Dream China (Please Vote!)

"No, I'm not selling porn DVDs. Hey, are you an extra? What's your name?"

The man looked to be in his thirties. Though he was a man, his long hair flowed around his shoulders, giving him a particularly sleazy look.

"Yeah, I'm an extra."

If he wasn't selling porn DVDs, he was probably a photographer.

People like that were usually broke.

And fond of booze and women.

They spent all day using art as an excuse to freeload and get laid.

They'd say they would pay you to model, then turn around and make you pay them to shoot you, promising they'd launch you to stardom.

"I'm Zhang Wenqi. We've created a variety show called Dream China, a talent competition for ordinary people, designed to find idols of our own..."

Zhang Wenqi couldn't take his eyes off Shen Qi.

By rights, with a major platform like the CCTV Finance Channel and the original team behind Very 6+1, they had no need to recruit people off the street.

But Shen Qi was ridiculously good-looking.

The moment Zhang Wenqi saw him, he could already picture how far Shen Qi might go.

"A talent show? Like Super Girl? Sorry, I can't sing."

Shen Qi wasn't particularly interested.

These competitions looked fair, but all kinds of dirty dealings went on behind the scenes. Once you were in, you lost control of your own life.

The contract penalties alone could bankrupt you.

And that was exactly what Shen Qi feared most.

There was no doubt they'd arrange for him to entertain wealthy women.

"Singing's only one factor. Shows these days are about stage presence and personality... This is a CCTV show. Surely you've heard of Li Yong!"

Zhang Wenqi was getting anxious.

If Shen Qi had agreed straightaway, Zhang Wenqi might have put on airs. Instead, Shen Qi had rejected him without a second thought.

It left him deeply frustrated.

He hadn't even gotten to most of his pitch yet, like CCTV or Li Yong and his wife...

At least let me finish the pitch!

"Not interested. Even if I don't have to sing, I'm not interested. I want to act!"

Shen Qi still refused.

So what if it was CCTV?

CCTV was even more overbearing. Chen Peisi had disappeared from the Spring Festival Gala.

What if one of CCTV's female hosts took a liking to him? How would that be any different from becoming a gigolo?

He couldn't help it. He'd been through a lot.

A touch of paranoia was hard to avoid.

"Let go. If you don't, I'm going to scream~"

Shen Qi couldn't exactly kick him, so he made the threat half-jokingly.

Zhang Wenqi let go with an embarrassed smile and watched helplessly as Shen Qi hopped onto the Route 375 Bus.

As the doors were about to close, Zhang Wenqi gritted his teeth and rushed aboard after him, like a debt collector who had finally caught up with someone dodging repayment.

"If you want to be an actor, you can still enter the competition. Build a name for yourself first, then go into acting. Wouldn't it be easier to land roles once you're popular?"

Zhang Wenqi squeezed over to Shen Qi and tried to reason with him.

"Look, I've already started acting. I really don't have time for a talent show. Please leave me alone."

Shen Qi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Talent scouts had approached him before, but never one this persistent. Had this guy switched careers from kidnapping people?

Seeing Zhang Wenqi follow him onto the bus, Shen Qi began to wonder if the man intended to trail him all the way to school.

And once they got there, would he follow him back to his dorm?

And into the dorm...

Fuck!

Persistent people were terrifying.

None of Shen Qi's reasons could convince Zhang Wenqi. He kept up his enthusiastic pitch. "Dream China is a joint production with Emperor Entertainment Group... You know Emperor Entertainment Group, right?"

"Of course I do."

Shen Qi couldn't bring himself to lie.

"If you place well and sign with Emperor Entertainment Group, you won't have to worry about getting work. You'll have your pick of opportunities on the mainland and in Hong Kong!"

Zhang Wenqi had no idea whether he'd convinced Shen Qi.

But he had certainly convinced himself.

With a face like Shen Qi's, who would even bother with Nicholas Tse?

Shen Qi had no choice but to pull out his trump card.

"Seriously?"

Zhang Wenqi couldn't believe it. He had clearly seen Shen Qi get off the extras' bus.

The scene had looked like migrant workers heading home.

"What would I gain by lying to you? If I needed the opportunity, I'd have gone with you already, wouldn't I?"

Shen Qi knew he looked shabby.

For someone who had landed an audition for a role like Yin Zhiping, having an agent and an assistant would have been perfectly reasonable.

Unfortunately, he was short on cash.

One look at him, and no one would believe he could audition for a decent role.

"I suppose..."

Zhang Wenqi thought it over.

The dream of stardom appealed to anyone, especially someone like Shen Qi, who already had one foot in the door.

"With your brains, do you really think I could fool you?"

Shen Qi pointed toward the bus doors and gave him a knowing smile.

"Ah..."

Zhang Wenqi stood, walked to the doors, and got off when the bus stopped, his head hanging low.

His retreating figure looked forlorn, as though he'd lost a gold mine.

Shen Qi chuckled under his breath.

Sunset streamed through the bus window, bathing his troublemaking face in golden light. It looked like a movie shot, complete with a soft-focus filter.

The effect was devastating.

