Starting from a Bar to Sign Internet Celebrities

To be fair, this was an idea he’d already had and even discussed with Sister Hong, but now was the time to say something flattering.

In any case, no matter who asked in the future, Second-Life Star’s film and television department would have been founded specifically for Tian Xiwei. It was a classic tale of a grand gesture to attract talent, a story for the ages.

Tian Xiwei froze when she heard him, her heart instantly starting to pound.

’Why does his invitation sound so much like a confession?’

’A domineering CEO, willing to establish a whole new department just to keep the girl he likes.’

She wasn’t the only one who felt that way. The viewers in the livestream chat did too, and they immediately started teasing.

"Holy shit, who could possibly resist a confession like that from Cheng?"

"Cheng’s game is getting more and more advanced. I used to be able to learn from him, but this is on a whole other level."

"What girl could possibly say no to that?"

"No one could! Absolutely no one!"

"..."

Besides the regular viewers, many of the female employees at Second-Life Star were also watching their boss’s livestream. Hearing his words, countless of them were overcome with envy.

Of course, there was also someone grinding her teeth in frustration.

And that someone was Li Muchen.

She was watching the livestream with Zhang Ao’ai.

After all, the two of them had only come to Second-Life Star to become online influencers because they couldn’t make it in the entertainment industry. They had been stuck playing minor roles with no hope of a breakthrough. They joined the company because its story-driven videos still gave them a chance to use their acting skills.

They usually refused to shoot the typical thirst trap videos.

"He’s playing favorites!" Li Muchen couldn’t help but mutter. She had given herself to him that night, and he hadn’t said a word about creating a film department for her.

Now he meets some girl at a bar and is willing to go to such great lengths for her.

Zhang Ao’ai was envious too, but she was also hopeful. "If the company really gets a film and television department, then we can keep acting. Plus, we’ll have real backing. We won’t have to run around playing minor roles anymore."

Li Muchen paused at her words. ’That’s true.’

’Then she’d have a powerful backer, too.’

It took Tian Xiwei a long moment to process Chen Jincheng’s words. Her heart was still pounding. "Mr. Chen, are you serious?"

Chen Jincheng walked over to her, phone in hand, and said with a smile, "Look at how many people are watching my stream right now. I made the promise in front of all of them, so I can’t possibly go back on my word. They’d tear me apart."

Hearing this, the viewers immediately chimed in to agree:

"We’d definitely tear you apart."

"I’d tear you apart too!"

"Oh, the tearing apart would definitely happen!"

"..."

Seeing this, Tian Xiwei hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "If that’s the case, I agree."

Chen Jincheng smiled.

’Perfect.’

A moment later, he ended the livestream. Tian Xiwei’s friends came out, and seeing their expectant gazes, he obliged them by taking a few more photos and videos.

Then, once Lin Hao and Lin Leqing came out, he exchanged contact information with Tian Xiwei and asked her to come to the company the next day.

"Mr. Chen, we’ll be heading out now," Tian Xiwei said sweetly. The night’s events had been almost too much to put into words; she had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to sleep at all.

After saying goodbye to her, Chen Jincheng said a quick farewell to Lin Hao, and they all went their separate ways.

But he had just gotten into the car with Lin Leqing when he got a call from Sister Hong. Before he could even say a word, her voice came through the phone. "Boss, you were quick to make that promise, but do you have any idea what it takes to establish a film and television department?"

"Staffing alone is something Second-Life Star can’t just pull together overnight, especially when it comes to roles like distributors and producers. And then there are the issues of content, scripts, and copyrights."

"The main issue is licensing. The basic business licenses are easy enough, but the three key permits required for film and television operations are a whole other story. Second-Life Star has absolutely no connections in that area."

"Even if you ask Boss Lei for help, it’s not something that can be sorted out quickly."

Chen Jincheng was taken aback. He honestly hadn’t considered any of this. But they always say it’s tough to break into the entertainment industry’s high-stakes game, and it seemed licensing was a huge part of the problem.

However, thinking about these issues did remind him of something.

If he couldn’t get it done quickly, he could just acquire a company that already had everything in place. Before, he didn’t have the resources to do something like that, but now, he could if he wanted to.

The owner of that one company had skipped town last July. It wasn’t until this March that everyone realized he wasn’t coming back. A few months ago, the company was broken up and put to auction, but none of the lots sold.

This seemed like the perfect opportunity to pick up a steal.

...