Chapter 37

Even though anyone with eyes could see that the promotional song "Beyond the Frontier Star River" was leagues above "Star River Skiff," the latter's film had plenty of traffic stars behind it, so its box office presales still looked healthy for the time being.

The director was an old hand at marketing too. He was furiously posting on Weibo about how hard one of the traffic actors had worked, completing an underwater shoot despite running a fever of forty degrees Celsius, and so on.

Although any bystander with a working brain thought it sounded pretty fake, the fans were skilled at controlling the comments. The comment section was full of "Our gege is amazing," "We have to support him," and the like.

But while the fans could fool themselves, cold, hard numbers didn't lie.

In just three days, every demon and monster of a marketing campaign and every fan-controlled comment showed its true form before the presale box office figures.

Tiger Eye Box Office real-time data:

"Starship" real-time presale box office: 770,000 yuan.

《Phantom River》 real-time presale box office: 36.04 million yuan.

Even more outrageous, every time the page refreshed, the former's number ticked up by a fraction of a point, while the latter's jumped by dozens.

The gap kept growing!

Now, not only was the director too embarrassed to keep posting promotional material, even the fans didn't dare make a sound.

Boo-hoo, their gege had worked so hard on a film in which he was top-billed. How could its presales be under a million yuan?

The fan club had clearly told every fan to support the box office. Was their purchasing power really that low?

Just then, a major film review account came along to twist the knife.

"To be honest, the only people buying tickets for 'Starship' are fans and marketing accounts like us who want to see a joke. All that lovey-dovey stuff isn't worth mentioning next to the grand scope of 《Phantom River》. You've got absolutely no appeal to the general public!"

The fans could only think, Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Everyone knows what's going on. Why did you have to say it and make us look so dumb?

The audience, however, was jubilant.

At long last, the domestic entertainment industry had a production that couldn't take off even with fan marketing. More, more!

Dorm 404 at Starlight Entertainment.

Over the past few days, as the presale box office for 《Phantom River》 and the popularity of its promotional video climbed ever higher, the atmosphere among the four could only be described as full of treacherous winds and shifting clouds.

Qiao Huan and Ye Yiwei found it outrageous, but not too outrageous.

Although "Beyond the Frontier Star River" had become far more popular than they had expected, it had at least made Zhuo Yang and Bai Jike famous, which was a meritorious deed.

The two of them now had several times as many Weibo followers as Qiao Huan and Ye Yiwei!

Ever since their last performance at Azure Dragon Base, the audience for Yingge Dance had been growing steadily.

As the first to eat the crab, Zhuo Yang had also delivered a magnificent performance in "Beyond the Frontier Star River," so he naturally attracted even more attention.

Bai Jike, who had performed alongside Zhuo Yang, basked in some of that reflected glory. Besides, Xiao Bai was the only one of the four who had openly shown his face in the promotional video, so everyone could see how hard he was trying not to fall behind.

Fans loved hardworking, unaffected younger brothers like him most of all!

Most importantly, Qiao Huan and Ye Yiwei had been posting folklore facts and tagging the other two on Weibo nonstop. Even when they got up in the middle of the night, they didn't forget to send out a couple of posts. Their Anti-Hate Station had even started frantically reposting alongside the "idols themselves."

Zhuo Yang couldn't outpost the two of them and the Anti-Hate Station on his own, so he simply gave up. Bai Jike had even less idea what to post, and his Weibo remained completely empty to this day.

Many fans who wanted to follow Xiu Si had initially followed all four, but "Huanhuan's Road to Retirement" and "Yeye Without a Trace" annoyed them so much that, considering how close the four were, they decided to follow only "Zhuo Yangyang" and "White Geek." It was more peaceful that way.

And so, Bai Jike's follower count was now far ahead of the other three, with Zhuo Yang in second place. Qiao Huan and Ye Yiwei had successfully landed at the bottom.

On the night Bai Jike and Zhuo Yang's follower counts passed the million mark one after the other, Zhuo Yang looked at the public's response and said only that he was going to do some Square Dance to calm down.

Bai Jike also felt that he really couldn't make sense of the entertainment industry. He had clearly done nothing, yet had unexpectedly become a newly popular heartthrob. After some painful reflection, he decided to go chat with the children at Huixin again.

After the two left, Qiao Huan and Ye Yiwei silently high-fived.

The two undercover agents' first joint operation had ended in a resounding victory!

They had been planning to discuss their next moves when Jiang Renbao arrived with his mother, Ren Rong.

