Chapter 70: I F*cking Hate Emotional Blackmail
Author: Black Lantern (黑色花灯)
Link: https://book.qidian.com/info/1009922190
Translated by Gumihou
Curious about what Ma Qingyun wanted from him, [1] Ye Fei sat back down. Ma Qingyun was a man with great status in Yinzhou City. If he had truly encountered some obstacles, surely there will be plenty of people flocking over like carps in a river the moment he opens his mouth?
Moreover, he was just a little commoner, what could he do to help a man of such status?
“What is it?” [1] asked Ye Fei.
Ma Cuihua also sat down, but her eyes were fixed like deadly lasers on Ye Fei.
Ma Qingyun presented a bitter smile and said, “The broadcasting industry has been on the rise for some time now. To be honest, it could be considered a star making industry. Moreover, even if someone did not become a true, first-line star, they could still garner considerable benefits. Therefore, many platforms would offer all kinds of advantages to hold onto a decent internet celebrity.
I trust you have seen something of it yesterday when you met He Peng. As one of the giants within the industry, DD Platform has always been the one platform that most broadcasters yearned to join. To many broadcasters, DD Platform is like a goal for them. That’s because if they managed to enter a bigger platform like DD, they would be a step closer to success thanks to the larger viewer traffic.
DD Platform has also caught on to the broadcaster’s desire to become famous and has been frantically poaching broadcasters from various smaller platforms, promising them better viewer traffic. This is an open secret in the industry. Although many smaller platforms are incensed by DD’s poaching, they are helpless to do anything. QQ is not immune to this either. The current situation is very turbulent. Counting yourself, we currently have 10 Million Yuan Broadcasters. Although such broadcasters are not uncommon within the business, Million Yuan Broadcasters are the capital performers keeping smaller platforms afloat.
However, just a while ago, 8 of our Million Yuan Broadcasters jumped ship to DD Platform. In fact, I could not fault them, after all, nothing tempts a human heart more than fame and fortune. It is natural for people to aspire to high positions even as water seeks ways to descend.
However, QQ Platform is built on I, Ma Qinyuan’s, many years of blood, sweat and hard work. I cannot just let it fall without doing anything. Now we have only 2 Million Yuan Broadcasters, you are one, the other is a Silver Star Rank 5 broadcaster from the Song & Dance Section. I have spoken to him, and I can feel that his will is a little shaken. It is possible that he would leave one day.
If he also leaves, our platform would have no representative. Viewer traffic would decline sharply, impacting the Bronze and Iron Star broadcasters as well. Thus, a vicious cycle is formed. The end result being… broadcasters with any kind of capability would jump ship to DD Platform.
And finally… our platform will collapse! Ye Fei, you are friends with my daughter. Regardless of what your relationship is, at the very least, as friends, certain things are easier to say. Right now, I can only beg you for one thing. No matter what happens in the future, help me protect QQ Platform!”
Ma Qingyun’s speech was long, but also very sincere and truthful.
After hearing all this, Ye Fei did not say anything. He merely stared at the table.
A short while later, he poured himself a cup of tea. After gulping down the tea, he set the bamboo cup down and said, “Mister Ma, I am very happy that you put so much trust in me, however, I must apologise.”
Ma Qingyun was shocked, but he did not say anything. That’s because he knew that Ye Fei had something more to say.
When Ma Qingyun remained quiet, Ye Fei chuckled and said, “QQ Platform is your platform. As for me, I am merely a platform user. In other words, I am but one of the thousands of broadcasters within QQ Platform. I am in a cooperative relationship with QQ, whatever happens to the platform in the future would not impact me greatly. If QQ happens to fall, I can still switch to another platform, perhaps even to DD Platform. As you’ve said, the purpose of a broadcaster is to gain fame and make money, therefore, high viewer traffic is important. No one will willingly stay with a platform if they cannot develop.
I, Ye Fei, am the same. This is the first reason. The second reason is more important. I think, you have had some wrong impressions of me. Just now, you said ‘as friends, certain things are easier to say’. However, you are the boss, while I am merely a lowly broadcaster. It is my honour to be considered a friend. However, this cannot be the reason for me to give up everything to help you protect your platform. Moreover, I am not that noble. Not so desperately noble that I would go so far as to put my life on the line for you. Nor am I that great, to imagine that I could single-handedly save a whole platform by myself.
Finally, I don’t know you, I also have no wish to know you. I am grateful that you would acknowledge me, Ye Fei. However, I, Ye Fei, am not as easily coaxed as you might have imagined. Though Ma Cuihua and I may be considered friends. It does not mean I have no thoughts or principles of my own.
Mister Ma, in the end, you are you, and I am me. Can you please tell me, why should I help you? For the sake of your daughter? You’re wrong to think that, if you believe this, then it is even more impossible! Because I, Ye Fei, hate people who try to emotionally blackmail me most!”
Ye Fei practically roared out the last bit at Ma Qingyun. He was too disappointed with Ma Qingyun.
Ma Qingyun frowned. [1]
Ma Cuihua was also anxious, she hastily said, “Ye Fei…”
Ye Fei flashed a glance at Ma Cuihua, and said, “I’m sorry, I cannot help you. Moreover, it is not something I can help with either. However, as a member of QQ Platform, and someone who had signed a contract with you, I have lawfully agreed to work with you. I will do my best in whatever capacity I have promised. As for the fate of your platform, I’m afraid that’s really up to fate.
Also, Mister Ma, although you are a successful businessman, you are not a very good negotiator. Before you fully understand the person I am, you should not have tried to press me over my friendship with Ma Cuihua in the first place. Because I really hated it!”
Ye Fei’s voice was loud as he glared at Ma Qingyun.
