How A Ride-Hailing Driver Comes To Dominate The World? [EN]: Chapter 340

340. The Two-Star Group’s Little Princess, a Born Aristocrat—What’s Wrong with a Ride-Hailing Driver Having Some Money? (1)

The Two-Star Group’s Little Princess, a Born Aristocrat

It’s common knowledge that some celebrities in the entertainment industry act like divas. Some celebrities bully people simply because they have a bit of fame, and others look down on people even before they’ve achieved anything.

For example, there was a female singer who participated in a talent show a while ago. Upon entering the TV station, she refused to go through security. When the security guard politely reminded her to cooperate with the security check, she cursed him for being a “gatekeeper,” which infuriated him to the point where he slapped her.

You should know that provincial TV stations are formal, state-run entities, and the security guards on duty aren’t just anyone; they’re often former military personnel.

A minor character who didn’t even crack the top ten of a talent show dared to curse like that, demonstrating how arrogant some people can become after a taste of fame.

Back when Lee Soo-jung was at the peak of her popularity, she was constantly surrounded by fans and reporters, requiring security guards or police to protect her.

Now, times have changed. These celebrities without significant recent work have aged, and the audience’s tastes have moved on. It’s natural for her to be somewhat overlooked.

However, the problem is that the production team conceded to all her demands, leading her to believe she was still incredibly popular in Dragon Country [China] and could still make excessive demands as she did before.

Moreover, as everyone knows, the entertainment industry in Smecta [a slang term for Korea, sometimes used disparagingly] is heavily influenced by chaebols [large family-owned conglomerates], and these celebrities are often seen as playthings of the chaebols.

However, precisely because they are playthings of the chaebols, they sometimes mistakenly believe they are also members of the chaebol. If something goes wrong, the chaebol they’re associated with will help resolve it, leading them to act like a dog relying on its master’s power.

But she brought this attitude to Dragon Country and tried to use it on Yang Chen, which was her mistake.

Yang Chen was driving when Chairman Chen Wei of Bilibili Group called him.

Chen Wei: “Mr. Yang, Merry Christmas.”

Yang Chen: “Merry Christmas. Why are you calling me so suddenly, Chairman Chen?”

Chen Wei: “It’s like this. I just received a call from Beijing TV, asking me to block your account. I, of course, refused. When I asked why they wanted to block your account, they said you had offended two celebrities from Smecta. These two celebrities explicitly demanded that you not be allowed to work as a ride-hailing driver, or they wouldn’t cooperate with the recording of the show. I thought I should inform Mr. Yang about this so you can prepare for any potential issues.”

Yang Chen: “Haha… Thank you, Chairman Chen. Okay, I understand what’s going on. Thanks.”

Chen Wei: “Haha… We’re all on the same side, no need to thank me. I hear Mr. Yang is driving, so I won’t keep you. When you have time, come to Beijing, and we’ll have a meal together.”

Yang Chen: “Okay.”

Those two washed-up Korean stars certainly have quite the temper. If they don’t get their way, they want to retaliate.

Beijing TV called Chen Wei, which means those two Smecta stars are recording a show at Beijing TV.

Yang Chen sent a message to Yang Zhen, instructing her to immediately inquire about what program Beijing TV is producing that involves two relatively unknown Smecta female celebrities.

Soon, Yang Zhen replied that Beijing TV and Penguin Video are jointly creating a reality show, inviting female celebrities who were once very popular but are now less so, or even forgotten, to participate.

Lee Soo-jung and Han Jae-soo are two of the guests, and Lee Soo-jung is slated to be the champion.

Yang Chen couldn’t directly influence Beijing TV.

But he could influence Penguin Video to take action.

Yang Chen pulled over to the side of the road and called Cheng Leyun, the vice president of Penguin Technology, who is in charge of Penguin Video.

Soon, the call connected.

Cheng Leyun: “Haha… Hello, Mr. Yang. I’m surprised that Mr. Yang would call me.”

Yang Chen: “Am I disturbing you?”

Cheng Leyun: “No, no, no, Mr. Yang, don’t misunderstand. My phone is on 24 hours a day. You can call me anytime. We are all on the same side, so don’t be so polite.”

