After Spectating Gossip, the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Big Shot – CH29

Chapter 29

Upon returning to the country, Ning Wenzhuo was prepared for every possible obstruction Ning Tianyou might throw at him.

But after half a month in the company, Ning Tianyou had surprisingly stayed quiet.

If Ning Wenzhuo hadn’t endured so much under him over the years, he might have even thought that his uncle was a kind-hearted, benevolent man.

When Shao Peng learned of it, he found it strange as well.

Both of them figured Ning Tianyou was holding back for a bigger move. Yet, after a few probing attempts, Ning Tianyou remained patient, only making a few snide comments, accusing Wenzhuo of “leaning on someone else’s influence.”

After some digging, Ning Wenzhuo discovered that a certain powerful figure had warned Ning Tianyou, which is why he hadn’t dared to act recklessly.

That powerful figure could only be none other than “Helper.”

Only Helper would support him so silently, without ever seeking acknowledgment.

This gentle kindness slowly melted the icy defenses around Ning Wenzhuo’s heart.

He was fully aware that, to someone of Helper’s status, he didn’t bring any significant value.

Helper had countless options for people to collaborate with; though Ning Wenzhuo hated to admit it, even Ning Tianyou was more useful than he was.

Perhaps, like his name suggested, Helper truly only cared about helping others.

But Ning Wenzhuo couldn’t help feeling useless.

Helper had told him the truth about his parents’ deaths, yet after all this time back in the country, he had made no progress on his own investigation.

Helper had also provided him with the opportunity to re-enter the company, but Ning Tianyou’s cunning had swiftly outmaneuvered him, relegating him to a fringe department where he had no power to fight back.

Feeling disheartened, Ning Wenzhuo grew anxious.

Helper was so kind—what if he helped someone else who was more useful? What if he became disappointed in him and never looked his way again?

Recently, he had felt that Helper was becoming noticeably colder.

Not only were replies slower, but the responses themselves were also increasingly perfunctory.

The thought that Helper might actually be disappointed in him threw Ning Wenzhuo’s mind into chaos.

No!

He couldn’t let that happen!

He looked at the pinned chat on his messaging app; He wanted to ask Helper for help but feared disappointing him.

So he found himself typing and deleting his message countless times.

Finally, after reworking his message seventeen or eighteen times, Ning Wenzhuo steeled himself and hit send.

*

Gu Xingshi had been swamped lately.

With the final round of [Boy Group Training Camp] approaching, the atmosphere was growing intense, and there was much to do.

This was Gu Xingshi’s first time being involved in such an event, and compared to well-organized, well-funded companies, he was far behind in handling many things.

Especially in the voting stage—some companies had appeared relaxed earlier, with fans acting quite passive, but it turned out they had long been preparing and were ready to exert influence at the right moment.

Gu Xingshi was taken by surprise.

He had to learn on the go, juggling it all without the energy to keep up with anything else.

Finally catching a break after finishing a segment, he took a breath, opened his phone, and saw several messages from Ning Wenzhuo.

Gu Xingshi couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.

In his bid to counter Ning Tianyou, he had maneuvered Ning Wenzhuo back to the country, only to leave him out of the loop afterward.

Yet Ning Wenzhuo hadn’t blamed him.

Instead, he questioned himself, wondering if he was just too useless, appearing meek and pitiful, a far cry from his formerly guarded and wary self. Now, he seemed overly obedient and considerate.

Gu Xingshi felt a pang of guilt just looking at him.

He couldn’t help but reflect on whether he’d acted a bit too much like a jerk.

So, he immediately replied to Ning Wenzhuo, explaining that he’d been busy recently and hadn’t been ignoring him on purpose.

Distractedly handling his tasks, Ning Wenzhuo would glance at his phone now and then, each time feeling a bit deflated like a balloon with a pinhole when no new message appeared.

Eventually, even Shao Peng couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Young master, who are you waiting for messages from?”

Ning Wenzhuo pressed his lips together. He trusted Shao Peng and usually shared his thoughts with him.

But for some reason, it felt different when it came to Helper; it was like a secret of his own, something he didn’t want to share.

Just as Ning was caught in his dilemma, his phone chimed.

He jumped up, banging his knee against the corner of the desk, but didn’t even bother to rub it, eagerly opening his phone instead.

Seeing Helper’s response, he breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing Helper wasn’t disappointed in him.

With that reassurance, Ning Wenzhuo felt comfortable sharing his troubles.

Gu Xingshi saw a screen filled with company issues and immediately felt a bit dizzy, quickly claiming he had no idea.

Who knew what Ning Wenzhuo was imagining, but he responded with a pitiful apology, full of anxiety.

