Chapter 182: A Chance Encounter with Brother Ji

“Mr. Xiao, are you okay…” Lucas hesitated for a moment, wondering if this unusually mature young man was insane.
“I’m fine, really!” Xiao Ran held back a smile. As the chairman of a large company, he found himself in a vulnerable position as if he were asking for something, which was utterly unthinkable for someone like him who usually preferred to be in control.
Yet, this was exactly the effect he wanted. He knew it would be difficult to persuade Lucas with just a few words. So, everything today was just a play—a play designed to completely defeat Lucas.
“If you want to invest, no problem…” Xiao Ran pretended to think for a while before suddenly standing up. Seeing Lucas jump in fright, he leaned forward, resting his hands on the table to create pressure through distance: “If I invest 100 million dollars, how much control rights should I get?”
Lucas was indeed startled by Xiao Ran, especially when he said those words while leaning forward and staring at him—it felt as though Xiao Ran was manipulating him. Suppressing his emotions, Lucas glanced at him in surprise but didn’t stand up to counter the pressure Xiao Ran had deliberately created. “I’m sorry, but if you’re aiming for absolute control rights, it’s highly unlikely I’ll sell.”
“What if it’s 300 million dollars?” The distance between Xiao Ran and Lucas was now shrinking. His aggressive gaze and attitude contrasted sharply with before. “What if it’s 500 million dollars?”
Hearing such a huge amount, Lucas’s heart started pounding. Even Skywalker and Light Demon combined were only worth that much, and Xiao Ran already held 40% of the shares. With such an offer, it was hard to refuse.
Xiao Ran now acted like a devil, speaking in a soft, dreamy tone: “500 million dollars. With that amount, you can create another dream, or even more. What’s so difficult about giving up everything for a dream?”
Lucas was caught in intense internal struggle. It felt as though two opposing angels and demons were fighting inside him. Xiao Ran’s highly tempting words drove him to imagine realizing his dreams. With 500 million, he could indeed do many things.
Unaware of it, Lucas was drenched in sweat. Suddenly, he realized this was Xiao Ran’s trap. With a look of terror, he turned his gaze to Xiao Ran, who stood by the window with his hands behind his back, and shouted in fear, “You’re a devil! I’ll never sell the company to you!”
Xiao Ran was observing Skywalker Farm. It wasn’t particularly spectacular, but it was still a decent environment. Rather than just observing, he was thinking about where in Hong Kong would be the best place to relocate Light Demon and Skywalker in the future.

Hearing Lucas’s shouts, Xiao Ran smiled indifferently, though the smile seemed somewhat eerie. He didn’t turn around immediately but lowered his hands from his back to appear calmer rather than fiercely aggressive. Letting Lucas pant heavily behind him, Xiao Ran figured that Lucas must be calm enough to think clearly before turning around naturally. He wore a peaceful smile, but under such circumstances, the more peaceful the smile, the more mysterious and terrifying it appeared to Lucas. Xiao Ran gave him a slight toothy smile; his white teeth seemed like sharp swords in Lucas’s eyes. After smiling, he gazed at his opponent without any trace of intensity, saying calmly, “Our agreement remains valid for a week, as long as you’re willing!” With that, Xiao Ran drifted away. Lucas went to the window, watching Xiao Ran’s retreating figure while wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. He thought this Easterner was truly terrifying, like a devil—easy to be lured into hell if one wasn’t careful. Just then, Xiao Ran suddenly turned his head and smiled at Lucas, who was eavesdropping. The smile made Lucas’s spine turn to ice. He wasn’t sure why, but he found it strange—why would Xiao Ran offer 500 million to acquire Light Demon and Skywalker? But at the thought of 500 million, his heart started pounding, and he couldn’t help but recall Xiao Ran’s dreamlike words earlier. More cold sweat appeared on his forehead. He thought that if he refused the deal, those words might haunt him for life. Fortunately, Xiao Ran had already left… Regrettably, Xiao Ran had only left Skywalker Farm, not the United States. Within ten days, this nightmare would surely visit Lucas again. Xiao Ran wasn’t entirely confident, but as a successful entrepreneur, what couldn’t he accomplish? He didn’t particularly like hotels in San Francisco, finding them far less welcoming than the Regent. Thinking about it, he went to the Regent countless times a year, so it naturally felt familiar. With that thought, he felt relieved. As he walked toward the elevator, he heard a somewhat strange voice calling him in Chinese. Xiao Ran glanced in the direction of the sound and saw Daisy talking with a somewhat familiar young man. He nodded slightly and smiled. After taking a few steps, he suddenly remembered who that young man was! Unbelieving, he turned around and rubbed his eyes to confirm—it was indeed that person—Keanu Reeves! Xiao Ran was shocked. How could Daisy know Reeves? After thinking it over, he realized Reeves probably hadn’t become famous yet, so he resolved to accept it. An idea struck him—why not bring Reeves back to Hong Kong? After all, he was handsome, so it shouldn’t be hard to make him famous. Xiao Ran knew well that whether someone would become famous or not was really hard to say.

