Chapter Fifty-Five: Taken

Tang Zhichu brought up the topic of influencer companies, and Huang Zejun didn’t treat him like an outsider. He shared all the insights he could think of. In fact, Huang Zejun was even itching to take a few more photos and give them to the subjects.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll steal your idea by telling me all this?” Huang Zejun asked, puzzled.

Tang Zhichu just smiled. “Go ahead. Your photography skills are better than mine.”

“But why?”

Tang Zhichu didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said, “MCN agencies are far too complicated. Without connections or capital, it’s almost impossible to succeed. Take you for example—you nurture an influencer, but once she becomes successful, she’ll look down on you. The resources you can provide are, to her, lower-tier and a drain on her potential. People naturally want to move upward; it’s just human nature.”

Huang Zejun was surprised—how did Tang Zhichu know all this? Still, he had to admit it made sense.

Huang Zejun’s influencer company relied on himself and a professional shooting team, focusing on content creation. They showcased a person’s beauty with the most professional techniques of light and shadow. After painstakingly building up an influencer, Huang Zejun wanted to monetize her popularity.

So, he pushed her towards commercials and product endorsements. But she wasn’t happy about it.

She’d ask why other influencers at her level were working with big-name brands while she was only approached to sell cheap snacks or bargain face masks.

At first, he could appease her. When that failed, he resorted to contractual obligations. Now, they were already in court.

Huang Zejun was at his wit’s end. Incubating talent required investment, but he couldn’t keep pouring money in forever.

When the top influencer refused to cooperate, the others started making trouble too, even threatening to force him out.

By the time he came on this show, Huang Zejun was already exhausted, both physically and mentally.

Why did he join the show? Because he felt he could no longer control his team and wanted a platform to reinvent himself as well.

But things hadn’t gone as planned; these last few days had left him deeply troubled.

Yet today, everything seemed to take a sudden turn.

Tang Zhichu had drawn near using his own strengths and spoken at length. Even a fool could sense something unusual.

Still, they were both adults—there was no joking around.

“Let’s be direct,” Huang Zejun said.

Tang Zhichu nodded. “If I were you, and they wanted to terminate their contracts, I’d let them go. Just make sure you get the compensation you’re due, maybe even offer a discount—don’t push them too hard. As long as you get the money, that’s what really matters. Incubating others is still work—so why not step into the spotlight yourself? You’re good at operations and content creation. If you can make others popular, why not try it for yourself?”

If someone had said this to him before today, Huang Zejun would have walked away without a second thought. At his age, how could he be swayed so easily?

But Tang Zhichu had a way of making him see hope.

Still, what was Tang Zhichu after? Huang Zejun couldn’t quite figure it out.

“Zhichu, I’m really grateful. Honestly, you’re showing me a lifeline. But I can’t help feeling uneasy. Can you be straight with me? I’m older now—there are things I can’t accept, things that scare me.”

Tang Zhichu was silent for a moment, then said, “I want to take over. I want to take over your company. I don’t want a single influencer you’ve nurtured—you can keep whatever you can get from them. But I want an intact influencer incubation company.”

Huang Zejun stared, then let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. So that was it!

He’d already considered selling the company. It wasn’t big, but not small either, and few could pay a fair price.

What was the most valuable part of his company? A few influencers with over a million followers. Tang Zhichu didn’t want them, which showed his confidence—but it also meant the sale price wouldn’t be high.

Huang Zejun switched back to a businessman’s perspective.

Why did Tang Zhichu want his company?

He pondered for a moment, and then it hit him—Chen Siyang!

Yes, Tang Zhichu and Chen Siyang had practically made their relationship known at the villa.

Chen Siyang was an artist from a big company, with an unpredictable future ahead. But Tang Zhichu? Just a small restaurant owner.

So, was he planning to dive into the influencer business, to take the shortcut of the internet?

That must be it. Frankly, if he were in Tang Zhichu’s shoes, he’d fight for it too, not just for Chen Siyang, but for himself.

Once he realized this, Huang Zejun started to consider Tang Zhichu’s chances of success.

Interpersonal skills? No problem.

Personal charm? No problem.

Ability? Hard to say, but probably above average—just look at that idea he had. In the influencer industry, creativity is king.

Resources? If Tang Zhichu could bring in Chen Siyang, it would be a game-changer, and he was already participating in the dating show.

The more he thought about it, the more Huang Zejun felt Tang Zhichu was on the right track.

After a simple assessment, Huang Zejun weighed his options again.

Tang Zhichu didn’t interrupt his thoughts; this was now a matter of business.

From the start, Tang Zhichu had laid his cards on the table. In his business philosophy, only profit could move friends in business.

He wasn’t afraid that Huang Zejun would refuse. Frankly, for Huang Zejun, the best strategy was to cut his losses, unless he could attract capital.

Would investors be interested in a second-tier influencer company like this? Not a chance.

Investors would only do one thing: lure away his top influencer, then bury the rest.

“How about this? Let’s think differently. I’ll handle those few influencers myself. I’ve invested a lot in them and need to recoup my losses. I can give you the company—won’t take a single person with me. But I need the team. Could we perhaps have the entire team operate under your umbrella as a studio? We can discuss the details and structure further,” Huang Zejun said, his expression serious after long deliberation.

To him, the team wasn’t his bottleneck right now—reliable, high-tier resources were, and he had already tried and failed to access them.

But Tang Zhichu? His chances were much higher.

Not to mention Chen Siyang—just this dating show alone was going to make Tang Zhichu the biggest beneficiary.

Selling the company to Tang Zhichu outright might bring in some cash, but it would also close the door to other possibilities. If you can’t beat them, join them.

Tang Zhichu smiled—this was the best outcome. He reached out his hand. “Let me introduce myself again. I’m Tang Zhichu.”

Huang Zejun shook his hand. “Huang Zejun. I look forward to working with you.”

The details could be negotiated later. Now that both sides had reached an agreement, it was only a matter of time.

And Tang Zhichu was in no hurry; the longer it dragged on, the better it would be for him.

Huang Zejun stood up, feeling a bit dazed.

He wasn’t sure if he’d struck a good deal or gotten the short end of the stick.

It seemed that after joining this dating show, not only had he failed to find a girlfriend, but he’d also lost his company. Yet his heart felt steady, albeit with a mix of emotions.

Tang Zhichu, on the other hand, silently apologized to Zhou Yun in his heart.

Huang Zejun—or rather, Huang Zejun’s company—had been his target for some time.