Chapter 199: 195. Persuading Taylor (Seeking subscriptions, seeking monthly tickets!)

The three old men then chatted casually, though both Prince Haiman and Taylor avoided mentioning the scene of their first meeting.

"Zhang, you didn't have Prince Haiman find me this time just to reminisce, did you? If that were the case, you could just come to the United States, and I'd make sure you had a good time!" As he spoke, a lewd smile appeared on Taylor's face.

Zhang Ran said irritably, "You really are a dog that can't stop eating dung; even in this state, you're still thinking about these things all day long."

Taylor didn't mind being scolded by Zhang Ran; he and Zhang Ran could be considered to have become friends through a fight—though, of course, he was the one being beaten unilaterally. However, Zhang Ran was very much to his liking, and although they hadn't spent much time together, Taylor, like Prince Haiman, regarded Zhang Ran as a friend.

Even though they hadn't seen each other for such a long time, because his current career was essentially built on the advice Zhang Ran had given him, his impression of Zhang Ran not only hadn't faded with the passage of time but had instead become increasingly profound.

"I've developed a product, and I've sought you out this time to have you act as a lab rat." Zhang Ran didn't hide anything and stated his purpose directly.

Taylor was stunned, then immediately cursed, "You're targeting me with this, too? Fuck!"

As he spoke, Taylor even raised his middle finger!

Zhang Ran watched his angry expression with a chuckle, then said, "You don't want to? Then forget it; I don't want to waste it anyway."

After saying this, Zhang Ran really stopped mentioning the matter and instead started chatting with Prince Haiman about Auston and the others.

"How are those two little ones doing? When are they coming over?" Zhang Ran asked.

"It should be within these next two days; you can just go to the airport to pick them up when the time comes," Prince Haiman said.

"Alright, but is everything really okay on your end?" Zhang Ran asked with some concern.

Prince Haiman took a sip of his drink, "As a father, I can't decide their future, but at the very least, I must give them a wonderful childhood!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ran said nothing more.

However, as the two of them talked, Taylor on the side felt as uncomfortable as if a cat were scratching at his heart; he knew Zhang Ran was not a person who would joke around casually.

Just like the advice he had seemingly given offhand back then, it had been full of feasibility, and from what he knew of Zhang Ran, he was not the type of person to treat a friend this way.

Therefore, the less Zhang Ran spoke about the matter, the more curious Taylor became, while at the same time, a faint sense of anticipation grew in his heart.

"Ahem, well, Zhang Ran, tell me about your product; I'm just purely curious, don't overthink it," Taylor said, protesting too much.

Zhang Ran didn't intentionally make things difficult for him and said, "The effects of my product are the same as those on the market, just a bit better."

"But the product I provide to you individually can be treated as a form of traditional Chinese medicine; it has an ameliorative effect on your condition and isn't just a one-time thing."

When Zhang Ran said this, Taylor's eyes began to light up, and even Prince Haiman on the side pricked up his ears unconsciously.

"However... you cannot be like you were before; if you are, then truly, even the gods couldn't save you," Zhang Ran cautioned.

He knew Taylor was tempted.

"Sigh, since we are good friends, give me some; I'll find a friend to try it out first," Taylor said, inventing a friend.

Zhang Ran said, "This time it isn't free; I need you to help me promote it when the time comes. You also know our policies here; if you want to promote it quickly, you have to start from your end."

Seeing Taylor's hesitant expression, Zhang Ran said speechlessly, "You're already in this state, do you still care about face? If you hadn't had this incident, I would have just considered it an act of kindness and let you use it for free."

"But your current situation is already known globally, and even if you are better now, if you keep hiding it like this, who will know you've recovered?"

"In the end, you'll be the one being mocked. I'm doing this for your own good, do you understand?"

Zhang Ran wore an earnest expression, as if everything he did was entirely for Taylor's benefit.

Taylor was also somewhat speechless; he knew Zhang Ran's intentions, but when he thought about it carefully, it seemed what Zhang Ran said really made sense.

Before, he just couldn't let go of his pride; after all, having such a matter repeatedly brought up was not a good thing for him.

But as Zhang Ran said, if he didn't promote it after getting better, he would have to bear this reputation for the rest of his life, and he couldn't endure that kind of grievance.

However, Taylor still said, "Why are you in such a hurry to promote it? Are you short on money? Tell me how much you need, and I'll lend it to you."

Before Zhang Ran could speak, Prince Haiman suddenly said, "Are you preparing to make your move?"

Taylor looked at him, confused; he didn't understand what riddle Prince Haiman and Zhang Ran were speaking in.

Zhang Ran nodded and said, "It's already mostly prepared; it's time to take back some things."

Prince Haiman said, "Do you need my help? I know quite a few people in the entertainment industry; if I step in, they will agree to help with the promotion."

Prince Haiman spoke very seriously, with no intention of joking.

Zhang Ran waved his hand and said, "Forget it, it's better if you get involved in such matters as little as possible. After all, you have your status here, and it's not easy to have the carefree life you have now; don't go stirring up unnecessary trouble all day long."

Although Zhang Ran's words didn't sound very pleasant, Prince Haiman understood that Zhang Ran was considering things for him.

In fact, truth be told, Prince Haiman's promotion in this regard would be much better than Taylor's; the added value of his status was something that, in many cases, money simply could not compare to.

But Zhang Ran had never thought about that; if it weren't for Taylor having such an incident, he wouldn't have gone to Taylor either.

"What on earth are you two talking about? Why can't I understand?" Taylor said with some dissatisfaction.

"What else could it be? Zhang Ran disappeared for twenty-odd years, and many things that belonged to him back then were taken away by others; isn't that a simple matter?" Prince Haiman looked at Taylor as if he were an idiot.

Taylor hadn't reacted for a moment just now, but now that he heard Prince Haiman say this, he understood.

Zhang Ran had only casually helped him design some industry plans back then, and he had achieved today's success. Of course, the biggest reason was actually Taylor's own ability; he was a rich second generation back then, had a high starting point, and combined with various resources, he rose rapidly, which was why he had today's achievements.

But Taylor wouldn't think that Zhang Ran really did nothing, and if one were to think about it carefully, perhaps Zhang Ran's industries back then were numerous.

"Then is there anything I can help with on my end?" Taylor ignored Prince Haiman's gaze and looked at Zhang Ran seriously.

Zhang Ran said, "You just need to do this one thing well. The main battlefield this time is in Huaxia; if I need your help in the future, I won't be polite with you."

Prince Haiman and Taylor both seemed to hear other meanings in Zhang Ran's words, and the look in their eyes as they gazed at Zhang Ran became increasingly surprised.