Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 430 A Battle of Wits! "Detective Dee" VS "Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty"!
Since it's a gathering of old 'friends,' all the old friends have to be there.

Ma Xun also brought Bai Xiaohang along.

Originally, the two of them had discussed who Sun Donghai could bring to this so-called gathering.

Thinking about it, it's probably, maybe, or it should be the Pumpkin Couple.

This is in line with his personality; since he's poached someone, he might as well show off his poaching success.

Yes, that's what Sun Donghai could do at that moment.

When they arrived at the restaurant, the hot pot place the three of them used to frequent, they didn't see Pumpkin and his wife. Instead, a person appeared who surprised both Ma Xun and Bai Xiaohang.

"Oh my! Haha... It's been so long since we've had hot pot together! Haha..."

Bai Daqing!
Why is he here?

The key point is that Bai Daqing is clearly on the same side as Sun Donghai, and the two of them are waiting for Ma Xun and Bai Xiaohang as if they were the hosts.

This is an attitude, a very clear attitude.

Ma Xun simply kept smiling, but Bai Xiaohang couldn't help but speak first.

"Brother, why are you here?"

This is a fairly common question, and naturally, it carries a slightly complaining tone.

However, it should still be within an acceptable range.

But then Bai Daqing's reaction became somewhat intense.

"How can you say that? You can come but I can't?"

With that raised eyebrow and that nonchalant look, hey! He totally nailed the style of Master Jing.

Bai Xiaohang was really embarrassed. He could match the style, but the problem was that the other person was his brother.

"I didn't mean that, I really didn't mean that."

Bai Daqing continued, "Okay, that's good. Come on, take your seats, let's eat and chat."

It sounds like the matter is over, but his tone and expression are clearly not right.

Ma Xun was somewhat surprised, but he understood what he had just read.

Bai Xiaohang and Bai Daqing are brothers, and there's probably something going on between them.

Bai Xiaohang hadn't told me before, and besides, it was their family matter, so it was normal for him not to tell me.

This change, however, surprised Ma Xun quite a bit.

This disrupted their previous plans, and Bai Xiaohang gave Ma Xun an apologetic look.

Ma Xun didn't say much, just smiled calmly, indicating that he didn't care.

That's all there is to say.

Let's have some food and drinks first, and then chat about topics that are relevant to the dinner table.

We reminisced about the past, and then it was time to talk about football, international affairs, and so on.

woman?

Actually, men don't talk about women very often when they get together.

Moreover, today's gathering clearly has a special purpose.

After chatting for a while, Sun Donghai started to steer the conversation toward the main event of the day.

"No, do you guys know what I did for a long time before that?"

The way this question is phrased is as if to say: I did something awesome, hurry up and ask me, hurry up and ask me!

Ma Xun wanted to laugh, while Bai Xiaohang felt inexplicably annoyed.

"Sun Donghai, we don't care what you've done! But what are you thinking about poaching our employees? Should we settle this with words or fists? Just get it over with!"

To be honest, Bai Xiaohang's demeanor was quite impressive, and his straightforward manner was exactly what Ma Xun needed.

After so many years together, these kinds of team plays are second nature to them.

There's no need for Ma Xun to make a move yet.

Sure enough, a hint of sinister intent flashed in Sun Donghai's eyes when he heard this, but he still wanted to say it... he couldn't hold it in.

"Hehe, buddy, I landed a big project over there! Hehe... I didn't make much, just a hundred million or so right now. As for what happens next... hehehe..."

Is this huge project really that amazing?
Bai Xiaohang was quite direct: "What the hell are you showing off for!"

That's ruthless! That's direct!

Before Ma Xun could say anything to Sun Donghai, Bai Daqing spoke first.

"Xiao Hang! How can you talk like that? That's so rude! Apologize to your brother Sun!"

Good grief, he's really showing off his big brother authority.

Bai Xiaohang's face instantly changed color, his blood rushing to his head; he had never turned this red before when drinking.

Ma Xun patted Bai Xiaohang on the shoulder and said, "Getting angry is bad for your health, buddy, there's no need for that."

This sentence eased the atmosphere, but Ma Xun's words did not imply that Bai Xiaohang should apologize.

Interestingly, the way he referred to "buddies" made it difficult for Sun Donghai and Bai Daqing to find fault with him.

Although I know this guy wasn't referring to the two of them, he was implying that they were involved. Besides, it was unnecessary, and maybe he was saying: Sun Donghai, you don't need to show off in front of us.

