The Entertainment Industry in Turmoil: Young Actresses All Want to Rise to the Top

The summer nights in Shanghai are sweltering, yet a rare coolness permeates the air.

Wang Churan, now dressed in his everyday clothes, led Shen Mo through a maze of twists and turns, from the main road into a narrow alley, then into an even narrower lane, finally stopping in front of a small barbecue restaurant.

The shop was small, and the signboard was old and yellowed.

There were seven or eight small tables set up at the entrance, with plastic stools scattered around. Several tables of customers were eating skewers and drinking beer, and the aroma of meat mixed with the smell of smoke filled the air.

Wang Churan turned to look at Shen Mo, her eyes filled with a hint of nervousness, before quickly looking away.

"It's...it's right here." Her voice was a little muffled. "Don't mind that it's run-down, Brother Mo. This is the restaurant I eat at every time I come to Shanghai. The taste is definitely better than those other shops outside."

Shen Mo looked around and laughed, "Do I look like someone who'd complain about something being shabby?"

Wang Churan curled her lip and snorted, "Who knows? You're a big boss now, what high-class places haven't you been to?"

Even big bosses need to eat.

Shen Mo pulled out a plastic stool and sat down. "Besides, Chu Ran said it's a good restaurant, so I have to try it."

Wang Churan's lips twitched slightly, as if he wanted to laugh, but he held it back, and his chin even lifted slightly.

She sat down opposite Shen Mo, head down, pretending to straighten her sleeves.

The proprietress peeked out of the shop, and her eyes lit up when she saw Wang Churan: "Oh my, Xiaoran's here! Long time no see!"

Wang Churan looked up, a genuine smile on her face: "Aunt Zhang, busy?"

"No rush, no rush," the proprietress said, wiping her hands as she walked over, her gaze falling on Shen Mo. "Bringing another new friend to patronize your Aunt Zhang's business?"

Wang Churan's gaze flickered, not looking at Shen Mo, but landing on the empty table next to him: "Well, just... a friend."

The proprietress smiled and looked Shen Mo up and down: "Young man, you look really handsome. Xiao Ran has good taste."

Wang Churan's face flushed red instantly.

"Aunt Zhang!" Her voice suddenly rose, her tone changing, "It's not what you think! He's my...my boss!"

"Boss?" The proprietress paused for a moment, then smiled even more broadly, "Oh—boss, I understand, I understand."

Wang Churan frowned, about to explain, when Shen Mo smiled and continued the conversation.

"Auntie, I am indeed her boss. I came to Shanghai on a business trip today, and she insisted on taking me to try it, saying it's the best barbecue in Shanghai."

The proprietress beamed with joy at the praise: "Oh my, Xiao Ran has always been so sweet-talking since he was little, and he's still so good at talking now that he's grown up."

Wang Churan rolled her eyes. Sweet-talking? When has she ever been sweet-talking? Sweet-talking has never been associated with her.

The proprietress handed over the menu: "Order whatever you like, Auntie will give you a discount."

Wang Churan took the menu, looked down at it, her eyelashes trembling slightly. She wanted to order a few of her favorite dishes, but after tracing a few lines on the menu, she finally looked up at Shen Mo.

"Brother Mo, can...can you handle spicy food?"

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow: "What, are you worried I can't finish it?"

Wang Churan pouted: "I was just asking. If you can't handle spicy food but force yourself, and end up sweating profusely, I won't take responsibility for you."

"I can eat it." Shen Mo smiled. "Order as much as you like."

Wang Churan said "Oh" and lowered her head to continue looking at the menu, but out of the corner of her eye, she secretly glanced at Shen Mo. Then she realized that Shen Mo was looking at her, so she immediately looked away and pretended to be studying the words on the menu.

"Want some lamb skewers?" "Yes."

"Beef skewers?" "Yes."

"Chicken wings?" "Yes."

"Roasted eggplant?" "Yes."

Wang Churan raised her head, raising an eyebrow: "Why do you want everything? Are you a pig?"

Shen Mo laughed: "Didn't you tell me to order?"

Wang Churan was taken aback by his words, her lips slightly parted. She muttered under her breath, "I told you to order, but is this how you order? You're just going along with everything I say."

Shen Mo's smile deepened as he watched her muttering to herself.

"Okay, then I'll order." He reached for the menu, glanced at it, and started ordering.

"Okay, ten lamb skewers, ten beef skewers, four chicken wings, one grilled eggplant, a serving of enoki mushrooms, a serving of potato slices, and two bottles of... "

"Wait!" Wang Churan interrupted him, "Two bottles of what?"

"Cola."

Wang Churan's slightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed.

Shen Mo looked at her with a chuckle. "What, you didn't think I took you out for drinks? What are you thinking, little girl? Wait until you're an adult. What are you doing drinking, kid?"

