smiled as she waved goodbye from his bulging pockets, saying, "I’m leaving.""Start working on it once you get home," Su Can reminded her."Okay." Tang Mu nodded, then crossed the street at a crosswalk...Chapter 118: Threats and Exploitation

The Up Island Café at the Rongcheng Convention Center was designed in a ring shape, with small tea tables in the central hall and private booths on the periphery, separated by curtains. Inside were some potted plants, and near the café was a commercial park where Shushan Stationery's main factory was located.

Adjacent to it was a branch of the Bridge Pavilion Restaurant, accessible via an overpass leading to the Third Ring Road. With a car, one could easily travel both within and outside the city.

The surrounding residential areas were quiet, with housing prices at 4100 yuan per square meter clearly targeting white-collar and golden-collar professionals who owned cars in this area of Rongcheng.

Surrounding the area were numerous car dealerships (4S stores), along with several headquarters of well-known companies. Far off, there was also a tower belonging to China Telecom.

Su Can and Lin Guangdong met Jianghai's Xiao Zhaoxu here.

Xiao Zhaoxu wore a black silk shirt, the top three buttons left open, revealing enough for several women passing by to take notice.

From afar, Su Can sized up this late-arriving editor-in-chief of Sharp Magazine. His complexion was fair, likely due to an excessive nightlife, but he didn't appear particularly imposing in looks; his face wasn't handsome per se, yet his gaze was captivating, the type that would attract attention in nightclubs.

This image diverged significantly from the wastrel profile Su Can had pieced together.

Communicating with Lin Guangdong, he waved at their booth. As Xiao Zhaoxu approached, holding a Nokia phone, it seemed he recognized someone and greeted them loudly, breaking the café's tranquility.

The others were also young, around twenty-seven to twenty-eight years old. They inquired when Xiao Zhaoxu had come from Hangzhou to Rongcheng, not having heard much about him lately. They asked how long he planned to stay and mentioned that they would like to hang out soon since some of them knew each other.

There were five or six people there, none appearing ordinary; rather, they all seemed to have their own businesses.

A man familiar with Xiao Zhaoxu leaned in close. "The fellows coming over a few days from now include an old guy from Nixi Tobacco Bureau and another who's the owner of a construction company in Shanghai. The former is involved in road bridge projects in Nixi, while the latter runs a garage. Each has at least seven figures worth of assets." He whispered to Xiao Zhaoxu, pointing with his thumb.

So someone with three million yuan in assets

Xiao Zhaoxu grunted and thought he should get acquainted with them. He then said, "Alright, let's meet up soon; I'll be here in Rongcheng for a few days to handle some small matters."

"I bet the guy who runs that repair shop definitely speaks highly of you. We all read your magazine, and the latest issue was quite good. Keep it up!"

Xiao Zhaoxu smiled; his magazine had been on hold for three months now, so there wasn't a recent issue to speak of. But he would take whatever face others gave him, wouldn’t he Deep down, however, he thought that he would eventually make a name for himself.

"You go ahead and busy yourself; I'll give you a call later. By the way, the Shanghai International Auto Show is coming up in the second half of the year, and some friends are going to be over there. As hosts, it’s your duty to entertain us… How could such an event possibly be missed Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing who gets their hands on that limited edition Bentley convertible. My friend told me someone in Beijing is showing interest, but Hong Kong might just take the car instead; a businessman's son has had his eye on it for a long time and announced he’ll buy it as a wedding gift for himself. Frankly speaking, even I’m tempted, but there’s no way for me… you know how my store’s doing isn’t exactly great; employee salaries are barely covered these days. Last month I just managed to swindle 500k from my mom saying it was for working capital turnover. Look at the Mercedes S-Class below! My new car—what do you think Worth every penny."

Clearly, Xiao Zhaoxu felt that the other party’s bragging tone grated on his ears. He briefly exchanged a couple of words and then left to join Su Cun and Lin Guangdong in their booth.

Sitting down and ordering himself a cup of black tea, he apologized to them for making them wait: "Sorry about that." Then he shook hands with Su Cun saying, “You seem quite young.”

Lin Guangdong was clearly surprised by Su Cun’s appearance and youth. He couldn’t believe someone at the tender age of eighteen could be the so-called 'major shareholder' Lin had mentioned. On the contrary, Su Cun saw right through Xiao Zhaoxu's haughty demeanor; despite his apologies for being late, he didn't seem to care about making them wait earlier.

