Chapter 20

Sheng Quan boarded the plane again the next day.

The driver brother was still by her side as usual.

Most of the time, he remained silent, and it seemed intentional; many times his presence was so subtle that one could hardly notice.

After observing for a while, Sheng Quan concluded that he must be doing this on purpose. Wherever she went and whatever she did, this brother’s position was always the most suitable for being ignored and yet ready to act promptly if she encountered any danger.

It had to be said that having a reliable and taciturn but capable person around her after “revealing her wealth” was one of the reasons Sheng Quan could travel around with peace of mind.

For instance, at this moment, the driver brother was sitting in the outermost seat. Every time a stewardess came to serve, although his body made no movement, Sheng Quan could clearly feel the instant tightening of his muscles.

He must have been a soldier.

Even though they were on a plane and facing a pretty and friendly stewardess, he remained highly vigilant. It wasn’t excessive nervousness but a sense of responsibility for Sheng Quan’s safety.

Sheng Quan could sense that the stewardesses who felt “observed” could also sense it, especially those like them who frequently flew around and encountered all sorts of passengers. As soon as they boarded the plane, they realized that there was a “bodyguard” with them.

There weren’t many bosses in China who brought bodyguards with them, after all, it was a peaceful society, and there were surveillance cameras everywhere. Unless one’s wealth reached a certain level, they would at most bring assistants or subordinates for travel.

Bringing a bodyguard on a plane, and one who looked like he could fight, Sheng Quan was indeed as wealthy as rumored on the internet.

Although she thought so, she didn’t show it on her face. After returning to her seat, she exchanged glances with the other stewardesses and stewards.

As soon as Sheng Quan boarded the plane, they noticed.

After all, the hot search about “Strawberry TV advancing the airing time of the talent show by five hours due to Sheng Quan’s comment” was still lively on the internet. In today’s society, who doesn’t go online? When they saw Sheng Quan’s name, they even wondered if it was a namesake.

But when the person herself boarded the plane, they were all sure. It was definitely her—Sheng Quan, the young rich woman, without a doubt.

According to their estimation, she might even be wealthier than the rumors online. After all, her “bodyguard” by her side looked extremely professional, which meant that she was now flying to Xinan. Was she going to watch “Singing With You”?

Sheng Quan was unaware of the stewardesses and stewards secretly exchanging glances, as she was indeed very wealthy now, albeit only virtually.

After the task was issued, she had experimented. Online banking wouldn’t work, neither would online purchases. This hundred million had to be spent using virtual currencies not recognized by the public.

For example, with online banking, if she tried to buy something, the shopkeeper would kindly ask her to scan the code. But if she tried to use the currency from live streaming apps or tickets from talent shows to buy things, the shopkeeper would also be kind and friendly. Then they would smile and call the police, or have her taken away by the psychiatric hospital.

This hundred million was restricted to “currencies not recognized by the public”.

Of course, it was impossible to spend it on live streaming apps. It wasn’t that it couldn’t be done, but it wouldn’t maximize the benefits of this money. Once spent, it would be gone, and apart from thickening her already “wealthy” image, it wouldn’t be useful.

But “Singing With You” was different.

First of all, Strawberry TV was a nationally recognized TV station, even though it was on the decline, and secondly, this program leaned towards public welfare. This hundred million, whether practically or in terms of social impact, was just right for this purpose.

Of course, Sheng Quan’s choice wasn’t limited to this program alone. With money in hand, she could do whatever she wanted. It wasn’t necessary to invest only in this program.

This hundred million indeed couldn’t be used for herself, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t use this money to gain other benefits for herself and her company.

For example, the resources of an entire TV station.

---

Strawberry TV swiftly caught the olive branch Sheng Quan extended, and their actions were as smooth as if they were afraid someone would snatch it from them.

They weren’t a provincial TV station. Although they had once had a glorious period, with the rise of various electronic products, viewers had more choices, and their ratings were declining day by day.

