Chapter 187: Chapter 181: My Boss Is a Spendthrift
With the matter settled, Lin Chu wasn’t in the mood for small talk.
’What was there for two men to talk about?’
They finished their meal quickly, and before the wine was even gone, Lin Chu went to pay the bill.
The main expense was the wine. The bill came to almost 400,000, but naturally, with the rebate, he had earned a net profit of 400,000.
’Damn, I should open a winery later on. But I don’t have time for that right now. Maybe when my business empire has stabilized and I’m traveling the world.’
Zhu Yixian sighed inwardly.
’Normally, for a first meal out with a client, I should have been the one to pay. But a bill this high still stings a bit. Besides, Lin Chu didn’t give me any chance to pay at all. This guy... He’s truly beyond words.’
He now took Lin Chu’s talk about buying a golf course much more seriously.
’This might just be my big chance.’
...
After seeing Zhu Yixian off, Lin Chu took stock of things on the way to Chen Jinyu’s house.
’This afternoon’s haul has been massive. I made friends with an investor, roped in a top-tier doctor, invested in a social media company, and got a lead on buying a golf course.’
’I have to admit, for someone like me, this circle is overflowing with opportunities. Even business models that seem unpromising through normal channels are things I can completely reshape, as long as it’s a business that connects people.’
With this in mind, Lin Chu’s desire to own his own golf club grew even stronger.
’Just as social media apps need KOLs to act as central nodes, a golf club is definitely one of those central social hubs in the offline world—and one with maximum prestige. In other words... even if it doesn’t make a profit, the rebates from just giving away memberships would be more than enough.’
Lin Chu felt that more and more doors were opening for him.
With all these different models, the complete version of his business empire was gradually emerging from the fog in his mind, becoming clearer and clearer.
...
On the way to Chen Jinyu’s house, Gao Haitao suddenly spoke up. "President Lin, the Qixi Festival is almost here. Do you have any plans? The two drivers from before are ready, and both ladies are okay with the arrangement."
This was, technically, Lin Chu’s private affair.
But he was worried that Lin Chu, being so busy, might have overlooked it and ended up in an awkward situation.
It wasn’t that Lin Chu couldn’t handle it, but it was an unnecessary complication.
Hmm?
Lin Chu glanced at him and smiled, once again marveling at his attentiveness. After a moment’s thought, he said, "It’s fine. I’ve got it covered. Thanks, Old Gao."
Gao Haitao replied, "No need to thank me, sir. I was worried I was speaking out of turn."
Lin Chu waved his hand with a smile and offered him a cigarette.
Suddenly, another idea popped into his head.
He dialed Zhang Peng’s number. "Peng, Qixi is coming up. Let’s organize some benefits for the company employees. Everyone gets an Apple—oh, no, a Huawei phone. The latest model, top specs."
’Right now, the livestreaming company is still my home base. Besides, most of the employees and streamers are men. I won’t lose money on this deal; I’ll actually make some. Every little bit helps. Plus, good company benefits lead to higher employee loyalty and a better industry reputation. It’s a virtuous cycle.’
Hearing Lin Chu on the phone, Zhang Peng was silent for a few seconds before laughing and saying, "Alright."
’What can I do? My boss is a spendthrift! Giving out phones just for the Qixi Festival! Seriously, is he going to give everyone a car for Chinese New Year? The key is, the company isn’t even profitable yet! We’re still burning money every month.’ He was truly baffled. ’But of course, I can’t refuse something like this. I’m just the general manager. If I refused, wouldn’t that make me a scab? The boss already approved it. If I refused and my subordinates found out, I’d be hated by everyone.’
"What’s up? You got a problem with it? You didn’t sound too thrilled to agree," Lin Chu said with a grin.
There was no need to be polite with Zhang Peng.
He was one of his own, through and through.
"No, it’s just... I’m feeling a little stressed," Zhang Peng answered honestly. "The company isn’t profitable yet, so I’m a bit worried. Giving out bonuses in this situation just feels a little... wrong."
After all, he was just worried about Lin Chu’s wallet.
"Ha! What’s there to worry about? Don’t be scared. Just focus on your work. I’ve already @-mentioned everyone in the group chat. Just make sure the order is placed before Qixi."
Lin Chu didn’t explain anything.
’This concerns my core secret. It’s better to maintain this information gap. I’d rather he just think of me as a sucker of a boss.’
After hanging up, Lin Chu quickly posted a message in the main group chat for LC Media Company.
"@everyone, with the Qixi Festival just around the corner, I’ve prepared some benefits for you all: a brand-new, top-spec Huawei phone, a bouquet of flowers for every colleague, male or female, and on Qixi itself, you can leave work two hours early. Wishing everyone a happy festival in advance."
Lin Chu quickly typed out the message and sent it.
Then, he turned and said to Gao Haitao, "Old Gao, you and the other two guys get one too. I’ll get them to you tomorrow."
Gao Haitao was speechless.
He had, of course, overheard Lin Chu’s phone call, and now a warm feeling spread through his chest.
"Thank you, President Lin. And thank you on behalf of the other two guys as well."
’A boss like you deserves to have a few more girlfriends! This... who could possibly resist this? Forget about girls, even a grown man like me can’t resist.’
...
「In the group chat.」
All sorts of thankful messages quickly popped up.
Dai Pingchuan’s was the most over-the-top.
"As the first streamer to join the company, I knew from day one that President Lin was my great benefactor, my second parent, and now that’s been proven even more..."
He posted a long, extremely sycophantic paragraph in the chat.
Reading it, Lin Chu found it sappy, even a little nauseating.
’A person really doesn’t need to debase themselves like that. I don’t even like hearing this kind of stuff.’
Lin Chu sighed softly but didn’t say anything.
An issue like this, one that didn’t violate any principles, wasn’t really an issue.
One had to have the capacity to tolerate others.
There was no need for him to teach the man anything.
Besides, setting other things aside, Dai Pingchuan was now the streamer with the most fans—over 300,000 of them. His daily stream time was also the longest. It was like he’d gone mad; besides eating and sleeping, he was basically always live.
His stream revenue was already close to breaking even with the initial investment.
This was a man who was crazy for money and crazy for fame.
...
「In the apartment.」
Gu Jiayan looked at the messages in the group chat, speechless for a moment. Then, a faint smile appeared on her face.
’Sigh...’
’From the perspective of a worker, I’m naturally on the side of all the employees. But after all this time, I’ve gradually come to feel that Lin Chu really is a very good boss. Aside from being a bit of a lecher, he basically has no other flaws.’
’Qixi? Heh, what’s there to celebrate about Qixi?’
She hesitated, typing out a message she wanted to send to Lin Chu: "President Lin, wishing you a happy Qixi in advance." At the same time, a scene played out in her mind. ’What would his reaction be if I put the company flowers in his office? Would that be appropriate? And is he even going to be in the office lately?’
As she thought this, she felt her face flush slightly. She looked again at the message she had typed and, word by word, deleted it all.
’I’m just a lowly assistant!’
’Don’t cross the line!’
’Absolutely do not cross the line!’
...
...
