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

Chapter 511 His Mother's Woman

In his previous life, Chen Nuo understood a principle when he was around thirty-two years old:
Human nature is complex, and the world is not a black-and-white diode.

Just because someone is willing to lend you their only umbrella on a stormy day doesn't mean they won't block and delete you after borrowing your money someday.

Conversely, a philandering man may not necessarily have never had a sincere heart and truly loved someone.

He was like that, and he believed Donald was too.

Perhaps everyone who has spent half their life adrift in the chaos of the world will become a complex, calculating egoist amidst the deceit and intrigue of those years.

When Donald throws out such a tempting bait, treating him like a "sucker" to lure him in, is there even a trace of consideration for him as a friend?
Chen Nuo felt that there was some truth to it.

Otherwise, the old man wouldn't have looked away and avoided eye contact when he said those words—

Fuck you, Donald.

……

3000 million, 10%.

Chen Nuo felt that Donald must have mistaken him for someone else and gotten his nationality wrong.

Donald Trump's conglomerate was founded in the 20s. As the second generation, during the Manhattan real estate recession of the 70s, he boldly and ruthlessly borrowed heavily from banks to acquire properties at bargain prices, laying the foundation for his future real estate empire. Starting in the late 70s, he expanded his fortunes, and now his assets span across Europe and America, encompassing luxury residential and commercial real estate, golf courses, hotels and resorts, entertainment and casinos, television media, brand licensing, and many other sectors.

As for how much money is earned each year, and what the total value of fixed assets and brand is, it is.
Because the Donald Group has never been publicly listed and is a 100% privately held company, with almost all shares controlled by Donald himself, the group's internal finances, assets, and debts have always been a complete "black box."

No one knows exactly how much it made, nor does anyone know exactly how much it owes.

Some say it is already insolvent and worthless, while others estimate its assets to be over 10 billion and that it is "the real estate developer on Earth that knows how to operate a brand best."

If he were truly a young actor in his early twenties who had become a sensation in Hollywood by chance and made some quick money, he might have been intimidated by the $30 million "shares," thinking he could get a good deal, and might have agreed without thinking.

Unfortunately—he wasn't.

Since Donald Trump began running for president in 2016, he has been portraying himself as a "billionaire" and "business giant." Leading financial magazines such as Forbes, Bloomberg, and Fortune have published numerous articles analyzing just how much money he actually has.

Forbes estimates his net worth to be between $25 billion and $30 billion. Bloomberg gives a more conservative estimate, placing it between $15 billion and $20 billion.

Fortune magazine, after taking into account its debt and collateral, gave it a minimum valuation of approximately $10 billion.

These are just the mainstream magazines; there are countless other unofficial reports and gossip.

Anyone who went online in America at that time could not escape the bombardment of these articles.

Chen Nuo happened to be in LA in 2016, dating a Korean girl, so he remembers these things very clearly.

Now, Donald himself is offering him $3000 million for 10% of the shares.

In other words, this old man values ​​his company at $3 million. That's less than a third of the valuation Fortune magazine gave him in 2016.

Given the old man's personality of wanting to exaggerate his wealth to ten dollars, why would he so blatantly underestimate his own assets to give him money?

Therefore, there are only two possibilities.

First, the old man really has Alzheimer's disease.

Secondly, they treated him as a Japanese person and made fun of him.

As for which one is the truth.

Need I say more?

If he agrees, the best outcome for him might be that after Old Tang recovers in the next year or two, he will return the money to him, and then some means will be used to make him back down.

In the worst-case scenario, he probably won't get back a single penny of his money, including interest.

He's supposed to be a shareholder, but if you give him the annual financial report as a minor shareholder, you'd be lucky if you didn't ask him to make up the difference, let alone expect dividends. With losses every year, what are you going to get?

Even when he asked his accounting team to audit the books, they couldn't find any problems.

How did someone manage to evade so many taxes right under the nose of the IRS?
Can you rely on just your mouth?
For a decades-old conglomerate like this, if they really wanted to hide something, they would have countless ways to do so.