Who would be willing to accept such an ending after having once been glorious? So, when the deputy director passed this matter up, the director didn’t think for long before agreeing to his strategy.

It could be called hype or sucking up.

As for an established TV station flattering a young person like Sheng Quan, wasn’t it embarrassing? But with no ratings left, why bother about face?

The director and his team just wanted to seize the opportunity and give it a shot. Perhaps a bicycle could turn into a motorcycle. As for the production team of “Singing With You,” this was like sitting at home and suddenly getting a windfall.

As mentioned before, “Singing With You” was actually not valued by the station at all. It had even gone through many difficulties and setbacks to get approval halfway through, and the budget was pitifully small. The time slot given was the insane hour of 1 a.m.

Because this industry was becoming more and more competitive, most talent shows were basically live broadcasts to give viewers a sense of full participation. Who would watch at one in the morning?

Moreover, at such a late hour, not only would the contestants not be in good shape, but even the mentors and the audience might not be at their best. It might even result in bizarre scenes where contestants sang, mentors listened seriously, and the audience fell asleep.

However, being full of grievances was of no use. Who asked for there to be so many of these types of talent shows nowadays? Not to mention other channels, just focusing on Strawberry TV, there were four talent shows airing at the same time.

They had ample funds, powerful production, and even invited some famous mentors. What did they have? Just a makeup artist who could only paint pirate makeup for the contestants?

“Singing With You” could only endure this fate. Even though they started off against all odds, they still held onto a tiny hope that they might strike it big by some miracle.

And guess what? That miracle actually happened to them!

The show suddenly attracted a lot of attention from netizens, and it was unprecedentedly aired five hours earlier at the prime time of 8 p.m. What a stroke of luck!

And all of this was just because of a single sentence from Sheng Quan.

The producers were well aware that the station’s decision was not solely for this reason, but they still wished they could provide Sheng Quan with a golden statue to worship every day.

Although the early airing of the show meant that all the previously planned schedules had to be rearranged, just notifying the mentors, contestants, and audience members was already causing considerable headaches. But everyone was busy and excited at the same time.

Especially now, the heat about this matter on the internet was still fermenting.

Strawberry TV was indeed on its last legs, but the onlookers didn’t know. In their eyes, Sheng Quan had become so influential that she made a TV station change its program schedule just to make her smile.

Posts and Weibo threads guessing her identity suddenly increased. Some speculated that with the Huaxing Building under her name, her wealth was at least over a hundred billion. Some guessed she was backed by a certain family, and there were even those who confidently claimed she was a princess from some small country.

The last guess was collectively treated as a joke because it was too far-fetched.

Big Rabbit Cub: [Let’s be honest, even if she were a king of a small country, she wouldn’t be as wealthy as Sheng Quan.]

Fish Playing in Water: [Indeed, small countries aren’t as powerful as you think. Except for a few specific ones, most small countries don’t have much national assets.]

The Grace of Fish Swinging: [Just the Huaxing Building is enough to overshadow everything.]

The Odd Fruit of Salty Fish: [By the way, is everyone watching “Singing With You” tonight?]

Daily Name Change: [I’m already waiting in front of the TV, waiting for 8 p.m.]

No wonder the entire production team was so excited; Sheng Quan might not be a star, but she was more influential than one. Her charisma was just too strong. Previously, when she liked “The Road of Life,” a bunch of people flocked to the original novel to support and shower it with gifts.

When she invested in a drama, even though it hadn’t finished filming, there were already eager viewers lining up.

When she brought Yan Hui out from the pancake stand, Yan Hui hadn’t even produced any works yet, but overnight he became a famous handsome guy at the pancake stand.

After news broke about her purchase of the Huaxing Building, the entire cast and crew of “The Road of Life” experienced a surge in popularity for the second time.

Nowadays, marketing accounts loved this rich woman and book fan, Miss Sheng, even though she had never appeared in public. Yet, she supported a large number of video accounts and bloggers.

