Huayu: I'm reborn, but you still force me to be a scumbag?

Chapter 439 Providing timely assistance and establishing friendship
Chen Nuo stepped off the gangway.

Donald came forward, opened his arms, and gave him a warm hug. "Welcome back," he said, handing him the flowers in his hand.

Chen Nuo took the bouquet, glanced at the gaudy colors and extravagant packaging of the tropical flowers, and asked with a smile, "Donald, what brings you here?"

"Haha, this is a pleasant surprise." Old Tang was genuinely smiling. "Ivanka, come on, didn't you say you missed Chen terribly?"

With a slightly helpless smile, Ivanka stepped forward and gave Chen Nuo a gentle hug under Old Tang's loving gaze.

Chen Nuo whispered in her ear, "Why?"

Ivanka was clearly prepared, and almost instantly replied, "The bank."

Oh, Chen Nuo understands.

It turned out that debt collectors had come to his door, and he was being asked to save his life.

After parting ways with Ivanka, Chen Nuo turned to look at Qi Yuntian, who was smiling. It wasn't the time for conversation, so they simply hugged, a thousand words unspoken.

Subsequently, at Donald's enthusiastic invitation, Chen Nuo got into the extended Lincoln that Donald had specially brought.

As soon as the car door was opened, the rich aroma of champagne mingled with the mellow scent emanating from the leather seats and wafted out.

Once inside the car, Chen Nuo discovered a hidden world – this Lincoln was not an ordinary extended version, but a private space that had been meticulously customized and modified.

Two rows of genuine leather seats face each other, with an exquisite bar counter in the middle, inlaid with obsidian. On the counter are displayed vintage champagne, brandy and three different whiskies from different regions. Next to it, a small gold-plated ice bucket holds several bottles of French Evian.

What's even more eye-catching are the two beautiful women inside the car.

One was blonde with blue eyes, the other had cascading black hair; both wore sexy miniskirts. Their four long, shapely legs, encased in sheer stockings, were crossed, and their fair skin trembled gently with their breath beneath the low-cut necklines. A professional, sweet smile graced their faces.

If you told me this place was specifically for receiving royal guests, Chen Nuo would believe it completely.

No wonder the old man made Ivanka move to another car.

They really don't treat him like an outsider.

After the car started, two beautiful women sat on either side of him.

The black-haired woman on the left, "Rebecca," was opening a bottle of Evian for him, pouring it into a wine glass, and handing it to him with a smile.

Chen Nuo took the cup, thanked him softly, and then continued listening to Donald's eloquent speech.

"...My Mar-a-Lago resort is now the most prestigious club in the United States, bar none." Old Tang's hands moved like wings, opening and closing, his voice was very spirited and full of energy.

“When I acquired it, nobody thought it was a good investment. Not a single person, but I knew it was a treasure, a diamond buried in the sand. Now, it is a diamond.”

"Did you see the news last week? We hosted a charity gala, and do you know how many people lined up to attend? Over three hundred! They were all American billionaires with annual incomes of over a billion dollars."

“Members of parliament, billionaires, princes, rock stars—they all want to come.”

“Our club now has over a hundred super-rich members who spend a lot of money here every year, a million, ten million… I don’t want to say it like that, but these people aren’t smart. They like to spend money here, making me richer and richer.”

He paused briefly, then sighed, "9500 million, I really shouldn't have told you that price. If others knew, they would go crazy. Really, that price is insane. But I like you, Chen. You're a winner, a born winner. Winners should be with other winners."

At that moment, the blonde beauty "Barbara" to his right reached out and poured Old Tang a glass of champagne.

Old Tang then raised his glass.

Chen Nuo raised his glass, gently clinked it against his, and then tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

At this point, he understood why Old Tang had arranged this whole setup—it was simply to make Chen Nuo understand that $9500 million was an absolute undervaluation, and that he, Donald, would never default on the loan.

But looking at Old Golden Retriever's honest expression, Chen Nuo could assure him that if that incident hadn't happened later, it would have been a miracle if this guy had actually paid back the money. Or rather, it would have been a wonder if he could actually pay it back at all.