A far cry from her usual decisive, hard-driving businesswoman demeanor, Ren Rong carried bags upon bags of low-calorie snacks and, like an old mother, stuffed them straight into their hands.

"Really, thank you so much." Ren Rong wore the standard smile of a merchant who had fallen into a money bag. "I had some doubts about your abilities before, but now I'm ashamed! I shouldn't have questioned you. You have far more ideas than those so-called established boy groups!"

"Thank you, but it was all thanks to Zhuo Yang and Bai Jike," the two said. "They're the soul of this promotional song!"

"Such solidarity!" The more Ren Rong looked at the two before her, the more pleasing she found them. "Ah, you're such good kids. That's rare."

They were capable and modest, and their group spirit was still twisting steel bars together. If they didn't make it big, who would?

After the four chatted for a while, Qiao Huan finally got down to business.

Although he and Ye Yiwei knew a little about the entertainment industry, they weren't about to pass up a chance to consult a professional.

"Ms. Ren..."

"Just call me Sister Rong."

"All right, Sister Rong." Qiao Huan asked, "What do you think of the presale box office for Radiance Entertainment's 'Starship'?"

Ren Rong paused, not expecting him to ask that.

When artists suddenly shot to fame, it was already good enough if they didn't pop champagne and book out a venue for a party. Yet these two were actually trying to analyze their competitor's problems!

Was this... so they could avoid making mistakes in the future? They were so eager to improve!

Ren Rong smiled readily and shared everything she knew.

"Their film relied on marketing. Once they've squeezed the fans dry, that's about it if they don't have word of mouth and public approval. Audiences these days aren't fools either. People are less and less willing to accept poor-quality work. What made you ask?"

Qiao Huan said, "No particular reason. I just wanted to understand."

He was just checking for any strange operations.

Ren Rong looked at the young man before her and thought, He's far too modest.

Beside her, Jiang Renbao nodded like a bobblehead ornament in a car.

His mother truly was Country C's top female producer. He felt as though he were watching a female general see through the treacherous battlefield of capital while chatting and laughing!

No wonder she hadn't rushed Xiu Si to record songs at all. She had been plotting her strategy from her command tent!

"Then, Mom, may I ask if they'll make any other moves next?" Jiang Renbao looked utterly reverent. "So I can help Xiu Si guard against them."

That was exactly what Qiao Huan and Ye Yiwei wanted to ask too.

Ren Rong thought it over carefully.

"Probably not. They've used up almost all their publicity budget. As far as I know, three or four investors have performance bets on this project. From the looks of things, the total box office will be around thirty million yuan, nowhere near enough to break even."

"What are they going to do?" Softhearted Jiang Renbao said, "I almost feel sorry for Ms. Fan Hui."

"There's no need for that. Feeling sorry for capitalists and their helpers is the stupidest thing in the world." Ren Rong ruffled her son's hair. "It's only money. It comes and goes all the time. Besides, her company has a stake in it, and she personally owns only a tiny share. I'd guess her losses will be around ten million yuan at most."

Qiao Huan and Ye Yiwei exchanged an inconspicuous glance.

They hadn't expected that simply doing a good job recording a promotional song could cost someone else nearly ten million yuan.

Young and naive, Jiang Renbao suddenly felt afraid of the entire industry.

That was ten million yuan! How many vans could that buy?

He silently promised himself that he would support Xiu Si well and never give them a chance to lose that much money.

Ren Rong took in all three of their reactions and mentally dissed her son for looking so inexperienced.

Look at Qiao Huan and Ye Yiwei. They're the same age, so how are they so composed?

At a glance, they were the sort of people who could accomplish great things in the future.

"Of course, it's not as if they have no other options," Ren Rong added. "If it were me, I'd put out an announcement saying the release was postponed 'for technical reasons.' Their film does have a gimmick. As long as it isn't released, it can definitely still attract other investors. After diluting the shares again and again, they can bypass theaters entirely and release it on a streaming site, pump up the traffic, and produce some pretty figures. Then it won't look like they lost much."

"Oh, right," Ren Rong suddenly remembered. "Haven't things like VR been getting more and more popular lately? With so much messiness in reality, more young people like these virtual worlds. I heard a year ago that 'Dreamship' was originally supposed to be the first VR film, but I don't know why that never went ahead. Looking at it now, they might as well have made it in VR..."

A year ago?

That was right before the drinking party.

Ye Yiwei and Qiao Huan both grew alert and committed the information to memory.

Seeing how engrossed the two were, Ren Rong opened the floodgates and continued her analysis.

