CHAPTER 288: CHAPTER 288: FINALLY, I SCORED A WIN_1

"Boss?!"

The superstar stared at Su Xuan’s face, completely dumbstruck.

Su Xuan raised his hand and gently pressed it downward, signaling for the star to keep a low profile.

And who was this superstar? It was none other than Bai Yingzhe, the celebrity idol whom Su Xuan had once put in his place for his prima donna behavior. This time, he had taken a substantial sum of money through a middleman to help Zheng Jian woo a girl.

Now I’m completely done for... Bai Yingzhe’s facial muscles twitched. Su Xuan had previously sent him to professional training to learn about artistic integrity and professional ethics, but what he was doing now was the exact opposite. This was nothing but bowing to money! My future just dimmed all over again!

Bai Yingzhe stood off to the side, his head bowed like a child who’d made a terrible mistake. He even kicked the fallen bouquet out of the way.

"What?" Zheng Jian shot to his feet, his gaze snapping to Su Xuan. The moment Bai Yingzhe shouted "Boss," any chance Su Xuan had of keeping a low profile was shattered.

"You’re the boss of a major star like Bai Yingzhe?" Zheng Jian asked in disbelief.

"Really, Mr. Su?" He Yao was just as shocked. The superstar she admired was actually Su Xuan’s employee! In Su Xuan’s presence, he was as humble and obedient as a child meeting his father, completely stripped of his celebrity aura.

"Yes," Bai Yingzhe answered for Su Xuan, his voice faint. "Mr. Su is the owner of Tianchou Film Industry. Naturally, he’s my boss as well."

Zheng Jian sucked in a sharp breath. Tianchou Film Industry was a massive media company with a market value of sixty to seventy billion! And Su Xuan was the owner? That was a whole different league of impressive.

"How much of it... does he own?" Zheng Jian pressed.

"One hundred percent," Bai Yingzhe replied, glancing at Su Xuan with downcast eyes. "He is the sole owner."

Zheng Jian drew another sharp breath. The sole owner! One hundred percent equity! Now *that* is some serious power.

A man with that kind of net worth completely obliterated him, leaving not even a speck of dust behind.

Mr. Su is so incredible...

He Yao had only intended to put on an act with Su Xuan, but as she learned more about him, her gaze grew more and more heated. The pretense was clearly turning into genuine feelings. If she could be with a man like Su Xuan, she’d be ecstatic, wouldn’t she? Her picky parents would definitely, definitely be satisfied! They always told her that with her natural beauty, unparalleled looks, and prominent family background, she could only marry a man from the top twenty of China’s richest tycoons. Zheng Jian hadn’t even inherited his family’s business yet, so he didn’t have a spot on that list. But Su Xuan... he was already in the top twenty! The threshold was fifty billion, and as the full owner of Tianchou Film Industry, his net worth was already sixty to seventy billion! And he was so handsome! His charisma was just captivating! He was a true gentleman, too—he even taught her how to scan the QR code for a shared bike! And he was so low-key! A huge boss like him, driving a Didi in a car that’s only worth a little over a hundred thousand... if that wasn’t low-key, what was? He was exactly her type!

He Yao’s heart began to flutter.

"Yingzhe, have you finished your training?" Su Xuan asked, lifting his head to glance at Bai Yingzhe.

"Yes, Boss. I just finished and was about to head back to the company to formally start work!" Bai Yingzhe replied hastily.

"Don’t bother starting work," Su Xuan said, his brow furrowing slightly. "You clearly failed to meet the standards. Go back for more training."

"Boss, please, let me start work!" Bai Yingzhe’s face fell. He clasped his hands together, pleading with Su Xuan as if praying to a deity. "I’ve truly changed! Today was just a favor for an old friend who was acting as a go-between. I felt bad refusing him. It won’t happen again, I swear it won’t!"

"You took money for it, didn’t you?" Su Xuan stated calmly.

"N-nothing escapes your notice, Boss!" Bai Yingzhe stammered, immediately pulling out a bank card and throwing it at Zheng Jian. He shouted angrily, "Take your stinking money back!"

"And the song you just sang? Who wrote it?" Su Xuan asked him again.

"I... I just made it up on the spot. It was embarrassing, Boss," Bai Yingzhe answered quickly.

Damn it... Zheng Jian’s mouth twitched. This is a total disaster! He completely humiliated me! This sucks so much! I could just cry!

SLAP!

But this time, it was Bai Yingzhe who actually slapped himself across the face. "Boss, I was wrong!" he begged. "Please don’t lose faith in me! Don’t give up on me! I’ll do better in the future, I promise! I’ll work hard!"

"Gasp!" Seeing her idol strike himself, He Yao was stunned once more. But she no longer felt any sympathy for him. All her admiration and affection had now shifted entirely to Su Xuan.

"Write a ten-thousand-word self-criticism and send it to me," Su Xuan said, waving a dismissive hand at Bai Yingzhe. "Now go."

"Okay, okay!"

"I’ll write a great one!"

"Thank you, Boss! Thank you, Boss!"

As if granted a presidential pardon, Bai Yingzhe turned and vanished in a flash, terrified that if he stayed a second longer, Su Xuan might change his mind.

Once Bai Yingzhe was gone, Zheng Jian slumped back into his seat and drove his fingers into his hair, the very picture of defeat. Su Xuan, meanwhile, calmly drank his coffee with He Yao, who fussed over him, constantly asking if he needed more sugar or a fresh, hot cup.

"Zheng Jian, my boy, what’s wrong?"

Just as Su Xuan finished his coffee and was about to leave, a man walked over and greeted Zheng Jian.

"Uncle Chu!" Zheng Jian’s eyes lit up at the sight of the man, and he seemed to perk up instantly. He shot to his feet, grasping the man’s hand. "He Yao," he said, turning to her, "this is President Chu of Yike Real Estate, a friend of my father’s. I invited him here specifically to give you a surprise!"

"A surprise?" He Yao blinked, wondering what Zheng Jian was up to now.

"Didn’t you once say you wanted a villa in Yan Yu Tian Fu, but they were all sold out?" Zheng Jian asked, still holding the man’s hand. "Well, my Uncle Chu is the developer of Yan Yu Tian Fu. He can make it happen for you!"

"That’s a small matter," President Chu said with a smile. "We have a few buyers who signed the agreement but haven’t paid yet. I can simply have their purchase contract transferred to you."

"He Yao, I’ll pay for the villa!" Zheng Jian declared triumphantly, puffing out his chest. He shot another glance at Su Xuan.

I’ve finally clawed back some points! You can’t buy a villa in Yan Yu Tian Fu with just money anymore; it’s all about connections! You’re so high and mighty, aren’t you? Let’s see you get He Yao a villa there!

"Uncle Chu, please, sit down and let’s chat!" Zheng Jian pulled him over to the table and sat down, breathing a silent sigh of relief.

Finally, it’s my time to shine!

But then, the last thing he ever expected happened. His Uncle Chu had just sat down when his eyes fell on Su Xuan.

The man shot back up to his feet, his voice trembling as he cried out,

"Boss!"