Translator: _Min_
âBrother Xu, you absolutely cannot touch Xie Yu. Switching the center position is too obvious,â a middle-aged man, also an investor, spoke with a smile. âYou havenât looked closely at his votes, have you? The total votes of the other eight in the top nine donât even come close to his. Itâs a clear gap.â
âIf you touch him, I think your sportswear and shoes might get boycotted. Your companyâs target audience is these young people.â
Xu Jingshan took a closer look and realized that Xie Yuâs vote count was indeed a whole digit higher than the others.
He gasped in surprise, âHow did he get so many votes?â
Fans voting required money, and there were limits to the number of votes that could be bought.
Xie Yuâs votes were already in the billions, unattainable by money alone. This indicated a terrifying number of active fans voting daily.
âHeâs talented and good-looking, of course, he attracts fans,â the middle-aged man patted Xuâs shoulder. âBrother Xu, this program can bring forth a real top star. Heâs an independent trainee; you can definitely build a good relationship with him.â
Debuting as a top star was almost unheard of in the Great Xia Empire.
The middle-aged manâs eyes were sharp.
With Xie Yuâs talent, it was only a matter of time before he reached Glennâs level.
âYes, we canât touch him,â Xu Jingshan breathed a sigh of relief. âThank goodness you reminded me.â
When talent reached a certain level, even capital couldnât suppress it.
âThen letâs switch this one,â Xu Jingshan pointed at the list. âMove Lu Yan to second place.â
The assistant noted it down.
âThis Shi Yu, and these two, move them behind ninth place,â Xu Jingshan continued. âTheir agencies donât value them, so we donât need to either.â
Unlike some other trainees whose companies understood the nuances of networking, sending him plenty of resources.
The final list was thus settled.
âNo need to inform the program team; they canât help with this,â Xu Jingshan tapped off the ash from his cigarette. âOn debut night, weâll take full control.â
âBy the way, thereâs someone else to keep an eye on, the dance mentor on the show. Sheâs of age,â the middle-aged man pushed a photo towards him.
The photo was of Si Fuqing.
She had never posted a selfie; it was a fan -captured image.
Unedited, yet strikingly captivating at first glance.
âShe is indeed beautiful,â Xu Jingshan squinted his eyes. âWhy are you showing me this? Not interested?â
The middle-aged man shook his head, âI donât dare; my family keeps a tight leash.â
Xu Jingshan chuckled, not believing him, âWait a few days, after the programâs hype dies down. If I want her, Iâll have her.â
Top stars relied on him for resources, and Si Fuqing was just a popular idol, without any significant background or connections.
He could summon her with a wave of his hand.
Xu Jingshan handed Si Fuqingâs photo to his assistant, âAfter the debut night, keep an eye on her.â
The assistant acknowledged and went to prepare.
At six in the evening, Si Fuqing left the training camp to visit Gu Wenzhu.
They enjoyed dinner together.
âYun Lan, I watched your show,â Gu Wenzhu adjusted his glasses. âWhat was that makeup? I hardly recognized you.â
âGothic-style,â Si Fuqing opened a bottle of coke, raising an eyebrow. âItâs trendy, you wouldnât understand.â
âI really donât. A good face, painted like a ghost,â Gu Wenzhu spoke slowly.
âGood thing youâve removed it, or I might have lost my appetite.â
He then remembered something, pausing for a moment. âWith your current identity⦠itâs probably not appropriate for me to call you Yun Lan anymore, right?â
Si Fuqing paused, then laughed softly, âJust call me Yun Lan. Youâre used to it, and so am I.â
âItâs indeed hard to suddenly change,â Gu Wenzhu huffed. âWho knows if âYun Lanâ is even your real name. After you left, I dug everywhere but couldnât find any trace of you.â
âWhatâs more impressive is that T18 and Zero couldnât even crack your IP address. How did I end up with such an incredible student?â
Si Fuqing didnât feign modesty, âThey just arenât good enough.â
âBe careful, lest you get caught one day,â Gu Wenzhu sighed. âAlright, go rest.
Iâll come on my own on Saturday night; no need to pick me up.â
âThen, teacher, make sure youâre discreet,â Si Fuqing stood up. âYour face is iconic in the fashion world; donât scare the kids.â Gu Wenzhu waved his hand, âI know what Iâm doing.â
After leaving some cans of tea, Si Fuqing stepped out.
