How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 155 Sister, You Might Have Fallen for a Pig Butchering Scam [10,000-word Update, Please Subscribe]

After seeing off Liu Yifei and her daughter, Wang Yao's office welcomed new guests.

"Mr. Wang, your company's location is truly a hidden gem in the city," Su Mang praised with a smile as he entered.

"We chose this location because it would be convenient for recruiting people and filming. I didn't expect President Su to come in person. I'm so sorry for not welcoming you properly." Wang Yao smiled.

"No, no, you're the biggest spender at our banquet," Su Mang said with a smile.

"I'm hardly a wealthy person; I'm just supporting public welfare," Wang Yao said, shaking his head.

"Mr. Wang, a young and promising entrepreneur who is also dedicated to public welfare, is our role model. Although you weren't at yesterday's closed-door banquet, you were the subject of much discussion."
"Mr. Guo from Fuxing and Mr. Shen from Sequoia both spoke highly of you, especially Mr. Dai, who specifically asked me for your contact information so he could invite you to dinner." Su Mang smiled.

"Something came up and I missed it, but I'll definitely pay you another day." Wang Yao narrowed his eyes. "The money should have been transferred, Mr. Su, could you check?"

Su Mang came today mainly to learn about Wang Yao, and secondly to collect debts.

Despite the grand scale of these charity galas, securing funding is the most difficult part; otherwise, incidents like Zhang Ziyi's donation scandal wouldn't have occurred.

"Mr. Wang is very efficient. On behalf of the organizers and the beneficiaries, I thank you for your support." Su Mang smiled brightly. This was the fastest large payment she had ever received, and the amount was quite substantial, over three million.

But when he saw that the transfer record was for a corporate payment, Su Mang's smile deepened. "If Mr. Wang wants to participate in these kinds of auctions again in the future, you can contact me."

"President Su, you flatter me. I'm just a nobody trying to impress people. But if the Women's Supporters Association has any similar events in the future, I would really appreciate it if President Su would grace us with his presence." Wang Yao waved his hand.

He knew that Su Mang thought he wanted to transfer the money in this way, so he deliberately reminded him.

Upon hearing this, Su Mang's eyes indeed cleared up considerably.

She had initially suspected that Deng Wendi was the mastermind behind the Women's Support Association, but now Wang Yao has actually admitted it.

“Of course, I’m still waiting for the first batch of sanitary napkins from ‘Ta Research Society’ to be launched so I can help with promotion,” Su Mang said with a smile.

"I heard that President Su also invested in a fashion program?" Wang Yao asked.

“Yes, I watched the trailer for Mr. Wang’s ‘Fairy Robe’. I also heard Li Ying from Hunan TV talk about how Mr. Wang helped out a lot behind the scenes with ‘The Great Beauty’. The main reason I came here is to ask for your advice on making fashion programs. By the way, our group also invested in a TV series called ‘Fashion Kingdom’.” Su Mang said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yao searched for information about the show and, after glancing at the cast, knew it was a money-grabbing project.

For fashion-themed content, you first need to create a fashionable atmosphere, right? Which of these actors has anything to do with fashion?

"Mr. Su, you flatter me. I'm a newcomer in both the fashion and film industries. However, I have two brands under my management, and I hope they can be featured in Mr. Su's magazines," Wang Yao said with a smile.

The magazines managed by Su Mang do indeed have a significant influence in the Chinese fashion circle. Unlike Rayli, which takes a mass-market approach, Shiba takes a high-end approach and has a group of middle-class readers.

“That’s no problem, but I can’t guarantee whether it will be on the cover. However, it’s just a matter of saying the word to Mr. Wang whether it will be published in a major magazine or even an independent publication.” Su Mang readily agreed.

Although Wang Yao's two brands are not well-known yet, she will take good care of them out of respect for Deng Wendi.

The two then chatted about gossip in the fashion industry. Su Mang was also very interested after learning about Wang Yao's e-commerce agency operation model and said he would introduce some friends to him.

Wang Yao naturally welcomed this approach. Compared to attracting customers, relying on personal connections for sales was the main business expansion model in China at present.

Su Mang also took the opportunity to ask for a guest spot on "Fairy Robe". In any case, this variety show is definitely a potential hit even before it airs.

