Chapter 25
“Utterly shameless!”
Zuo Hang stormed around his room, fuming with frustration.
He had prepared for every possible trick Gu Xingshi might pull, but he hadn’t anticipated Gu playing outside the rules entirely, casually resolving the crisis with just a few photos and completely cutting off Zuo’s avenues for attack.
It was like everyone was playing the game by the rules, and Gu Xingshi suddenly whipped out a cheat code.
How was anyone supposed to compete with that?!
What made it worse was that Zuo Hang and his associates couldn’t use this “cheat” even if they wanted to.
They always said that in the entertainment industry, looks were king. But has this superficial obsession spread to talent managers now, too?
The more Zuo Hang thought about it, the angrier he became.
No way!
He couldn’t lose this easily!
Gritting his teeth, Zuo Hang thought, If I can’t have them, I’ll destroy them!
Two of his trainees were also participating in talent shows, though not in a program as popular as [Boy Group Training Camp]. Still, one of them had been ranking well, with a style somewhat similar to Cheng Xin’s.
Moreover, an international brand, XX, had extended an olive branch to them. Although it was just an ambassador role, for a trainee of his rank, it was a great resource.
Though he found XX’s arrogant attitude and demand for an exorbitant kickback distasteful, Zuo Hang had been hesitating.
But now, he was resolute.
He would spend whatever it took!
If he could push Meng and Cheng down while lifting his own talent up, it would be a win-win!
Meng Yuansheng! Cheng Xin!
He practically spat their names through gritted teeth.
If they were too stubborn to leave that small, rickety agency, LeShi Entertainment, then they couldn’t blame him for being ruthless!
*
Despite Gu Xingshi’s repeated assurances, Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin were finally convinced that he hadn’t been the one to leak the photos. But that didn’t stop others from believing it—Yin Hefeng even messaged him, sarcastically praising his “brilliant tactics.”
Gu Xingshi: “…”
It was exhausting.
He was even considering turning off his phone for a while to lay low.
Just then, his phone rang again.
Resigned, he picked up with a tired voice, “Hello?”
A light laugh came from the other end. “Xiao Gu, why do you sound so down? Who’s bothering you?”
Gu Xingshi immediately sat up, recognizing the voice. “Sister Wenjun? What brings you to call?”
“I wanted to thank you. Thanks to your warning, I managed to escape unscathed.”
Gu Xingshi didn’t feel he deserved much credit.
After all, he had only mentioned it offhandedly. It was Liang Wenjun’s quick thinking and resourcefulness that turned the situation around, even getting Cao Guangli taken into custody.
Sensing that he didn’t want to take any credit, Liang Wenjun shifted the conversation. “I’ve been following the rumors online recently, and I think you made the right choice. Both Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin have promising images and strong abilities; their potential goes far beyond what’s visible now. Signing them up with these inconsistent brands just for quick money would be shortsighted, and it would harm their long-term value.”
Gu Xingshi hadn’t expected this kind of endorsement from her and was pleasantly surprised.
Though he felt his approach was right, as a newcomer to the industry, being met with so much opposition had left him a bit uneasy.
Liang Wenjun’s words felt like a dose of reassurance.
She was a legend in the industry, known for her discerning eye and adept strategies. Many talent managers looked up to her as a role model.
Her validation was worth its weight in gold, and Gu felt immensely grateful.
Seeing his reaction, Liang Wenjun grew even fonder of him and generously offered more help. “I’ve heard that people from XX have been spreading rumors about you, saying you’re acting high and mighty. Would you like me to arrange a meeting to help smooth things over?”
Of course, Liang Wenjun didn’t believe these rumors.
She trusted Gu Xingshi’s character and didn’t think he’d behave that way. Furthermore, XX had a reputation for arrogance, looking down on domestic companies even as they tried to make money in the Chinese market.
She didn’t have the slightest bit of goodwill toward them.