In this situation, the so-called investment is really just a joke.

It sounds like a long story, but in reality, these things only went through Chen Nuo's mind once.
He was ready to express his opinion.

But just before he was about to speak, he paused without warning, and finally said, "Donald, you sound very sincere. I agree."

"Hahahaha!" Donald burst into laughter, his eyes gleaming with smugness. "Chen, you won't regret this. It's absolutely the wisest decision you've ever made. We'll have a great time working together!"

Chen Nuo laughed too: "Hahaha, it's a pleasure to work with you."

Their laughter echoed and mingled in the luxurious presidential suite, making it difficult to tell who was who at first glance.

……

“Chen, I know you’ve figured it out. Donald doesn’t understand you, but I do. You always bite your nails when you’re thinking, and this isn’t the first time. You always do it when you’re unhappy.”

The woman said, "Yes, you're right, this is a trap."

Chen Nuo turned his head and stared at her: "Oh?"

Ivanka nodded: "He knows you won't lend him money easily again, so he packaged it like this to get the money from you."

Chen Nuo sneered: "Is it a loan, or a lie?"

Ivanka hesitated for a moment, then said, "He'll pay you back."

"Really? Ivanka, I'm serious. Your dad looks like a wolf in a suit. I think he dug a big hole for me and is going to bury me."

Ivanka paused for a moment, then suddenly looked at him and said, "But you still agreed."

Chen Nuo shrugged and said, "Didn't you give me a hint?"

Just moments before, as he was about to speak, the woman sitting behind Old Tang gave him a sharp wink, which made Chen Nuo pause.

Upon hearing that he had agreed to invest, Old Tang was overjoyed. When he left, he suggested that Ivanka stay behind so that the two young people could have a proper talk alone, which led to the scene we see today.

Upon hearing his words, Ivanka immediately seemed touched. She stretched out her arms, wrapped them around his neck, sat on his lap, and gave him a deep French kiss.

They kissed for almost a minute before separating, both of them breathless.

"Wait, wait a minute. Let's finish what we have to say first."

"We'll talk about it after we finish it."

"No, Chen, I have to say it... I have to finish."

Ivanka grabbed Chen Nuo's wrist and firmly pulled his hand away from below.

At this point, the woman's inexpensive Chanel black dress was already wrinkled beyond recognition.

Her skirt was completely lifted up, curled up at her waist, revealing a pair of long, voluptuous legs, flesh-colored stockings covering her buttocks, and a narrow black thong.

The scene could be described as vibrant and lively.

Chen Nuo took a deep breath, calmed his impulse, and said, "Go ahead."

"List."

Ivanka's eyes sparkled as she gazed intently at him. "First of all, thank you for standing up for me against Donald, and thank you for trusting me—it really means a lot to me."

Chen Nuo said in a serious tone, "...Ivanka, you are so beautiful and kind. You truly deserve everyone's love and trust. I know you. You are different from your father and your brother. You are like an angel. Even the dirty shopping mall could not taint your holiness. You are God's good lamb. I believe you, really. I believe whatever you say."

His impromptu, heartfelt confession brought tears to Ivanka's eyes, and she said, her voice slightly choked, "Chen, I don't know... I don't know if I'm worthy of your description."

Chen Nuo gazed at her and said softly, "Of course you deserve it, darling."

Under his gaze, Ivanka seemed to be struck by something, staring blankly at him, her body slowly sliding down without her realizing it.

Chen Nuo stroked her silky blonde hair and asked, "Weren't you going to speak first?"

Ivanka muttered, "Now I've changed my mind. I think the other way around is fine too... Ugh, slurp~"

Chen Nuo felt a chill rush to his head and couldn't help but close his eyes.

Just then, no one saw a graceful figure in high heels stepping silently onto the wool carpet inside, walking in quietly from the foyer.

Gulnazar was almost scared to death.

After seeing off her guests, she sat in the lobby playing on her phone and started to doze off. Before she knew it, she had dozed off for about ten minutes. When she woke up, she was about to come over and ask Chen Nuo if there was anything else.

