Marry a female star at a bargain price

Chapters 311 and 312: The First Recording of "Rebirth"

I had a peaceful weekend.

On Monday, Lin Xiao continued to dedicate himself to the key project of merging villages and towns.

However, this work has now come to a head, and we have found a new direction in the midst of a chaotic mess: to push for the signing of an agreement between Dijin Group and Mashan County as soon as possible, and then to expedite the construction of the second and third phases of the Xincun Garden project.

This job is not easy.

Although the county has agreed to let Dijin Group take over the project, it is not entirely willing. After all, if an outsider comes in, the local bald man will not benefit.

On the surface, this bald man is from an engineering company led by Yu Yaofa.

But who is secretly drinking the soup, or even leading the way in eating the meat? That's anyone's guess.

The county was naturally unwilling to let such a large piece of meat be snatched away by the Dijin Group.

However, due to Mayor Lin's reputation, background, skills, and unwavering public spirit, they could only grit their teeth and agree to his reasonable demands.

Although they agreed, the county leaders were still somewhat resentful.

Unable to vent his anger in front of Mayor Lin, he could only let it out in the series of procedures involving the Dijin Group, making a few mistakes here and there, dragging out what should have been a simple and convenient process as long and tedious as an old woman's foot binding cloth.

Lin Xiao knew what the county was up to, but he was helpless and could only bite the bullet and push it forward.

So for the rest of the week, he was either busy catching the county head who was on a business trip or waiting for the bureau chief who was in training. Several stamping procedures were dragged out for a whole week before they were finalized.

Lin Xiao was exhausted.

But that wasn't enough; the organization's tests for him went far beyond that.

Since he was transferred to Xingguang Town as mayor, he has been subjected to a constant stream of inspections, investigations, and tours from higher authorities.

Environmental inspections, Party building inspections, low-income assistance reviews... all sorts of pretexts and funds have transformed this remote, outlying mountain town into the kind of economic powerhouse and internet-famous town it is today.

This is unreasonable.

Before Lin Xiao arrived, Xingguang Town received an average of no more than one inspection from higher authorities per year.

Lin Xiao has only been in office for three months, and there have already been three inspections from the city and county levels, not to mention a special inspection from the province.

Although the test results were all normal.

However, each inspection and supervision session takes about a week, requiring all the town's cadres to prepare materials, organize files, and handle receptions.

One or two times is understandable.

But after three or four times, everyone realized something was wrong.

It's happening far too frequently. In just three months, we've used up the total amount from the previous three years. Who can stand it this often?

Everyone quickly realized: the inspection teams from all levels weren't coming for Xingguang Town at all; they were clearly coming for Xingguang Town's new mayor!
That logic makes sense.

It's not that the inspection teams at all levels had any issues with Lin Xiao, or that they were deliberately trying to find fault with him or make him unhappy.

The inspection team members are also human, and the officials also want to be trendy and ride the wave of popularity.

Generally, these special inspections are conducted at the county level or lower, not down to the town level.

At most, they would select a few key towns, visit them briefly, and return home after less than half a day.

Such location selection often prioritizes areas with strong economic development or convenient transportation.

Xingguang Town doesn't fit into either category, so it rarely receives visits from higher-level leaders.

But now, a nationally renowned super internet celebrity and a top musician admired and adored by everyone sits in the town. His name alone is enough to make this previously unknown town shine with dazzling starlight.

Starlight Town, now it truly lives up to its name.

Since the various inspection teams can go to any town, there is absolutely no reason why they shouldn't take a detour to Xingguang Town.

The inspection has been conducted, and we can also take the opportunity to see what kind of work a big celebrity is actually doing, and answer our doubts: Is such a big celebrity really willing to be the mayor of a poor town in a remote township, earning only four thousand yuan a month?
This is a question that has baffled officials at all levels.

So I came to Starlight Town with a bit of a sense of exploration and tracing my roots.

With this inherent logic, Xingguang Town naturally became a key town in Mashan County and even the entire Yizhou City, transforming from a deserted place to a bustling hub.

Now, the town officials are in big trouble.

Originally, all the town's cadres were busy with the task of merging villages and towns, and they were already exhausted from going to the countryside and visiting households every day. They also had to deal with various inspections from time to time, and they still had their own jobs to do.

In the past few months, my workload has more than doubled.

