Ch. 1021..1030
Chapter 1021:1021 An Ordinary Couple
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There were a total of seven days off during the National Day holiday. Tian Tian and Tao Zhi had used two days for their wedding. The remaining five days were for them to go out and have fun. As for their honeymoon, they planned to plan it during the New Year.
Tan Ron continued to stay at Zhuang Liu’s house. She was not feeling well and felt lazy. She just wanted to lie around, eat and drink. Since she didn’t want to move, she needed someone to take care of her. Tan Rou didn’t like others taking care of her, but if this person was Zhuang Liu, then it was another matter.
“Air Liu, I want to eat cherries.” Tan Rou laid on the bed, her legs swaying. She looked very relaxed. “And potato chips.”
For some reason, she suddenly felt like eating potato chips. Zhuang Liu pulled open the curtains. The warm sunlight shone in and shone on him and Tan Rou.
Hearing Tan Rou say that she wanted to eat cherries and potato chips, Zhuang Liu sighed. “Rourou, it’s not that I don’t want to give it to you. It’s just that you’re not feeling well now. You can’t eat anything that’s cold or greasy.”
Tan Rou was a doctor herself, so she definitely knew about this. However, she was greedy and really wanted to eat all of these together.
Zhuang Liu had no choice but to ask the doctor again. After the doctor agreed, he went to prepare these two kinds of food for Tan Rou.
The cherries had been prepared long ago. Zhuang Liu would bring the cherries wherever he went to prevent Tan Rou from eating them.
However, potato chips were more difficult to get. There were too many potato chips in the market. Zhuang Liu would never let Tan Rou eat these, so he personally fried potatoes for Tan Rou.
Tan Ron’s stomach stopped hurting, so she went downstairs to look for Zhuang Liu and found him peeling potatoes. Although she knew that Zhuang Liu could cook, she thought that the housekeeper had handled most of the ingredients before Zhuang Liu cooked. She did not expect Zhuang Liu to do such a small thing as peeling potatoes himself.
Zhuang Liu peeled half of the potato, but he felt someone come to his side. He didn’t have to look up to know who it was.
“It’s full of smoke and fumes here. Go back and watch the movie first. I’ll be ready soon.” Zhuang Liu lowered his head.
Tan Rou squatted beside him and very naturally picked up an unpeeled potato. “I’ll peel potatoes with you.”
Zhuang Liu looked up at her and both of them laughed.
On the outside, one of them was the head of the Zhuang family, the CEO of the Zhuang Corporation, and the other was the big boss of TR Technologies; one of them was also a skilled doctor. But in this small kitchen, they were just an ordinary couple, peeling potatoes and cooking together.
“I really wish that time would stop here today. We don’t have to be so busy, and we don’t have to separate. Let’s go grocery shopping and cook a meal together when we come back,” said Zhuang Liu.
Tan Rou smiled and said, “Then you resign from your position as the CEO of the Zhuang Group. I’ll resign from my position as the CEO of TR too. How about we retire early?”
Zhuang Liu was really thinking about retirement, but he was interrupted by Tan Rou. “Alright, don’t think about it anymore. I still have to go to school. No matter what, I have to finish school before I consider retirement.”
Zhuang Liu agreed. “Alright, we’ll retire after you graduate.”
Tan Rou said, “I don’t want to. When I graduate, I’ll only be in my twenties. If I retire at this time, what will I do for the next sixty or seventy years?”
Zhuang Liu kissed Tan Rou on the right cheek. “You’ll accompany me till my old days.”
Tan Rou also kissed him and said, “Hurry up and fry the chips. I’m still waiting to eat them.”
Zhuang Liu couldn’t help but say, “You gluttonous kitten. All you know is to eat.”
Tan Rou didn’t feel embarrassed at all. “We have to eat when we’re alive. Don’t tell me you don’t want to eat?”
“I’m not eating. I’m only eating you,” Zhuang Liu said.
Tan Rou felt embarrassed. She glared at Zhuang Liu and said, “It’s broad daylight. Don’t be indecent.”
“I’ll talk about it tonight,” Zhuang Liu whispered in her ear.
Tan Rou disagreed. “My stomach hurts again. Don’t think about it.”
“Then sit down and rest for a while,” Zhuang Liu said nervously.
“Let me fry the potato chips.”
Tan Rou smiled slyly and winked. “But my body hasn’t recovered yet. If you want to do something else, wait until my body recovers.”
Zhuang Liu naturally knew this. What he said just now was just to tease Tan Rou.
Chapter 1022:1022 An Acquaintance
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Tan Ron’s health had always been good. Her illness was an accident, and she recovered in less than two days. After she recovered, she returned to the capital with Zhuang Liu.
There were still two days of vacation left, so the two of them planned to take advantage of this time to stroll around the Capital. Tan Rou was going to choose a place to showcase the new products of TR. She didn’t plan to find an agent for the new products in the second half of the year. She was going to be her own agent and build a high-tech mall that belonged to TR.
Zhuang Liu had originally planned to give one of the Zhuang family’s shopping malls to Tan Rou, but Tan Rou did not agree. She did not want to take Zhuang Liu’s things for free. Moreover, the shopping mall that Zhuang Liu gave her might not be satisfactory, so she needed to go to the site to inspect it herself.
