Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Send Him Away
All the attention from the surrounding booths turned towards them.
Especially some of the young ladies, who were eager to come over immediately to see what kind of person this "Young Master Gu" was that the waiter mentioned.
It wasn’t just the waitstaff that arrived; a few of Gu Bai’s acquaintances also followed the group to the booth.
"I say, Old Gu, why didn’t you let me know you were coming to TAXX to have fun? If Director Huang hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known you were here."
The person speaking was Tian Shu. As a shareholder of TAXX, frequenting this place was one of his regular activities, so Gu Bai wasn’t surprised by his appearance.
Standing beside him was the marketing director of TAXX and, of course, Zheng Kai.
Over there, the comments on Jin Xiaojian’s livestream were exploding.
"What’s happening? Zheng Kai??"
"Looks like the rumor that Zheng Kai is a shareholder of TAXX is true."
"Compared to Zheng Kai, I’m now quite curious about the identity of that handsome guy."
The comments were all over the place, with various gossip discussions, pushing Jin Xiaojian’s livestream to the top of the trending list.
Zheng Kai, standing next to Tian Shu, smiled warmly and said to Gu Bai, "President Gu, isn’t today the start of the term at the Shanghai Theatre Academy? How come you have time to come out and play?"
Zheng Kai knew he wasn’t familiar with Gu Bai, and the only connection they had was being alumni of the same school, so he could only use that as a conversation starter.
"Just call me Gu Bai, senior. Going out and holding onto titles isn’t much fun; don’t call me President Gu."
Gu Bai smiled and casually said to Zheng Kai.
"Then I’ll take the liberty of calling you Gu Bai. You don’t need to call me senior either; it’s too formal. Just call me Old Zheng like President Tian does."
Seeing Gu Bai showing goodwill toward him, Zheng Kai was a bit excited. He was used to hopping around the Shanghai Circle and knew that anyone who could hang out with Tian Shu had to have a high social standing. He also heard Tian Shu mention a few times that this junior in front of him dealt in business worth billions.
"Gu Bai, are you implying that I’m holding onto my title? Old Zheng, do you think I am?"
"Shut your filthy mouth, find a place to sit down, and stop yapping."
Watching the playful banter between Gu Bai and Tian Shu, Zheng Kai laughed along, feeling a bit envious. While he appeared glamorous, these second-generation kids didn’t really take him seriously. He was only able to invest in TAXX because of his connection with a major shareholder here, combined with his celebrity status, which was good for hype. Under normal circumstances, who would invite him to play?
"Old Zheng, don’t just stand there, have a seat."
Gu Bai, sitting back on the sofa, invited him over.
As for the others in the booth, they were all stunned.
While Tian Shu was a top-tier second-generation in the Shanghai Circle, not many ordinary people knew him.
Zheng Kai was different. Ever since "Keep Running, Brother" became popular, he garnered significant exposure as the iconic "Little Cheetah". He might not be a household name, but the majority of young people should recognize him.
"Zheng Kai! I absolutely love you!"
Yi Yiyi, sitting beside Gu Bai, jumped up and shouted.
Although Yi Yiyi was dressed in a Lolita style, it couldn’t hide her looks. And sitting next to Gu Bai, Zheng Kai knew what was going on but still asked Gu Bai, "Who’s this?"
"Yi Yiyi, a new student at Shanghai Theatre Academy. She’s technically your junior."
Zheng Kai feigned understanding.
"Oh, a junior, huh? I must thank my junior for her appreciation."
It was Yi Yiyi’s first time being up close to a celebrity, and she kept nodding excitedly.
"Are the others here also from Shanghai Theatre Academy?"
"Yeah, the guys are my roommates. We’re having a little social gathering here. Oh, right, the one with the selfie stick isn’t; he’s a livestreamer who barged in."
Hearing this, Tian Shu immediately frowned. He detected the displeasure in Gu Bai’s tone.
"Director Huang, show him out."
Tian Shu decisively instructed the marketing director, who had been standing nearby with a smile.
Gu Bai just lounged on the sofa with a drink in hand, watching with a smile. Originally planning to show off in front of Jin Xiaojian for a bit, he now had no interest in playing with this small-time character.
Director Tian quickly called over the security personnel maintaining order nearby.
"Sir, our bar has a strict no-photo and no-recording policy. Since you’ve violated the rules, TAXX will no longer welcome you. You can leave now, and we’ll have your drinks packed for you. From now on, you will be on TAXX’s permanently unwelcome list."
Although Director Tian maintained a smile and spoke in a polite tone, it made Jin Xiaojian’s face turn green.
Being kicked out in front of so many viewers was the greatest humiliation of his livestream career. In future streams, he would probably never escape this reference.
But he didn’t dare to act out and could only leave the booth, followed by several security personnel keeping a close watch on him.
By now, even if he were denser, he knew he had offended someone—and not just anyone. Would any ordinary person have Zheng Kai coming over to keep company at TAXX?
With Jin Xiaojian kicked out, there were no more outsiders in the booth. Zheng Kai smiled at Gu Bai again and said, "Since we’re all juniors and seniors here, I must offer a toast to these juniors and seniors of mine."
With that, he took the drink poured by the waiter and walked over.
Given his status, coming over to toast Deng Bo and the others was entirely a gesture of goodwill towards Gu Bai. Gu Bai knew he was being friendly and would owe him a favor. He planned on entering the entertainment industry eventually, and when the time came, he would think of returning the favor to Zheng Kai.
