Chapter 172: Tang Zhichu, you heartless bastard!

The Nan River flows past the resort and, after artificial development, forms a lake—a living water lake.

By the small villa beside the lake, Yu Hua leaned lazily on a lounge chair.

The sunlight was shifting, and white clouds served as shading panels, scattered here and there, resembling the playful lights waved by children at night.

At the edge of the open-air balcony stood a man with long hair tied into a ponytail.

Qian Zhonghuai, the president of Penguin Video and head of the Penguin Pictures business unit.

To put it bluntly, he was the head of Penguin Video.

Though nearly fifty, he still carried the air of a young man, standing with his chest puffed out and head held high.

At a glance, he was clearly a workaholic.

Yu Hua continued to feign sleep, acting as though he didn't see him.

"How about this? I'll help you apply for three hundred million in production funds, how's that?" Qian Zhonghuai suddenly said.

Yu Hua opened his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I honestly didn't expect you to manage to carve off a piece of the pie from the short video department."

There was a hint of mockery in his tone, and Yu Hua made no effort to hide it.

Qian Zhonghuai didn't turn his head, staring straight ahead at the surface of the lake.

Among all the new businesses within the entire group right now, almost everything was on a downward trend, save for the short video branch, which was showing exhilarating growth.

Consequently, short video had become the favored youngest son of the Penguin Group.

In Qian Zhonghuai's view, that was a matter of favorable timing, geography, and support.

With Douyin and Kuaishou reaching a bottleneck, some opportunists began looking for the next opening, and Penguin's short video business began to recover, with quarterly advertising revenues exceeding one billion.

Just how explosive was the power of short video?

One Kuaishou and one Douyin had already made everything clear.

Little Pony in Shenzhen had even directly embedded short video into WeChat.

How the hell was anyone supposed to compete with that?

Countless sub-projects were green with envy.

The Penguin Group was massive, and its internal competition was even more ferocious.

How many years had long-form video been burning through cash? Today, it had settled into a tripartite division, yet it had essentially become three institutions resembling television stations.

How to break through the encirclement?

Content, naturally.

Kiwi Video had trimmed its bloated copyright costs and devoted all its energy to developing new content, surprisingly turning a profit.

Penguin Video, with deep pockets, was playing both hands, resulting in immense pressure.

Short video is awesome, right? Fine, I'll cooperate with you, but I need money.

Not only could revenue not be touched this year, but investment had to be increased further.

Thus, Qian Zhonghuai had haggled with the board of directors for two days and secured another massive sum of money.

What for?

To make content.

Qian Zhonghuai knew about Tang Zhichu; during an online executive meeting not long ago, someone had even casually mentioned him.

It was mainly because the commotion Tang Zhichu kicked up was too massive. A QQ candy spawned from a reality dating show had actually triggered discussions in the investment circle.

Someone cited the Brain Gold created by someone in Shanghai over a decade ago as an example. Although the effect wasn't as fierce as Brain Gold, the angle was far more clever.

As a result, a food company named Jinyou also entered the capital's field of vision, with many people inquiring everywhere, eager to deliver money to their doorstep.

Just a few days ago, the head of Tian Tian Seasonings in Chancheng publicly stated that legitimate investment was welcome, but devious tricks were out.

That single sentence elevated Jinyou's value to a whole new level.

Good grief, it turned out the boss of Jinyou was the eldest daughter of the head of Tian Tian Seasonings.

Qian Zhonghuai had briefly introduced Tang Zhichu during the online conference.

Little Pony had uttered three words: What a pity.

Why a pity?

Everyone understood: because Tang Zhichu belonged to Douyin.

Moreover, he wasn't the kind of person who would simply obey orders.

He was a handful.

Subsequent development reports from the short video department also mentioned Tang Zhichu.

The board of directors called Qian Zhonghuai, who went with the flow and accepted the task, airing a fair share of grievances along the way.

The end result was Tencent Video's content production investment of fifty billion for the second half of the year.

Was that a lot?

In Qian Zhonghuai's view, not particularly; it just meant funds weren't tight.