The mall that Tan Rou came to today was originally a hodgepodge mall. There was everything inside. Not only were there floors for eating and drinking, but some floors sold luxury goods. The owner of this mall was not doing well and planned to sell the mall. However, such a big mall could only be bought by ordinary people, so it had not been sold until now.
When he heard that Tan Rou wanted to buy it, the boss immediately brought Tan Rou to the office. He wanted her to sign the contract today. Tan Rou didn’t like to hear people promoting her, so she didn’t let the boss continue to follow her. Instead, she and Zhuang Liu visited the mall together.
“This floor can accommodate small robots.” Zhuang Liu pointed to the second floor and said, “The product is relatively small and light. It’s more convenient to transport.”
“You can put lighter and smaller products on the higher floors,” Tan Rou continued.
Neither of them were children who knew nothing. When they talked about work, they did not have the slightest intention of teasing. They were both very serious.
As they chatted, they suddenly saw a very familiar person standing in front of the luxury goods counter. The person was holding two bags in his hands. They didn’t know if he was here to buy or sell bags.
“Meng Xiao?” Tan Rou was a little puzzled. “I haven’t seen her in a long time. I didn’t expect to see her here.”
A few years ago, Zhuang Liu plotted to hinder the Meng family’s business. Although he did not directly make the Meng family disappear, from then on, the Meng family was no longer famous in the Capital. After the decline of the Meng family, Old Master Meng made himself sick with anger. Then, the other members of the Meng family wanted to divide the Meng family. Unfortunately, Old Master Meng was still alive, and the Meng family was still around. It was just that it was not as good as before.
Zhuang Liu did not want to kill an old man, so he let the Meng family off.
As expected, Meng Xiao was here to sell things. She wanted to sell all the luxury goods she had bought before. However, luxury goods like bags could not maintain their value. In a few years, they would not be worth much.
“I’m sorry, Miss Meng. We can’t give you this bag at a 10% discount. If you insist on having such a high recycling price, then you can go to another counter,” the counter lady said with a smile.
“How much can you give me?” Meng Xiao asked anxiously.
The lady at the counter still had that decent smile on her face. “Miss Meng, these two bags are from five years ago, so we can only give you 30% off the original price in cash.”
Meng Xiao was very agitated. “How could they be worth so much? When I bought it, I spent more than 200,000 yuan. I can only get a discount of 60,000 now?”
“That’s right.”
“If you agree to this price, I’ll go through the procedures for you now.”
Meng Xiao’s expression was very conflicted. She finally took her bag back.
“Let me think about it.”
“Alright, Miss Meng. Take care.” The counter sister nodded.
Meng Xiao left dejectedly. When she turned around, she saw Zhuang Liu and Tan Rou standing there. The two of them were still holding iced coffee in their hands. They seemed to be shopping.
“Alright… What a coincidence to meet you guys.” An awkward expression appeared on Meng Xiao’s face.
Tan Rou did not have a good impression of Meng Xiao. After all, they had a bad relationship the first time they met. However, she later heard from Zhuang Liu that Meng Xiao was going against her grandfather, so she still admired Meng Xiao a little.
“Why are you here?” Tan Rou asked.
Meng Xiao smiled bitterly and suddenly looked up. “I’m here to sell bags, but the price is not ideal. I originally thought that this mall was about to close down, so the price of the goods could be higher. I didn’t expect the price here to be lower than other places. I can’t sell them at all.”
“Are you short of money now?” Tan Rou did not understand. Although Meng Xiao did not get much money when she left the Meng family, she still had other assets. How did she end up selling things?
Chapter 1023:1023 A Ruthless Man
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“Hey!” Meng Xiao sighed, but there was no sadness on her face. “Miss Tan Rou is so rich, so she naturally won’t be troubled by the lack of money. Moreover, even if you lack money, the Tao family and the Zhuang family will give you money.”
Tan Rou didn’t like this kind of explanation. First of all, she wouldn’t fall into a situation where she didn’t have money. Secondly, she wouldn’t let the Tao family and Zhuang family give her money. If she didn’t have money, she could make money with her own ability instead of selling what she had to exchange for money.
“Looks like you haven’t been doing well recently. Have you ever thought about finding a job after leaving the Meng family?” Tan Rou asked.
“Did you really think I never thought of that?” Meng Xiao sneered.
“At that time, after going against my grandfather, I moved out of the Meng mansion. At first, I wanted to enter the entertainment industry again, but when the management company heard that I had nothing to do with the Meng Family anymore, they immediately chased me out.”
Tan Rou knew about Meng Xiao’s involvement in the entertainment industry. She also knew that Meng Xiao’s boyfriend was also in the Tao family’s Xinghe Entertainment. He seemed to be doing quite well these few years.
“Didn’t you go look for your boyfriend?” Tan Rou asked.
When Meng Xiao heard the word ‘boyfriend’, she was so angry that she gritted her teeth. She said fiercely, “What boyfriend? When I was rich, he called me darling every day, but when I was poor, he acted like he had never seen me. I asked him to lend me some but he called me a poor man and didn’t care about my feelings at all!”
