In the past quarter, the net profit of Haotian Health Products reached two hundred and ninety million yuan, almost double of the previous quarter. The introduction of a premium version of their products contributed to most of the profits.
It had satisfied the needs of those with higher spending power, which meant more profits for the company.
Masculine Wind’s performance also more than doubled to three hundred and ten million yuan, because of an expanded product line-up which now included hair growth tonics and sobriety medicine.
As the liquor trees matured, the production capacity of Divine Liquor Company increased, and its performance soared from seventy million in the previous quarter to two hundred and twenty million.
New Magical Kitchen opened many more stores across Huaxia in the past three months, and its sales doubled to nearly two hundred million yuan.
Finally, the beverage company which was established about two months ago received profits of nearly seventy million yuan.
There was another plantation company whose purpose was to supply medicinal herbs to the other companies. It did not make any profit.
After some calculations, the profits of the Haotian Group reached 1.1 billion in the previous quarter.
“That’s a lot of money!”
After reading the report, Tang Hao muttered, “But it’s still not enough! We won’t be breaking ten billion annually!”
“That’s a little too fast, Chairman Tang! Let’s take it slow. Our companies still have a lot of room for growth. It’s only a matter of time before we break ten billion. Moreover, our subsidiaries are not that many. We can’t compare to those big companies.” Liu Yan smiled.
“That’s true!” Tang Hao nodded.
“Chairman Tang, do you have any ideas?”
“You mean… About our next venture?”
“Yes! We’ve dabbled in health products, alcoholic drinks, restaurants, and beverages. Moreover, we have the financial resources to expand.”
“Well… I haven’t thought about it. Let’s talk about it next time!” Tang Hao thought for a moment and shook his head.
After staying in Westridge for another two days, he went to Provincial City.
Military training had ended some time ago, and Yan’er had started her regular classes. The chaos caused by the military helicopter had subsided, and Tang Hao could finally enter the campus openly.
However, there was still a small commotion.
Teacher Jiang was not as bold as before, though she would wander next to him during class and “care” for him to maintain that little bit of intimacy.
The next two days passed in the blink of an eye.
That night, Tang Hao was in New Magic Kitchen, sharpening his cooking skills with Master Chef Ding and the others when he received a message from Liu Bingyao.
“Come pick me up!” There were only four words.
Seeing that, Tang Hao furrowed his brows.
Soon, his phone vibrated, and he received another message. It was an address.
Tang Hao pondered for a moment, then said goodbye to Master Ding and the others. He left New Magical Kitchen and rushed toward the address.
Chapter 554 - A Bunch of Scumbags
An A8 arrived at the front of a private clubhouse in the north of Provincial City.
Tang Hao stopped the car in front of the door. He looked at the clubhouse and frowned.
It was a high-end, private clubhouse for rich people. The annual membership fee was hundreds of thousands of yuan.
It was a very exclusive clubhouse. Why was Bingyao there?
He had been in contact with Liu Bingyao and knew that she had gone to an entertainment company for an interview and was selected. She was supposed to sign a contract today.
Did the people from the company bring her to the clubhouse for dinner?
Tang Hao furrowed his brows and his expression darkened.
The entertainment industry was a chaotic place. He knew about the “unspoken rules” in the industry, which did not give him a positive impression.
Liu Bingyao’s beauty would probably attract a lot of covetous eyes.
‘Don’t tell me that she’s in trouble? Otherwise, she wouldn’t have called me over.’
He pondered for a moment, then got out of the car and walked towards the clubhouse.
In front of the clubhouse stood two burly men dressed in black. When they saw Tang Hao walking over, one of them stepped forward and raised his hand to stop Tang Hao. He said coldly, “Sorry, this is a private clubhouse.”
Tang Hao grinned. He reached out his hand and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll just go inside and take a look!”
The man in black was stunned. A strange fragrance wafted and his nose twitched.
Then, his gaze turned vacant, and he obediently stepped aside.
The other man was stunned. He took a step forward and also smelled a strange fragrance. Immediately, his gaze turned vacant and allowed Tang Hao in.
At that moment, in a luxurious private room in a corner of the clubhouse, about twenty people were sitting around a huge table and having a meal.
There were more than ten men and eight women.
Those men had different appearances. Some of them had pot bellies and some were dressed artistically.
The women were all young. Several of them were in their late teens, while the oldest among them was about twenty-two or twenty-three.
Some of them were quite charming and beautiful, while a few others wore revealing clothes and heavy makeup. There was no telling how many layers of powder applied to their faces.
Their eyelashes were frighteningly long.
Moreover, their jawlines had undergone plastic surgery, and their breasts were pumped full of silicone.
The women leaned against the men beside them, teasing them from time to time. They were having a good time.
The other women were reluctant, though they allowed the men to run their hands across them.
Liu Bingyao sat next to the door with an awkward look on her face.
On her left sat a middle-aged man with a potbelly and black-rimmed glasses. On her right was a bald middle-aged man.