If Sheng Quan really appeared at the scene of “Singing With You,” wouldn’t it be her first public appearance?

Not exaggerating, because of Sheng Quan’s words, the tickets for “Singing With You” were almost being sold for astronomical prices.

Everyone with free time wanted to join in the excitement. Even some aspiring artists or internet celebrities who hoped to become the “next Yan Hui” were trying to get tickets. After all, online discussions had revealed a lot about Yan Hui’s treatment, although nobody knew the details of his contract, everyone could see that the company had arranged three assistants to take care of his life.

Even his cameo in “He Hua Nian” was dug up by numerous netizens.

“The Road of Life” hadn’t finished filming yet, but another investment-heavy drama had already arranged for him to make a guest appearance. The company’s generosity with its resources was simply envy-inducing and tear-jerking.

Everyone knew that currently Starlight Entertainment had only signed Yan Hui as an artist. In other words, all the company’s resources were dedicated to him alone. If they could become the second or third…

The audience seats for “Singing With You” went from being “unsellable” to “hard to get,” with many netizens complaining that there were too many onlookers and they couldn’t get tickets. Even contestants’ friends and family members said that some people were offering high prices to buy their tickets.

Many insiders came out to reveal information.

Metaphysical, No Degree: [It’s normal that tickets are hard to get. Nowadays, it’s not just the onlookers who want to buy tickets; the ones who want them the most are actually insiders.]

Bean of Bean’s Bean: [From what I know, many people are trying to pull strings at Strawberry. Some want tickets closer to Sheng Dong, while others want the production team to put them on the contestant list directly.]

Violet: [It’s not just aspiring artists; I have a friend who works behind the scenes. He told me that many directors looking for investment are also begging for tickets. If they could pull Sheng Quan’s investment, they’d have both money and fame.]

Cool Dude: [I know for a fact that two little idols have been arranged by the company to sit in the audience. They’re dressed exactly like Yan Hui, and I won’t say what they’re up to. Let’s just use our imagination (Eating Popcorn.jpg).]

These internal revelations received enthusiastic responses from netizens.

Emma’s Delicious Sausage: [Booming, bustling, and confusing, hahaha, what is this? A body double operation?]

Nose Hair Discussing Long-distance Relationships: [I never expected them to dress up exactly like Yan Hui, hahaha.]

Faking Sleep: [I watch programs to see stars, while big shots watch programs and stars hoping she’ll notice them. Is this the difference between me and big shots?]

Xu Ji: [Am I the only one envious of those who got tickets! Sob, sob, sob, I also want to see Miss Sheng in person.]

Pure Singer in Uncle’s House: [So, “Singing With You” has turned into a live selection for concubines in the audience seats?]

Lying Flat Sushi Roll: [Upstairs, didn’t you see someone say that some artists want to be squeezed into the contestant list? This is more than just selecting concubines in the audience seats.]

True Knowledge Loves Sugar: [Wow, I was planning to go out and have fun tonight and not join in this excitement, but now I’ve decided that I must watch this excitement!!]

Now “Singing With You” is no longer about the contestants or who they are; everyone just wants to join in this once-in-a-century excitement.

Some people have already posted their tickets online, and almost every comment section under these ticket posts is filled with envy. There are even internet celebrities live-streaming themselves with the tickets.

These internet celebrities are being more practical. While they surely hold onto the hope that Sheng Quan might notice them, their main intention is to ride on this wave of popularity.

Not to mention, even before “Singing With You” has started airing, their fan base has seen a significant boost due to the ticket posts. Although these people are hoping to rely on these internet celebrities to reveal details and processes, the fact that so many people have gathered is already a victory in itself.

Even though the audience for “Singing With You” hasn’t started entering yet, videos like “Can’t wait to enter the venue, so excited” or “What they said online is indeed true, I saw so-and-so” can already attract a lot of traffic.

