Chapter 172: Extorted Another 30 Million

A-Fei, who was behind, only just caught up. Seeing the murderous look on his boss's face, he felt wronged to his core!

How was he supposed to know that Lu Kuan was in there talking about these things with Cheng Jingfei!

When Liu Yifei wanted to come in, he followed her, but by the time he heard the content and wanted to pull her away, it was already too late!

Liu Yifei's tear-filled eyes were brimming with grief, like a deep, tranquil pool that seemed capable of drowning a person alive.

"Lu Kuan."

"Was everything you just said the truth?"

Boss Lu caught a glimpse of Cheng Jingfei secretly observing from the side, and for a moment, his mind was in turmoil.

If he couldn't dispel his suspicions, he wouldn't be able to lure Liu Zeyu into the trap and cash out all the shares in his own hands.

He would just have to deceive little Liu for now; she shouldn't be that fragile, right...

"Who told you to come in? A-Fei, take her out!"

In that instant, A-Fei felt like quitting. *I'm not looking for roots anymore, okay? Boss, just let me go back to Xiangjiang to watch the place! *

"Get away!"

Liu Yifei didn't know where she found such strength; she shoved the cold-faced bodyguard who had stepped forward, making him stagger.

Lu Kuan glared at the little assistant outside the door: "Yang Siwei, do you still want to keep your job? Take Liu Yifei out."

"Lu Kuan!"

"I'll just ask you one thing: was what you said just now true?"

"Am I no different from those other women in your heart?"

It was as if a time-freezing spell had been cast over the entire conference room.

Cheng Jingfei stared fixedly at Lu Kuan's expression, trying to see how much of what he had said earlier was actually credible.

Liu Yifei stood directly opposite him.

*Look me in the eye! You bastard! *

Yang Siwei and A-Fei had turned into two quails again, feeling the awkwardness of not knowing how to conduct themselves.

Perhaps a minute had passed, perhaps only a second.

Only then did Lu Kuan speak with difficulty: "Go back."

"You jerk!"

Liu Yifei clutched her small handbag and struck him hard with it, then ran off, wiping her eyes.

Liu Xiaoli, arriving just in time, saw her daughter charging out of the Red Star Dock gate. She didn't even have time to ask for details before immediately following her.

The vehicle wove through the city; it was the height of summer, the sun blazing like a fire umbrella.

Inside the car, whether because the air conditioning was set too low or the atmosphere was too deathly silent, it felt strangely cold.

Liu Xiaoli draped a thin sweatshirt over her daughter, watching her lean blankly against the headrest, tears swirling but stubbornly refusing to fall.

Her throat bobbed up and down, emitting a faint sob that made her heart ache.

The girl radiated an aura of despair, her heart like dead wood, her body like a boat without an anchor.

Liu Xiaoli's expression was also complex and inscrutable; having received instructions from Lu Kuan, she certainly couldn't say anything now.

There was still a "big show" expected to unfold later, and it would happen within these next two days regardless.

Otherwise, if she ruined his big plans, there was no telling if that donkey-faced man would change his tune, and it might even implicate Xixi.

It hadn't been easy to make it this far; she didn't want this smooth star-studded path to encounter any more setbacks.

For over a year, she had watched her daughter give up sleeping in, practicing morning routines, writing character biographies, warming up her voice, and performing Grotowski's ever-changing physical movements every single day without fail.

How could she fall short at this final hurdle?

All she could do was wipe away her tears and hold her tightly.

Looking at it from another angle, this couldn't necessarily be considered a bad thing.

She would have to experience this day sooner or later.

Now, she had seen the true face of the entertainment industry and the "Lu Kuans" of the world at the lowest possible cost, sparing her from being deceived by that "washing machine" later on.

Liu Yifei's intrusion was like a small interlude, and also like a rest note.

Boss Lu also felt a pang of sympathy; he didn't say a word, taking A-Fei and leaving Red Star Dock directly.

Only the heart-broken Cheng Jingfei remained in the office; he had only one path left.

