Chapter 21

Junior Feng was shocked and naturally refused to let the matter rest. He mobilized his team to dig for information through the night, determined to find out exactly who this person was. He had never even heard of someone named Xia Wansheng before.

"Boss, our promotional campaign is about to start. What do we do if we can't find a suitable candidate?" his subordinates asked, deeply anxious. A few days ago, Junior Feng had boasted that he would go out and find someone for the promotion, telling them to rest easy. Now, with the person nowhere to be seen and the prime promotional window closing, everyone was frantic.

"Start the standard promotion for now. I'll figure out the rest," Junior Feng said, projecting confidence while actually being in a desperate bind. The current economic climate was poor, and the usual deceptive marketing tactics weren't working. He had originally planned to pick a few talented newcomers from a partner's entertainment agency, but once he saw them, he realized it would ruin his reputation. Though Junior Feng loved money, he had some genuine professional standards and couldn't settle for mediocre candidates.

Hitting a wall everywhere was not a solution. His subordinates had tentatively sent invitations to well-known young artists in the industry, only to be told that they wouldn't take jobs for less than a million. The company could grit its teeth and pay the million, but Junior Feng was stubborn; he didn't want to throw money away. If he had to spend it, he’d rather give it to his senior, which might at least build some goodwill.

As days passed, Xia Wansheng arrived at Old Master Feng’s home one day to find the two men sitting across from each other, sipping tea. The man opposite the old master was none other than Junior Feng. Xia Wansheng initially considered slipping away, but Old Master Feng seemed to be in a good mood today and signaled for him to sit and listen. Xia was familiar with that expression; it was the look he wore whenever he wanted to share some gossip.

Junior Feng, usually sharp and abrasive, now looked humble, adopting the attitude of someone begging for a favor. "Senior, we didn't have these conditions when we were studying. Now everything is modernized with technology..." Junior Feng was trying to use nostalgia to rekindle their old camaraderie. After his previous failures, he realized that only Xia Wansheng could take on this contract. Plus, he had a million-dollar offer in hand. Xia Wansheng was just a newcomer; how could he refuse such a high price?

Old Master Feng signaled for Xia Wansheng to decide for himself. While he still looked down on his junior’s methods, the opportunity for exposure and the one million in cash were real, and he didn't want to be generous with someone else’s potential gain. Internally, he had already concluded that Xia would likely agree. The boy’s frugal habits were evident, and he clearly hadn't had an easy life. This bonus would be like charcoal in the snow.

Xia Wansheng listened as Junior Feng spun a flowery tale, only perking up his ears when the amount was mentioned. *Oh, a million.* Converting that at a 1/10,000 ratio, it was only a hundred yuan. Xia felt even less interested. After all, this man hadn't shown him any respect initially and was only fawning over him now that he knew his worth. It reminded him of his two-faced colleagues from before. Xia looked at Old Master Feng, who had begun to pretend to be asleep, clearly indicating he wouldn't interfere. It seemed the decision was his to make.

"I have no interest in this," Xia Wansheng said, refusing point-blank. To other minor celebrities, a million would be a sky-high price, but to him, it was just a hundred yuan—hardly worth the effort.

Hearing this, Old Master Feng opened his eyes in surprise, his estimation of Xia Wansheng rising yet again. It was rare to see someone hold their ground in the face of such temptation. This child was destined for greatness.

"This... we can increase the amount!" Junior Feng, assuming Xia felt the pay was too low, quickly insisted that the budget was no issue as long as Xia agreed. If Xia didn't budge, he would have no choice but to find a talentless newcomer from an agency, which would surely ruin his reputation. But no matter how much he raised the offer, Xia Wansheng remained uninterested.

Seeing that Junior Feng was truly desperate, Xia Wansheng suddenly remembered a character in the corner of the plot: the original host's friend, Lu Mingxi, who was quite talented.

"I actually have a suitable candidate," Xia Wansheng said. Lu Mingxi was a friend from the original host's early days. They had promised to make it big together, but after struggling for a long time as nobodies, Lu had given up to go home and run a small shop to save money. Before leaving, under the original host's influence, Lu had exhausted his connections and remaining funds to help the host, with the host promising to help him once he made it. Lu was talented but came from a modest background. Later, as the host became famous, he never once thought to promote his friend; instead, he continued to play the victim and likely swindled more money from him. Now was a perfect chance to repay that debt.

Junior Feng hadn't expected that even though Xia Wansheng refused the invitation, he would still point him toward a path out of his predicament. He naturally assumed his senior had calculated this move all along, and full of awe, he thanked him profusely, promising to treat him to a meal next time.

The master and disciple were left smiling, saying nothing. Old Master Feng thought to himself that he hadn't misjudged the boy. Despite his own hardships, Xia Wansheng still thought of his friend first when an opportunity arose. He was truly indifferent to fame and wealth, firm in character, and unmoved by large sums of money.

"Is that program starting production soon?" Old Master Feng asked.

"Yes, preparations are underway, and I'll be joining the crew in a few days," Xia Wansheng replied. It was almost time to hand in his report. The program’s launch was vastly different from previous ones, with internet interest and onlooker numbers multiplying. The head director was thrilled; he had worried about investment issues, but now he realized that targeting one small celebrity could generate so much buzz. It was a bargain.