The bald man helped Liu Bingyao with the food from time to time. He even reached out to touch her hand, but every time, she dodged his advances.
The bald man seemed unhappy but remained eager.
His gaze on Liu Bingyao was filled with infatuation.
He had been in the entertainment industry for so many years, and with his status, he had his way with all kinds of women. However, Liu Bingyao was on another level.
He was stunned the first time he saw her.
‘Beautiful!
‘She’s too beautiful! She looks like a fairy from the heavens.
‘Moreover, she is at the perfect age and possesses the perfect body.
‘She has an angelic face and a devilish body.’
He picked up the food and swept his gaze over her graceful figure. He gulped to stop himself from drooling.
His eyes greedily devoured that young and beautiful body.
‘She’s probably still a virgin!’ He thought to himself and became even more excited.
That was the only reason why he kept his patience with her. If any other plastic woman pretended to be virtuous, he would have slapped her face.
‘It’s OK for such a beautiful woman to be virtuous. Otherwise, she would be no different from the others.’
.
“Have you tasted this, Bingyao!” He placed a slice of meat in Bingyao’s dish.
“I can’t eat anymore, Director Tian!”
Liu Bingyao said softly. She gently moved her hand to avoid his hand.
Director Tian was a little embarrassed, but he resumed his smile and said, “Bingyao, you have the best body that I’ve ever seen. As long as you’re willing, you’ll definitely have a role in my movies.
“You should know that I’m not bragging. There aren’t that many people who are
more famous than Tian Qiuming in this industry.
“You’ll be a big star if you have my support. The sky’s the limit!
“You also like to sing, right? Sure! I know many famous composers. I’ll get them to write songs for you. I guarantee that you’ll be famous worldwide.”
The men around her laughed when they heard that.
“That’s right! You can’t imagine how influential Director Tian is. With him supporting you, you’ll definitely be famous.”
The other women glared at her enviously.
“Director Tian is right, Bingyao. I brought you here today to give you a shot at fame. You must seize it!” The man on Liu Bingyao’s left said.
As he spoke, he smiled at Director Tian. “Director Tian, don’t mind her. She’s still new at this.”
Director Tian smiled and said, “It’s fine!”
Seeing that, the man felt much more at ease. He looked at the young woman beside him and a regretful expression flashed across his face.
He would not have given up such a top-notch beauty, if not that he had to curry Director Tian’s favor.
However, that was also fine. Director Tian might have gotten first dibs, but there was plenty left for him. In any case, she had already signed the contract and could not escape from his grasp.
As he thought of that, he swept his beautiful figure away and felt a little smug.
“That… it’s fine!” Liu Bingyao said softly.
She understood that her 'shot at fame” was to sleep with the man and be his mistress. It was an “unspoken rule.”
She did not expect that she would be encountering such a situation in her first venture into her entertainment industry.
When Director Tian heard that, he maintained some civility on his face, though he was becoming impatient.
He grunted coldly and said, “You don’t know how to appreciate favors.”
His expression darkened and said, “Let me tell you, you have the qualifications, but in the entertainment industry, it’s useless to only be beautiful. You need the connections and someone to give you the opportunity to be famous.
“I’ll just say this. If you don’t agree today, there’s no future for you in this industry!
“Let me tell you, don’t pretend to be virtuous. Virtue means nothing in the entertainment industry. Which A-list female star didn’t sleep her way to fame? If you want to be famous, you have to strip.
“You have no background, no support, and you still want to pretend to be high and mighty? Who do you think you are!” He glared angrily at Liu Bingyao as he said that.
The dining table suddenly fell silent, and the atmosphere turned gloomy.
“Oh, Boss Chen, don’t be like that! She’s new to this, so it’s normal for her to be embarrassed.”
“Exactly!”
The men laughed as their gazes brazenly swept over Liu Bingyao.
The women were gloating over her misfortune.
“Still pretending to be virtuous? What an idiot!”
“If you don’t understand that simple concept, why are you in the entertainment industry? In your dreams!”
They started mocking her and felt proud for doing so.
Chapter 555 - Just Buy It
Liu Bingyao sat there with her head lowered. She did not make a sound.
She felt somewhat resentful.
Those ugly faces disgusted and nauseated her.
They were all famous figures in the industry!
After a long while, she said, “It’s fine, Boss Chen, Director Tian. I’ve already called my friend to pick me up. I’ll be leaving.” She stood up as she said that.
Director Chen’s expression changed. He slammed the table and shouted, “How dare you?”
Then, he pointed at her with a finger and said sternly, “If you dare to walk out, don’t you dare come back! You better think this through!”
“You’re still pretending to be virtuous, your filthy whore? Your chastity is worth nothing in this day and age. I’m giving you a chance to become famous, yet you don’t appreciate it.” As he spoke, he reached out and tried to grab her hand.
To him, a female college student like Liu Bingyao who had not seen the world would be easily cowed by his threats.