At this point, Meng Xiao’s heart still ached. She really liked Nic, but Nic only loved her money and did not love her at all.
Meng Xiao rolled up her long sleeves. There was a long thin scar on it. “Do you know how this scar came about?”
Before Tan Rou and the others could say anything, Meng Xiao told them the answer himself. “I went to look for him at that time, hoping that he would help me. He didn’t help me and even pushed me when I wasn’t paying attention. I accidentally got caught by a nail on the wall and left a scar.”
Tan Rou didn’t quite believe Meng Xiao’s words. She had seen a man named Nic before. Although he was a little obsessed with fame and fortune, he didn’t seem like someone who would deliberately hurt a girl.
Meng Xiao could tell from Tan Rou’s expression that she didn’t believe him, so he said, “Miss Tan Rou, you should terminate the contract with this person as soon as possible. He’s not a good person. After breaking up with me, I finally saw his true colors. Did you know? When he was dating me, he flirted with five or six female fans at the same time. He even went out to book a room with a female fan when I wasn’t around.”
Tan Rou frowned. Although she wasn’t in Xingtu Entertainment, she knew many of the rules. One of them was that the idols shouldn’t bring any negative influence to the company. Falling in love was forbidden, but there were still many people who made this mistake.
She didn’t know why the company would agree to a relationship between Meng Xiao and Nic, but this matter wasn’t under Tan Rou’s control, so she didn’t care.
If Meng Xiao hadn’t told Tan Rou, she wouldn’t have known that this small actor had so many girlfriends at once. The company would not allow such behavior.
“Yes, I understand. I’ll get my brother to look into it once I’m back.” Tan Rou said.
As Tao Zheng liked photography, Father Tao handed over Xingtu Entertainment to him. He was a member of the Tao family and had some talent in managing the company. He had managed Xingtu Entertainment well for the past two years.
With that, Tan Rou was about to leave with Zhuang Liu. They were here to look at the mall, not to chat with Meng Xiao.
Meng Xiao looked at their backs and then at the bag in her hand that she couldn’t sell. She said fiercely, “Miss Tan Rou, I have something to tell you. This matter is related to the future of Xingtu Entertainment. I hope you can listen.”
“What do you want to say to me?” Tan Rou stopped and asked.
Meng Xiao walked forward, his eyes full of killing intent. “Since that bastard Nic is so heartless, then I don’t have to hide his secrets for him. I want to make a deal with you.”
Chapter 1024:1024 Deal
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” What other deal can you make with me?” Tan Rou found it a little funny.” Could it be that Second Miss Meng wants me to get you into the entertainment industry again?”
Meng Xiao combed her hair and said confidently, “Miss Tan Rou, I think I’m quite good-looking. Although I’ve only been in the entertainment industry for a short time, I’ve also acted in a few small web dramas. Even if it’s a supporting role, I’m still very good at it. So if I enter the entertainment industry again, I’ll definitely bring you benefits.”
This was the first time Tan Rou had seen Meng Xiao like this. In the past, she had thought that Meng Xiao was a stupid lunatic. She did not expect that Meng Xiao, who had left the Meng family, seemed to have become smarter and even more brave.
“How can you be sure that you will bring me benefits?” Tan Rou said, “Since you’ve been in the entertainment industry before, you must know better than me. The entertainment industry is changing every day. You might be famous today, but you might not be famous anymore tomorrow. No one can guarantee that they will always be popular, and no one can be sure that they will always bring benefits to the company.”
However, Meng Xiao’s gaze was very firm. “Miss Tan Rou, please give me a chance. I won’t let you down.”
Zhuang Liu asked her, “The Meng family is in chaos now. Why don’t you take the opportunity to return to the Meng family? If you go back now, the old man of the Meng family might give you some property.”
“No.” Meng Xiao shook her head and said, “I’m not cut out to manage a company. When Big Sister was in trouble, I went to the company too. I was full of confidence when I went there, but when I arrived at the company, I realized that I was useless. I don’t know how to manage a company at all.”
“I’ve been in the entertainment industry before. At first, I entered the entertainment industry to be close to the celebrities that I like, but it’s different now. I only want to think about myself now. I need to be famous. I need all the spotlight to be on me.”
Tan Rou nodded slightly. “I admire your perseverance and determination, but if I help you, what can you provide me? Don’t say that you want to bring benefits to the company in the future. I just want to see if the conditions you offer now can satisfy me.”
“Let’s sit down and discuss this. There’s something I want to showyou.”
The three of them found a table and sat down. Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu sat on one side while Meng Xiao sat on the other.
“I wonder if Miss Tan Rou has heard of the black accounts?” Meng Xiao asked directly.
Tan Rou had naturally heard of black accounts. When companies or individuals earned money, they had to pay taxes. In order to avoid paying taxes, some companies or individuals would deliberately understate the amount that they earned. Not only did the remaining money not have to pay taxes, but they could also secretly move it into their own pockets.
