Chapter 23 – 023

Xie Yunjing came out with water dripping from his hair.

Gu Xian whistled, “Impressive, taking a cold shower in this weather!”

Xie Yunjing walked toward the bed with a dark expression: “Lie back down.”

“Hmm?” Gu Xian was surprised and teased, “No way, you’re going to massage me again?”

“Stop talking nonsense.” Xie Yunjing, who had just taken a cold shower, was anything but calm. Seeing Gu Xian dawdling, he impatiently grabbed him and flipped him over.

“F*ck!—” Gu Xian’s face twisted in pain, but his mouth still refused to stay idle. Gritting his teeth, he continued to taunt Xie Yunjing, “Ha! Aren’t you afraid you’ll get hard again? Young man, taking too many cold showers is bad for your health, you know~”

“Ow!—”

Xie Yunjing mercilessly pressed down on Gu Xian’s body as he tried to curl up. “I think you should worry about yourself instead.”

“Hmph!” Gu Xian retorted sharply, refusing to back down. “Am I supposed to be scared of you? Do you even have the guts to bite me?”

Xie Yunjing stared at him for a moment, then suddenly lifted the corners of his mouth into a cold smile. “I don’t mind dragging you down with me.”

Gu Xian: “…”

A true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm.

Gu Xian hugged the pillow and pretended nothing had happened.

*

After finally resolving all sorts of messy contract disputes, the mess left behind by Wei Wenxian at Guangyao Media had come to an end. However, Gu Xian lay slumped over his folding desk, looking utterly exhausted and dejected.

Most of Guangyao’s collaborations had already been canceled. Although a few remained, they were left untouched only because they were unprofitable. With Guangyao’s current reputation, the industry avoided it like the plague, and securing quality partnerships was nothing short of a pipe dream.

Without good partnerships, there was no way to make money. The only solution was for Guangyao to first produce quality works and earn a solid reputation.

However, achieving quality works and a good reputation was easier said than done. Just look at the countless people flooding into the entertainment industry, like fish swimming across a river, yet only a handful ever managed to gain fame and recognition.

Moreover, for Guangyao to produce its own works meant it would require a significant investment.

Gu Xian wasn’t entirely unprepared for the idea of investing, but even the most skilled housewife needs rice to cook a meal.

In recent years, the pursuit of profit by capital has driven the rapid growth of the entertainment industry, with all the excellent IPs^[1]IP = Intellectual Property and works on the market long since divided up. At this point, he simply couldn’t find any suitable projects to invest in. Randomly picking a script to produce a film or show would only result in a losing business venture.

Gu Xian picked up a document and suddenly slammed his fist hard on the desk.

Guangyao wasn’t entirely without good IPs. 《The Legend of Song Mountain》, a phenomenon-level work from the early days of online literature, still retained a loyal fan-base even today. Its plot quality was exceptionally solid, and the only reason it had gradually been buried under the explosive growth of web novels was its outdated language.

If it could be adapted into a film or television series, the shortcomings in language would naturally no longer be an issue. By retaining only the essence of the plot, even if it didn’t become a smash-hit drama, it wouldn’t end up being a complete financial disaster.

Back then, Guangyao somehow had the foresight to purchase the full film and television rights for 《The Legend of Song Mountain》 before the wave of web novel IP adaptations began.

Unfortunately, just three months before Gu Xian joined Guangyao, the rights for 《The Legend of Song Mountain》 had been sold at a high price by Wei Wenxian to Fengxing Media, the leading enterprise in the entertainment industry. To reclaim those rights, they would have to pay a staggering 70 million yuan in breach-of-contract penalties.

Gu Xian was prepared to invest and even had some savings, but that didn’t mean he had unlimited funds to squander. Spending 70 million on just the rights would leave the budget for forming a production team stretched impossibly thin.

So, no matter how unfortunate it was, he could only abandon the idea.

Fortunately for Wei Wenxian, the prison bars had saved him. Otherwise, while Gu Xian might not have torn him apart alive, he would have at least given him a good beating.

Gu Xian was racking his brain trying to find a way out for Guangyao. Money could make the devil turn the mill, and investing in other companies’ films or variety shows could indeed secure placements for their people if the price was right. However, such investments were destined to be money-losing ventures with little more than noise to show for it, and even the “noise” wasn’t guaranteed.

If Guangyao wanted a way out, it had to rely on its own strength. Gu Xian began tirelessly searching through popular novels, hoping to find an overlooked gem. In just a short time, he became so haggard that even Xie Yunjing couldn’t help but feel a touch of sympathy for him.

“Is it really necessary to care so much about a company like Guangyao?”

Gu Xian, his eyes glued to the novel on his phone, retorted, “You privileged second-generation capitalist, completely ignorant of life’s hardships!”

Xie Yunjing turned slightly, propping his head up with his hand. “You seem even busier than I am now.”

“Shut up!” Gu Xian couldn’t be bothered to argue with him.