He was really pissed off. He was shocked to find out that Ma Qingyun was the boss of QQ Platform, even more shocked to learn that QQ Platform was in such a situation. The most unacceptable thing about the whole matter was how Ma Qingyun was trying to use the relationship between himself and Ma Cuihua to blackmail him into an agreement.
This was no longer a negotiation, it was an order!
Ye Fei knew that he was not a person of powerful status, however, he also has his bottom line, ah. To use a relationship to coerce him? This made him even angrier than when Ma Cuihua had threatened him over the house.
Therefore, right from the beginning of this ‘negotiation’, Ye Fei no longer had any intention to continue this conversation with Ma Qingyun. Who cares if he’s the most influential man in the whole of Yinzhou City or the whole country? In Ye Fei’s eyes, so long as this kind of person tramples upon the bonds of friendship, he would never be able to work with him.
I am not a saint, but at least I am a person with a bottom line!
“I…” Ma Qingyun never expected such a big reaction from Ye Fei right at the beginning of their talk.
However, he also had no idea what to say. Seeing Ye Fei’s livid face, Ma Qingyun sighed inwardly.
Perhaps, I am wrong from the beginning.
Perhaps, I have presumed too much about the relationship between Ye Fei and my daughter.
Perhaps, Ye Fei is truly a person who would never turn his back on a friend.
Perhaps…
There were too many ‘perhaps’ that could be imagined here. However, Ma Qingyun understood that he was in the wrong first, and that if he insisted on going down this road, it is possible that Ye Fei would never help him.
Now that matters have come to this stage, Ye Fei felt that there was no need to eat this meal with them. Thus, he got up and made his excuses before striding out. He did not even bother to ask Ma Cuihua to send him back and simply walked out of the farmstead.
The surroundings of the farmstead were very beautiful, but Ye Fei was in no mood to appreciate it. He continued to walk with his head down.
He had walked close to a quarter of a kilometre when he heard the sound of a car approaching from behind.
Ye Fei automatically moved to the side to let the car pass. A red Silmarillion rushed forward and stopped beside Ye Fei.
Ma Cuihua was in the driver’s seat, she glanced at Ye Fei [1] through the window. “Get in.”
Ye Fei ignored her and kept on walking.
Ma Cuihua followed him slowly in her car. She said, “This place is dozens of kilometres away from the nearest city. If you think you can reach it before dark, you can keep walking.”
Ye Fei stared at Ma Cuihua’s delicate face for a little while. Finally, the fellow opened the car door and got in.
The car picked up speed.
Ye Fei sat on his side, not speaking.
A long time later, Ma Cuihua suddenly said, “Sorry.”
Ye Fei, “En.”
“I had no idea you’ll be this angry.”
“That’s because you don’t know me at all!”
Ma Cuihua fell silent.
After a while, Ma Cuihua said, “I’ll be leaving soon.”
Ye Fei was taken aback, “Leaving for?”
“France,”
“That’s quite far away.”
“That’s right, ah. It’s quite far.”
“To study?”
“Fashion design. [2] Paris is an art capital, and I have yearned to go since I was young. I did not want to take over my father’s business because I prefer fashion design. I want to own my own sky.”
“Everyone has their own aspirations, those with a dream should work towards it.”
“It will be hard work.”
“The path you choose must be walked, even on your knees.”
“If I leave, will you forget me?”
“Will you kick me out of that house?”
“No.”
“Then, I won’t forget you, the landlady.”
“Ye Fei.”
“En.”
“If you’re looking for a girlfriend, would you want someone older?”
“How much older?”
“About five or six years older.”
“Woman older by 3, carries a golden brick. So someone who is older by five or six years could hold 2 bricks of gold.”
“Why do you choose to be a broadcaster?”
“Because… because I like being a broadcaster.”
Black Lantern: Aiyo, I’m really struggling with these chapters, ah. I know my brother and sisters won’t be happy, but it can’t be helped. The story needs to develop. If I keep writing face-slapping episodes, I expect you guys will slap me in the face.
Fortunately, those chapters have passed. I am not very good with emotional dramas, and don’t know how to write them properly. Anyway, the relationship between Ye Fei and Ma Cuihua had reached a certain phase. Although I can’t bear to leave Cuihua, Cuihua, can you serve some pickled vegetables before leaving? [3]
[Gumihou: … well, that was unexpected. Also, I’m starting to get the ‘Chinese supremacy’ vibe thing… I wonder if that’s also why the olive oil ‘facts’ are all so topsy turvy…]
[1] Some small adjustments to improve the text
[2] 巴里The character is not quite what the actual is 巴黎 (Paris), but it is in fact the characters for Bari (巴里) of Puglia, Italy. However, since Cuihua is going to 法国 (France), it’s probably Paris and her brain simply made a typo
[3] Cuihua, serve some pickled vegetables before leaving
https://www.sohu.com/a/128728482_544612
Probably from a poem? It sounded like some Chinese person called Cuihua (same characters) demanded Chinese pickled vegetables and realllly didn’t like Korean kimchi…
翠花，上盘酸菜！韩国气着我了
韩国泡菜文化申遗成功，
四川人民不高兴了，
东北的翠花也不高兴了，
在《诗经》面前，韩国泡菜历史弱爆了。
Title & first four lines:
Cuihua, Send Up a Plate of Pickled Vegetables! Korea Annoys Me
Korea’s Kimchi reeks of success
Sichuan People are unhappy
Cuihua of Northwest is unhappy too
Before the <<Book of Songs [4]>> Korean Kimchi’s history weakens
[4] Shi Jing – Early collection of Chinese poems and one of the Five Classics of Confucianism
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