In the entertainment industry, there have always been celebrities who kept black accounts. They earned too much money, so naturally, they had to pay a lot of taxes. People loved money. In order to pay lesser tax, some of them would then report a smaller amount and would keep the rest of it in their pockets. In most cases, celebrities would choose to open a shop or start a company to transfer money.
“Are you trying to say that someone in Xinghe Entertainment is doing black accounts?” Tan Rou asked.
“Of course there is. Nic and his agent are doing black accounts,” Meng Xiao said with certainty.
“His manager helped him take on a lot of jobs in private, but the money was not reported. It was all secretly transferred by them or directly invested in the company they started.”
“How did you know about this? I don’t think Nic would be so stupid as to tell you all these things.” Tan Rou said.
“I overheard it. There was once when I went looking for him without informing him beforehand and I overheard his conversation with his manager. He has no idea that I know about this.”
“Then why didn’t you report him?” Tan Rou asked again.
Meng Xiao’s expression was very ugly. “I liked him very much at that time, so I didn’t think of this at all. I thought that he was doing this because he was short of money, so I secretly gave him a lot of scripts. I didn’t expect him to treat me like this in the end. He really hurt me.”
“Then why did you say it now?” Zhuang Liu asked.
Meng Xiao rolled her eyes and said heartlessly, “If I don’t get to be happy, he shouldn’t either. We should all suffer together.”
Chapter 1025:1025 Great Inspection
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Tan Rou agreed to Meng Xiao’s request. It was a very simple matter to get her into the entertainment industry, but Tan Rou also made her request. If what Meng Xiao said was false and Nile did not have a black account as she said, then the agreement between them would not count.
Meng Xiao had no objections. She was very confident in this matter.
Tan Rou called Tao Zheng, hoping that he would come back to deal with this matter, but Tao Zheng didn’t have the time. He was currently busy shooting a movie.
Lu Qing and Tan Rou had invested in this movie together. The executive director was Liang Lu, and the chief cameraman was Tao Zheng. As the story was set in the desert, Tao Zheng and the others had long lived in the desert. Tao Zheng came back to attend Tao Zhi’s wedding and then immediately rushed back. It was a critical period for filming, so Tao Zheng could not stay for long.
Tao Zheng handed this matter over to Tan Rou and instructed her to investigate the matter of the black accounts. This matter did not only involve the artists, it also involved the company. If it was exposed that the artists under Xinghe Entertainment had done shady business and evaded taxes, then Xinghe Entertainment would also be affected.
“Bring me the company’s account book.” Tan Rou sat in Tao Zheng’s office. Although she was young, her aura was very strong. The finance department did not dare not show her the company’s account book.
The company’s account book was fine. There was no problem at all, which made Tan Rou feel much more at ease. Her second brother was not someone who liked to manage the company. He carried his camera and went into the desert and rainforest most of the time. The company’s matters were handed over to the vice president to handle. Fortunately, there was no problem. If there was a problem, Xinghe Entertainment would probably disappear from the capital.
She felt that it was necessary to talk to her second brother. At the very least, she should tell him not to go too far. If he wanted to film a drama, he should go stay in the Capital to do so.
Tan Rou then went to check the accounts of the artists and found many problems.
For example, one of the male stars had taken on three TV series and two movies last year, but his salary was very low, one-third less than other celebrities in the same period.
There was also a female celebrity. She had appeared at many commercial events, but there was no such income in her account.
“Interesting.” Tan Rou held her face with one hand and slid the mouse with the other. “Let me see how much money you guys have stolen.”
He didn’t know if he didn’t look at it, but he was really shocked when he saw it. He didn’t expect these people to evade taxes so much for money. Some people had already evaded taxes of hundreds of millions.
“The entertainment industry is really profitable! Even I want to resign and enter the entertainment industry.” Tan Rou couldn’t help but sigh.
The finance manager was so nervous that he broke out in a cold sweat. “Miss, with your conditions, as long as you enter the entertainment industry, you will definitely be the best female celebrity.”
Tan Rou smiled and took a screenshot of the string of numbers on the screen.
After Nike finished his day’s activities, he lay down on his high-class sofa that cost hundreds of thousands each. After scrolling through his phone for a while, he planned to hook up with a few young and beautiful female university students for the night.
However, before he could send the message, he received a message from his manager, Sister Fang. “Stay low profile for now. The higher-ups have been investigated recently. If they askyou if you’ve taken any private jobs, you must not say anything.”
Nike replied to Sister Fang indifferently, “Sister, don’t be afraid. There will be people checking the accounts every year, but they haven’t found us every year. It’ll be the same this year.”
However, Sister Fang was very curious because it was not yet time to check the accounts this year. It was Miss who suddenly came to the company to check the accounts.” Also, don’t contact your fans for the time being. After all, you’re still an idol. If others find out that you’re entangled with your fans, it will affect your image.”
Nike couldn’t hold it in. He liked young, beautiful, and gullible female college students the most. As long as he said a few sweet words to them, they would give themselves to Nike. Nike felt more comfortable than the ancient emperors.
However, he couldn’t say that to Sister Fang. “I understand, Sister Fang. I’ll do what you asked me to do. Besides, I haven’t contacted my fans recently. But Sister Fang, are there any dramas with more money and fewer scenes for me to take on recently?”