Deng Bo and his group watched as Zheng Kai approached with a drink. While they weren’t exactly nervous, they were a bit restrained and stood up.
"You probably all know me, right? I’m also a graduate of the Shanghai Theatre Academy. If you don’t mind, you can call me senior or Brother Kai."
Zheng Kai had a gentle smile on his face.
Although Zheng Kai is not my idol, he is still a big star. We all have dreams of becoming stars ourselves and understand the hierarchy in the entertainment industry. Deng Bo quickly replied, "Hello, Brother Kai."
"Hello, Senior."
Qi Man and the others also followed suit and greeted him.
"No need to be formal. You’re Gu Bai’s friends, so that makes you my friends too. Consider today as our introduction. In the future, if you come to TAXX, just have the staff give me a heads up; it can save you a lot of trouble."
"No, really, Senior, you’re being too kind."
Qi Man watched the way Zheng Kai spoke to her group and instinctively glanced over at Gu Bai, who was chatting with Tian Shu.
Compared to peers of her age, she is quite mature.
She knows that if Zheng Kai and Gu Bai were just simple friends, there would be no need for Zheng Kai to acknowledge her group. The fact he is so warm means only one thing.
It means Gu Bai’s status is not simple, and Zheng Kai needs to win his favor.
Otherwise, there’s no explaining why Zheng Kai would be so enthusiastic towards them.
Not only Qi Man, but even Deng Bo and the others slowly understood. The reasoning is straightforward: if Gu Bai did not have an extraordinary status, how would he afford to wear an 18 million yuan watch and drive a 15.8 million yuan car?
These items aren’t investments; they’re luxury goods, consumables.
At the thought of this, Qi Man’s heart, which had been somewhat subdued after her setback with Gu Bai, started to warm up again.
She is inherently very opportunistic and never hides her intentions. She wants to use influential people as stepping stones to climb into another circle.
This is why her initial impression of Gu Bai, only having a favorability score of 20, was so low.
She doesn’t care about looks; she only cares about money and status.
But now Gu Bai not only satisfies her desires for wealth and status but also possesses striking looks. She’s no fool; why choose over-aged, greasy men and old-timeers when she could go for the superior Gu Bai?
As for whether she’ll succeed or not.
She hasn’t thought about it.
A common saying goes, "With persistence, a woman can chase a man across even a flimsy barrier."
As long as the man doesn’t have any physical drawbacks, she’s confident no one can withstand her relentless pursuit. She has immense confidence in her innate advantages.
After toasting with a glass of wine, Zheng Kai exchanged a few polite words then went back to Gu Bai’s side.
Tian Shu and Gu Bai sat with their legs crossed, casually chatting on the sofa.
"Old Gu, how’s it going with Li Zhun and Weiwei’s company? I heard from Weiwei the past couple of days that things are looking quite promising."
Gu Bai didn’t hide anything, nodding in agreement.
"At the initial stage, it’s just about throwing money and burning resources to establish the company’s reputation. Running self-media is much like the entertainment industry; it’s all about exposure."
"How much have you burned so far?"
"Not that much yet, but we’ll need to push through most of the investment by this month. If it’s not enough, there might be additional investments.
Why? Are you thinking of entering the arena with a stake?"
"You’re playing a big game if two billion of investment will be burned in just a month. I’ll pass; the SSCC is busy enough for me. I also have to go back and dabble in the family company now and then."
Gu Bai picked up his glass and clinked it with his: "What? Planning to inherit the family business now?"
Tian Shu didn’t deny it: "I’m turning 30, and I haven’t achieved much. Seeing how the old man’s preparing to pass the torch."
"Isn’t this the classic "If you don’t work hard, you’ll go home and inherit billions" scenario?"
Yi Yiyi wasn’t as relaxed as before, huddled by Gu Bai’s side, listening to their conversation.
Qi Man, who was deliberately edging closer, heard them chatting about billions as if it were routine, and her eyes kept flashing with an unusual glow when she looked at Gu Bai.
Upon Zheng Kai’s return, he attentively listened to the pair’s conversation, interjecting occasionally.
Meanwhile, the marketing director of TAXX had it worse. The booth was small, and his status wasn’t fitting to squeeze in. However, he didn’t dare leave without Tian Shu’s instruction, leaving him to stand on the side despite being a director in the top-tier nightclub of Shanghai.
After a short chat, Tian Shu stood up to say goodbye to Gu Bai.
"Alright then, we’ll leave you now. Enjoy yourself. Want me to swap your booth? This one is a bit cramped."
Gu Bai shook his head: "No need. Tonight’s on someone else; I won’t take over as the host. Besides, it’s almost time, so there’s no need to bother."
"Alright."
Zheng Kai was there mainly because of Tian Shu, and his brief acquaintance with Gu Bai was also through Tian Shu. Since Tian Shu was leaving, it wasn’t appropriate for Zheng Kai to stay, so he got up to leave as well.
Suddenly, as Tian Shu was about to go, he seemed to remember something and turned back to Gu Bai: "By the way, Gu Bai, there’s an event at SSCC in a few days. Why don’t you come and join us?"
"?"
"It’s a racing festival spearheaded by us at SSCC; come have some fun if you’re free."
"Sure, just let me know the details later."
"OK"
After they left, the booth reverted to its earlier state, apart from a table of Ace of Spades light signs left behind.
Tian Shu thoughtfully left a few security guards outside the booth to ward off some wannabes eager to join in.