How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 168 The God of War Steals Food
The world will not stop turning for anyone.

Whether Wu Kebo was genuinely so angry that he fainted or was simply acting to buy time, it doesn't matter.

The problems that Mei She/Cheng Tian is about to face all need to be solved.

After everyone hurriedly moved Wu Kebo to another place to rest,

The meeting continued.

This time, however, the person sitting in the central chairman's seat was Wang Yao.

"Mr. Wang, Feng Jiao is now an employee of your company. Could you please ask her to stop actively exposing this matter?" Former Chairman Lei Man regained his composure after a moment of panic and took the initiative to seek a solution.

Although he also suspected that Wang Yao was behind Feng Jiao's affair.

But in this situation, Wang Yao is also their lifeline.

Since we were able to resolve the risks of Ma Ruo and Qu Shou back then, we might be able to turn the tide this time as well.

"President Lei, it's hard to keep Feng Jiao's problem a secret. The criminal gang is after her for profit, and those photos have already been widely circulated. It's not something we can solve by just covering Feng Jiao's mouth."

"Furthermore, Feng Jiao is an artist under my company. I have the right and the obligation to protect her and the company's interests. Although I have inexplicably assumed the role of chairman of Meishe today, I will only objectively prioritize the best solution. If the board of directors of Meishe is not satisfied with my decision, they can dismiss me at any time." Wang Yao said expressionlessly, his tone indifferent.

Lehman frowned; Wang Yao's attitude offended him.

Regardless, they can be considered Wang Yao's 'benefactors'. Without their help, how could there have been Heavenly Fire? How could Wang Yao have had the chance to defy fate?

Now that they've gained power, they're shouting and yelling here!
“President Lei, as Tianhuo’s major shareholder, Meishe also needs to consider Tianhuo’s interests. The root of the problem is not Feng Jiao, but Meishe’s business model,” Xu Chen reminded him.

Lehman glanced at him and remained silent.

"Mr. Xu's analysis is very thorough. Feng Jiao's problem this time is just a possible fuse, but the core issue is still the current profit model of Meishe.com. Even without Feng Jiao, there will be someone else in the future."

Although Meishe.com, as an intermediary, only provides a platform, private photo shoots inherently carry certain risks. Even if the platform can circumvent these risks legally, it cannot avoid them morally or in terms of public opinion.

"The Feng Jiao incident is a wake-up call. This time it was just coercion, but what if there's a murder next time?" Wang Yao said in a deep voice.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present became serious again.

In particular, Alibaba representative Cheng Wei previously pushed for an investment in Meishe because they were eyeing its massive resources of models and photographers, believing they could quickly overwhelm Taobao models in both quantity and quality.

These potential risks were ignored, after all, their company is also an intermediary platform, and they are used to remaining invisible when dealing with such third-party disputes.

I was careless. Meishe doesn't just sell products, it also sells people.

“Mr. Wang’s perspective is correct. Without platform supervision, Meishe.com’s photo-taking model does indeed carry significant risks. Moreover, with such a large user base, the consequences would be unimaginable if something were to happen in the future,” Cheng Wei said.

He had already received a notification from Cai Chongxin that he must come up with a solution that would minimize the losses today.

Alibaba doesn't care about the meager profits from Meishe.com's original business; maintaining stable model/photography/post-production resources is the most important thing.

"So what is Mr. Wang's solution?" Lehman asked, frowning.

"Meishe.com is temporarily shut down for rectification and internal risk assessment. In case of other similar incidents, we can stand up together with Feng Jiao to expose them. As a platform, Meishe should first shoulder the responsibility of protecting the safety of its users, and at least not appear to be inactive."

"Then we must continue to regulate the platform's standards, adjust the rules to restrict arranged photo shoots, or have the platform intervene in supervision. In short, we cannot allow the phenomenon of unclear private agreements to proliferate," Wang Yao said in a deep voice.

“Mr. Wang, this is tantamount to cutting off your own arm. Meishe’s revenue will suffer a loss of at least 50%!” Lehman said in a deep voice.

