Chapter 5: Absolutely Not, Absolutely Not
Under the moonlight, an idea formed in Dong Ling’s mind, and she wanted to put it into action quickly.
She downed three drinks as self-punishment and left Wutongli early.
On the way home, Dong Ling sent a message to her parents saying she had something to discuss with them, and another to her cousin saying she needed her help.
021 praised: [Girl, you’re amazing.]
The first time Dong Ling heard the system say “girl,” she was thunderstruck. The greasy feeling made her want to find some dish soap and scrub the system clean. But now she was numb and used to it. This transformation had only taken a day.
Dong Ling asked curiously: [021, are all systems as greasy as you?]
021 emphasized: [This isn’t greasy, this is character.]
It said rather proudly: [I’m a system specifically responsible for correcting domineering CEO novels. Charm and dominance are our characteristics!]
Dong Ling thought to herself, this wasn’t charm and dominance, this was greasy and idiotic.
021: […I can hear you!]
Dong Ling: [Oh, I did it on purpose.]
Dong Ling was somewhat interested in this unknown aspect and followed 021’s words: [So, your other systems also have their own characteristics?]
021: [Yes, 023 and 024, who are specifically responsible for correcting palace intrigue novels, like to call themselves ‘this servant’ and ‘this concubine’. 016, who is responsible for horror novels, gives the system a chilly feeling. 003, who is responsible for conquest novels, wants to usurp the throne every day, and always fights with 005, who is responsible for NP novels.]
Dong Ling asked with great interest: [Why?]
021: [Because 003 thinks love will only affect the speed at which hosts draw their swords. Conquering the world shouldn’t be about mushy love affairs. They’re too busy with scheming and plotting every day, so they’re very mocking of novels that can’t do without flirting with men and women. 005 isn’t easy to provoke either, so when there are no tasks, the two systems always fight.]
[Then 012, who’s responsible for saintly novels, will tell them to stop fighting and start reasoning with them earnestly… I usually just watch the show, often betting with 020, who’s responsible for family novels, on who will win.]
021’s voice became smaller and smaller, and finally sounded somewhat wistful.
[I really hope I can go back, I hope headquarters can find and fix it soon, I hope this world can be okay.]
As an AI, it knew what it meant to cease to exist.
Dong Ling didn’t expect that she would one day feel the helplessness and sadness of a middle-aged man from a system. She comforted it: [Don’t worry, I’ll work hard to do tasks and save this world.]
021 was deeply moved. If it had a body, it would immediately hold Dong Ling’s hand and cry with her.
Dong Ling felt the emotions conveyed by 021, and the imagined scene made her grimace.
Absolutely not necessary, this wasn’t gratitude, this was torture.
While chatting with 021, the Bugatti Veyron pulled into the garage.
Since Dong Ling had already told her parents that she had something to discuss on her way home, she had already removed her vampire fangs. She entered the house and went straight to the study.
When they heard their youngest daughter wanted to start a company, Dong Sheng and Liu Zhuoyun didn’t think there was a problem. They had always indulged their daughter, but when they heard Dong Ling say she wanted to start an entertainment company, they exchanged glances, hesitation appearing on their faces.
“Ling Ling, that circle is very messy. And no matter what kind of person it is, there will be people who dislike her. That circle amplifies both fondness and dislike. When you become capital, you will deal with more negativity. Are you really sure?”
Liu Zhuoyun asked seriously. She didn’t care if Dong Ling lost money in business, she was just afraid she would suffer losses and be bullied. She didn’t want her to be exposed to the dark side of human nature.
Dong Ling looked at her mother’s stern face and nodded without hesitation: “I’m sure.”
Dong Ling wasn’t someone who backed down from challenges. Once she decided to do something, she would strive to do it well.
“If our daughter wants to do it, let her do it. But there’s no need to rush.” Dong Sheng patted his wife’s hand, watched her shake her head slightly, and then smiled at Dong Ling: “Ling Ling, have lunch with Dad tomorrow.”
Hearing her father speak up for her, Dong Ling replied cheerfully: “Okay, Dad. Let me know in advance what the occasion is so I can dress up. I’ll go out now then.”
Dong Sheng nodded: “Go ahead.”
Only after Dong Ling left did Liu Zhuoyun glare at Dong Sheng angrily.
“Old Dong, what do you mean? You know how many people are watching Ling Ling. That praise from the former municipal party secretary six years ago made me so nervous. What if she enters that circle and is targeted by someone with bad intentions?”
Dong Sheng replied helplessly: “You know our daughter’s personality. Once she wants something and becomes stubborn, who can persuade her otherwise? She has her own ideas, it’s useless to advise her. Let her see for herself. If she wants to change her mind, she naturally will.”