Yang Chen: “Haha… That’s right, we are on the same side, so let’s not be so formal. I heard that Penguin Video is collaborating with Beijing TV on a celebrity reality show, featuring some washed-up female celebrities singing and performing. Is that right?”

Cheng Leyun: “Yes! Does Mr. Yang have any thoughts on it?”

Yang Chen told Cheng Leyun about the situation with the Smecta stars.

Cheng Leyun was furious and said, “How dare they do this? We invited them here to give them a chance to become popular again. Do they think they are still the faces of that wildly popular group from back then? Mr. Yang, what would you like us to do?”

Yang Chen: “Keep one of them, and let the one who stays be a ‘陪跑’ [a term for someone who participates but has no chance of winning, a ‘runner-up’ in the most literal sense].”

Cheng Leyun: “No problem! But in that case, we’ll be short one guest. Does Mr. Yang have any recommendations?”

Yang Chen: “I do…”

At this moment, the song playing in the nearby store caught Yang Chen’s attention.

“The first person I loved, his bad, his good, is like a tattoo on my chest, a permanent mark, following my breath until my heartbeat stops.”

Hmm?

Yang Chen’s eyes lit up. Isn’t this a very popular song from when he was in elementary school?

The singer seems to be called Wang Tianxin. Back then, she was known as the ‘Sweetheart Guru’.

However, more than ten years have passed, and she doesn’t seem to be popular anymore.

Back then, you could hear her songs everywhere, especially this song, ‘The First Person I Loved,’ which was incredibly popular.

Why not give her a chance and see if she can become popular again?

Yang Chen immediately said, “I think the missing guest should be replaced by inviting Wang Tianxin.”

Cheng Leyun: “Wang Tianxin? Who is that? I’ve never heard of that name.”

Yang Chen: “Haha… You can tell the people below, and they will definitely know.”

Cheng Leyun: “Okay! Then we’ll do as Mr. Yang says.”

Hanging up the phone, Cheng Leyun immediately called the program director, Gao Yuanjin.

As soon as the call connected, Cheng Leyun scolded directly, “What the hell are you doing? How can you allow those two Smecta female celebrities to run amok? Who told you to contact Beijing TV to try and get someone’s ride-hailing driver fired?”

Gao Yuanjin quickly explained, “Vice President Cheng, I had no choice. If I didn’t do what they asked, they would refuse to record the show. So many celebrities have limited schedules. If they delay even a little, we’ll delay the entire recording schedule. Moreover, Lee Soo-jung is our designated champion, so I agreed to their conditions. However, Beijing TV doesn’t seem to have succeeded. Bilibili Company is unwilling to fire that ride-hailing driver.”

Cheng Leyun: “Do you know who he is?”

Gao Yuanjin: “No… I don’t know.”

Cheng Leyun: “He is a major shareholder of our Penguin Group. Even President Ma has to be polite to him. You actually wanted Bilibili to fire him. What were you thinking?”

Gao Yuanjin was shocked and quickly explained, “Vice President Cheng, are you kidding me? But he is clearly a ride-hailing driver!”

Cheng Leyun: “Do I have so much free time to joke with you? I’m telling you, if you still want to keep your job as a director, do as I say now. Only one of those two women can stay, and Wang Tianxin must be invited to join immediately. No matter which one stays, she cannot be the champion. If possible, it’s best to let Wang Tianxin win the championship. Do you understand what I mean?”

Gao Yuanjin: “But we signed a contract with Lee Soo-jung, designating her as the champion. Now we’re not letting her be the champion, so we’re breaching the contract, and we have to pay liquidated damages.”

Cheng Leyun: “Are you stupid? See who is the most popular after the first episode, and then give all the resources to her. If everyone can see that she is the champion, would Lee Soo-jung still dare to insist on us designating her as the champion?”

Gao Yuanjin: “That makes sense. Then I know what to do. Vice President Cheng, please say a few good words for me to Mr. Yang. I really didn’t know he was a major shareholder of the group. Otherwise, even if I had a hundred and twenty guts, I wouldn’t have dared to do this.”

Cheng Leyun: “I know. Just do what I told you, and everything else will be fine.”

At this time, Wang Tianxin, who was far away in Treasure Island [Taiwan], had no idea that she was about to become popular again because of a word from Yang Chen.