Meishe.com expects to generate around 1 million RMB in revenue this year, with 30-40% coming from offline photo shoots. They also plan to adjust their content guidelines. Will paying users agree to this?
People pay money for the opportunity to have ambiguous, explicit interactions with models and arrange offline photoshoots. Otherwise, why wouldn't they just look at adult videos or magazines?
Wang Yao's suggestion is tantamount to directly destroying the core value of Meishe.com.

“Mr. Lei, the paid model of Meishe.com is not sustainable in China. When we invested, we discussed that we would transform Meishe.com into a professional online photography platform, drawing on the Taobao Girl model,” Cheng Wei retorted.

"Mr. Cheng, we did discuss this back then, but that was something to do after the IPO. Without a paid model, revenue can't support the market value." Lehman sighed, unable to be assertive in front of Alibaba.

"I'm just proposing my solution. As for how to choose, all the directors can express their opinions, and then everyone can vote. However..." Wang Yao's face lit up with a smile, and he paused with a chuckle.

"As the CEO of Tianhuo Media, I would like to state my position here. It is 1:45 pm now, and there are still nearly 18 hours until 8 am tomorrow. No matter what the outcome of the discussion among the Meishe team is, Tianhuo will stand up for Feng Jiao and seek justice."

Although Wang Yao had a smile on his face, his tone was unquestionable, instantly putting considerable pressure on everyone.

It was as if I could hear the ticking of a clock's second hand, a countdown.

Everyone knew that Wang Yao's "appearance" was not just a simple company statement.

It will inevitably be a massive tsunami, and it may not only be Meishe.com that is submerged, but also the entire modeling industry.

There was a moment of silence in the meeting room.

"Mr. Wang, are you really going to ruin Meishe's future valuation of billions just for a signed artist?" Lehman asked in a complicated tone.

"Mr. Lei, it's not that I want to ruin Meishe's future." Wang Yao shook his head slightly, tapping his finger on the desk, producing a crisp echo.

"If I can't even protect the personal rights and safety of my employees, how can I have the face to enjoy the benefits they bring me? The future of the company depends not only on you and me, but even more on the employees."

A tree that can be embraced grows from a tiny sprout; a nine-story tower rises from a mound of earth.

Wang Yao's voice was deep and slow, yet it carried a chilling indifference.

Cheng Wei also looked at Wang Yao with a strange expression, unsure whether he was threatening him or expressing genuine righteousness.

Logically speaking, although Wang Yao is young, his resume and behavior show that he is a mature and even extraordinary person. According to normal logic, there may be a greater purpose hidden behind his words.

After all, the rise and fall of Meishe.com has nothing to do with him, and may even benefit Tianhuo.

But judging from his demeanor, he doesn't seem like a hypocrite. Could it be that he's just an idealist who's had a smooth life and hasn't experienced the harsh realities of life?
At this moment, Wang Yao appears differently from different perspectives.

All the shareholders of Lehman Brothers saw were losses.

What Ji Rujin, Cheng Wei, and Tang Yan saw was a boss who treated his employees like human beings.

The meeting room fell silent once again.

After a long while, Xu Chen finally received Ren Quan's hint and said, "Then could you please tell me, Mr. Wang, how Tianhuo will seek justice for Feng Jiao?"

"Tianhuo Association, together with the China Fashion Design Model Association, the China Textile Model Business Association, the Huaxia Model Association, the Shanghai Fashion Model Association, and other organizations, calls for attention to safety in the modeling industry to protect the rights of all practitioners."

"We have established a network channel for protecting the rights of models in the fashion industry with organizations such as the Women's Aid Association and Shiba Group, with the core goal of 'opposing oppression and rejecting workplace unspoken rules' to maintain industry order," Wang Yao stated frankly.

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire audience erupted in uproar.

This isn't about upholding justice; it's about reshaping the modeling industry!

Moreover, with so many organizations bearing the "Hua" prefix, it's clear that this wasn't just something Wang Yao was pushing behind the scenes.

Lehman's expression changed drastically. Wang Yao's move was clearly not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather something he had been planning for a long time. Although Meishe.com was an intermediary platform, it would definitely be the first to be crushed by public opinion due to its content restrictions.

Regardless of whether Feng Jiao's incident occurs or not, Meishe.com will be affected!