And then... I actually saw this!
She suddenly leaned against the wall.

Faint sounds came in waves.

It made her heart pound like a drum.

I haven't encountered a situation like this in a long time.

She calmed down a little, stuck her head out, glanced at it quickly, and then pulled it back in.

At that glance, he saw the man sitting casually on the sofa, while the blonde woman was kneeling in front of him, shaking her head.

The faint sound came from there.

Gulnazar felt a little dizzy and short of breath. She wanted to walk, but her feet seemed to be rooted to the spot, and she couldn't move.

I don’t know how long it took.

Finally, the sounds of water and noise in the suite's living room stopped.

At this moment, the alluring body that had been pressed against the wall had vanished without a trace. Only a small, dark mark, about the size of a fingernail, remained on the wall, about one meter high.

A few minutes later, the previously interrupted conversation was finally resumed.

"Although Donald wasn't sincere in this deal, everything would be different if I helped you."

Chen Nuo shook his head and said, "But I don't want to do that. Donald is your father, and I don't think it's right to do this."

Ivanka stroked his chest and said, "I'm not betraying him, I'm helping him."

"Oh?"

“I don’t want this incident to affect your relationship with our family. I think what he did was wrong; he shouldn’t treat his friends like that, let alone you. You’ve helped us so many times before; without your $4800 million, we might have gone bankrupt. So… I think he made a mistake.”

Chen Nuo smiled and said, "Hearing you say that is enough for me. Don't worry, Ivanka, I know Donald's personality. Actually, as long as we don't talk about money, he's a very good friend. Not to mention you are here too. Even for your sake, I won't hold it against him. I don't need you to be my inside man. I would feel guilty doing so."

Ivanka couldn't help but hug him tightly around the waist, her voice trembling slightly as she murmured, "Chen, you're such a good person."

Chen Nuo smiled and stroked the woman's hair without saying a word.

……

……

A good person with a conscience?

Chen Nuo really wanted to know what Ivanka's expression would be if she knew that he would agree to it even if she did nothing.

Indeed, he bit his hand.

He was indeed in a bad mood.

Bad as it may be, and he may see through it, but what reason does he have not to pay the $3000 million?
Although from a lending perspective, there's a high probability of losing everything after lending it out, and forget about any dividends—so what?
All he knew was that no matter how many underhanded tricks Donald used to get him to willingly part with his money, he couldn't pull any real tricks on the surface. Legally, he would become a hidden shareholder of the Trump Group.

It's useless now, but what about after 2016?

Putting aside the potential surge in Donald Group's market value, he's also afraid of offending anyone while navigating the Western world. For example, Rupert Murdoch of News Corporation has a history with him.

If we really manage to take down some big shot, it wouldn't be too much to ask Old Tang to send a team of Secret Service agents to protect him, would it?

The best part is that when Old Tang receives his request, he'll probably just have to accept it with a wry smile, and there'll be nothing he can do about it.

Because gangsters need a reason to kill someone.
In this matter, both morally and logically, he was an innocent victim from beginning to end.

It was you, Lao Tang, who forced it on me.

Ivanka knows, Donald Jr. knows, Melania knows, Chen Nuo believes, and probably everyone in the Trump Group will know by then.

So, what can we do to him besides saying "good luck"?
Spending $3000 million to buy a talisman that grants him access to the world is absolutely worth it!

The key point is that he actually has that money.

Not to mention that he received $3.5 million in profits from Inception, besides the $3 million that went into his Interactive Brokers account and was converted into stocks, there was also $5000 million in his Bank of America account as pocket money.

Even tomorrow, he will still receive a considerable sum of money.

To this, Chen Nuo could only say that making movies is really profitable.

……

"Welcome to Mattel, welcome, Chen."

When Chen Nuo arrived at Mattel's headquarters at 10:8 AM Eastern Time on August 15, 2012, he was once again personally greeted by Lucy Handler, the same senior executive.

When he walked into the signing room, not only did Lucy stand up with a smile to welcome him, but the entire Mattel team also stood up and applauded enthusiastically.

