After the Divorce, I Could Hear the Voice of the Future

Chapter 477: Chapter 472: The Cash King of Shanghai

“I get it. We’ll talk later.”

Lu Liang wasn’t looking down on Little Wang, but if he really needed Little Wang’s help, he’d be close to being done for.

Seeing Little Wang staring at him with a grievance, Lu Liang didn’t have the heart to crush his self-esteem, since his intentions were good, after all.

With a smile, he changed the subject, “So, after feasting on gossip all day, do you know how the entertainment industry plans to deal with the aftermath?”

“I asked a friend this afternoon. International Fan is probably done for, but the others should be able to settle things by paying more money.”

Little Wang, bored to death, started making calls to stir people up. Drinking with another guy, this setup was too dry.

Right then, Lu Liang’s phone rang too,

He glanced at the message, the corners of his mouth slowly curving upwards.

Reba had sent him a WeChat message, saying that her boss, Yang Mi, wanted to meet with him.

The sisterly concern seemed to have been just lip service, and now, to save her own skin, she’s ready to throw the little lamb into the tiger’s mouth.

Little Wang glanced over and his face was a picture of disgust, “Why the hell are you suddenly grinning so lewdly?”

“If you can’t speak nicely, shut up.”

Lu Liang’s eyes darkened, giving him a cold look, he picked up his phone: “Just drink on your own.”

“You’re off to seduce which innocent girl now?” Little Wang squinted his eyes, lost in thought.

Leaving the Bund, Lu Liang took a ride to the Marriott Hotel in Lujiazui, the elevator whizzing directly to the luxurious suite on the 82nd floor.

Reba was waiting at the door, looking different from her glamorous stage getup, in a pink tracksuit brimming with youth.

“Mr. Lu, I’m so sorry to disturb you this late.” She was very nervous, bowing continuously in gratitude for Lu Liang coming over.

Yang Mi stood beside her, all smiles on the surface, but underneath her eyes was a bitterness, “Hello, Mr. Lu, I’m Yang Mi.”

“What’s the deal?” Lu Liang nodded slightly, his smile ambiguous, pretending he didn’t recognize her.

“Why don’t we talk inside?”

Yang Mi invited Lu Liang into the suite, where the table was laden with delicacies and a bottle of properly decanted red wine.

Reba, seemingly instructed beforehand, acted as the hostess, pouring wine for them both, then sat quietly to the side.

Yang Mi asked, “Mr. Lu, if you don’t mind me asking, how familiar are you with the recent actions of the Broadcasting and Taxation authorities?”

Lu Liang gave her a meaningful look, “Since Miss Yang asks, I assume she’s involved?”

As the words fell, Reba looked curiously at Yang Mi, who nodded with a forced smile, “It’s the environment. When everyone else is doing it, it’s very hard for one person to resist.”

Out of the people she knew, ninety out of a hundred had signed Dual Contracts, and at least half of the remaining ten hadn’t hit the tax threshold with their fees.

Money being enough is one thing, but how much is enough? Make a million and you want ten million, make ten million and you want a hundred million.

And even if you make a hundred million, wanting to make a billion, or even ten billion, in Modu just buys you a few more luxury homes.

Stardom is a profession that feeds on youth,

Being red-hot gets you everything, fading into obscurity gets you nothing. Why should a ten million fee get slashed by 4.2 million in taxes?

With everyone harboring this mindset, even some of the veteran artists were not exempt, such as Chen Mingdao, Zhang Liguo, and Zhang Lintie, all got involved.

Lu Liang couldn’t help but smirk, “Miss Yang, I’m not here to listen to your woes.”

Yang Mi’s gaze filled with silent reproach, as she was on the brink of saying outright, ‘men are dogs, they forget who you are once their pants are back on.’

She took a deep breath, realigning her thoughts, and asked respectfully, “Mr. Lu, what do you think will happen next?”

Lu Liang pondered, “Miss Fan will likely be made an example of with severe punishment. The rest probably just have to pay back taxes and fines.”

“I thought as much.”

Yang Mi’s face revealed a knowing look, as she’d been pulling strings and asking around all day, reaching a conclusion not far from Lu Liang’s.

Knowing was one thing, but she didn’t have that kind of money. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have pretended not to know Lu Liang and asked Reba to set up a meeting with him.

Based on her estimates, together with the studio and including fines, she needed to pay about five hundred million RMB.

Over the years, making movies and TV shows had earned her a lot, but she’d also spent and invested heavily.

Even selling off some properties would net her only four billion RMB, leaving a one billion RMB shortfall.

And if she liquidated assets during this period, it would be a clear signal to the public that she too had evaded taxes and signed the now universally condemned Dual Contracts.

Mid-year, to avoid impacting her career, she had even appeared on a reality show with her nominal husband, feigning sweetness, as if nothing had happened.

She couldn’t bear to see her efforts crumble, so she turned to Lu Liang.

But just herself wasn’t enough leverage. Obviously, she couldn’t seduce Lu Liang, so she decided to use Reba as well.

“Miss Yang, quit beating around the bush. Just say what you want to say.” Lu Liang yawned, tired of listening.

“Mr. Lu, I’m currently short by 1.8 billion RMB, but I have four properties, currently valued at 2.5 billion RMB.”

Yang Mi quickly spoke up, proposing to mortgage the properties to Lu Liang for two years, with interest-only payments and a 7% annual interest rate.

As long as her career wasn’t affected, she was confident she could earn two billion in two years, maybe even less, to repay him with interest.