As expected, Gu Xingshi explained, “I didn’t act high and mighty—they offered us a mere brand ambassador role, and then demanded an excessive kickback on top of it. When I turned them down, they basically told me to watch my back, promising they’d get revenge.”
Liang Wenjun frowned.
She’d heard rumors about XX’s predatory practices with smaller artists, but she hadn’t realized it was this blatant.
Gu Xingshi continued, “But you don’t have to go out of your way to reconcile things for me, sister Wenjun. I’m not impressed with their so-called ‘ambassador role’ anyway. Even if they begged me, I wouldn’t be interested.”
Hearing Gu Xingshi’s words, Liang Wenjun couldn’t help but feel a thrill of satisfaction.
But she couldn’t ignore the fact that he was still young and fiery. In this industry, few things were purely black and white.
Especially in the fashion world, which was small and heavily biased toward foreign luxury brands.
Even someone of Liang Wenjun’s status couldn’t afford to burn bridges there.
She sighed and gently advised him, “Xiao Gu, while I understand that XX’s behavior is appalling, this industry is what it is. Offending XX could mean closing the door to fashion resources entirely, which is a huge setback for an artist. Your trainees are still rookies; no matter how capable they become, they’ll struggle to reach the top without those connections.”
With that, Liang Wenjun felt a pang of regret.
She understood how Gu Xingshi felt; it was like offering up the other cheek after being slapped. But the unspoken rules of this industry were brutal, and sometimes one had no choice but to endure indignities.
To her surprise, however, Gu Xingshi wasn’t particularly troubled. “Sister Wenjun, I understand. If it were just a matter of their attitude, I could overlook it. But I refuse to work with them because they insulted China at their product launch this year. That’s absolutely unacceptable to me.”
Liang Wenjun froze, then grew serious. “Are you sure?”
Gu Xingshi replied, “You can look it up. Check out the speech given by their lead designer at the Spring-Summer launch this year. You’ll see.”
This was no small matter.
Though she knew Gu Xingshi wouldn’t joke about something like this, Liang Wenjun had her assistant quickly pull up the footage from XX’s Spring-Summer launch. After watching it, she felt a surge of fury.
She recalled how the fashion industry had showered praise on XX’s Spring-Summer collection, with even the domestic fashion scene fawning over it. The brand had certainly made waves.
At the time, Liang Wenjun had been dealing with the fallout from Cao Guangli’s sabotage and hadn’t paid much attention, but she would never have expected something like this.
Yet XX had invited a vast array of Chinese media, fashion influencers, and celebrities to the event, and not one person had seemed to notice?
Or perhaps they had noticed but simply didn’t care.
In this industry, they’d grown accustomed to—perhaps even accepted—the idea that foreign luxury brands were inherently superior, brushing aside any disrespectful comments without a second thought.
But as a proud Chinese, Liang Wenjun found such actions intolerable.
This had to be exposed!
Brands that “bite the hand that fed them” needed to be ousted from China.
After the initial surge of anger, however, Liang Wenjun’s instincts as a top-tier talent manager kicked in.
While humiliating, this incident also presented an opportunity.
If handled well, it might be possible to shift the domestic fashion industry away from its obsession with foreign brands.
And she could benefit greatly in the process.
But by doing so, she would owe Gu Xingshi a considerable favor.
Liang Wenjun sighed, feeling conflicted.
She had initially called Gu Xingshi to thank him, planning to offer him a few advertising resources as a gesture of appreciation.
But given the massive favor he’d done her, those small gestures suddenly seemed inadequate.
After a moment’s thought, she asked, “Xiao Gu, have you heard of Tianxuan?”
Gu Xingshi’s eyes widened. “Of course I know it.”
Tianxuan was a luxury smartphone brand under the Wen Corporation, holding the largest share of the domestic high-end smartphone market. Gu’s current phone was a Tianxuan.