Fortunately, Lin Xiao has fulfilled all his promises, and the back wages, subsidies, and bonuses have all been paid in full.

The cadres were also motivated and never complained. They worked overtime without complaint.

Lin Xiao himself felt embarrassed.

After all, these extra jobs were brought on because of his prominent position as town mayor, and he made a fortune from that reputation. However, he couldn't distribute the money to the brothers in the town; at most, he could only pay the wages and subsidies that the county had previously owed him.

And this money was originally meant for the officials.

Lin Xiao ultimately felt guilty.

So when the cadres worked overtime, he shared their hardships and fought through the night, staying up until midnight every day.

The main point is to stand together with the cadres through thick and thin.

This gesture deeply moved all the town's officials.

As the town mayor, it is his duty to take the lead in working overtime to tackle key tasks. However, in their eyes, it becomes: "They are so rich and have such a background, yet they still work overtime diligently. What right do we have not to work hard?"
So they all worked even harder.

Lin Xiao was both amused and exasperated when he heard about the cadres' thoughts from Lao Dong and Lao Ge.

I was just doing my job.

However, because of the halo they carried, the officials saw it as an act of selflessness.

Lin Xiao was also quite helpless.

There's no way to be lazy; I can only follow my heart and work even harder.

This diligence lasted until August 15th.

It was Friday, the day the first episode of "Longing for Married Life" was filmed.

According to the program team's plan.

The recording of the first episode started at noon on Friday and ended on Sunday evening.

Three groups of guests, three rooms, three days and two nights.

The three filming crews will record the daily lives of the three groups of guests in real time over the next few days. The footage will then be edited into a video and broadcast in two parts.

In other words.

Although the entire season consists of 12 episodes, the guests only need to record six times, and each time it only lasts for three days and two nights.

That is, less than 20 days.

I spent a total of twenty days living in the countryside, staying in a nicely decorated upscale guesthouse with a rustic style. Every day I picked vegetables, played with cats, chatted, and cooked.

Once the time comes, he'll receive tens of millions in appearance fees.

This money is made faster than money laundering and smuggling, no wonder so many actors and singers, even knowing that frequent appearances on variety shows will affect their acting and singing careers, still flock to this industry one after another, competing fiercely.

It's not that everyone lacks professional ethics or has given up on their life goals.

They gave way too much!

Having taken the money, one naturally has to do a good job.

So early on August 15th, the two groups of out-of-town guests arrived in Ninghai and then took a special car prepared by the production team to the recording location in Dafeng Village, Xingguang Town.

The four-hour drive was accompanied by a cameraman and director throughout.

The recording has officially begun.

On the way, the director will conduct a brief interview with the guests, such as why they participated in the show, what their expectations were for the show, and some details about their daily interactions as a couple.

These interviews will be edited and presented as the opening sequence, with key points highlighted.

It might only last two or three minutes on the show.

However, recording requires long-term preparation and the enthusiastic and understanding cooperation of the guests.

Passion is a state of being.

Being sensible is a form of self-awareness that comes with being a variety show personality.

The guests fully utilize their comedic talent and ability to tell lies, trying their best to give interesting answers to ordinary questions. This way, when the final cut is edited, it can quickly grab the audience's attention within minutes, allowing them to keep watching.

This may seem simple, but it requires the joint efforts of the guests and the production team.

Of course, you can't tell the whole truth about these things.

If the director asks, "Why did you come to our show?"

You answered, "Because they give a lot!"

That was attractive enough, but the show could not be recorded anymore because a single sentence shattered the show's rustic, slow-paced rural lifestyle and turned it into something extremely vulgar, mercenary, and unbearable.

Although the latter is the essence and the true meaning.

Otherwise, why would a group of big stars be out here in the deep mountains and forests feeding mosquitoes instead of busy making money everywhere?

But the audience doesn't need the truth!
They just need dopamine.

Therefore, the entire variety show, from the moment the camera is turned on, is a carefully woven and energetically performed false fairy tale.

It's all for the two coins in the empty pockets of ordinary people.

However, this season is different from previous seasons and also different from other variety shows.

Because this season features two guests who don't act – "Two Honest Guys from Vanity Fair"!
These two were so honest: one spoke the absolute truth, and the other never even showed up.