Gu Xingshi rubbed his forehead in frustration, feeling that if he rejected him again, Ning Wenzhuo might actually burst into tears.

So he replied: [I don’t really know much. But if you want my opinion, I’ll give some general advice.]

Ning Wenzhuo perked up immediately, assuring him that anything he said was more than enough.

So Gu Xingshi relaxed a little.

He really didn’t know much, but he’d been catching up intensively on everything idol-related recently, so he was able to give some pointers in that area.

The things he shared were fairly basic.

Yet, Ning Wenzhuo was so enthusiastic, reacting positively to everything he said.

Gu Xingshi got a bit carried away and ended up saying more than he intended.

On the other side, Ning Wenzhuo frowned as he reviewed their conversation.

He noticed that most of Helper’s messages were related to idol management, all fairly common knowledge.

But—if it came from Helper, could it just be regular knowledge?

From Ning Wenzhuo’s experience, Helper never said anything pointless.

Every word he said must have significance.

So, he must have missed the deeper meaning in Helper’s guidance.

Ning Wenzhuo began analyzing.

He had explained his current predicament to Helper, hoping for advice on a solution.

Helper initially refused to get involved, which Ning Wenzhuo could understand; previously, Helper had helped with minor issues, but this time he was asking for advice on internal company matters—a step too far.

Ning Wenzhuo felt a pang of regret, realizing he’d been too hasty.

Thankfully, Helper hadn’t held it against him and eventually softened, pointing him in a direction.
—Idols.

Ning Wenzhuo pondered this.

Indeed, Xingmao Media had an idol subsidiary called StarCat.

As he recalled, StarCat had been severely impacted by a recent brand scandal, leaving it struggling and even prompting some to suggest disbanding the company. However, Xingmao had invested heavily in it, leaving the higher-ups hesitant.

Could Helper be hinting that he should take over StarCat?

It… actually seemed feasible.

Ning Wenzhuo reviewed the data he’d seen previously.

First, StarCat’s resources and infrastructure were solid, and due to recent setbacks, many of Ning Tianyou’s loyalists and sycophants had abandoned the company, leaving mostly diligent, capable employees.

Also, as a newer company founded only a few years ago, StarCat had a streamlined structure without the bureaucratic bloat typical of larger corporations—an ideal setup for him to implement his vision.

Moreover, because StarCat was on the verge of abandonment, if he chose to work there, Ning Tianyou would likely welcome the move rather than obstruct it.

Without constraints from the main company, he would have more freedom to make achievements.

Most importantly, compared to established industries like film and television, the idol market was still an untapped potential.

This meant there was ample room for him to grow.

The more he considered it, the more Ning Wenzhuo felt that this retreat-to-advance strategy was tailor-made for him.

Helper truly lived up to his reputation as a powerful figure; even his casual guidance was more helpful than all of Ning Wenzhuo’s days of hard thinking!

Though Ning Wenzhuo had already witnessed Helper’s profound, effortless skill in handling various matters, he was once again deeply impressed.

Taking a deep breath to calm his excitement, he refocused.

He now knew to move in the idol direction, but with so many details to consider, where should he start?

At this point, he decided to stop trying to figure it out alone.

Helper had already hinted at idols as the direction, so he likely had a clear idea of where Ning Wenzhuo should focus his efforts.

With the answer already in hand, why waste time pondering the wrong options?

Meanwhile, Gu Xingshi read Ning Wenzhuo’s message: [What’s the main focus in the idol direction?]

There was an obvious answer to that.

Without a second thought, he replied: [The stage, of course.]

Upon receiving this firm reply, Ning Wenzhuo felt a moment of joy, only to fall into confusion again.

The stage?

But wasn’t “the stage” a bit too vague?

No.

He couldn’t think that way.

Clearly, he was missing Helper’s deeper intent.

Furrowing his brows, Ning Wenzhuo resumed his analysis.

Since the trainees at StarCat currently lacked strong stage skills, Helper’s “stage” probably wasn’t referring to their individual performance abilities.

As for StarCat’s facilities, the company was modeled after top idol agencies abroad when it was established and had a full suite of studios for recording, dance, and styling, as well as a 200-square-meter indoor stage.

This stage was meant to help trainees get comfortable performing, though it had yet to be fully utilized and was now largely unused.

Could Helper be referring to this stage?

No, let’s think deeper.

The domestic entertainment industry rarely offers song-and-dance stages; outside of talent shows and network galas, they’re quite scarce.

Forget trainees—even debuted idols rarely have a proper stage, with some joking that many performing artists are “shelved the moment they debut.”

Those with good looks and some acting talent can turn to acting, or at least join variety shows. Without those skills, even talented singers and dancers struggle to survive in the industry.

What if there were a platform just for them?

No such program currently exists in the domestic entertainment industry, meaning he’d be the first to explore this path if he took it on.