The once high-spirited real estate businessman tremblingly took out his phone.

"Hello? Young Master Liu, let's talk..."

August 25, 2003, Beiping Red Star Dock Studio.

Cheng Jingfei stood expressionless before the conference table.

"According to the 'Company Law' and this company's articles of association, an extraordinary board meeting is convened upon the proposal of shareholders representing more than one-tenth of the voting rights."

"As the Chairman of Red Star Dock Co., Ltd., I am presiding over this extraordinary board meeting today to discuss the transfer of my 42% equity stake to a third party outside of the shareholders."

Liu Yifei looked up indifferently at Cheng Jingfei, this godfather she had once respected.

She didn't even have the courage to recall the conversation in the conference room that day.

Beyond the hurt Lu Kuan had caused her, Cheng Jingfei's duplicity also pained her.

Overnight, it seemed that apart from her mother, the whole world had left her.

Cheng Jingfei stood at one end, the two sides of the rectangular conference table clearly divided.

But strangely, Lu Kuan and Liu Zeyu, those two mortal enemies, were sitting on the same side.

Liu Xiaoli, Liu Yifei, and Zhang Jizhong sat opposite them.

The young girl didn't know if she had cried out all sixteen years of her tears; her eyes were swollen like peaches, and she stared blankly at the teacup in front of her.

Liu Zeyu's gaze wandered, constantly darting between Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei.

Liu Yifei's expression put him slightly at ease; it seemed Cheng Jingfei really had been pushed to the edge, and Lu Kuan wasn't taking his bait at all.

"Before the meeting begins, I must first announce the recent changes to the contract of Red Star Dock artist Liu Yifei."

"Decided by shareholders holding a majority of the voting rights, effective August 24, 2003, Liu Yifei's breach-of-contract penalty will be increased to 43 million, for a term of 7 years."

"At the same time, artist commissions, advertising, and portrait rights commissions will also see significant increases; I will not elaborate on the specific figures here."

Boss Lu raised his hand: "Wait a moment!"

Without waiting for him to speak, Cheng Jingfei added quickly: "Lu Kuan, this is a decision made by shareholders holding a majority of the voting rights. This is just a notification to you, not a request for your opinion."

"I know, I just wanted to ask."

"You, President Cheng, only have 42% of the shares. Did Lady Liu second this, or did Old Zhang?"

His eyes swept over Zhang Jizhong and Liu Xiaoli, but neither dared to meet his gaze.

If Cheng Jingfei wanted to drag these two into changing the contract terms, he must have explained his situation.

Liu Xiaoli was one thing.

If Zhang Jizhong knew that Cheng Jingfei was going to sell his equity to Liu Zeyu and still agreed to increase the penalty, that was a bit of a backstab.

The bearded man could, of course, explain it away:

*Director Lu, I'm sorry, I really didn't know the situation. I thought you were going to buy out Cheng Jingfei's shares too! *

But such words were just to keep up appearances; they wouldn't stand up to scrutiny.

Seeing Old Zhang's slightly evasive eyes, he had surely been bribed with heavy gold by the all-powerful young Yanei.

In the vanity fair, trying not to offend anyone meant offending everyone.

Seeing that the situation was a bit awkward, Boss Lu suddenly smiled with relief: "Forget it, continue."

Liu Yifei only just came to her senses; she glanced at Lu Kuan, then at Liu Xiaoli.

*Since Cheng Jingfei is selling his shares, why did Mom help me raise the penalty so high? *

Cheng Jingfei just wanted to end today's board meeting quickly and hurriedly threw out the main agenda.

"Lu Kuan, Xiaoli, Jizhong."

"I have decided to sell my 42% stake in Red Star Dock to Young Master Liu for 30 million, with the transaction and registration to be completed in cash within a week."

"If you have any objections and are willing to acquire my shares at the aforementioned price and transaction method, you may propose it now."

The room was silent; not a single voice responded.

