Chǔ Róng put down the breakfast and pulled Quán Jiǔ out of the covers, draping a coat over her. Finally, under Quán Jiǔ's surprised gaze, he pulled out a rotating small dining table from under the bed board and placed it in front of her.
A blessing for lazy people. Quán Jiǔ applauded this clever design in her heart and began to eat without politeness.
Scallion pancake, walnut and peanut milk, eggs – simple yet nutritious and delicious.
“Quick, tell me, what’s the relationship between Grandma and the Tàishū clan?” Quán Jiǔ urged as she ate.
Chǔ Róng wiped the oil from the corner of Quán Jiǔ’s mouth with a handkerchief before slowly saying, “Simply put, they are childhood sweethearts about to enter into marriage.”
“What?” Quán Jiǔ almost choked and looked at Chǔ Róng in astonishment.
“The current head of the Tàishū clan is Tàishū Qǐ. Tàishū Qǐ’s original fiancée was Tàishū Huìpíng, who is our Grandma.
Grandma was dissatisfied with the arranged marriage and rejected the social rules of the New City, so she left the New City before the engagement and lived under an assumed name. Tàishū Qǐ has resented Grandma for decades because of this.
Later, Grandma gained fame in the embroidery world and her whereabouts were exposed. Tàishū Qǐ had already succeeded as the clan head by then, so he spread rumors that Grandma was a traitor to the New City and sent people to capture her. Grandma then went into seclusion in the countryside and met Grandpa. Unfortunately, Grandpa passed away early, leaving behind two sons…”
Quán Jiǔ knew the rest of the story. The elder son was useless, and the second son passed away early. It could be said that Grandma’s life was also full of hardships.
“The reason Tàishū Qǐ noticed me this time must be because I held Grandma’s embroidery exhibition, right?” Quán Jiǔ asked calmly.
Chǔ Róng nodded slightly. “Grandma was famous at one time but disappeared suddenly, causing much speculation and curiosity. Therefore, this embroidery exhibition also caused a great sensation. The Tàishū clan has many informants in City A, so it was easy for them to get the news.”
Quán Jiǔ’s lips curved into a smile. “The ancients indeed had great wisdom. ‘Throwing a brick to attract jade.’ If I hadn’t taken this step, how would I have known Grandma had such a deep-seated issue?”
“Any news from the bank?” She knew Chǔ Róng would definitely have people watching.
“We’ve been there twice, but without success. The reason Tōngqìng Bank is secure is that it has a force behind it that rivals the New City. Grandma likely stored the items there for the same reason back then.”
Quán Jiǔ’s gaze gradually turned cold: Tàishū Qǐ, you wait. I will definitely settle Grandma’s score with you.
…
In early December, Quán Jiǔ welcomed the first investment harvest period of her half-year return to China, which was the movie dividends.
After a month of release, the movie “Floating Life” achieved both critical acclaim and box office success, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year with 5.729 billion yuan at the box office, even breaking the box office record of the past five years. It was a complete hit across the internet.
When Wáng Fēifēi saw the data, she was overjoyed. She hugged and kissed Quán Jiǔ repeatedly. Firstly, this was her directorial debut, and such success was a brilliant start to her resume. Secondly, the Wáng family had also invested one hundred million yuan. For Wáng Fēifēi, this wasn’t just data; it was pure, unadulterated cash!
“…My dad even said that from now on, for investments, we should only look for the ‘Jiǔ Shén’ brand screenwriter. Jiǔjiǔ, if I follow you, I’ll eventually be able to start my own business.”
Quán Jiǔ couldn’t stop laughing. “Then remember to ask Uncle Wáng to invest more. Capitalists who give money without dictating terms are rare. I couldn’t ask for more.”
Wáng Fēifēi nudged Quán Jiǔ’s elbow. “You also invested one hundred million this time. I asked my dad, and we can get at least four hundred million back, a fourfold increase. Jiǔjiǔ, I’m really envious of you. We’re the same age, but my savings can’t even compare to the loose change of yours.”
