Huayu: You were supposed to be a top star, but you've become capital?

Even at four o'clock in the afternoon, the sun in Huizhou in September is still scorching, making a stone engraved with the school name "Hua Luogeng Middle School" shine.

At this moment, a slender figure carrying a backpack and wearing a school uniform was constantly looking at the road, her pretty face filled with the unease of a guilty thief.

As a boarding student, Zhou Ye felt that the school gates were an insurmountable barrier for her, except on weekends.

The strict boarding system requires that students must submit a written application to leave school for any reason, which must be approved by both the homeroom teacher and the dormitory supervisor. Only after obtaining the valuable boarding student departure form and handing it to the gatekeeper can they gain a brief period of freedom.

Leaving the school without permission is a serious offense that could result in the cancellation of accommodation privileges or even more severe penalties.

That afternoon, Zhou Ye made a decision that could be described as crazy.

While scrolling through her phone during break, she came across a news report about Lin Shen's team arriving in Shenzhen.

In the video, Lin Shen casually mentioned while answering a fan's question that he was only staying in Shenzhen for one day.

This sentence ignited a thought that had been swirling in Zhou Ye's mind for a long time: Lin Shen must have come to Guangdong Province to check on the production of the track truck!

In that case, he will definitely go to his own factory in Guangzhou.

That factory was the culmination of her father's years of hard work in Guangzhou.

It's Tuesday now, and Mom will absolutely not agree to take me to Guangzhou to chase after my idol. Time is tight, and Zhou Ye doesn't have time to plan slowly.

A bold, even somewhat clumsy, lie took shape in her mind. Now that things had come to this, she could only apologize to her father!

Zhou Ye clutched the leave slip, found her homeroom teacher, her eyes reddening instantly, and choked up at just the right moment:

"Teacher, my dad is in Guangzhou... he suddenly feels very unwell and I really need to go see him..."

Perhaps because she seemed quiet and well-behaved, the homeroom teacher, despite her doubts, still signed her name after repeatedly reminding her to "be careful and come back quickly."

Next came the dormitory supervisor. After going through the process again, I finally received the school leaving slip, which symbolized my pass.

At this moment, clutching the school leaving slip and the high-speed rail ticket in her pocket, Zhou Ye's heart raced, and she couldn't wait to leave the school.

Finally, a taxi with its "For hire" light on slowed down and stopped. Zhou Ye quickly opened the door and climbed in.

"Driver, to Huizhou South Railway Station, the high-speed rail station!"

Once the car started moving and was out of sight of the school, Zhou Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief, took out her phone, and opened Weibo.

Then, she froze.

On the screen, the top ten trending topics had become a "Forest Zone".

#LinShenSpeaksOut#, #LinShenDrugPoliceOfficer#, #DoTheyHaveA Chance to Start Over?#...

A series of entries followed by the deep red word "Explosion" is shocking.

"What's going on?" Zhou Ye muttered to herself, completely bewildered, having expected to see handsome photos from the airport or beautiful pictures from events.

She casually clicked on the most popular post, scrolled a few times, and a comment suddenly jumped out at her:

"Salted Soda Isn't Salty: Some of you whitewashing fans, stop making a fool of yourselves! Since Chong Shen was the first to speak out today, I'm rooting for him and will support him forever! That's the kind of responsibility a top star should have!"

Zhou Ye had a deep impression of this account; it was a long-time fan with strong fighting spirit in the community, often at the forefront of the fight against online trolls.

When Zhou Ye saw a core fan say something like "I'll be a fan for life," her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly scrolled down to find out what had happened.

A few minutes later, she roughly understood.

During a break from attending an event, Lin Shen saw a discussion about a controversial figure and decided to write a long post.

The article didn't dwell on the gossip and scandals of the entertainment industry; instead, it directly asked: "Do those who sacrificed their lives have a chance to start over?"

Zhou Ye clicked on the report Lin Shen had forwarded, and her heart clenched suddenly, followed by a very direct emotion:

Her idol did something incredibly awesome!

"That's too tough..."

Zhou Ye muttered something under her breath and casually liked the comment that the soda wasn't salty.

At that moment, the taxi stopped.

"arrive."

Zhou Ye looked up and saw the high-speed rail station right in front of her. She paid the fare, got off the train, put her phone back in her pocket, and jogged into the station.

The anxiety I felt because of lying about taking leave seemed to have subsided considerably after seeing what I had just browsed.

She was going to Guangzhou, to her father's factory.

