novelraw What's going on in Chapter 97...?
What's going on in Chapter 97...?
Li Shuo walked into the lobby of "Qian Gui KTV Zhonghua New Hall".
In the waiting area, many young people held number plates in their hands, waiting for an empty private room.
On the other side, a huge area was filled with drinks and snacks, with uniformed waiters busily pushing carts through it.
Several attractive young female greeters were guiding well-dressed guests directly inside.
This business is incredibly successful.
Looking at this scene, Li Shuo felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he were in a dream... This scene was more than that of a budget karaoke bar... even a luxury shopping mall karaoke bar...
Before my rebirth, I hadn't seen such a lively atmosphere in a long time.
These past few years have indeed been a time when "Qian Gui" is becoming more and more popular.
The brand, which later became known as the "ancestor of KTVs," was founded by Liu Ying, who was just a roadside CD vendor back then.
In the late 1980s, karaoke bars, which radiated from neon lights throughout Asia, still operated by placing customers in a lobby.
Liu Ying noticed that customers who bought CDs couldn't listen to them, so he set up several small private rooms in his shop for them to sing for free.
As a result, more people came to sing than to buy CDs, so he simply transformed into a KTV in 1989 and named it "Qian Gui".
This trend got out of control, although some people imitated him because they saw that his business was doing well.
But this meticulous and detail-oriented boss, who was willing to use his brain, used "Qian Gui" to define the marketing and service model of the KTV industry for the first time.
I remember this year, he was supposed to set up a "Qian Gui Academy" in mainland China to train employees.
At this time, Qian Gui had already opened more than 20 branches in Taiwan and was also thriving in the mainland market.
In cities like Shanghai and Beijing, KTV is a symbol of face and status.
At its peak, a single store in a good location could generate 800,000 yuan in revenue per day.
Even a regular store can easily generate over five million in monthly revenue; it's practically a "money printing machine."
Li Shuo's gaze swept across the lobby.
Besides the smiling hostesses and waiters, there were several men in black shirts standing in the corner, their faces unfriendly, their eyes occasionally scanning the crowd.
Tsk...a unique feature of Taiwan..."surrounding things".
They were probably gang members who "managed" popular establishments like "Qian Gui" (a popular karaoke bar).
After all, this is a business that makes a fortune every day. Without some powerful backing, how can one make money steadily?
Just then, a burly man in a black shirt walked over, and he was very polite.
"Mr. Li Shuo? Miss asked me to come down and meet you."
Li Shuo noticed that his shirt collar was slightly open, revealing faint neon tattoos underneath.
"The young lady gave instructions. She originally wanted to pick you up herself, but look at the environment... there are too many people around... it's not convenient."
Li Shuo thought to himself, "I don't want her to pick me up either..." and nodded, signaling the man to lead the way.
During the last hot pot dinner, Fan Xiaoxuan explained that this person was a driver and bodyguard sent by Yang Dengkui, the godfather of her sisters Barbie Hsu and Dee Hsu, who was currently trying to clear his name.
Yang Dengkui runs eight major variety channels and heavily promotes Barbie Hsu and Dee Hsu, so it's reasonable for him to assign them personal protectors.
After all, the kidnapping and murder case of "Bai Yan" that caused widespread panic in Taiwan's entertainment industry last year had only recently subsided...
As the two walked through the lobby, the hostess saw the opaque paper bag in Li Shuo's hand and assumed it contained takeout snacks.
Although this "Little Ge" is quite handsome... I still stopped him out of professionalism: "Sir, I'm sorry, we don't serve you here..."
Li Shuo casually opened the bag and showed it to her.
The young lady's eyes widened considerably after that glance.
Inside the bag were neatly stacked stacks of brand-new NT$1,000 notes, cash that Li Shuo had exchanged with Zhou Jianhui before he came.
Immediately, the hostess glanced at Li Shuo a few more times without realizing it, and then joined in leading the way.
But the high slit of her uniform skirt seemed to change as she walked in front of him, her gait becoming increasingly exaggerated... Was it "accidental"?
You can see lace and silk at the base of her legs... and it really is white.
Having confirmed that Li Shuo's eyesight was still good, he looked away.
The man who led the way pushed open the door to the private room, where the music was a bit loud.
Little S is standing in front of the screen, holding a microphone and singing and dancing. It's Xu Huaiyu's song "Miao Miao Miao".
Her dress today was also unusually short, with stiletto heels and an off-the-shoulder, invisible strap design, which accentuated her curves as she moved.
Barbie Hsu sat on the sofa, wearing a black spaghetti strap top that showed off her collarbone, and denim shorts. Her posture was languid yet subtly thoughtful.
Upon seeing Li Shuo enter, he immediately stood up to greet him warmly.
Li Shuo chose to sit down near the door.
The music was too loud, but Barbie Hsu didn't seem to adjust it. She just naturally moved closer to Li Shuo and leaned against his ear.
"You're here? We'll have to wait a bit, Renxiong is still on his way!"
A warm breath brushed past my ear, carrying a faint scent of perfume.
But Li Shuo subconsciously leaned back.
Da S's eyes flashed, and she gave him a somewhat unconvinced look.
Why are you hiding? Why do you look like you've seen a "ghost" when I get close?
The phone rang abruptly.
Li Shuo took it out and saw it was Evan Carter, a lawyer from the United States? This wasn't a convenient call to take in front of Barbie Hsu. He hung up immediately.
Barbie Hsu leaned closer and continued, "Renxiong is a key producer on 'Guess Guess Guess,' he's really hard to get a hold of!"
His tone carried a hint of boasting.
