Chapter 43: Dirt-Cheap

Ten million to acquire sixty percent of the shares? That’s cheap—far too cheap. Lin Chuan didn’t really understand much about the inner workings of television stations, but even a fool could see that, if one wanted a foothold in such a place, even ten percent of the shares would usually cost hundreds of millions. Now, these few executives were dumping their shares, which together made up more than half of the total, and all for just ten million? It was practically a giveaway, and even someone as penniless as Lin Chuan felt tempted.

But thinking from another angle, the Quancheng TV station was not like others. Other stations had funds, resources, and hit programs, never worrying about ratings. Just the advertising revenue alone could reach astronomical sums each year, which was why their shares commanded such high prices. Quancheng TV, however, was different. It lacked the backing of a major financial group; newly released dramas couldn't even secure copyrights. Most crucially, due to mismanagement, the station was already teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

These executives, seizing the chance before collapse, were lucky simply to offload their shares. It was hardly the time to fuss about whether the price reached hundreds of millions.

“Mr. Lin, what do you think?” Seeing Lin Chuan sit silently, Mr. Ma smiled and asked him once more.

“Uh…” Lin Chuan arched his brow and glanced at Yuan Ye beside him.

“Mr. Ma, I think Lin will accept the price,” Yuan Ye said with a smile.

“That’s right, I’m quite satisfied with it,” Lin Chuan nodded. Mr. Ma’s face lit up, and the others smiled as well. But Lin Chuan continued, “However, I hope to pay in installments.”

“Installments? What do you mean?” Just as their hearts had settled, they grew anxious again, and a hint of suspicion appeared on the faces of Mr. Ma and the other executives.

“Heh, ten million isn’t a small sum. I’d like to pay part now and the rest over several years. What do you think?” Lin Chuan smiled, rubbing his nose.

He had no choice but to make such a request. Despite Yuan Ye’s confident air, Lin Chuan knew well how much substance lay beneath; expecting him to produce ten million at once was simply impossible. But installments changed things—pay a few million upfront, then figure out the rest later. That was much more manageable.

“Hmph, Mr. Lin, are you playing us? If you can’t even come up with ten million, how can you hope to acquire our shares?” The hot-tempered Mr. Xu could no longer hold back.

The other board members sat with darkened faces, not bothering to restrain Mr. Xu. They too felt, though ten million was not insignificant, it wasn’t an insurmountable sum; if one intended to buy a television station, surely one would have prepared accordingly.

Yuan Ye, sitting beside Lin Chuan, furrowed his brow. Indeed, just as Lin Chuan suspected, it was very difficult for him to produce ten million at once. No, it wasn’t just difficult—it was simply impossible. Still, Lin Chuan’s proposal of installments was enticing, but would the executives agree?

“Gentlemen, you all know as well as I do: Quancheng TV is nothing but an empty shell. Bringing it back to life is nearly impossible, otherwise you wouldn’t be selling your shares so cheaply. Ten million may not be much to me, but it’s not a trivial figure, and I’ll have to inject considerable funds to keep the station running…”

As Lin Chuan spoke smoothly, the executives exchanged glances and nodded slightly in unison, though none spoke.

“But I can absolutely guarantee that, even if the station ultimately fails under my watch, I will pay the remaining amount in full within the agreed term. You needn’t worry about that,” Lin Chuan said sincerely, smiling.

“Well… Since you put it that way, Mr. Lin, we’re not unwilling to make concessions. Let us discuss among ourselves for a moment, shall we?” Mr. Ma forced a smile.

“Of course,” Lin Chuan nodded.

This time, they did not remain at their seats, but rose and left the conference room. It seemed this deliberation would take some time.

When the vast meeting room was left with only Lin Chuan and Yuan Ye, Lin Chuan’s expression grew grim.

“Yuan Ye, regardless of your motives for acquiring the station, why didn’t you consult Grandpa or me beforehand?” Lin Chuan said in a low voice.

“There wasn’t time. The advertisers have all withdrawn, and the board members are dumping their shares. If we delay any longer, the station will soon announce bankruptcy…” Yuan Ye shook his head with a sigh.

“Even so, you can’t make such a decision on your own. You want to buy a TV station? Where’s the money coming from?”

That was the practical question, and Yuan Ye was at a loss.

Lin Chuan knew well that Yuan Ye was acting on impulse. True, he cared about the station, worried about its closure, and feared something might happen to Grandpa. But this was far too reckless.