Sister Fang said, “I’ll arrange it for you but you have to be careful. I have a feeling that this matter isn’t that simple.”
Chapter 1026:1026 Meng Xiao’s Determination
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Tan Rou looked at the account book calmly. Xinghe Entertainment’s annual profits were very high, but every account was spotless.
Just because the company was fine did not mean that everyone in the company was fine too. The Zhuang Corporation had found out a lot of illegal activities last time, so Tan Rou knew that someone in Xinghe Entertainment was definitely doing illegal things.
No matter what, Tan Rou would not let these people ruin Xinghe Entertainment’s reputation.
She dialed a number and said, “What new projects do we have recently, bring them to me.”
Getting rid of them all at once would definitely affect the current operations of Xinghe Entertainment, so Tan Rou planned to slowly get rid of them from Xinghe Entertainment.
The first person she dealt with was Nike. There was no other reason than that he liked to sleep with female fans. Tan Rou could not stand such behavior.
Her manager, Sister Fang, had been a little anxious these few days. She originally had two scripts for Li Ke, but the two investors suddenly said that they wanted to use newcomers. Nike had already acted in a few famous online dramas, so he could not participate in the filming of the script as a newcomer.
No matter what Sister Fang said, the investor was unwilling to use Nike. In a hurry, the other party hung up the phone and ignored her.
“What happened?” Sister Fang’s fingers were tapping hard on her phone. “Why did the investors suddenly refuse to use Nike?”
At this moment, Nike called Sister Fang and urged her about the new web drama.
Sister Fang was fuming. “I’m handling it. Things haven’t been going well recently. We still have to wait a few days for the new drama. I’m already contacting new investors.”
Nike couldn’t wait any longer. He was no longer an eighteen or nineteen-year- old boy. If he didn’t seize the time to film more web dramas, what would he do when he passed his prime age?
With no TV series to film, Nike could only go and play with his female fans. As for the words that Sister Fang had said to him, he didn’t take them to heart at all.
Nike put on his hat and mask and chose to go out from the back door. He did not drive so that the entertainment reporters would not take pictures of him.
The hotels he went to were relatively fixed because he had invested in these hotels. He would not let reporters in, nor would he let anyone find out that he was meeting his fans in private.
However, just as he was about to leave, someone quietly followed behind him.
If Meng Xiao wanted to make Nike suffer, she would have to find evidence of him doing illegal accounts. However, her ability was limited and she could not find Nike’s account at all. However, there was another way to make Nike go down. That was to take photos of him dating his fans in private.
She waited at Nike’s place for three days and finally waited for Nike to come out. Nik still went to a the same hotel. As Nike’s ex-girlfriend, Meng Xiao could naturally enter.
“Miss Meng, do you have an appointment today?” The receptionist smiled gently.
Meng Xiao put on an arrogant attitude. “I want to see Nike. He asked me to come!”
The receptionist did not dare to offend her, so she let her in.
Meng Xiao came to the familiar room and waited at a corner. Since she was already here, she must take a photo of Nike. She must not let Nike, this despicable and shameless man, live comfortably.
Tan Rou received a photo from Meng Xiao. The photo was very clear, but the face of the girl with Nike was not taken. Meng Xiao must have done it on purpose.
Tan Rou replied to Meng Xiao’s message. “Your photo can only prove that Nike has a woman by his side. It can’t prove that he has an improper relationship with several women at the same time.”
Meng Xiao made up her mind and said, “Miss Tan Rou, just you wait and see. I’ll definitely take a photo. However, don’t blame me if it affects Xinghe Entertainment’s reputation.”
Tan Rou replied, “Before you announce his scandal, remember to send me a message. I’ll askXinghe Entertainment to terminate his contract first.”
This was the best way to reduce the impact on Xinghe Entertainment. Xinghe Entertainment would first terminate the contract with Li Ke, and then Meng Xiao would expose Li Ke’s scandal. This way, netizens would think that Xinghe Entertainment had discovered what Nike had done and terminated the contract with him.
“Termination of contract?” Sister Fang couldn’t believe it. “Why would our company terminate the contract with Nike?”
It wasn’t easy for her to groom Nike, and she had earned a lot of money with Nike over the years. If Xinghe Entertainment terminated their contract with Nike, where would she find such a profitable celebrity?
Chapter 1027:1027 Termination of Contract
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“I’m sorry, Sister Fang. This is an order from the higher-ups. We’re only following the order. Please don’t make things difficult for us.” The man opposite her said with a smile.
Sister Fang was furious. She slammed the table and said, “I don’t agree with it.”
Tan Rou walked in from outside. “Of course, you can refuse this but you’ll have to go with him.”
Sister Fang was shocked. “Miss, what do you mean?”
Tan Rou crossed her arms and leaned against the table. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she smiled. “Sister Fang, you’re an old employee of the company. I didn’t want to fire you at first, but I checked your accounts and found out that you’ve earned a lot of money over the years.”
Sister Fang broke out in a cold sweat. Her eyes were unfocused. “Miss, this is all thanks to the company. I’m only able to make money because of the company.”