Lin Guangdong suppressed his anger.

Xiao Zhaoxu said, "Just now I was chatting with my friend about the Shanghai Auto Show. I love cars and got carried away; forgive me for that. Let's talk about our cooperation then. Our Sharp Magazine has been around for a long time, and its strength is unquestionable. This time I see great potential in your Pineapple Media; we can definitely work together. We'll contribute manpower—our magazine has several graduates from the Fine Arts Department at Fudan University who are very capable in design. As for our planning expertise, it was all laid out with professional training, so you don't need to worry about that at all. Our distribution channels are extensive too; through Fashion & Culture Magazine’s network we can ensure your products hit the newsstands and bookstores across six southeastern provinces within a short time frame. This partnership would be mutually beneficial."

Su Cun narrowed his eyes and asked, "What's your price"

Xiao Zhaoxu was taken aback for a moment before extending two fingers: “Twenty percent.”

Trading twenty percent equity in Pineapple Media with a struggling Sharp Magazine was quite the proposition. The provincial newspaper group only held twenty percent of the shares when they handed over their publication to Lin Guangdong.

The recent investment from Fashion & Culture’s media conference could value the company's 20% stake at around two or three million RMB.

Su Cun lifted his Bamboo Leaf Green tea and took a sip, appearing to be considering Xiao Zhaoxu's offer.

Lin Guangdong similarly picked up his coffee but was thinking about whether he should splash it on Xiao Zhaoxu. However, when he considered the other party’s background, he restrained himself.

Xiao Zhaoxu could see from their expressions that this proposal was too ambitious; it wasn’t just a casual remark. This was merely his opening bid—he still had cards to play.

"Mate, do you like cars"

As Su Can nodded, Xiao Zhaoxu leaned forward and said, "Then you should know about the International Auto Show. It's a grand event! The Shanghai International Exhibition Center, Shanghai World Trade Mall, and Shanghai Optics Valley Convention & Exhibition Center will gather 700 manufacturers from over 40 countries and regions. I think for our 'Fashion and Culture' magazine to make its first move, we should start here. In this year's Furibao booth, there are two cars worth pursuing: the Bentley convertible BTAL. There are only fifty-four of these cars in the world, exclusively sold in Hong Kong, China, and Asian regions. This time, they're selling the last one out of those fifty-four, so you can imagine how much attention it's getting. The other car is a Ferrari, which isn't quite as impressive, but just having these two cars should drive people crazy in Zhejiang and Shanghai.

In his previous life, Su Can didn't interact with such things very often and couldn't understand the intricacies behind them. Even if Xiao Zhaoxu explained it to him, he couldn't picture what these cars looked like or their designs. To say that he loves cars would be a stretch, because in his later life, he was just struggling to survive and never managed to become part of the car-owning crowd. Therefore, he couldn't understand the extent of Xiao Zhaoxu's love for cars or how crazy they could get.

"Relying solely on this idea to ask for so much is a bit too much," Lin Guangdong said.

Xiao Zhaoxu glanced at Lin Guangdong, unsatisfied with his words. He then said, "Nowadays, the Cultural Bureau Director Zheng Jian in Sichuan Province is an old comrade of my father's; I call him Uncle Zheng when I see him. You're Yang Bo, deputy general manager of your newspaper group, right I know you as well. In here, I can help you a lot, so 'Sharp Magazine' should be worth what I mentioned earlier. Let me put it plainly: I love cars, and my mate wants to get that Bentley convertible. If you could help with this, all you need to do is ask around to find out who Xiao Zhaoxu is; I wouldn't let anyone suffer a loss. You help me today, and next time, maybe I can return the favor. In society, it's all about friends."

Su Can understood that this was a veiled threat. His family had some clout at Pineapple Media, so they could manipulate things if needed. This implied coercion: he wanted to buy a car and needed help from Su Can.

Xiao Zhaoxu added, "Cooperation would be very beneficial for all of us. Buying this car isn't like getting a woman; the commemorative value is significant, with many eyes watching. If my mate gets it, as deputy editor-in-chief of 'Fashion and Culture' Magazine, he can save on advertisement fees, creating huge influence in the industry. In the future, I'll be your banner."