Wang Churan clenched his fist under the table, his lips pressed into a thin line, and his eyes showed a hint of dissatisfaction.

She really wanted to say, "I'm not a little kid," but she pouted and lowered her head, loosening her fist.

Shen Mo noticed her expression, raised an eyebrow, and said, "If you really want to drink, then get a bottle, and I'll let you have a taste."

Wang Churan paused for a moment, then turned her face away and let out a soft snort: "Who wants to drink?"

But the corners of her mouth curved up almost imperceptibly.

The proprietress took the menu and left, and soon brought out two bottles of cola and a pitcher of plum juice.

"Cola doesn't taste very good, and drinking alcohol isn't good either. Xiao Ran, Auntie brought you a bottle of plum juice. It's homemade and tastes better than what you buy outside. It's free for you."

Wang Churan's eyes lit up: "Thank you, Aunt Zhang!"

After the proprietress left, Shen Mo looked at the pitcher of plum juice and smiled: "It was given to you for free, and you even made it yourself. It seems you really do get special treatment here."

Wang Churan didn't speak, but slightly raised her chin towards Shen Mo, gave a soft hum, then poured herself a glass of plum juice and sipped it slowly with her head down.

Shen Mo opened a Coke, leaned back on the plastic stool, and watched the people coming and going in the alley.

After a while, Wang Churan raised his head, his gaze wandered in the air for a moment, and then landed on Shen Mo.

"Brother Mo...you don't mind this place, do you?"

Shen Mo followed her gaze and scanned the surroundings. The alleyway was narrow, the overhead wires were tangled and dense, and the ground was uneven and pitted.

He turned to look at her: "Will you find it offensive?"

When asked this, Wang Churan blurted out, "How could I possibly find it objectionable?"

She lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she pursed her lips again and again before finally managing to say, "I was born around here when I was little..."

After saying that, she added, "Don't overthink it. I didn't bring you here on purpose; it just happened to be..."

"It just so happens that you're in Shanghai, I happen to be free, and this shop is on my way... It's just a coincidence."

Hearing her string of "just right" and "coincidentally," Shen Mo couldn't help but laugh. "Well, that's quite a coincidence."

Wang Churan heard the amusement in his tone, her eyebrows furrowed, and she was about to retort when the proprietress brought over the grilled skewers.

"Here, lamb skewers and beef skewers, eat them first! The chicken wings will have to wait a while; they need to be cooked properly to taste good."

Wang Churan's attention was instantly drawn to the steaming plate of skewers, his eyes lighting up.

But she didn't rush to reach out. Instead, she glanced at Shen Mo first. Shen Mo didn't stand on ceremony and picked up a skewer of mutton, taking a bite.

Wang Churan's gaze was fixed on his expression, as if he were waiting for some important judgment.

Shen Mo chewed for a moment, then nodded. "Delicious."

Wang Churan's lips couldn't help but curl up slightly, but she quickly suppressed it, replacing it with a faint "humph".

"Of course! Every time I go back to Shanghai, I come here to eat. I've brought Xiaotian and Cunzi here before, how could it not be delicious?"

As she spoke, she picked up a skewer of beef and ate it in small bites. The two of them ate like that, and neither of them spoke for a while.

But the atmosphere wasn't awkward. The barbecue restaurant was bustling with activity, the summer night breeze was cool, laughter occasionally drifted from the next table, and Wang Churan would sometimes glance up at Shen Mo, only to be caught red-handed, and then his eyes would dart away in a flustered panic...

Shen Mo sipped his cola, looked at the young girl opposite him, and suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

He vaguely remembered the first time he saw her. She was only 13 years old when she first joined Mohen. She looked guarded and kept herself firmly outside the crowd with a layer of arrogance.

However, three years have passed in the blink of an eye. Today, at the celebration banquet, she wore a standard social smile and pretended to be mature, as if she had really grown up.

But now, sitting across from him, she's wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans, her hair casually tied up. While eating barbecue, she sometimes accidentally gets oil on the corners of her mouth. Although she still has a tough mouth and an arrogant expression, she has completely opened her heart to him.

A sense of enjoyment, like nurturing a child, arose in Shen Mo's heart.

"What are you thinking about?" Wang Churan's voice interrupted his thoughts, and Shen Mo came back to his senses, looking at her.

Wang Churan was staring at him, her eyes filled with a scrutinizing gaze and a well-hidden tension.

"I miss you." Shen Mo said casually, and Wang Churan's face instantly turned red, starting from her cheeks and quickly spreading to her ears, even her neck was tinged with pink.

"Brother Mo, what...what nonsense are you talking about!"

Her voice changed, her eyes widened suddenly, her eyelashes fluttered rapidly, and then she hurriedly looked away, taking small sips of the plum juice in front of her.

