Chapter 46

"Very difficult, very hard to handle." After hesitating for a long time, Shi Shunzhong finally spoke up, "Xihui, before I agree to your conditions, you have to meet one of my requests first."

"What request?"

"Next month, there's a national swimming championship, which is a selection event for the Asian Games," Shi Shunzhong explained his purpose. "You have to participate and perform well, even better than today. This way, I'll have more confidence when speaking to my superiors."

He then felt a bit troubled. "But it's quite challenging to correct your technique in such a short time. Never mind, I can't worry about that. You have the talent, so I hope you succeed."

Lei Xihui also understood that this was the limit of what Shi Shunzhong could do. Although he was the deputy coach of the national swimming team, there were still many officials above him.

"I won't let you down in next month's selection event," Lei Xihui raised his glass. "I toast to you, Master."

Shi Shunzhong's eyes sparkled. "What did you call me?"

"Master."

Shi Shunzhong was overjoyed. He had personally identified Lei Xihui's potential and strongly recommended him. He had almost bet everything on Lei Xihui. If Lei Xihui could achieve good results in the competition, his future would be secure.

How could he not be elated when Lei Xihui called him "Master"? He drank the glass of wine in one gulp, feeling extremely happy. He drank quickly and a lot, and soon he was seven or eight parts drunk. In the end, Lei Xihui and Mo Fatty had to help him back to his room.

Annie was also overly excited and still not satisfied. She dragged Lei Xihui and Mo Fatty to the KTV at Xi Hai Grand Hotel.

Singing was Lei Xihui's weak point. He was famously tone-deaf and couldn't remember the melody of a song even after listening to it a dozen times.

Annie, on the other hand, sang very well. After a few songs, Lei Xihui thought it was a shame she didn't participate in talent shows.

Mo Fatty, like Lei Xihui, could scare away a whole room with his voice. Their only task was to admire Annie's performance as the KTV queen.

After finishing a song, Annie said with a mischievous smile, "You two look so bored. Do you want me to call a couple of girls to keep you company? I'll pay the tips."

"Go away," Lei Xihui said irritably, then suddenly remembered something from the dinner. "Fatty, why did you keep hinting that I should join the swimming team?"

"What a great opportunity," Mo Fatty perked up. "Brother Xihui, you can't stay in Xiantao Village forever, right? You left Yun Dong in disgrace, but you should return in glory. Annie told me that Xiantao Village has beautiful scenery, no less than Yanhu Village. You want to develop it, but can't attract investment, right? Who would invest in a kid like you?"

Although Mo Fatty's words were blunt, they hit the nail on the head.

Lei Xihui had the ambition to develop Xiantao Village, but who was he? Why would anyone give him the face to invest? Even Annie's father, Zhu Guoxu, who Lei Xihui had saved his son's life, preferred to give him a villa rather than invest a single cent.

Mo Fatty took a sip of wine. "You read novels, right? What's a protagonist's aura? You need to create one for yourself. Now, Shi Shunzhong has given you such a great opportunity. When I checked on my phone, the Asian record for the 200-meter freestyle is 1 minute and 44.47 seconds. You're still far from that, but if you correct your technique, you might shine. If you become the Asian champion, you'll have that aura..."

Lei Xihui was a smart person and immediately understood Mo Fatty's point.

"When you have that aura, it won't be you begging others, but others begging you. With a bit of packaging, you won't have to worry about attracting investment for Xiantao Village," Mo Fatty said, getting more and more excited. "You don't want to be an athlete, okay, no problem, but we can't waste your talent or miss such a great opportunity. A unique, patriotic, and down-to-earth great athlete... wow, I can already see the selling points..."

At that moment, Mo Fatty seemed like a completely different person, far from his usual meek self. He was commanding and strategic.

"It's not just your opportunity, but mine too," Mo Fatty suddenly thought of something. "Brother Xihui, you'll need a manager to handle everything for you in the future. I'll do it, I'll be your manager!"

Lei Xihui had just taken a sip of beer and almost spat it out. "Are you okay? Be my manager? I'm not a big star or a famous singer..."