"Coming back to it, there are so many ways to break even in the film and television industry. For 'Dreamship,' the worst choice would be to release it as scheduled. If they do release it, that means either something's wrong with Fan Hui's brain, or... she wasn't doing it for the money in the first place."

After Jiang Renbao and his mother left, Qiao Huan and Ye Yiwei continued their discussion.

According to the professional analysis from Ren Rong, "Dreamship's" situation was simple now. They only had to watch Fan Hui's next move to guess the general motive behind her previous series of actions—

If she pulled the release, it was for money; if she didn't, it was for another reason.

But sure enough, she didn't pull it.

Hui'er: To all concerned, "Starship" will be released as scheduled. No distribution channels outside theaters will be considered. Best wishes.

She had even posted that on her Moments to demonstrate her resolve.

Qiao Huan and Ye Yiwei had only managed to add Fan Hui on WeChat through their connection with the executive director, and she had actually accepted.

And at a moment like this, when she was at the center of the storm in investment circles, she stubbornly chose to release it?

"I don't get it. Why release it anyway?" Ye Yiwei frowned. "Is she doing it out of spite?"

"Fan Hui is a well-known producer," Qiao Huan said. "She probably wouldn't do it just out of spite."

"But if they release it, Fan Hui will lose at least ten million yuan, won't she? Our department checked before. She doesn't have that much money anymore."

Qiao Huan thought for a moment. "Then she must have another way to earn..."

Before he finished speaking, Qiao Huan received a tip.

"She just booked a plane ticket to L City, U Country."

"L City, U Country?" Ye Yiwei was puzzled. "Isn't that where Ling Ji came back from? It's not even a tourist destination, so why is everyone going there? ...When is Fan Hui leaving?"

"In a week." As Qiao Huan spoke, he sent Qiao Tang a message. "I'll have my contact approach her. Since she isn't leaving immediately, she must be planning to make some moves."

"Friends," Jiang Ji said with a radiant smile, "it's time for us to make some new moves!"

The next day.

Qiao Huan and the other three had barely woken up when Jiang Ji suddenly burst into the dorm, giving them a huge fright.

Jiang Ji was carrying two tall stacks of folders in both hands, and he smelled of coffee all over. Who knew how much he had drunk...

Jiang Ji handed the files to the four of them.

"Take a look. These are all potential partners who came to us after watching 'Beyond the Frontier Star River'!"

Jiang Ji had clearly worked hard and meticulously, dividing the folders into two stacks, one red and one black.

Not wanting to let his work go to waste, the four hurriedly washed up and began studying them carefully.

The more they looked, the more frightening it became...

Hadn't everyone said the entertainment industry was in turmoil, practically in the depths of winter? How could there still be so much work?

The red stack contained well-known variety shows, including a widely popular sports challenge show and a family-friendly talk show. All of them were inviting the four to appear as guest stars for an episode, with fees of around a million yuan.

There were also endorsements, all for major foreign brands. They were probably looking to enter the Country C market and had taken an interest in their abilities in folk arts, hoping to collaborate.

There were ideas like demonstrating the comfort of a sports brand by performing Yingge Dance, or taking out throat lozenges after singing opera...

It was ridiculous.

"These collaborations would all generate a lot of buzz, and the pay is good too," Jiang Ji said. "I think you should continue along this route. You can promote traditional culture while also gaining commercial value. What do you think?"

All four frowned at once.

Their success this time had already exceeded their expectations, but fortunately it was mostly confined to fan circles. If they kept this up... wouldn't they become widely recognized first-tier stars by tomorrow?

Then, without a word, all four reached for the black stack.

A flicker of emotion welled up in Jiang Ji's heart.

He had also wanted to test what the four thought.

Sure enough, just as he had expected, they weren't willing to keep following one route and reaping the benefits. He could tell from their acceptance of a promotional song for a sci-fi production that they were all especially eager to challenge themselves!

Only when the four saw the black stack did they feel as though they had descended from the heavens and set foot on solid ground again.

Most of the proposals in this stack were endorsements, and they were all for obscure, long-established domestic brands. The pay was usually only a little over a hundred thousand yuan, and one apple merchant from a remote region was even willing to offer a lifetime supply of free apples as payment.

Qiao Huan pointed at one at random. "This one."

The other three: ?

Qiao Huan declared shamelessly, "I like apples."

"Oh..."

Zhuo Yang and Bai Jike each made a mental note: Qiao Huan liked apples.

Then they followed his example.

Zhuo Yang said, "I like... drinking tea."

Bai Jike said, "I like reading picture books."