Shen Mo paused for a moment, then laughed even harder: "I mean, I was thinking about how you looked at the celebration banquet today."

Wang Churan's face flushed even more, but she still forced a smile and let out a soft hum: "Who...who told you to miss me!"

Seeing her embarrassed and annoyed expression, Shen Mo's smile deepened. "Fine, I don't want to."

His words made Wang Churan a little anxious: "How...how can you be like this!"

"How so?" Shen Mo looked at her with a teasing expression.

Wang Churan opened his mouth, but found that he didn't know what to say. In the end, he could only angrily take a bite of the beef skewer and chew it hard.

"Fine, you think about it!"

Looking at her like that, Shen Mo suddenly felt that this girl was quite interesting.

She always puts on airs, has a sharp tongue, a cold expression, and occasionally raises her chin arrogantly and rolls her eyes. But if you peel away these layers of pretense, what's revealed is actually a cute sixteen-year-old girl.

I get nervous, I get shy, I try to be stubborn, and I also secretly feel happy.

"Is it good?" Shen Mo asked. Wang Churan looked up, a little cumin still on the corner of his mouth.

"Absolutely! This is my favorite barbecue restaurant!"

Shen Mo pointed to the corner of his mouth. Wang Churan was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized what he meant and hurriedly wiped it.

Shen Mo reached out and handed over a tissue. "Use this."

Wang Churan took the tissue, clutching it in her hand without looking up, but her eyelashes began to tremble slightly again. "Brother Mo, you don't think I'm stupid, do you?"

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow: "Very cute!"

Wang Churan raised her head, her eyes slightly wide open, staring intently into his eyes.

Shen Mo repeated, "Quite cute."

Wang Churan pursed his lips, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth, his nose wrinkling slightly, his heart bursting with joy.

Shen Mo smiled and looked away, continuing to eat his skewers. Wang Churan was stunned for a while before slowly lowering his head and pretending to eat.

But her mind was in turmoil; he was praising her as cute!

She subconsciously touched her face; it was frighteningly hot. Oh no, it must be burning red.

She secretly glanced up, wanting to see what Shen Mo was doing, but when she looked up, she met his gaze.

The moment their eyes met, Wang Churan, like a startled deer, immediately looked away, her heart pounding as if it would jump out of her throat.

"Why are you looking at me like that!" Her voice was still trembling, but she spoke first, taking the initiative.

"Look at our lovely royal ship!"

Wang Churan almost choked on her own saliva. She coughed twice, then frowned and said, "Brother Mo! You're calling me by my nickname again! This nickname has spread throughout the company because of you!"

Shen Mo laughed so hard he bent over. "Really? Wang Chuan, I think it sounds pretty good."

"What's so good about it?"

"Anyway, I like calling you that."

Wang Churan was speechless after hearing his words. She could only glare at him angrily, but after only two seconds, her gaze began to wander and finally landed on the cola in front of him.

"You're not even drinking beer, so why are you talking nonsense?"

"Hmm." Shen Mo nodded, picked up a skewer of mutton and chewed. "Maybe it's the fragrance of a beautiful woman?"

Wang Churan rolled her eyes speechlessly and pursed her lips, but the curve of her mouth betrayed her.

How could she not like the nickname her brother Mo gave her? She was even secretly delighted.

The proprietress then brought out chicken wings and grilled eggplant, smiling as she said, "Enjoy your meal slowly, order more if you're still hungry."

Wang Churan gave a vague reply, not daring to raise her head. After the proprietress left, Shen Mo looked at her ostrich-like appearance and couldn't help but laugh.

"The Royal Ship".

"What?" Her voice was muffled.

"look up."

"Don't lift it."

"You really don't like me calling you by your name?"

"Um."

Shen Mo sighed: "Alright, I won't call you that anymore."

Wang Churan finally raised her head, her eyes wide open, her lips pursed high, "You... fine, go ahead and yell!"

Shen Mo looked completely innocent: "So unwilling? Then I won't call you then."

"Brother Mo...!"

Wang Churan snorted heavily, picked up a skewer of mutton, took a vicious bite, and said, "Fine, call or not, it's up to you!"

Shen Mo smiled and shook his head, then picked up a string of skewers as well.

After a while, Wang Churan's voice suddenly rang out: "Brother Mo, thank you for today."

Shen Mo looked up at her, while Wang Churan's gaze fell on the barbecue skewers in her hand. Her voice was muffled as she said, "Thank you for coming. I know you're busy, but you still made a special trip."

Shen Mo remained silent, and Wang Churan continued, "And at the celebration banquet just now, when you had me stand next to you and put your arm around me while introducing me to President Zhang and President Cai..."

Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

"I know you're here to back me up."

