Chapter 40: An Unexpected Visit

Shark, Tiger Teeth, and Wolf Teeth became successful almost simultaneously, but their development patterns were different. Tiger Teeth profited the most by engaging in vulgar content, while Shark pursued a comprehensive development strategy and became the biggest in terms of traffic. As for Wolf Teeth…

This platform was somewhat “aloof” compared to the vulgar Tiger Teeth. Wolf Teeth enforced strict control over content, resulting in it ranking third in traffic. It’s true that honest people are at a disadvantage.

As for other platforms, they indeed sprouted like mushrooms after the rain, but none had substantial capital backing. Without someone picking them up afterward, they would be just a flash in the pan.

Bi Fang was analyzing the pros and cons of various platforms on paper. He had only written a few lines when his phone rang. He picked it up and saw that it was an unfamiliar number.

To his surprise, it was a staff member from Tiger Teeth’s platform calling. They were extremely polite and direct, expressing their admiration for him and condemning Shark’s unethical behavior. They then said that a leader wanted to discuss things further with him and asked when he’d be available, assuring him that the travel expenses would be reimbursed.

Bi Fang was stunned, never expecting such a quick response from them.

Although he had gained some fame in the live streaming circle recently, especially due to the popularity on Island B, it would be strange if other platforms didn’t know about his talent. But how could they have found his phone number so quickly after he rejected Shark?

There must be a mole…

In any case, it was no longer his concern what happened to Shark TV. Bi Fang would naturally not refuse Tiger Teeth, but he didn’t show any eagerness either. If he had agreed immediately, it would have put him at a disadvantage, giving away his bargaining power.

In the end, they agreed to meet in the afternoon three days later in Magic City.

After hanging up, Bi Fang thought for a moment. It seemed that they had done thorough research on him, not only obtaining his phone number but also his address.

Magic City was very close to Tin City, only about a hundred kilometers away. It would only take a little over an hour to get there on the expressway, so it made sense for the meeting to be so soon.

However, Bi Fang never expected that the first call would come from Tiger Teeth. He thought it would be Wolf Teeth since they needed high-quality broadcasters to boost their traffic the most. No wonder they lagged behind the other two platforms.

Shaking his head, Bi Fang cast aside the thought.

Considering Tiger Teeth’s live streaming performance, although they were vulgar, their traffic was undoubtedly first-class. If he went there, even if his style didn’t fit perfectly, he had confidence in carving out a place for himself.

But he still needed to prepare well. Choosing the right platform was crucial, and thorough research would give him more confidence. Before he could get started, the phone rang again. Bi Fang picked it up without checking the caller.

As he had imagined, two more platforms called to invite him, both being relatively small but quite sizable live streaming platforms. They also invited him to Magic City for discussions.

He agreed to all of them and set the meeting time on the third day as well.

Bi Fang calculated that though the schedule might be tight, it was still manageable. Regardless of their scale, these live streaming TV headquarters were all clustered in Magic City, which was convenient.

In the next two days, Bi Fang stayed in his rental, considering the different platforms’ acceptance levels. He planned to propose conditions to pique their interest at the negotiation while also determining which conditions were negotiable and which were not.

When dealing with interests, one couldn’t be a saint. Only when one respects their own interests will others respect them.

Time quickly passed, and by the evening, Bi Fang had received invitations from a total of four platforms, but still, none from Wolf Teeth TV.

It seemed the live streaming platforms had a keen sense of smell, reacting to any move made by their competitors. As for Wolf Teeth TV, perhaps they felt they couldn’t compete with Tiger Teeth, so they didn’t bother trying? Their lack of ambition was indeed the reason for falling behind.

Bi Fang hoped the upcoming negotiations would go smoothly.

He believes he had enough fame to make finding a new employer easier, but on the third day, things were far beyond his expectations.

Although Tiger Teeth showed great interest in him, their offer wasn’t impressive. The high annual salary exceeded ten million, but they were stingy in providing traffic resources. Even when Bi Fang asked what kind of recommendation he would receive for joining, they dodged the question.

The person in charge’s words were still fresh in Bi Fang’s mind.

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Bi. After all, the outdoor section isn’t our main focus. Giving you too many resources would be putting the cart before the horse, and our users wouldn’t agree to it.”

How outrageous!

It seems they were addicted to the easy money from vulgar content, with no intention of changing.

Couldn’t they have more ambition?

As for the other three small platforms, Bi Fang met them out of politeness, but the conditions they offered were very poor. They even wanted him to broadcast two rounds first, and see the response on the platform before improving the treatment and resources. Bi Fang passed on these arrangements directly.

Improving the treatment in the future wasn’t a problem, but the system’s mission had a specific number of participants required. He couldn’t wait for two full rounds, and if the mission failed, who knew what would happen?

So even when one of the companies hinted that they found a big capital backer, Bi Fang directly refused it.

Who knows if it’s real? Whether it was true or not, they had already released the information, but Bi Fang had seen such tricks too many times and would not be fooled by them.