Finally, the conversation turned to the Myspace platform. Su Mang wanted to use it to find out about the relationship between Wang Yao and Deng Wendi, so that she could better manage her relationship with Wang Yao. Wang Yao didn't hide anything and directly hinted that he had a strong power to interfere with the platform.

“Ms has over two million registered users in China, 79% of whom are female. With the continuous development of internet hardware and software, the influence and market of print media will be further compressed. If you are interested, Mr. Su, you can learn more about it and start by laying the groundwork in the field of ‘digital magazines.’ Joining social media is a good option,” Wang Yao said with a light laugh.

Upon hearing this, Su Mang naturally understood, "No wonder so many female celebrities in China have registered accounts on MS, and some update their accounts even more frequently than on Weibo. There are so many female users."

“Yes, the overseas version is similar. We have a relatively high percentage of female users in East Asia. If you want to create a social media platform specifically for women, it would be very suitable for the fashion industry that Mr. Su is in charge of. Moreover, we also have managed services, and the fees are not expensive.” Wang Yao handed over the quotation.

“Indeed, the influence of the internet is growing, and our magazine’s sales have been declining for the past two years. I will carefully consider Mr. Wang’s suggestion and report it to the company.” Su Mang said solemnly.

"I've always believed in the saying, 'Choice is more important than effort,'" Wang Yao said with a smile as he poured her a cup of tea.

Just as Su Mang was about to respond, his phone rang. This phone was only used by his subordinates in emergencies.

"I need to take this call." Su Mang stood up apologetically, went out to answer the phone, and turned pale after hearing his subordinate's report.

"President Su doesn't look well. What happened?" Wang Yao noticed that Su Mang seemed distracted after returning.

"It's nothing, it's just that some netizens suddenly brought up the previous donations, and many people have asked us to disclose where the funds went." Su Mang took a sip of tea.

"Then let's make it public," Wang Yao said instinctively, then noticed Su Mang's awkward smile. "Oh, is there something inconvenient?"

"Sigh, it's a long story." Su Mang sighed.

Just as Wang Yao was receiving a steady stream of visitors.

Discussions about him continue to heat up on various online platforms and in the media.

People from all walks of life have shown extraordinary curiosity and interest in this high-profile young tycoon.

Colleagues in the entertainment industry are no exception, especially Yang Zi and Wu Kebo.

Since Cheng Tian and Ju Li jointly invested in Meishe, their relationship has become closer again. Just then, Yang Zi and Huang Shengyi had a cold war, so Yang Zi came to Beijing to have some fun. Under Xu Chen's arrangement, the two have been having a good time for several days.

"Damn it, these netizens are so hypocritical. When I have rumors with a few female celebrities, it's considered objectifying women by having a harem, but when this guy has rumors, it's considered a perfect match, full of ambiguity?" Wu Kebo was a little upset after reading a news article that compared his own rumors with Wang Yao's.

Why?
Because he's young? Because he's handsome?
"Don't worry, getting involved in this kind of scandal will inevitably backfire. And he's doing it so high-profilely. Anyone who doesn't know better would think he's a real billionaire. He's just a lowly wage earner," Yangzi sneered.

“He should be worth hundreds of millions. I suspect this kid is worth close to a billion,” Wu Kebo said, frowning.

"How many shares does he own in Kanpianer.com?" Yang Zi was also curious.

"I don't know, but it should be quite a lot. And after this wave of publicity, Xingdian's value will definitely increase significantly. The e-commerce industry is indeed profitable," Wu Kebo pondered.

"Even if he makes money, it's still someone else's money. Being so high-profile, someone will take him down sooner or later. If you want to destroy someone, you must first make them crazy. He even dares to intercept the acting president's hair. He really doesn't know what he's getting himself into," Yang Zi sneered.

I almost died laughing when I heard yesterday that Wang Yao was bidding against Dai Zhikang at the banquet.

They're like a newborn calf that's not afraid of tigers; they dare to mess with anyone.

"You didn't create this news about him being paired with the Four Young Masters of Beijing, did you?" Wu Kebo glanced at Yang Zi.

"I don't know," Yang Zi said with a mysterious smile.

"Tsk, the title of 'Shanghai Prodigy' is too enviable. Others can tolerate it, but can Wang Yu? That's too mean," Wu Kebo laughed.