Who knows, Wang Yao might even use it as a sacrifice?
Lehman suddenly felt a sense of panic and quickly sent text messages to find out what was going on.

Wang Yao is hardly giving them a choice.
This is clearly an ultimatum and a death sentence for them.

“Mr. Wang, shouldn’t Meishe also be eligible to join this rights protection channel?” Cheng Wei squinted his eyes.

“Of course, we welcome all ambitious individuals,” Wang Yao smiled. “Mr. Wang…” Lehman seemed somewhat unwilling to give up.

“Mr. Lei,” Wang Yao interrupted him directly, and said seriously, “I know what you’re thinking, Mr. Lei, but as the CEO of Meishe, I want to say that it’s a fact that Meishe.com’s paid services are irregular and high-risk. If we don’t rectify it now, we will have to rectify it later.”

Moreover, it was out of consideration for Meishe that I specially granted everyone these 18 hours to consider, even though this whole process will cause Meishe tremendous pain.

But please think carefully. Besides Meishe.com, Meishe also has Tianhuo.com. I hope everyone will consider the relative importance of each.

After Wang Yao finished speaking, he got up and said he was going to the restroom, but in reality, he was giving everyone time to think.

As soon as Wang Yao left, the conference room erupted in discussion.

It was only then that everyone realized that the biggest reason for Meishe's current valuation was that it owned 45% of Tianhuo Media.

If we only consider Meishe.com's business system, the company's valuation wouldn't even reach one billion.

Meishe's most valuable asset right now is its shares in Tianhuo, followed by its shares in Chengtian Mutual Holdings, and finally its core business, Meishe.com.

Lehman suddenly realized that, without his noticing, the main structure of the Meishe had quietly changed.

Thinking about it this way, even if Meishe.com is cut off, as long as Tianhuo's valuation can be preserved, then Meishe will not turn into a bubble!
As for the value of entertainment all day long, the outcome is still unknown.

“Mr. Lei, I think Mr. Wang’s words make a lot of sense. Based on the current assessment, it’s time for Meishe.com to be standardized and changed,” Cheng Wei said on behalf of Alibaba.

Alibaba wants people, not business; they don't care if the entire Meishe.com website shuts down.

“I second that as well. Bernard is unwilling to risk his reputation being tarnished by the US-based photography agency.” Dongfang Xin said with a smile.

Wang Yao had informed her of this risk three days ago, which is why Berna chose to blindly follow the trend, hoping to minimize losses in this crisis. Although it was only a 6.4% stake, it was better than watching Meishe become a bubble and burst.

Lehman glanced at Dongfang Xin but didn't say anything.

You and Wang Yao are so close, of course you'd second that!

"President Lei, if we can save Tianhuo, we can at least save half of its valuation," Xu Chen whispered.

“And then what?” Lehman glared at him.

“Wang Yao is now the CEO,” Xu Chen reminded him. “And judging from Alibaba’s attitude, they will probably want to facilitate the merger of Meishe and Tianhuo, and Meishe.com will most likely be abandoned.”

"After the merger, if we join forces with Wu Kebo, will we have a chance to counter Wang Yao?" Lehman asked in a deep voice.

He has now let go of his past grievances with Wu Kebo.

"This... I'm not sure." Xu Chen's lips twitched slightly.

This old Lehman really can't see the situation clearly. You can't even beat Wu Kebo, yet you want to fight Wang Yao?
"That damn Wu Kebo, why did he faint at this time? His endurance is too weak," Lehman cursed under his breath.

But I was already mentally prepared to make a painful sacrifice.

After Wang Yao returned, the meeting room fell silent again.

"Mr. Wang, Alibaba hopes to join forces with Tianhuo to maintain order in the online auction industry and contribute to industry standardization," Cheng Wei said, but using Alibaba's name.

"Thank you, Mr. Ma, for your support of the online auction industry." Wang Yao nodded, looking at Lehman.

Lehman lowered his eyes and pretended to remain silent.

He still harbored a sliver of hope, wishing he could resolve the matter through other channels and connections.

He felt it best to hold off for now and wait until he had cashed out his shares before making any further moves.

