Chapter 57: The Bet Agreement
Mu Lantu and Gu Jincheng agreed to meet at a self-serve BBQ restaurant.
When Gu Jincheng arrived, he stared at Mu Lantu for quite a while.
Mu Lantu felt uneasy under the gaze. “What are you looking at? Don’t recognize me anymore?”
Gu Jincheng sat down, rubbing his chin as he looked him over again. “I almost didn’t recognize you. You’re looking more and more youthful—not like someone who’s already entered society. More like a high schooler at eighteen. Wait a minute! Are you in love?”
There was nothing to hide about that.
“I am. Let’s go get some food first.”
The two of them grabbed a bunch of food and returned to their seats.
“You’re fast! Tell me, what does the lucky one do? How old are they? Are they good-looking? How did you two meet?” Gu Jincheng’s questions came like a rapid-fire barrage. You couldn’t blame him for being nosy—Mu Lantu was too handsome for just anyone to catch his eye.
“I didn’t come here today so you could gossip.” Mu Lantu opened a can of beer for him. “I’ll introduce you two later.”
Gu Jincheng leaned forward with concern, “Did something happen? Just say the word—if I can help, I will.”
“Nothing serious.” Mu Lantu handed him a prepared document. “I want to explore a collaboration with your uncle. I’d like you to help make the connection. This is a proposal I wrote—please pass it on to him when you get home. Whether the deal works out or not, it won’t affect our relationship.”
“That’s all? Sure.” Gu Jincheng didn’t even look at the document before agreeing readily. “I’ll give it to him as soon as I get back.”
With the serious business done, they moved on to other topics.
“How’s work going lately?” Mu Lantu asked.
Gu Jincheng grimaced and downed a large gulp of beer. “I don’t want to work anymore. The job is repetitive and boring every day. It feels stifling. You’ve probably heard that Dream Home has opened for rentals, right? I managed to rent a unit and was thinking—maybe I could stream from there. I bet a lot of people who can’t visit would love to watch.”
That wasn’t wrong. The clearance process for Dream Home was strict. Apart from tenants, employees, and co-tenants, no one could even enter the transport hub.
“It’s a good idea, but as far as I know, apart from the residential zones and a few open natural areas like mountains, oceans, and rivers, humans aren’t allowed in most other parts.”
No one knew this better than Mu Lantu, the owner. The restrictions existed partly for human safety, and partly to prevent resource exploitation within Dream Home.
Gu Jincheng nodded, “Yeah, I’ve heard that too. But I think the areas that are open are enough for streaming.”
“As long as you’ve thought it through.” Mu Lantu replied.
“I have.” Gu Jincheng grinned. “Worst case, my family’s got my back—I could take a year or two off just for fun!”
Mu Lantu nodded. That’s the advantage of coming from a well-off background—others couldn’t compare.
“I support your decision.”
Later that night, not long after getting home, Mu Lantu received a call from Gu Yingwu, who invited him for tea the next morning.
As soon as Mu Lantu entered the private room, Gu Yingwu’s expression lit up. His tone and demeanor were much friendlier than the last time.
“Ah, Xiao Mu, looks like you haven’t heard the news yet.”
“What news, Uncle Gu?” Mu Lantu sat down and poured tea. “I just came back from a trip and haven’t checked the news lately. Does it have to do with the RuMeng company?”
“Exactly. RuMeng got fined 350 million for tax evasion! For the Meng family to pull a stunt like that… honestly…” Gu Yingwu shook his head in disdain.
“Really?” Mu Lantu’s mind worked quickly. “Do you know the details? It seemed to happen quite suddenly.”
Gu Yingwu pondered. “Yes, very sudden. No signs at all beforehand. My gut says someone targeted RuMeng. When I first heard about it, I even wondered if you were behind it.” But then he remembered Mu Lantu had a simple family background and dismissed the thought.
“It wasn’t me,” Mu Lantu said calmly. “Do you remember what day it happened?”
“Last Friday. I remember clearly because I had a weekly meeting that day.”
“I see.” A flicker of emotion passed through Mu Lantu’s eyes. If he wasn’t wrong, this was Xu Huazhang’s doing. That guy… even pulled a classic hero-behind-the-scenes move and never told him.
“No matter who did it, congrats to you, nephew!” Gu Yingwu’s eyes glinted with curiosity. Mu Lantu’s calm response suggested he did know who was behind it. But even he couldn’t find out—so how did Mu Lantu know?
“This alone isn’t enough.” Mu Lantu smiled faintly. “Uncle Gu, let’s drink some tea.”
He could stay composed, but Gu Yingwu couldn’t. After reading the impressive Proposal 1, he was sure there must be more—Proposal 2, 3… But Mu Lantu didn’t have to pick Baile Entertainment.
