Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

The teahouse they had arranged to meet at was on the East Fourth Ring Road, next to a large park. It was open 24 hours and, even better, was pet-friendly.

When Ni Bingyan and Sang Yuan arrived and had just parked downstairs, a kind-looking, clean-shaven, chubby-faced uncle poked his head out of a second-floor window and called out to them:

”We’re on the second floor! Come on up!”

It was almost eleven o’clock by now, so the teahouse was mostly empty and there weren’t many people on the street. He didn’t need to call out their names. The moment Ni Bingyan looked up and heard Wangcai barking, she knew he was calling for them.

”Okay!” she called back, and the two of them headed upstairs side by side.

Hearing her familiar voice, followed by her familiar footsteps, Wangcai became incredibly excited.

The Little Fairy had been wandering outside all day. Now, filthy from head to tail and about to faint from hunger, she was on the verge of tears at the sight of her owner.

’I shouldn’t have been so greedy for those crispy, fragrant, sweet dried sweet potato strips. And I shouldn’t have been so playful and tried to follow those two little kids.’

”WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF!”

Wangcai couldn’t help but bark loudly, lunging frantically toward the top of the stairs.

Yu Ze Ping, worried she might get agitated and bite someone, unhooked her leash.

”Whoa! Goodness gracious! Easy there!”

Ni Bingyan had just reached the top of the stairs and hadn’t even found her footing when Wangcai leaped up into her arms, nearly knocking her back down the flight.

Luckily, Sang Yuan was right beside her and quickly steadied them both.

He tried to take Wangcai, but the dog buried her head in Ni Bingyan’s armpit and refused to budge. The two humans were helpless and had no choice but to let her be.

Once they were properly on the second floor, they saw Yu Ze Ping sitting by the window, smiling at them.

”Uncle Yu, long time no see.”

Sang Yuan smiled and stepped forward to shake his hand.

”Ah, Little Sang! How have you been lately?”

Yu Ze Ping glanced at the two of them, immediately understood their relationship, and nodded with a knowing smile.

”I’m doing well, thank you. How has Brother Rui been?”

”Same as always. He has no ambition. I’m always telling him to learn from you.”

Yu Ze Ping said this cheerfully, feigning humility.

”Come on, Uncle, what are you saying? Brother Rui is so young, yet he can already hold his own. He’s so down-to-earth in everything he does. You must be smiling in your sleep! To say otherwise is just being modest.”

”Haha, you’re right. As long as he’s not pestering me about starting a business all day, I should be counting my blessings.”

These past few years, some strange trend had swept through the second and third generations of wealthy families. One after another, they were all clamoring to start their own businesses.

And where did the startup capital come from? They had to go home and ask Dad for support, of course.

If they wanted to buy cars, yachts, or planes, or indulge in some other debauched luxury, their fathers could put on a stern face and refuse. But when a child wanted to be ambitious and was genuinely working hard at something, how could they say no?

However, starting a business depends not only on talent but also on ability and luck. Failure is highly likely, and success stories are few and far between.

Countless tycoons were trapped in the black hole of their children’s startup ventures, suffering from constant headaches. Yu Ze Ping was speaking from experience.

”Hahaha!”

Sang Yuan couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

This was something he could definitely relate to.

As an investor, he was often approached by young talents from his social circle asking for investments, as if a simple nod from him would make their ventures skyrocket. He had no idea what kind of new-age superstition this was.

While the two men exchanged pleasantries, Ni Bingyan finally managed to calm Wangcai down. Cradling the dog in her arms, she walked over to greet Yu Ze Ping.

”Uncle Yu, I can’t thank you enough for this!”

Holding her dog, Ni Bingyan was overcome with emotion. Her eyes were watery, and her pitiful expression was almost identical to Wangcai’s.

Yu Ze Ping waved his hands dismissively. ”Oh, it was nothing. This little one is clever. She recognized me after just a few meetings. When she saw me passing by, she came and tugged on my pant leg.”

He and Ni Guangli had first met at a luxury car club. When he had gone to Rongcheng City on business in the past, Ni Guangli had been a gracious host, and the two had hit it off.

A while ago, Ni Guangli had come to stay in Beijing for a spell. Ni Bingyan was busy filming, so he, bored on his own, took Wangcai with him to visit friends.

As a local, it was only natural for Yu Ze Ping to entertain him.

Since he also had dogs and Wangcai got along with them, the two men had arranged to walk their dogs together for several days in a row.

He never expected that he would get to know Wangcai this way, or that Wangcai would be able to pick him out of a vast crowd.

As a tycoon who had navigated the treacherous waters of the business world for decades, he had seen his fill of human deceit and trickery. The older he got, the more he appreciated the simple, direct nature of animals.

So, when Wangcai stopped him to ask for help, he wasn’t annoyed at all. On the contrary, he was delighted to take her in and actively help her get home.

”Are you okay?”