The name "Four Young Masters of Beijing" was fabricated by Zhang Lan through paid media articles; otherwise, Wang Xiaofei wouldn't have been made the leader of the group. Three of them are associated with Beijing, but the third is a genuine Shanghai native, whose status and position clearly surpass the other three.

Although Yu Shao's family had fallen on hard times, they were still far more powerful than someone like Wang Yao, who came from humble beginnings.

"So you see how good this evaluation is: 'A wolf from Zhongshan, arrogant when it gets its way; a delicate flower in a golden boudoir, gone in a year.'" Yang Zi said with a smile, pointing to a media report.

“However, something’s strange.” Wu Kebo’s smile faded, and his tone became somewhat serious. “I’ve dealt with that kid a few times, and based on the information I’ve gathered from Xu Chen, he doesn’t seem to be an arrogant person.”

"That just shows how good his acting is, and he fooled you all. If he weren't so arrogant, would he have dared to spout nonsense in front of Director Hu when he was just a junior manager?"

"You all don't understand him. He's the kind of person who comes from humble beginnings, a gambler who'll risk everything for a small gain. Given the opportunity and the potential profit, he'll do anything." Yang Zi shook his head and sneered, seemingly seeing right through Wang Yao.

“What you said makes some sense,” Wu Kebo thought for a moment. “But it’s also a good thing. With his commotion, Tianhuo’s valuation will probably rise again, which is a major positive for Meishe’s listing.”

“Indeed, and at this time, as a shareholder, you should step forward to lend a hand. In case someone causes trouble for him, you can do him a favor, right?” Yang Zi curled the corners of his mouth.

“That makes sense.” Wu Kebo understood and continued fiddling with the iPad.

I have to say, after seeing Wang Yao use this thing to show off his skills last night, he asked someone to buy a few units. After using them, he was amazed. This thing is indeed very convenient for watching the news.

"Hmm? Why is the donation trending again?" Wu Kebo frowned.

He wanted to see how the news about Wang Yao would develop. How come there were new topics emerging in less than 24 hours?
Could it be that Wang Yao is also worried about the backlash from too much popularity?

“This time, it’s obvious that someone is unhappy with him. In terms of the scale of the charity ‘Shiba’, it’s far smaller than the ‘Women’s Aid Association’ he started.” Yangzi perked up.

In Yangzi's view, foundations are bound to have problems.

"Starlight Electronics officially posted a screenshot of the payment. They reacted so quickly?" Wu Kebo frowned.

"See? Showing off comes at a price." Yang Zi chuckled, then clicked on several accounts he was following, most of which were related to Wang Yao. His smile gradually froze.

The "Women's Aid Association" and "Sunshine Primary School Fund" immediately posted links on their official accounts on various platforms. Clicking on them revealed data on the use of funds, making it seem completely transparent.

Following closely behind, Wang Jing, Zeng Ziwei, and others also promptly shared the donation accounts they had promised. Although some box office revenue sharing had not yet been received, there were basically no problems.

The act of these people showing off their ticket stubs quickly became a trending topic, and netizens began to shift their attention to those who were not making any moves.

The first to be affected was Dai Zhikang, the bidding king who had just spent 13 million yuan last night but was overshadowed by Wang Yao. He had just opened a social media account yesterday, posting a group photo from the banquet and the priceless painting. Overnight, he gained 300,000 followers and tens of thousands of comments, mostly urging payment.

Netizens showed even greater enthusiasm for the event.

"Hiss, something does seem a bit off." Yang Zi also suppressed his smile.

"Do you do charity work?" Wu Kebo asked.

“If I don’t do it, who’s the kind person to do it? Would you do it?” Yangzi retorted.

“I won’t do it either,” Wu Kebo grinned.

Finally, it was his turn to watch the show.

Grand narratives are one of the easiest ways to evoke emotions.

People don't dislike the thematic elevation in skits, but rather the thematic elevation that is close to their own lives.

Just like the interview with Uncle Ge in the movie "If You Are the One" about donating money.

Donate a million if you want.

But donating 10,000 yuan won't work, because I actually have 10,000 yuan.