However, Liu Bingyao dodged him again.
“You filthy whore!”
He flew into a rage. He stood up furiously and raised his hand to slap her.
At the same moment, the door was kicked open with a bang.
“Freeze, police!” Someone shouted.
The people in the room nearly jumped out of their seats.
The plastic women quickly adjusted their clothes and sat upright.
The men also sat up properly.
Boss Chen’s hand also froze in mid-air.
Everyone was confused. Why would the police raid the clubhouse? Even if they would, they would have heard about it.
They immediately turned their heads toward the door. They did not see any police officers, but only a young man.
In an instant, everyone was furious.
“Who the f*ck are you?”
“Where did this filthy kid come from? Is he pranking us? Where are the security guards? Who’s that idiot? Hurry up and throw him out.”
The men slammed the table and cursed.
Liu Bingyao was stunned and almost laughed out loud. She quickly walked toward Tang Hao and grabbed his hand.
“Let’s go, Tang Hao!” She said.
Everyone was stunned.
‘So the brat is the friend that she called over? They seem like they’re more than friends.’
The expressions of Boss Chen and Director Tian darkened when they saw the two holding hands.
“Ho! So he’s your boyfriend? Tsk tsk, what’s so great about him? You can tell that he’s some poor loser just by looking at his clothes,” One of the plastic women yelled sarcastically.
“That’s right!” The others responded sarcastically.
Liu Bingyao’s expression darkened, and she glared at them coldly.
“Oh, so you’ve found your backbone, you little whore?” They mocked.
Tang Hao glanced at them and almost vomited.
‘What the hell? My stomach is churning just by looking at them. That face is almost plastic, and you can almost stab someone with that chin!
‘How many surgeries did that take?’
Boss Chen pointed at him angrily. “You’ve signed a contract, Liu b*tch. If you walk away now, don’t even think about having a future in the industry. I’d think twice if I were you.
“Everything will be fine if you stay. I guarantee that you will be famous!”
Liu Bingyao glared at him. “Bullsh*t. That’s not the fame I want to pursue. I quit now. Who cares!”
She became more and more agitated as she spoke. Her pretty eyes widened. “I’d rather not sit together with all you ‘famous directors’ and ‘elite agents’. You disgust me!”
She felt a lot better after speaking her mind.
The faces of the people at the table turned red and extremely unpleasant.
“Let’s go! I don’t want to see those people anymore.”
Liu Bingyao held Tang Hao’s hand and walked out.
Tang Hao touched his nose. He was taken aback by her tirade.
That was a side of her that he had never seen before.
Liu Bingyao walked away in her high heels. Her white dress fluttered in the wind, revealing a pair of smooth and slender legs. Her black hair fluttered in the wind, revealing her perfect profile.
She suddenly turned around and looked at Tang Hao.
“Why do you keep looking at me?”
“How do you know that I was looking at you…” Tang Hao muttered.
“I… of course I can sense it. I was too angry earlier, you don’t see me scolding others on a usual day. Those people just now were truly despicable. What’s worse is that they’re influential people in the industry! Just thinking about it makes me angry.”
&nbs
p; She wrinkled her delicate nose and huffed angrily.
“That’s the entertainment industry for you!” Tang Hao said.
As they spoke, they walked out of the clubhouse’s main door.
The two men in black at the door were stunned when they saw Tang Hao, but they couldn’t remember when or how that guy walked past them.
“This pisses me off!” She said angrily.
She sat dejectedly in the car after she got in. Her eyes were slightly red.
She did not expect that her plan to become an idol was dead in the water after taking her first step.
“I’m really useless!” She curled up and said softly.
“That’s not your fault. They’re all scumbags!” Tang Hao said.
“I know. I was too naïve to think that everything will be smooth-sailing. I didn’t expect the reality to hit me so fast. Now, I’ve signed the contract and offended my agent. It’s all over,” she said sadly.
She raised her head and glanced at Tang Hao, feeling even more disappointed.
She wanted to become an idol because of him. Now, there was no hope at all.
The huge blow made her extremely sad.
Tang Hao smiled and said, “What are you afraid of? I’m here. Didn’t I say that I would support you as much as I can?”
She was stunned and raised her head. “what should I do?”
“That’s easy. Just wait for the news tomorrow! It’s nothing that I can’t handle! I remember all their faces. I’ll stand up for you.”
“Oh!” She nodded and suddenly felt a lot more at ease.
It was not her original plan to rely on him, but it felt good to have someone to rely on.
“Thank you!” She whispered and blushed.
“Don’t mention it. I’ll send you back!” Tang Hao said.
“OK!” She nodded.
About ten minutes later, they arrived at Z University, and Tang Hao sent her to her dorm.
After seeing her go upstairs, Tang Hao sat back in the car with a darkened expression.
He pondered for a moment, then took out his phone and went online to look up information on Tianze Entertainment.
The Mightiest Little Peasant c1-799 Page 247