Shen Mo put down the skewers in his hand and looked at her.

Wang Churan still didn't look at him, but her eyelashes trembled slightly, and the blush on her cheeks never faded.

"Wang Churan." He didn't call her by her nickname anymore. She finally turned her head, and their eyes met again.

"You belong to Mohen," Shen Mo said. "Whether I'm here or not, you're mine."

"If I don't support you, who will?"

Wang Churan was stunned. She looked at Shen Mo, and her eyes suddenly felt a little hot, but she quickly turned her face away and blinked hard to hold back the tears.

"Who...who needs your protection!" Her voice trembled slightly. "I can manage on my own!"

Shen Mo laughed: "Okay, you can do it yourself."

"I really can do it!"

"Yes, I know."

"You won't believe me!"

I believe you.

Wang Churan was annoyed by his series of perfunctory replies. She took a bite of the chicken wing in frustration and muttered under her breath, "So annoying..."

Shen Mo smiled and shook his head, continuing to eat his skewers. Wang Churan, while eating, suddenly spoke up again: "Brother Mo."

"Next time you come to Shanghai on a business trip, take me with you, let's eat this again."

After speaking, Wang Churan's gaze drifted away and landed on the empty table next to him.

Before Shen Mo could reply, her voice began to fade.

"I mean, if you want to eat it."

"If you don't want to eat, that's fine. It's not a fancy place anyway, so it's normal that you don't want to come..."

"Come."

Wang Churan was stunned for a moment, then quickly turned around to look at him.

Shen Mo nodded seriously: "It's quite delicious."

Wang Churan's lips finally couldn't help but curl upwards. She tried desperately to suppress it, but she couldn't, and in the end, she could only let the curve grow bigger and bigger, turning into a big smile.

But after laughing, she felt embarrassed and quickly lowered her head, picking up a skewer of chicken wings to eat.

An hour later, the two walked out of the alley. Wang Churan walked beside him, head down, without saying a word.

Shen Mo turned to look at her from the roadside: "Shall I take you back to your hotel?"

Wang Churan shook his head: "No need, Sister Su's car will be here soon. Brother Mo, you should go back, don't you have things to do tomorrow?"

Shen Mo thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay, then be careful."

Not far away, two minivans drove up and stopped in front of the two people.

Shen Mo stepped into the car and turned around to find that the streetlights were shining on Wang Churan, casting a long shadow on her.

She looked at him, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she just waved her hand.

Shen Mo smiled and waved.

After Shen Mo's car drove away, Wang Churan remained standing there until the car disappeared around the corner of the intersection.

Then she slowly lowered her hand, touched her face, and found it was still hot.

She took a deep breath, turned around, and walked towards another car.

Even as she leaned back in her seat, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up again. This time, she didn't try to suppress it, letting the smile freely grace her face.

-----------------

Shen Mo walked out of an office building, accompanied by Huang Zheng, the founder of Pinduoduo.

"Our team is very relieved to have secured Mr. Shen's investment."

Huang Zheng said with a smile, "We have been paying attention to the companies that President Shen previously invested in, such as Meituan, ByteDance, and Bilibili. To be honest, we are very envious."

Shen Mo laughed: "The way you're saying that, Mr. Huang, it's as if investing will guarantee me a fortune."

Huang Zheng laughed as well: "President Shen, don't be modest. Everyone in the industry knows that none of the companies you've set your sights on have ever lost money."

The other investors' representatives who were accompanying them also nodded in agreement.

"That's because these companies are hardworking," Shen Mo said, shaking his head. "But we'll all be family from now on. I hope President Huang's Pinduoduo will also thrive, so that we, Mohen, can get a share of the profits."

Huang Zheng extended his hand. "That's a must. After all, with Mohen's post-investment management, we've all integrated into the Mohen Group. With everyone helping each other, if we still can't get back on our feet, wouldn't that be a slap in President Shen's face?"

Shen Mo shook hands with him, "Although our Mohen investment circle is not large, it does have quite a few high-quality investments. As long as Mr. Huang can use it, I will do my best to help connect him with others."

Releasing his grip, Shen Mo nodded in acknowledgment, then turned and left with his team.

Once seated in the car, Shen Mo finally took out his phone, and WeChat messages kept popping up one after another.

Chen Zhixi: [President Shen! "Go Fighting!" is a hit! Ratings are 1.5%!]

Yang Tianzhen: [We occupied four of the top ten trending topics! 'Go Fighting!' is going crazy!]

Lin Wei: [The data is out! We're number one in online discussion, far surpassing all other variety shows airing at the same time!]

Dilraba: [Brother Mo...()]

The last one was from Dilraba Dilmurat, posted a minute ago. Shen Mo stared at that emoji for two seconds, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He opened Weibo, and #GoFighting# had already topped the trending topics list.