“Yes, someone inherited a hundred billion in assets from birth. I’m quite envious too,” Quán Jiǔ teased, pinching Wáng Fēifēi’s cheek.
Wáng Fēifēi shook her head. “Don’t envy me. Compared to the Chǔ family, our Wáng family is just a little brother. And do you know who the biggest investor was this time?”
Quán Jiǔ replied nonchalantly, “It wasn’t me anyway.”
“Hey, it was you, Madam Chǔ. When you first returned to China, Chǔ’s Group’s investment department contacted Jiāngnán Chén for investment. Later, the crew had negative news, and I thought they would definitely withdraw their investment. Unexpectedly, not only did they not withdraw, but they also increased their investment by two hundred million. You two together took half of the dividends.”
Quán Jiǔ was slightly surprised and stunned for a moment before smiling, “So next time, ask Uncle Wáng to invest more, and then all the extra will be yours.”
Wáng Fēifēi nodded seriously. “I’ll go back and persuade my dad. You have several TV dramas this year too.”
Quán Jiǔ was amused and speechless. Just then, a message arrived. She opened it and saw congratulations from Rèn Kuí.
“Boss, congratulations on your work becoming a huge hit. My judgment is indeed good. I chose such a beautiful and capable boss. I really admire myself.”
Quán Jiǔ couldn’t help but smile and asked, “How are you guys on set?”
“Pretty good, but Han Zhào’s fans are a bit crazy. Some people are even sending me private messages on Weibo to curse me.”
Rèn Kuí felt truly wronged. In fact, although she was the female lead, she had no romantic storyline with Han Zhào. Even so, some crazy female fans would lose their minds and slander her. It was quite frustrating.
Quán Jiǔ understood perfectly. Han Zhào’s looks indeed easily made some young female fans lose their reason, which was within her expectations.
She comforted him, “Don’t take it to heart. Stepping into this circle, being scolded is commonplace. Taking it seriously is just making things difficult for yourself.”
Rèn Kuí wasn’t genuinely complaining. She immediately assured Quán Jiǔ that she wouldn’t overthink it. After ending the chat, she quickly called her mother, full of pride.
“Mom, have the dividends for ‘Floating Life’ come down? How much did our family get?”
Yè Sùhuá had indeed just received the dividend deposit. In fact, after seeing the amount, she even suspected she had misread it. After confirming it several times, she finally believed it.
“I have to admit, you’ve perfectly inherited my excellent genes,” Yè Sùhuá said with a smile, knowing her daughter’s intention for calling.
Rèn Kuí rolled her eyes. “Mom, if you calculate it that way, then Dad isn’t bad either, right? At least half of my intelligence comes from Dad. And your and Dad’s genes were inherited from Grandpa, Grandma, maternal Grandpa, and maternal Grandma, who in turn inherited from my great…”
“Alright, alright, you never take a loss,” Yè Sùhuá said exasperatedly. “You begged me to invest this time. The dividends can be yours. After deducting the one hundred million I lent you and the 350,000 interest, the rest will be transferred to you by the finance department.”
“Thank you, Mom. You truly are my confidante,” Rèn Kuí said, hanging up the phone with satisfaction.
…
Quán Jiǔ did not ignore the issues Rèn Kuí raised. She called Bó Lín and reported the problems.
“…One of the strange phenomena in the entertainment industry now is fan control. Capital and businesses use various methods to control fans to spend money on their idols, thus falling into the capital trap.
I don’t want my artists to go down this path. These crazy tendencies must be nipped in the bud. No fan voting, advertising spaces, or crowdfunding. Anyone inciting conflict will be reported and banned. Fans should only focus on the artists’ works.”
Bó Lín had been a manager for decades and was very familiar with capital’s “leek-cutting” methods. To be honest, he also disdained these methods and knew that celebrities who were hyped up by fans were merely tools for capital to make money, with short lifespans and little chance of achieving significant success.
“Okay, I’ll handle the fan matters.”
After hanging up the phone, Quán Jiǔ opened her computer to continue working, only to see an email pop up in the bottom right corner. Upon clicking it, she saw an invitation to the annual National Golden Pen Summit.