Time seemed to stretch out in the anxious wait. Just as Jia Shikai watched the trending topic #LinShenSpeaksOut# steadily rise in rankings and the voices of support in the comments section grow ever stronger,

But the eerie silence within the circle grew stronger, intensifying his unease.

The landline phone on the table, which was usually used for business transactions, suddenly rang.

The ringtone sounded particularly jarring in the otherwise quiet office.

Jia Shikai glanced at the caller ID; it was a local Beijing landline number with no name in the contacts, but the prefix looked familiar, making him inexplicably uneasy.

Jia Shikai quickly answered the phone, and a calm voice came from the other end: "Are you Lin Shen's agent?"

"Yes, yes, yes, that's me!" Jia Shikai sat up straight instantly.

The call was brief. Jia Shikai's expression shifted from tense to focused, and he finally responded repeatedly:

"Okay, I understand! Thank you!"

After putting down the receiver, Jia Shikai leaned back in his chair and remained silent for a moment.

The anxiety and worry that had been hanging over my heart receded like the tide, replaced by a feeling of relief and ease.

He deleted the crisis response guidelines he had only half-finished typing, and then silently liked Lin Shen's Weibo post.

Then, Jia Shikai sent a message to the public relations department, which was still on standby: "Routine monitoring is sufficient; contingency plans... are not needed for now."

Looking at the still-boiling public opinion field on the screen, and thinking back to the brief phone call just now, Jia Shikai shook his head, a complicated smile on his face.

This kid... he's really lucky.

It's great in every aspect.

Meanwhile, Jaeger-LeCoultre's appreciation dinner was held in the banquet hall of the Shangri-La Hotel in Luohu.

Lin Shenzheng and several brand executives were holding champagne and talking by the window, with the dazzling night view of Hong Kong outside.

"Mr. Lin's popularity today is truly impressive," said DuPont, Sales Director of South China, raising his glass with a smile.

"We anticipated the level of popularity, but the scene of the atrium and the upper floors being packed with people still exceeded our expectations."

"Mr. DuPont, you flatter me. It is the allure of Jaeger-LeCoultre that attracts everyone," Lin Shen responded modestly.

Director Li Mingfen, who is in charge of marketing and communications, then spoke:

"Not only today, but we have also noticed that Mr. Lin, as a close friend of Gucci, has a very significant influence on the sales of similar and related products."

We've also reviewed some market data internally, and your conversion rate is among the top tier of recent artists.

Mr. Chen, the Vice President of Greater China, nodded slightly at her words, signaling her to continue.

"Therefore, what interests us is the sustainability of this influence," Li Mingfen stated directly.

"Your post on social media this afternoon, although seemingly a different matter, has created a very positive public image, which carries a different weight than your other posts."

Lin Shen was not surprised that they brought up this matter: "I just did what I felt I should do. As for the commercial value, I believe that professionals will have a more objective judgment."

At this moment, a staff member came over and whispered to Lin Shen that the rest room reserved for him had been prepared and he could tidy up a bit.

Lin Shen understood and bowed apologetically to the brand executives: "Excuse me, I'll go change my clothes."

"Please proceed, Mr. Lin. The banquet will officially begin shortly," Vice President Chen said with a smile.

Watching Lin Shen's tall figure walk towards the side door of the banquet hall, the executives looked away and exchanged glances.

"What do you think?" Li Mingfen asked Du Bang directly.

"The data doesn't lie," DuPont said in a low voice. "His impact on Gucci's sales is undeniable, and today's offline popularity is proof of that. The purchasing power and action of his fans are quite extraordinary."

Vice President Chen nodded: "The key is his difference from our other partners. Our ambassador, Zhao Yanzi, has an indisputable status and national recognition, and covers a wider and more mature audience."

Lin Shen represents a rising, young, high-net-worth group with strong consumer desires and close ties to the online market. These two groups are not contradictory; in fact, they can complement each other.

Li Mingfen continued her analysis: "That's right, and after today's incident, he is different from ordinary traffic stars, and his public image has become more substantial."

Theoretically, they have stronger risk resistance and are more likely to gain favor with mainstream public opinion, which is a plus for our brand reputation.

Vice President Chen pondered for a moment: "What's your suggestion?"

"I'm thinking," Li Mingfen stated clearly, "should we consider taking our cooperation to the next level?"

For example, a title more in line with his current influence and image would be Jaeger-LeCoultre's brand ambassador for China.