Jiang Ji looked at their choices and found that they were all endorsement proposals from domestic manufacturers on the verge of going under, including but not limited to tea, Folk Costumes, and old domestic sports brands.

They had practically sorted them from lowest to highest fee.

Jiang Ji was puzzled at first, but after looking over them as a whole, he understood. None of these endorsements required them to show their faces!

In fact, it wasn't as though he couldn't see that many of the clients didn't match Xiu Si's style. They had offered collaborations now only because they wanted to use Xiu Si's popularity to get them to make their first public appearance.

Jiang Ji was suddenly filled with respect for the four.

Their determination to conceal their talents and bide their time, their ability to see through others' intentions at a glance... Those really weren't qualities artists who had just debuted should possess.

Thinking of the list in his inbox, as well as the uproar online recently over speculation about Xiu Si's true identities... even Jiang Ji was getting curious!

"Brother Jiang Ji," Qiao Huan asked after they settled on the endorsements, "will our choices put you in a difficult position? I mean, the company's KPIs..."

"Don't worry about it!" Jiang Ji said readily.

Since he had been able to present these proposals, he naturally had a complete plan to deal with it.

Xiu Si were all growing, and he needed to hurry to keep up.

"We'll pass the opportunities we don't take to Pei Dahai and the company's other agents. If they accept them, Ling Ji naturally won't have anything to say." Jiang Ji pushed up his glasses. "Also, I'd like to establish a fund, using just part of everyone's fees, or taking it all out of my commission, to support folk arts and culture. What do you think?"

The four were pleasantly surprised, but none of them dared laugh too loudly.

They had been worrying about what to do with all that money!

Although endorsement fees of a few hundred thousand yuan were nothing in the entertainment industry, the four of them, who had always held iron rice bowls—apart from Xiao Bai, who received 500,000 yuan from time to time—felt that this was far beyond their means.

But Qiao Huan still deliberately paused for a while and pretended to think long and hard before saying, "I'm willing to put all my fees into the fund. Just pay me a fixed salary at the minimum wage each month."

Ye Yiwei said, "Me too."

Bai Jike said, "Plus one."

Zhuo Yang said, "Me too, me too."

Jiang Ji: ...

He knew Xiu Si were good people, but he hadn't expected them to be this good.

They had even set his blood racing.

"Good!" Jiang Ji stood up. "I'll make sure this fund is a success!"

"Good."

"—But," Jiang Ji continued, changing tack, "you can't just take endorsement deals. You need to either go on tour or appear on a variety show. If none of the ones in front of you appeal, why not take a look at this? It just came my way, and I haven't filed it yet."

The four looked at the only document without a color and brightened.

"Brat Comes Home."

"The show has only filmed one episode, and two of the kids were so... uncooperative that they drove the guests away in anger. That's why they're looking for replacements, and the pay is very good," Jiang Ji said hesitantly. "But it's quite a contrast to the tougher image you've had up to now, so I wasn't really planning to take it. Still, it's up to you."

Qiao Huan was already tempted when he heard how different it was from their image. Once he got a clear look at the information on the "brat," he made a snap decision. "We'll take it!"

Ye Yiwei had evidently noticed it too and immediately chimed in. "I agree."

The brat's name was Constantine Fan, and his mother was none other than Fan Hui!

Jiang Ji felt much more reassured after learning the four's decision.

It seemed his Xiu Si weren't content with spreading traditional culture. They were turning their sights on one of the most headache-inducing social problems in the country: bratty kids!

Brat Comes Home was a show built around the contrast created by pairing celebrities with brats.

But unexpectedly, the Production Team had a discerning eye: two of the four brats in the first episode were so outrageously troublesome that they scared off the entertainers looking after them.

Those four entertainers had even made threats, demanding that the Production Team compensate them for their mental distress.

Xiao Feng, the director of the crew filming the Fan family's brat, felt as though he hadn't had a full night's sleep since taking the job.

He regretted it every day.

If he hadn't filmed City Escape into a flop, he wouldn't have been reduced to taking a C-tier variety show. A C-tier show would have been bad enough, but this one was also so torturous.

But when he saw the replacement guest, he felt the situation was so absurd that even pressing his philtrum couldn't save him—

Qiao Huan, who had cast countless shadows over him, was back!

Filming was taking place in an upscale community in City B.

Although City B bordered City A, its development had been less than ideal, and it had a large impoverished population.

A few years ago, City B developed the Platinum Coast resort by the sea, attracting many of City A's wealthy residents to buy homes for short stays. It was hailed as Country C's little Mediterranean and City A's back garden.

