MTL NOVEL Chapter 357: Honey's Reward
Dahai City had rained all night.
When morning came, the sky gradually cleared, revealing blue skies, white clouds, and sunlight that appeared especially crisp and clear.
Link had run fifteen kilometers on the treadmill at the gym, performed twenty sets of weight training, ten sets of sit-ups, and jumped rope for half an hour.
Drenched in sweat, his muscles became plump again, and he felt a strong sense of power throughout his body; he was quite pleased with this feeling.
Wiping his sweat, he returned to his hotel room and encountered Jennifer Shu coming out of the bedroom, dressed in a light T-shirt, a sexy skirt, white shoes, and her hair tied up in a bun, looking very fresh.
Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire
Link lifted her up, lifted her skirt and white T against the wall, and casually asked her about Chris's condition.
Jennifer clung to his neck, trembling, and said that nothing was wrong.
She had rested with some medicine for a day and was doing a bit better than that day.
Link nodded and continued with his actions.
Jennifer then said that Liu Li had just called to inquire about the situation, Feifei said it was nothing, but Liu Li, hearing Feifei's slightly hoarse voice, couldn't rest easy and insisted on coming over to check.
Feifei couldn't fend off her persistence and had to tell her the room number; Liu Li would arrive shortly.
Thinking that Liu Li would soon arrive, and meeting here would be somewhat awkward, Link told his singer not to leave after Liu Li had checked the situation, as he wanted to have a chat with Feifei's mom.
Jennifer nodded in agreement.
After leaving the bathroom changed into fresh clothes, Link went into the bedroom to visit Chris.
Chris was still sleeping, her eyes closed, her breath shallow, her little face pale yet delicate, her skin almost translucent, lying there like a fairy on an ice bed, even more beautiful than the night before. He kissed the girl's forehead and then headed down to the dining area for breakfast.
The breakfast at the Hilton was quite sumptuous, featuring French, Italian, and Japanese cuisine, as well as various Chinese dishes, all laid out dazzlingly in a display case for guests to enjoy.
Having had a lavish dinner the previous night, Link wasn't in the mood for something heavy and opted for a simple meal of a cup of hot water, some toast, boiled eggs, and a corn cob.
Wallace and Bob accompanying him chose differently, loading their plates with roasted fish and steak, filling them up and treating breakfast like lunch.
As Link sat down in a booth with his plate, he overheard someone outside speaking—a woman telling Wallace in not very fluent English that she was Emily Yang, a friend of Link and Chris Liu, and she had something she wanted to discuss with them.
Wallace asked if she had an appointment?
Emily Yang said she did not.
Wallace told her that Mr. Baker was having breakfast and was not available to see guests at the moment.
Emily Yang said she could wait outside.
After eating a few pieces of bread and wiping his hands, Link told Wallace outside to invite Ms. Yang in.
Emily Yang pushed open the glass door and walked in, dressed in a strappy dress, with her hair in a ponytail and bangs styled like catfish whiskers, wearing light makeup, looking much fresher than the night before.
"Good morning, Mr. Baker, sorry to disturb your meal,"
Emily Yang greeted him, trying to appear composed.
"Good morning, Ms. Yang, what can I do for you?"
Link shook her hand and invited her to sit opposite him at the table.
Emily Yang looked at his face, took a deep breath, and in not very fluent English said, "Mr. Baker, I saw from the news that you are not only a singer, boxer, and actor, but also an excellent entrepreneur with a knack for investing. I wanted to ask if you're interested in investing in the Chinese Entertainment Industry.
Since 2008, the growth rate of the Chinese Entertainment Industry has been accelerating, with mainland box office revenues alone growing from 3.87 billion yuan in 2005 to 6.206 billion last year, and this year's movie market is looking even better, with ten movies breaking 100 million in box office sales in just the first eight months, indicating that the Chinese Entertainment Industry is growing rapidly and is a sector with high investment value."
Emily Yang appeared to have done her homework, speaking fluently to him about the recent developments in the film, television, and music industries in the country, assuring him that investing in the Chinese Entertainment Industry would definitely be profitable.
However, her research was limited or perhaps not deep enough, the data and information she provided were collected from magazines and had little reference value.