While the other two groups of guests were busy pretending to be affectionate in front of the camera, talking about their life ideals and insights into marriage.

Inside the third car.

The back seat, which should have been for the couple to ride together, was occupied only by Han Xixi.

The other lead actor, Lin Xiao, was too busy with work to participate in the recording of this opening sequence, and he will drive to the recording location on his own in the afternoon.

As for when it will arrive?

Sorry, it's pending. We'll see when Mayor Lin finishes his work!
Such a lack of cooperation has angered the production team.

After all, "Rebirth" is produced by Hunan TV and is an S+ level variety show, with excellent popularity and reputation in its first three seasons. Being in such a high-profile variety show, it's inevitable that the staff would be arrogant, as they are the ones who criticize the artists, and no artist dares to disobey them.

In fact, this is indeed the case.

No matter how famous the celebrities are, whether they are regulars or guests, they can only obediently cooperate with the script and planning prepared by the production team.

Who else would refuse to appear on camera like Lin Xiao, even during the crucial opening segment of the first episode?

what is this?
I went to a karaoke bar, ordered a girl, and paid the bill, but then they told me I was busy getting a scrub and wouldn't be able to come for a while.

Who can bear this!

Given how badly everyone had been treated by Lin Xiao earlier, the directors and planners finally couldn't hold back anymore and complained to the chief director, Rutdan, last night.

After listening to the complaints for a long time, Director Lu finally said in a low voice, "If you don't want to participate, you don't have to participate. What's the big deal?"

Upon hearing this, everyone became even more displeased, feeling a sense of humiliation akin to a favored concubine being banished to the cold palace.

"Director Lu, isn't this a big deal?"

An assistant director, his face flushed and neck red, complained, "The opening of the first episode! This is supposed to be the most captivating and exciting part. Whether the audience drawn in by the initial hype can stay depends on these few minutes. But Lin Xiao didn't even show his face! This... this is so uncooperative! How are we supposed to record and edit this opening?"

Others echoed.

"that is!"

"This job is impossible to do!"

"So many big names haven't acted like divas, yet he, an outsider, is acting like one?"

"They really think they're top celebrities!"

"..."

The crowd chattered and made the hotel room in Rutgers as noisy as a marketplace.

But Director Lu was unusually calm.

The louder the argument, the brighter her smile.

Assistant Xiao Fang, having worked with Director Lu for a long time, noticed something amiss and tentatively asked, "Director Lu, Lin Xiao wasn't cooperating with the recording from the very beginning, why aren't you angry at all?"

Lutdan smiled charmingly yet calmly: "Why should I be angry? The reason you're all so angry is because you also feel that the biggest highlight of this season is Lin Xiao and his wife, right? Now that he's already quit after appearing in the first episode, without him, you're not confident that you can retain the audience with the other two episodes, so you're all anxious and come to me to complain, isn't that right?"

Upon hearing this, the group that had been yelling just moments before immediately fell silent.

Lutdan laughed even harder, "I've taken everything you've said to heart, but think about it carefully, since the hype and anticipation built up in the early stages of the show were all brought about by Lin Xiao, does it really matter whether he appears in the first few minutes or when he appears?"

This prompting caused a slight change in the expressions of the group, who began to reflect on their actions.

"Director Lu, you mean... since netizens are here for Lin Xiao, the later he appears, the more suspense there will be, and the higher the audience's appetite will be. In this way, our audience retention rate and completion rate for the first episode will actually be better?"

The assistant director said with a sudden realization.

Lutdam did not nod explicitly, but smiled gently without saying a word.

Everyone immediately understood, and their expressions brightened instantly, completely losing the ferocity they had shown earlier when they were about to fight.

The matter was brought up heavily but then dismissed lightly.

Assistant Xiao Fang stood outside the crowd, but in her heart she admired Lin Xiao more and more, thinking: It seems that for the next three months, this guy will really do whatever he wants and run rampant on the show!

Although he was still somewhat unconvinced, he was only a little bit resentful.

Right now, the biggest concern is the high level of anticipation for Lin Xiao's performance on the show.

But he never expected this.

Before Lin Xiao could even shock him, his wife, Han Xixi, the seemingly introverted, gentle, and lovely rising star singer, delivered a fatal blow.

Xiao Fang is the assistant to the general director, Rutgerdan.

But he also holds the position of director in the production team.