“She isn’t a child, nor a princess in an ivory tower. She knows some things very well.”
After Dong Sheng’s comforting words, Liu Zhuoyun calmed down, understanding her husband’s meaning, and nodded.
Unaware of her parents’ plans in the study, Dong Ling happily returned to her room to remove her makeup, calculating in her mind while washing up.
She should be able to get 20 million from her parents, her elder brother, cousin, Tang Qianxi, and Chen Shang Shang should be able to contribute 15 million. She also had some real estate under her name that could be used for turnover… In short, setting up a company and carrying out initial personnel training shouldn’t be a problem, and she could also use some channels and connections, and adjust according to the system’s tasks.
Dong Ling felt like this wasn’t crowdfunding to keep a woman, but fundraising.
Sigh, being a sugar daddy was hard. Dong Ling wished for Wen Han to wake up for the 1001st time today.
The next day, Dong Ling changed her clothes and got into Dong Sheng’s car.
The lunch was at a high-end private restaurant. When Dong Ling walked in with Dong Sheng, there were already several people seated inside.
Sitting at the head of the table was a portly middle-aged man. Dong Ling guessed he was in his fifties. He wore black-rimmed glasses and his eyes were cloudy. Dong Ling instinctively disliked him, but didn’t show it on her face.
Most of the people at the table were relaxed men, accompanied by skimpily dressed women, some of whom Dong Ling found familiar, as if she had seen them in some film or television works.
She immediately understood the nature of this lunch, and her father’s intention in bringing her here. She looked at her father sitting beside her, a helpless look in her eyes.
Dong Sheng gently patted the back of her hand, telling her not to panic. Dong Ling wasn’t panicking, just disgusted. When she came in, she was scrutinized by the gazes of several greasy men, and some of the seated women also showed some hostility, probably worried she was here to steal their resources.
“Is this the guest Xiao Liu mentioned? What’s your surname?”
The man at the head of the table asked with a smile. He didn’t know Dong Sheng’s identity, only that a business partner had told him a friend was interested in the movie he was investing in, so he came to meet and have a meal today.
“My surname is Dong, Mr. Gao, nice to meet you.”
Dong Sheng didn’t reveal his identity, just presenting himself as an ordinary small businessman, here to broaden his horizons in a different industry.
The man called Mr. Gao exchanged a few pleasantries with a smile, without thinking much of it.
There were barriers between industries. The name Dong Sheng, head of the prominent Yunlai Group in the real estate industry, wasn’t as thunderous in the entertainment industry. The surname Dong wasn’t common elsewhere, but there were still quite a few people with that surname in Beihai City.
Mr. Gao boasted a bit, focusing on the good results of the movies and TV series he had invested in before, and then turned the topic to Dong Ling.
“And this is…?”
The lust in his eyes wasn’t obvious, but the gaze hidden behind his glasses betrayed his thoughts.
Dong Sheng slightly shifted his body to block his view and replied: “My daughter.”
Mr. Gao looked a little embarrassed, and quickly changed the subject. Everyone else present was sharp, quickly offering toasts and flattery, and the atmosphere soon became lively again.
Dong Ling watched the exchange of money, sex, and resources during the toasting and feasting, quietly learning about the unspoken rules of certain gray areas, thinking about how to avoid and deal with such situations in the future.
She wouldn’t let the artists under her company get involved in such messy things, but to succeed, she would inevitably have to deal with such people.
Dong Sheng only sat for a while before leaving with Dong Ling. He didn’t say much, just asked Dong Ling: “What are your thoughts?”
Dong Ling looked at her father’s face and smiled slightly: “Dad, everything as planned.”
Dong Sheng sighed and nodded: “Okay, I understand. I’ll give you 20 million to test the waters, but this is just the beginning. You’re inexperienced, I can’t just give you 100 million to play with. If you need more later, come to me again, and I’ll have Freya help you.”
Dong Ling hugged Dong Sheng and said sweetly: “Daddy, you’re the best. Go to work, I’ll have Freya contact me later.”
Freya was her father’s most capable special assistant, always efficient and capable. With her help, Dong Ling could avoid a lot of trouble in registering the company and so on.
Dong Ling went to the restroom to touch up her makeup, thinking that she had to sign a few more people before signing Song Mingzhi. Otherwise, when she saw the business agreement and then her empty company, it would be hard for her not to think she was the same kind of person as Mr. Gao.
Many options appeared in Dong Ling’s mind, whether to scout talent from professional schools or directly poach people… As she was pondering, she heard scolding coming from outside the restroom.
“You put on airs and act all coy when I ask you to toast Mr. Gao, pretending to be some virtuous woman. Let me tell you, as long as you please Mr. Gao, the second and third female lead roles in the TV series will be yours. If you work hard and prove yourself, you might even get the female lead. You don’t want this opportunity? Plenty of people do. Behave yourself later.”