Each year, more idol groups debut from talent shows, and companies train song-and-dance artists; these individuals would naturally yearn for such a stage, so there would be no shortage of participants.

Plus, “idol fans” and “cultivation fans” are known to be some of the most loyal followers—ideal audiences for this kind of program.

With such a dedicated fanbase, he wouldn’t even need much promotion; the fans would handle it themselves.

Ning Wenzhuo’s breath quickened.

Yes!

This must be it!

Every aspect of this direction fit him perfectly—it was truly tailor-made!

Without Helper’s hint, he’d never have thought of this.

Helper was practically a genius!

Looking at the message thread, his eyes burned with excitement.

Of course, having a direction didn’t mean everything would fall into place.

For example, he still needed a platform, financial backing, and, most critically, a strong program concept.

But Ning Wenzhuo felt increasingly confident.

He trusted that Helper already had answers to these questions.

Sure enough, after he sent his follow-up question, a quick reply came back.

—[Boy Group Training Camp]

In Helper’s characteristic style, it was concise but packed with meaning.

This time, Ning Wenzhuo’s confidence remained steady as he analyzed it.

Everyone knew [Boy Group Training Camp] was co-produced by Xingyao Media and Tiancorp Video, backed by none other than the Wen Group—a corporate giant.

This immediately addressed the first two issues he’d raised: the platform and financial backing.

Could there be any stronger backing than Wen Group?

With Wen Group’s support, even if Ning Tianyou eventually suspected something, he wouldn’t dare make any rash moves.

As for the third issue…

Ning Wenzhuo decided to watch the entire current season of [Boy Group Training Camp], and in doing so, he suddenly saw things more clearly.

Fairness.

That was the core theme running through this season of [Boy Group Training Camp] from start to finish.

Even with the scandals involving Jiang Mo and Ji Yiwei, public opinion about this season of [Boy Group Training Camp] remained overwhelmingly positive.

Almost every platform hailed it as the best season of any talent show to date.

Major sites, like Dou-X, even gave it ratings above 9.

Typically, the first season of a reality show garners the highest ratings, and they gradually decline from there.

Yet, this season of [Boy Group Training Camp] had not only started strong but actually soared beyond all expectations, scoring an entire point higher than the previous season—something truly astonishing.

And all of this could be attributed to one simple yet challenging principle: fairness.

This was the key that Helper had been trying to convey to him.

Upon realizing this, Ning Wenzhuo felt both pleased with himself for understanding Helper’s intent and a bit ashamed.

A memory of his childhood suddenly surfaced. Back then, his parents would occasionally take him to the set, and he remembered how their eyes sparkled when they talked about the films and dramas they worked on.

They told him that their work was to create better shows with genuine passion and top-quality production to captivate the audience.

He had been so proud of them and had once aspired to do the same.

But over the years, in his quest for revenge and to topple Ning Tianyou, he had become increasingly lost.

His thoughts revolved solely around gain and loss, with no consideration for the program’s actual audience.

He was slowly turning into someone like Ning Tianyou.

Helper’s words seemed to part the fog that had clouded his mind, pulling him back from the murky current of ambition and greed.

Suddenly, he was no longer confused. The anxiety and impatience within him dissipated, leaving him calm and grounded.

He no longer weighed the potential pros and cons of this endeavor.

Instead, he thought carefully about how to make the show the best it could be.

*

At the dress rehearsal for the [Boy Group Training Camp] finale, Gu Xingshi watched Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin’s run-through, feeling immensely satisfied as he left the studio. Right outside, he encountered a sighing Yin Hefeng.

Gu Xingshi asked curiously, “Brother Yin, what’s the matter? Did something go wrong with Yuan Ye’s rehearsal?”

“No, it went well,” Yin Hefeng replied, but his face remained troubled.

“Then is it the fan vote results? It shouldn’t be, right? Last I checked, he was ranking pretty high—there’s no doubt he’ll debut in a strong position.”

Yin Hefeng sighed, “It’s not that, either… I’ll be honest, I’m not worried about the finals—I’m worried about what happens after the debut.”

Gu Xingshi was puzzled. “What kind of issues could there be after the debut?”

Yin Hefeng cast an envious glance at him. “Both Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin are extremely good-looking; Meng can act, Cheng has a knack for variety shows, and on top of that, Meng composes music. They’ll have more opportunities than they can handle, so of course, you wouldn’t worry about them. But Yuan Ye… he’s a pure talent. Apart from the stage, there’s almost nowhere else for him to shine.”

“And you know how limited the stages are for performance artists in this industry. I’m genuinely afraid he’ll debut only to face a dead end.”

Gu Xingshi fell silent.

The more he learned about the idol industry, the more he understood Yin Hefeng’s concerns.