Lucy smiled and said, "Chen, our collaboration over the past four years has been like a beautiful dream. And today, I am incredibly excited because we can continue to make this dream a reality."

"Thank you," Chen Nuo said emotionally. "For me, Mattel is also of great significance. I am very honored to continue our cooperation."

This contract, which was actually due to expire in April, went through a tug-of-war between the employer and employee for nearly four months before they finally reached an agreement on the amount and term.

Five years for 40 million—that's the new endorsement contract. Compared to the four-year, $7 million contract in 2008, Chen Nuo's endorsement fee has increased nearly fivefold in just four years.

to this end,

Before signing the contract, Lucy Handler delivered another impassioned speech: "Four years ago, Mattel first partnered with Mr. Chen Nuo. At that time, we hoped to find an ambassador who could truly resonate with global consumers, transcend cultural barriers, and revitalize the brand. Today, I can proudly say that we have not only found the right person, but the most perfect candidate."

“Since 2008, with Chen as our spokesperson, sales of our product line have increased by nearly 30%, with particularly significant growth in the Asian market, setting a record for the best performance in the past decade. In North America and Europe, consumer favorability toward the brand image has also reached an all-time high – we have never received so much positive feedback.”

"Chen's positive image has allowed the Barbie brand to continue its vitality and has also made the character of Chen a new profit growth point for Mattel."

"Today's renewal is not just a piece of paper for us, but a journey of continuing trust. Chen, thank you for your hard work over the past four years, and thank you for choosing to continue walking with us."

In response, Chen Nuo had to make a perfunctory statement, speaking with great emotion: "I will never forget that Mattel was my first endorsement offer from the American market. At that time, I was just starting out and had a lot of uncertainties, but you were willing to choose me and trust me at that time... I am very excited today because..."

He rambled on for a couple of minutes, ending with the clichéd statement, "I hope that in the next five years, I can create a better tomorrow together with Mattel."

But after he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted, and the atmosphere in the meeting room became extremely enthusiastic.

Chen Nuo then sat down and solemnly signed his name, "Chen Nuo," on the last page of the contract.

In this way, he further solidified his position as the "King of Endorsements" in the consumer markets for infants, toddlers, and teenagers in both the East and the West.

Mattel immediately announced the contract renewal with Chen Nuo on its official website and Twitter account. The tweet was retweeted thousands of times within ten minutes, generating a huge response. Numerous comments and discussions quickly appeared on social media platforms.
"OMG! Chen Nuo is back!! One of Mattel's best decisions ever!" — @Toy222
"That's wonderful! My kids love him! I've been so worried these past few months. I was terrified of seeing him at Hasbro." — @MomOfThreeNY
"I've gotten used to seeing his posters at the entrance of Mattel stores; he's a major reason why I, a housewife, am drawn in to buy gifts for my kids. Mattel made a wise choice." — @BrandWatcher2002
"The only Hollywood star without any negative news, no scandals, no countless ex-girlfriends, and no constant parties—Matteo definitely chose a great spokesperson. Looking forward to the new poster. Chen always manages to surprise us." —@Xfreeze
"Upon hearing the news, my daughter started jumping around in the living room." —@SingleDadLA
The comment section kept refreshing, and it even reached the seventh spot on Twitter's local trending list: "#ChenNuoReturnsToTaymania".

However, Chen Nuo didn't have time to look at these things at all. He even had to postpone his upcoming commercial shoot at Mattel because he had to rush to the airport to catch his G650 to California to be his best man.

This was certainly not Chen Nuo's first time being a groomsman. In his previous life, as a lifelong bachelor, he was the obvious choice for groomsman among his friends.

He has been a groomsman countless times.

Therefore, when he arrived at the wedding and heard that the event manager Mark Zuckerberg had hired wanted him to sing a song on stage, he wasn't particularly moved. He had done this many times before, and he wasn't intimidated.

However, when he heard the title of the song he was going to perform and who his partner would be singing with him on stage, he was taken aback and asked incredulously, "You want me to go up and sing 'Love Story' with her? Mark and the others invited Taylor too?"

