your project. Can they afford it in cash?”
Ji Ling hadn’t asked Yan Yixuan about that. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Since they’ve promised me, it shouldn’t be an issue.”
But is it really not an issue? Ji Ling thought to himself.
After his call with Luo Teng, Ji Ling felt a lot more at ease. The preparatory work for his collaboration with the Yan Group officially kicked off.
Ji Ling had more frequent interactions with people from the Yan Group, which he found interesting because he could get a glimpse of their corporate culture. Sometimes, he tried to pry some information out, but most people were tight-lipped, keeping things strictly business.
Although it seemed like Ji Ling was having more contact with the Yan Group, he didn’t have much time to meet with Yan Yixuan. They could only exchange occasional calls or brief messages on WeChat, mostly concerning work-related matters.
Being busy was fulfilling, but Ji Ling still wanted to meet Yan Yixuan. Just as he was planning to find time, an unexpected visitor showed up.
Xu Jing came straight to Ji Ling’s company one evening.
People in the entertainment industry often have a special perk—they can directly show their faces.
Although Xu Jing was just a director and not a star, Ji Ling’s company dealt with various production companies, so many people recognized him.
Everyone thought Director Xu had come to discuss business, and they were curious why a director would be meeting with publicity, but it was still a surprise.
Ji Ling met him in the reception room and immediately knew by the solemn look on Xu Jing’s face that he wasn’t here for a business discussion.
Sure enough, after some hesitation, Xu Jing finally spoke up. “Boss Ji, I know you business people are always busy, but you’re the only one I could think of.”
He looked at Ji Ling, still calm and composed, but his eyes showed the urgency that contradicted his calm demeanor.
“Ever since Yueshi was taken away by her brother, I haven’t been able to contact her.”
Ji Ling thought back to how Yan Yixuan had been furious about it and wasn’t surprised at all.
“Her phone’s been off. I’ve gone to her workplace, but I couldn’t find her. She hasn’t posted anything on her social media, and I can’t get through to the Yan Group.”
Xu Jing sat on the sofa, looking up at Ji Ling, a complicated expression on his face that was hard to describe.
“I just have some things I want to say to her, but I can’t even see her in person.”
Ji Ling understood why Xu Jing was here.
If he wasn’t completely desperate, he wouldn’t have come to a stranger like Ji Ling.
Ji Ling couldn’t help but feel a sense of sympathy.
In the eyes of the world, Xu Jing was considered successful, but when it came to the Yan Group, he was powerless. He could only humble himself and lower his status just to get a chance to see Yan Yueshi.
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)