Thus, this statement, which has many meanings and can be interpreted in multiple ways, brought silence to the gathering once again.

But Ma Xun knew it was his turn to step in.

“Sun Donghai, we know you’re making a lot of money, right? It’s just a real estate project in Guangzhou. But how did you get the news, and how did you do it…?”

I vaguely remember that when this real estate project first started, we guys had a really good time eating hot pot.

Great!

Ma Xun is pointing this out first: I know your background, Sun Donghai, and what kind of business you're in.

Then, she directly confronted him.

You're making a fortune without sharing it with us brothers, and it's quite early now. You're hiding something from us!
Upon hearing this, Sun Donghai's face stiffened.

He was in the lead just now, having persuaded Bai Daqing to support him. In fact, this was the game Sun Donghai was most confident of winning.

He had calculated that Ma Xun would definitely bring Bai Xiaohang over, and Bai Daqing, being Bai Xiaohang's older brother, would naturally be able to suppress this guy.

As a result, Sun Donghai believed that he could say goodbye to Ma Xun.

Unexpectedly, just as we got to the 'showing off' stage, Ma Xun directly picked us out!
Damn it, how does this guy know so much?
That's right, although Ma Xun didn't go into much detail, it was enough.

Ma Xun pointed out the key to Sun Donghai's business.

The real estate industry... actually, some real estate companies in China are particularly lucky.

It was an unremarkable piece of land, and no one had ever thought that it could have any development potential.

Then some real estate companies took them, and the funniest thing is that it didn't take long, at most a year.

This piece of land suddenly changed!
Originally inconspicuous, it was suddenly included in the planning of a certain high-tech park or some kind of industrial park.

No development is needed; it just rolls upwards.

Once or twice is one thing, but if it happens ten or eight times...

Luck? Inside story... cough cough, it can only be said that they have good judgment.

People can't help but want to show off, just like Sun Donghai.

Later, an internet celebrity who bought a luxury house online explored the house and showed it to many netizens. Putting aside the house itself, the key thing was what was inside.

Antiques, fine wines, and so on...

Some people immediately recognized that this was the residence of a real estate company owner who was exceptionally lucky.

If I say anything more, I'll be banned.

Sun Donghai's business is definitely based on the same formula!

Moreover, he definitely wanted to show off.

The desire to show off is something everyone has.

As Xiang Yu said back then, if you don't show off, it's like wearing fine clothes in the dark.

More than twenty years later, Xiaohua's earrings are still around...

It has been like this for over two thousand years.

Ma Xun knew Sun Donghai's mindset, and seeing his smugness at that moment, he decided to ruin Sun Donghai's "grand show"!
Moreover, I pointed out the key points.

This approach has a fatal flaw: real estate development cycles are relatively long, so knowing in advance that a certain area is going to be developed requires keeping that information to yourself.

But this hiding will take at least several years.

Isn't this just you, Sun Donghai, hogging all the benefits?
You're not helping us brothers get rich!

We fell out later, but actually you were the one who had been plotting against me first!

Originally, this hot pot meal was organized by Sun Donghai, and he was clearly in a very aggressive mood, but now... he's all deflated!

Even Bai Daqing's gaze towards him changed slightly.

Ma Xun had essentially turned the tide of the battle, and then, he delivered another blow!
"You didn't help your brothers make big money, that's one thing, after all, it's in the past. But now you're poaching your brothers' talent. The way you've done this... Nezha, Chenxiang, Haier Brothers..."

Before Ma Xun could finish speaking, Bai Xiaohang curiously interjected, "Why are they all children?"

"Who in their right mind would do such a thing!"

That's ruthless! That's a really harsh insult!

Bai Xiaohang burst into laughter upon hearing this, and even Bai Daqing couldn't help but chuckle.

Then she quickly covered her mouth and gave Sun Donghai an apologetic look.

But at this moment, Sun Donghai was so angry that his hands were trembling!
"Ma Xun! You're really something!" Sun Donghai couldn't hold back any longer and was about to flip the table, but the table was firmly fixed in place, so he decided to get to the point!
"I'm going to steal your guy! What can you do about it?"

Ma Xun remained calm and smiled, "It's just a matter of everyone setting their own terms. What you can set, I can set too. So, as far as I know, the couple didn't actually sign anything with you."

So they've already taken action!

Sun Donghai was furious. He knew Ma Xun was a tough opponent, and this time it was no good... No way!
"Ma Xun, let's have a battle of wits!"

"Oh, how exactly do you intend to engage in this intellectual battle?"