But right now, all Chen Nuo wants to say is: Don't worry, Brother Tang, I have faith in you. If you really need someone to talk for you, I can certainly do the talking for you.

But this situation suited him perfectly.

$4800 million is no small sum, and while he could afford it, he's not a philanthropist. Even if he were, he wouldn't be an American philanthropist. And even if he were, he wouldn't extend his charity to Donald.

If he's willing to lend such a large sum of money, then he must pursue maximum profit.

But what constitutes maximizing benefits?
Chen Nuo pondered this matter for a long time and finally came to an answer:
friendship.

Don't be fooled by the fact that these two words sound so ordinary, even the old man at the entrance of the vegetable market knows them.

But in reality, Chen Nuo racked his brains to reach this conclusion. For the past month, apart from the roadshow, he devoted almost all his energy to this matter.

Without boasting, he said that this was absolutely the state of "seeing a mountain as a mountain again".

Anyone with even a basic understanding of America and Western culture should understand one thing: business is business.

In official matters, Americans value reward mechanisms, not personal relationships. For example, if you donate money to a candidate and they are elected, they might do you a favor within their authority—no problem, it's perfectly reasonable.

But if you expect a senator, a governor, or even... someone to help you based on some "personal connection" beyond political commitments? That's wishful thinking.

But Old Tang... he felt that it wasn't entirely impossible to develop a friendship with this person beyond mere personal connections.

This judgment was not based on Chen Nuo's imagination, but on the impressions pieced together little by little from interviews and news reports he had seen and heard in his later life, plus his personal experiences in this life.

It is absolutely unique in the world.

Because he's the only one in the world who would seriously study a "real estate tycoon" and a "reality TV star," and he's probably the only one who knows that beneath Old Tang's greedy, lecherous, and blatantly lying exterior lies a gangster boss who values ​​"loyalty" above all else.

This was evident in his later reign of power—he appointed his confidants and promoted his family members, and those who remained loyal to him even in times of crisis were often richly rewarded.

This is a kind of gang logic.

As a result, he is more easily swayed by "personal relationships" than traditional American elites.

Of course, building a genuine friendship with such a cunning old fox is not easy. But the current situation of "offering help in times of need" is indeed a golden opportunity.

It's definitely worth betting on.

After finishing his water, Chen Nuo straightened up and said seriously, "Tang, I understand what you mean, but you may not understand what I mean... The actual value of Mar-a-Lago has little to do with me. Do you know why, Donald?"

The old man was a little puzzled: "Why?"

“Because it is your life’s work, your beloved.” Chen Nuo looked at him calmly. “No matter what, I will never take it from you. Just as Donald Tower will always belong to the Trump family, Mar-a-Lago will always have only one owner, and that is you. Only you deserve to own it.”

These words... truly deserve to be a classic quote from "300 Best Lines for Picking Up Girls," which later became the number one bestseller in Xinhua Bookstore. With just a slight modification, changing the bag to an estate, it achieved a very good effect.

Donald was immediately moved. He opened his mouth to say something, but Chen Nuo, in performance mode, had countless golden quotes he had read in books in his mind. He raised his hand imposingly, stopping the old man from speaking, and continued in a deep voice:
"Actually, I helped you not because of these material things, but simply because of one thing. That is, I love... our friendship. In fact, I've always considered you my best friend in America."

……

About an hour later, the convoy stopped in front of Chen Nuo's Palm Beach villa.

He got out of the car, first giving Ivanka a cheek kiss as she got out of the car behind him, then turning back to shake hands with Old Tang. The two agreed to meet at Mar-a-Lago the next morning at nine o'clock to sign the loan agreement. After saying this, Chen Nuo waved goodbye to Old Tang and the others before returning home.

As soon as he entered, Qi Yuntian asked with a face full of curiosity, "What did you talk about with him? That old man seemed a bit strange to me."

Chen Nuo really didn't want to recall what he had just said. Although it had a significant effect, making Donald's expression change and his gaze towards him turn different, it was nothing short of mental torture for him.

He deliberately changed the subject, saying, "I didn't say anything. But you've been working hard lately."

Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, Qi Yuntian stopped asking and sat on the sofa, laughing, "How could I have worked hard? I just sat there arguing with the Warner people, and I didn't even go alone. You're the one who's really lost weight. When your parents see you like this when you get back to China, they'll probably go ballistic again. That movie... do you really still want to make it? Why don't you reconsider?"

At this moment, Gulnazar and Linghu entered carrying several large boxes.

Seeing this, Chen Nuo said, "Let's pack up tomorrow. It's getting late, everyone's tired, let's get some rest."

“Okay, Mr. Chen,” Gulnazar replied.

She glanced at Qi Yuntian on the sofa, and their eyes met. Their gazes locked for a moment.

Gulnazar's heart skipped a beat. She quickly lowered her head, turned around, and walked away, her mind already conjuring up a melodramatic little drama of "femme fatale and brothers turning against each other."

Qi Yuntian watched her figure disappear around the corner of the stairs, and said with a half-smile, "Not bad working with you? Can you be promoted to a permanent position now?"

Chen Nuo nodded: "She is indeed smart and knows the rules. She is worth training. It's the end of the year, so tell Li Jing to give her a bigger year-end bonus."

How much?

"According to Tang Qing's standards."

Should I send US dollars or RMB?

"What do you say?"

"US dollars, we're not short of cash anyway."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Chen Nuo, who had been holding back his laughter since he saw Qi Yuntian, finally burst out laughing.

……

After traveling the world for almost a month, the biggest change he has seen compared to a month ago is not his weight, but the amount of US dollars he can control.

Why was he able to casually lend Donald $4800 million?
that is because--

The first global revenue-sharing meeting for "Inception" has just concluded. Warner Bros. ultimately accepted 10% of the distribution fees, which can be seen as giving face to the future "Batman 3".

As a result, all the participants received their share of the first round of profits.

As the largest shareholder of the film, holding 45% of the shares, and also the company that invested the most, Huanxin has already recouped its initial investment of $1.1 million.

And the bulk of the profits naturally went into Huanxin's accounts.

Huanxin's overseas account balance has exceeded $3 million.

And this is only the first round. As of today, Inception's global box office has surpassed $24 billion. In the next two weeks, revenue sharing from the Japanese market and second-run theaters in North America will also begin to arrive.

Conservative estimates suggest that $5.5 million will be in Huanxin Company's accounts in two weeks.

Even after deducting employee expenses, legal fees, and various bonuses, at least 5 million will still be left.

More importantly—this isn't the end of it.

At this revenue-sharing meeting, Huanxin Company, a "newcomer in the global film industry," finally witnessed firsthand the money-making power of "Hollywood blockbusters."

Compared to the one-off revenue model of domestic films, the "subsequent revenue" here is practically a money-printing machine.

This includes streaming licensing revenue from North America and globally. Warner is currently negotiating exclusive streaming rights with platforms such as Netflix, HBO, and Disney+, with a deal expected to bring in approximately $80 million to $100 million over the next five years.

The broadcasting rights for North American and overseas television stations are estimated at $3000 million to $5000 million.

Next comes Blu-ray and DVD sales. While things are different now, for blockbuster movies like *Inception*, many hardcore movie fans are willing to buy a disc to keep as a collector's item, so there's still a market. Total revenue is estimated at $2000 million to $3000 million.

Finally, there are licensing deals with airlines, cruise ships, hotels, and films. While this long-tail revenue is not particularly noticeable, it is extremely stable and is estimated to contribute around $1000 million.

In summary, the shareholders will receive approximately $1.4 million to $1.9 million in profits over the next five to seven years.

Of that, the amount belonging to Huanxin Company is approximately between US$6300 million and US$8500 million.

In other words, starting today, even if Huanxin does nothing, even if it closes down, it can still reap a profit of 9000 million to 1.2 million RMB every year.

For domestic film companies that work hard to produce a film every year and still have to rely on connections to fight for screen time, this is simply a pipe dream.

Ultimately, the Inception project will bring Renewal Corporation a total revenue of up to $6 million.