This led Bi Fang into a period of self-doubt. Did he really have to go to Huya TV? Becoming an unpolluted clear stream among the flatterers?

Bi Fang sighed deeply in the rented house.

Smooth sailing after crossing over was indeed just a lie.

With only one live broadcast experience under his belt, his weight wasn’t enough yet.

It’s not that it’s impossible, but having finally proven his potential, would he have to wait for it to be revealed bit by bit?

Without sufficient resources, he would never truly become a sensation.

Bi Fang always believed that he was an adventurous person, always having a strong spirit flowing with his blood, always wanting to challenge the heaviest dumbbells in the gym, and always craving a wider sky.

But now, the situation had suddenly become stagnant.

When he was young, Bi Fang would imagine grasslands, deserts, oceans, and starry skies, dreaming of a miraculous journey.

When he first crawled out of his crib, his living room was so large that it seemed like the entire world. When he crawled from one end to the other, panting, he felt like his passion and ambition could face any hardship, and he could go anywhere. However, when he quietly pushed open the door, an overwhelming fear still enveloped him.

It turns out that the outside world can be so huge, so huge that even his own yard was not an obstacle he could overcome.

If he couldn’t crawl across the wide lawn or climb over his father’s car, then how could he leap onto the distant stars?

But his passion and ambition did not diminish. Being different did not require being able to do everything. As long as you did not let your life down, glory would inevitably wait for you ahead.

So after graduation, Bi Fang joined CWCA as he wished, his passion and ambition finding their battlefield, and his dreams came true.

He had traveled many places on his own two feet – shouting in the early morning sun, drinking by the quiet waters at night, and then diving in to swim across, seeing whales and encountering black panthers. Then, on one evening, he sat by the bonfire and wrote these experiences into letters to be sent to friends.

But now he was truly stumped by the difficult situation, and his passion and ambition had no place to exert themselves. All he could do was make a passive choice.

The outside world was so vast, and life was limited. There were always places he couldn’t go and things he couldn’t do.

It seemed like there was no other way…

In the evening, Bi Fang left the rental house again. He had made up his mind to join Huya TV. If he could sign the contract before the next mission, he could take a swing at Lu Wentao during the broadcast. But when he arrived at the door, he hadn’t even prepared to take out his key when he saw a middle-aged man standing at the entrance.

Bi Fang couldn’t help but ask, “Who are you looking for?”

The middle-aged man, who had been checking his phone, looked up at Bi Fang when he heard the question. He then smiled amiably and said, “Mr. Bi, I’m looking for you!”

“Looking for me?”

Bi Fang looked closely at the middle-aged man. He was ordinary looking, just over 1.6 meters tall, slightly overweight, wearing a tidy suit, with neatly combed, shiny hair. Yet, he had no vigor, a bald head, and yellow teeth, as if he was going through a midlife crisis.

Was this the original owner’s relative?

After seeing the stranger clearly, Bi Fang tried to remember, but he couldn’t recall such a relative in the original owner’s memory.

As Bi Fang was wondering, the middle-aged man took out a business card and handed it with both hands, “Nice to meet you. My name is Wang Yongbo, the vice president of Langya TV. I have long admired Mr. Bi Fang’s reputation and have come here uninvited. Please forgive me.”

Bi Fang’s eyes widened as he listened. Langya TV might be on the decline, but it was still one of the three major live broadcasting companies. They had thousands of signed anchors and definitely had a presence that ordinary people would look up to.

A vice president would undoubtedly be one of the core senior members of the platform, far more significant than the previous supervisor, Wang Weifeng!

As Bi Fang was now also involved in the live streaming circle, he didn’t dare to be negligent. He politely took the business card with both hands and couldn’t help but glance at Wang Yongbo again, “I’m sorry, I don’t have a business card yet. May I ask what brings Vice President Wang here?”

You wouldn’t need someone at this level to sign an anchor, right?

Even though Bi Fang had gained some fame, it was already very high-standard for streaming platforms to send a manager out for negotiations. This was actually quite rare and demonstrated sincerity. That’s why even if the other party was a small platform, Bi Fang would still agree to meet with them.

After all, in society, that’s how things work – give and take, it’s basic courtesy.

Who would have thought that Lang Ya would make such a big move right from the start?

So, it turned out that they hadn’t been inactive before, but were waiting for him here, huh?

However, even though Bi Fang was shocked in his heart, he didn’t immediately bow his head in submission. In the end, people are creatures driven by their interests.

“It’s all right, it’s all right.” Wang Yongbo was very easygoing. After handing over his business card, he looked sincere and said, “At this time, there’s only one reason to come to Mr. Bi Fang, and that is because we at Lang Ya are eagerly seeking talents! Please, Mr. Bi Fang, join our Lang Ya TV!”

Wang Yongbo stepped forward and shook Bi Fang’s hand, his expression extremely earnest. Bi Fang stared dumbfounded at him, and unconsciously tried to pull his hand back, but it didn’t budge!