From Wage Slave to Tycoon

"If we develop according to President Zong’s plan next year and expand to all the second-tier cities, the annual revenue will be at least two hundred million. That’s more than I make from filming variety shows!"

Although Chen He was thriving in the entertainment industry thanks to his family background, his annual income was only in the tens of millions. That was only because he had starred in a few hit TV series; otherwise, the figure would have been even lower.

But now, just by getting on board with Su Chen, a simple franchise deal was letting him rake in a fortune. How could he not be excited?

"So," Su Chen said, turning to look at Chen He, "did Zong Xinyao go over the tax situation with you all?"

Chen He tensed up and quickly explained, "President Zong already spoke to us about it. You can rest assured about the taxes, Mr. Su. I absolutely won’t be the one to drag everyone down!"

He knew the entertainment industry had a bad reputation. Not long ago, news broke about a top star evading taxes. The fallout was terrible, and the star was blacklisted instantly.

He understood what Su Chen was getting at—one rotten apple could spoil the whole barrel.

"Hmm~" Su Chen had only asked casually; he hadn’t expected to frighten Chen He so badly. ’I wonder how Zong Xinyao broke it to them.’

But judging by Chen He’s reaction, the message got across loud and clear!

...........

Young Master Huang, Second Floor!

Sicong led Su Chen into a small private room.

"What’s with all the secrecy?"

The moment they arrived at Young Master Huang, Sicong had sidled up to him, saying he had something to discuss. He even made a point of finding a quiet place; it was obvious he didn’t want Qin Fen and the others to hear.

Sicong didn’t say anything. He rummaged in his down jacket for a moment with his right hand before pulling out a black bank card and handing it to Su Chen.

"This is an anonymous Swiss black card. There’s a hundred million in it. It’s your share of the profits from that batch of aged wine!"

"You can use this card without any worries, whether here or abroad!"

Sicong made sure to explain, so Su Chen wouldn’t think there was anything fishy about it.

Su Chen took the Swiss black card and toyed with it in his hand for a moment before putting it away. "Looks like you really got this wine business off the ground!"

"Of course! You have no idea how hard Qin Fen, Hou Ting, and the others have been working. They’ve already broken into the high-end restaurant market, and this year’s wine has already started selling. Based on the feedback, customers are extremely satisfied with it." Sicong was a little smug; after all, watching a company flourish under his management gave him a sense of accomplishment worth being proud of.

Su Chen suddenly remembered the aged wine Jiangyang had given him. The corners of his mouth curved up as he teased, "Did you give away all the wine aged over forty years as networking gifts?"

"You’re using my stuff to win points with other people!"

The smile on Sicong’s face instantly froze. He gave an awkward laugh and asked, a little bewildered, "How did you know?"

"’How did I know?’ Someone showed up at my house with a whole case! How do you think I know!"

"Ah~" Sicong immediately understood. It was most likely those few from the Imperial Capital.

What he hadn’t expected was that Su Chen carried so much weight with those people that they would actually bring gifts to visit him.

Of the 40-plus-year-old vintages he had taken, besides the few scions in the Imperial Capital circle, he had sent almost all the rest to Old Wang. After all, his father moved in much higher circles than he did, and these aged wines were perfect for gifting.

He had even kept less than two cases for himself.

The hundred million on the black card he gave Su Chen was nominally a profit share from the wine, but in reality, a portion of it was topped up by Sicong from his own private stash.

After all, those wines aged over forty years were incredibly valuable. Although it might be a drop in the bucket for Su Chen, Sicong had to show the proper attitude. He couldn’t just freeload.

That wasn’t Young Master Sicong’s style.

"Alright, we should get back out there. The food should be on the table by now!" Su Chen patted Sicong’s shoulder and walked out of the private room with a smile.

Sicong finally caught on. Su Chen had just been trying to see him squirm. Shaking his head helplessly, he followed him out.

"This is quite a spread for lunch," Su Chen remarked, looking at the steak in front of him. "Is this Wagyu domestic?"

"How could it be domestic? This was flown in from New Zealand! It was frozen and air-freighted immediately after being butchered the same day!" Qin Fen explained from the side. He was much more of an expert on these things than Sicong.

After all, Young Master Sicong was the kind of guy who loved food from street stalls. Why would he care about the ingredients at Young Master Huang?

Hearing this, Su Chen nodded. He picked up his knife and fork, cut off a small piece, dipped it in a bit of sauce, and put it in his mouth.

"Hmm~ The quality is really nice. It’s a bit better, mouthfeel-wise, than the Wagyu I had in Qiqihar."

The moment he finished speaking, four pairs of eyes snapped to look at him.

After the whole "Goat Village" incident, they figured Su Chen had stumbled upon another hidden gem unknown to the public!

Sicong couldn’t help but ask, "Old Su, are you saying the Wagyu in Qiqihar is almost as good as what we’re eating now in terms of texture?"

"I went to Qiqihar a while ago and tried the local barbecue. The quality of the Wagyu there isn’t much different from this," Su Chen said, gesturing with the small piece of steak on his fork.

"It’s not cheap, right?"