At the entrance of the mall, she saw an advertisement for a big May sale, featuring several clothes she liked.
Si Fuqing snapped a photo and posted it on her friend circle.
[Summerâs here, time for dresses.]
She planned to shop after the talent show ended.
As soon as the post went up, notifications began to flood in.
[JI]: Big brother, donât act like a woman, it scares me. Be manly!
Si Fuqing replied with a âget lost,â emotionlessly stuffing her phone back into her pocket.
She walked back to her villa from the city center.
By the time she got home, it was nine.
The living room lights were still on.
As she entered, Yu Tang excitedly waved, âQingqing, come and see!â
âHm?â Si Fuqing approached and saw various gift bags on the sofa. âWhatâs all this?â
âYour summer dresses,â Yu Tangâs eyes sparkled. âTheyâre really pretty. Itâs not too much for you to wear a dress on debut night, right?â
Si Fuqing, âAh?â
âUncle Nine bought them,â Yu Tang said. âDidnât you post on your friend circle?â
Si Fuqing was startled and instinctively looked at the man beside her, âBoss, you use social media?â
Yu Xiheng looked up, a slight smile in his eyes, âBoomer?â
âNo, boss, youâre trendy!â Si Fuqing was earnest. âThank you for caring for your employee. I really appreciate and respect you.â
âIâll go study now,â Yu Tang tactfully ran upstairs.
Yu Xiheng leaned forward to pick up his tea cup, âAfter âYouth With Youâ wraps up, you have another show?â
âYes,â Si Fuqing nodded. âThe assistant director from Great Xia TV we met last time. Itâs a survival show, which I like. The first season has five episodes, each split into two parts. Itâll take about two months to film.â âHmm,â Yu Xi Heng hummed. âThen Iâll let RM come in August.â Si Fuqing pondered: âBoss, RM isnât your company, is it?â
Yu Xiheng smiled subtly, âIâm just a cripple.â
âI said youâre not, and youâll be well soon,â Si Fuqing picked a few bags. âIâll go
try them on.â
After trying a few dresses in the dressing room, she realized something was off.
Some fit too perfectly.
Even more accurately than her own measurements.
Especially around the chestâ¦
Sensing her confusion, Yu Xi Heng casually said, âEstimated.â
Si Fuqing:
A few seconds later, she found the right words to praise, âBoss, you have great eyes.â
She quickly packed the remaining dresses and headed upstairs.
Yu Xiheng set down his cup, his thoughts drifting.
Now shés acting like a young girl.
Indeed quite cute.
Saturday.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Six in the evening.
Lin City Hall was brightly lit.
Hundreds of thousands of fans had arrived, surrounding the venue, with numerous security personnel on duty.
After nearly three months, the talent show was finally drawing to a close.
Excitement, anticipation, and ulterior motives filled the air.
In the VIP passage, a car stopped, and a foreigner stepped out.
Lin Qingyan, who had been waiting, stepped forward respectfully, âHello, Mr. Mel. Weâre honored by your unexpected visit.â
âIâm not here just for you,â Mel replied coolly, without giving much face. âJust passing by to take a look.â
He was also hoping to run into Mr. Gu Wenzhu .
Though he wouldnât say that out loud.
Not to mention Lin Qingyan, even the top celebrities of Great Xia didnât have the privilege of meeting Gu Wenzhu.
Lin Qingyan put herself at a very humble position, âHaving Mr. Mel is already a great honor. If possible, we hope you could give a speech at the end of the show.â
Her joy was palpable.
Initially, she had only invited an apprentice of Mel, whom she had met at Glenn during a red carpet event.
Who would have thought that Mel himself would come?
This time, she was eager to see who else Si Fuqing could invite, someone with a reputation even greater than Mel.
âOkay,â Mel said, adjusting his outfit. âI also hope that among your candidates, there will be someone who catches my eye. Iâm not interested in superficial talents or those whose popularity is merely bought with money.â
Lin Qingyan smiled, âYou wonât be disappointed, Mr. Mel. Thereâs a trainee with the last name Lu, heâs quite impressive.â
As they were speaking, another car pulled up behind them. The car door opened, and out stepped Gu Wenzhu..