Platinum Coast was already home to many people in the entertainment industry. For convenience, the Production Team had found four brats whose parents all happened to live there.

Xiao Feng stood at the entrance to the resort, his heart full of apprehension.

Qiao Huan was somewhat popular now. Surely he wouldn't be as much of a salted fish as before?

But when Xiao Feng saw Qiao Huan's van slowly pull in, he knew he had been wrong before the window even rolled down.

Qiao Huan lived up to expectations, having fallen asleep in the car on the way over. When he got out, he found the sunlight glaring and surveyed his surroundings with his eyes slightly narrowed.

The sight brought Xiao Feng's heart to an immediate standstill.

But he still clung to a sliver of hope and ventured, "Hello, Mr. Qiao. Is it just you? We have two surrogate parents in each group."

Please, one would be fine, but don't let the other be one of X4.

Otherwise, it would be even harder to carry on with his script.

"Hello." Qiao Huan nodded politely. "There's another one, but he should be arriving a little later."

He had come straight over after filming the apple endorsement. Ye Yiwei should be there soon.

"Oh." Xiao Feng closed his eyes, feeling that his life was over. "Then let me give you a general introduction..."

Brat Comes Home was actually very simple. The Production Team had found children with "problems," and the script called for them to gradually untie the knots in their hearts with their celebrity surrogate parents by their side.

But that put the surrogate parents' patience and abilities to the test.

And the man in front of him and his teammates... from what Xiao Feng knew, they had found even filming a city variety show tiring. They had no patience at all.

"Mr. Qiao, Constantine's situation is rather unusual," Xiao Feng explained as they walked. "He grew up abroad and only came back recently, so he's already very resistant to the environment here." Not to mention how resistant he was to an entertainer like you, who had gained a little popularity by spreading folk arts.

But Qiao Huan didn't seem to pick up on the implication. He simply looked around and walked in silence.

They've really built this place well, Qiao Huan thought. The surroundings on the way here had been nothing but farmland and ponds, yet this community was like a developed country.

It would be strange if a child living here weren't resistant to the environment in the country.

"Besides, ordinary brats are troublesome in their own ways. Either they go three days without a beating and start tearing the roof tiles off, or they completely ignore their surrogate parents. But Constantine is the exact opposite. He has a particular need for other people's... attention."

"He's actually only eight, right at the age when people and dogs alike can't stand him, but his IQ tested at 140. You could say he's exceptionally clever, so his methods are much more mature than other children's..."

His methods weren't just mature; they were downright terrifying.

The child had a rather extreme desire for attention.

To keep his surrogate parents' eyes glued to him at all times, he would stop at nothing.

"Oh..." said Qiao Huan.

He had taken the variety show for no other reason than to get in touch with Constantine's mother, Fan Hui, and see whether he could find any clues in their house along the way.

As for the child, whether it was his possessiveness or his high IQ, he had already agreed with Ye Yiwei that Ye Yiwei would handle everything.

Now that was teamwork.

"So I hope you can be a little more lively. If you keep being a salted fish, the child might make you suffer terribly," Xiao Feng said, growing less confident as he went on. "And... I don't know how well you handle things psychologically, but Constantine can be rather inventive when it comes to attracting everyone's attention—Holy shit!"

Even though Xiao Feng had fully prepared himself mentally, he was stunned the instant he opened the door.

The floor and walls were covered in red **!

Constantine's scrawny little body lay in the middle of a "pool of blood"!

The cameraman following behind them also stumbled. The burly man, over 1.9 meters tall, went weak at the knees and nearly fell straight to the ground.

"Is this... a murder scene?"

This is fucking terrifying, isn't it?!

Qiao Huan, however, merely paused for a moment, without so much as lifting an eyelid.

A murder scene?

If it were real, that would be a little interesting.

Besides, it isn't.

"Ding Ding?" Qiao Huan walked around the "bloodstains" by the door and scooped Constantine up whole.

"This kid—doesn't he have an IQ of 140? Why is he sleeping on the floor like a fool? The floor is so hard. It isn't comfortable at all."

Constantine, who had created a "murder scene" and thought he could intimidate his new surrogate parent, only to be called Ding Ding: ???

Xiao Feng, who had nearly been scared into having a heart attack and dying on the spot, only to discover that Qiao Huan merely thought the child hadn't found a suitable place to sleep: ???

Hiss... So he really is a salted-fish big shot who's going to take these brats in hand.

Unfazed by the bizarre—truly terrifying!