At the same time, Yang Chen dropped off a passenger at SKP [a high-end shopping mall in Beijing].

The fruit he bought yesterday was quite delicious, and Yang Chen wanted to buy some more.

As with yesterday, others were waiting in line to enter the parking lot, but he had already entered by virtue of the power of his “second cousin.”

However, unlike yesterday, no one dared to complain about his priority parking today.

Those car owners driving Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Rolls-Royce Bentley, and other luxury cars watched as a JAC [a Chinese car brand, often seen as less prestigious] car from Hai City [a major city in China] drove into the parking lot in a grand manner.

“The JAC大佬 [big shot] is here again. Yesterday, a Rolls-Royce Phantom owner was banned from entering the mall for arguing with him. I wonder whose son from Hai City is so arrogant in Beijing!”

“Damn, now I understand a principle: the key is not what car you drive, but who is driving the car. If a person is awesome, driving a JAC can also have special privileges.”

“Do you know why I think this person is awesome? Because I couldn’t find out any information about him. I consider my network to be very strong, but I can’t find him in my network, which shows how powerful he must be. If this were in ancient times, he would be at least a Beile爷 [a Manchu title for nobility, roughly equivalent to a prince].”

…

Tsk, your Chen-ge [older brother Chen, a term of endearment] is just a ride-hailing driver, don’t overthink it.

Men shop in supermarkets very quickly because they know what they want to buy, and they can choose and buy what they need purposefully and leave.

Soon, Yang Chen pushed the shopping cart to the cashier to pay.

It was Christmas Day, and there were still too many customers.

Yang Chen didn’t want to wait in line slowly, so he went to the cashier supervisor to go through the back door.

At this time, Yang Chen saw the cashier supervisor communicating with a Smecta girl.

Korean girls are indeed beautiful. This Smecta girl is very good-looking, and because she is young, she looks very pure, with some baby fat on her face that hasn’t faded yet.

“Sister, is it convenient to help me pay now?” Yang Chen asked.

When the cashier supervisor saw that it was Yang Chen, she immediately bowed excitedly and greeted him.

“Hello, Mr. Yang. Yes, yes. Miss Li, please wait a moment. I’ll help Mr. Yang pay and then talk to you.”

The Smecta girl nodded.

Yang Chen asked casually, “What’s going on?”

The cashier supervisor replied, “She bought a lot of things and doesn’t have enough money to pay.”

The Smecta girl quickly said in broken Dragon Country language mixed with Eagle language [English], “I have money, but I don’t know why it won’t swipe.”

The cashier supervisor said, “They are all supplementary cards. The main card should have been frozen.”

Yang Chen nodded and said to her in Eagle language, “Miss, your card has been frozen by the main cardholder and can’t be used now. Do you have any friends here? You can contact them to help you pay.”

The Smecta girl shook her head and said, “I sneaked out. I don’t have any friends here.”

Damn, another runaway rich lady?

This has nothing to do with Yang Chen, and he didn’t want to ask any more questions.

She already knows that her card has been frozen, and how to solve it is her own business.

The cashier supervisor pushed Yang Chen’s shopping cart to pay.

After scanning, Yang Chen wanted to pay, but she refused.

“Director Wang instructed that you don’t need to pay when you come to shop. We will take care of it. You don’t need to worry. Do you need me to have someone send it to you?” the cashier supervisor asked.

Yang Chen shook his head and said, “No need. I didn’t buy much this time. I’m going back to the hotel to rest anyway, so I’ll take it back myself.”

The cashier supervisor nodded and quickly picked up the two bags and handed them to Yang Chen.

Just as Yang Chen was about to leave, the Smecta girl ran over and grabbed his arm, asking, “Why don’t you have to pay when you buy things?”

Yang Chen bluffed, “I know the boss here. I just pay monthly, so I don’t have to pay every time.”

The Smecta girl believed it and asked again, “Then can you help me buy these things? When my card can be used, I will definitely pay you back. Ten times the amount, okay?”

Yang Chen: “I don’t even know you, why should I help you?”

The Smecta girl whispered, “My name is Li Xiuyan, and my father is Li Zairong, the chairman of the Two-Star Group [Samsung Group]. You can say I cheated you of your feelings, cheated you of your body, cheated you of anything, but I will never cheat you of your money, because it’s really not necessary. Money is the easiest thing for me to get.”