It wasn’t just Yuan Ye who faced this predicament.

Even Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin felt it to some degree.

They were truly passionate about the stage.

Seeing their dedication, there was no doubt they loved performing.

Acting and variety shows were just fallback options.

The only place where they truly shone was on the stage.

Gu Xingshi glanced at Meng and Cheng, who were now off-stage, discussing eagerly how to improve their performance, and felt an ache in his chest.

“If only there were a dedicated stage for performance artists,” Yin Hefeng murmured wistfully.

This remark caught the attention of Sun Hongfei, who happened to be strolling by.

Previously, he would have simply joined Yin Hefeng in sighing.

But now, with recent insider knowledge, he straightened up proudly.

He’d just learned that Tiancorp Video was planning to launch a new music performance show.

This was a long-term plan, and it was originally Wen Yue’s idea.

Wen Yue had always been a visionary, looking far beyond the immediate future.

Before even the first season of [Boy Group Training Camp], he had already envisioned this—a crucial step in building Wen Group’s entertainment portfolio.

No wonder Wen Yue, despite his busy schedule, paid such close attention to what seemed like a small talent show.

This show should have been launched much earlier, and several production teams at Xingyao Media were vying to take it on.

But Wen Yue’s vision extended far beyond this one show.

He saw the whole idol industry.

What he wanted wasn’t just a single win but to grow the entire market.

From the start, he hadn’t wanted his own company to both produce and judge the talent, so he’d planned to bring in a third-party company.

Unfortunately, until now, they hadn’t found the right fit.

Most proposals either lacked creativity, blindly copying foreign formats, or were wildly impractical, with no regard for the market or audience.

So the project had been delayed—until recently, when someone finally took on the challenge.

According to his supervisor, Sun Hongfei might soon be transferred to the Tiancorp Video Partnerships Department, with this show likely as his first project.

With a promotion on the horizon, Sun Hongfei could hardly contain his excitement.

However, his supervisor didn’t know much of the finer details; the only people likely privy to all the specifics were Wen Yue and Tiancorp’s CEO.

Sun didn’t dare ask the CEO directly, so after some thought, he came up with a better plan—Gu Xingshi.

As Wen Yue’s closest companion, Gu Xingshi surely knew more than most.

As he approached, both Gu Xingshi and Yin Hefeng looked surprised to see him.

After exchanging some pleasantries, just as Sun Hongfei was about to broach the topic, Gu Xingshi’s phone chimed. “Sorry, let me check this message real quick.”

Sun Hongfei nearly choked on his words.

But in the next second, he saw Gu Xingshi light up with excitement. “Brother Yin, I just got word—there’s going to be a new music performance show, and it’ll be a weekly broadcast. You won’t have to worry about stage opportunities anymore!”

Yin Hefeng’s eyes widened. “Really?!”

Sun Hongfei thought to himself, As expected.

He cleared his throat and calmly prepared to take center stage. “About this show, I…”

But before he could finish, he was elbowed aside by a visibly thrilled Yin Hefeng.

Grasping Gu Xingshi’s hand, Yin was almost incoherent. “Brother Gu, is this really confirmed? I… I’m not doubting you, but this is such a big deal, I just…”

Gu Xingshi completely understood his excitement and patted him reassuringly on the shoulder. “Absolutely confirmed. A good friend of mine told me…”

Standing nearby, Sun Hongfei wore an expression of smug satisfaction.

Of course, it was true—Wen himself had confirmed it! But for Gu Xingshi to call his partner a “good friend”… wow, that’s a level of pure-heartedness.

With a sigh of relief, Yin Hefeng said, “This is incredible news! But, Brother Gu, to think you have such well-connected friends—you must know all the industry news way ahead of time. Here I am, constantly trying to impress you with insider info… How embarrassing…”

“Oh, not at all!” Gu Xingshi looked startled.

Yin Hefeng was, after all, one of his primary sources of intel. If he stopped sharing information, Gu Xingshi would be in a bind.

Hurriedly, he clarified, “Actually, I haven’t known him for that long, and we’re not ‘that’ close…”

Trying to distance himself! He’s actually trying to downplay it!

Sun Hongfei fought hard to keep from grinning.

Ah, as the only one who knew the truth, it was torture to stay silent in moments like these.

But then, he started to sense something off.

Unable to hold back, he asked, “So, uh, what’s your friend’s name, Mr. Gu?”

Gu Xingshi saw no need to keep it secret and replied casually, “His name’s Ning Wenzhuo—he’s actually the producer for this new show.”

Sun Hongfei: “!!!”

Wait, what?!

Who is this Ning Wenzhuo, and where did he come from?!

Could someone be trying to edge in on Wen Yue’s turf?!