Chapter Thirteen: The Laughingstock of the Entire City

"Young master, it's the master's call." The butler, who had always followed closely behind Lei Bujing, spoke to him as he sat collapsed on the ground.

The moment he heard the word "master," Lei Bujing trembled, instantly realizing his father was calling to hold him accountable.

"I'm not answering! Not answering!" Clutching his head tightly with both hands, Lei Bujing refused to accept the reality, curling himself into a corner.

"You even dare ignore my call now? Truly, your wings have grown hard." A mature man's voice sounded behind Lei Bujing.

"Fa...Father!" Lei Bujing stared in terror at the man, nearly bursting into tears from fright.

This was Lei Bujing's father—Lei Hu.

A legendary figure in the city, commanding billions in assets, unafraid of either side of the law, and recently expanding his business overseas.

"So you still know I'm your father?"

Before the words had fully settled, Lei Hu slapped Lei Bujing across the face with a resounding smack.

"How have I taught you? How could you be so reckless and fall for someone's scheme? Where's the company's money?"

The barrage of questions left Lei Bujing too afraid to answer.

"I..." Lei Bujing trembled as he spoke, "I spent it on tipping streamers."

Lei Hu slammed his hand down on the table, shattering it instantly. His fury erupted.

"You useless wastrel! Do you even realize what you've done?"

Despite his fear of his father's authority, Lei Bujing stubbornly retorted, "You have so much money, surely you don't miss a little bit."

Lei Hu's eyes burned with rage, as if ready to set the house ablaze. In this moment, he wished he could kill this disgraceful son with a single blow.

All his money was currently invested in overseas projects. The company left to his son was merely a small treasure chest—set aside precisely to prevent incidents like this.

Otherwise, why would such a small company possess tens of millions in assets?

And now, he learns it's all been squandered on tipping streamers!

Lei Hu had no interest in explaining anything to this hopeless child. He flung the stack of documents in his hand at Lei Bujing's face.

"Ouch!" The papers struck Lei Bujing in the eyes, causing tears to well up.

Still, Lei Bujing dared not utter a word of complaint. He obediently picked up the materials from the floor and began to read them carefully.

By the end, cold sweat broke out on his back.

Though he was a spoiled scion, he knew he'd made a grave mistake this time.

Snot and tears flowed uncontrollably as he hugged his father's leg, sobbing and begging for forgiveness.

"Dad, I really know I was wrong. I'm so sorry."

"Please, give me another chance. I promise I'll change!"

Lei Hu kicked his son away without mercy.

"Useless! What's the point of apologizing now? I need money, not your apology," Lei Hu said angrily.

Lei Bujing trembled in silence, unsure how he could produce the money. He still relied on Lei Hu's allowance to get by.

"Idiot, tell me—how old are you this year?" Lei Hu suddenly asked, as if struck by an idea.

Lei Bujing was startled, then a little disappointed. His own father didn't even know his age.

This was more than mere negligence.

"Fifteen..." Lei Bujing stammered.

Despite his usual arrogance and bravado, he was just a minor when it came down to his age.

Upon hearing this, Lei Hu couldn't help but smile.

"I've got a solution."

"What solution?" Lei Bujing clung to his father like a drowning man grabbing at a straw, his eyes filled with hope.

"You're still underage, aren't you? I'll sue the streaming company in court and demand they return the money, citing your inability to make rational purchases."

Hearing this so-called solution, Lei Bujing's face turned ashen.

What did this mean? Was he to rely on being underage and unable to make rational decisions as grounds to demand a refund?

But he was the heir of the Lei family! Where would his dignity go?

"Father... can't we use another method?" Lei Bujing timidly asked.

Lei Hu, sharp as ever, immediately saw through his son's embarrassment.

"If not this, then get me the money yourself." Lei Hu's calm words silenced his son.

Clenching his fists, Lei Bujing glared ahead in frustration.

Ma Wu, just wait—one day, I'll pay back today's humiliation double!

"Breaking news: Lei Hu, head of the Lei family, publicly sues Goldfish TV. What is his true intention?"

The story shot to the top of the trending news, ranked number one. Ma Wu naturally saw the headline.

He opened the article and nearly burst out laughing. He had expected the Lei family to seek justice, but hadn't anticipated they'd use such a method.

Underage? Who are they trying to fool?

Normally, Lei Bujing was notorious for racing cars and chasing women, yet now he was pleading minority status?

It was truly ironic. Ma Wu shook his head in resignation.

But this time, Ma Wu had no intention of muddying the waters for Lei Bujing. Not only would he refrain from causing trouble, he'd even support him.

He purchased a massive number of internet trolls to boost the Lei family's cause.

"Breaking news: Is there a loophole in Goldfish TV's operation? Tippers demand refunds!"

This was Ma Wu's little scheme—if the Lei family sued Goldfish TV, the stock market would surely be shaken, and the company's value would drop.

With the Lei family leading the charge, he could conveniently demand a refund himself.

The phone rang, an unfamiliar number, but Ma Wu knew who it was.

"Hello, is this Mr. Ma Wu?" The caller was Goldfish TV's CEO, seeking clarification.

"Yes, this is Ma Wu," Ma Wu replied calmly, "If you have something to say, just say it."

"It's about the Lei family's lawsuit against us, and some clients requesting refunds..." The CEO spoke cautiously.

Matters with the Lei family were unrelated to Ma Wu, so the issue was the refund.

After all, Ma Wu had tipped nearly thirty million.

"Hmm? I'm not sure I understand," Ma Wu feigned confusion, "Could you explain a bit more clearly?"

The damned man! The CEO silently cursed Ma Wu's ancestors.

"Mr. Ma, having tipped nearly thirty million at once, you must be extremely wealthy and surely wouldn't need a refund from our platform..."

"Of course, that's no problem," Ma Wu replied cheerfully.

Yes! The CEO nearly jumped for joy. If he could settle things with Ma Wu, the rest would be easy.

"But, since your company's system failed, you still owe compensation," Ma Wu suddenly changed tack.

So, in the end, he still wanted a refund! The CEO wished he could tear Ma Wu apart.

If he couldn't avoid refunding, he might as well minimize the loss.

"About this refund..."

"I know it's not easy for you. Let's settle for fifteen million—I only want half," Ma Wu interjected before the CEO could speak.

"This won't be too difficult for you, will it?"

Damn it! The company and streamers split tips fifty-fifty; this was basically asking for a full refund!

"But the company's share is only..." The CEO gritted his teeth.

If not for fear of trouble, he would have started cursing already.

"This is already lenient. Would you rather handle this through legal channels?" Ma Wu's voice grew steely, his eyes narrowing with a hint of danger.

The CEO was momentarily speechless.

Goldfish TV was like a floating reed now—any disturbance could bring it down. He couldn't let that happen.

He could only compromise.

"Alright, I accept," the CEO said, sighing inwardly.

Fine, I still have a backup plan.

Worst case, let Lin Erke refund him, along with Sister Li.

"By the way, I don't care about others, but if you dare go after Lin Erke..."

"Heh!" Ma Wu, as if reading minds, saw through the CEO's intentions, sending chills down his spine.

How does he know what I'm thinking?

"I understand, Mr. Ma!" the CEO replied politely, "Wishing you good health."

Preferably struck by lightning soon.

"No need to hang up so quickly," Ma Wu said meaningfully, "We might meet again soon."

When I acquire Goldfish TV...

The CEO didn't understand Ma Wu's words, rolled his eyes, and hung up.

System, tally up the bill for this whole affair.