Chapter 25

You hadn't finished writing? Then how could you have the nerve to slack off?

Zhou Jingcheng had been stabbed in the back by one of his own artists in a major way. This couldn't be resolved with a few suggestion letters.

At the meeting, he listened to the legal team and PR department discuss their response strategy for the public backlash, then suddenly stopped twirling his pen.

The pen tip was sharp, as if a light stroke could draw blood.

His eyes, which always seemed to carry a faint smile when looking at people, lowered slightly as he glanced at the phone screen still open to the chat list.

"No rush," he said with a smile. "Young Master Shi said he'd help me handle it. Let's wait."

The elites: Huh? Who?

Boss, did you mean that Young Master Shi who sent you, President Shi, and Mr. Shen to the trending searches one after another and thoroughly humiliated all of you?

Weren't we taking the high-end corporate warfare route today?

Shi Jihan put down his phone and asked 000, [What's that celebrity's schedule lately?]

000 searched online. [He's recently filming a livestream reality show set in the countryside, experiencing rural life.]

Universe wanted to upgrade Pei Mingxuan's image, making him more famous and more specialized. The rural reality show was merely a stepping stone, making it easier for him to endorse agricultural products or related charities and cooperate with the government more in the future.

Unfortunately, Pei Mingxuan couldn't grasp that. He felt like he had simply come here to suffer and was practically dying from exhaustion filming the reality show.

Shi Jihan stroked his chin. "A rural reality show..."

000 watched as he closed and opened his eyes, already coming up with another new idea and picking up a pen to start sketching designs.

It hurriedly stopped him. [Host, wake up! You're a vicious cannon-fodder villain! Helping the protagonist group costs extra.]

[I'm not helping them.] Shi Jihan reread the posted mission. ['While lowering the quality of Shen Qinghuai's formalwear and getting it mocked across the internet, completely devalue the artist under Zhou Jingcheng's company.' That's my mission, right? Don't worry. I can definitely complete it.]

000 wasn't very reassured. Ever since the day they had bonded, it had felt as though something had been wrong.

Otherwise, every mission had been completed, so why had the plot gone completely off the rails?

How strange. It couldn't figure it out.

Shi Jihan flipped through the mission page, pointed at the mission objective related to Zhou Jingcheng, and asked, [I should be asking you instead. Zhou Jingcheng doesn't seem to care much about this cash cow. Why does he count as a mission objective?]

000 was stunned by the question. [But if he loses this artist, his company's income will decrease.]

[But he doesn't care whether it decreases or not. He actually seems pretty eager to lose this artist.]

000 became even more confused, its CPU directly overloading. [But, but... the income will still decrease!]

Shi Jihan felt pity for it and patted its eggshell. [System, promise me you'll get your brain checked when you have time.]

000 refused to accept that. [Nonsense! I'm very smart!]

While perfunctorily nodding along with "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm," Shi Jihan sought out pattern maker Yan Bo. "Come on, I've got a task for you."

Yan Bo immediately had a bad feeling. "Why do you have another new idea, Young Master Shi?"

Shi Jihan said solemnly, "Because my ideas are like cockroaches. Once you see a few out in the open, it means there are already many more lurking in the dark."

Yan Bo, who was drinking Kangfuxin Liquid: "..."

Fuck, he could picture it.

Shi Jihan handed him his latest idea. "This time, our theme is 'Countryside Stage, Come on Over if You've Got Love.'"

"We're doing a livestream this time. Alter the cuts of these clothes, and give me some suggestions while you're at it."

After reading Shi Jihan's latest masterpiece, Yan Bo set down his medicine bottle with trembling hands and asked sincerely, "Young Master Shi, can I swear?"

Shi Jihan answered sternly, "No. Civilized company, civilized you, civilized me, civilized everyone."

Yan Bo said, "Oh. Then I have no suggestions."

Shi Jihan: .

Shi Jihan sadly laid an egg for him.

Someone didn't understand his art. QAQ

He left this place of sorrow and turned around to contact the reality show's director. His first sentence was, "Director, does your team need investment?"

The bill would go on his brother's tab.

The public backlash caused by Pei Mingxuan had reached a fever pitch. Some fans had been hating Zhou Jingcheng for years, their hatred lasting longer than love, and continued insulting him. But even more of them attacked Shi Corporation's new product line, focusing especially on Shi Jihan's clothing designs.

[Does Shi Corporation know our brother's commercial value? He's a sexy male god and the king of hot singles, okay?]

[It doesn't matter if you don't work with us. There are plenty of CEOs lining up to lick his feet.]

The netizens collectively went blegh, blegh, blegh, thinking they must have woken up too violently. Was foot-fetish fiction invading the entertainment industry now?

They didn't jump in or participate. They merely watched the show.

[Oh my god, someone's gone crazy. They actually dared to provoke Shi Jihan.]

[Kid, go home. You're still young. You can live for many more years.]

Someone was unconvinced. [What's the big deal? Is he some untouchable big shot?]

[No idea whether he's important, but anyone who crosses him dies very thoroughly.]

[For the consequences, see #Special Thanks to Zhou Jingcheng and #Shi Bochuan and Shen Qinghuai Fanfiction. Here, the victims have been listed for you.]

