Chapter 34: Taking Matters into His Own Hands
The man looked to be nearly forty—not like “Spicy Strips Aren’t Spicy,” whose voice sounded very young. The second guest was a woman, so not her either…
Xi Wei sat nervously inside a street-side café, eyeing every person who walked through the door. The soft piano music did nothing to calm his nerves. He was already in his thirties and had only made it to the position of junior manager at DouMao Live. This was his first time overseeing a project worth tens of millions. If today’s negotiation went smoothly, not only could he expect a promotion, but also a hefty bonus.
“Welcome,” the sweet voice of the café’s system announced again.
A young man with black hair stepped in slowly. His face was partially hidden under a mask, a black bucket hat on his head, a canvas bag slung over his shoulder. A black long-sleeve T-shirt paired with loose gray-blue denim overalls gave him a youthful vibe. His bright eyes scanned the entire café in an instant.
Click.
A girl nearby secretly snapped a photo, forgetting to mute her phone. She quickly covered her face in embarrassment.
A celebrity?
Xi Wei wondered, still focused on the door—until he sensed someone approach.
The young man lowered his mask. “Excuse me, are you ‘Watermelon Cat’?”
“You’re ‘Spicy Strips Aren’t Spicy’?!” Xi Wei stared in disbelief. His looks were that good? If he ever revealed his face in a livestream, he’d probably have a million followers by now.
The youth sat across from him. “That’s me.”
A server came by and asked softly, “What would you like to drink?”
“A latte and a slice of tiramisu, thanks.”
Mu Lantu glanced at the folder on the table, his tone suggestive. “Mr. Xi, is that the proposal?”
“Yes.” Xi Wei handed him the folder. “Spicy Strips, have you considered showing your face?”
In the past, Mu Lantu would’ve said, “I’ll go with the flow,” not caring one way or another. But now things had changed. Xu Huazhang’s identity was sensitive—if they ever became public, too much exposure could hurt him.
“Not considering it for now.”
Mu Lantu opened the folder and skimmed through it at lightning speed. Five minutes later, he closed it and pushed it back toward Xi Wei.
The server delivered the coffee and dessert, then silently retreated.
Xi Wei smiled. “You finished already? I can walk you through anything unclear.”
Mu Lantu sipped his coffee, his smile tinged with sarcasm. “It’s a very well-thought-out plan—the host is one of your streamers, the judges are your streamers, and the livestream is on your platform. I just have to pay. So effortless. Should I be thanking you for thinking of me?”
Xi Wei flipped open the folder and looked. His face froze. “I’m so sorry—wrong file! That’s not the right one!”
He quickly pulled a different proposal from his briefcase and handed it over with both hands.
Mu Lantu chuckled softly and took another sip of coffee before accepting it.
Xi Wei’s heart pounded. Cold sweat formed in his palms. That was close—way too close.
The second proposal did prioritize “Spicy Strips Aren’t Spicy’s” interests, but it lacked flair. Mu Lantu gave it a barely passing grade.
When he saw him close the folder again, Xi Wei’s heart jumped into his throat. This young man might be nearly ten years his junior, fresh out of the gate, but his poise and presence were something else entirely. It made Xi Wei feel inferior in every way.
“Too bland.”
Two words—harsh judgment for something that took two days to prepare. Xi Wei took a humble posture. “What do you suggest? Please, go ahead.”
Mu Lantu countered with a question: “What do you think is the biggest strength of livestreaming?”
Xi Wei replied without hesitation, “Real-time interaction—between fans, and between fans and streamers.”
“Then do you think watching contestants silently build LEGO will inspire much viewer interaction?” Mu Lantu followed up with another sharp question.
Xi Wei was momentarily speechless. He wanted to say, “But that’s exactly what you do—and you have tons of viewers,” but he knew Mu Lantu was a special case. He was the first person to make livestream LEGO-building work. Others had tried before and failed. Now a bunch of DouMao streamers were copying him.
Realizing this guy had way more insight, Xi Wei straightened up, opened his phone’s notepad. “Go on, tell me your ideas. I’ll take notes.”
Mu Lantu pulled out a document. “Take a look.”
So he’d written his own proposal.
Xi Wei was stunned. He quickly and carefully began reading. The more he read, the more shocked he became—cold sweat forming on his brow. He never imagined a simple LEGO competition could be turned into something so engaging. He felt more useless than ever.
“This is amazing! Truly! I’ll report it to management right away! I’m sure they’ll approve it and fully support your version!”
Mu Lantu calmly sipped his coffee and gave a mild nod.
Xi Wei reluctantly closed the proposal. “But… aren’t you worried we’ll steal your ideas and go off on our own?”
Mu Lantu brought the tiramisu closer, not even looking up. “Then guess—do you think I can write a second, even better plan?”
Xi Wei fell silent.
He believed he could.
Mu Lantu finished the tiramisu and elegantly wiped his mouth. “You’re paying.” A minor punishment.
Xi Wei, still feeling guilty, nodded. “Of course.”
Mu Lantu said to the server, “Another tiramisu, to-go.”
Xi Wei: “…”
The server moved swiftly.
“Here’s your tiramisu.”
Mu Lantu took the box, stood up. “I’m off.”
Xi Wei also stood quickly. “Once leadership approves it, I’ll bring the contract to you right away.”
Mu Lantu waved him off coolly and walked out.