This was followed by a string of other titles: #ExtremeChallengeLaughingToDeath#, #HuangLeiTheMastermind#, #SunHongleiTooReckless#, #DilrabaGetsPranked#, and the widely read online novel "The Shura Field of Chinese Entertainment: All the Young Actresses Want to Climb to the Top," a work the author writes based on their mood, available here. #LuHan'sIdolImageShattered#...

Shen Mo clicked on each item one by one, and the more he looked, the deeper his smile became.

He knew that the variety show was a huge hit in his previous life, but it took a slow and steady approach, relying on word-of-mouth to build its reputation.

Although he had seen the rough cut of the first episode and knew the effect wouldn't be bad, this time, with the support of the Mohen marketing system and the participation of two popular celebrities, Dilraba Dilmurat and Lu Han, the premiere's performance had far surpassed that of his previous life.

A 1.5% viewership rating—what does that mean? For a prime-time drama to reach 1.5% is considered a hit. For a variety show to achieve 1.5% in its first episode is nothing short of phenomenal.

He clicked on a trending Weibo post, which was an edited clip posted by the show's official Weibo account.

In the video, the six MCs are doing the opening task.

Huang Lei stood in front of the camera, calmly analyzing the rules: "The core of this game is not speed, but information asymmetry. Whoever grasps the most information first will win."

Teacher Huang has begun the lesson.

[The Master Strategist is now online.]

[The other five: What are you all babbling about? Just do it!]

The next second, Sun Honglei rushed out from the side, snatched the mission card from Huang Lei's hand, and ran away.

Huang Lei stood there, stunned, his expression changing from "strategic planning" to "Who am I? Where am I?"

【Hahahahahaha】

[The Scholar Meets the Soldier]

[Teacher Huang: I haven't finished explaining my tactics yet]

The scene shifts to the other side, where Wang Xun is squatting in a corner, whispering to the camera, "I'm not going to fight them for it. I'll wait until they're done, then I'll pick up the scraps."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Huang Bo walked past him from behind and casually snatched the clue card from his hand.

Wang Xun turned his head, looking completely bewildered: "Brother Bo, what are you doing?"

Huang Bo didn't even turn his head: "I picked up a bargain."

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

[Wang Xun: Honest people are always the ones who get bullied]

Huang Bo is so mean!

The scene shifts again, and Dilraba is carrying a briefcase. She looks at Sun Honglei with a trusting expression and says, "Brother Honglei, I'm going to the restroom. Could you carry this for me?"

When Dilraba walked out of the restroom, she was stunned and stood there dumbfounded, looking at the empty space.

[The first lesson Hong Lei Ge teaches you is: never trust anyone.]

My heart aches for Dilraba, she suffered such a huge betrayal, my eyes are red.

Sun Honglei, you're finished! You'll have to soothe the kids later!

In the final scene, Lu Han was pranked by the production team. He had an electrotherapy device stuck to his arm, and his face was distorted with pain. He still had to find strangers to complete a task.

Lu Han, wincing in pain, yelled as she completed the task, "My idol image! It's shattered! Completely shattered!"

The deer is so cute!!!

[The contrast is incredible! He's usually so handsome, but now his expression is so crazy.]

[Lu Han: An idol image? Forget about it.]

[Help, I'm becoming a fan!]

After watching the entire trailer, Shen Mo couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Meanwhile, at home, Dilraba was lying on the bed with her phone in her hand, her two fair feet swinging back and forth.

She'd been scrolling for half an hour, and the more she scrolled, the higher her lips curled into a smile.

"Sister Dilraba, are you still watching?" Assistant Jia Yue poked her head out from the living room. "You've watched it so many times."

Dilraba rolled over and held her phone up to her face: "You don't understand, this is the first time I've gone viral on a variety show."

Jia Yue retreated into the living room, her voice drifting back from afar: "Then you keep washing, I'll keep cleaning."

Dilraba ignored her and continued scrolling through the comments.

Dilraba is so cute! How come I never realized she had such a great sense of humor on variety shows?

[That betrayed expression on his face cracked me up; I screenshotted it and made it into a meme.]

They seemed so quiet, but they turned out to be incredibly wild when they played.

She read through them one by one, her smile growing wider and wider.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated, and a WeChat message popped up.

Mo Ge: [I saw it, good performance.]

Dilraba's eyes lit up instantly. She held her phone, stared at the line of text for several seconds, and then started typing.

[Brother Mo, you watched it? You really watched it?]

After posting it, I felt too excited, so I deleted it and retyped it.

[Thank you, Brother Mo! I thought I didn't perform well; I was a little nervous for the first episode...]

I still felt something was wrong, so I deleted it again, and finally posted three words.

The caption read, "Really?", accompanied by a meme of a kitten peeking out.

