Qiguan Yuan thought for a moment and then leaned against the tree trunk.
Since Qiguan Yuan showed no interest in the Lusheng (a traditional reed pipe instrument) or Lusheng dance, and since he was only a special guest, Meng Xu did not force him to participate.
Meng Xu is different from other directors in the entertainment industry. Other directors may rely on programs to make a living, but Meng Xu doesn't. He is already very wealthy. Being in the same circle as Pei Yubai, how could he possibly lack money?
Meng Xu had already invested a considerable amount of money in this program in the early stages. The amount of filming equipment he invested alone was substantial, not to mention that the program was a combination of live and pre-recorded broadcasts.
Having Qiguan Yuan and the other guests participate would definitely generate more viewership, but Meng Xu chose to respect the guests' wishes, since his initial idea was simply to have Pei Yubai included.
With Shen Yuzhou insisting on coming along, along with Ji Shiyu, Cheng Yanqiu, Lin Yanru, and Jiang Wantang who approached him, the guest lineup was already quite impressive.
The main reason is that Meng Xu is rich and has connections.
Qiguan Yuan was an unexpected surprise.
The moment he saw Qiguan Yuan, he knew that Qiguan Yuan would become a sensation.
Leaving aside his unique and attractive charisma, his captivating and alluring face alone is enough to mesmerize most viewers in front of the screen, making Qiguan Yuan's popularity practically half of the industry.
Just considering the hype, Meng Xu would definitely go along with it.
Qiguan Yuan has been filming as a special guest for several days now, and he still needs to talk to Qiguan Yuan about his appearance fee.
As it happened, Qiguan Yuan was not participating in the activity. Meng Xu saw Qiguan Yuan under the locust tree and walked over to him.
Qiguan Yuan was pondering when to find an opportunity to reconnect Jiang Wantang and Ji Shiyu when he noticed Meng Xu walking towards him.
Qiguan Yuan.
Who is this?
It looks familiar.
But I can't remember.
Under Qiguan Yuan's gaze, Meng Xu walked up to him and waved to the photographer who was taking pictures.
The photographer understood and went to photograph the other guests.
The viewers in Qiguan Yuan's live stream who were admiring Qiguan Yuan were instantly displeased.
[What are you doing! What are you doing! Old Deng, what are you trying to do!]
[Stop! Stop! No!]
[Turn back! Turn back! I'm telling you to turn back!!! Don't force me to kneel down and beg you!]
[How could you separate me and my wife! You're breaking us up! You scoundrel!]
[Waaaaah, you can't let me see my wife, waaaaah!]
But no matter how much the audience screams, Meng Xu is blind now, and the photographer won't really listen to them.
After all, his boss was Meng Xu, and it was Meng Xu who paid his salary.
Qiguan Yuan looked at Meng Xu standing in front of him. As he got closer, Meng Xu looked even more familiar.
However, he still couldn't remember who Meng Xu was.
Qiguan Yuan couldn't quickly remember most people's faces; in today's terms, he was a bit face-blind.
But it's not serious; he can still remember what he wants to remember.
Meng Xu, unaware that Qiguan Yuan was still pondering his identity, said in a friendly tone, " Mr. Qiguan, I'd like to discuss your appearance fee with you."
Qiguan Yuan nodded.
Meng Xu felt uncomfortable and awkward talking to him while standing, so he sat down like Qiguan Yuan did.
"Our Travel to That Unknown Place,' is currently the most popular variety show in its category. Mr. Qiguan, your popularity is now second only to Pei Yubai."
"So our production team will offer you a higher appearance fee."
Knowing that Qiguan Yuan is not in the entertainment industry and doesn't know much about the fees, he explained, "Most ordinary guests don't get very high appearance fees, but Mr. Qiguan, you're very popular, so we'll offer you the same treatment as a top-tier celebrity for this episode as an ordinary guest."
Qiguan Yuan nodded, seemingly unconcerned.
Meng Xu finally stated his final offer. "So our offer to you is five million."
In reality, most top-tier celebrities only earn around one million per episode, and that's for regular guests.
Guest stars typically don't receive such high appearance fees.
As for why Qiguan Yuan was given such a high appearance fee, it wasn't just because Qiguan Yuan brought a lot of popularity to his show.
Another reason is the way his childhood friend Pei Yubai treated Qiguan Yuan with such indifference.
He had never seen Pei Yubai like this before.
Within their circle, Pei Yubai was essentially at its center.
Then his circle of friends is also divided into different tiers.
He and Shen Yuzhou are among the very core of Pei Yubai's circle.
The reasons are that their families are also quite powerful, and their personalities are similar.
However, within this circle, they had seen many of their peers who were addicted to alcohol and women.
Pei Yubai had seen countless people, and he thought Pei Yubai would never fall in love with anyone.
Perhaps in the end, they will only choose to marry someone from a similar family background, or they will simply remain single for life and never get married.
But who knew that Pei Yubai would encounter Qiguan Yuan, a person who could be described as a succubus.
Pei Yubai's attitude towards Qiguan Yuan also made him willing to pay Qiguan Yuan a higher appearance fee.
Qiguan Yuan didn't really have a concept of five million, and he didn't care about it.
Because he doesn't need the money.
So he nodded expressionlessly, indicating that he understood.
Then Meng Xu asked Qiguan Yuan, " Mr. Qiguan, we need you to provide us with your bank card number."
Upon hearing this unfamiliar term, Qiguan Yuan asked curiously, "Bank card number? What's that?"
Meng Xu was taken aback by the question, "What?"
Qiguan Yuan was quite patient in repeating things he wasn't familiar with and was curious about. "What's your bank card number?"
Meng Xu was stunned by the question. He looked at Qiguan Yuan's face, trying to find a trace of a joke on it.
However, Qiguan Yuan's expression was very serious, and he didn't seem to be joking at all.
Qiguan Yuan said he didn't know what a bank card was.
Meng Xu opened his mouth, then closed it again.
He suppressed the jumbled thoughts in his mind and organized his thoughts.
"A bank card is... a card issued by a bank. You deposit money in it, and when you need to use it, you withdraw it with the card, or you pay with your mobile phone."
Qiguan Yuan nodded after listening.
Meng Xu wasn't sure if he really understood; he felt like he seemed to understand but actually didn't.
Meng Xu further explained, "You need an ID card to open a bank account."
Qiguan Yuan looked at him, and Meng Xu looked at him; the two stared at each other for a moment.
Qiguan Yuan's gaze was calm, but Meng Xu's heart was in turmoil. "You should have... an ID card, right?"
Even after Meng Xu finished speaking, he wasn't sure anymore.
As expected, Qiguan Yuan shook his head.
Meng Xu remained silent.
He wanted to say something more, like, "How have you managed to survive until now without even an ID card?"
Meng Xu turned his head and looked at Pei Yubai, who was learning the Lusheng dance in the middle of the open space.
Pei Yubai stood there holding a lusheng (a traditional Chinese wind instrument), tapping his feet to the beat and playing a tune. His movements were stiff, far inferior to the children next to him, but he remained very serious.
Meng Xu stared at Pei Yubai, screaming inwardly: Pei Yubai! Your wife is an unregistered resident!