"How did that invitation I told you to send go?" the director asked, waving his assistant over. They had leaked the details to Yu Congyan in advance. Since the investor had this demand, they would do whatever it took to fulfill it. Malicious editing and petty tricks were easy ways to blacken someone’s name on a show.

"Manager Yu replied that he will come in person and intends to stay for a few days," the assistant answered. This reply was beyond their expectations. Everyone knew the CEO was busy, and one usually had to book an appointment half a month in advance just to see him, yet he was carving out a large chunk of time to visit the set.

The people at Yu Group were equally confused. "Young Manager Yu, we are in the middle of a project’s wrap-up phase. Is it really appropriate for you to leave for so long?" an old shareholder asked sarcastically. This shareholder had followed Yu’s father since the early days and was only staying because his own descendants were incompetent. He had always disliked these young masters. He had expected Yu Congyan to be more reliable, but it turned out he was just like the others—neglecting his career for some small celebrity!

"I recall that your previous projects didn't even make it to the wrap-up phase," Yu Congyan replied, showing no mercy. The shareholder’s judgment had long since faded, and he relied on his past contributions to interfere with current projects, most of which ended in failure. Yu saw no need to waste words on him.

"You’ve grown wings, haven't you? A mere brat daring to challenge me!" the old man fumed, only calming down after being led away by others. But he was still furious; he had been planning to retire, but he couldn't swallow this insult. His face darkened. If the Yu family was going to be heartless, he would be the same.

***

Because this business trip would be long, Yu Congyan had to hand over work to his subordinates, so he was late getting home. Xia Wansheng was on the balcony on the phone. It was an unknown number, and after answering, he realized it was Lu Mingxi. It seemed Lu already knew about the recommendation.

"I wanted to thank you the moment I heard," Lu Mingxi said, his voice bright. He hadn't heard from the original host for so long and had assumed their past friendship was just a gimmick. In the early days, Lu had tried to call, but the host had changed his number. He had thought there would never be any follow-up, but he never expected Xia Wansheng to remember him. "I knew I hadn't misjudged you back then!" Lu said with relief. Some classmates had mocked him, saying they could see the host’s poor character and that he wouldn't care if Lu lived or died. He couldn't wait to see what they said now! "I plan to go to City A for a business trip soon. We must get together!"

"Sure, see you then," Xia Wansheng agreed. He wondered if he would even be around by then. He remembered that the original book never mentioned Lu Mingxi’s ending; he likely lived a mundane life in his hometown. He hadn't called his old friend since they parted ways. This turned out to be a good outcome.

Xia hung up and stood, realizing he had absentmindedly plucked off all the withered leaves of his succulent while talking. Good thing the call ended, or the healthy ones might not have survived. He turned to see Yu Congyan sitting on the sofa, looking at a tablet filled with colorful rate curves that made Xia’s head ache just looking at them. However, since he was heading to the set tomorrow for a paid vacation, he needed to give Yu a heads-up.

Xia walked over, sat at a comfortable distance, and adjusted his expression to one of reluctance and anticipation. "I'm joining the crew tomorrow, and we won't see each other for a long time. Could you come to see me off?" He pinched his palm, trying to summon tears, but the joy of an impending break was too overwhelming; he couldn't manage a single tear. He simply lowered his eyes, his lashes trembling. It was as if he were waiting for a promise that would only lead to disappointment. He decided he would sit for one more minute, then pretend to be dejected and leave.

Yu Congyan put down his tablet, preparing to speak. "No, I will—"

But he was too slow. The minute had passed. "I understand," Xia Wansheng interrupted, his voice filled with perfectly cultivated disappointment. He offered a faint, bitter smile. "I'm going to my room." He stood and walked away, deliberately steering clear of Yu Congyan.

"Wait!" Yu Congyan finally snapped out of it, having nearly misread his own data. He knew Xia must have misunderstood something, but that was followed by self-reflection. How had he never noticed anything wrong before? It took Xia Wansheng being exhausted and unwilling to act anymore for him to glimpse the hidden caution beneath the broken performance.

Yu Congyan stepped forward and stood directly in front of the bewildered Xia Wansheng. "I will be going with you tomorrow, so there is no need to see you off."

Although he couldn't resolve all the misunderstandings at once, he couldn't allow any new ones to form. But strangely, upon hearing this, the person in front of him didn't show the expected joy; the light in his eyes dimmed.

"The accommodation there is not very good; it might be inconvenient for you to adapt," Xia Wansheng said slowly, as if making a final stand. He had thought that once he joined the crew, he wouldn't have to play the 'White Moonlight' every day and could finally enjoy hotpot and games, but now 'Yu Aotian' was coming with him?! This was unacceptable. Was a business trip with the boss still a paid vacation? No, that was just overtime.

"The assistant will make the arrangements." Yu Congyan had already looked into it, but he was surprised that Xia cared about such things. Nominally, he was there to supervise, but this was also a great opportunity to escape the group’s surveillance and develop his own career. Two birds with one stone—why not?