Seeing his reaction, Wang Yao guessed that he wouldn't admit defeat until he was faced with the ultimate problem, and asked with a playful smile, "If there's nothing else, shall we adjourn today's meeting?"

The other shareholders of the American photography company looked at Lehman, seemingly hoping he would make a statement as soon as possible.

Although Wang Yao said he gave her 18 hours to consider, everyone knew the outcome was already decided.

But Lehman Brothers remained unfazed and made no response.

Apart from the removal of Xu Chen and Lei Man from the board of directors of Meishe and the addition of Wang Yao and Wu Kebo, almost nothing has changed.

But everyone, whether it's Meishe or anyone else involved, knows very well what's going on.

These two companies have actually undergone a complete transformation.

Wang Yao gave 18 hours.

It will change everyone's fate.

Meanwhile, the media, who had been waiting for the results, were given an unexpected and explosive piece of news.

The day's meeting was forced to stop due to Chairman Wu Kebo's 'coma,' and the agenda of the Meishe meeting also came to an end.

All the media outlets were stunned when they heard the news. They had prepared many versions of press releases and stories, but now they couldn't use any of them.
What exactly happened at the meeting? Why did Wu Kebo faint?

So they can only speculate wildly.

Soon, the hashtag 'Wu Kebo in a coma' quickly climbed to the top of the headlines and trending lists on major social media platforms.

Wu Kebo has recently gained immense popularity online due to the meme "Wu Zong's Choice," and this news quickly sparked heated discussions, with the most outrageous comments coming from Meishe.com.

A post titled 'Mr. Wu is dizzy' received thousands of comments in just half an hour.

It is believed that Mr. Wu has been subscribing to Meishe.com too frequently lately, which has weakened his health. When he saw his ex-lover at the shareholders' meeting, he became emotionally agitated, his blood surged, and he fainted.

"Wu Kebo really has a trick up his sleeve, trying to delay the meeting by feigning unconsciousness," Ren Quan complained as he hopped into Wang Yao's car.

“Being unconscious counts as time.” Wang Yao scoffed. “Brother Liu has already contacted the investor representative behind Chengtian. We’re going to see him now.”

"Can we really take over Chengtian this time?" Ren Quan swallowed hard.

Although the plan had been in preparation for a long time, and he had even paid a cost of nearly 2 million to acquire shares in the secondary market, he was still somewhat dazed when the opportunity was right in front of him.

"Do your best and leave the rest to fate," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"To be honest, I really didn't expect Wu Kebo to take such a big risk to acquire Meishe this time. It seems like he's been blinded by greed," Ren Quan remarked.

If it weren't for the fact that Wu Kebo and Meishe held 30% of their shares in each other, the plan to acquire Chengtian would have been almost a distant dream.

“Overdrafting money will generate interest, and overdrafting blessings will lower intelligence. Mr. Wu happens to have both,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Ren Quan was taken aback.

"Chengtian itself has lost its market capitalization liquidity due to Wu Kebo's absolute 67% controlling stake. However, business line adjustments and expansions have increased debt, forcing it to constantly seek new financing channels. Even without Meishe, it would find other companies."
Perhaps it's because he's profited so much from constantly using shell companies that he thinks he's capable enough to handle larger schemes and wealth, which is why he's so confident.
When he made these decisions, he knew the risks better than anyone else, but he still couldn't help but choose to be reckless. According to metaphysics, this is called "the owl god stealing food," which is the backlash brought about by his lack of virtue.

"Brother Quan should take this as a warning. He should do more good deeds and accumulate virtue so as not to be unworthy of his position. The more successful he is, the more cautious he should be, so as not to let all his hard work in the first half of his life be wiped out in an instant," Wang Yao said meaningfully.

"What you're saying is giving me the creeps." Ren Quan shivered, and after a moment of silence, said, "Is this why you've been doing all sorts of charity work and providing your employees with such high benefits?"

“I’m different. I don’t accumulate virtue; I’m just a conveyor of virtue,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

Ren Quan stroked his chin, lost in thought. The more he pondered Wang Yao's words, the more chilling they became. Recently, Li Bingbing said he would introduce him to a master also surnamed Wang. Should he go and pay him a visit another day?
(End of this chapter)