Tan Ron’s gaze swept over her and she said with a faint smile, “So you actually earn that much by being a manager? If being a manager can bring so much wealth, then everyone should be a manager.”
Sister Fang was very flustered, but she still had to maintain a calm expression. “Miss, I had more resources last year, so I earned more money. If Miss wants to be a manager, I can introduce you to the investors.”
“Heh.” Tan Rou didn’t want to waste her breath on her. She picked up a few pieces of paper from the table and threw them in front of Sister Fang. “Stop talking. I don’t want to hear your excuses. Look at it yourself.”
Sister Fang looked at it and felt as if she had been struck by lightning. It was full of her transaction records, most of which were directly transferred overseas. “How is that possible? How did you get these?”
“As long as you have done it, there will be traces.” Tan Rou closed her eyes.
“Second Brother rarely meddles in the company’s matters, which is why you guys took advantage of the loophole. I found out that you guys were doing illegal business, so I won’t pretend that I didn’t see anything. If you take the initiative to make up for the tax that you escaped, perhaps I can still show you some mercy. If you insist on evading taxes, then don’t blame me for being rude!”
Sister Fang immediately said, “Miss, please have mercy on me. I won’t evade taxes in the future!”
“Make up for the taxes you evaded and I won’t pursue this matter.” Tan Rou said, “But the artists under you must leave. I won’t allow those artists who have been tainted to stay in our company.”
Celebrities were public figures who represented the company’s image. Their every move was watched by the netizens, so they could not make any mistakes. A manager was the person behind the scenes. No one would care about them. If an artist was gone, they could still find another one. However, a powerful management company would not dare to give up easily.
Tan Rou decided to give Sister Fang a chance and let her manage another artist. If she dared to do it again in the future, it would not be too late to punish her.
The news that Xinghe Entertainment wanted to terminate its contract with Nike spread like wildfire on the Internet. Nike’s fans all went to Xinghe Entertainment’s official website to fight for their idol.
Fan A: “What right does Xinghe Entertainment have to terminate the contract with our Keke? Idiot Xinghe Entertainment, I hope you die tomorrow!”
Fan B: “Are people jealous of Nike? Not only did he steal the new movie that Nike was going to shoot, but he also asked Xinghe Entertainment to terminate their contract with Nike. He’s too shameless!”
Fan C: “Our Nike is just a 23-year-old kid. Who did he offend?”
Tan Rou looked at the comments on the internet calmly. She felt that the girls who chased after celebrities these days were really too crazy. Fortunately, she did not like celebrities.
She sent a message to Meng Xiao, telling her that some photos could be posted online.
Meng Xiao registered an alternate account and posted the photos she had taken, as well as the letters written by the female fans who had been cheated by Nike. There were also some chat records between the female fans and Nike. The content inside made people blush and their hearts race.
Those girls thought that they were the only girls their idol liked, but they didn’t expect their idol to date several girls in one day. This disgusted them, so they had to make this liar pay the price.
The comments on the Internet immediately changed. Some of them were scolding Nike for being disgusting, while others continued to defend Nike.
Xinghe Entertainment also took the opportunity to announce the termination of its contract with Nike. This time, the scolding on their website had disappeared as most of them appeared on the other party.
Chapter 1028:1028 Don’t Look Down On Me
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When Nike woke up, he realized that his contract with the Xinghe Entertainment had been terminated so he immediately called Sister Fang to ask, but he couldn’t get through to her.
“Damn it, what happened? Damn it!” Nike cursed.
“These stupid women actually dared to expose me. It seems like they want to die.”
He continued to send messages to Sister Fang and finally received a reply from her.
“Nick, someone wants you to disappear from the entertainment industry, so I can’t protect you. You know what?” Sister Fang said impatiently.
“Because of you, I was also scolded by the boss. I had to wear out my mouth to stay in Xinghe Entertainment. So don’t look for me again in the future. Don’t affect my work!”
Nike was very angry. “I gave you so much money, but you didn’t speak up for me. Aren’t you afraid that I’ll expose your black accounts and tax evasion?”
Sister Fang was not afraid of his threat. “I’m sorry. I’ve already paid the taxes that I evaded in the past. It’s useless even if you expose me. Besides, I don’t rely on my looks to make a living. As long as I stay in Xinghe Entertainment, there will still be new artists for me.”
However, Nike was different. If he was banned, he could no longer appear on television or bring any benefits to the company. Which company would keep such a useless person?
“Were you the one who sold the news of me dating a female fan to the reporters?” Li Ke’s mind was in a mess. He now believed that Sister Fang had exposed him because only Sister Fang knew what he had done.
“You’re the stupid one, can you blame me? I’ve already reminded you not to look for female fans for now, but you didn’t listen to me. Now that you’ve been photographed, just admit that you’re unlucky. I won’t help you. Besides, I’m not your manager in the future. Just wait to be banned!”
Nike did not want to be abandoned like this. He threatened, “Sister Fang, if you don’t help me solve this problem, I’ll expose the fact that you slept with those old men for entertainment resources!”