Having adjusted somewhat, Li Shuo nodded and raised his voice: "Thank you, Sister Big S."
Barbie Hsu blinked, then suddenly leaned even closer: "You have to treat us today!"
She wanted to take a closer look while Li Shuo paid the bill, to confirm the card she had seen last time.
Li Shuo smiled and said, "Hmm, it's nothing! But when will Sister Xiaoxuan arrive?"
Barbie Hsu's eyes flickered, and her tone was ambiguous: "She should... probably be done with her work... maybe she's on her way."
Little S had just finished singing one song when they switched to a slower song as background music.
She put down the microphone, subtly moved closer, picked up some snacks and pretended to eat them, while her eyes lingered on Li Shuo with a somewhat "mischievous" look.
The waiter who took our order came in.
李烁接过单子扫了下，最便宜一罐可乐168块（39RMB），最贵的威士忌路易十三标的60000（1万5RMB）。
He casually placed the bag next to him on the table and took out four stacks of NT$1000 cash from it.
Li Shuo said directly, "The best wine, the rest can be arranged as you see fit."
The waiter hesitated for a moment and looked at Barbie Hsu.
Barbie Hsu was a little disappointed that her wish hadn't come true... but she wasn't completely unsuccessful in testing the waters.
His eyes were fixed on the open bag next to Li Shuo.
There were at least six or seven stacks of cash in that bag, plus the NT$40 on the table.
You just casually brought 100 million in cash (30 RMB) and waved it around like that?
Li Shuo pushed the cash forward again: "Go ahead, let me know if you need more."
The waiter nodded repeatedly, carefully took the money and the order slip, and left.
The private room was quiet for a few seconds, with only the melody of the background music flowing slowly.
Li Shuo spoke up again, "Why don't we ask Sister Xiaoxuan where she is?"
Looking at him, Barbie Hsu suddenly felt a little uneasy.
She thought about her family situation.
Her father had gambling debts that her mother struggled to keep going. From the moment she entered the industry, she wanted to find a handsome and wealthy young man.
In reality, the rich are either old or ugly, and the handsome are either poor or womanizers.
Why does Fan Xiaoxuan get to meet someone like this just because she appears on a show?
She felt a little uneasy.
Thinking about that guy I was bragging about to my girlfriends the other day, Koo Kyun-yi, who's actually someone I've only just started to have feelings for... I'm so annoyed!
The phone rang again.
Li Shuo picked it up and saw that it was still Evan Carter.
Did he calculate the time difference?
It should be a little after 7 a.m. in Los Angeles, the US right now. Why are you in such a hurry?
Seeing him staring at his phone thoughtfully, Barbie Hsu obediently stood up, went over, and turned off the music that Dee Hsu had been playing.
The private room fell silent.
"Your phone keeps ringing, it must be something important, answer it first."
Barbie Hsu sat back on the sofa, speaking naturally.
"Anyway, the person you're meeting hasn't arrived yet. If it's inconvenient for you, my sister and I can avoid it."
Little S also came over, sat down next to her sister, picked up some snacks and pretended to eat them, nodding and making a cute smile.
Li Shuo recalled watching her sisters' show back then... They even had to translate when they interviewed European and American celebrities.
He then said there was no need to avoid the call and answered it.
Then Li Shuo spoke in a fluent British accent.
Evan Carter sounded excited.
"Little boss, there's been news about Peter Jackson, the New Zealand director you asked me to keep an eye on! His 'Lord of the Rings' project was rejected by all six major Hollywood studios, and negotiations with MGM also fell through. Now the Stein Brothers are only giving us three weeks to negotiate. I contacted him and befriended him as you suggested, and he's been very enthusiastic since I told him there are independent investors interested!"
Li Shuo's eyes lit up with joy; he had finally waited for this moment!
But then I thought, if I left them in America... who knows, they might make contact with new leads!
"Evan, you should do this... as I said before, agree to his conditions, but you have to go on a business trip... bring him to Taiwan, China..."
Barbie Hsu and Dee Hsu exchanged a glance as they listened.
Although I didn't understand much, I vaguely caught a few words... Hollywood? A 5% revenue share with some company? A contract? The first payment... 3000 million... in US dollars?!
Their eyes were filled with shock.
Li Shuo hung up the phone, in a good mood.
He looked up and saw the two people over there who seemed a little confused.
"Sister Big S, how about you help us entertain today? Sister Xiaoxuan can't make it, and it's not appropriate for me to be here. But if it's really not possible, it's okay, consider it my way of showing my respect and treating you to karaoke!"
Barbie Hsu lowered her eyes, and the inexplicable feeling of irritation in her heart grew stronger.
The phone rang again!
However, this time it wasn't Li Shuo's.
Barbie Hsu picked up her phone and saw that it was a call from Renxiong from "Guess Guess Guess".
The moment I answered, the voice on the other end sounded urgent and loud!
"Big S, which private room are you in at 'Qian Gui'?! Anyway, if your bodyguards are here, come out right now! There are a lot of people outside who look like gangsters who have stormed into the store and started smashing things and fighting! If you can't handle it, just hide in your private room. We've already called the police outside!"
Da S hurriedly hung up the phone and rushed to the door to call the bodyguard and driver!
As soon as the door was opened, sounds of smashing, cursing, and screaming came in from outside.
Li Shuo then remembered his right eye, which had been twitching incessantly, when he came in.
Damn! I remember now.
...Back then, I saw this internal strife between the "gangs" Fengtang and Zhantang in Taiwan in 98 several times while scrolling through my phone!
What a coincidence! What's going on...?