Donations are the only way to deconstruct the value of money because they allow one to judge by intentions rather than actions, blurring the lines between "with great power comes great responsibility" and resentment towards the wealthy. Therefore, discussions on this topic are often overwhelming.

But in Wang Yao's view, this sentiment is understandable, especially for those who use charity as a way to boost their popularity and build a persona; they should pay the price.

Just like you can't have both conscience and money at the same time.

The world's resources should be conserved. When material resources are lost, spiritual compensation is inevitably obtained. Therefore, good people should not seek good rewards; those who do seek good rewards are not good people.

Fun fact: Morality is determined by humans, while retribution is determined by God; they are not directly related.

Those who receive material rewards should not expect spiritual rewards. For example, the money that artists earn includes a portion that they have to endure criticism. In this respect, the crosstalk community has taken the lead in realizing this.

Those who want both things rarely end up in a good way.

Wang Yao spent the entire night in his office receiving clients, mostly local Shanghai brands, who came to explore potential collaborations in the e-commerce sector.

Because there were too many people, Wang Yao planned to hold a press conference another day to recruit brands and potential clients across the country who were interested in e-commerce outsourcing.

While enjoying the late-night snack personally delivered by Jiang Yan, Wang Yao remarked during his visit to the set of "Lost in Russia 3" the day before yesterday that the Northeastern cuisine in the small canteen wasn't authentic. As a result, Jiang Yan has taken on the role of a little cook these past two days.

The head of the marketing account in the consulting department had already summarized all the hot news of the day and sent it to him. Wang Yao glanced at it. Although there was still a lot of discussion about him, most of it had shifted to the issue of debt collection. This discussion would last for at least a few days, which could temporarily help him divert a lot of attention.

After eating, I visited a few film sets before heading back to sleep, as I hadn't slept well the night before. Unexpectedly, I ran into Qin Lan, who was visiting the set of "Temptation".

Although she didn't get the lead role in the drama, Qin Lan and Wu Zhuli still had a good relationship. Coincidentally, Lu Chuan's crew was casting in Shanghai recently, so she came along to see Wu Zhuli and also to get to know her better.

After all, "Fairy Robe" is currently very popular, and she and Zhang Meng have a connection from working together on "Red Wave". If she has the opportunity to appear on screen, this kind of fashion variety show will help her commercial value.

When Wang Yao appeared, Qin Lan, Zhang Meng, and others were chatting together.

"President Wang is here." Wu Zhuli, with her sharp eyes, reminded them, and the women immediately composed themselves, looking slightly nervous.

"Miss Qin, are you here to visit the set?" Wang Yao walked over and greeted her.

"Hello, Mr. Wang. My crew is in Shanghai for casting, and we just happened to come and see Zhang Meng and Zhu Zi." Qin Lan smoothed her bangs.

"Is Mr. Wang done with his work?" Zhang Meng greeted him with a smile.

"Yes, I'm going to take a walk around and go back to sleep. I didn't get a good rest yesterday," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Although Mr. Wang is young, he should take care of his health and not overwork himself," Qin Lan said with concern.

Zhang Meng blushed slightly and chimed in, "Yes, yes, don't take your health for granted just because you're young and healthy."

"Thank you for your concern. And who is this?" Wang Yao asked, looking at the woman wearing a mask behind Qin Lan.

"Hello, Mr. Wang, I'm Fu Ru, also an actress." The woman took off her mask, revealing a plain yet fresh and delicate face.

"I just finished filming my scenes with Fu Rui, and since she had some free time afterward, I took her out to play," Qin Lan explained.

Wang Yao had a rather deep impression of Fu Ru. Firstly, her slightly protruding jawline suited his aesthetic. Secondly, she was one of the representatives of reverse aging, playing a young girl in her forties, especially in period dramas about educated youth, with almost no sense of incongruity.

She has a similar charm to Qin Lan and others who become more attractive with age.

I heard that Sun Honglei originally wanted her to play the female lead in "Lurking", but because Fu Fu was aloof and didn't like to compete for resources, the role ended up with Yao Chen. She is a typical "go-with-the-flow" type of artist in the entertainment industry.

She was very easygoing; she would act whenever there was a role, and she was willing to endure hardship. If there was no role, she would simply sit on set, knowing she wouldn't starve. Back then, Zhao Baogang had high hopes for her, but later he found that she was too indifferent to be promoted and turned to more ambitious candidates like Wang Luodan and Bai Baihe.