Sister Fang was furious. “You dare to threaten me? Don’t forget, I have a lot of dirt on you too. If you dare to expose me, I’ll make you disappear from the entertainment industry forever!”
Nike was a little scared. He softened his attitude. “Sister Fang, my tone was too harsh just now. Don’t take it to heart. This time, it was my fault. Please help me. I will repay you in the future.”
Sister Fang’s tone softened a little. “Xiao Ke, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but I really can’t help you this time. You’d better think of a way yourself.”
After saying that, she hung up the phone.
Nike had no choice but to ask others for help. However, his friends were all celebrities. When they saw his scandal exposed, they all wanted to stay away from him. No one came to help him at all.
His endorsements were all gone, and the TV series he was filming would be taken down. He would also face the crisis of compensation.
Xinghe Entertainment did not save him. They only called him to sign the termination contract. This time, it was Nike who had brought negative influence to Xinghe Entertainment. So even if Xinghe Entertainment proposed to terminate the contract, Nike could not refuse. He also had to compensate Xinghe Entertainment for the loss.
The money he had worked so hard to earn for several years had been lost in just a few days, and he still owed a lot of money.
Nike came to Star Way Entertainment at the appointed time. He wanted to struggle and talk to Tan Rou, but he saw his ex-girlfriend, Meng Xiao, in the CEO’s office.
Meng Xiao was wearing a fiery red dress today. She was already beautiful, and after wearing the red dress, she looked even sexier.
When Nike saw Meng Xiao, he immediately understood what had happened. “You’re the one behind this! You must be the one who posted the photos online!”
Meng Xiao flipped her newly styled hair and smiled. “I sent the photos and the letter. What can you do to me?”
Nike rushed forward to hit Meng Xiao, but Meng Xiao slapped him across the face. “I’m telling you, I’m not scared of you just because you’re a man. Don’t treat women as your playthings. Otherwise, we’ll let you die a miserable death!”
Nike covered his face and stood there in a daze. He did not come to his senses for a long time.
Chapter 1029:1029 Grandpa Tao Is Sick
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Tan Rou spent half a month cleaning up Xinghe Entertainment from top to bottom. Many people who took private jobs behind the company’s back and evaded taxes were all fired by Tan Rou.
Xinghe Entertainment did not lack people to submit their resumes. As soon as she fired them, there were dozens of people who submitted their resumes. She selected some capable and unblemished people and reopened Xinghe Entertainment’s selection meeting, signing many new people.
Initially, Meng Xiao did not sign under Xinghe Entertainment, but this time, Tan Rou promised to help her return to the entertainment industry. She did not want to go through the trouble, so she signed Meng Xiao directly and made an agreement with her.
“Within three years, you have to bring in 20 million worth of income for the company. If you can’t do it, you can leave on your own.” Tan Rou had only promised to give Meng Xiao a chance. She did not say that she had to make Meng Xiao famous. “Do you agree?”
Meng Xiao didn’t show any fear on her face. She smiled and said, “Of course. If I can’t do it, I’ll leave by myself. I won’t bring trouble to Xinghe Entertainment!”
Tan Rou really felt that Meng Xiao was different now. Perhaps he had changed the moment she decided to leave the Meng family. Meng Xiao was not a teenage girl, and she could not get what she wanted by acting coquettishly and crying. She had to work hard to achieve her goal.
Tan Rou didn’t have many entertainment resources, but she would help Meng Xiao. So, she called Liang Lu and asked her to give Meng Xiao a role to try.
Liang Lu readily agreed to Tan Ron’s request and immediately arranged a small role for Meng Xiao. Although this role was not the main character in the story, she had a lot of scenes, which tested the actor’s acting skills.
Meng Xiao did not say anything. She packed her things and took the highspeed train to the desert.
After settling Xinghe Entertainment’s matter, Tan Rou returned to school. She was now a master’s student. Although she didn’t have that many classes, she had a lot of experiments arranged. She basically spent all her time doing experiments.
She had to do experiments at school, go to the company to handle work, and take time to research new products. Sometimes, she didn’t even have time to rest. She had not returned to the old mansion for two months. She planned to go home after the school experiment was over.
That day, Tan Rou was waiting for the results of the experiment in the laboratory when she suddenly received a call from her mother. Her mother asked her to go back quickly, saying that her grandfather had fainted.
Tan Rou didn’t wait for the experiment results to come out and immediately took leave. However, Grandpa Tao was not in the old mansion. Instead, he was in the intensive care unit of the hospital.
“What happened to Grandfather?” Tan Rou was very flustered. Grandpa was clearly fine the last time. Wiry was he suddenly hospitalized? Moreover, he was in the intensive care unit, which meant that Grandpa Tao was very ill.
Grandma Tao’s face was filled with a haggard expression. She couldn’t speak and would cry if she did. When Tan Rou asked her, she only shook her head.
“Your grandfather is sick. The doctor said that his organs are failing. He won’t live for long.”
Tan Rou was stunned. She had never thought that her grandfather would have such a problem. If her grandfather was sick, she could still use her medical skills to save him. However, no matter how powerful she was, she could not run out of time. Organ failure meant that a person’s life was about to end. She could nurse Grandpa Tao’s body, but she could not stop Grandpa Tao’s life from flowing away.
