Gangster heir? Please call me a legitimate entrepreneur.

Longhai City, Xingguang Convention and Exhibition Center.

The year-end awards ceremony for live-streaming e-commerce platforms is in full swing here.

Despite the freezing weather, the flashing lights on both sides of the red carpet made my eyes sting.

Fans were shouting at the top of their lungs, security guards had set up a cordon, and the air was filled with the smell of cheap perfume and sweat.

"Next up, please welcome this year's most socially responsible and top-selling influencer—the crow!"

The host was wearing a sequined suit and spoke at a very loud voice.

The applause from the audience was sparse, and several rows of young, handsome anchors with thick foundation and hairspray were whispering among themselves.

His eyes held a hint of resentment and bitterness.

The spotlight shone down on the end of the red carpet.

The crow strode out.

He was wearing a custom-made black suit today, with a flamboyant red rose pinned to his chest.

His hair was freshly cut, and his scalp had a bluish sheen.

This outfit would make someone a gentleman.

Wearing it, he somehow managed to exude the menacing aura of a thug in a suit.

Especially the two-inch-long scar at the corner of his left eye, under the cold white spotlight, looked like a live centipede.

He stood on the stage.

The leather shoes hit the wooden floor with a dull thud.

The young men who were just whispering to each other instantly shut up and shrank back into their chairs.

The crow stretched out its rough, large hand and grabbed the microphone.

The knuckles were white from excessive force.

His palms were sweaty and slippery, making them hard to hold.

"Cough...cough cough!"

The crow cleared its dry throat, its hoarse voice like sandpaper scraping against sheet metal.

He pulled a crumpled A4 sheet of paper from his inner pocket.

The paper was covered with pinyin annotations.

This was the speech that Su Ye forced him to memorize all night before leaving.

"Um, thank you... thank you to the country!"

The crow stammered out the first sentence, its hand trembling so much that the paper rustled loudly.

He looked up and glared at the audience, his eyes seeming to be searching for someone who owed him money.

The young male celebrities were so startled that they all lowered their heads and pretended to look at their phones.

"Thank you to this great era! It has given us, the participants in the construction of the rule of law, a chance to make a living."

The crow gritted its teeth and swallowed the words "uncouth man" back down.

He took a deep breath and tried his best to put on a sentimental look, following the words on the paper.

But the more forcefully that face strained, the more it looked like it was about to draw a knife and slash someone.

"Our Sihai MCN doesn't just sell potatoes and free-range chickens."

The crow crumpled up the speech and decided not to read it at all.

His inherent chivalrous spirit could no longer be contained.

"President Su said that we can't just pocket all the money we make; we have to do something worthwhile!"

He patted his chest abruptly.

The vibration caused the microphone to emit a piercing electrical roar.

"I... cough, I'm announcing this right here today!"

The crow, with its hoarse, wailed, its voice shaking the entire audience.

"Ten percent of the revenue from this year-end mega sale's livestream will be donated entirely...to the Hope Project in Longhai City!"

"boom--"

The media area below the stage instantly erupted in excitement.

Cameras with long lenses and short lenses were thrust forward frantically, and the flashes were as bright as day.

The sound of camera shutters clicking away filled the air.

This is the biggest news of the year.

A livestreaming e-commerce host who gained fame for his fierce and intimidating demeanor has actually started a multi-million dollar charity campaign!

In the VIP seats in the first row.

Su Ye was wearing a casual gray turtleneck sweater with a well-tailored black trench coat over it.

He crossed his legs.

Holding a glass of red wine, the scarlet liquid swirls in the glass, creating beautiful ripples.

"President Su, the word 'crow' is a bit rough around the edges."

Zhang Tiezhu sat next to him, his buzz cut just shaved off.

He was wearing a tight black suit and awkwardly twisted his neck.

Su Ye chuckled softly and took a sip of red wine.

The astringent taste melts on the tip of the tongue.

"A rougher approach is better; it's more down-to-earth. If we make him nitpick over every word, the audience will think our Sihai Group account has been hacked."

He put down his wine glass, the glass base clinking against the marble coffee table.

"With this buzz, our MCN agency's positive image has been firmly established."

Su Ye pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, a shrewd businessman's glint in his eyes.

"Who will dare to bring up our past underworld background anymore? We're now major taxpayers and pioneers in charity."

Zhang Tiezhu scratched his head, muttering to himself.

Director, you've really worried yourself sick. They've cleaned themselves up so thoroughly now.

Just then, in a corner of the hall.

A man wearing a floral shirt and a large gold chain stared at the crows on the stage with a gloomy face.

His name is Wang Haitao, the CEO of Starlight Media.

He controls several internet celebrities with tens of millions of followers, making him the local tyrant of Longhai City's traditional entertainment industry.

"Mr. Wang, this kid is really getting ahead of himself."

The brokerage director next to him wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"He has drained more than half of the traffic of several of our top streamers in the past two weeks. He has even crushed them on the donation leaderboard."