[Fuck, how terrifying!]

At this critical moment, Shi Jihan, now an even bigger sugar daddy than before, arrived at the rural reality show's filming location.

The moment the director saw him, he immediately came over warmly to greet him. "Mr. Shi, you're finally here. We've arranged everything according to your ideas. We've been waiting for you."

Shi Jihan became interested. "Really? Let me take a look."

A stage had been erected in the large square where people in the village danced, with a festive red banner behind it reading: Countryside Stage, Come on Over if You've Got Love.

Shi Jihan inspected the Northeastern floral padded jackets Yan Bo had rushed to make overnight out of curtain fabric, then nodded in satisfaction.

Very good.

Pei Mingxuan, you'd better be so hot tonight that you die from it.

Chapter 25

As the biggest star in the entire reality show, Pei Mingxuan had his own private dressing room.

At that moment, he was enjoying the air conditioning and sipping an iced drink.

The makeup artist said, "Teacher Pei, switch eyes."

Pei Mingxuan went from opening only his left eye to opening only his right. With that one eye, he happily surveyed the latest activity on social media.

Not bad. His name was still hanging near the top of the trending searches, and the traffic was terrifyingly huge. It would definitely intimidate Zhou Jingcheng and let him know he wasn't someone easy to push around.

He also hoped President Wang would be satisfied with his pledge of loyalty. They couldn't shortchange him on the contract they had agreed upon.

Pei Mingxuan imagined himself after terminating his contract, taking the enormous penalty payment from Zhou Jingcheng and first sunbathing on the west coast of the United States before heading to Australia to see kangaroos.

Ah, life.

So close, so beautiful.

As for the other trending topic, #ShiJihanSayYoureNotACoward, it was full of people calling for Shi Jihan to fight back. Pei Mingxuan laughed as soon as he saw it.

He had his assistant investigate. Shi Jihan was merely the younger brother of a corporate president. If he had been the president's son, there might have been something intimidating about him—after all, he would still be an heir. But as things stood, he was just a brother living off his older brother. Nothing worth caring about.

The temporarily added performance tonight was more important.

He had no idea where the director had found the budget for it, but wherever there was a stage was a chance for him to gain fans.

Pei Mingxuan ran one hand through his hair, so immersed in admiring himself that he had no idea what was going on in the world.

He called for his assistant. "Kian, where's the performance outfit I'm wearing on stage? Bring it over so I can change."

He had specifically borrowed that outfit after hearing there would be a stage. It would make him look sexy and handsome. Mm, and he would add some heavy breathing during the ending shot. It would definitely be incredibly alluring.

What? Whether the elderly villagers in the audience could understand it?

What did that have to do with him?

After he called for a while, his assistant finally entered hesitantly. "Teacher Pei, I begged for a long time, but the director just wouldn't budge. He said the outfits had all been arranged and couldn't be changed. He told you to go change in the fitting room after your makeup was done."

Pei Mingxuan was displeased. "Didn't you make it clear to the director? Once my stage performance airs, does he really need to worry about his show not getting views?"

The assistant said, "But the director said your outfit is the most special one. It's specially customized and completely different from everyone else's."

"Now that's more like it." After finishing his makeup, Pei Mingxuan stood and headed toward the fitting room with a delighted expression.

In the fitting room, Shi Jihan was wearing sunglasses and standing on a half-meter-high stool, acting as a stagehand.

He broadcast through a large loudspeaker, "The purpose of arranging this show today is to give the uncles and aunties some entertainment after their farm work, something fun to watch, and some emotional value. Does everyone understand?"

The staff below and the other artists raised their arms and shouted, "Understood!"

The netizens who had just entered the livestream were confused.

[??? Shi Jihan, don't think I won't recognize you just because you're wearing sunglasses.]

[Third brother, we've finally found you! Did you see the trending searches? Hurry up and say you're not a coward!]

[Wearing sunglasses at night? Don't mistake a roadside trash can for a puppy and start making kissy noises at it.]

[This guy's here? Is it because of a certain top star? Hahahahaha.]

[Now that you mention it, it really is possible! Suddenly looking forward to this.]

[Has someone finally come to put that guy Pei Mingxuan, who acts like a huge shot despite being a nobody, in his place?]

Over a hundred comments erupted like a flood. Even Pei Mingxuan's fans, still trying to control the comments, were confused. They had no idea where this guy had come from or why he had so many spontaneous supporters.

Shi Jihan was extremely satisfied with everyone's reaction. He pushed up the sunglasses on his nose. "Very good. You've got passion. Now split into groups and get to work!"

Working donkeys, charge!

"Who are you?" someone called from behind him.

Shi Jihan looked down at the person on the ground, lowering his sunglasses. Oh-ho, the hot dance king had made his entrance.

He jumped off the stool at once, grabbed Pei Mingxuan's hand, and shook it vigorously. "Hello, hello. I've heard so much about you."

Pei Mingxuan's shoulder hurt from being shaken. Completely baffled, he asked, "Are you a new stagehand? Where's my customized performance outfit?"

[No, he isn't—! Brother, run!]

That was a Pei fan who had just been informed.

[A new stagehand? No, he's your new nightmare.]

That was a gossip-loving netizen watching the spectacle.