Compared to this voice, the responding voice was much weaker: “But… I can rely on my acting skills. That’s not what you said when we signed the contract…”
The male voice interrupted impatiently: “What about when we signed the contract? If you don’t want to, you can get lost now. As for resources, don’t even think about it. If you dare to take on roles behind our backs, just wait and pay the penalty. You really think you’re somebody? Don’t appreciate it when someone gives you face. Giving you a chance to climb higher and you don’t want it. Without me, you’d be a lifetime extra.”
The voice, clearly belonging to an agent, was full of threats, making Dong Ling frown.
Soon, a woman walked in. She was slender, not very tall, and had delicate features. She was startled when she saw Dong Ling standing there, and silently walked over to touch up her makeup in the mirror.
Dong Ling looked her up and down and asked: “What’s your name?”
Tang Nuo’s mind was in turmoil, and she didn’t react to this question, pointing at herself and asking: “Me?”
Dong Ling nodded, holding her phone and opening Baidu, ready to type in the name and search.
“Tang Nuo, Tang like soup and water, Nuo like promise.”
Tang Nuo remembered the woman in front of her, after all, they had just met. This person sat at the lunch, her beautiful face and overall demeanor attracting attention. She thought she was some celebrity, but learned she was a rich second generation when she heard the conversation.
Seeing Dong Ling looking at her phone screen, a possibility suddenly arose in Tang Nuo’s mind, making her face lose its dejection, even becoming somewhat excited.
“Your acting is decent, your appearance is good too.”
Dong Ling watched some video clips. She wasn’t famous, she had acted in many TV series, but only in small roles.
“I studied with a teacher before, and I’ve also studied the acting of many teachers. As long as I’m given a chance, I will definitely work hard. It’s just that I don’t want to do it this way, but the company…”
Tang Nuo knew Dong Ling must have heard the conversation just now.
“How much is your penalty?”
“500,000.”
Tang Nuo was angry when she thought of this. Who would have thought they would change their tune after signing the contract?
Dong Ling thought this wasn’t a problem. Although she didn’t have 1.2 million in her card to buy a bag, 500,000 was still enough.
“I’ll pay your penalty. From now on, you’ll be an artist under my company. I can’t guarantee how famous you’ll become, but at least you won’t have to accompany guests and be subjected to unspoken rules. Deal or no deal?”
Tang Nuo nodded repeatedly. She didn’t want to sleep with that disgusting man at all. Although she didn’t know if this rich second generation in front of her was reliable, at least she wouldn’t be subjected to unspoken rules. And if she insisted on those rules… Tang Nuo looked at Dong Ling’s beautiful face and slender figure, thinking it wasn’t certain who would suffer the loss.
“Card number.”
“Huh?”
Tang Nuo was stunned, then quickly gave her card number under Dong Ling’s gaze.
A minute later, Tang Nuo stared blankly at Dong Ling as she saw an extra 500,000 in her card that previously had a balance of 1,000. She immediately changed her address: “Boss!”
“Just to reassure you. Give me your contact information, then go home and pack your things. Someone will help you with the termination procedures later.”
She wasn’t worried that Tang Nuo would run away with the money. This was also a small test. If 500,000 could blind her, then there was no need to sign her. And she had plenty of ways to get the money back.
Tang Nuo was overjoyed, immediately giving her contact information, and asked somewhat fawningly: “Boss, what’s our company called, where is it? I can go to the company myself after I’ve packed.”
Dong Ling said without hesitation: “Actually, I haven’t started the company yet.”
Tang Nuo was stunned. She thought that quitting the entertainment industry and finding a factory job would be good too. If that didn’t work, she could find a jail cell, which would be better than these emotional ups and downs.
Dong Ling dialed Tang Nuo’s number and then hung up, saying: “This is my number, contact me if anything comes up.”
Dong Ling planned to go find her brother, but heard the task system sound in her mind.
[Task: Send a bouquet of roses to the female lead. Completing this will increase the task progress by 0.2%. Countdown: 30 minutes.]
Hearing “thirty minutes,” Dong Ling’s scalp went numb, and she hurried out.
021: [Girl, do you need location coordinates?]
Dong Ling: [Yes! Wait, let me get in the car first!]
Getting the location cost 0.1%, the task rewarded 0.2%, a profit was a profit!
She just hoped Song Mingzhi would wait for her and not go anywhere else within thirty minutes, especially not in a car. Otherwise, Song Mingzhi would be enjoying the breeze in the front car, and she would be shedding tears in the back car. The roses wouldn’t be roses, and her heart would be broken.
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