"Yes, is there a problem, Chen?"

"Of course there's a problem. Weren't Mark and the others planning a secret wedding? Why does this feel anything but secret? They're even going to sing and invite her!"

"That's how it was supposed to be, a secret wedding."

The bespectacled, bald man in front of Chen Nuo suddenly smiled and said, "But didn't the plan change later? Chen, you should know the reasons very well."

"Later, under very tight time constraints, Mr. Zuckerberg commissioned our company to prepare a grand wedding for him, so we invited Taylor Swift, and we're also preparing for you to share the stage with her. I believe the atmosphere will be amazing. It will be an absolutely groundbreaking stage; who could imagine you two singing together? I think the newlyweds will be very happy."

Chen Nuo was taken aback and hadn't said anything yet. Allison suddenly interjected at this moment: "No, change the song. Chen will not sing any songs with Taylor Swift."

The bald man frowned and said, "Excuse me, ma'am, are you serious? Why? Taylor Swift may not be a huge star right now, but she's on a roll, winning a lot of awards, and everyone says she's the next Mariah Carey. Singing with her won't damage Chen's image. Besides, the wedding is tomorrow, and it might be too late to change the program now."

"Don't ask me why, I have no comment. Chen will not be performing with Taylor Swift; it's a decision made by our team," Allison said. "As for how you're going to handle this situation and whether you can come up with a new program, that's your job, not mine."

A hint of anger flashed across the bald man's face, but he quickly suppressed it and said with a speechless expression, "Madam, why didn't you say so sooner?"

Allison said, "That's because you didn't tell me sooner. So, that's it, either change the program or cancel the show."

The bald man sighed and said, "OK, I'll go and discuss it again."

Chen Nuo didn't know who the bald man had consulted with. In any case, Mark Zuckerberg didn't call him, but the female protagonist came to his door that very night.

"See her?" Allison asked.

Chen Nuo remained calm and said, "I'll see you, but you'll stay here. Don't leave."

A hint of a smile flashed in Alison's eyes as she nodded and said, "I understand."

Later, in the villa room that Zuckerberg had arranged for him, Chen Nuo saw that crazy woman who was over 180cm tall walk straight toward him with several entourage.

In that instant, Chen Nuo was truly afraid.

To be honest, he wouldn't be afraid if the other person was just a player; they might even have some in common.

Even if they break up, he doesn't care.

In reality, it's just a friendly fling or something. It's not like it's a big deal in the Western entertainment industry.
But this woman was different from everyone else! She was arguably the only woman in the entire world he felt wary of!
After his mistake last time, he was filled with remorse. After the Oscar incident, he avoided that woman like the plague. He never expected to run into her here!
Damn it, I knew I shouldn't have come!

Now that things have come to this, what can we do?
One wrong move and you could end up with a completely ruined reputation!

"Chen, why won't you share the stage with me?" Taylor Swift said angrily. "I just heard the news, and I can hardly believe my ears. Do you know that by doing this, you've made me a laughingstock!"

Chen Nuo had never been so humble in front of a woman in his life. He smiled wryly and said, "I'm sorry, Taylor. It's just that my voice isn't in good condition and I'm prone to singing off-key. I'm afraid people will laugh at me if I sing with you."

Taylor frowned and asked, "Really?"

"real."

"But you sound perfectly normal to me now."

"Really, I have a cold. Listen, cough cough cough."

“…Sing a couple of lines and let me hear it.”

“￥@￥！！@#”

Sing it seriously!

“This is singing with real dedication.”

“No, I think you’re playing me.” Taylor Swift looked at him seriously and said, “I want to talk to you alone. I think there might be some misunderstanding between us.”

Chen Nuo firmly shook his head and said, "No need. Let's just say I have some things to do here and haven't finished talking with them yet."

Taylor asked, "Are you sure?"

"yes, I'm sure."

Taylor hesitated for a moment, then said, "Chen, I know you think I slept with you because I wanted some inspiration from you. But I want to tell you that's not the case. You've misunderstood me."