Hearing this, Ni Bingyan couldn’t help but glance at his leg.

The weather had been hot recently, and people were wearing thin clothes. A dog bite could be a serious matter.

”I’m fine. This furball is very well-behaved. She just nibbled on my pant leg pitifully and tugged gently. I was walking slowly, too. If I’d been any faster, she probably couldn’t have even held on, haha!”

Yu Ze Ping reached out and patted Wangcai’s head. ”I don’t know how long she was lost, and I wasn’t sure if she’d eaten anything like trash bags, so I didn’t dare feed her. You should take her to a vet for a check-up right away. I won’t keep you.”

Ni Bingyan thanked him again, and then she and Sang Yuan took the dog to a familiar veterinary hospital. After an examination, they were relieved to find that everything was fine.

They gave her a bath, food, and water. By the time everything was done and they finally got home, it was already past midnight.

Ni Bingyan contacted the netizens who had provided clues one by one. After thanking them, she offered a 2,000-yuan reward, but no one was willing to accept it.

Left with no alternative, Ni Bingyan turned around and donated a sum of money to the city’s pet rescue station to help stray cats and dogs.

Before going to bed, she replied to the netizens in the comments section, telling them Wangcai had been found and attaching a picture of the dog sleeping soundly with a full belly.

The incident was over, and while netizens were still buzzing about it, things had quieted down on Ni Bingyan’s end.

After a peaceful night’s sleep, Ni Bingyan and Sang Yuan prepared a generous gift and, with Wangcai restored to her ”Little Fairy” appearance, paid a visit to the Yu Family. After another round of thanks, they were about to leave when Yu Ze Ping took out an advertising proposal.

”Bingbing, you’re the professional. Help me take a look at this proposal and tell me what you think.”

Ni Bingyan immediately took it with both hands respectfully, only to see that the car being advertised was the same series as her own.

The ad’s theme was ”A Quality Life, With Ni & Me.”

When she looked at the stack of photos attached to the proposal, Ni Bingyan was stunned.

’They might as well just make the slogan ”Buy Me! Find Your Dog Faster!”’ she thought. ’What’s the point of all this fancy stuff?’

”This... this is...”

Ni Bingyan was a little hesitant to speak.

A car endorsement was no cheap deal, even if this model wasn’t a luxury car but a mid-range vehicle for the general public.

”Oh, it’s exactly what you’re thinking.”

Yu Ze Ping waved his hand.

”We had an ambassador before, but the results weren’t great. Then yesterday, you drove this car around all day looking for your dog, and sales figures across the country doubled. So my team worked overnight on this proposal and submitted it, suggesting we ask you to be our new ambassador. Take a look and see if you’re willing to accept. That way I can get back to my people and we can get the relevant work underway as soon as possible.”

When discussing personal matters, he might be warm and approachable, but when it came to work, he was instantly decisive.

Ni Bingyan had been driving this car for over a year, and she’d been photographed in it by the paparazzi more than once.

She had even trended on social media for it, since it was rare for a young artist to be so low-key.

Aside from a minor issue that needed repairs once, it had always been a good car. She’d never heard about any controversies like design flaws either. What was there to hesitate about when offered this endorsement?

Ni Bingyan agreed on the spot.

However, she didn’t give a definitive yes. ”I’ll contact my agent right away and have her connect with your company, how about that? I don’t have the final say myself.”

Yu Ze Ping expressed his understanding, agreed with a chuckle, and then invited them to stay for a meal.

Ni Bingyan felt it would be an imposition, but Wangcai had no such qualms!

’Why stay home all alone when it’s so much more fun at the Yu Family’s house?’

’There are several big brother doggos here! One of them gave me his canned beef—so gentle and considerate. Another one pushed his toys over for me to play with—so lively and fun. And another one gently nuzzled my head—so cute and cuddly...’

’Aww~ I don’t wanna go home!’

Ni Bingyan’s face darkened with exasperation. She couldn’t very well drag the dog away while it was yelping in protest. Sang Yuan was laughing so hard he had to lean against a wall for support, and he made the decision for them to stay.

Over the course of the meal, the bond between both parties grew even stronger.

When Wei Shuojie got the news that Ni Bingyan had managed to land a car endorsement in the time it took to find her dog, he just sighed and contacted the company’s legal department to prepare for the deal.

You get used to some things after they happen enough times.

’When you’re stuck with an artist who doesn’t take the beaten path, as long as you have a strong heart, it’s actually quite worry-free when you think about it.’

After hanging up with the legal department, Wei Shuojie moved quickly. He called a clinic to book a physical exam, then scheduled a session with a personal trainer at the gym downstairs from the company. After that, he thought about what else needed to be done and called the housekeeper at his home, reminding her to make soup that evening and to be sure to add a few slices of ginseng.

Having done all this, Wei Shuojie sat back behind his desk, gazed out at the blue sky through the large floor-to-ceiling window, and suddenly felt that he could go on.