Xie Yunjing wasn’t deliberately trying to annoy him. It was just that every night when he went to sleep, there was always that faint glow next to him that never seemed to fade, making it impossible for him to ignore.

“Are you short on money?”

Gu Xian didn’t respond, only furrowing his brows slightly.

Xie Yunjing understood immediately. “If you’re short on money, I wouldn’t mind lending you some.”

Gu Xian suddenly looked up. “Who do you think you’re looking down on? Who needs your money? Go to sleep if you’ve got nothing better to do. Stop bothering me.”

Xie Yunjing sighed and suddenly snatched his phone. “I’m trying to sleep next to you, and you’ve got this blazing light on. Who’s really bothering who here?”

“Give me back my phone!”

Gu Xian reached out to grab it, but Xie Yunjing turned and placed the phone on his own bedside table. Then he pressed Gu Xian down. “As your fitness coach, it’s my duty to ensure you maintain a healthy routine. Now close your eyes and go to sleep like a good boy.”

Gu Xian had been staying up late these past few days, and to avoid the risk of sudden cardiac arrest during workouts, his fitness training had already been on hold for several days.

*

Although, under Xie Yunjing’s enforcement, Gu Xian went to bed much earlier last night, the exhaustion from several consecutive days of fatigue wasn’t so easily shaken off. He was still yawning as he walked through Guangyao’s doors.

“Mr. Gu!”

The receptionist called out to him, and it was only then that he noticed a strange woman in the lobby.

Before he could ask, the woman eagerly stepped forward and said, “Hello, Mr. Gu. I’m Mei Zhiya, the author of 《The Legend of Song Mountain》. I’d like to discuss the possibility of buying back the rights for 《The Legend of Song Mountain》 from Fengxing Media.”

Gu Xian blinked and said, “Buy back the rights for 《The Legend of Song Mountain》?”

“That’s right!” Mei Zhiya took a deep breath as if to encourage herself. “Fengxing refuses to let go of the rights for 《The Legend of Song Mountain》. The only way to get it back is for Guangyao to breach the contract.”

“The breach-of-contract penalty is 70 million yuan.”

Mei Zhiya bit her lip. “I know.”

“You’re the eldest young master of the Gu Group, so you must have the ability to come up with 70 million. I… I want to borrow this money from you, so Guangyao can reclaim the rights for 《The Legend of Song Mountain》. In short, don’t let the rights fall into Fengxing’s hands.” She took a bank card out of her bag. “I only have 7 million on me right now. As for the rest… can I repay it in installments? I promise I’ll pay back every single cent!”

Meeting a stranger for the first time and immediately being asked to lend 70 million was, without a doubt, quite audacious. However, seeing Mei Zhiya gripping the bank card so tightly that her fingers had turned pale, Gu Xian asked, “Why?”

“I…” Mei Zhiya struggled to maintain her composure, forcing a smile as she replied, “I know my request is unreasonable, but… but I really have no other options… Young Master Gu, you’re a good person. I’m begging you, please help me…”

“That’s not what I’m asking,” Gu Xian interrupted her. “Why are you willing to spend 70 million just to keep the rights from falling into Fengxing’s hands?”

Mei Zhiya froze for a moment, the pretense of strength in her eyes shattering, revealing pure sorrow. “Fengxing bought the rights for 《The Legend of Le Mountain》 and has already started preparing to shoot the TV drama. 《The Legend of Le Mountain》 plagiarized my 《The Legend of Song Mountain》. If the rights for 《The Legend of Song Mountain》 falls into Fengxing’s hands, it will become a stepping stone for 《The Legend of Le Mountain》. And there will never be another chance to fight against that plagiarized work as the rightful original.”

Mei Zhiya’s face was filled with helpless pain and humiliation.

Gu Xian paused for a moment, scratched his head, and turned around. “Alright, come with me to the office to discuss how the contract should be written.”

Mei Zhiya was stunned, frozen in place, until the receptionist gave her a push. “What are you standing there for? Mr. Gu just agreed to help you!”

Mei Zhiya’s 7 million yuan had been scraped together by selling her car, her house, and emptying all her savings. After hearing her out, Gu Xian only took 3 million upfront, leaving the rest for her to pay back in installments over time.

Guangyao wanted to reclaim the rights, clearly intending to target 《The Legend of Le Mountain》, which naturally didn’t sit well with Fengxing. However, businessmen always prioritize profit. With the identity of the eldest young master of the Gu family and 70 million in cash as bargaining chips, the people at Fengxing ultimately had no choice but to grudgingly accept the breach of contract.

Mei Zhiya expressed her gratitude profusely, while Gu Xian felt both relief and concern.

He was relieved to have finally reclaimed the long-coveted rights for 《The Legend of Song Mountain》, no longer needing to worry about how Guangyao could stand on its own.

As for his concerns, naturally, after spending 67 million, his personal savings were now on the brink of depletion, leaving him to wonder where the substantial funds required for the subsequent preparation of the production team would come from.

Author’s Note:

Xiao Xie: peeking.jpg