Like last year’s Wang Bao, whose closest confidants and agents had failed to dig up any dirt, and after that, the resources kept rolling in; even a super flop movie had plenty of support.

She could follow Wang Bao’s path and become the first in the industry to willingly pay penalties.

Even if she was exposed later, she could still play the White Lotus, using the excuse of being a victim of circumstances.

After all, being the first to pay up, whatever she’d say, the fans would forgive her.

And moreover, having taken the initiative to confess, the state would certainly treat him with special consideration.

In short, as long as one still wants to mingle in the domestic entertainment circle and become the best, the benefits are endless.

Because friends have said this matter isn’t all bark and no bite, with the limit on Korean content from last year, the salary cap this year, and Lu Liang’s previous reminders about regulating the entertainment industry, these decisions are definitely not made on a whim.

It just so happens that the scandal with the Liu family burst out, and they were directly used as lightning rods to divert public attention.

We can only say it’s a coincidence, not an undeserved disaster.

After all, Lu Liang, the Liu family, both are entities they couldn’t and wouldn’t dare to provoke.

“I’ll consider it.”

Lu Liang smiled, understanding Yang Mi’s intentions.

Normally, mortgage loans are based on 70% of the market value, with annual interest rates between 5% and 8%.

If the property’s market value is 2.5 billion, a mortgage of 1.8 billion is fair, even at a 7% annual interest rate.

Even with a normal mortgage, Yang Mi could get money from a bank, but there’s a key point she doesn’t want people to know.

She wants to get this money quickly and discreetly, so Lu Liang is her best and only option.

Lei Jun has the reputation of being the ‘Cash King’ of Beijing, and now Lu Liang is gradually earning the title of ‘Cash King’ of Shanghai.

With Tianxing Investment in his left hand and Tianxing Private Equity in his right, he could deal in public or private, as he wished.

A mere 1.8 billion mortgage loan, even 18 billion, he could authorize with a signature, and the amount could be transferred to an account tomorrow.

If it were a corporate investment, one could even add a zero to the 18 billion and double it without much difficulty.

They had just cashed out 6 billion US dollars in US stocks, preparing to bullish Bitcoin, which is more than 40 billion RMB in conversion.

Seeing Lu Liang about to leave, Yang Mi looked towards Reba with eyes full of pleading; only she could persuade Lu Liang now.

Reba nodded silently, made up her mind, quickly got up, and chased after Lu Liang: “Mr. Lu, let me take you back.”

Lu Liang paused slightly, turned his head to look at Yang Mi, and the corners of his mouth curved upward, sketching a hint of a smile.

After all, being a professional actor means being able to change one’s expression at will, waving fists while the face is full of resentment.

One after the other, they left the private room. After deliberating for a while, Reba asked softly, “Mr. Lu, will you help Mi?”

“What do you want me to do?” asked Lu Liang with a smile.

“Of course, I hope so,” Reba replied without hesitation, blissfully unaware of what the hope might cost.

Lu Liang suddenly smiled: “Then I’ll help her.”

“Really?” Reba beamed with joy, surprised that Lu Liang agreed so readily; she had been ready to sacrifice her self-interest for her boss.

“As long as you hope for it, I will try my best to help you achieve it.”

With a smile on his face, Lu Liang lightly lifted Reba’s hair and pushed aside a corner of her collar: “I just hope that next time I see you, you’ll be wearing the necklace I gave you.”

Reba’s face turned red, and her ears burned hot,

Her voice as soft as a mosquito’s, she murmured an agreement.

“Stay here, it wouldn’t be good for you to be seen by others.”

Lu Liang smiled and without any inappropriate action, took the elevator by himself, leaving the floor.

“Bye, see you next time.” Reba grinned sweetly, her eyes squinting into crescents, as she waved goodbye to Lu Liang.

She bounced back to the private room, joyfully embracing Yang Mi, and exclaimed excitedly, “Mi, Mr. Lu agreed to lend you the money.”

“Really? That’s great.”

Yang Mi smiled, but a trace of confusion flickered in her eyes.

Wondering why Reba had returned,

Logically, she should have left with Lu Liang.

After a brief conversation, Yang Mi made an excuse to send Reba away and left the hotel alone.

As she stepped out of the hotel, she immediately called Lu Liang. Lu Liang seemed to have anticipated the call: “Jinmao Hotel, room 6601.”

“I’ll be right there,” Yang Mi stated, looking up instinctively after searching—Jinmao Hotel was just next door.

Within three minutes on foot, she arrived at the Jinmao Hotel and saw Lu Liang, bursting with questions: “What exactly are you playing at?”

Just now, there was such a good opportunity, with a mere beckoning finger, Lu Liang could have had his way with her, yet he had let it pass.

Lu Liang, very serious, with a stern face, said, “Because I realized, I think I’ve fallen in love with her.”

“Can you take your hand down before saying that?”

Yang Mi looked down at the male palm resting on her chest.

Such affectionate words,

But coming from Lu Liang, she just couldn’t believe them.

“Holding it feels more real.”

Lu Liang squinted his eyes: “Anyway, the result is as you wished, so don’t worry about the process. Find time tomorrow, bring all the required documents to my company, and I’ll have a word with Mr. Tang.”

“Can’t you just tell me what you’re really up to?” Yang Mi’s brows furrowed lightly.

Lu Liang replied with a smile, playfully moving his hands up and down around her waist.

Now was indeed possible, but there was no need, as Reba was here for Yang Mi, not for himself—it just wasn’t enough.

After all, he preferred the feeling of total devotion, not just seeking out a hole to crawl into.