She mentioned only the growth in domestic box office receipts without discussing the reasons behind this growth, what the potential and challenges of the domestic movie industry were, nor how it compared to America's entertainment industry or what advantages the Chinese Entertainment Industry held. Nor did she specify how she would approach the investment if she managed to secure it.
These points are what investors most want to hear, but unfortunately, she didn't mention any of them.
Compared to the pack of managers from Wall Street investment banks, she appeared utterly amateurish in pulling in investments.
Nevertheless, Link was willing to give her a chance because she was ambitious, capable, and daring. Just for those qualities, she was much stronger than many actresses, and her success in the original timeline proved that indeed she was a woman with potential.
"Ms. Yang!"
Link interrupted her, took an egg, and handed it to her, asking, "If I give you ten million US dollars, how much can you earn me in a year?"
"Ten million US dollars?"
Emily Yang was taken aback by his sudden question, a bit confused and simultaneously extremely surprised.
Actually, she had come here today just to try her luck, to see if there was a chance to connect with Link. While she was talking earlier, she didn't have much confidence in herself.
But she hadn't expected Link to talk about investing ten million US dollars in her.
Everything seemed easier than she had imagined.
She suppressed the excitement in her heart and thought about Link's question. If she could get ten million US dollars from him, which according to the current exchange rate was more than 78 million, with that 78 million as capital, how much could she earn back in a year?
After seriously considering, Emily Yang came up with an answer: five million US dollars.
If she had ten million US dollars as investment capital, earning five million US dollars in one year wouldn't be difficult.
"Five million?"
Link hooked the corner of his mouth, feeling that this girl was quite honest.
Originally, a Wall Street investment bank manager had approached him for investments, listing a series of profitable projects.
Link had asked the same question.
The reply was at least one hundred million, at most one billion US dollars. Yes, an investment of ten million, earning back a billion within a year.
That manager had even explained in detail how he would operate with the money and earn a billion.
If he had really believed that nonsense and handed over the money for the man to manage, as soon as he got his ten million, he would use it as leverage to demand more investments. If not continued, there would be even greater losses, somewhat akin to a hostage situation.
His main tactic was to get the money first and then not care about how much was earned afterward.
But Emily Yang, after careful consideration, told him that she could earn him five million US dollars in a year.
Though likewise false, it had some semblance of sincerity.
"How do you plan to earn it?"
Link asked.
"Mr. Baker, I have two plans. First, to invest in movies, as the current movie industry is quite profitable. I will use my connections to invest in one or two good movie projects. I am confident I can make money; second, talent agencies in the entertainment industry also make a lot of money. I plan to follow the model of South Korean SM Entertainment, signing many artists with potential for training. As the entertainment industry is growing rapidly and needs more artists, it will certainly break even within three to four years."
Emily Yang said.
"Three to four years? Do you know how much I earn from one boxing match? Do you think I would invest in a project that would only earn five million in three to four years?"
Link said lightly.
Upon hearing his words, Emily suddenly remembered that this guy was like a money printing machine, each boxing match earning him thirty to forty million US dollars. Projects like the ones she mentioned, earning several million a year, indeed held little investment value.
"Mr. Baker, sorry to have bothered you!"
Emily Yang stood up and bowed, ready to leave, but just as she was about to reach the door, Link called out for her to wait. Emily Yang stopped and looked at him, puzzled.
"Miss Yang, I have no interest in your investment projects, but I am a bit interested in you. If I invest in you, how would you repay me?"
Link said.
Emily Yang was overwhelmed with joy upon hearing his words. Link was a billionaire, and if he took an interest in her, it could be a great opportunity for a turnaround.
She blinked, walked back to Link's dining table, and slowly unfastened her belt, revealing her fair skin and black lace lingerie. Standing at 166 cm with a slender frame yet a C-cup bra size, she was somewhat appealing.
But compared to Ivanka, Dadalio, Taylor, or Du Chen, her figure had no advantage.
"Is this your repayment?"
Link wiped his fingers with a napkin, not sparing her another glance.
"Mr. Baker, if you're willing to invest in me, I can do anything for you."
Emily Yang bit her lower lip, her face flushing as she removed all restraints. Although the restaurant was air-conditioned, with temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius, her skin still got goosebumps.
But Link still didn't look, as Emily lowered her head, struggled for more than ten seconds, walked up to him, and slowly knelt down.