Liang Wenjun continued, “You might know that Tianxuan also has a youth line aimed at the mid-tier market. They’re looking for some young spokespersons, and if you’re interested, I’ll work to make it happen.”
Gu Xingshi’s eyes lit up.
The Wen Corporation was immensely wealthy, and Tianxuan’s endorsements were always reserved for top-tier celebrities.
It was widely rumored in the industry that landing a Tianxuan endorsement meant reaching true stardom.
While Liang Wenjun had mentioned their youth line with multiple spokespersons, such an opportunity was still far beyond anything they’d ever dared hope for.
Who wouldn’t want such a golden opportunity?
“Thank you, sister Wenjun! Of course, I’d love to!”
Amused by his eager response, Liang Wenjun chuckled and reassured him, “I’m about seventy to eighty percent sure of this. Just sit tight and wait for the good news.”
True to her word, Liang soon set things in motion. After Gu Xingshi took Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin to finalize the endorsement deal, they returned to their dorms still in a daze.
Cheng Xin gasped, “Tianxuan phones? Am I dreaming? A Sheng, slap me so I can see if this is real!”
Without a second thought, Meng Yuansheng obliged him.
“OW! Damn! Do you have to hit so hard?!”
Meng stared at his hand, murmuring, “That hurt… It’s really happening.”
Gu Xingshi could hardly keep from laughing at these two.
Having Cheng Xin in the company was enough of a headache on its own. He’d assumed Meng Yuansheng was rational and steady, but the more he got to know him, the more he realized Meng had his own goofy side.
When they returned to their dorm, the excitement still hadn’t worn off.
But Meng managed to retain some level of composure.
“Alright, let’s get some sleep. We have an interview tomorrow!”
It was their first official press conference since joining the competition.
Previously, they’d been concerned that reporters might ask difficult questions, but now those worries were long gone.
This was the confidence that President Gu had given them!
*
At one o’clock the next afternoon, the first press conference for [Boy Group Training Camp]’s second season began.
In addition to the trainees and media, there were fan sections for each group.
Qiao Ruoyao hugged a stuffed animal as she made her way through security, immediately scanning the crowd.
After her earlier interactions online, she’d gotten to know Bai Ran, and they’d hit it off so well that they decided to meet up in person and attend the conference together.
Spotting Bai Ran in the crowd, she followed her lead to Meng and Cheng’s fan section.
Since the event hadn’t started yet, everyone was chatting.
As Qiao Ruoyao stood on tiptoes to peer backstage, she absentmindedly remarked to Bai Ran, “I wonder if that manager cutie will be here today…”
Her words were met with a sudden silence.
Realizing what she’d just said, Qiao Ruoyao slapped her hand over her mouth.
Then a small voice piped up from the crowd, “I’m wondering that too…”
This admission seemed to break the spell, and everyone started chattering.
“Ahem, I mean, who wouldn’t want to see a handsome guy?”
“Come on, it’s only natural. Who wouldn’t want to see a cutie?”
“Okay, I admit it—I want to see him, too!”
Qiao Ruoyao: “…”
Thankfully, before long, the trainees took the stage, and the press conference officially began.
As high-ranking contestants, Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin fielded the most questions.
Meng answered gracefully, while Cheng’s responses, though chaotic, had an unexpected charm. With Meng occasionally stepping in to cover, they made it through without incident.
Until a reporter from Apple Entertainment stood up and asked, “Meng Yuansheng, as the most popular contestant, you still don’t have any ad deals. Does this suggest your popularity is shallow and that the market doesn’t really recognize you?”
The fan section instantly erupted in whispers.
Qiao Ruoyao gripped Bai Ran’s arm tightly, and the two exchanged worried glances, each seeing the concern in the other’s eyes.
They’d feared someone might bring up the issue of ad deals to trouble Meng and Cheng. Now it had actually happened—and in such a malicious tone.
They were too anxious to notice the strange glint that briefly crossed Meng’s face.
