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

After the script reading, the upcoming National Day holiday did not disrupt the rhythm of Lin Shen's team.

For Lin Shen, this holiday was a mini-exam, and his report card is coming out one after another.

First, on Xiaohongshu, on the evening of September 28, Lin Shen's first post received over 80,000 likes and over 30,000 favorites within 24 hours.

The comment section was flooded with fans and fashion enthusiasts, and the focus of the discussion quickly shifted from his outfits to the composition of the photos and the style of the captions.

More importantly, this post brought over 15 new registered users to Xiaohongshu through Lin Shen's referral program and the platform's own recommendation mechanism.

Mao Wenchao called immediately, his excitement palpable even through the receiver: "Teacher Lin, your influence as Chief Experience Officer is even stronger than we anticipated!"

Secondly, there's the October issue of Esquire magazine, featuring Lin Shen on the cover with the title "New Trajectory," which has a double meaning.

The magazine went on pre-sale online and offline simultaneously on September 30, and the fans demonstrated strong purchasing power and organizational ability.

The first batch of 50,000 copies sold out in 2 hours and 17 minutes through official online channels, and the additional 30,000 copies printed urgently also ran out before the end of the holiday.

The response from offline newsstands and bookstores was equally enthusiastic, especially among young readers in first- and second-tier cities, where this issue of the magazine became a hot commodity.

Preliminary statistics show that sales in the first week have easily exceeded 80,000 copies, and the magazine is racing toward breaking the annual single-issue sales record of Esquire magazine.

In a text message to Li Hui, Zhang Lei remarked with emotion: "We made the right bet. He not only brought traffic, but also depth to the topic and increased purchasing activity."

Finally, and most importantly, the core battleground for Lin Shen's independent development, Trajectory, officially launched its pre-sale on the Taobao flagship store at midnight on October 1st.

The first batch of eight items covers basic styles such as jeans, T-shirts, shirt dresses, and sweatshirts, with designs emphasizing fit and details, and positioned as affordable luxury.

The moment the pre-sale started, the surge of traffic caused the page to freeze briefly.

24-hour pre-sale data: Total pre-orders reached 162,417 units, with estimated sales exceeding 48.5 million RMB.

This figure not only relieved the operations team, but also excited Zhou and other suppliers so much that they called Lin Shen that very night to share the good news and guarantee that the quality of the bulk goods would absolutely withstand inspection.

After the holiday, Lin Shen's workload increased rather than decreased.

With the filming of "The Lost Tomb" about to begin, costume fittings and martial arts training are on the agenda, there's the shipping and repeat orders for "Trajectory," the need to plan for in-depth content cooperation with Xiaohongshu, the follow-up training for new employees at Lucky Film, and countless investment briefings and business meetings...

Meanwhile, in Tongliang at this time, the evening breeze already carried a hint of early autumn coolness.

Tian Xiwei parked her electric scooter steadily in front of the junior high school section of Tongliang Middle School, supporting herself on one foot, her eyes searching through the surging crowd.

Soon, she saw her younger sister walking out with her schoolbag on her back, laughing and joking with her classmates.

"Tian Xiguang! Over here!" Tian Xiwei called out.

Tian Xiguang's eyes lit up. He waved to his classmate, jogged over, nimbly jumped onto the back seat, and skillfully hugged his sister's waist.

"Sis, how long have we been waiting?"

"Just arrived." Tian Xiwei turned on the throttle, and the little electric scooter nimbly merged into the traffic of students leaving school. "Mom has been getting off work late these past few days, so she told us to buy some food ourselves."

"Eating out again?" Tian Xiguang pressed his face against his sister's back.

"What has Mom been busy with lately? She seems even busier than before. She hardly came home during the National Day holiday."

Tian Xiwei was also pondering this matter.

Before National Day, my mother said that through an introduction, she got a job at a large company that had just come to Chongqing to set up a warehouse. The salary was much better than before, but it was busy, and she often had to work overtime to check and organize.

