Chapter 92: Let Yuji Donate
Xu Youyou was a little angry.
But Xie Ran’s next words immediately extinguished her anger.
“Boss, do you still remember Liu Ye?” Xie Ran asked.
Of course, Xu Youyou remembered her—she was the lead actress in the drama Song Zhibai filmed in Gansu Province and was supposed to sign with Xu Youyou’s company.
“She switched to another company half a month after signing the contract. The agreement has already been terminated,” Xie Ran said.
Xu Youyou: …
Suddenly, she understood why the system hadn’t classified Liu Ye as a hidden gem—it turned out she was a traitor.
“Did she pay the termination penalty?” Xu Youyou asked.
“Not yet. Our company is currently in a legal dispute with her new employer,” Xie Ran replied.
Xu Youyou felt a bit guilty. Not only was the compensation uncertain, but her company had also lost a leading role in a drama. It was a complete loss.
Xie Ran, skilled in the art of softening a blow before delivering good news, continued, “Boss, I actually have some fantastic news to tell you.”
“The first overseas payment has been received.”
Xu Youyou was momentarily confused. “Overseas money?”
“The short drama exports! Boss, did you forget?” Xie Ran asked helplessly.
Since Xu Youyou rarely managed the company’s affairs, she struggled to recall and finally dug up some vague memories. “We’re already making money? How much?”
“The first payment is 20 million U.S. dollars.”
Twenty million U.S. dollars! Converted, that was 140 million RMB! And this was just the first payment—more would follow!
Short dramas had incredibly low production costs, with some only requiring a few hundred thousand RMB.
Even though this wasn’t as quick as her treasure-hunting system, compared to other businesses, this was an insane profit margin.
“How did you pull this off?” Xu Youyou couldn’t help but ask.
“The overseas market is virtually untapped, and foreign audiences aren’t particularly price-sensitive. I set the prices high, but most importantly, your short drama scripts are top-tier.”
Xu Youyou was surprised. “This has something to do with me?”
“The first short drama, the one starring Song Zhibai, had its script adapted and translated into English by Su Wanyi. She understands scripts well and is fluent in English. We hired a group of foreign actors to reshoot it, and it turned out to be a massive hit. The foreign lead even got offers from Hollywood now,” Xie Ran explained.
Xu Youyou didn’t know much about filmmaking, but she did know how to keep her cash cows happy. She immediately switched into praise mode. “If it weren’t for you and Su Wanyi understanding the market and handling localization so well, this success wouldn’t have been possible. You two are the company’s MVPs.”
Xie Ran, once an entrepreneur now turned elite employee, found that working under a boss like Xu Youyou—who praised and rewarded generously—was actually quite enjoyable.
“Since the short drama exports are such a success, we can’t shortchange the key contributors. Let’s allocate 5% of the overseas net profits to the main creative team as a bonus. Su Wanyi’s reward will be separate—she’ll get 2% on her own. And since you made the key decision, you’ll get 5% as well.”
Short dramas had such low costs that Xu Youyou didn’t mind giving out a 12% bonus—roughly $2 million USD (14 million RMB). And this was just from the first payment; future earnings would bring in even more.
Technically, the creative team had already been paid, and there was no obligation for an additional bonus. But since Xu Youyou wasn’t short on money, she believed in rewarding people to boost morale.
Having been an employee in her past life, she knew how hard the working class toiled and was happy to be the kind of boss who looked out for her people.
Xie Ran hadn’t expected Xu Youyou to be so generous. He had planned to suggest a few hundred thousand dollars in bonuses, but she had gone above and beyond.
“Boss, this was my responsibility. You don’t have to give me a bonus,” Xie Ran said, genuinely grateful for Xu Youyou’s recognition.
But Xu Youyou was firm. “It’s decided. I’m the boss—you just listen to me.”
After hanging up, Xie Ran chuckled helplessly. He glanced at the thick stack of documents on his desk. He had intended to take a break, but now he picked them up again and continued working.
At the Gu Family Villa
The atmosphere had been gloomy for days.
The servants moved cautiously, afraid to make any noise.
Gu Jianming’s car pulled into the courtyard. He stepped out with a dark expression, asked a servant for directions, and strode toward the glass conservatory in the backyard.
Madam Gu was inside, trimming flower branches. She carefully arranged them into a bouquet and smiled at a servant. “Take this to the hospital room and tell Fengchuan I made it for him myself.”
Just as the servant was about to leave, Gu Jianming walked in with heavy steps.
Madam Gu’s smile immediately disappeared.
“Did you go find that wretched girl today?” Gu Jianming asked coldly.
Hearing this, Madam Gu’s heart trembled. At the Lu family’s banquet, Gu Jianming had completely lost face against Xu Youyou. It felt like his once-mighty presence had been shattered by that girl.
Xu Youyou had even mentioned “honey traps,” making Madam Gu wonder if she knew something. This made her even more hesitant to confront her.
Gu Jianming frowned deeply and snapped, “You can’t even handle a small task! What’s the point of keeping you around?”
Madam Gu lowered her head.
Gu Jianming was about to place a hand on her shoulder but suddenly remembered his recent humiliation. Even Chen Senlin had been mocking him for days. He forcibly restrained himself and pulled his hand back.
“How about we just let it go?” Madam Gu said softly.
“Let it go?” Gu Jianming’s anger flared. “Why should we? I want that wretched girl to kneel and beg me!”
Madam Gu sighed. “She has Lu Jingyao backing her, and for some reason, she seems to hate us. Besides, she might not even be a compatible donor for Fengchuan. It’s better to avoid unnecessary trouble and not provoke Lu Jingyao.”
“Lu Jingyao is just a passing phase. Even if he’s infatuated with her now, the Lu family will never let her marry in. She’ll come crawling back to us eventually,” Gu Jianming sneered.
Madam Gu sighed again. “But what about Fengchuan…? Should he just keep waiting? Yuji’s health isn’t good, so he’s not an ideal donor. Jianming, why don’t you try? The doctor said peripheral blood donation doesn’t have major side effects for healthy individuals. You might be a match for Fengchuan.”
Everyone in the Gu family, including Madam Gu, had already been tested as potential donors—except Gu Jianming.
Gu Jianming had considered it, but his private research suggested that bone marrow donation could have unpredictable effects. While some donors recovered quickly, others suffered from long-term fatigue or kidney issues.
His face darkened. “If Xu Youyou won’t cooperate, then let Yuji donate.”