In a variety show, the roles of director and chief director may differ by only one word, but their job responsibilities are completely different, and their status and power are worlds apart.

The chief director has overall control and holds the highest position.

But the director is actually just a handyman, basically an ordinary employee who does everything on set.

Because they do everything, it's hard to define their job title, hence the title "director".

The show officially started recording.

Xiao Fang's first task was to interview Lin Xiao and Han Xixi on the way to the recording location.

Of course, Han Xixi is the only one in the car now.

Although Xiao Fang got this good spot through his personal relationship with Director Lu, he had made sufficient preparations beforehand.

After all, he also wants to grow and doesn't want to keep living off his wife.

If he had a choice, he wouldn't want to understand the meaning of steel wool!
We boarded the bus in Mashan County.

Xiao Fang had already steadied her breathing and quickly asked her first question: "Teacher Han, have you watched our program before?"

Han Xixi's smile was peaceful.

After two years of experience in the entertainment industry, she is no longer so intimidated by the camera.

Of course, it's just that they're not afraid; they're far from being as excited as those variety show personalities who get excited as soon as they see the camera.

Her calm demeanor is entirely due to the confidence she receives from her husband.

The confidence stemmed from the fact that this person could simply not show up, showing no regard for the variety show recording. Xixi felt that she didn't need to care so much either, and could just be herself without worry. After all, if she said something wrong or made a mistake, her husband would clean up the mess.

So Xixi is in a relaxed state of mind now.

When asked the first question, she nodded honestly: "Yes, I've seen it. I'm a big fan!"

They were very enthusiastic and accommodating.

Xiao Fang was secretly delighted to have answered the first question perfectly.

"Teacher Han, how did you feel when you received our invitation for this season?" Xiao Fang pressed on while the iron was hot.

"Feelings? I'm not in any particular mood!"

"without……"

Xiao Fang was stunned.

No, shouldn't you say you're excited, nervous, and thrilled? What do you mean you're not feeling anything?!

"How could I not be in the mood?"

"I'm just not in the mood, because I don't think I'll go!" Xixi said truthfully.

"Why? Because you think Teacher Lin won't agree to teach, right?"

"Correct."

"Then why did he agree later?"

"He didn't agree at first!"

Xi Xi was very honest and asked in return, "Wasn't it your production team that kept pestering him and later promised to set the filming location in Starlight Town before he agreed?"

Xiao Fang was dumbfounded.

No, is this something we can say? Don't we have any dignity?

Delete this part!

"Our production team really put a lot of effort into this!" Xiao Fang tried to make amends.

After all, his statement about deleting it doesn't count; whether or not to delete it is up to Director Lu to decide.

However, Han Xixi experienced the joy of recording variety shows, thanks to her husband's three-word secret: Be yourself.

"That's quite a sincere offer."

Xixi smiled brightly.

Xiao Fang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "And you, what was your original intention for participating in the program?"

Han Xixi tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said truthfully, "I didn't have any ulterior motive. My husband wanted to come, so I came along!"

Xiao Fang's brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed again.

This answer is really inappropriate and could easily be criticized as "lacking opinions and having no status," and if pushed too far, it could lead to another round of gender-based verbal battles.

But this has nothing to do with the program team's stance, so Xiao Fang doesn't take it to heart.

"Does this count as sacrificing one's own wishes for Teacher Lin's opinion?" Xiao Fang continued to ask.

"No!"

"But didn't you come with Teacher Lin?"

"correct."

"Then why don't you refuse?"

Xiao Fang was getting a little anxious.

He tried very hard to get Han Xixi to answer that she also liked the show, rather than just going on the show because of her husband.

However, Han Xixi misunderstood.

She was stunned for a while before chuckling softly, "But... isn't this a variety show featuring a couple? Can someone appear on a show by themselves?"

These words really surprised Xiao Fang, who then came to understand the logic of this young and beautiful woman.

Xiao Fang almost burst out laughing on the spot.

This woman's thought process is simply too magical. I'm usually scolded for being a bit slow, but compared to this woman, I realize I'm actually quite normal.

"This couple, one of them was absent from the start of the show, and the other kept telling the truth and throwing mud at her husband..."

Xiao Fang found it increasingly amusing.

I'm so excited to see how this first episode goes!!

(End of this chapter)