Damn, really, the little princess of the Two-Star Group?

This is not an ordinary rich daughter, but a daughter who is richer than a country.

“Really? Do you have any evidence to prove your identity?” Yang Chen asked.

Li Xiuyan took out her phone, opened the album, and showed a photo of her and her father, Li Zairong.

Yang Chen didn’t know Li Xiuyan, but he knew Li Zairong, the new chairman of the Two-Star Group.

This big brother caused quite a stir some time ago, and his news was everywhere.

It is said that in order to release him, the Korean country specially amended the law, which shows how much the Two-Star Group has power.

Yang Chen nodded and said, “Calculate how much her things cost.”

The cashier supervisor nodded and quickly scanned all of Li Xiuyan’s items into the system, totaling 8798.68 yuan [Chinese currency, approximately $1200 USD].

Yang Chen took out his card to pay.

The cashier supervisor quickly said, “No need! We’ll just put it all under your name. You don’t need to worry, we’ll take care of it.”

Yang Chen nodded and said to Li Xiuyan, “It’s 8798 yuan in Dragon Country currency, not your Korean currency. When you have money, come and give it to her. Understand?”

Li Xiuyan nodded happily and assured Yang Chen, “No problem! When I have money, I will come back and pay her immediately.”

Yang Chen nodded, picked up his things, and left.

Li Xiuyan quickly put the things in the shopping cart and pushed the cart to chase after Yang Chen.

“Oppa [Korean term for older brother, used by females], Oppa, wait a minute,” Li Xiuyan shouted.

Yang Chen stopped and asked, “Is there anything else?”

Li Xiuyan: “I want your phone number. When I have money, I will pay the cashier first, and then pay you back nine times the amount. I said I would pay you back ten times, and I will definitely do it.”

Look, people from wealthy families are really honest. If they say they will repay ten times, they must repay ten times, not even one time less.

Yang Chen smiled and said, “No need, just pay the money back to the cashier supervisor, you don’t need to give me nine times the amount.”

Li Xiuyan got angry and said, “No! That makes it seem like I’m very poor, like I’m cheating for food and drinks. I can’t afford to lose face, and I can’t let my dad and the Two-Star Group lose face.”

Yang Chen felt that he was usually good at pretending, but compared to the little princess who was born awesome, he seemed to be a little lacking.

This pretense is so absolute that no one in the world can refute her.

Yang Chen said as he walked, “Actually… to be honest, don’t mind. I don’t really like your Smecta girls. This afternoon, I sent a friend to the airport and met two stars from Smecta. They gave me a very bad impression. Can you imagine what it feels like to be walking on the road and suddenly someone yells at you to get out of the way? So, I don’t want to have too much entanglement with you. Of course, if there is a chance to cooperate with your company in the future, then I am very interested.”

Li Xiuyan: “Then I must be unhappy! Which two stars? I’ll help you teach them a lesson and vent your anger.”

Yang Chen: “They seem to be called Li Xiujing and Han Zaixiu. It is said that they used to be members of a very popular group.”

Li Xiuyan: “Oh, those two! I know them. When I celebrated my birthday before, they even came to my door to perform for me. They were really popular at that time, but they don’t seem to be very popular in recent years. Like this, when I’m done playing, I’ll go home and apologize to my dad, and I’ll let my dad teach them a lesson to vent your anger. Okay?”

As expected of the little princess of the Two-Star Group, an ordinary sentence reveals a huge amount of power.

The SNSD group [a famous Korean girl group] came to her door to perform and celebrate her birthday when they were at their most popular. No one else could say such a thing.

Yang Chen smiled and shook his head, saying, “No need! I just said that they gave me a bad impression, so I have a little prejudice against girls from the Korean country. So, I cannot leave you my number or add you as a friend.”

Li Xiuyan: “That won’t work. I’ve already said it. If I can’t do what I say, I will embarrass the Two-Star Group.”

Yang Chen: “Then you can donate that nine times the money to a charity. Okay?”

At this time, the two had arrived at the elevator entrance.