“Xiao Mu, I’ve read your Proposal 1. Truly outstanding. As they say, ‘the waves behind push the ones ahead to the shore’—and you’re that wave! Hahaha! Would you be interested in joining our Gu family’s Baile Entertainment? If you’re willing, we’ll definitely treat you well.”
Mu Lantu shook his head. If he wanted to join the entertainment industry, he might as well be a celebrity—those make money faster than planners.
“Well, fair enough. Everyone has their path. Baile is one of the top names in the industry. Two of the current top four stars are under Baile, and one of the four top actresses too. Our strength speaks for itself. If you’re willing to give us your plans, I believe we can achieve a win-win outcome!” Gu Yingwu’s eyes sparkled, his tone booming with confidence.
Mu Lantu put down his teacup. “I’m the opposite of you. I’ve never paid much attention to the entertainment industry. And I’m still young—if I make the slightest misstep, it could all fall apart. So I have to be cautious. I hope you understand.”
Gu Yingwu realized getting all the proposals at once wasn’t likely. He gave a bitter smile. He had known this young man wasn’t ordinary—so why had he still hoped to bluff his way through?
“You’re right. I was too impatient. So what are you thinking?”
Mu Lantu replied slowly, “Let’s sign a bet agreement.”
Gu Yingwu’s heart skipped a beat, then started racing. He pushed some snacks toward Mu Lantu. “A bet agreement? Interesting. Tell me the details.”
“It’s simple. I’ll give you all ten proposals at once. If you can force RuMeng into bankruptcy within three months, they’re free.”
Mu Lantu’s words shocked him. Gu Yingwu’s palms started sweating. Ten proposals—for free!
But he hadn’t lost his mind. Three months was a tight deadline. RuMeng had only been around for five years, but they’d become a rising star.
“If you don’t manage it in three months, it’s ten million per proposal—a total of 100 million.” Mu Lantu sipped his tea, having finished the main point.
Maybe it was all his time in the ancient world, but he preferred tea over coffee. Today’s tea was top-grade West Lake Dragon Well—fresh, fragrant, mellow, with a sweet aftertaste and excellent texture.
Gu Yingwu raised his cup with a toast. “Personally, I accept this bet! But you know, I don’t run Baile Entertainment alone. I’ll need to discuss it with the family.”
“Of course.” Mu Lantu nodded. “Here’s the thing—I only gave you half of Proposal 1. I’ll send the rest once I get home.”
“Even better.” Gu Yingwu was delighted. He wanted this collaboration to happen. Resources in the entertainment world were limited. If RuMeng collapsed, everyone else would get a bigger piece of the pie—double benefits for the Gu family.
He asked for Mu Lantu’s contact info and rushed off to talk to the family—footing the bill without being asked.
Mu Lantu lingered for a while, waiting for Xu Huazhang to pick him up.
They’d agreed to go shopping for some decor. Mu Lantu didn’t like the style of some of the decorations in his room and study.
Xu Huazhang was ten minutes late.
“Baby, I’m sorry. I ran into someone I know downstairs.”
“No problem.” Mu Lantu put on his hat and picked up his phone. “A friend?”
Xu Huazhang laced his fingers with Mu Lantu’s. “More like a relative—my sister-in-law’s older brother. Speaking of friends, a few of mine heard I’m seeing someone and want to meet you. Do you want to meet them?”
“There’s been too much going on lately. Maybe later? I’ll bring my friends too when the time comes.”
Xu Huazhang noticed him spacing out and tugged his hand. “What are you thinking?”
Mu Lantu snapped back. “Nothing. Just realized I don’t have many friends.” Only Li Guangchao and Gu Jincheng came to mind. Li had moved back to his hometown, so in the capital, there was only Gu Jincheng. Lin Sen was nice too, but things got awkward after the Zhou Xianlin incident, and they hadn’t kept in touch.
Thinking of Zhou Xianlin, Mu Lantu’s mind wandered. He’d almost forgotten about him. He wondered if Zhou had found a job.
Xu Huazhang said, “Better to have a few close friends than many shallow ones. If you click, keep in touch. If not, no need to force it.”
“Got it. Let’s go shopping.”
[Little Five, check where Zhou Xianlin is right now.]
[Host, he lost his job again two days ago. Lin Sen did it.]
Mu Lantu replied coolly, [We can’t rely on Lin Sen alone. Find someone else to keep tabs on him—and sabotage him whenever there’s a chance.]
Zhou Xianlin’s biggest dream was to settle in the capital? Then Mu Lantu would make sure he couldn’t stay.
[Yes, Host!]
At that moment, Zhou Xianlin sat in a breakfast shop. He was still well-dressed but looked exhausted. He’d already lowered his standards repeatedly and only just found a third job—only to mess it up again in under two days. Filled with resentment and no one to vent to, he sat in the noisy crowd, watching people outside working hard to get by. Suddenly, all his confidence collapsed. He was overwhelmed with pessimism about the future.
Why was he so unlucky? Why him of all people?