Ten million—where would they find such a sum?

After a long silence, Yuan Ye said quietly, “I’ll sell my car, and mortgage the house. I can scrape together a million or two.”

“A million or two? What about the rest? And if you mortgage the house, what happens to Grandpa? Do you mean for him to end up without a home?” Lin Chuan was angry.

“Chuan, calm down. I said the house would only be mortgaged. If the station runs well, we can redeem it,” Yuan Ye’s voice grew softer, sounding guilty.

He had every reason to feel guilty. Running the station well? It was a joke—how would they operate it, with what resources? Yuan Ye hadn’t thought through any of this, acting purely on impulse.

Lin Chuan was speechless, not knowing what more to say.

After a while, the conference room door opened, and the executives returned.

Once seated, Mr. Ma smiled calmly, “We’ve discussed it. We can accept your installment proposal, but you’ll need to pay a third—three million—up front. The remaining six million must be paid in full within two years.”

“Three million?” Lin Chuan folded his hands, pondering with a frown.

“Mr. Lin, this is our biggest concession, and shows our sincerity. Don’t try to push your luck!” Mr. Xu glared, speaking sharply.

“Heh, you misunderstand, Mr. Xu. Paying three million up front is no problem—I accept,” Lin Chuan replied with a smile, unfazed.

“So, when do we sign the contract?” Mr. Ma’s eyes lit up, finally reassured.

“Tomorrow. I didn’t expect things to go so smoothly today,” Lin Chuan said after a moment’s thought.

“It’s settled. Tomorrow morning, we’ll meet in this conference room to sign the transfer contract!” Mr. Ma nodded in agreement.

With the deal done, Lin Chuan saw no reason to linger—what, should he wait for them to treat him to dinner?

After a few polite words, Lin Chuan took his leave, and Yuan Ye hurried after him.

“Mr. Ma, are you sure that kid is reliable? Will he really come up with three million tomorrow?” As soon as Lin Chuan and Yuan Ye left, Mr. Xu could no longer contain himself.

“I’m worried, too. Judging by his appearance, he doesn’t look like someone with money. Should we investigate his background?” Mr. Meng nodded in agreement.

“Heh, you haven’t been watching TV lately, have you? I know Lin Chuan—he’s currently participating in the ‘One Song, One Fame’ show. He’s a promising contestant,” Mr. Du said calmly.

“So what? He’s just a contestant. Does he really have that kind of money?” Mr. Xu scoffed.

“Perhaps he’s hiding his wealth. No point guessing—we’ll know tomorrow,” said Mr. Du.

“In any case, we need to check him out. If he really brings the three million tomorrow, all the better. If he’s just playing games with us, well…” A sly glint flashed in Mr. Ma’s eyes.

The others saw it and shivered inwardly.

…

Leaving Quancheng TV, Lin Chuan and Yuan Ye drove straight home. On the way, neither spoke.

“Dad, we’re home.” Entering the house, Yuan Ye called out as he took off his shoes.

Footsteps approached, and Lin Yi Yang, holding a painting, ran up happily. “Daddy, Grandpa asked me to draw this. Look!”

Forcing a smile, Lin Chuan scooped up his son and glanced at the painting. “Is this a duck?”

At his words, Lin Yi Yang pouted unhappily. “It’s not a duck—it’s a swan!”

“Oh, a swan, of course. Daddy’s eyes must have played tricks,” Lin Chuan quickly nodded.

At that moment, Grandpa emerged from his room, smiling as he saw them return. “Where have you two been all day?”

“Heh, Chuan just got back. I took him to visit a few old places,” Yuan Ye replied, having prepared the excuse in advance.

Lin Chuan smiled slightly, offering no further explanation.

After a few more words with Grandpa, the two of them headed inside. Watching their backs, Grandpa’s gaze flickered, and he sighed softly.

“Tomorrow’s the contract signing. What about the three million?” Lin Chuan said quietly, sitting down.

“I’ve got a few hundred thousand in savings. I’ll call to sell my car; that should bring it up to a million,” Yuan Ye replied slowly.

“What about the other two million? Don’t look at me—I barely have thirty thousand to my name, which is useless!” Lin Chuan said helplessly.

“I’ll keep trying. I’m still alive—surely I won’t die of thirst,” Yuan Ye sighed, a bitter smile on his lips.

As the two sat in gloom, unsure what to do, there was a knock at the door.

“Knock knock knock!”