Chapter 224: Tang Chen, I Need Your Help!
Chapter 224: Tang Chen, I Need Your Help!
“Are you okay, Ding Xiang? Don’t dwell on the past anymore,” Tang Chen noticed a trace of weariness on Ding Xiang’s face and guessed she was recalling unpleasant memories.
Ding Xiang sniffled, then smiled and said, “You’re right. Anyway, that beast is already dead, and I don’t want to think about the past anymore. Let’s start over. I’m Ding Xiang. Should I call you Boss or something else?”
Tang Chen curled his lips into a smile and replied, “My name is Tang Chen. You can just call me Young Master Tang like my subordinates do.”
“Tang Chen, I’ll remember that, Young Master Tang. So, where are we going now?” Ding Xiang repeated his name and asked him with anticipation.
Without hesitation, Tang Chen said, “I’ll take you back to my home in Z City first and arrange a place for you to stay. As for setting up the Entertainment Company, we can discuss that slowly. Don’t worry—as long as you work hard with me, I’ll make sure you become a huge star!”
Ding Xiang smiled, her grin so captivating it was impossible not to be enchanted, and she said seriously, “Actually, becoming a huge star isn’t really important to me. I just want to try a different way of living.”
Tang Chen didn’t say anything more. The car drove directly to the Villa, and Tang Chen introduced Ding Xiang to Yang Mi and Wang Baobao.
Both women were astonished when they saw Ding Xiang. Tang Chen briefly explained how Ding Xiang came to be there, then arranged for her to stay in a nearby Villa and hired some servants to handle cleaning and cooking for her.
At first, Tang Chen worried that Ding Xiang wouldn’t fit in with Yang Mi and Wang Baobao’s close circle of friends. But he soon realized he was completely wrong—friendship between women could sometimes form in the most baffling ways.
Nothing particularly eventful happened during the day, and before they knew it, evening had arrived. Chen Laosan and Boss Pang received Tang Chen’s call and came to the Villa. Tang Chen walked over with a smile to greet them, saying, “Old Pang, Laosan, sorry to bother you so late at night.”
Boss Pang and the other man quickly waved their hands and smiled, asking, “Young Master Tang, you called us over so late. There must be something important, right?”
Tang Chen said mysteriously, “Let me keep you in suspense for now. You’ll understand once you come inside.” Saying this, he led the two into the Villa.
Just as the two were marveling at how luxurious Tang Chen’s Villa was, Tang Chen called out, “Yang Mi, Ding Xiang, stop playing around and come down quickly to meet the guests.”
Chen Laosan and the other man froze. What did they just hear? Ding Xiang? Had Young Master Tang actually found Ding Xiang? How was that possible? He said three days, and it hadn’t even been one day yet!
Their doubts didn’t last long. When they saw Ding Xiang casually dressed coming downstairs, both of them were instantly stunned. Damn, Young Master Tang really did it? But why did the scene seem a bit suggestive? Could it be that Young Master Tang had added Ding Xiang to his harem? With that thought, they glanced suggestively at Tang Chen.
Tang Chen was sharp and immediately understood what they were thinking. He glared at them, and then everyone sat on the sofa. Tang Chen explained the whole story, including his plan for the Entertainment Company.
Chen Laosan was the first to slap his thigh in excitement, exclaiming, “That’s a fantastic idea, Young Master Tang! We’ve always heard about people chasing after female celebrities, but this time we’ll start our own Entertainment Company and get a taste of what it’s like to be with female stars.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Chen felt two murderous glares directed at him—one from Yang Mi and the other from Ding Xiang.
“Ahem, chase your sister! Damn it, I’m talking business here, Chen Laosan. Can’t you think of something proper for once?” Tang Chen coughed awkwardly and mentally cursed Chen Laosan’s entire female family line.
Damn it, what a pig of a teammate! How could you be so stupid? My wife is right here, and you’re talking about chasing female celebrities? Are you out of your mind?
