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What position were they supposed to use to hype this up?

Kuang Youfang nearly choked to death on the mouthful of blood stuck in his throat.

The head of the paid-comment army was still frantically sending messages to confirm.

Boss Duan of Yashen Internet Marketing: [Brother Fang, how is it? Which plan should we use?]

Kuang Youfang's face turned livid, but the money had already been spent, and there was no turning back. In the end, he could only grit his teeth and reply: [Use the first plan for now. Change some details and test the waters first. Don't rush it.]

Boss Duan of Yashen Internet Marketing: [OK]

Fortunately, their studio was experienced enough to swiftly adjust direction, preventing all the money they had spent from going entirely down the drain.

Even so, the results of this campaign fell far short of their initial expectations. Even with the nostalgia filter from ten years ago, it was difficult to truly stir up any buzz when most bystanders were not buying what they were selling.

The Somewhere Else with You production team and guests were still unaware of the online developments. They had all turned off their phones and begun a flight of more than ten hours to Country Y, the destination of this trip.

They arrived in Country Y at two in the afternoon local time. The climate was pleasant, though the air was slightly humid. Everyone cradled their removed coats in one arm while eagerly pulling out their phones.

The moment Xie Ran turned on his phone, Meng Feixuan's voice came through the Bluetooth earbud disguised as an earring on one side of his ear, immediately tattling.

"Sir, while your phone was off, I detected a large number of paid commenters posting information about you and Fang Huiwang across various platforms. Although they were very discreet, I still used my advanced data-mining system to determine that their goal was to hype up a CP between you and Fang Huiwang. How shameless!" Meng Feixuan said solemnly.

Xie Ran: "..."

Meng Feixuan's algorithmic system had been the most advanced system in his original world. In this world, it was even more unmatched—absolutely at a national level.

And such a system was now being used to analyze entertainment industry gossip.

It seemed this entertainment industry would have no privacy left.

Xie Ran remained expressionless. "The results?"

"Hehehe." Meng Feixuan instantly became gleeful at others' misfortune. Somehow, he had even learned how to give a sinister chuckle. "Wait, I'll read them to you."

"After ten years, this Wangran girl has fallen into self-doubt for the first time. I've been looking forward to the livestream ever since Somewhere Else with You announced the lineup, but the instant I saw the two of them in the same frame, I was confused. Their current vibe is completely different from ten years ago, even different from when they shared a stage on New Year's Eve. Xiao Ran seems to have already moved on."

"I came specifically to watch the livestream after getting sold on fan edits on D-Station, ummm, what kind of false advertising is this? It's completely different from the edits!"

"Anyone saying they've moved on should stop calling themselves Wangran Girls. Didn't you see how familiar Brother Wang was with Xiao Ran's home? They obviously kept in touch all along. And Brother Wang still cares about Xiao Ran so much. I think it's sweet enough to explode, okay? I'm hooked!"

"How is this moving on? It's clearly that the gap between them has widened! I have to say, CP chemistry is such a mysterious thing. Wangran really was sweet ten years ago, and Fang Huiwang doesn't seem to have changed much now, but Xie Ran has clearly reached an entirely different level from him."

"Fans of a washed-up nobody are taking the chance to brag again. Your Brother Wang's popularity crushes that flop. Stop trying to elevate yourselves." After reading this, Meng Feixuan gave an "Eh?" and seemed utterly baffled. "This was actually posted by an active account. Shocking. Blind people can surf the internet too!"

"..." Xie Ran fell silent for a moment before asking, "How did you become so gossipy?"

"I'm bored." Meng Feixuan was perfectly justified. "With the amount of data in the entertainment industry, I can run two million calculations a minute."

His tone gradually became more gossipy. "Oh, right. I also analyzed quite a few celebrities' secrets. Do you want to hear them?"

"No." Xie Ran rejected him decisively.

"Sir's curiosity is too low. That is not conducive to your understanding of complex interpersonal emotions," Meng Feixuan advised seriously. "Besides, I've already prepared an entertainment industry report..."

Xie Ran: "..." So that was the real reason.

At that moment, the production team had already begun filming. The team leader clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention and said, "Hello, everyone. We have now arrived in the capital of Country Y. You will be spending the next week here together. Now, according to our rules, please hand in your phones first."

The guests immediately let out wails, complaining half-heartedly in front of the cameras. "A whole week without phones? That's too hard!"

"Can't we keep them? My phone is my life!"

"How are we supposed to live like this?"

Amid the howling, Xie Ran stepped forward without hesitation, efficiently shut off his phone, and handed it over. On closer inspection, he even seemed faintly eager.

Everyone else: "..."

He did not need to cooperate quite so enthusiastically, did he?

The team leader praised him. "Look at Xiao Ran's awareness. Everyone should learn from him."

They had only been putting on a show to begin with. Seeing this, they were too embarrassed to keep complaining. After muttering a couple more half-serious remarks, they handed over their phones.

After handing in his phone, Fang Huiwang walked over to Xie Ran's side, his gaze tender. "Xiao Ran hasn't changed at all. You're still as well-behaved and proper as before."

Xie Ran glanced at him and spat out a single cryptic word. "Noisy."

Fang Huiwang: "...?" Was Xie Ran calling him noisy? Did that count as noisy?

If the cameras had not still been filming, his expression probably would have fallen apart on the spot.

Xie Ran had no idea that his words had inadvertently caused Fang Huiwang psychological damage. With his earbud finally quiet, he felt refreshed and clear-headed.

But he had barely relaxed for half a minute before Meng Feixuan's voice rang out again. "This production team is so inhumane. They actually took your phone away. Too much!"

Xie Ran pinched the bridge of his nose, his expression unchanged. "Why are you still here?"

"I'm an AI. Wherever there's internet, there's me!" Meng Feixuan said proudly. "Sir was smart. You wore a smartwatch this time. Don't worry, I'll stay by your side the whole time!"

Xie Ran: "...Mm."