novelraw Chapter 62 Playing Him! Using Psychological Warfare and Laying the "Bait"!
Chapter 62 Playing Him! Using Psychological Warfare and Laying the "Bait"!
On the second floor, in that same cramped booth.
Paul Toretto accepted the additional $5,000 in cash from Natalie.
His fingers traced the edge of the banknote, feeling its crisp, new texture, but he didn't put it away immediately.
Instead, he raised his eyes and re-examined the boy who had come up with him.
He cleared his throat.
"Seriously, kid. You've got that kind of skill... "
He pointed with his thumb to the still-noisy stage downstairs.
"You don't need to pay anything. Just go through the normal audition process, and I'll put you on the performance list."
He tried to make his tone sound more like the talent scout he used to be, rather than the overwhelmed businessman he was now.
"What other works do you have? Have you considered a formal collaboration? Promotion, distribution, even a record deal—Goldenvoice can do more than you think."
Li Shuo took the bottled water that Natalie handed him at the right time, tilted his head back and took a big gulp, then revealed a seemingly smug smile on his face.
"I'm paying to buy the freedom to 'go online whenever I want.' And by the way..."
He suddenly stopped talking, looked around at the simple environment, and said with a hint of disdain.
"Actually, I thought that Goldenvoice, a well-known company in the industry, would plan performances with a higher level of sophistication. Tsk..."
Paul's facial muscles twitched almost imperceptibly.
Li Shuo didn't continue his mockery, but instead put on a somewhat disappointed expression.
"Actually, I came to the United States."
His tone began to sound like he was sharing an exciting future plan.
"Besides spending some money to set up a personal studio affiliated with Time Warner, which would make me look good back home, I'd also really like to start a production planning company similar to yours. Of course,"
He glanced at Natalie, whose eyes seemed off, then blinked and continued.
"If the price is right, it would be best to acquire it outright, or invest in an existing company with a strong reputation in the industry. That way, I'll have even more to brag about when I get back, right?"
Seeing Li Shuo suddenly adopting this "come quick, rich, and foolish" rich young master attitude, Natalie, who was accompanying him, couldn't help but feel uneasy...
Is Li acting? ...Yes, right?
Paul Toretto, however, felt a slight stirring in his heart as he listened.
A wealthy and talented young master from a Chinese family, who also has obvious vanity and willfulness.
He tentatively asked, "Oh? It sounds like money isn't a problem for you?"
Li Shuo shrugged.
"Problems that money can solve are usually not my biggest worries."
These words sounded light and casual, but they made Paul's heart skip a beat.
In the past year or so, in order to keep the company running smoothly and to overcome the financial difficulties of the Coachella project, he had considered exchanging some shares for investment.
However, the negative rumors circulating outside the company caused several potential investment negotiations to fall through.
Now, this mysterious young master from an ancient Eastern country... wouldn't that be...?
Paul probed cautiously, with a hint of self-promotion in his tone.
"So what do you think of Goldenvoice? There aren't many in the industry who are more famous and capable than me."
"It's a really great company, and very well-known in the industry!"
Li Shuo's praise was genuine.
"However, Paul, I've had someone look into it a bit. Has the mess left behind by your company's founder, who used special 'agricultural products' to obtain start-up capital... been cleaned up? Also, I heard you're working on a big transformation plan; the company's accounts must be tighter than this little booth on the second floor, right?"
This rich young master isn't stupid, is he?
Paul's heart skipped a beat.
"...Those are all past and temporary difficulties."
Although her face was pale and she wanted to argue, a familiar sense of powerlessness welled up inside her.
It seems that this promising opportunity has fallen through again.
"But we can still chat."
Li Shuo laughed, as if he had just been joking.
"If you're sincere, I'll offer a good price."
Actually, Li Shuo had probably done some research before coming.
Based on my recollection of the 2001 acquisition of a 50% stake by the giant AEG, the amount was only a few million US dollars.
Now that I see it in person... Goldenvoice's valuation should be even lower right now.
For the geometrically multiplying profits in the future... and most importantly, for the influence that makes top music stars from all over the world beg to participate!
That's a great deal!
So I don't want to waste time arguing about this too much right now.
What he needs is an attractive, sweet enough "bait" that the other party cannot refuse.
"How about this? Roughly... around one million US dollars, in exchange for at least 30% of your company's shares. This offer should represent my sincerity."
Sure enough, Paul Toretto's pupils contracted and his breathing became noticeably heavier.
Without further ado, Li Shuo took the high-quality business card from Natalie's hand and gently pushed it onto the old wooden table in front of Paul with two fingers.