After sending it, she turned over and lay down on the bed, holding her phone and staring intently at the screen.

A few seconds later, Shen Mo replied: [Really. But how does it feel to be betrayed by Sun Honglei?]

Dilraba paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

She recalled the day of the recording, when she stood alone in the same spot without any instructions from the production team. She was completely bewildered and felt a pure sense of betrayal and anger.

Although Sun Honglei apologized to her later, she still felt aggrieved because without the game items, she didn't know how to play the game anymore.

Surprisingly, when people see the footage presented on variety shows, so many find it funny and entertaining, and even join in condemning Sun Honglei.

She typed back: 【I'm so angry! Hong Lei is so mean! We agreed to a relaxed and fun game, but he stole my safe and betrayed me right away!】

Shen Mo replied instantly: 【Then you can prank them back next time!】

Dilraba thought for a moment and replied, "Okay! Does Brother Mo have any suggestions?"

Shen Mo replied, "Next time, use the same excuse you had this time to make him feel guilty, then turn around and steal his things."

Then she received a meme of Dilraba laughing out loud.

Dilraba stared at the meme, her face instantly turning red. Mo Ge actually saved her meme!

Jia Yue came in after packing her things. Seeing her silly expression, she couldn't help but ask, "Sister Reba, what are you laughing at?"

Dilraba quickly put on a serious face: "It's nothing."

Jia Yue looked at her suspiciously: "Really?"

"real."

"Then why are you blushing?"

Dilraba touched her face; it was indeed a little hot. She turned her face away and said, "It's hot."

Jia Yue glanced at the air conditioner in the room, which was set to 18 degrees Celsius, and fell silent.

-----------------

In his office in the capital, Yang Tianzhen sat with data from Lin Wei displayed on his computer screen.

The online discussion surrounding "Go Fighting!" continued to rise. She leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

She was worried about having Dilraba become a regular MC on a variety show before, since Dilraba's variety show performance was almost nonexistent when she appeared on Running Man.

"Is she up to the task?" "Does she have enough variety show skills?" "Will she hold us back?" Similar questions arose after the official list of participants for this variety show was announced.

The answer is out now: okay, enough, won't hold anyone back.

It can only be said that Shen Mo's arrangement is really reasonable. Placing an innocent, cute, and pretty little sheep among a group of playful, cunning, and unruly old foxes can really create a variety show effect with a stark contrast.

The current results prove that Shen Mo's choice was right again.

Mohen was not the only company to obtain the relevant data; the variety show departments of major TV stations and video platforms also began to review and study the data.

"How was this lineup assembled?"

"How come Huang Lei and Sun Honglei have such great chemistry?"

Is Dilraba's unexpected charm a persona or her true self?

"Will Lu Han's popularity really increase if his idol image as a top star is shattered?"

In the conference room of Hunan TV, Zhou Jiansheng sat in the main seat and remained silent for a long time.

There were two documents in front of me. One document stated that the viewership rating of "Nirvana in Fire" had exceeded 2.4%, making it the second highest in its time slot and crushing Hunan TV's "Super Puppy" which had dropped to 1.5%. The other document stated that the premiere viewership rating of "Go Fighting!" on Tomato TV was also 1.5%.

The meeting room was completely silent; everyone was waiting.

Wang Jin sat in his seat, his face pale, and he had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, Zhou Jiansheng raised his head, his gaze swept across the conference room, and finally landed on Wang Jin.

"Director Wang." His voice was very calm, so calm that it sent chills down one's spine.

Wang Jin stood up: "Zhou Tai."

Zhou Jiansheng looked at him, remained silent for two seconds, and then said, "You've worked very hard at the film purchasing department, it's about time you took a break."

Wang Jin paused for a moment, then slowly lowered his head, his palms already sweating.

Zhou Jiansheng continued, "I've arranged a suitable retirement position for you. Go and take a rest."

Wang Jin's face turned as white as a sheet of paper instantly. "Zhou Tai, I..."

"No need to explain," Zhou Jiansheng interrupted him. "The transfer order has been issued. You should report to the logistics department later."

Wang Jin stood there, stunned, and opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

The meeting room was so quiet you could hear someone breathing. No one spoke, and no one dared to speak.

Wang Jin stood for a few seconds, then slowly sat down, lowered his head, and remained silent.

Zhou Jiansheng didn't look at him again, but turned to the other side of the conference table, "Yang Xi."

A middle-aged man in his early forties stood up: "Zhou Tai."

"From today onwards, you will take over as the head of the film purchasing department."

Yang Xi nodded: "Understood, I will definitely live up to Zhou Tai's expectations."

Zhou Jiansheng didn't say anything more, got up and left the meeting room. The moment the door closed, whispers finally broke out in the meeting room.