Chen Nuo personally received over 4 million US dollars. Even excluding the long-term portion, that's still a substantial 4 million.

What is this concept?
Last year, Forbes reported that Cameron received $3.5 million from Avatar, which caused a sensation at the time and attracted global attention.

But he had more than 100 million less than him!

I wonder how Forbes will portray him next year?

Because it's impossible to hide it forever, we'll probably just have to deal with it as it comes.

After being happy for a while, Chen Nuo said with emotion, "We can finally get dividends this year."

Qi Yuntian asked, "How much do you want to give up?"

Chen Nuo thought for a moment and said, "Let's not repay the Bank of China loan for now. At the end of this year, we will have about $600 million available. Let's keep $100 million for the Hong Kong drama project, $50 million for Japan, reserve some funds for the domestic project next year, and the rest... let's divide it all up."

Qi Yuntian was stunned: "Over four hundred million US dollars? You're saying it's all been divided up?"

Chen Nuo nodded: "Let's distribute the money. We haven't had any dividends for years, it's not easy for anyone. Let's distribute the money this year and have a good New Year."

Qi Yuntian remained silent for a long time, his lips moved several times, and finally he managed to utter a single sentence: "Fuck."

Chen Nuo knew why Qi Yuntian reacted this way.

More than 4 million US dollars, which is about 3 billion RMB, were all divided up. According to the proportion, he would get about 25 billion, Qi Yuntian would get about 30 million, Fan Binbing would get 1 million, and Liu Yifei would get 3600 million.

This is definitely the kind of situation where people eat large chunks of meat, drink large bowls of wine, and when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

The two women who lent out 5000 million and 2000 million respectively have now doubled in two years, which is a pretty good return.

Now that things have come to this, no one should say he's a gigolo anymore, right?
"Remember to keep it a secret," Chen Nuo instructed.

Qi Yuntian snapped out of his daze and nodded seriously: "I understand. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, President Chen. This show of bravado is for you to do yourself!"

……

……

The next morning, Chen Nuo signed the loan agreement in the presence of both parties' legal teams.

After the contracts were exchanged, Old Tang, in front of his children, stopped mentioning how valuable Mar-a-Lago was and instead talked at length about so-called "friendship." Chen Nuo could only respond with a smile to these words.

Looking at Tang and Eric's expressions, and Melania's attitude of personally pouring him coffee, Chen Nuo knew in his heart that his "heart-to-heart talk" in the car had indeed had some effect.

Subsequently, Ivanka offered to show him around Mar-a-Lago, and Chen Nuo readily agreed.

It has to be said that his mindset has changed. Before, he was a guest, but now, he's practically a host. Throughout the tour, he felt more and more comfortable and liking everything he saw.

"Chen, thank you. I really don't know how to express my gratitude..."

As the two reached the end of a secluded archway, Chen Nuo was intently admiring an old painting on the wall. It was said to have belonged to the former owner of the estate—a former richest woman in America—and, though not famous, was nearly a century old. Now, this painting… temporarily, half of it belonged to him.

He was engrossed in watching when Ivanka suddenly stopped, turned her head, and said solemnly, "This time you really helped Donald, and you really helped our whole family. If it weren't for you, we... Just like my father said, from today onwards, you are a true friend of our family."

Chen Nuo looked around and, seeing that no one was around, simply reached out and put his arm around her waist...

After a long silence, their lips parted, and he whispered in her ear, "You know what? This has nothing to do with your father. I just didn't want to upset you. You know, I've always considered you my best friend in America."

Ivanka's body went limp from this scumbag's advances, she pressed herself against him, her lipstick smudged, her clothes slightly disheveled. Her eyes seemed to be misty with tears, yet also burning with a flame: "I know, you're actually my best too..."

"Shh, don't say anything. Take me to that place from last time."

"Um...should we go to the room?"

"No, I like fresh air. What about you?"

"...I like it too."

What followed was a natural progression.

Ivanka's actions were even bolder than before. After they had spied on the row of bushes where Bieber and his father had committed their outrageous acts a few years ago, they "revisited the same place," and everything was even more unrestrained and extravagant than they remembered.