"Pfft!"

Someone is laughing.

However, Chen Nuo looked around and saw that everyone looked serious and solemn, and he couldn't figure out who they were.

He maintained his smile and said, "Taylor, I'm not. I just have a sore throat."

Taylor said, "You don't need to lie to me. Last time... yes, it was my fault. But why didn't you answer my calls or reply to my texts? I just wanted to chat with you, but you never paid any attention to me. Later, you even blocked me. I had no choice but to..."

Chen Nuo remained silent and continued to smile.

"It's only... but it's not my fault, is it? Could I control my mind? Or my hands? The melody just flowed out, along with the lyrics. I just wrote them down, and that's all I did!"

Chen Nuo gritted his teeth and endured it.

"Really. You believe me, I didn't want to do this. I know it's an invasion of your privacy, I..."

"Shut up! You lunatic!" Chen Nuo couldn't hold back any longer and shouted, "You didn't want to, you didn't do anything, you just wrote it down! Taylor, are you ashamed of yourself when you talk like that? I'm ashamed of you! Let me tell you what you did, you not only wrote it down, you recorded it as a song, you put it on your album, and you even used that damn song to be the best-selling song for over a month!"

"DAMN! Is this what you mean by 'didn't do anything'? What did you write in your lyrics? Do I need to remind you? 'I miss your yellow skin, your sweet smile~' Do you know how dangerous that is? How many yellow-skinned men do you think Hollywood or Americans have in mind? Huh? Would Jackie Chen sleep with you?"

“Answer me, Taylor! All these rumors are your doing. If I go up with you again tomorrow to sing some love story, do I need to remind you of the consequences? It'll spread like wildfire, and even a pig could figure out who your yellow-skinned guy is!”

Taylor's face flushed red instantly. After a couple of seconds of stunned silence, her voice suddenly rose: "That song is my emotion, my inspiration! You know what kind of creator I am! I wrote about my feelings, my experiences. I didn't mention your name, I didn't even tell anyone that the song was related to you!"

As she spoke, her eyes reddened, and her voice began to tremble: "You called me crazy? Did you ever think about how heartbroken I was? You just blocked me like that, as if I'd never existed in your life. You disappeared, leaving me alone to wait for news like an idiot. You didn't give me a single explanation, and now, you won't even sing a song with me?"

Chen Nuo's face turned ashen. He didn't say anything, just stared at her coldly.

Taylor lowered her head, as if trying her best to control her emotions, then looked up at him again: "I'm not here to argue. I just want to tell you that I really like you, even if you hate me now, I have to say it. That song, yes, it was written for you—but, not for promotion, not for sales, but because back then, I really missed you. I really want to go back to that December!"

The air was so still that you could hear a pin drop.

Taylor took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and said softly, "I will go on stage as usual tomorrow. If you still don't want to, then I will understand. But please don't call me crazy anymore, at least... don't insult my love."

After saying that, she turned around and left the room without looking back.

Chen Nuo stood there, not saying a word for a long time.

After a while, Allison asked, "Chen, what do you think now? My advice is not to be soft-hearted. No matter what she says, you shouldn't perform on the same stage with her. That song was originally a solo performance. The event company just wanted to create some hype and hype up the atmosphere. But I suggest you ignore her. If you and she have a scandal, it will be very bad for your image. You know, you just signed an endorsement deal with Mattel. One of Chen's most important qualities is loyalty. You can't be a playboy... Chen, are you listening to me?"

"Yes, I'm listening."

Chen Nuo snapped out of his daze and turned to say, "Allison, the more I think about it, the more something seems off. Do you think that argument I had with her just now, was something that woman had planned all along? What if she was out of inspiration again, so she came to argue with me so she could write another damn pop song later?"

Allison paused for a moment, then frowned and said, "I can hardly say it's impossible."

"Shit! That's definitely the fucking way!"

PS:
The foreshadowing in Chapter 445 is resolved.

I'm sleepy. I'll correct any typos tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)