"Alright, let's each find a show to air and see whose show is more popular! Whoever wins, the two screenwriters will definitely think that the other has stronger future potential, and they will be more willing to continue working with that person."

"Let's do a literary contest, what do you think?"

As Sun Donghai spoke, his breathing gradually calmed down.

After hearing this, Ma Xun chuckled and immediately said, "No, buddy, how many sleepless nights have you spent thinking about this plan?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Xiaohang burst into laughter again.

Sun Donghai was furious!

And the prediction actually came true... I really had been thinking about it for quite a while.

Actually, his statement about who will be stronger in the future is complete nonsense.

Sun Donghai simply wanted to beat Ma Xun once, so he could legitimately poach him.

With the arrival of the Pumpkin Couple, Sun Donghai was able to resume his career in the entertainment industry, as the couple were quite capable, and investing in them guaranteed quality. Otherwise, Sun Donghai's current situation would only allow him to continue in real estate, specifically the kind of real estate projects where he already knew the inside story.

He had already lost his place in the circles of the Wang brothers, Zhang Xinming, Thirteen Young Master, Qin Hong, and others.

They have no say, and even if they aren't ostracized, they have no influence.

Sun Donghai is doing all this because he wants to get back what he used to have. After all, he's become much stronger and is making a lot of money now.

Will Ma Xun give him this opportunity?

"Alright! Let's have a battle of wits!"

After he finished speaking, he looked at Bai Daqing again.

Why should we look at him?

Bai Daqing said directly, "Brother Ma, I heard you seem to be planning to make some changes to your advertising."

Here's the key!

The reason why Bai Daqing and Sun Donghai got together was actually because of this advertisement.

Ma Xun previously worked on a model where he would give TV dramas to TV stations for free, and then we would earn money from ad placements.

Currently facing challenges.

In other words, many local TV stations are planning to change their operating model... to put it bluntly, they want to earn more money.

There are already many ways to make money from TV dramas, so why insist on using this particular model?

Even more interestingly, rumors suggest that Ma Xun did not insist on the model he originally advocated.

Bai Daqing clearly intends to continue using this model.

After all, in this model of selling pre-roll ads, advertising agencies make a lot of money.

Yu Xiaosheng, the agent who looks like an old man repairing cars, is now considered the king of agents.

This matter... Ma Xun has no say in other people's affairs. Yu Xiaosheng originally made his fortune in the pharmaceutical field.

Bai Daqing is clearly lagging far behind Xiaosheng. He wants to make things happen now and try his best to stick to this model, which can also be seen as a way for him to fight for his status in the advertising agency circle.

Of course, no one would talk about these things openly.

Ma Xun said with a smile, "Bai Daqing, I can only tell you that it's not that I, Ma Xun, want to change, but that the market is changing."

That's the absolute truth he told!

To put it bluntly, it's actually the TV station that has changed.

Starting in 98, local television stations, led by Hunan TV, have become increasingly powerful.

Hunan TV relies on Qiong Yao dramas, Liaoning TV on Uncle Benshan and Teacher Fan, Dragon TV has abundant funds, and Beijing TV is all about "big-budget dramas"...

The strength of these local TV stations grew very rapidly. Even Taizhou TV, a relatively small TV station, was able to produce high-quality dramas on its own.

The specific timeframe is roughly around 2014.

During this period, local television stations in China were at their strongest, and they continued to grow stronger.

They spend lavishly on buying TV dramas, and the salaries of celebrities are constantly breaking records.

So what happened in 2014?

Actually, it's nothing much; it's just that the internet has almost completely surpassed television as a medium.

Some TV series simply choose video websites as their premiere platform, or they are simply broadcast online.

Because these online platforms, which later became known as 'streaming media', have become increasingly powerful.

Moreover, television stations simply can't compete with the internet anymore.

What happened next?

Some local TV stations buy ratings. This practice has existed before, but the purpose is different now.

Previously, the goal was to make more money; higher viewership meant higher advertising rates.

But later, buying ratings was just a way for this local station to 'survive'.

It's about letting the leaders see that our TV station still has viewers.

Please don't remove us, please!

In fact, some people might not believe it, but even CCTV programs have a lot of viewers.

In Ma Xunyuan's original timeline, he met many people who used to work on programs at CCTV, but later simply quit and became internet celebrities.

That "Uncle Pancake Who Eats Poor People" used to be a war correspondent, and later became an internet celebrity... He may also have connections with CCTV.

These are all Ma Xun's 'advantages'.

Bai Daqing, that guy, doesn't know anything!