He was still in charge of Penguin Pictures, managing the development of a pile of IPs, which still required careful deliberation when being distributed.

Having secured his slice of the pie, Qian Zhonghuai's greatest fear was failing to handle Yu Hua.

*Original Music Alliance* was a major project Yu Hua had been brewing for a long time.

The two had talked several times, and finally, Yu Hua had relented.

Immediately afterward, Tang Zhichu went back to rest. Qian Zhonghuai assumed Yu Hua had pulled some strings and put in the effort.

Yu Hua's family held investment shares in many Penguin-affiliated industries; he was far from a mere variety show producer.

And he had genuine capability. Fearing that Yu Hua might harbor resentment, Qian Zhonghuai had sought him out personally.

Hence the earlier remark offering him three hundred million in production funds.

"Old Yu, if you were in my shoes, I don't believe you wouldn't make the same choice I did. Your music variety show is on fire, and during this period you could say you have no rivals, but what about afterward? Short video is rising, while Kiwi, Kuyu, and Mango TV—which of them doesn't want us dead? Compared to last year, advertising revenue has dropped by eighteen percent. Members are the most pragmatic; watching you is a favor shown by buying a month's subscription, but once they finish what they want to watch and subsequent content fails to keep up, paid subscriptions immediately plummet. I have to look at the big picture."

Yu Hua waved a hand. "Don't feed me that routine you use on the board. Three hundred million. A deal's a deal."

"That's production funding."

"I know. Besides, Tang Zhichu is coming back."

Only then did Qian Zhonghuai turn his head.

Yu Hua added, "Don't worry, he's not that clueless. Still, I feel like your choice has some flaws."

"Are you referring to—?"

"Forget it. Even if there are flaws, it'll be the short video department footing the bill. A bunch of half-wits couldn't beat him, so they resort to these petty underhanded tricks behind his back. Aren't you ashamed?"

Qian Zhonghuai didn't take the bait, instead smiling and saying, "How about we grab a meal together?"

"Not in the mood. Not hungry."

"Unfriendly. Since you're already here, I didn't even get a bowl of noodles."

"Out the door, make a left, head toward the cafeteria."

On August 1st, at Chengdu Airport, Tang Zhichu and Wang Jun walked out of the arrival gate.

Tang Zhichu spotted Yu Hua at a glance.

It was rather rare; Yu Hua actually had the time to pick him up in person.

Yu Hua smiled. "Taking a page out of Chen Siyang's book? You like wearing hats now too?"

Tang Zhichu gave him a brief hug and replied, "What page? This hat was a gift from her anyway. It helps shield me from view a bit; wearing sunglasses is a bit too much of a cliché."

"Haha, and this is?"

Tang Zhichu: "My brother."

Wang Jun: "The driver."

The two of them spoke almost simultaneously.

Yu Hua chuckled and proactively reached out to shake Wang Jun's hand.

In the parking lot, after Wang Jun placed a suitcase in the trunk, he vanished.

Tang Zhichu wasn't surprised at all, though Yu Hua looked slightly astonished.

"Where'd he go?"

"He really is my brother. Let's just let him move at a pace that feels comfortable to him."

"Professional. Here, use this car while you're in Chengdu."

"Alright."

Returning once more to the recording site of the music show, Tang Zhichu found himself thinking of Zhou Yun and Jiang Lan.

As their relationships grew closer and their feelings deepened, the time spent together kept stretching.

One person was manageable, but there were two.

You couldn't go here today and there tomorrow, could you?

It would be far too deliberate.

Therefore, all his ventures had to be rooted in Chongqing.

The influencer company, the entertainment agency, and eventually the film production involvement—they all had to be established in Chongqing.

At least he would have the pretext of work as a cover.

"Two paths: one, slaughter the competition; two, retreat to advance. I can handle either," Yu Hua said, assuming Tang Zhichu was pondering matters related to the music show.

Tang Zhichu snapped out of his reverie. "You can handle slaughtering the competition?"

