As a Magnate, I Started Checking in at a Convenience Store

Chapter 598: You Can’t Play Without a Brain! (2)

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation | Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Upon hearing about calling his wife, Lei Mingtang quickly interjected, “No, Brother Chao, please don’t call Zhou Qian. She’s not aware of this situation, and if she finds out, she’ll surely make me kneel on the keyboard.”

Putting his teacup down with a bit of force, Zhou Chao’s tone became more serious. “Tell me, what happened?”

With a deep sigh, Lei Mingtang fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a pack of Green Panda cigarettes, lighting one up. Seeing this, Jiang Li discreetly picked up her teacup and moved to sit near the window.

Zhou Chao silently watched Lei Mingtang until his cigarette was nearly finished, and then finally he spoke. “It happened recently. You know how I gained sudden popularity with your help some time ago.”

“Not long ago, a large media company specializing in social media approached me. After lengthy negotiations, they promised to place my studio under their company, providing strong support for its development. All they required was for me to frequently feature their new anchors and assist in boosting their popularity.”

At this moment, Zhou Chao realized that his longtime friend had been manipulated by certain capitalists, allowing them to exploit his resources for their own gain. It appeared that he, acting as the unwitting host, wouldn’t reap any rewards in the end.

“You were used as a stepping stone, and then betrayed afterward,” Zhou Chao observed, his frustration evident.

Lei Mingtang nodded in agreement. “Yes, I never expected they would be so ruthless. Initially, they arranged for me to compete with some newcomers from their company. At first, it seemed harmless, but gradually, I noticed they were infiltrating my fan base, deceiving my followers, and fabricating false accusations against me, with evidence to support their claims.”

Lei Mingtang took another cigarette from his pack, continuing to smoke. “Though I managed to minimize the damage later on, the company still took advantage of me. In the end, I had to pay one million to terminate the contract with them. But my popularity never recovered.”

Zhou Chao, leaning back in his chair, furrowed his brows. “You’re foolish. How could you not see through their intentions? And why didn’t you call me about this?”

Seeing his friend’s sorry state, Zhou Chao initially wanted to scold him but decided against it. He couldn’t add fuel to the fire.

Lei Mingtang wore a wry smile. “I didn’t want to bother you, and it didn’t seem like a big deal. It’s also a lesson for me.”

Observing Lei Mingtang’s pitiful appearance, Zhou Chao’s anger intensified. “Not a big deal? Look at the state of your studio now. A couple of cats and dogs, and my brother being bullied like this. We must reclaim our dignity. What’s the name of the company?”

Seeing Zhou Chao genuinely angry, Lei Mingtang hesitated before answering, “The company is called Yao Yang Entertainment. Its headquarters is said to be in Jingdu, but I’m not entirely sure.”

Zhou Chao chuckled in exasperation. “You only know the name of the company and yet you dared to sign a contract with them. I don’t know what to say to you.”

Seeing Zhou Chao’s earnest anger, Lei Mingtang stuttered, “This company is quite renowned on Mou Yin. I asked a few well-known anchors for advice before deciding to cooperate with them. I never expected things would turn out like this.”

“Alright, alright, I understand. I’ll have someone investigate this matter. What are your plans now? Will you continue in this industry?” Zhou Chao asked, his tone softening.

After some thought, Lei Mingtang looked at Zhou Chao earnestly. “Super Brother, I still want to continue.”

Zhou Chao nodded, sitting up straight and crossing his hands under his chin. “I own a large entertainment company. I’ll arrange for you to join it. I won’t provide you with too much support; your success will depend on your own efforts.”

After experiencing this setback, Lei Mingtang no longer pretended to be aloof. He realized that relying solely on his not-so-bright mind to survive in this industry was unsustainable. Sooner or later, he would hit a wall. Only by leaning on a strong support could he truly thrive.

“Thank you, Brother Chao!” Lei Mingtang’s face once burdened with worries, now bore a visible smile.

