"Sure thing, Brother Lao, we'll do it your way. To partner with you, heh, that means I'm the one getting the great deal."
Zhou Can was a man who preferred straight talk.
Had it not been for their deep friendship, plus the favor Zhou Can had done for his wife, Li Lao wouldn't have offered to partner with him.
Simply put, it meant taking Zhou Can along for the ride to wealth.
"Don't say that. This opportunity was provided by you. Another thing I must make clear is that all investments carry risks. While I am quite adept at various operations in the entertainment field, it doesn't guarantee making money. All I can say is, purchasing this album almost certainly won't result in a loss."
Li Lao didn't want to risk affecting their friendship if it led to losses later on.
In this world, finding a compatible and likeminded partner is incredibly difficult.
He valued their fate and friendship highly.
"May I inquire about the source of your funds?"
Each of Li Lao's questions was deliberate.
"I won't hide it from you; I need to sell two houses to come up with the money," Zhou Can stated truthfully.
"Selling two houses to help a starlet you're not even sure you can win over—brother, I think the title of 'Love Saint' really fits you," Li Lao teased him with a laugh.
"Well, I like money, but I also feel it's not that important. Using money to save a woman I like seems quite worthwhile to me." Zhou Can didn't hesitate when he offered to help her pay off over three hundred thousand in debt.
The decision to buy the album was made after careful consideration.
He felt the music album was worth the price and a nice listen.
Purchasing it would be an investment.
"Haha, I admire you more and more. So young, yet you understand money so clearly—truly rare." Li Lao genuinely admired him.
Many people never grasp the true meaning of money in their whole life; they only know it's important for food, clothing, shelter, marriage, childbirth, and healthcare—it's indispensable for everything.
Only a few can see beyond the value of money.
These are usually the wise ones.
Take, for example, some scientists who have considerable incomes, enjoy national stipends, and receive various bonuses. Yet, they live in old houses of twenty or thirty square meters, eating steamed buns, porridge, and pickles, not buying new clothes for decades.
In terms of life, he's as stingy as can be.
But he s the savings to where the country needs it.
Donating tens or even hundreds of thousands at a time.
And he keeps on donating.
The average person can't understand this 'foolish' behavior.
Just as summer insects cannot comprehend ice.
If the philosophical level is not there, it's impossible to understand.
"Little brother, since you're preparing to sell the house, I suggest you mortgage it to the bank for a loan. A preliminary estimate, a loan of around four million should suffice. I'll also invest four million, and then we set up an entertainment company together. This amount of money isn't much for starting an entertainment company, but I have confidence that after purchasing the song album, we can create a brand, promote, and then monetize it in various ways to earn our first batch of capital."
"There's a prerequisite for this plan—we need to sign your girlfriend to the new company we establish. Once we make her famous, it will attract more talented individuals to join and create more quality content. By then, the company will essentially be on the right track. Don't you like being a doctor? You basically won't need to handle anything, and I've been quite idle lately anyway, I can manage everything."
"Let's talk about profit sharing; we'll each own 50% of the company, and profits will be split equally. When we need to reinvest some profits to expand the company, I'll discuss it with you. If you're willing to continue investing, we'll still share equally. If you decide not to follow, the shareholding will be diluted accordingly."
Clear accounts make for good brothers.
Li Lao laid out all the potential financial distributions in advance to prevent future disputes.
Money can turn brothers against each other, or cause conflict between fathers and sons or between spouses.
Only by setting the rules in advance can one avoid harm.
"Thanks for looking out for me, Brother Lao! Let's do as you suggested, I'll go to the bank to get a mortgage loan tomorrow."
Zhou Can was very aware that he was benefiting a lot from Li Lao's proposal.
"Now let's talk about acquiring that album. Your girlfriend doesn't have to go to work tomorrow, just have her feign a suicide attempt and get hospitalized. Make it convincing. As a doctor, that shouldn't be hard for you. Then, make Beihai Langxing Company's higher-ups sweat for a few days before you step in to negotiate the acquisition. If I get involved, it'd be hard to get a low price—President Gui knows too much about me, seeing me act, he will jerk up the price. So you need to be careful with your words, don't reveal our relationship until the deal is sealed."
"Present yourself as her boyfriend, saying you're selling the house to save her. All these are true facts, and even if Beihai Langxing Company investigates, it will only further convince them of the reality. We'll make sure they fall for it."
Li Lao was instructing Zhou Can on how to acquire the album at a low price.
No wonder he succeeded in becoming the president of Tianyu Interactive; aside from his talent, his personal capabilities and methods were extraordinary.
Zhou Can understood perfectly.
"After negotiating the purchase, send me the contract before signing it. We must beware of any tricks Beihai Langxing Company might play; after all, President Gui isn't known for his fairness. He is solely profit-driven and will not hesitate to cheat you twice if given the chance."