Chapter Forty-Four: Vengeance for Every Slight

Ma Wu was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into hearty laughter. “Jinshan, are you taking me for a fool, or are you fooling yourself? Bringing out profit records from centuries ago?”

Jinshan’s expression froze. He realized Ma Wu had already seen through his little trick. With a somewhat awkward smile, he quickly deflected blame, pretending he’d made a mistake. He turned to the young woman operating the computer beside him, scolding with a hint of anger, “What’s wrong with you? Can’t you do anything right? Why are you showing those old profit records? If Mr. Ma Wu suffers a loss, can you bear the responsibility?”

The woman shrank back, trembling under the rebuke, her voice quivering on the verge of tears. “But, but Mr. Jinshan, didn’t you tell me to do it this way earlier…”

“Shut up!” Jinshan, realizing his plan was about to unravel, raised a broad, fan-like hand as if to strike her.

“That’s enough!” Ma Wu’s voice rang out, and in a flash, he stepped forward with uncanny speed, firmly grabbing Jinshan’s hand. “Jinshan, we both know perfectly well what you’re trying to pull. There’s no need to threaten a girl who knows nothing about this. As the president of a company, isn’t it beneath you to raise your hand against a woman?”

“Uh…” Jinshan tried to withdraw his hand but found it utterly immovable. Fear crept into his heart, and he stammered, “Yes, yes, Mr. Ma Wu, you’re right, hahahaha…”

Meanwhile, the gathered reporters were snapping photos nonstop, capturing the moment Ma Wu seized Jinshan’s hand and shielded the young woman behind him. A female reporter responsible for taking notes gazed at Ma Wu’s tall figure, stars sparkling in her eyes as she wrote: “Just as Jinshan’s hand was about to strike the girl’s face, Ma Wu stepped forward, using his body to protect her.”

“Not only is Ma Wu sharp-witted, exposing Jinshan’s scheme, but he’s also kind and bold, willing to risk himself for a girl he’s never met. He’s so handsome, ahhh! I wish I could have his children.”

Of course, Ma Wu was oblivious to the infatuated thoughts of the reporter, but a notification from the system sounded in his mind:

Ding! You protected a girl who was about to be assaulted by Jinshan, witnessed and acknowledged by the reporters. Your Swagger Points have increased by five hundred.

Ma Wu smiled faintly. Lately, he’d been putting on quite a show, and although he’d spent some Swagger Points back at Eddie’s Bar, the recent events had filled his points back up to the cap of two thousand.

Ma Wu looked at Jinshan, impatience flickering in his eyes. “Jinshan, let’s not play games. Rest assured, if I can stop you from threatening Lin Erke, I’m no fool, and you can’t expect to trick me as if I were one. The crisis facing Goldfish TV now is entirely of my making. I know your financial situation. Just name your price—if it’s reasonable, I’ll buy; if not, I’ll walk away. Simple as that.”

Jinshan’s face changed. The last thing he wanted was for Ma Wu to walk away; the funds from Ma Wu’s acquisition of Goldfish TV were the foundation for his escape. But greed gnawed at him, and he hesitated for a long time before finally speaking in a negotiating tone, “Then… how about thirty million?”

Ma Wu laughed aloud. “Thirty million? Mr. Jinshan, do you think you still have the old Goldfish TV?”

“Let me put it this way, Jinshan. Your current Goldfish TV earns less than ten thousand a day from the live streams. The two branches, plus headquarters and staff costs, set you back at least twenty-five thousand a day. On top of that, you’re carrying eight million in external debts—used entirely for your personal expenses. Am I wrong?”

As Ma Wu finished, both the reporters and Jinshan’s faces changed.

The reporters marveled at Ma Wu’s thorough research—clearly, he was not just a nouveau riche but a shrewd, far-sighted businessman. Jinshan, on the other hand, was shocked and fearful. The reporters didn’t know, but he did: these figures were known only to him and his closest confidants. How had Ma Wu gotten this information?

Of course, Ma Wu couldn’t have accessed such confidential data on his own, but the system’s power was limitless. As long as the information was uploaded to the internet, the system could obtain it through various means. Whether it was the altered police records or Goldfish TV’s current operational status, it was all the same.

As the system put it: “Your systems are so rudimentary, it’s as if you left the files lying on the ground for anyone to pick up. I got them with hardly any effort. Don’t be surprised.”

Without waiting for Jinshan to recover, Ma Wu said coolly, “Jinshan, I’m not here to argue. Ten million. And let me be clear, I’m not pleading with you to let me buy Goldfish TV for ten million—I want you to beg me to buy your Goldfish TV for that price.”

“Your Goldfish TV is nothing but a pile of crap now—beset by internal and external troubles, with a disastrous reputation. If I’m willing to buy it, it’s both a promise to the fans and a tremendous favor to you! If you want to sell, fine. If not, I’ll walk.”

Jinshan’s face trembled—ten million was far less than he’d hoped for, but Ma Wu was right: Goldfish TV was a crumbling wall that everyone was eager to push over. Jinshan doubted anyone else would bother to acquire it. If he drove Ma Wu away, Goldfish TV would rot in his hands for good.

Sweat beaded on Jinshan’s brow, his expression dark and ugly. After a long hesitation, he asked hoarsely, “Really… can’t you go a little higher?”

Ma Wu chuckled. “Of course, everything’s negotiable. I’m willing to add five million more—but you’ll have to grant me a personal request.”

Jinshan’s eyes lit up. “What request?”

Ma Wu toyed with the watch on his wrist, his gaze cold and merciless. “Back then, your chief moderator went to Lin Erke’s house to threaten and humiliate her, didn’t he? I want you to think carefully—was that his personal act? If it was, my impression of your company will improve, and an extra five million is no problem.”

Among the Goldfish TV executives behind Jinshan, the chief moderator’s face changed dramatically. He hadn’t expected Ma Wu to target him so directly. In panic, he cried to Jinshan, “Chairman Jin! You were the one who gave that order!”

Ma Wu ignored the moderator, looking only at Jinshan. “Jinshan, you just tried to shift the blame onto that young woman, didn’t you? You’re well practiced at passing the buck. It’s simple—just say, ‘I never issued that order, it was your personal decision.’ Five million, easily earned.”

Jinshan finally understood. Ma Wu still bore a grudge for what the moderator had done. He wanted Jinshan to declare that the threats and insults to Lin Erke were the moderator’s personal actions. That way, with no one to shield him, Ma Wu could call the police and the moderator would end up in prison for personal threats.

The moderator realized this too, and in terror, shouted, “Chairman Jin, Chairman Jin, you can’t say that—back then, you clearly…”

Jinshan gritted his teeth, thinking: For five million, you’ll just have to endure. When you’re in prison, I’ll send money to your parents.

His struggle faded into calm, and he smiled at the moderator. The moderator, momentarily reassured, was about to sigh in relief when Jinshan enunciated clearly, “That’s right, Mr. Ma Wu. It was entirely his personal action.”

The moderator’s eyes blazed with fury as he screamed, “Jinshan! You traitorous ingrate! What did you promise me before? You said you’d protect me! And now look at you!”

“Jinshan, you’ll get what you deserve. Whether I live or die, I won’t let you go!”

Jinshan waved his hand. “Security! Take him away and hand him over to the police!”

The moderator’s curses faded as he was dragged off. Before his voice vanished completely, his angry shouts turned to desperate, wrenching sobs.

A general who had helped Jinshan build his empire was now personally sent to prison by him. The Goldfish TV executives shivered inwardly.

The backbone of Goldfish TV had collapsed. Goldfish TV was finished—this was their shared conviction at that moment.