Yu Hua smiled. "What's hard to handle? A few years ago, they ran a talent show and deliberately eliminated a wildly popular contestant just to push a virtual idol. People cursed them out, but what impact did it actually have? The advertising revenue came through, and the members arrived. As for threats about uninstalling Penguin Video, do you really think people stay loyal to a platform or a show once it ends?"

Tang Zhichu nodded. Fair point.

Even married couples get divorced, let alone a mere online variety show.

"All bustle in the world is for the sake of profit. What we need to figure out is how to redirect the platform's profits onto ourselves," Yu Hua said after a moment of silence.

With that remark, he truly wasn't treating Tang Zhichu as an outsider anymore.

Tang Zhichu smiled and remained silent.

Now it was Yu Hua's turn to be surprised. I've laid my cards on the table, and you're not going to respond?

Is he genuinely planning to throw his full weight behind Douyin?

"Director Yu, I suppose we could call us kindred spirits?" Tang Zhichu suddenly asked from an objective standpoint.

Yu Hua was momentarily stunned. "Naturally."

"Then why'd you sell me out?"

Yu Hua gave an awkward laugh. "How did I sell you out?"

"I just went back to take a vacation, and upon returning you tell me you're going to eliminate me?"

"Did I say I was going to eliminate you?"

"You were just using examples, talking about who eliminated whom. Aren't you dropping hints that you're going to weed me out?"

Just as the car pulled into the parking lot of the villa courtyard, Yu Hua slammed on the brakes.

He glanced at Tang Zhichu in the passenger seat.

In truth, the two of them hadn't coordinated their stories, and what Tang Zhichu said was the truth.

He simply went back for a break, and upon coming back, found the world had turned upside down.

Yet, Tang Zhichu wasn't the least bit fazed by what he had said, proving that he understood.

So why pretend not to understand?

Yu Hua suddenly slapped his forehead. "Look at you, you said we're kindred spirits. I assumed some things didn't need to be spoken aloud, that you understood and I understood."

"Not saying it is fine, but I don't like hearing only half a story."

"Alright. The short video department has been spreading word around the industry that the next big opportunity is Penguin Short Video. They even leaked a video of Little Pony's meeting, which explicitly emphasized strongly supporting short video content—anyone looking to get rich should jump in early. And it actually worked; quite a few MCN agencies have set their sights on Penguin Short Video and started posting content there too. And as for the Penguin Group, are examples of late-game surges rare? But then Douyin suddenly surged with another mini-wave, and after analyzing it, they concluded you played a massive role."

At this, Yu Hua glanced at Tang Zhichu again, who threw up his hands and said, "Get to the point. What, should I thank them for valuing me so highly?"

Yu Hua chuckled. "You really do have some skills. Qian Zhonghuai agreed to suppress you, but he wanted money—funding to develop Penguin Video. As for me, I happened to place a younger sister of mine in senior management at the short video department."

Tang Zhichu frowned slightly, sorting through his thoughts before asking, "A lover?"

"My ass, my biological sister. She'd been idle for a long time and happened to want to do something. The short video branch is indeed on an upward trajectory; going over there, even just to play around, would make her resume look good."

Tang Zhichu nodded. That made sense. If Penguin merely wanted to suppress him on its own, it wouldn't fully explain things.

Yu Hua clearly wielded some influence; as expected, this fellow had also secured benefits behind the scenes.

"Is she pretty?" Tang Zhichu suddenly asked.

Yu Hua: "What?"

Tang Zhichu: "I asked if your sister is pretty."

Yu Hua first stared in shock, then his expression smoothed out. After a moment, he looked at Tang Zhichu and said very seriously, "Pretty. Not a bit worse than your Chen Siyang. Do you understand the sheer value of a charming, thirty-two-year-old older sister? If you pull off this hurdle brilliantly, I wouldn't mind having you as my brother-in-law."

"Fuck!"

Yu Hua was amused and burst out laughing.

Tang Zhichu had only wanted to joke around and take advantage, but this guy had no shame at all.

Chongqing's number one paragon of devotion—would he be swayed by feminine wiles?

