Chapter 151: Better to Buy Than Rent!

He considered himself a part of the entertainment industry, having seen many minor celebrities and small-time bosses lie to others about knowing famous directors or A-list stars, all to satisfy their pathetic vanity.

He felt that Lin Fan was just one of those pretentious posers who took hypocrisy to the extreme. He likely knew some mid-level manager at the Dihao Group, and that manager happened to know someone at Huayi Media, which was why he was boasting so loudly in front of them. Such examples were everywhere in the industry. Especially during the era a few years ago when coal barons and real estate tycoons were investing, many property developers were on good terms with media company executives.

Lin Fan had no desire to argue with the guy in the crew cut. This fellow was nothing more than a small-time agent putting on airs, thinking he knew everything, while in reality, he was a fool blinded by his own ignorance. Still, Lin Fan had managed to regain some face for Zhang Yichen. Even Yuan Minghao, the class monitor who always played the "nice guy," couldn't help but ask Lin Fan if there were any suitable job opportunities for him.

However, Lin Fan had no intention of signing people who were so opportunistic and sycophantic. While most people who aspired to the entertainment industry were calculating, he valued ability above all else. Among the girls present, only two had a rating of nine out of ten: one was naturally Zhang Yichen, and the other was Yu Xiawei, who was jealous of her. They were both broadcast and hosting majors, not acting students. Acting required raw talent, and the others were even less skilled than the slightly talented Zhang Yichen—they were light-years behind the professionals.

Before long, Jin Hantang returned to the private room. The group moved from the small room on the second floor to a larger one upstairs. The large suite was equipped with a KTV, a dining area, and a lounge, essentially configured like a presidential suite. They had originally planned to dine in the restaurant in the building behind, but once they arrived in the large suite, the staff brought the food directly to them. This was the exclusive gold-standard service that came with the suite.

At this point, everyone finally realized that Lin Fan hadn't been bluffing. Jin Hantang was indeed standing behind Lin Fan the entire time, providing him with personal service. Even though Jin Hantang was only a deputy manager, his status was far superior to that of the men in the crew cut and the T-shirt.

The class reunion had clearly split into two camps. One revolved around Zhang Yichen, and even Liu Yimeng, who previously hadn't interacted much with her, was now calling Lin Fan "Mr. Lin" left and right. The other faction was Yu Xiawei, Qiu Shan, and the two men. They were completely ignored by Lin Fan and his group; throughout the meal, not a single person spoke to any of them. Although the atmosphere was awkward, the four of them had no intention of leaving.

When lunch was nearly over, the man in the crew cut began to clamor again. "Weren't we supposed to go out to sea on a yacht? Don't tell me that was just talk? How boring! The act is over already? What happened to showing us some television producers? And the official announcement about the Huayi Media film remake? It seems someone was just playing us for fools."

The man in the T-shirt chimed in, "For all we know, he might not even have the money to rent a yacht! You guys probably don't know this, but renting a yacht is actually quite cheap. You can get a small one for five or six thousand, and a mid-sized one for a party is only twenty or thirty thousand for six hours. I go out to sea to shoot photos all the time, so I know exactly how it works."

Lin Fan glanced at him expressionlessly. "You're an expert now, are you? Since you rent them every day, why don't you just buy one?"

These two had been acting like know-it-alls, constantly butting heads with him to show off their supposed wealth of experience. After all, appearing well-traveled was a way to boast in front of women.

"Well, why don't you buy one? You started by bragging about taking everyone out to sea, so don't tell me you're finding an excuse to back out now?" the man in the crew cut sneered provocatively.

Seeing this, Jin Hantang stepped forward to assist: "Mr. Lin, the cars and the yacht are all prepared; we can depart at any time."

Unexpectedly, Lin Fan hesitated: "I've changed my mind..."

Sure enough, as soon as the words left his mouth, the man in the T-shirt couldn't wait to mock him: "See? What did I tell you? This guy can only put on an act here; as soon as he leaves this place, his true colors are revealed."

"Everyone, I know the owner of a yacht rental company. With one phone call, I can arrange a massive yacht to go out to sea, and we can even play until nightfall! The yacht has everything—just like this suite, food, drinks, and entertainment, nothing is missing!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Xiawei gloated triumphantly: "That's my boyfriend for you—he keeps his word and doesn't waste time on nonsense, unlike some people who just brag and then flake out at the last minute, making a total fool of themselves!"

"A complete clown. I don't know how he has the nerve to show off just because he's carrying a diamond card!"

"It looks like everything he boasted about before was fake! I told you, this guy is a fraud. For all we know, that suit is fake too—probably worth less than two hundred yuan, haha..." The four of them continued their barrage of sarcasm and ridicule toward Lin Fan.

At this moment, the expressions of Liu Yimeng and the others shifted as well.

The "nice guy" Yuan Minghao was even fawning over the man in the T-shirt with a face full of smiles: "As expected, Boss Zhang is truly the well-traveled one. No wonder you’re a real second-generation rich kid—low-key and cultured. You’re worthy of being an artist..."

Zhang Yichen and the others were stunned to see Yuan Minghao flip-flop faster than turning a page. Today, they had truly witnessed what it meant to be a small-minded person, to be opportunistic, and to judge people based on their perceived status.

The girl in glasses couldn't help but tease, "Monitor, you're being way too realistic, aren't you? One sentence from him and you change your tune instantly. Do you perform Sichuan opera?"

"Isn't that just how 'nice guys' are? Being flexible and adaptable is their signature skill; you can't have a gathering without someone like that," another girl mocked.

Yuan Minghao didn't mind at all. He was thick-skinned, after all, and he was doing this for his own future. These girls didn't need to worry; as long as they were pretty and fun, they would never lack men around them.

Lin Fan looked at him with equal disdain. Fortunately, he hadn't agreed to help him find a job earlier; this guy was indeed far too calculating.

He then spoke slowly and deliberately: "I changed my mind just now, not because I don't have the money, but because I considered that the streamers under my company will likely need to shoot photos, attend events, and handle business matters frequently. Renting yachts constantly is too much of a hassle, so I've decided to just buy a rental company!"

"Manager Jin, do you have any connections in this field? Help me introduce someone, and there will be plenty in it for you later."

When Jin Hantang heard this, he knew his opportunity had arrived. If he could help Lin Fan pull this off, he would be promoted!

"Yes, yes, yes... I will arrange it for you immediately!"

Lin Fan nodded in satisfaction. But the next second, the man in the T-shirt couldn't help but chuckle: "Any yacht rental company on the market is worth hundreds of millions. If you can actually buy one, I’ll act like a dog for you!"

The implication was clear: he didn't believe for a second that Lin Fan could come up with hundreds of millions in cash.