Especially in the film industry, with the right role, one can become famous just from that one film. It’s like Stephen Chow—he became famous after starring in “A Hero’s Heart,” and Li Zixiong in history also became famous thanks to that film, but he failed with “City Special Police.” So, Xiao Ran was well aware that he didn’t need to be fixated on what certain actors achieved. Take Liu Hua, for example—if he didn’t become famous, someone else would surely take his place; it was only natural. Yet, Xiao Ran continued to strive to maintain the original history to gain an edge. Since the decision had been made, it was time to take action. Xiao Ran walked over with a smile; he felt like a walking smile machine. But a smile is humanity’s greatest weapon, even capable of ending wars, which forced Xiao Ran to use this instinct. When Daisy saw Xiao Ran approaching, she was slightly surprised. She had come to the U.S. with him mainly to visit her parents. Of course, if they were Chinese, they would have brought their parents to Hong Kong. But foreign parents rarely did that—once their children grew up, it was as if they were kites with cut strings, each going their own way. Although Xiao Ran was curious about how Daisy met Reeves, he knew now wasn’t the right time to ask questions. He simply asked Daisy, “Who is this?” Daisy hurriedly introduced him, and then Xiao Ran realized this person was indeed the once restless Reeves from his childhood. As for Reeves, Xiao Ran’s identity shocked him even more. Reeves and Daisy had known each other for a long time; back then, Reeves was acting in stage plays in Toronto and met Daisy, who was also acting there. Later, Reeves’ mother and stepfather divorced again, and she married two more men before eventually moving to the U.S. Reeves entered the film industry through a Coca-Cola ad and met Daisy again, who was also working in film. Reeves only came over after Daisy called. Daisy said she was currently filming in Hong Kong with a pretty good salary and had come here with her boss, which is why Xiao Ran was there too. No wonder Reeves was shocked—becoming a film company boss at such a young age wasn’t easy. They invited the two to a café, where they each ordered a drink. Xiao Ran casually chose green tea before briefly looking at Reeves and saying with a smile, “Mr. Reeves, what are you doing in Hollywood now?” After further conversation, Xiao Ran got a general idea of Reeves’ current situation. Reeves wasn’t just not famous—he was still struggling, not even having gotten a leading role. So far, the only film that had received some attention was the rebellious character in “By the River.” Currently, Reeves was quite idle, knowing that in the film industry, being idle meant having no popularity. Xiao Ran smiled slightly, thinking to himself that it was fortunate that Reeves hadn’t taken on “The Strange Adventures of Bill and Ted,” otherwise his chances would likely be slim.