Chen Nuo felt a pang of conscience. Ultimately, to maximize his profits, even if Little Baron asked, he would say the little boy was his best friend.

But when she moved against him rhythmically, rubbing against him with indulgent panting, that false sense of guilt quickly vanished.

……

Donald took the money Chen Nuo had transferred and flew to New York to handle banking matters, while the others remained at Mar-a-Lago. Chen Nuo also took the opportunity to give himself a vacation and fully experience the VIP life of a top-tier club.

Going out to sea with Eric, taking walks with Melania, playing golf with Donald… life was leisurely and fulfilling. He deeply realized that Donald wasn't exaggerating; Mar-a-Lago, besides its top-notch facilities, also had excellent amenities, and its $9500 million valuation was indeed an understatement.

If Old Tang hadn't brought back a guy surnamed "Ai," Chen Nuo might have stayed a few more days. But the guy insisted on introducing them as if they were brothers and wanted to make Chen Nuo a close friend, so Chen Nuo had to make up an excuse to go back to China to leave.

As a result, his brother insisted on lending him his private plane to take him back to China.

He couldn't find any reason to refuse, so after repeatedly forbidding anyone from taking photos on the plane, he boarded the plane that later became very famous.

It has to be said, this is a really good plane. No wonder people like Clinton and Andrew like to fly on it, and he likes it quite a bit too. In particular, the flight attendants are very professional, which immediately reminded him of "Rebecca" and "Barbara" in that Lincoln.

Chen Nuo was willing to bet that these people were definitely trained in the same system and the same place. As for where that was... his imagination was limited, and he could only think of a certain island.

He suddenly had an idea: once his private jet was delivered, should he also hire such a professional flight service team?
Actually, if you think about it carefully, it might be worth considering. He's saving people from suffering.

……

……

On November 2, 2011, Chen Nuo quietly returned to her long-lost motherland.

He arranged his return in an extremely low-key manner. Not only was there no word from the outside world, but the paparazzi at the airport were completely unaware, and even his company employees were oblivious. Apart from Li Jing, he didn't even tell Liu Yifei.

As soon as he landed in Shanghai, he heard some shocking inside information from Li Jing on the phone:

—Han Sanping, the chairman of China Film Group, who has dominated the industry for many years, is about to retire to the second line.

"When did this happen?"

"I heard this in the last couple of days, and it's not 100% accurate, but the news seems to be that he originally had a few more years left, but his health has been poor recently, so he's preparing to retire early."

"..."

Anyone who believes the claim of "retirement due to illness" is a fool.

But why exactly? Is it because of the influence of "Inception"? Or is there another reason?
Although their relationship had cooled somewhat since the beginning, "even if a deal falls through, goodwill remains." Chairman Han had previously arranged a job for Zhang Xinyu for him and even said he would treat him to a meal when he returned to China.

They haven't even had a meal yet, and the person is about to die?

Is that true?
Chen Nuo was filled with questions. After much deliberation, he immediately dialed Han Sanping's number.

On the phone, President Han was initially very happy to receive his call, but upon hearing his question, his enthusiasm waned. He said it was inconvenient to discuss it over the phone, but the original banquet would still be held, and he asked him to meet up with him as soon as he returned to Beijing.

After hanging up the phone, Fan Bingbing's voice came from behind him, asking curiously, "Didn't Han Sanping and you have a falling out? Why are you so concerned about him?"

Chen Nuo said, "You don't understand."

He wasn't really that concerned about Han Sanping. What he was actually concerned about was his own timeline, the turbulence stirred up by the butterfly effect.

Although many things in this world have changed so far, the fact that such major changes are happening right around him, and that he feels he has no control over them, still gives him an instinctive sense of crisis.

Should we actually go and meet with Han Sanjian, have a chat, and see what's really going on?

Chen Nuo was hesitating.

Fan Binbing stepped forward and said, "How can I understand if you don't tell me? Can't you teach me what I don't understand?"

Chen Nuo glanced at her, waved his hand, and said indifferently, "I hear the child crying. Go and comfort the child first."

(End of this chapter)