Yang Chen went directly to the second basement level to pick up his car, but Li Xiuyan had to go to the first floor to take a taxi, so the two had to separate.

“Oppa, just leave me a contact information. Please,” Li Xiuyan begged.

Yang Chen nodded and said, “Like this. If we can meet again, I will add you as a friend. Leave everything to fate and see if we are destined to be friends. Okay?”

This is Yang Chen’s usual reason for rejecting girls, and the girls have nothing to say.

If we are destined to be friends, then we will be. If we are not destined, then what’s the point of talking about it?

Li Xiuyan nodded reluctantly and said, “Okay then. If we meet again next time, you must remember to add me as a friend.”

The elevator arrived, Yang Chen smiled and nodded, waved to her, and then walked into the elevator.

Yang Chen thought to himself, “A born aristocrat is indeed different from an acquired aristocrat. I can’t even pretend as naturally as she does. She just says an ordinary sentence that reveals a strong sense of force.”

Yang Chen found his car, put the things in the back seat, and didn’t plan to pick up passengers anymore. He went back to the hotel to take a nap and then came out to see the night view of Beijing at night.

Because there were too many cars, it was difficult to get in and difficult to get out, so he had to wait slowly in line.

Originally a half-hour drive, it took a full hour to get back to the hotel.

Perhaps, fate is destined.

As soon as Yang Chen entered the hotel gate, he saw Li Xiuyan.

Originally, Yang Chen wanted to pretend he didn’t see her and sneak up in the elevator.

But Ge Zhengkang, the hotel manager who was talking to Li Xiuyan, saw Yang Chen and ran over quickly.

“Mr. Yang, let me do it, let me do it!” Ge Zhengkang said.

Alas…

He was not letting go of any opportunity to flatter Yang Chen.

Sometimes being a leader is also very helpless. This flattery is not timed right and will backfire.

Yang Chen handed him the things in his hand.

At this time, Li Xiuyan saw Yang Chen and immediately put down her things and ran over.

“Hee hee… Oppa, Oppa, are we considered to be destined now?” Li Xiuyan asked.

Yang Chen: “I guess so, but it’s not a fate destined by heaven, it’s a fate made by others.”

Li Xiuyan: “That’s okay. As long as it’s fate. You said yourself at SKP that as long as we can meet again, you will add me as a friend. Now you should fulfill your promise.”

Yang Chen nodded and entered his phone number into Li Xiuyan’s phone.

“Oppa, which room do you live in? I’ll visit your room later and treat you to fruit,” Li Xiuyan asked.

“Room 2001,” Yang Chen replied.

Li Xiuyan’s eyes lit up and said, “What a coincidence! I live in room 2002. We are neighbors. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go up together.”

After speaking, she ran back to get her things.

Ge Zhengkang whispered, “Does President Yang know her?”

Yang Chen: “I just met her. Is she out of money to pay for the room?”

Ge Zhengkang: “President Yang is truly insightful, she is indeed out of money to pay for the room. It expires tomorrow at noon. If she doesn’t replenish the room fee, how should we deal with it?”

Yang Chen: “Deal with it as you should, I’m not familiar with her, you don’t need to look at my face.”

Ge Zhengkang nodded, knowing what to do.

Soon, Yang Chen arrived in the room.

Not long after, Li Xiuyan, who had changed into fluffy pajamas, came to knock on the door with a fruit plate.

Yang Chen could only open the door and let her in, saying, “Sit anywhere, as long as you don’t enter my bedroom, you are free to do as you please.”

Li Xiuyan nodded with a smile, handed the fruit plate to Yang Chen, and said, “Oppa, eat fruit. I’ll take a look at your room and see how it’s different from my room.”

Yang Chen: “The facilities in the four presidential suites on the 20th floor are the same.”

Li Xiuyan walked directly into the madam’s room [the second bedroom in the suite], and when she saw that the quilt on the bed was neatly arranged and didn’t look like anyone had touched it, she showed a very satisfied smile.

Li Xiuyan came out, trotted to Yang Chen, knelt on the ground, and handed him the fruit to eat.

Yang Chen quickly stood up and said, “Don’t do this, I’m only a few years older than you, you don’t need to give me such a big gift. I still have to give you a red envelope [a traditional gift of money].”