Yang Siwei and A-Fei stood outside the office; the manager, whose cheeks had become slightly fuller, felt heartbroken.

*Director Lu, say something! *

*It's not like you don't have the money; why are you just watching Xixi get pushed into a pit of fire! *

"A-Fei, I want to quit. Your boss is really not a human being!"

The cold-faced bodyguard nodded in agreement, then suddenly realized and shook his head frantically.

"He is *our* boss."

The look of despair on Liu Yifei's face deepened, which pained Liu Xiaoli, who was standing to the side, beyond measure.

If she could, she really didn't want to bring her to this board meeting.

This meeting wasn't about dividing and trading equity.

It was about trading *her*, trading the future of a sixteen-year-old girl!

To Liu Yifei, who had been well-protected since childhood, this was nothing short of a nightmare.

A nightmare that had started the day before yesterday and had lasted for three days.

But for certain reasons, she had to come today.

Cheng Jingfei refrained from looking at the expressions of Liu Xiaoli and her daughter, wanting only to end all of this quickly.

"Good, then today we shall..."

Boss Lu tapped the tabletop with his index finger: "Wait a moment."

"30 million, right? I'll match that offer. Sell them to me."

Cheng Jingfei was incredulous. *You bastard, the day before yesterday I offered to sell them to you for 25 million, and you were adamant and dismissive. *

*How did you change your mind in just half a day? *

But this was a good thing for him; Liu Zeyu was only willing to give him 10 million, saying the rest would be used to help reduce his losses after the recovery.

But that was, after all, a matter of asking a tiger for its skin; Cheng Jingfei no longer had such delusional fantasies.

If Lu Kuan was willing to shell out 30 million in cold, hard cash, that would be the best thing ever!

Liu Yifei also seemed to come back to life from her zombie state, staring blankly at Lu Kuan, though it was a pity the latter didn't look at her more than once.

*Is he unwilling to give me up... *

Liu Zeyu was the person least willing to see this scene. Even if he used a scheme to make Lu Kuan pay an extra 30 million, it was a pyrrhic victory.

His core objective hadn't been achieved!

"Lu Kuan, do you have to go against me?"

"You've already given up, so why are you still hesitating here? Is it interesting?"

Boss Lu sat in his chair and turned around: "It is interesting. Watching you rage in your incompetence is always very interesting."

Perhaps because he had been "domesticated" by Lu Kuan time and time again, Liu Zeyu didn't get angry.

He knew Lu Kuan was also a person who put profit above all else.

"Name your conditions. How can I get you to agree to let me buy in?"

"No deal. I don't want to work with you."

Sweat seeped from Liu Yifei's palms. She had just been on the verge of despair, thinking that Red Star Dock would soon be controlled by this scum...

She suddenly felt a sense of alarm, turned her head to look at Liu Xiaoli, and thought of this question once again.

*That's not right! If Cheng Jingfei was going to sell his shares to Liu Zeyu, Mom wouldn't have helped me agree to extend the contract and increase the penalty! *

She looked sharply at Lu Kuan, her mind flooded with countless of his past "misdeeds" of scamming people!

Although she hadn't fully figured it out, there was definitely something fishy here.

She might not trust Lu Kuan, or anyone else, but her mother would absolutely never harm her.

Soon, her doubts were answered.

Liu Zeyu's expression was gloomy: "In business, we talk business. There's nothing to get angry about."

"Lu Kuan, don't let people look down on you."

Boss Lu slammed the table and stood up: "Liu Zeyu! You want to get into Red Star Dock, right? I'll give you two choices."

"Either I shell out 30 million to buy Cheng Jingfei's shares; I lose the money, but I get the satisfaction."

"Or you shell out 30 million and buy my 30% stake along with it; you lose the money, and I get the satisfaction."

"The choice is yours. You decide."

With a look of disdain, he returned the young Yanei's words exactly: "Liu Zeyu, don't let people look down on you!"

The young Yanei's eyes flickered as he calculated whether this deal was worth it.