“I’ll go in and see Grandpa.” Tan Rou walked into the ICU in a daze.
Grandpa Tao closed his eyes. There was an infusion bottle hanging beside him. The brownish-red liquid kept flowing into his body like blood.
Tan Rou took Grandpa Tao’ s pulse. There was nothing wrong with him except that his body was weak and his organs were failing.
Grandpa Tao worked very hard when he was young and didn’t pay attention to taking care of his health. Therefore, although he was only a few years older than Grandma Tao, he looked much older than her.
After Tan Rou returned to the capital, she had been nursing the two old men’s bodies, hoping that they could live longer. However, the two old men were already over eighty years old. Even if she did not want them to grow old, she could not stop God from taking them away.
“Grandpa…” Tan Rou held onto Grandpa Tao’s hand as tears trickled down her face. “Open your eyes and look at me. I’m Rourou.”
Chapter 1030:1030 Looking for Medicine
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Grandpa Tao finally opened his eyes as if he heard his beloved granddaughter calling him. He wanted to reach out and touch his granddaughter’s head, but his hand was weak and could only move slightly.
“Xiao Rou, you’re back.” Grandpa Tao wanted to smile, but he was too tired, so he could only say one sentence to Tan Rou.
Tan Rou pursed her lips and wiped the tears off her face. “Grandpa, how are you feeling? Is it very uncomfortable?”
Grandpa Tao said slowly, “Old people are all like this. Don’t be sad.”
Tan Rou said, “Grandfather, don’t spout nonsense. You’re just tired. You’ll be fine.”
Grandpa Tao knew his body well. In the past year, he often felt a dull pain in his body, but he didn’t tell the children about it. The old couple secretly went to the hospital for a check-up.
The doctor told them that Grandpa Tao’s body was not sick. It was just that he was old and there was no way to treat him.
Grandma Tao had cried many times in private. She also wanted to find Xiao Rou to treat Grandpa Tao, but Grandpa Tao was not sick. Even Xiao Rou could not stop his life from passing away. Besides, Xiao Rou was very busy. They didn’t want to bother her with this kind of thing.
At this age, they did not want anything else. They only wanted their children to live happily.
“Grandpa, I will definitely cure you.” Tan Rou was very stubborn. Even though she knew that Grandpa Tao’s body was beyond saving, she still wanted him to live longer.
“Xiao Rou, don’t worry about me. Grandpa has lived enough,” Grandpa Tao advised her.
“Not enough.” Tan Rou shook her head and said, “You haven’t seen me get married yet. You haven’t seen my second brother get married either. Fourth Brother is still young. He even said that when he grows up, he wants to bring you guys around the world; you and Grandma both!
Grandpa Tao was very upset. “Your grandmother and I might not be able to fulfill our promise.”
“I will cure you.” Tan Rou wiped away her tears and made up her mind to let her grandfather live longer.
Tan Rou didn’t go back. She went through all of her ancient books. In ancient times, many people were looking for ways to live forever. Although no one could achieve immortality, there were still many excellent doctors who found ways to extend people’s lives.
After flipping through hundreds of ancient medical books, Tan Rou finally found a way to prolong one’s life. Acupuncture was first used, followed by tonics. This way, people with organ failure could live longer.
Tan Rou quickly learned how to use acupuncture, but it was indeed a difficult problem to make a tonic. She had never seen that kind of medicine before, so she had to make it herself. This time, it was different from the past. In the past, she had more time to prepare the medicine, but this time, she had to prepare the perfect medicine in a very short time.
Since it was a medicine that could extend a person’s lifespan, the formula was naturally not simple. Every medicinal ingredient in the formula was very difficult to find. Tan Rou spent a week finding nine of the medicinal ingredients. She was still missing the last medicinal ingredient and could not find it no matter what. She suspected that the ancient people had made up this medicinal ingredient to deceive people.
Zhuang Liu’s heart ached for Tan Rou, but he could not persuade her. After all, he was Tan Ron’s biological grandfather.
“Air Liu, am I being too stubborn?” Tan Rou huddled in Zhuang Liu’s arms, feeling very sad.
“If you can face death calmly, why can’t I?”
Tan Rou was talking about Zhuang Liu’s grandfather. When Zhuang Liu’s grandfather passed away, he did not show such sadness.
“I’m also very sad, but I know that I can’t let others see my weakness.” Zhuang Liu comforted her, “At that time, my father’s body had not fully recovered. The Zhuang family also had many things waiting for me to deal with, so I had to quickly get out of the pain and face the hardships of reality.”
“I don’t want Grandpa to leave me.” Tan Rou’s tears came out again. “The time we spent together was too short.”
“I know.” Zhuang Liu wiped away her tears. “We’re just missing a medicinal herb. Let’s go look for it together. We’ll be able to find it.”
“What if there is no such medicinal herb?” Tan Rou was in low spirits.
“We will find it.” Zhuang Liu held Tan Rou’s hand. “Rourou, be strong. Our Rourou has always been very powerful, right?”