“Enough with the pleasantries. You should know that you’re my brother. Not calling me when you’re in trouble? If I hadn’t returned suddenly this time, I wouldn’t have known about all these things happening to you. Let’s leave it at that this time, but next time, I’ll see how I deal with you!” Zhou Chao said with feigned anger.

“There won’t be a next time. How could there be? From now on, I’ll rely on Brother Chao for my meals,” Lei Mingtang said proudly. Although he didn’t know about Zhou Chao’s current power and influence, he was surely much more powerful than he used to be.

Zhou Chao finally realized Lei Mingtang’s thick skin. Shaking his head at Lei Mingtang’s apparent happiness, he took out his phone and called Ling Chen.

The call was quickly answered. As Zhou Chao was about to speak, Lei Mingtang signaled for him to step out for a moment. Zhou Chao nodded slightly in response.

After Lei Mingtang left the office, Zhou Chao began speaking over the phone. “Hello, are you free now?”

“I’m free, Boss. What’s the matter?” Ling Chen responded.

Zhou Chao proceeded to explain Lei Mingtang’s situation in detail and instructed him to have their entertainment company handle it.

“By the way, Boss, you mentioned integrating our entertainment sectors earlier. Now it’s done. Who do you think is suitable to lead the entertainment division?”

Zhou Chao didn’t immediately respond, tapping the table rhythmically with his fingers. “Do you have any suitable candidates?”

“I plan to recommend Shang Xiaoqing, the former general manager of Hengdian, to take charge, with Zhao Fang as her assistant.”

“What about Qin Ziwei? She also has a lot of ideas about leading the entertainment sector.”

“I’ve discussed these matters with her. She understands that she still lacks a lot of experience. It would be difficult for her to handle a large company independently, so she’s returning to the headquarters to continue as CFO.”

“Alright, I agree. Handle it according to your plan.”

“Understood, Boss. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go handle this matter now!” Ling Chen was also efficient. Since the decision was made, he was ready to implement these arrangements today.

“Wait a moment, I have something else to tell you. There may be more resources coming our way in the near future, such as oil fields. Arrange for the immediate establishment of an energy company and lay the groundwork to avoid being caught off guard later.”

Upon hearing Zhou Chao’s words, Ling Chen was also surprised. He had only been away for a few days, yet the group had acquired a considerable amount of new business.

“Oil? Boss, are you going to rob the Russians?”

“How could it be robbery? They’re practically handing it to us. Remember that gold mine you told me about before? That’s what we’re trading it for!”

“Heh heh, Boss, anyway, we practically stumbled upon that gold mine!” Ling Chen chuckled with a hint of pride.

Little did Ling Chen know that Zhou Chao had secured that gold mine through his connections. Of course, Zhou Chao wasn’t about to divulge that to him.

“That’s true. Alright, I won’t bother you anymore. Just make arrangements for these matters as soon as possible!”

“Okay, Boss!” Ling Chen replied before hanging up.

Shortly after Zhou Chao hung up, Lei Mingtang entered the office as if on cue.

“Brother Chao, how about dinner tonight?”

Without hesitation, Zhou Chao declined, “Let’s skip dinner. I’m going to visit my aunt later. We’ll talk about it after I finish up these things in the next few days.”

“Alright,” Lei Mingtang replied, undeterred. There was plenty of time; there was no rush.

After chatting with Lei Mingtang for over half an hour, Zhou Chao bid farewell.

As he watched Zhou Chao and Jiang Li leave in the car, Lei Mingtang couldn’t help but sigh about how many good deeds he must have done in his past life to have such a good friend.

Just as Lei Mingtang was contemplating his future development, an unexpected remark came from beside him, “Boss, did you something nice? You’re smiling so happily!”

Lei Mingtang’s smile instantly froze. “Xiao Chen, it seems you don’t want a raise. You won’t be getting the increment that I promised you.”

With that, Lei Mingtang turned around and walked back into the office, leaving Xiao Chen standing alone at the door.

Moments later, a desperate cry echoed from inside, “No, Boss, I was wrong!”