"I haven't read Miss Fu's 'Taking People' since you died," Wang Yao nodded in acknowledgment.

"Was Mr. Wang only in junior high school back then?" Fu Huan was also not very good at speaking.

Qin Lan's expression changed slightly, and she glared at her.

"Sixth grade, I guess," Wang Yao said dismissively.

"Ha." Fu Rong chuckled awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

“Don’t let Mr. Wang’s young age fool you; he’s got a lot of experience. Lanlan, tell Mr. Wang about the question we just discussed and see what his opinion is,” Zhang Meng said, trying to smooth things over.

"Isn't this a small matter too much trouble for President Wang?" Fu Huan quickly waved his hand upon hearing this.

"Marriage is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly." Wu Zhuli had a sudden inspiration and spoke up for Qin Lan and Fu Rui.

Fu Huan recently met a suitor who seems to be quite good. He's under forty, 180cm tall, has a decent figure but is divorced, and is of average appearance. He said he just returned from overseas and is honest but doesn't talk much.

She's from Jiangsu and works as a day trader. She owns a 2006 Cayenne and a 2009 Aston Martin sports car. After looking at them, she couldn't make up her mind, so she asked Qin Lan for help. Qin Lan thought they were okay, but was worried about potential problems, so she asked her friends to discuss it together.

After listening, Wang Yao frowned and asked, "How did you two meet?"

"I met her at the hotel restaurant while filming. She said she was a fan of mine," Fu Ru said shyly.

"First of all, I don't think there are any 180cm men in the world. They're mostly 177cm. Because anyone over 180cm claims to be 185cm, and if they're almost forty and still trying to pick up girls, I can only say they're old and don't have much to say," Wang Yao said after a moment of contemplation.

"Pfft." Fu Huan burst out laughing upon hearing this.

Qin Lan and Wu Zhuli also suppressed their laughter, not expecting Wang Yao to be so humorous.

"Hey, what's wrong with hitting on older women?" Zhang Meng said sternly, feeling stung.

Because it seems that she was the one who initiated the conversation with Wang Yao.

"The point isn't that he's old, it's that he doesn't tell the truth much," Wang Yao waved his hand and continued, "And he says he's from Jiangsu? That's problematic. No one from Jiangsu would say they're from Jiangsu. There's no such group as 'Jiangsu people' in China."

If you're from Jinling, you'll say you're from Jinling; if you're from Suzhou, you'll say you're from Suzhou. Just like people from Xiaoshan wouldn't say they're from Lin'an, they're probably from a small, outlying town.

If someone claims to be a day trader but lacks relevant academic qualifications, they are most likely a stockbroker or a telemarketer.

Normally, unless they come from a special family, men will mention their family background when introducing themselves. If you still don't know, it's either a special background or something insignificant, and the profession is probably fabricated.

Then I think there's something wrong with his two cars. If someone is rich, their first car would normally be a sports car, but he chose a Cayenne as his first car. SUVs are for business use and family use, while sports cars should be newly bought.

Even if he is young and steady, there is still a great risk if he suddenly becomes rebellious in his old age.

Furthermore, his profession isn't closely related to business; overseas day traders mostly own Mercedes and Audis. Therefore, it's highly likely that the Cayenne wasn't bought by him, but rather acquired through divorce settlements. As for the sports car, it's possible he received a significant amount of money in the divorce settlement and bought it to attract women. Of course, the above is purely personal speculation.

After listening to Wang Yao's analysis, the group was dumbfounded.

"Are you a criminal investigation major?" Zhang Meng asked, somewhat shocked.

How did you analyze so much information?

"I usually enjoy reading detective novels," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Hearing what Mr. Wang said, a middle-aged man from a small town in Jiangsu got divorced. He must have been living off a woman abroad? He received a sum of money after the divorce, and he's almost spent it all. Is he planning to find someone to marry and settle down with?" Qin Lan blinked.

"You're also planning to go back to your old ways. Sister, you might have fallen victim to a pig butchering scam." Wang Yao smiled.

Fu Ru's eyes widened, like a little hamster.

"what?!"

(End of this chapter)