The Heiress's Game

After the meeting ended, Lao Ma did not leave the conference room immediately.

He sat in the swivel chair next to the projector, slowly turned around, and looked at the bustling traffic of Central outside the glass curtain wall. The smile on his face gradually faded away.

The "everything is under control" expression that he had just put on in front of Gu Yunjin now collapsed like a mask that had been soaked in water.

His assistant, Xiao Zhou, pushed open the door, carrying a half-empty bottle of mineral water. Seeing Lao Ma sitting there alone, he tentatively asked:

"Mr. Ma, is Mr. Gu not entirely satisfied?"

"Not satisfied?" Old Ma snorted, stood up, and straightened his suit collar.

"Whether she's satisfied or not is not important; what's important is that she doesn't know anything about the industry."

Xiao Zhou didn't reply, looking embarrassed. Old Ma picked up the laser pointer on the table, shoved it into his suit pocket, strode out of the conference room, and went straight to the tea restaurant downstairs.

His PR director and another planning manager who had been with him for several years were already sitting in a booth, with two iced lemon teas and a French toast.

Seeing him approach, the PR director moved over to make room for him.

"Mr. Ma, how's it going? What's Mr. Gu's attitude?"

Old Ma sat down, took a big gulp of iced lemon tea, and then slammed the cup on the table with a thud.

"What kind of attitude is that? She's just a little girl, and she's nowhere near as good as her father."

What does she know about variety shows? What does she know about commercial monetization?

I've been making TV shows for over a decade, and I can calculate with my eyes closed which business models make money and which lose money.

She's right, saying too much GG (gift-giving) will affect the audience experience—how much is the audience experience worth? GG fees are the real money.

The PR director and planning manager exchanged a glance, neither daring to speak.

Old Ma got more and more excited as he talked, picking up a piece of French toast with his chopsticks and gesturing in the air:

"Tell me, what does it mean that twelve sponsors are lining up to give money?"

Other programs would be begging for this. If it were any normal company, the boss would have been banging on the table and urging me to sign it immediately.

What about her? She said two or three would be enough, and they had to be at the end of the credits, no inserts, no product placements—isn't that just throwing money away?

"Does she... not quite trust our team?" the planning manager asked cautiously.

"She doesn't distrust the team, she distrusts me."

Old Ma put down his chopsticks, leaned back in his chair, and his expression changed from indignation to a sneer.

She didn't say it, but her meaning was clear—she felt I couldn't keep up with her pace.

During the meeting, right in front of me, they told Lu Xiao to contact a headhunter, saying they needed the final list by the end of the week. Isn't that blatantly a replacement?

Upon hearing this, the PR director's expression changed.

He had previously thought Gu Yunjin was merely dissatisfied with the plan, but it turned out she was already looking for a successor. "So, what are you planning to do?"

"What do we do?" Old Ma chuckled, a laugh tinged with the certainty that "I've already planned my escape route."

"Does she think she's the only one who can replace people? Doesn't she realize who started the 'Walking with Brilliance' project from the ground up?"

I built the team, I handled the platform relationships, and the brands all came to me.

She's a rich second-generation heiress who knows nothing, yet she's quick to reap the rewards.

He took his phone out of his suit pocket, found an email, and turned the screen toward the two people opposite him.

The email was sent by the CEO of another media company, and its content was very direct.

—Invite him to switch jobs and take charge of a brand new reality show featuring ordinary people, with a production budget of 20 million, and his position as partner and chief producer, with equity dividends to be calculated separately.

"The conditions there are far superior to those at Xingyao."

Old Ma put his phone away and flicked his finger across the screen.

"I was hesitant about leaving, after all, I was the one who built 'Walking with Brilliance' from scratch, and I have an emotional attachment to it."

But since they're being ruthless, don't blame me for being ruthless too. Didn't Gu Yunjin think that too many male characters would ruin the quality of the story?

"Fine, once she kicks me out and the new team takes over, I'll take the publicity, planning, and production with me and see how she manages to make it."

"Then what about our project here—" The marketing director hesitated.

"Indeed, you were the one who brought them up, and everyone recognizes your abilities."

However, Mr. Gu is the investor after all. If things really turn sour, we will—"

"If you want to turn your back on me, then turn your back on me." Old Ma interrupted him, his tone resolute.

"I've decided to fire her first. I'll hand in my resignation tomorrow and let her have her own fun."

"Wait until my new show comes out, competing directly with 'Brilliant,' and then you'll see which one the audience prefers."

He put his phone back in his pocket, picked up his chopsticks again, took a piece of French toast, and chewed it with a crunching sound.

The office buildings in Central outside the window gleamed with a cool blue light under the sunlight, and he felt as if he were standing in front of a battle about to begin, with victory in his grasp.