He cleared his throat and politely replied, “Whether the market recognizes me or not… you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Frustrated by how easily his pointed question had been brushed aside, the reporter turned to Cheng Xin. “Cheng Xin, you’ve been frequently compared online to Fang Yimin from Shine On! Boy Band. Do you have any thoughts on that?”
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
Cheng, however, looked puzzled. “Who?”
The reporter from Apple Entertainment was left speechless.
And the audience burst into laughter.
Shine On! Boy Band was also a male idol selection show, but compared to [Boy Group Training Camp], it was far less popular in terms of traffic and influence.
Recently, however, the internet has suddenly been flooded with articles comparing Cheng Xin to Fang Yimin.
It was blatantly obvious what the intent was behind this publicity push.
The live chat comments were ablaze with discussion.
[I’m not even a Cheng Xin fan, but I have to say this is just blatant piggybacking!]
[Where did this second-rate nobody come from, trying so hard to leech off others!]
[I watched that comparison video, and I actually thought Fang Yimin danced better than Cheng Xin!]
[I’m suddenly curious about Fang Yimin!]
[??? Isn’t this Boy Group Training Camp’s press conference? How can the host let this person steal the spotlight so blatantly?]
The host gestured to the staff to take away the microphone, but the Apple Entertainment reporter persisted. “As I understand it, XX once considered signing you, but ultimately chose Fang Yimin as their brand ambassador. Do you feel disappointed about losing that deal? And do you have anything to say to Fang Yimin, who ‘won’ over you?”
[It’s just one ad deal, and that’s supposed to mean ‘winning’? Nice try with the word games!]
[I think those big brands probably have better judgment than us regular folks. Maybe they really don’t think Cheng Xin is worth it.]
[Uh, am I the only one who thinks that XX is suddenly looking kind of low-rent?]
Cheng Xin, however, wasn’t bothered in the least. He replied leisurely, “Not at all. I don’t feel disappointed, and I don’t have anything to say to him. If he’s happy, then good for him.”
Apple Entertainment reporter: “???”
At that moment, a commotion rippled through the audience.
Several reporters started murmuring among themselves, some even pulling out their phones.
Fans noticed the sudden stir and became confused.
Then, someone in the crowd shouted, “Check Weibo! The theme song for Over Mountains and Seas is Raging Seas!”
Qiao Ruoyao was stunned at first, then she broke into a joyful grin.
This was Over Mountains and Seas! A film by the legendary Director Xu!
[Holy—! Isn’t the film industry usually dismissive of the idol scene? Using an idol’s song as the theme song—this is a first, isn’t it?]
[Meng Yuansheng is killing it!!!]
[Haha, wasn’t someone just saying the market doesn’t recognize baby Sheng? Isn’t this recognition enough?]
The Apple Entertainment reporter quickly checked Weibo, and his face fell as he read the announcement in disbelief.
It was true!
And in just an hour since the trailer’s release, the views had already surpassed one million.
He recalled asking Meng Yuansheng if he felt his popularity lacked market support—now, this news was like a slap in his face.
His expression turned from green to white as whispers and side-glances made him wish he could go back a few minutes to take back his words.
While he sat there in discomfort, another wave of gasps swept through the venue.
His heart skipped a beat, a sense of foreboding rising.
Sure enough, the next second, he saw a trending topic flash across the screen.
#Tianxuan Youth Line Announces Brand Ambassadors
Among the names were none other than Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin.
[AHHHHH!!!! Who said my boys didn’t have any ad deals? Tianxuan phones! As brand ambassadors!! I’m not exaggerating—this one is worth dozens of theirs!]
[My boys were hiding it so well! Not a single leak before this, unlike certain others who flaunt every tiny thing. Umm… yes, I’m talking about a certain ‘brand ambassador.’]
[I told you to trust their instincts! You can tell their manager is super capable!]