The scallions in the middle-aged woman's hand beside him fell to the floor with a thud.

Still, once The Return of the Condor Heroes aired, scenes like this would probably become rare.

Then, when people saw his face, the words looping through their heads probably wouldn't be "He's so handsome," but "Dragon Knight, prepare to die!"

So perhaps it was a good thing.

Years later, if an interviewer asked why he'd dared to take the role of Yin Zhiping, Shen Qi could smugly say—

"I was too handsome. Everyone looked at my face and overlooked my acting and hard work, so I played Yin Zhiping."

That would bring everyone back to their senses.

It was much like Louis Koo tanning himself: a self-destructive kind of liberation.

Louis Koo had darkened his looks; Shen Qi was about to wreck his. Different routes, same destination—a rebellion against being too damn good-looking.

But while his face had caused plenty of trouble, it did have its benefits.

When Shen Qi arrived at the MV shoot, director Lin Jinhua took one look at him and decided to use him.

He didn't even ask whether Shen Qi could speak.

Even if Shen Qi couldn't, it wouldn't matter.

The MV Fei Yang had told him about was for Jin Sha.

The song was called "Pisces Girl."

When Shen Qi thought of Jin Sha, the first thing that came to mind was Lan Feilin from Sky of Eighteen-Year-Olds.

He'd heard she had signed with Ocean Butterflies Music, becoming A-Du's and JJ Lin's junior labelmate.

She was a newcomer who had only just released an album, but the resources behind her were substantial. Before the album had even officially hit the shelves, an MV was already being shot.

Many MVs weren't filmed until after an album came out and showed a promising market response.

"There are a few simple dance moves in the MV. Can you manage them?" Director Lin Jinhua hesitated. "If you can't, that's fine. We can adjust things. Just work with the camera and help create the right atmosphere..."

A film or television director probably wouldn't have been so accommodating.

MV directors were different. They cared more about how the footage looked.

And Shen Qi's face seemed made for the camera. They could use fewer lights and lighter filters, and even save work in post-production.

Lin Jinhua looked at Shen Qi as if he were a work of art—one he could use again and again.

In the future, he wouldn't have to worry about finding a model his female singers liked.

"A little. I've never studied it properly, though. I just spent a few days in a club at university."

Shen Qi answered honestly. If the director expected more, he would have to use the Magic Book.

"Great, that's good!" Lin Jinhua was even more pleased.

"Ooh~ la la la la." As Lin Jinhua spoke, a lightly dressed girl came in humming.

It was Jin Sha, the star of today's MV.

She froze when she saw Shen Qi.

"Hello, Ms. Jin Sha."

She was probably younger than him, and Shen Qi couldn't bring himself to call her "Sister Jin Sha," so he settled on a respectful form of address.

"You... you're the model for today's 'Pisces Girl' shoot?"

She'd only heard that a friend of the director's had recommended a model. She hadn't expected him to be this handsome.

"Yes."

Shen Qi was used to the way people looked at him.

"Director, director..."

Jin Sha gave the director's sleeve a gentle tug.

"What are you doing standing around? Go get your makeup done!" Lin Jinhua urged, turning toward her.

"Why don't we reshoot the MV for 'Air'? It's just me in that one. The visuals are too plain..."

Even as Jin Sha spoke, her gaze kept drifting toward Shen Qi.

What a waste to shoot only one MV with him!

"Don't be ridiculous. We've already shot that one!"

Lin Jinhua rejected the idea without a second thought.

Still, the singer's reaction made him even happier with Shen Qi.

He'd get the kid's contact details later. Shen Qi would be his secret weapon for shooting MVs with female singers.

"Then... what about 'The Third Tear'?" Jin Sha had a sudden idea. "We haven't shot that one yet, have we?"

"We've already found a model."

Lin Jinhua was getting a headache. He didn't know how much faith Ocean Butterflies Music had in Jin Sha, but this level of pampering seemed excessive.

Six MVs commissioned before her album had even been released!

Lin Qiuli, Bi Xiaoshi, and Xu Huanliang had joined forces on it!

JJ Lin and A-Du were making guest appearances!

JJ Lin was even involved in the composing and duets...

What kind of newcomer got treatment like that?

"We haven't started filming. If we're not satisfied, can't we change the model?"

Jin Sha's temper flared.

Pretty girls tended to have a temper, and Jin Sha was no exception.

Besides, the company thought highly of her.

And she was popular right now.

"Then discuss it with your boss. If he agrees, fine."

Lin Jinhua couldn't be bothered to argue.

He didn't work for Ocean Butterflies Music. He'd only been hired to help shoot the MVs.

As for Shen Qi...

Whether he shot one or two made little difference to him.

As long as the pay was right, anything could be worked out.

In his eyes, Jin Sha was worth either two thousand yuan or four thousand yuan.

Business was business!

Being pretty didn't mean she could get away without paying.

Besides, she wasn't that pretty.

Curse my irresistible charm. If this keeps up, won't we soon be getting married, heading to the bridal chamber, having children and grandchildren, and spending the rest of our lives together...

When I put it that way, my future looks bleak!