"If you've thought it through and would like to discuss it, contact my lawyer, Evan Carter, at Gang Tyre Law Firm. However, I'll be returning to China in a week at most, so you'd better hurry."
Paul's gaze swept over the name of the law firm "Gang Tyre." Anyone who could afford to work for this top Hollywood firm, known for serving stars and tycoons, had no doubt about their ability and status.
But he needed to think about it some more... think about it some more. But actually, he felt like he didn't have any other options at the moment...
Li Shuo wasn't going to dwell on it... Even if you can't reach an agreement this time... next year, even if you sell everything you own to start the first Coachella Music Festival, it'll still be a disaster.
...They gained fame...but the frequent accidents resulted in a loss of $85! Haha...!
Li Shuo said no more, gestured to Natalie, and walked towards the stairwell.
At that moment, a new band was getting ready on the CBGB main stage.
The musicians are all of Asian descent, their music is aggressive, their technique is decent, but their arrangements carry a sense of oppression.
"That's 'Switch Style,' a neon hardcore punk band."
Paul, who had also come downstairs at some point, followed and shouted an explanation from the side, his tone unconsciously carrying a casual air of "one of us."
"BGM signed with their branch in Japan, and they were the ones who requested this performance."
Li Shuo said "Oh," nodded, and walked out of the bar, preparing to leave.
A little boy who looked only twelve or thirteen years old, with messy blond hair, excitedly squeezed through and ran to Li Shuo, clutching a pen and a crumpled CBGB flyer in his hand.
"Sir... could you sign your name for me? You were so cool just now!" The little boy's eyes were full of admiration.
Li Shuo was stunned for a moment, then smiled. This was his first autograph ever!
But without hesitation, he took the pen and smoothly signed his Chinese and English names on the back of the flyer.
The little boy was overjoyed and squeezed closer to the stage, seemingly wanting to continue collecting autographs.
The atmosphere offstage became even more frenzied, and a unique kind of interaction characteristic of hardcore live performances began.
One by one, fans climbed onto the stage, screaming as they faced the crowd, leaned back, and fell into the "sea of people" below, which consisted of countless arms.
Starting a "Stage Diving" is a classic way for hardcore and punk artists to express their passion and trust.
The first few fans were all safely caught and passed on.
Seeing Natalie looking at him curiously, Li Shuo consciously moved back a little to protect her.
However, accidents always happen when we are most relaxed.
A young, overweight white man with an unusual build, who had drunk too much beer, excitedly rushed onto the stage during the music's climax.
He clearly overestimated his "popularity" and underestimated his weight.
As he roared and fell backward, several fans in the audience facing that area, sensing something was wrong, instinctively cried out and moved away!
Amidst gasps of alarm, a "human-shaped hammer" slammed straight into a nearly empty area of the ground.
The little boy who had just received Li Shuo's autograph and was excitedly watching the stage... although he realized the danger, he was so frightened by the huge shadow that he stood frozen in place!
"OMG! Joshua!" A shrill female voice screamed from the edge of the crowd!
Time seemed to slow down.
A fleeting shadow, with an agility and speed beyond the reach of ordinary people, rushed to the center of the chaos.
It wasn't just fast. The blonde woman who had just screamed only saw a figure moving with amazing footwork, skillfully pushing aside those blocking the way. At the most crucial moment, Li Shuo grabbed the terrified little boy's waist with one hand and pulled him to the side and back. His other hand seemed to press down and pull the falling strong man's shoulder and back with leverage!
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, the burly man crashed heavily to the floor, crying out in pain, but avoiding the most dangerous impact.
The little boy who was pulled away by Li Shuo stumbled due to inertia, scraping his knee on the rough ground.
Although the little boy felt a burning pain, compared to the serious injury that would have required emergency medical attention if he had been pressed down like that earlier, this was just a minor superficial wound.
Natalie then squeezed next to Li Shuo, grabbed his arm, and her blue eyes were still filled with lingering fear.
"Are you...are you alright? How...how did you do that?"
Another fragrant breeze wafted to his nose... and then Li Shuo noticed that Natalie's eyes had changed as she was asking him a question.
Is this a warning? What's wrong? Is there danger again?
Then Li Shuo only felt a movement within the system of his consciousness?
[A female celebrity who could potentially become a confidante has been identified; should a partnership be formed?]
Huh? The blonde young woman who rushed to his side hugged his arm, her eyes welling up with tears, and tried her best to thank him!
"Thank you! Thank you! If anything happens to Joshua, my mom will definitely kill me... Hello, my name is Jessica Alba! Thank you so much!"
Li Shuo took a closer look at the beautiful blonde woman in front of him.
Then, feeling the soft burden on the hard arm...
Hey...it's this Hollywood sweetheart!?