What originally was just a sentence from Sheng Quan in a book fan group has quickly turned into a frenzy of excitement.

Many prophets have already predicted that this season’s audience seats will be the most attractive in history.

If initially there were various forces behind the scenes pushing this excitement, and what the “insiders” said might have been true or false, now that the show itself has become the focus of attention, what’s false can become true.

For example, it’s true that some lesser-known artists are trying to get tickets now, just like the internet celebrities. This show has become a phenomenon under Sheng Quan’s influence.

Just like “The Road of Life” before, even if they couldn’t appear in front of Sheng Quan, as long as they showed up in the audience seats, they would naturally be discovered by the enthusiastic netizens.

For those in the entertainment industry, appearing in front of the public is a victory in itself.

At three in the afternoon, Sheng Quan got off the plane, with the driver pushing the luggage cart behind her.

As soon as she got into the car, she received a call from Yuan Zixin:

“President Sheng, ‘Singing With You’ is already ranked fourth on the hot search.”

“Okay.” Sheng Quan took off her sunglasses and leaned against the car window. “Have those actors you mentioned arrived?”

Yuan Zixin replied affirmatively, “They’ve all arrived, and their seats have been arranged. Ming Qi will sit beside you. Rest assured, the ones I found all have some fame and decent reputation. They’re also artists whose contracts are expiring soon, so the company won’t have to bear any termination fees.”

Although Yuan Zixin thought the marketing department of the company should have already communicated with President Sheng, she still reminded her:

“If possible, I suggest you vote as much as possible during the program. After all, this is a public welfare program… From what I know, several artists are already planning to donate money through a large number of votes to attract attention.”

Sheng Quan laughed when she heard this. “Don’t worry, if I can push ‘Singing With You’ to such heights, how could I let others pick the peaches.”

Yuan Zixin instantly felt relieved.

After all, Sheng Quan was able to push a show without a name all the way to the level of being discussed throughout the internet, first attracting attention through her own popularity, then through Strawberry TV’s efforts to please her, achieving a second rise in popularity.

In the third phase, arranging for artists planning to switch to Starlight Entertainment to buy seats, mixing truth and falsehood together, the public naturally would discuss topics like “picking concubines on the scene” and “counting who’s in the audience.”

In the final phase, all this excitement would reciprocate.

Before, there might have been uncertainty about whether the public wanted to see this, but now there definitely was. Various people hoping for attention and wishing to appear were now eager to sit in the audience seats.

And at the center of it all was Sheng Quan.

After Yuan Zixin hung up the phone, she took a deep breath, feeling as if years of accumulated frustration had dissipated in an instant.

Once again, she felt that their company had a bright future.

The boss was wealthy, smart, and ambitious.

She had to work hard and strive to one day reach the status of Mr. Gu!

Yuan Zixin felt ecstatic as she contemplated this.

By then, maybe she would also receive the honor of having “a home in the office.”

She wondered how much money President Sheng planned to donate on “Singing With You.” Since someone had already thought of this idea, there might be some competition in the end.

And there was always a tendency for those who donated the most to attract the most attention.

— Buzz.

Yuan Zixin’s phone vibrated twice, and the price range that those actors roughly wanted to donate was sent over by her friend. She frowned.

Two million?

In the entertainment circle, donations generally don’t exceed a few million, so this was really aiming to pick the peaches. She could already imagine the entertainment news accompanying this large donation: “So-and-so artist donates two million! Crushing the competition!”

She really wanted to fly over and kick those few people to death.

Yuan Zixin quickly forwarded the price list to Sheng Quan. Although she knew that their boss was quite wealthy, she couldn’t help feeling a little apprehensive.

After all, this money wasn’t invested in a project like “The Road of Life” where there would be returns; it was for charity, a one-way donation.

Yuan Zixin thought with some uncertainty:

President Sheng… She should be donating more than two million, right?