Wang Jin sat motionless in his seat, like a statue. Yang Xi glanced at him, said nothing, picked up the documents on the table, turned around and walked out.

The first thing he did after leaving his office was to go to Zhou Jiansheng's office, and then he booked the next available flight to the capital.

Sitting by the window on the plane, Yang Xi looked at the clouds outside, her mind racing with calculations.

He knew better than anyone how he got there, and he also knew better than anyone who had brought down Wang Jin.

Mohen, Shen Mo, and Li Yitong—he knew these three names by heart at this moment.

"My Love from the Star," "The Journey of Flower," and "Nirvana in Fire"—three dramas, three devastating blows—directly knocked Wang Jin from his position as director of the film purchasing department into the logistics department.

Now it's his turn, and he can't repeat the same mistakes.

When the plane landed, he glanced at his watch: 2 PM, there's still time.

At the front desk of Inkmark, Olivia was organizing the day's visitor records when she looked up and saw a middle-aged man walk in.

"Hello, who are you looking for?" Olivia greeted with a standard professional smile.

Yang Xi stepped forward and handed over his business card: "Hello, I am Yang Xi, the newly appointed director of the film acquisition department of Hunan TV. I would like to meet with General Manager Shen or General Manager Li."

Olivia glanced down at the business card—Yang Xi, Director of the Acquisition Department, Hunan TV.

She looked up, her smile unchanged: "Hello, Director Yang, do you have an appointment?"

Yang Xi shook her head: "No."

Olivia paused for a moment, "Director Yang, General Manager Shen isn't in Beijing, but General Manager Li is at the company. However, his schedule is quite full today, so perhaps..."

"It's alright," Yang Xi interrupted her calmly. "I'll just wait here."

"If Mr. Li is available, please let him know. If not, I will come again tomorrow."

After speaking, he walked to the sofa in the waiting area, put down his briefcase, and sat down quietly.

Olivia stared at his retreating figure for two seconds, then picked up the phone and dialed the internal line to Li Yitong's office.

"Mr. Li, Yang Xi, the new director of the film purchasing department of Hunan TV, has arrived. He didn't make an appointment and is currently sitting in the waiting area waiting for you. He said to call him if it's convenient for you."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Li Yitong's voice came through, tinged with amusement: "Wait here? Okay, I got it."

After hanging up the phone, she leaned back in her chair and tapped her fingers lightly on the table.

The new director of Hunan TV's film acquisition department, Yang Xi, is different from the name she knew before.

She turned on her computer and went to the Hunan TV personnel appointment page.

The latest news is striking: Wang Jin has been transferred to the logistics department, and Yang Xi is the new director of the film purchasing department.

Li Yitong stared at the line of words, and the corners of her mouth slowly curved up. That's right.

She picked up her phone and dialed Shen Mo's number.

"Feed?" Shen Mo's voice came from the other end of the phone, tinged with amusement. "What instructions does President Li have?"

Li Yitong rolled her eyes: "Stop being silly. Someone from Hunan TV is here. The newly appointed director of the film purchasing department, Yang Xi, is sitting in the waiting area waiting for me."

Shen Mo gave an "Oh," his tone devoid of any discernible emotion: "And then?"

"And then?" Li Yitong raised an eyebrow. "I'm just asking you, are you going to see him or not?"

Shen Mo chuckled: "Why are you asking me? They're here to see you, not me."

Li Yitong snorted: "Stop it, stop fooling around, let's get down to business."

Shen Mo's laughter grew louder. "Alright, I'll give you a suggestion."

"Whether to see him or not, how to see him, and for how long..."

Shen Mo paused for a moment, then said, "It all depends on our CEO Li's mood."

"If you're still not satisfied, then keep ignoring him. If you feel that's enough, then give him a break."

Hearing this, Li Yitong couldn't help but smile. "What if I just ignore him?"

"Then let it sit there." Shen Mo's tone was nonchalant. "Anyway, we're not in a hurry, and we don't need another TV station to cooperate with us."

Li Yitong smiled and said, "Okay, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, she leaned back in her chair, looked at the sky outside the window, and thought for a few seconds.

She wasn't an unreasonable person. Her previous refusal to cooperate with Mango was indeed due to the gradual conflicts they had made. But now that Mango had shown a willingness to back down, she naturally didn't want to create an enemy for Mohen for no reason.

She checked the time on her phone; it was 4:10.

She decided to leave him out for a while.

It's not that she's holding a grudge, it's just... well, she's a little temperamental. What's wrong?

In the waiting area, Yang Xi sat on the sofa with a glass of water that Olivia had brought him in front of him; he had already drunk about half of it.

He glanced at his watch: 4:15. He glanced at it again: 4:20. He glanced at it once more: 4:25.