The open contract for his deal with Cheng Jingfei was 30 million, and the secret contract was 10 million.

Moreover, the 120 million that the fool Cheng Jingfei had previously transferred to the real estate company had long been split in half by himself and the key people.

Even if he paid an extra 30 million to buy Lu Kuan's shares, it was just using Cheng Jingfei's own money anyway.

Even ignoring all that, look at Liu Yifei's current market value.

Zhou Lei, the vice president of Vision Media, had reported to him that Liu Yifei's endorsements were now as high as 2.5 to 3 million a year, her TV dramas 100,000 per episode, and her appearance fee for a commercial performance was 300,000 to 500,000.

Just using her simply, filming one or two TV dramas a year, taking seven or eight endorsements, and running a dozen or twenty gigs.

How could she not earn the money back for him?

Not to mention her value was still growing every year!

The finale of *Chinese Paladin* had just ended yesterday, with an average viewership rating as high as 11.2%, almost killing Xiang TV's own *My Fair Princess III* on the beach.

This deal was doable.

The only hidden danger was whether Liu Xiaoli would go back on her word.

But he had been in contact with Liu Xiaoli even before Cheng Jingfei.

To persuade Liu Xiaoli to agree to increase the penalty and extend the contract term for her daughter, he had brought Wang Xiaolei to sign a contract with Liu Xiaoli in black and white.

The female lead in a comedy film written, directed, and starring Zhou Xingchi, *Kung Fu Hustle*;

A female role in the 2004 New Year film *A World Without Thieves*, produced by Yanda Huayi, starring Xiangjiang superstars Liu Dehua and Best Actor Liang Jiahui.

This was, of course, Wang Xiaolei deceiving her; Yanda Huayi's investment in *Kung Fu Hustle* was not much, and Zhou Xingchi had almost 100% say in the choice of the female lead.

Not to mention *A World Without Thieves*; the character images of Liu Ruoying and Li Bingbing in the later world were simply not a fit for Liu Yifei's age.

At that time, they would just refuse to honor it and pay a little penalty.

Lu Kuan's films were impressive.

But how did his audience and reputation compare to Zhou Xingchi's?

His *Shaolin Soccer* had saved face for the Xiangjiang film industry, and *A Chinese Odyssey* had garnered countless fans in the mainland just based on DVDs.

How did his box office and past achievements compare to Feng Xiaogang's?

"Little Steel Cannon" was the pioneer and practitioner of New Year films, a representative figure of black humor, and the Chinese director with the most guaranteed box office in the domestic film industry today.

Having promised these conditions, Liu Zeyu didn't believe that Liu Xiaoli, who was single-mindedly focused on making her daughter a superstar and getting her into Hollywood, would go back on her word.

As for Liu Yifei's own opinion? No need to consider it.

What did a 16-year-old girl know? It was all up to Liu Xiaoli anyway.

He steadied his mind and looked at Lu Kuan with the smile of a victor.

"As you wish, Director Lu. We can finally do business together in a friendly manner."

Boss Lu didn't waste words with him: "Have your people modify Cheng Jingfei's contract. We'll settle it now."

Liu Zeyu glanced at him with slight vigilance; past experience vaguely told him to be extremely careful.

But when he turned his head and caught a glimpse of the tear-streaked Liu Yifei, that pitiful appearance became the final straw that broke him.

The young Yanei took out his phone with great spirit: "Zhou Lei, come in, and bring my checkbook from the car."

He then walked to the opposite side of the conference table and very gentlemanly handed two tissues to Liu Yifei.

"Yifei, don't be sad. The storm will pass soon, and you will only have better resources in the future."

"Right? Auntie Liu, you should persuade Yifei too."

Liu Xiaoli glanced awkwardly at Lu Kuan opposite her, then retracted her gaze like a thief and gave a forced laugh at Liu Zeyu.

"Hehe, yes, yes."

Boss Lu's face darkened. *These mother and daughter, their acting skills are worse than each other's! *

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 173 =====