Chapter 531 - 316: The Water Army Plan, Silly Tang Qiang, Brothers

Chapter 531: Chapter 316: The Water Army Plan, Silly Tang Qiang, Brothers

Li Zuoguo gave Xu Hu a thoughtful glance.

Xu Hu turned to look back at him.

They had been friends for years.

Li Zuoguo knew his old friend’s temperament well.

Back when he was a journalist, he was a true, idealistic intellectual—you could even call him a warrior. Whenever he saw injustice, he’d take up his pen and attack.

After quitting journalism to start his own independent media platform, he’d been deplatformed multiple times.

In the end, he had no choice but to pivot his operations abroad. But... he was still as fiery as ever, a man who lived by his passions.

"Don’t look at me. Go ahead and do what you want."

Li Zuoguo said with a gentle smile.

’I’m a businessman, so I have more to consider and weigh. But there’s no stopping Xu Hu. He doesn’t think about any of this and has already completely agreed.’

’It would be inappropriate for me to say anything more.’

’Anyway, I’m just a minority shareholder. Getting a reasonable return on my exit now isn’t a loss.’

Xu Hu couldn’t help but laugh aloud. He looked at Lin Chu with a complex expression, his tone tinged with emotion. "See? I’ve been saying it all along. If our generation wants to rise, we have to count on the youth. The post-90s generation isn’t quite cutting it. We need the post-95s and the post-00s. They’re more confident, more carefree, and have a more global perspective."

"I honestly thought we’d have to wait another ten, maybe even twenty years, for someone like you to show up. I didn’t expect you to arrive so soon, President Lin."

He raised an eyebrow.

His tone and posture were surprisingly moving.

Though it was a bit patronizing, Lin Chu could also sense the deep conviction behind it.

"Haha, I wouldn’t put it that way. Every generation has its own historic mission. It’s like feeling full after eating the fifth bun and saying the first four were useless... right?"

At this, Lin Chu grew even more modest. His easy-going conversation revealed his broad perspective and social grace.

Xu Hu laughed again.

He could also sense a maturity in Lin Chu that belied his age.

When it came to getting things done, he was bold and decisive, unafraid to think big and act on it.

And in person, he had a way of making you feel completely at ease.

A young man like that was truly outstanding—one in a million.

"Alright, let’s consider it a deal. As for the price, just name it. I won’t haggle. We can coordinate the next steps anytime... Ah Hui, open the champagne!"

Lin Chu said nonchalantly.

’Money is no object.’

’How much could they possibly ask for?’

’An independent media platform... even if it cost a few million USD, let’s say I pay them ten times that—that’s a few tens of millions at most. To me, that’s just a drop in the bucket.’

’It’s not even enough to buy houses for all my guys here.’

’But in these early stages, making a first impression as someone with deep pockets is crucial.’

’I’m building an empire right now. What’s money?’

Hearing Lin Chu’s words, Xu Hu and Li Zuoguo glanced at each other, both feeling a helpless sense of not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"If you’re going to say that, then I won’t hold back. I’ve got a big appetite."

Xu Hu said with a teasing laugh.

POP!

Lin Chu opened the champagne and poured them each a glass without even looking up. "Hm. I’m listening."

"So far, we’ve invested a total of about 1.2 million euros into this company. In terms of profit and loss, we’re barely breaking even. But we have built up a solid fanbase and influence. If you’re acquiring us, Brother Li will need to exit. The return I promised him was a 100% return in three years. You can pay him out for that. As for my share, just give me whatever you think is fair. As long as it’s enough to support my people."

Xu Hu said, showing he had carefully calculated the details.

He was methodical in his dealings. Business is business, even with the closest of friends. If it were just his own money, anything would be fine, but since Li Zuoguo was involved, he couldn’t let the man take a loss.

"Five million. USD. And you can keep the change."

"Let’s call it settled. A small matter."

"Can we drink now?"

Lin Chu raised his glass, watching him with a wide grin.

’Just to mess with the Crazy Horse Show, which brought no tangible returns, I casually threw away five million USD. Now for some actual business, five million is basically pocket change.’

Xu Hu and Li Zuoguo were, for a moment, utterly flabbergasted.

’What kind of reverse haggling is this?’

’What kind of businessman does this?’

’Honestly, in all their years, they had truly never seen or heard of anything like it.’

Scratching his head, Xu Hu picked up his glass, feeling even more like he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Do you always spend money like this?"

Lin Chu gave a slight smirk and clinked glasses with him. "Not exactly."

"Usually, I’m even more extravagant."

"A couple of days ago, I bought an apartment for every single employee at the Paris branch. A gift."

"No particular reason. I was just in a good mood."

"Money... the more you spend, the more you make. The budget is ample, so let’s start recruiting. Former colleagues, friends, anyone with talent and ability who just lacks a platform—bring them all to me... I’ll set a small goal first: an online army of ten thousand in one year. That’s not too much to ask, is it?"

Lin Chu already had a rough blueprint in mind for the goals he wanted to achieve in the arena of public opinion.

It came down to three very simple words: human sea tactics!

Very simple.

But also very effective.

It was the most effective method.

’Others don’t use it because they don’t have the budget. But me? I have an unlimited budget.’

’People don’t dare to play like this back home because they’re worried about the public opinion and political risks. I don’t have a powerful backer there either. But abroad? I can just go all out.’

’The rule abroad is... freedom of speech, after all.’

Xu Hu took a deep breath, his eyes shining brightly. He downed the wine in his glass in a single gulp, then let out a long, ragged breath.