The Apple Entertainment reporter was dumbfounded. He even rubbed his eyes and clicked into Tianxuan’s official Weibo to confirm they hadn’t made a mistake with the names.
Was Tianxuan out of their minds?!
Meng and Cheng were still trainees who hadn’t debuted! What right did they have to be listed alongside popular stars?
And this was a brand ambassador role!
It was leagues above the minor “brand ambassador” role XX had given.
And he had actually asked Cheng Xin if he felt “disappointed”?!
It dawned on him that maybe Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin had been aware of these announcements all along. Otherwise, how could they have responded so perfectly?
While he was drowning in shame, the other reporters had a completely different reaction.
They all rushed forward for interviews as if they’d gone mad.
This was a golden headline falling from the sky!
Only a fool would let such an opportunity slip by!
Oh, wait…
One person gave a sympathetic glance to the Apple Entertainment reporter.
Looks like there was indeed one fool here.
*
Recently, Zuo Hang had been riding high.
His tactic of leeching off the popularity of others was paying off; Fang Yimin’s popularity had surged, especially after becoming a “brand ambassador” for XX. Zuo had even gritted his teeth and poured a large sum of money into a massive publicity campaign.
The results were promising. In just a day or two, Fang Yimin’s popularity had skyrocketed to first place in [Shine On! Boy Band].
According to his plan, Fang Yimin would maintain this high visibility until the end of the show.
The crucial part of this plan was [Boy Group Training Camp]’s press conference.
He had even bribed a reporter from Apple Entertainment to ask specific questions on stage.
Of course, he didn’t expect this tactic alone to knock Meng and Cheng down entirely.
But as long as there was controversy, there would be attention.
His goal was to ride Meng and Cheng’s coattails until Fang Yimin was firmly associated with their success.
He was immensely pleased with his plan.
He even called in his subordinates for a meeting, turning on the live stream to let them witness the moment.
When he saw the Apple Entertainment reporter begin his line of questioning, he even stood up in excitement.
But wait—wasn’t Meng and Cheng’s reaction a bit too calm?
They didn’t look the slightest bit embarrassed or angry, as he had anticipated.
A sliver of unease crept into Zuo Hang’s mind.
Thankfully, his hired commenters on the live stream chat were doing their job, allowing him to save a little face.
With Over Mountains and Seas announcing Raging Seas as its theme song and Tianxuan’s Youth Line choosing Meng and Cheng as brand ambassadors, these two pieces of trending news hit Zuo Hang like a pair of slaps across the face.
He erupted into a shout, identical to the outburst of the Apple Entertainment reporter. Meng Yuansheng! Cheng Xin! You two did this on purpose, didn’t you?!
The meeting room was silent as a tomb.
All the employees had their heads down, fingers flying across their phones.
Employee: [I nearly burst out laughing just now.]
Employee: [Did you see Zuo’s face? It was absolutely priceless!]
Employee: [I heard he spent a fortune on this… Spending big bucks to slap himself twice? Oh man, this feels so satisfying!]
Zuo Hang, face flushed and breathing heavily, clutched the table to keep himself from collapsing.
Grinding his teeth, he struggled to salvage his pride. “Well… regardless, we still achieved our goal of promoting Fang Yimin. He’s now XX’s brand ambassador, after all—”
Before he could finish, someone timidly raised a hand. “Director Zuo, um… it looks like XX is in trouble…”
Zuo Hang’s eyes widened. “What?!”
He strode over and snatched the phone from the person’s hand, scanning the trending topics:
#XX Lead Designer Accused of Disparaging Remarks About China#
#XX Is Trash, Get Out of China#
#Fu Ya Terminates Contract with XX Immediately#
#Yuan Qingqing Rejects XX Gown for Film Festival#
*
Realizing he’d just spent a fortune to buy into a catastrophe, Zuo’s vision went black, and he collapsed on the spot.
“Director Zuo! Are you okay?”
“Someone call an ambulance! Director Zuo has fainted!”
