This time the young girl chose a high-end Hubei restaurant. Having been there a few times before with her mother, she was on a first-name basis with the manager.
Although they had requested a private room, the restaurant was located in a bustling downtown area, and many people caught sight of her as they walked in.
She didn't care. She had already made a public appearance alongside the uncle at the academy today, and since the uncle had no objections, naturally she cared even less.
"Uncle, what kind of movie is it?" The young girl was eager to wash away the humiliation of her 19-flop streak.
"Let's not rush into the movie just yet. Did your mother go to see Huayi Brothers?" While the young girl cared only about films, Chen Hao's priority was making money.
The money-making venture mentioned yesterday was naturally the upcoming wave of the Huayi Brothers' IPO.
Huayi Brothers was set to list on the ChiNext board next month and was offering pre-IPO shares to its contracted stars at one yuan per share, with an issue price of 28.5 yuan. Once listed, that would mean a profit of nearly thirtyfold. But Chen Hao knew this wasn't just a matter of the issue price; this wretched company's closing price would approach 70 yuan.
They weren't only offering pre-IPO shares to their own stars; they were also willing to sell them to other influential figures—Big Beard Zhang, for instance, held over two million shares.
This time around, Liu Yifei hadn't fallen out with Huayi Brothers. In fact, having transformed into "International Liu," her momentum in the entertainment industry was reaching its peak.
As long as the young girl agreed to make an appearance at their listing roadshow, securing at least a million shares should be no problem, as Huayi had no idea their stock would soar so high.
Once listed, that one million would instantly turn into seventy million.
Although the young girl knew that this company would have originally blacklisted her and held a very poor impression of them, only a fool turns down free money. The two hit it off immediately and set their sights on fleecing Huayi Brothers.
"Mom expressed doubts about whether Huayi Brothers' stock would actually rise, but I talked her around. However, she said we shouldn't approach them directly; we need to go through an intermediary, otherwise it'll be hard to negotiate a price."
Mama Liu's vision was indeed flawed—not a single person in this mother-daughter duo had any real business sense, otherwise they wouldn't have racked up a 19-flop streak.
Yet her idea to use an intermediary was spot on; after all, eagerness looks desperate in a deal.
When it came to worldly sophistication and social tact, older Liu was undoubtedly far more seasoned than younger Liu.
The dishes were served, and the young girl picked up a stalk of vegetable greens for Chen Hao. This was a specialty from their hometown of Wuhan—Hongshan red vegetable greens—which were exceptionally delicious and very expensive.
Chen Hao also found them quite tasty; the stems were both crisp and sweet, so he picked up another one. Not realizing the excellent quality came from the raw ingredients themselves, he simply assumed the chef possessed remarkable skills.
"Tell your mother not to rush. We'll take a script to collaborate with Huayi. Since they're preparing to go public, they happen to need a blockbuster to boost the market. If they invest in a film starring a big star like you, it will be good for their pre-listing stock price, and that way we can also buy more pre-IPO shares."
The two chatted as they ate.
"Ah, we have to collaborate with Huayi on the movie too? They're going to force their own actors into the cast, aren't they? I really don't want to work with them." The young girl still held a bit of a grudge against the company that had blacklisted her.
"If we buy more pre-IPO shares, we'll earn way more than at the box office. Let them cram in whatever actors they want, as long as our lead roles are secure."
"Fine, whatever!" The young girl poured her lips out in a wronged, reluctant compromise.
Sigh, she was already in her twenties, yet she still pouted like a teenager—it was trying way too hard.
Yet Chen Hao fell for this exact routine every time, his heart softening a bit. "If you really don't want to work with them, then forget it. There are plenty of ways to make money; I can make just as much trading US stocks."
"No, I'm going to take their money! We'll collaborate and make a bundle off them this time, and once we're powerful enough in the future, we'll turn around and crush them," the young girl declared indignantly, brandishing her chopsticks.
Chen Hao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "They haven't even blacklisted you right now—why do you have so much built-up resentment?"
"Just thinking about how they were going to blacklist me makes my blood boil. I won't feel right if I don't get payback."
"Alright, alright. In the future, our company will be yours to run. If you want to beat them up, go right ahead—I have no objections." Chen Hao didn't like Huayi Brothers either, so if the young girl wanted her revenge, he was happy to let her have at it.
"Put me in charge of a company? I wouldn't even know how to manage one." Though she spoke with feigned modesty, the young girl was blooming with joy inside, imagining herself as President Liu, ruling with absolute authority and blacklisting anyone who displeased her.
"Stop daydreaming and let's talk about the movies. I'm an actor too, and I want to act. That's why I've picked out two films suitable for both of us to star in together. Let's discuss them."
Chen Hao genuinely wanted to act. In his past life, his academic performance had been quite respectable, but opportunities had eluded him.
To produce results from their expanded enrollment that year, the school had scoured the industry for opportunities, mobilizing senior alumni to help secure numerous gigs for their graduating class.
Yet such introductions only ever led to supporting roles—merely laying a stepping stone—while success ultimately depended on one's own efforts.
Chen Hao's stumbling block had been his face. He was simply too handsome to play supporting roles without inadvertently stealing the spotlight from the lead. Consequently, the production crews he was introduced to only offered him insignificant, throwaway extras.
Being arrogant and proud back then, Chen Hao had refused to suffer such indignity; besides, with a wealthy girlfriend to lean on, he had even less desire to run around playing extras.
Yet neither his family nor his girlfriend possessed resources in the entertainment industry, leaving him with virtually no acting experience by the time he eventually drifted out of the business, wasting all the skills he had studied so hard to acquire.
Chen Hao harbored no delusions of winning a Best Actor award, but now that he had a second chance, he still wanted to play a leading role. Otherwise, it would be a complete waste of his stunningly handsome face.
"Hehe, uncle, are we playing a couple? Are there any kiss scenes? Are you hoping to kiss me?" The young girl's imagination ran wild.
"Get lost! It's a crime thriller; there aren't any intimate scenes." Chen Hao refused to play along.
Their relationship was rather complicated—not quite lovers, yet extraordinarily close. After all, they had shared the same body; he knew every single mole and secret birthmark on her skin.
Moreover, they confided completely in each other, hiding none of their little secrets—a dynamic that far surpassed mere ambiguity.
Yet Chen Hao was somewhat of a scoundrel at heart and felt reluctant to define a formal relationship with the Fairy Sister. With so many beauties in the industry—several of whom he had dated in his past life—locking himself down with the young girl would make it difficult to chase other women.
Although the Fairy Sister was gorgeous, sacrificing an entire forest for her seemed a bit unwise.
Dating other beauties casually was one thing, but he didn't dare treat this young girl that way. The biggest secret of all—his rebirth—was known to her. If he broke her heart, the consequences could be severe.
As long as he didn't start a formal romance with her, however, it wouldn't matter. Surely the young girl wouldn't expose his secret just because he was a flirt, right?
"Humph, as if I'd even want you to kiss me." Rebuffed straight-on, the young girl felt a little disgruntled. Did her status as the Fairy Sister mean nothing to her pride?
"Fine, fine, let's talk about the movies. None of the domestic blockbusters are right for us, so I picked out two South Korean films. One is called The Thieves, and the other is Night in Paradise. The plots go like this..."
Working up a dry throat, Chen Hao finally finished explaining the plots of both films. He had deliberately brought up two options for the young girl to choose from primarily to give her a greater sense of participation; given her somewhat proud and pampered personality, letting her be involved would keep her happy for a long time.