"They say it's a big company, but they're setting up a southwest branch; there's a lot going on in the preparatory stage," Tian Xiwei replied.

"Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? Mom gave me some money, she said she'll buy something nice."

"I want sweet potato noodles! Extra kimchi and radish!" Tian Xiguang immediately perked up. "Let's also buy some cold noodles, and get some for Mom too, in case she comes back late."

The two sisters stopped in front of a familiar vendor, waiting for the sweet potato noodles to be roasted until they were crispy and fragrant.

Tian Xiguang, sipping his milk tea through a straw, suddenly leaned closer to his sister: "Sis, have you figured out how to tell Mom?"

Tian Xiwei was watching the stall owner skillfully brush on the chili sauce when she heard this and was taken aback.

The question her younger sister asked was about something she had kept in her heart for many days.

Not long after the start of her second year of high school, during a rehearsal for a talent show, her instructor watched a clip of her modern dance and half-jokingly remarked:

"Xiwei, with your physique and energy, you'd be perfect for studying acting and becoming an actress."

The speaker may have been unintentional, but it planted a seed of doubt in her heart.

Become an actor? Become a big star? Like Lin Shen, who's been all the rage on TV lately, shining brightly?

Once the thought popped into my head, it was hard to suppress.

Otherwise, she wouldn't always sneak off to the empty rehearsal hall during breaks to practice the dance moves she learned from videos in front of the mirror.

Which sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl hasn't harbored a dazzling dream in her heart?

But that's where the problem lies.

Tian Xiwei's grades are not bad. She is a student in the liberal arts experimental class of Tongliang Middle School, and her monthly exam ranking is consistently among the top in the grade. If she continues like this, it is highly likely that she will get into a good university.

If your grades aren't good, it might be easier to bring up the idea of ​​changing your path with your family.

It is precisely because his grades were quite good that this far-fetched idea seemed even more like a waste of time.

Tian Xiwei could almost imagine what her parents' reaction would be if she asked them—surprise, confusion, and most likely, opposition.

My parents are both people who value stability. In their view, studying hard, getting into a good university, and finding a stable job is the right path.

"Ugh, this is so annoying." Tian Xiwei sighed, took the fragrant sweet potato noodles from the stall owner, and handed one to her younger sister. "I haven't decided yet, let's just take it one step at a time."

Tian Xiguang, biting into a sweet potato rind, mumbled, "I think you're good. You dance well, and you're good-looking too!"

Tian Xiwei laughed and poked her sister's forehead: "Eat yours."

The two sisters, carrying the packed food, rode their electric scooter through the streets where the streetlights were gradually coming on, heading towards home.

The uncertainty and faint anticipation about the future in Tian Xiwei's heart drifted gently in the evening breeze.

As soon as I opened the door, warm yellow light and the aroma of food wafted out.

Tian Xiwei and Tian Xiguang were both stunned. Their mother was actually at home, with several takeout dishes on the table: salted duck, spicy chicken, and their favorite pig's trotter soup.

"Mom? Why are you back so early today?" Tian Xiguang was the first to react, throwing down his schoolbag and rushing to the table, his eyes shining.

Aunt Tian, ​​wearing an apron and carrying two bowls of rice, came out of the kitchen and said with a smile:

"The warehouse inventory is partially completed today, so the manager has given everyone a day off to come back and rest. It's been a while since we've had a proper meal together."

Tian Xiwei put down her things, feeling a surge of joy. Her mother had indeed been too busy lately, and her face looked tired.

"Go wash your hands and eat."

Mother Tian greeted them, and after the two sisters were seated, she seemed to remember something, turned around and picked up several elegant paper bags from beside the sofa.

"Oh, and this too, I bought it for you guys."

"New clothes?"

Tian Xiwei's eyes lit up; what girl doesn't love new clothes?

She put down her chopsticks and took the paper bag, inside which were neatly folded hoodies and trousers, the fabric of which felt soft and solid to the touch.

She picked up a loose blue sweatshirt with a simple, flowing line pattern on the chest. Looking at the tag, she saw a logo with two simple Chinese characters.