"Who says you have to be a big star or a famous singer?" Mo Fatty's eyes widened. "I ask you, who will negotiate with Shi Shunzhong on your behalf? Me! Who will handle invitations for speeches? Me! Who will negotiate the best terms for you? Me! So, who else is more suitable to be your manager? Don't hesitate, sign the contract tomorrow. Brother Xihui, you may be unknown now, but a good manager should spot talent early."

Lei Xihui was still confused when Annie chimed in, "Brother Xihui, Brother Xihui, let Fatty be your manager, and I'll be your personal assistant."

"Go away, don't cause trouble."

Annie as his assistant? With her temper, he'd be lucky if she didn't make him serve her.

"Don't, Brother Xihui," Annie clung to Lei Xihui and parroted, "I ask you, who will prepare for your competitions? Me! Who will protect you from fans who climb your window at midnight? Me! Who will arrange everything for your international competitions? Me! So, who else is more suitable to be your personal assistant? Don't hesitate, sign the contract tomorrow. Brother Xihui, you may be unknown now, but a good personal assistant should spot a good boss early."

Lei Xihui was about to be driven mad by these two.

He was just a poor boy from the countryside, and now he was supposed to have a manager and a personal assistant?

"Brother Xihui," Annie pushed Lei Xihui while looking at him with "loving" eyes. "Just give in to me. Look, I have beauty and a good figure. As your personal assistant, if you have any improper thoughts about me in the future, I'll consider them first..."

Lei Xihui and Mo Fatty looked at each other, speechless.

After a long while, Mo Fatty whispered, "Brother Xihui, actually, there's no specific law against women harassing men..."

"You fatso!"

"Ah, Brother Xihui, save me."

The unscrupulous Lei Xihui watched as Mo Fatty's ear was pulled red, and he was only released after drinking a whole bottle of beer.

Mo Fatty, who had a low alcohol tolerance, was already red-faced. "Brother Xihui, this is a great opportunity. I know you don't like competitions, but for your future, you must participate and perform well. Leave the rest to me. I, Mo Fatty, will handle it, and you can rest assured."

Lei Xihui was still confused. "Fatty, why are you so concerned about my affairs?"

This immediately put Annie on alert. "Fatty, you're not falling for Brother Xihui, are you?"

"Me? Don't even think about it. This little body is quite charming," Mo Fatty said with a disgusting leer as he sized up Lei Xihui.

Lei Xihui's skin crawled, and he quickly moved away.

Mo Fatty suddenly sighed. "Shi Shunzhong spoke his mind, and I'll speak mine. I, Mo Fatty, have been looked down upon since I was young. Brother Xihui, you lost your job and were beaten up. Annie, don't look at me; you're not much better. Your father is rich, but you've never accomplished anything on your own. We three are in the same boat. We can't miss this opportunity."

He opened another bottle of beer and drank it fiercely. "I just want a day when people will respectfully say to me, 'Mr. Mo, can I have a few minutes of your time to discuss a business deal?' Brother Xihui, this is your opportunity, and it's mine and Annie's too. I, Mo Fatty, may not have many skills, but I won't let this chance slip by. What about you, Annie?"

Annie, who rarely thought so far ahead, was silent. She had never considered things as deeply as Mo Fatty.

But she thought, if her father wasn't Zhu Guoxu, would people still treat her the same way?

Lei Xihui sighed deeply. "Mr. Mo, Mr. Zhu, I want to make it clear that I can't pay you as my manager or assistant."

The title "Mr. Mo" made Mo Fatty smile. "Brother Xihui, just call me Fatty. We're friends, and it feels more intimate. Don't worry, Annie and I will serve you for free until you make it big."

"Brother Xihui, if you ever get rich, don't find another girlfriend," Annie's sweet, cloying voice came again.

What a pair of friends he had. One was a tiger pretending to be a pig, and the other was a temperamental young lady pretending to be a gentle, dependent girl.

So, our Brother Xihui inexplicably gained a manager and a personal assistant.