However, Ma Xun also gave him a nudge.

Bai Xiaohang then added, "Brother Ma, the real reason we're doing this is to negotiate a better model with the TV station!"

Clearly, he was speaking to his own brother.

Bai Daqing frowned, but still said, "How about this, you use your new model and we'll use our old one."

Let's compare again and see whose show makes more money, shall we?

This literary debate is quite novel.

After hearing this, Ma Xun glanced at Bai Xiaohang, who seemed a little flustered.

So, he made the decision himself.

"Okay! We can compare them from all angles!"

They agreed, but then Bai Daqing made further demands.

"You can't use your 'Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber'!"

Yes, this should be banned. After all, the final chapter of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" already has a huge following.

Ma Xun laughed and said, "I didn't originally intend to bully you. How about this, I bought a movie before, I'll use this movie to beat you up."

Bai Daqing actually also planned to say that "Young Justice Bao 2" couldn't be used either.

Unexpectedly, Ma Xun actually... foresaw this?

"What play?" Sun Donghai and Bai Daqing asked almost simultaneously.

Ma Xun smiled and said, "It's called 'Detective Dee.' It's a low-budget production; I only spent 750 million yuan to buy it."

Upon hearing this, Sun Donghai and Bai Daqing were overjoyed.

"We have an agreement!"

Fearing that Ma Xun might change his mind.

Anyway, this is a movie we've never heard of before, and it's low-budget, so don't we have a great chance of winning?
Bai Xiaohang couldn't help but get angry. He felt that his older brother was being unfair, so he retorted, "Where's your show?"

Without a doubt, Sun Donghai and Bai Daqing were well-prepared for this kind of "verbal duel."

"I previously discussed a drama with TVB, 'Twin of Brothers'!"

What the hell!

Upon hearing about this play, Ma Xun couldn't help but think more highly of his old friend and rival, Sun Donghai.

"Sun Donghai, you've really made a fortune!"

This statement is clever; it has a divisive effect!

But Sun Donghai had only one principle at this moment: he absolutely could not let Ma Xun go back on his word.

"Never mind how much I earn, anyway, you agreed to this intellectual duel!"

Ma Xun scoffed, "Weeds! You think I'm scared? Don't forget, this show has already aired on TVB."

It's already been broadcast, so is it considered an important point?

Sun Donghai immediately responded, "Anyway, we've already made up our minds!"

Ma Xun nodded, "Okay! It's settled then! From now on... let's each show our abilities."

Needless to say, after the four of them finish their hot pot meal, they will definitely contact various manufacturers and advertising agencies when they get back!

This battle of wits doesn't need to wait for the TV series to air; it has to start right now!
……

We finished the hot pot meat, but we didn't actually eat much.

They drank quite a bit of alcohol.

Bai Xiaohang sat under the persimmon tree, his eyes filled with tears, and said to Ma Xun:

"Actually, after hanging out with you for the past few years, I've changed a lot, and as a result... Brother Ma, you know me. I used to cause my family a lot of trouble."

I've stopped causing trouble and am focusing on doing business well; life is pretty good for me.

My parents' attitude towards me has improved since then.

But in recent years, it seems that my older brother has...

I don't know, I really don't know why.

After saying that, tears streamed down her face.

He had laid out his secrets, and Ma Xun understood.

Sometimes, the reasons for sibling rivalry are quite simple.

Just like Bai Xiaohang and Bai Daqing.

If you, Bai Xiaohang, continue to be like that, always fighting and causing trouble, then Bai Daqing will always be a good older brother.

But you've changed for the better.

As the saying goes, a prodigal son who turns over a new leaf is more impressive than someone who always remains a good person.

But this is really unfair to the guy who's always been the good guy.

Unfortunately, Ma Xun couldn't do anything about it.

And tonight... thankfully, Bai Xiaohang's wife came and took her husband home.

Ma Xun went back into the house, and then someone came up to him and hugged him.

"I'm famous now! I'm really famous!"

It was Wan Qian. She was extremely excited and her whole being was in a state of high excitement.

Ma Xun reeked of alcohol, a state that should have been annoying, but Wan Qian had been waiting for him for a long time.

Since that's the case, Ma Xun won't stand on ceremony.

"Didn't I tell you? Why did you come looking for me at this time..."

Before Ma Xun could finish speaking, Wan Qian immediately took off her skirt.

"I know I was wrong, so punish me then."

This...doesn't it look like a reward for her?
Ma Xun didn't think too much about it.

A series of snapping sounds rang out...

(End of this chapter)