Li Xiuyan: “Oppa, eat grapes, come, I’ll feed you.”

Yang Chen quickly bent down and ate one, saying, “Okay! Okay! Get up quickly.”

Li Xiuyan changed her posture and squatted next to Yang Chen to hand him fruit.

Yang Chen looked at the madam’s room and instantly understood.

Then, he smiled helplessly and said, “You’re so attentive, you don’t want to move into the madam’s room, do you?”

Li Xiuyan immediately jumped up and clapped her hands, saying, “Oppa is so smart, that’s what I was thinking. My cards can’t be used now, and the room fee is only until noon tomorrow. I was thinking that if I could move in and live with you, then I wouldn’t have to pay the room fee. Anyway, your madam’s room is empty, so please have pity on me and let me sleep there. I promise you that I will always remember your kindness. When I’m done playing, I’ll apologize to my dad, and then he’ll give me a lot of money, and I’ll still pay you back ten times the amount. Okay?”

Yang Chen: “Little sister, do the people around you usually protect you and obey you?”

Li Xiuyan nodded, looking like it was a matter of course.

After all, she is the little princess of the Two-Star Group, so she must have been the center of attention from the moment she was born.

Yang Chen: “No wonder. Little sister, brother tells you, there are bad people in this world.”

Li Xiuyan nodded again and said, “I know. But I am Li Xiuyan! Even the worst people don’t dare to touch me, unless he has no relatives and no worries. I don’t even need bodyguards when I go out in our country now, everyone knows me. Even those gangsters have to stay far away when they see me, they don’t dare to get close to me.”

Tsk tsk tsk…

An ordinary sentence reveals a huge amount of force.

There are not many people in the world who are qualified to say such a thing.

But as the little princess of the Two-Star Group, who is richer than a country, she does dare to say it, especially in the Korean country, this sentence is even more okay, after all, the Korean country is also known as the Two-Star Empire.

Other companies rely on national relations to grow bigger and stronger.

But the Two-Star Group is different. They built a country after they grew bigger and stronger.

It’s not the same level at all of existence.

“Then can I ask you why you want to do this? You don’t want to live a good princess life, so you learn from others to run away from home and experience a poor life?” Yang Chen asked.

Li Xiuyan pouted and replied, “You also know that big families are popular for marriage alliances. Although the Two-Star Group is very powerful, my dad still wants to be stronger, so he wants me to marry Xin Xiangyou, the future successor of the Lotte Group [another major Korean conglomerate]. Anyway, I don’t want to accept this kind of marriage, I want to choose a boy I like to marry.”

Damn, the plot is exactly the same as Maya’s.

Maybe this is the only unfortunate thing about girls living in wealthy families. Most of them will become victims of political marriages.

If she likes the other party, then of course there is nothing to say.

But if she doesn’t like the other party, then it’s really a torture.

Marriage between chaebols is a very common phenomenon in the Korean country. Strong alliances can survive better in that country controlled by chaebols.

Since Li Zairong has decided to let his daughter marry the son of Lotte, this matter will basically not change.

Li Xiuyan’s current appearance is just giving herself a suspended sentence, which has no practical significance.

Yang Chen: “I have a girlfriend who is the same as you. She couldn’t stand the political marriage arranged by her family and ran away. Alas… Actually, I sympathize with you, but I really don’t want to provoke a big family like yours. If you make me lose face, I definitely won’t do it. If you make your dad lose face, your Two-Star Group definitely won’t do it either. The result is that we have a big fight, and in the end, no one wants to have a good ending. We helmsmen will definitely be fine, but the younger brothers who work for us will have to suffer.”

Li Xiuyan: “Oppa, don’t worry, I promise you that I will never embarrass my dad. I really have no way now. If I really can’t survive, I can only commit suicide like my little aunt. Now I can hide for one more day, I will live one more day. When I can’t hide, I will not hesitate to end myself. Like my little aunt, I will never compromise on this kind of thing.”

Among the princesses of the previous generation of the Two-Star Group, that is, Li Xiuyan’s aunt’s generation, there was indeed one who committed suicide for love.

When this little girl said this, there was no emotion in her eyes. Maybe she has really thought it through, and it is possible that she will really reach that point in the future.

“Alas…”

Yang Chen sighed.