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

Lin Shen smiled and said slowly:

"Don't waste this buzz these days; there are plenty of my itinerary photos online, aren't there?"

Yang Chaoyue blinked, quickly following his train of thought: "You mean...let them out?"

"Let them know appropriately," Lin Shen said. "Let them know at a glance that there's a reason I turned down their roles—my schedule really wasn't available. It wasn't about holding out for a higher price, nor was it a last-minute cancellation."

Yang Chaoyue nodded and began to silently organize his thoughts in his mind.

Lin Shen continued, "Then we'll find some online trolls to push things along, creating the impression that I've been diligently working on the project, and that Feng Kuzi's side is in the wrong, and we're in a weak position."

Yang Chaoyue's eyes grew brighter and brighter: "Once those official videos are released, the tide will turn!"

Lin Shen glanced at her and said with a smile, "Some of those people who are criticizing me now might feel guilty and become my fans."

After listening, Yang Chaoyue had already mentally rehearsed the entire operation: first hardship, then sweetness; first suppression, then elevation. Once the official endorsement was released, the effect of the public opinion reversal would be absolutely explosive.

"I get it, Brother Shen! First, you torture your fans, then you solidify your fanbase. The more you torture them, the less likely they are to leave!"

Lin Shen chuckled at her use of technical jargon: "More or less."

Yang Chaoyue immediately laughed: "I'll tell the team right now!"

After saying that, he lowered his head and started typing, his fingers flying across the screen.

Lin Shen looked at her and shook his head with a smile.

My phone vibrated.

He looked down and saw it was a WeChat message from Bai Mengyan.

Bai Mengyan: "Shen-ge!!! Feng Kuzi bullied you again!!!"

This was followed by a string of angry emojis.

Lin Shen's lips curled up, and he typed: "Saw it."

The reply came instantly: "Your fan group has exploded! So many girls are saying they're going to bombard Feng Xiaogang and the 'Electronic Music Bodhisattva's' Weibo accounts!!!"

Lin Shen couldn't help but laugh out loud.

This girl, even though she was taking classes at the company, kept her alternate account lurking in the fan group, knowing everything that was going on.

He typed: "Don't be impulsive, I have a plan."

Bai Mengyan replied instantly:

"real?!!"

"What arrangements? What arrangements! Can I tell you? Can I tell you?!"

"Forget it, stop talking. If you do, I'll inevitably spoil the plot for everyone in the group!"

"I'll keep it to myself!!!"

"I feel so suffocated!!!"

"Never mind, you go ahead and do your work, I'll process this myself!"

Lin Shen looked at the series of messages and a smile crept onto his face.

Where are you?

"At work classes T_T, the fitness instructor said my core strength is insufficient and made me do planks every day, but now I'm just a plank..."

"You've worked hard, keep practicing."

"Hmph, just wait until you get back and check!"

Lin Shen chuckled and replied with an "Mm".

I had just put my phone down when it vibrated again; it was a message from Chen Duling.

Chen Duling: "Lin Shen, it's happening online again? Are you alright?"

Lin Shen stared at the message for a while before replying:

"It's nothing, it's just the production team creating hype, don't worry about it."

Chen Duling quickly replied, "That's good."

Lin Shen: "Mm."

Lin Shen then glanced at the time; it was already five o'clock.

It's almost time.

He gave the driver a location: "Go over there."

The car started and entered the evening rush hour traffic.

After finishing his team's business, Yang Chaoyue glanced back at Lin Shen and found him looking down at his phone with a faint smile on his lips.

She wisely didn't disturb them and turned back to continue scrolling through her phone.

Forty minutes later, the car stopped in front of an inconspicuous private restaurant.

The storefront is small and hidden in the old neighborhood. It doesn't even have a sign, but those in the know understand that you have to wait a long time to make an appointment for this kind of place.

Lin Shen got out of the car and looked at Yang Chaoyue, who was getting up, and said, "Just wait for me in the car. I'll pack some for you later."

Yang Chaoyue sat down again, smiling and nodding.

Lin Shen walked in, passed through a screen wall, went around a small grove of bamboo, and found that the door to the innermost private room was ajar.

When I pushed open the door, there was already one person sitting in the private room.

A woman in her thirties, dressed simply and smartly, was looking down at her phone.

She heard the noise, looked up, smiled, and stood up to greet them.

Lin Shen extended his hand and said with a smile:

"Long time no see, Sister Xi."

The private room was warmly lit, filled with the aroma of tea.

Lin Shen held the other person's hand and added with a smile, "It's been more than a month since we last met, hasn't it?"

"Pretty much." Chen Zhixi withdrew his hand, gesturing for him to sit down. "Back then, you had just become famous, and wherever you went, you were surrounded by a group of people. You couldn't even get a word in edgewise."

Lin Shen sat down opposite her and poured himself a cup of tea.

As he sat down, his gaze lingered on the other person's face for a moment.

Chen Zhixi, or rather, Chen Xi.

Anyone who has read a few Chinese entertainment novels will be familiar with this name.

If a time traveler wants to do something legitimate, eight out of ten books will try to dig her out.

Starting as an independent producer, he began to make a name for himself with "Lost in Thailand" and has worked on increasingly impressive projects ever since.

My girlfriend has only one defining characteristic: she's a fighter.

Being able to do it means that she not only understands content, but also knows how to turn content into money.

Moreover, she has a rare skill in the industry: she can find the safest path between creators and investors, and both sides respect her.

When Lin Shen was listing candidates for CEO, she was the first person he thought of.

The only question is: can we win?

After all, this woman is still holding the rights to "Jianbing Man," and Ruyi Huace is also keeping an eye on her; she's not so easy to invite.

But it is precisely because they are difficult to invite that we should invite them even more.

Lin Shen withdrew his gaze, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

Chen Zhixi looked him up and down before speaking first:

"Lin Shen, you're quick on the uptake. Last month you said you wanted to meet with me to talk, and I thought it was just a normal collaboration. But in just two days, your company was already established."

She paused, picked up her teacup, and said, "And you even secured investment from Tencent. Impressive."

Lin Shen smiled, picked up his teacup and took a sip: "If we don't hurry, our Sister Xi will be snatched away."

Chen Zhixi glanced at him, a smile playing on her lips: "I already said I'd wait for you, what are you afraid of?"

Lin Shen put down his teacup, looked at her, and raised an eyebrow: "Haven't any other companies contacted you?"

Chen Zhixi was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

"I knew I couldn't hide it from you."

"I've approached Enlight Media and Ruyi, and several other funds have also expressed their interest. But I always say that we should focus on finishing 'Jianbing Man' first, and I don't have the energy to think about anything else at this stage."

Lin Shen nodded, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

"Jianbing Man"

Of course he knows this movie.

When Da Peng's first movie was released, it was heavily marketed, and the phrase "I owe a movie ticket to the loser" was all over the internet.

The box office was indeed impressive, grossing over a billion yuan, which was quite a blockbuster at the time.

But the film itself... well, it's absolutely awful.

Da Peng's reputation was completely ruined after that. It took several good movies for him to slowly regain some of the trust that had been eroded.

The person in front of me is most likely the one who came up with this marketing plan.

Lin Shen snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Chen Zhixi: "Sister Xi, how's 'Jianbing Man' going?"

Chen Zhixi sighed, picked up his teacup, and then put it down again:

"What else can we do? Filming just started last month. It's Da Peng's first time directing a movie, and he's really reckless. The budget simply can't keep up."

She paused, then looked at Lin Shen: "I've been trying to attract investment lately. Are you interested?"