Getting out of the car, Tang Zhichu realized this was the house he used to share with Zhou Yun.

"Stay here. People are very realistic nowadays; gossip is like grass in the wind. Here, out of sight, out of mind," Yu Hua said as he stepped out of the car, casually tossing the keys to Tang Zhichu.

Tang Zhichu caught the keys. "Doesn't matter. You think I still care about such things? Though this place is indeed nice; you can see the lake view."

Just as Tang Zhichu was about to step inside, Yu Hua finally couldn't help himself and called out, "Aren't you going to give me the bottom line, kid? What's your plan?"

Tang Zhichu laughed.

Back in the car, why hadn't Tang Zhichu taken the bait? Was he really trying to dig up Yu Hua's shady dealings behind the scenes?

No.

He simply wanted to reset the conversational rhythm.

Their cooperation was already a done deal; whoever showed eagerness first would lose.

Tang Zhichu's thought was: *You think I'm going to let you manipulate me?*

First, let you spill some things, at least forcing you to acknowledge your position—that you were the one who wronged me.

"What's the rush? I'm not even in a hurry."

Yu Hua: "..."

Tang Zhichu walked into the house, leaving Yu Hua to mutter a silent curse.

Yu Hua didn't really care how Tang Zhichu planned to handle the next episode; he wanted details on their cooperation.

This guy really had nerves of steel.

Yu Hua walked out of the courtyard, feeling increasingly restless.

So he pulled out his phone.

Finding an account labeled *Douyin Su Qingzhuo*, he sent a message:

"Director Su, the movie Tang Zhichu and Xu Lai shot actually looks pretty good."

Soon, Su Qingzhuo's reply came through:

"I didn't expect Director Yu to have seen it too. It is indeed quite good, though I only watched a rough cut. They said thirty minutes still need to be trimmed."

Yu Hua's eyes widened again.

*Fuck!*

Did Tang Zhichu really send the movie over to Douyin?

Tang Zhichu had stayed in Chongqing for half a month, and Yu Hua hadn't rushed him once simply because he knew the kid was making a movie.

Who was Zhu Yiyang?

A well-known second-generation investor from Shanghai who had tagged along with his dad to various business events since middle school, notorious for his sharpness.

Was Xu Lai lacking?

Hard to say, but Xu Huaijin's team?

That was China's top martial arts film team.

Rumor had it they went to Chongqing overnight to shoot, wrapping principal photography in just ten days.

Yu Hua was curious: surely this bunch wouldn't produce some brain-dead movie, right?

Tang Zhichu's value was growing steadily, and if the movie turned out decent as well, his leverage would be astronomical.

Damn it, the guy refused to bring it up at all.

Yu Hua viewed himself as representing Penguin Video, a major platform for online films.

As long as your work wasn't terrible, given their relationship, buying it directly was a given—not only preventing him from losing money, but turning a profit.

Therefore, Yu Hua had all along expected Tang Zhichu to initiate a conversation about this, but the guy hadn't even let out a peep.

Yu Hua felt somewhat on the defensive and decided to sound out Douyin.

Hence the message he sent to Su Qingzhuo.

Seeing Su Qingzhuo's reply, Yu Hua felt even less certain.

Logically speaking, a rough cut shouldn't be ready that fast, yet Su Qingzhuo claimed she had already watched a preliminary version.

Yu Hua glanced back at the villa behind him. The more he probed, the more frustrating it became!

Inside the villa, Tang Zhichu put away his luggage.

Just as he reached the backyard, his phone rang.

Pulling it out, he saw it was none other than Su Qingzhuo.

Swiping to answer, a crisp, furious female voice blasted through the speaker:

"Tang Zhichu! Have I not treated you well? You ungrateful wretch! Pumping and dumping, refusing to own up to it?"

Tang Zhichu was utterly baffled. *What did I do?*

Holding the phone a bit further from his ear, he replied, "Director Su, are you on your period or something? What did I do?"

Silence on the other end, followed immediately by a dial tone.

She... she hung up?

What is wrong with her!

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