Wang Haitao stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray.

A spark landed on the carpet, burning a black hole in it.

"Damn it, a low-life debt collector dares to steal food from my turf!"

He squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth.

"Go, prepare the car."

Wang Haitao stood up, and the fat on his belly jiggled twice.

He straightened the collar of his floral shirt.

"Tomorrow morning, bring your legal counsel and that exorbitantly priced contract."

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze sinister.

"I'll go to the Sihai Building myself. If the money's right, he'll sell even his own father, let alone some lousy streamer."

The next morning, in the lobby on the first floor of the Sihai Building.

The central air conditioning was blowing out cold air with a "whoosh".

The marble floor was so polished that you could see your reflection in it.

"squeak--"

Three black Alphard minivans suddenly braked arrogantly.

The tires screeched as they dragged along the marble steps at the entrance.

The car door was opened before it had even come to a complete stop.

Wang Haitao, wearing a pair of sunglasses, swaggered ahead.

He was followed by the brokerage director and four lawyers in suits.

He was carrying an expensive genuine leather briefcase.

This setup looks like they've come to collect a debt.

"Call out your so-called CEO Su, or Crow."

Wang Haitao walked to the front desk.

He curled his fingers and tapped them heavily twice on the smooth tabletop.

"Ding ding."

"Starlight Media is here to discuss a big deal; tell them to hurry up and get things done."

The receptionist was startled, and the invoices she was sorting scattered all over the floor.

She picked up the landline with trembling hands.

"Sir, do you have an appointment?"

"reserve?"

Wang Haitao took off his sunglasses and casually tossed them onto the table.

He sneered, revealing a set of dentures stained yellow from smoking.

"When I do business in Longhai City, I never need to make an appointment. You just make a phone call and say that Wang Haitao has come with good intentions, and they will understand."

The young woman didn't dare to delay and quickly dialed the security department's internal line.

Less than two minutes.

The elevator made a crisp "ding" sound.

The door slid open slowly.

Lei Hu had half a toothpick in his mouth.

He stepped out of the elevator with an imposing air.

He wasn't wearing a suit jacket today, just a tight black vest.

On his two thick arms, a blue dragon tattoo stretched across his shoulders, its claws outstretched.

Behind him, more than thirty bald security guards filed out.

They were all wearing the same black vests.

With his hands behind his back, his eyes were so fierce they looked like he wanted to devour someone.

The heavy leather shoes clattered on the floor tiles, making a uniform "thump-thump" sound that made one's eardrums tighten.

The brokerage director behind Wang Haitao swallowed hard.

He instinctively took half a step back and hid among the four lawyers.

"Mr. Wang... something's not right."

Lei Hu stopped one meter away from Wang Haitao.

He was a head taller than Wang Haitao, looking down at the fat man in the floral shirt.

"Pooh."

Lei Hu spat out the toothpick from his mouth.

The toothpick somersaulted in the air and landed precisely in the nearby trash can.

"You're the one who sells stars?"

Lei Hu spoke in a gruff voice, his voice like a broken bellows being pulled.

Wang Haitao frowned, feeling a little uneasy, but he still forced a smile.

"What do you mean, 'selling stars'?! I'm Wang Haitao, the CEO of Starlight Media!"

He straightened his belly, trying to regain some of his composure.

"I'm here to talk to Crow. We want to sign him to a high-salary contract. Starlight Media will cover all the breach of contract penalties."

"Sign our Brother Crow?"

Lei Hu seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world.

He turned his head and looked at the more than thirty brothers behind him.

"Brothers, did you hear that? This fat guy said he's going to throw money at our Brother Crow!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

A deafening burst of maniacal laughter erupted in the hall.

The thirty-odd rough men laughed so hard they were doubled over, some even squatting on the ground clutching their stomachs.

There was no joy in that laughter, only mockery and disdain.

Wang Haitao's face turned bright red, like a thoroughly cooked pig's liver.

"What are you laughing at! What's so funny!"

He pointed at Lei Hu's nose and said, "In Longhai City, as long as the money is right, there's no one I, Wang Haitao, can't poach!"

Lei Hu stopped laughing.

The fat on his face tightened instantly.

He suddenly stretched out his large, fan-like hand and grabbed Wang Haitao's floral shirt collar.

The force was so great that it lifted the 180-pound fat man off the ground.

"Holy crap! What are you doing! Let go!"

Wang Haitao was so frightened that he flailed his arms wildly, his face turning purplish-red.

The four lawyers behind him were so frightened that they shrank into the corner and didn't dare to utter a sound.

"Come."

Lei Hu's bloodshot eyes were fixed on Wang Haitao's face.

The heavy breaths exhaled from his nostrils hit the other person's face.

"Go to my CEO Su's office again."

Lei Hu grinned into a ferocious smile.

"Try saying that again, louder, in front of him."