Classmate Li became well-known because of this movie. If he had been invited at that time, he probably still wouldn’t have wanted to give up his achievements to go to Hong Kong. But now it’s different. Xiao Ran stared at Classmate Li and smiled slightly, “Keanu, are you interested in developing your career in Hong Kong?”
“Hong Kong?” Of course, Xiao Li was aware of Hong Kong as an international financial hub, but he really didn’t know that movies were also made there. He looked at Xiao Ran in surprise, “Is the environment there good?”
Xiao Ran didn’t blame Xiao Li for being uninformed, as Westerners of that era generally looked down on Eastern movies, especially Chinese-language films. The only good thing was that thanks to the existence of Leo Company and its branches, the European market was now opening up to Xiao Ran.
He gave Daisy a glance, and she immediately smiled knowingly. She really wanted Reeves to go to Hong Kong to develop his career, at least to have a friend there. Moreover, she thought Hong Kong’s film industry was quite good. Although the pay might be a bit low, there was no need to endure heavy taxation and exploitation like in Hollywood.
Since arriving in Hong Kong, Xiao Ran had assigned her two roles, both of which had done well at the box office. Now her net worth was already around eight hundred thousand. Add in the generous bonuses and profits, each film brought in no less than one million. In Hong Kong, one million was enough for her to spend freely.
“Keanu, Phantom Company is the most influential film company in Southeast Asia. There, you’ll easily gain millions of fans!” Daisy hadn’t said one more thing, mainly because it was awkward to say in front of Xiao Ran. She thought Phantom Company needed Western actors right now, and someone like her who went there first would surely reap great benefits in the future.
“Phantom Company has a huge market in Southeast Asia, and a significant one in Europe as well.” Xiao Ran simply appreciated this actor but didn’t think he had to recruit him at all costs. If Xiao Li still couldn’t make up his mind, then he would have to give up. After all, Phantom Company’s branches in the U.S. and Europe were already looking for suitable artists and filmmakers for the headquarters.
“How about this? Discuss it with Daisy. I’ll give you a day to think!” Xiao Ran nodded at Daisy, signaling her to pay the bill, then politely nodded at Xiao Li before leaving.
Back in his room, Fang Xiaoqiang and An Yuxuan were waiting for him. As soon as Xiao Ran pushed the door open, Fang Xiaoqiang asked anxiously, “How did it go? Do we still need to deal with that old guy?”
Xiao Ran shook his head. It wasn’t out of disappointment; he had predicted that Lucas wouldn’t sell just like that. Unless… unless Old Lucas was on the verge of bankruptcy, it would be difficult for him to sell those assets. After thinking for a moment, he frowned and asked, “Is it possible to get him bankrupt within three days?”
Xiao Ran’s plan was very simple, yet extremely ruthless. Since Lucas refused to sell even though his company was facing financial problems, the only option was to force him into bankruptcy. Once Lucas went bankrupt, his assets would naturally be reclaimed, and Xiao Ran could seize the opportunity to take them over. After all, no one was interested in this company right now—even the seven major companies didn’t have special effects departments. Of course, no one would expect this company to monopolize future special effects production.

“No problem! Lucas personally owns only two properties and some stocks, with a total value of less than three million. He once used the shares in Phantom and Skywalker as collateral for 80 million dollars. This year, the market value of Phantom and Skywalker was less than 300 million, but after we stepped in to acquire them, it improved slightly to 400 million dollars,” An Yuxuan said smoothly, having already memorized the details.

“Over these past days, I’ve analyzed it. With our financial strength, forcing him into bankruptcy would be a piece of cake!” Fang Xiaoqiang laughed heartily, but his expression suddenly changed. “However, if we really want to force him into bankruptcy, we might lose around 60 million to 100 million dollars! Is it worth it?”

“Absolutely worth it. These two companies will surely bring us ten times that profit in the future!” Xiao Ran said with absolute certainty, affirming the plan without room for doubt. “Aqiang, it’s still up to you this time. Don’t disappoint me. All preparations must be completed within seven days. If he doesn’t surrender by then, we must push him into bankruptcy right away!”

Fang Xiaoqiang and An Yuxuan were both confused. How could Xiao Ran be so sure that these two companies had such huge potential? But Xiao Ran didn’t explain the specifics to them; he just told them to carry out the plan.

*****
Recommend two new works by renowned authors from Qidian:
Saileng Dada’s new work, *Memorandum of Understanding for a Romantic Encounter*, http://www.feiku.com/showbook.asp?bl_id=58519
Feiya Dada’s new work, *Electric Eel Superman*, http://www.feiku.com/showbook.asp?bl_id=58136