Xiao Zhaoxu was feeling quite elated; if he could purchase this Bentley, he would surely make a big impression. Under media reports, young people from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai would know about his flashy move, giving him face.

Most importantly, Xiao Zhaoxu's recent reputation was poor; relying on his father’s status wasn't a long-term solution. Having his own fame and achievements would be an immense advantage for finding new investors.

Su Can thought to himself that you must really want to become famous out of your mind; who gave you the title of deputy editor-in-chief at 'Fashion Culture' After all this, he just wants to price his Sharp Magazine to squeeze some money from Su Can to buy an incredibly flashy sports car and boost his image after a period of decline.

Su Can considered whether bringing up Wang Bo or Wang Weiwei would make the other side back down with its arrogant attitude.

However, he dismissed this impractical idea and said, "I can't give you twenty percent equity."

Xiao Zhaoxu's face immediately changed, while Lin Guangdong was on high alert, ready to support Su Can in case of a confrontation. People like him didn't need much respect.

"Then my mate isn’t willing to help" Xiao Zhaoxu’s tone became unpredictable.

Su Can shook his head.

"What's going on" Xiao Zhaoxu couldn't help but feel surprised.

"Let me understand your thoughts. When we love something, we naturally want to possess it. I am happy to facilitate this. As for the Sharp Edge magazine, since you have worked hard to build it up, it wouldn't be appropriate if I took over; personally, I will give you 5% of the equity. Based on current market value, these shares are worth around fifty or sixty thousand dollars. However, I suggest that during this period, you can obtain about sixty thousand dollars in cash," Su Cen said with a smile.

Ling Guangdong was shocked and stunned inside, wondering how Su Cen had suddenly agreed to give away 5% of his shares for nothing. At most, he would make an enemy; it wasn't the end of the world if things got harder for him with the magazine. He kept making gestures at Su Cen but saw that Su Cen winked at him, signaling agreement.

Xiao Zhaoxu was also stunned. Was there such a good deal in this world Giving away fifty to sixty thousand dollars so easily, and even giving up his own magazine

"Of course I have conditions. I hope that 'Fashion Culture' can use the distribution channels of Sharp Edge magazine for sales. In this regard, I need your help. The Cultural Department is somewhat resistant to our direction, but if you know someone there, it would make things much easier; so these 5% shares are not given out without consideration. Also, I want to see how impressive it looks when you drive the Bentley convertible around. Our magazine can also use this as a topic for炒作炒作, which won't do any harm.

Su Cen smiled brightly. Ling Guangdong recognized that smile and said to Xiao Zhaoxu, "That's about right, I share your viewpoint."

Xiao Zhaoxu thought it was reasonable; if he really got 5% without doing anything, he would still be hesitant, worrying whether someone had set up a trap to hit his father. Now everything made sense.

Feeling very pleased with himself, he put on an expression of gratitude.

Raising his cup: "We'll have another drink another day; today we'll just make do with tea! Cheers!"

"The Cultural Department opposes our move. If Xiao Zhaoxu can help us indirectly through the proper channels, I don't mind. But I prefer not to get too involved with such people…" After talking with Xiao Zhaoxu and leaving the coffee shop, Ling Guangdong was driving and thinking about the pros and cons on the way.

By connecting with Xiao Zhaoxu, they could utilize his network, resources, and the leftover connections from his father. This would greatly benefit the newly launched 'Fashion Culture', especially in reducing distribution costs if using Sharp Edge magazine's channels. Calculating this, the 5% equity wasn't insignificant.

Moreover, Xiao Zhaoxu was eager for 'Fashion Culture' to spread widely and gain high visibility; at that time,炒作炒作 car exhibitions would be like adding gold leaf to his own face.

"It's just a relationship of mutual benefit," Su Cen said indifferently. This was simply utilizing an opportunity. Having Xiao Zhaoxu assist during the market introduction phase for Sharp Edge magazine was indeed beneficial; yet, wasn't he also taking advantage

One could foresee that their honeymoon period of cooperation would last until the international car exhibition in Shanghai later this year.

"There are only fifty-four Benz vehicles available... These people really know how to stir things up!" Ling Guangdong ended up shaking his head and smiling lightly at these thoughts.xtremely out of place today."Su Cen" As Su Cen was moving through the crowd, a low voice suddenly sounded beside him. Turning his head, he saw Lu Chanming, who was both the principal of the freshman c...