He picked up his water glass and took another sip.

"No rush," he told himself. "How did Wang Jin fall? Because he was too hasty."

He couldn't rush to make a judgment, rush to change the show, or rush to go against Mohen.

His visit today is to send a signal: Mango has changed, a new person has taken office, and a new attitude has emerged.

Whether the signal can be received, and how the other party responds after it is received, is not something he can control.

All he can control is to sit here quietly and wait until the other party is willing to see him.

At 4:35, Olivia answered a phone call, then looked up at the waiting area and said, "Director Yang."

Yang Xi stood up, her face showing no impatience: "Mr. Li, are you free?"

Olivia nodded: "Mr. Li has just finished a meeting. Please come with me."

There was a knock on Li Yitong's office door. "Come in."

Yang Xi pushed open the door and entered. The first thing she saw was Li Yitong sitting behind her desk.

She was wearing a beige knitted sweater, her hair casually draped over her shoulders, twirling a pen in her hand, and looking at him with a half-smile. "Director Yang, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Yang Xi stepped forward and bowed slightly: "President Li, you're too kind. It was my presumptuous visit. It's only right that I wait a while."

Li Yitong raised an eyebrow; this person's voice was quite pleasant.

She pointed to the chair opposite her: "Director Yang, please have a seat."

Yang Xi sat down and got straight to the point: "President Li, I won't beat around the bush. I'm here today on one hand to express my apologies to Mohen on behalf of Hunan TV; on the other hand, I also hope to deepen our cooperation."

Li Yitong didn't say anything, she just looked at him.

Yang Xi continued, "What happened before was Wang Jin's personal decision-making error and did not represent Hunan TV's attitude. The station has now made adjustments. I am the newly appointed director of the film acquisition department, and I hope to establish a new cooperative relationship with Mohen."

Li Yitong leaned back in her chair, the pen still twirling in her hand.

"Director Yang," she said slowly, a slight smile playing on her lips, "you're too kind. Mango has done nothing to wrong Mohen, and Mohen has done nothing to wrong Mango, so there's no need for an apology."

Yang Xi nodded: "Mr. Li is right, I used the wrong words."

Li Yitong looked at him, suddenly smiled, stopped twirling her pen, put it down, interlaced her fingers on the table in front of her, and leaned forward slightly.

"Director Lin, could you please tell us how your station plans to establish a new cooperative relationship?"

Yang Xi took a document out of his briefcase and handed it over with both hands.

"This is the cooperation plan proposed by our station. First, we hope to obtain the second round of broadcast rights for 'Go Fighting!'. We can discuss the price and the amount of promotion."

Li Yitong took the document, glanced at it, and asked, "What's the second one?"

Yang Xi continued, "Secondly, we hope to have priority in negotiating all future dramas and variety shows produced by Mohen. In terms of price, we will offer the highest market price."

Li Yitong's eyebrows twitched. Priority negotiation rights and the highest market price—this was indeed a show of sincerity.

Yang Xi paused for a moment, then said, "Thirdly, our station is currently preparing a drama called 'Pretty Li Huizhen.' If Mohen is interested, the lead role can be given to one of his artists."

Li Yitong's hand suddenly stopped. (From "Pretty Li Huizhen")

She almost couldn't control her expression; she knew this show too well.

In her past life, Dilraba won the Golden Eagle Goddess Award with this drama, and was then criticized by the entire internet for her entire life as a "water queen" (a derogatory term implying she was unfairly chosen).

She closed the document, looked up at Yang Xi, and Yang Xi was also looking at her with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Li Yitong was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Director Yang, I appreciate your sincerity."

"Cooperation is something we can discuss."

"First, regarding the second round of broadcast rights for 'Go Fighting!', there's nothing we can do about it; Tomato TV already bought them. However, we have another variety show called 'Back to Field,' with Huang Lei and Tian Xiwei as the main MCs. If your company is willing to join the co-production, we hope that He Jiong can also become one of the main MCs."

Yang Xi had heard of this name before. Mohen had talked to Mango about it before, but Wang Jin had suppressed it because of the negative public opinion surrounding Tian Xiwei and Shen Mo. Now that Li Yitong had brought it up again, it seemed difficult to refuse.

However, he thought again that he was able to get to this position because of Mohen. So what if Tian Xiwei had some negative public opinion? He would take a gamble!

Yang Xi nodded immediately, "Okay, I may need to discuss the specific details of the cooperation with the project team, and I also need to communicate with Teacher He before we can finalize it."

"Secondly, the right to priority negotiation, this is negotiable."

Li Yitong paused for a moment, then said, "As for 'Pretty Li Huizhen'..."

She thought for a moment and said, "I'll take the role, but I need to think about who should play it."

Yang Xi nodded: "Of course, the choice will be made by Mohen."