Chen Laosan realized he had misspoken and chuckled awkwardly, lowering his head and not daring to spout nonsense anymore.
Tang Chen rolled his eyes and said to Boss Pang, “Old Pang, what do you think of this idea?”
Boss Pang thought for a moment and said, “Young Master Tang, from what you just said, I gather you want to create a star-making industry chain. If that’s the case, leaving aside the financial costs, we’re short on talent to begin with.”
Tang Chen nodded in satisfaction and said, “As expected of Old Pang—you understand me best. That’s exactly what I was thinking. Just consider this: nowadays, the cost of hiring a celebrity for a commercial event is shockingly high. Not only that, but agencies take huge cuts, leaving the artists with very little. So, why don’t we create our own stars? Since they’ll be part of our team, the stars will benefit the most. It’s a win-win situation—why wouldn’t we do it?”
Ding Xiang was deeply moved by Tang Chen’s words. It was true—she might earn millions for a single performance, but what she actually took home was only a few hundred thousand. How shocking was that?
“Young Master Tang, if that’s really the case, I believe many celebrity friends would be interested,” Ding Xiang interjected. After all, besides fame, the main reason for being a star was profit!
Boss Pang also nodded and said, “Young Master Tang, this plan is feasible.”
Tang Chen snapped his fingers and said seriously, “Then it’s settled. Old Pang, you’re more knowledgeable about this, so I’ll trouble you with it again. Find and acquire a struggling agency—one that’s preferably on the verge of bankruptcy. That way, we’ll save on location issues. And as for the staffing problem we mentioned earlier, Chen Laosan, you have broad connections. I want you to find talented people for me. If they’re already employed, just poach them—I’m not afraid of spending money. I only want useful people; don’t bring me those arrogant fools who have no talent. More importantly, keep an eye out for promising newcomers, like Ding Xiang, who have potential. Look for them in talent shows, and if they seem suitable, sign them immediately!” Standing up, Tang Chen declared confidently, “Remember my principle: I’m not afraid of spending money. I want to build the largest entertainment empire in all of Asia!”
“Yes, Young Master Tang! We’ll complete the Mission!” Boss Pang and Chen Laosan also stood up abruptly, inspired by Tang Chen’s words. It seemed they could already envision the entertainment landscape unfolding before them.
They were determined to claim half of the entertainment industry!
Yang Mi gazed at Tang Chen’s back and suddenly felt a bit dazed. Vaguely, it seemed Tang Chen had matured quite a bit. She still remembered their first date at Junyue a few months ago—back then, he seemed like a domineering, wealthy young master who was always throwing money around to buy people. But now, he had learned to plan for the future and strategize. This man was becoming more and more captivating to her.
After making the arrangements, Tang Chen saw Boss Pang and the others off. Wang Baobao and Ding Xiang had all gone to sleep, leaving Tang Chen and Yang Mi with some long-awaited alone time.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Tang Chen hugged Yang Mi, fiddled with her hair, and asked with a grin.
Yang Mi smiled and said, “I find you harder and harder to figure out, Tang Chen. But that’s okay—no matter what version of you, I like you.”
Tang Chen was overjoyed by Yang Mi’s sudden confession, his smile reaching the corners of his eyes. He held her tightly and said affectionately, “Darling, I’ve noticed you’ve been captivating me more and more lately. Come on, while no one’s around, let’s do something fun.”
Yang Mi’s face turned red, and she gently pushed his head, scolding, “You! You’re great in every way except for being too naughty.”
“Haha, it’s in a man’s nature!” Tang Chen laughed heartily, flipped Yang Mi onto his lap, and just as he was about to get started, that damn Mobile Phone rang again.
“Damn it, who the hell is this?” Tang Chen cursed angrily. Picking up the Mobile Phone, he saw it was a call from Liu Yanran. He wondered, didn’t Police Sister go home? Why is she calling me?
With that thought, Tang Chen answered the call: “Hey, Police Sister, what’s up?”
There was a brief silence on the other end before the voice said, “Tang Chen, I need your help.”