CHAPTER 18 (PART 1)

In the end, Lin Sifeng chose Chun Yue, and Li Mo’er picked Tian Tian.

Lin Sifeng prioritized immediate benefits—shooting a beauty product commercial would easily showcase her flawless skin and good looks to the audience and fans, making it the best way to attract “visual appeal” supporters.

Zhao Qiuying’s expression was complicated as he collected the proposals, marking each selection with the respective names.

“This afternoon, the program team will invite representatives from the brands. You can call your managers now so they can come over and sign the contracts.”

The three of them responded affirmatively.

This caused quite a few envious whispers among the others.

Miguang Platform was really wealthy! As the competition progressed, would the rewards and opportunities become even more extravagant?

Then, Zhao Qiuying turned to Jiang Su again, “Which mentor do you choose?”

This was a privilege reserved only for the first and second-place contestants.

Without hesitation, Jiang Su answered, “Teacher Xuan Wen.”

Zhao Qiuying felt a subtle pang of disappointment. “…Oh.”

Xuan Wen, on the other hand, actually smiled for once. “Being my guest performer is tough. You’ll have to rehearse for half a month in advance, and I’ll be very strict.”

Jiang Su remained unfazed. “That’s fine.”

Xuan Wen’s smile deepened slightly. Being chosen by a talented individual was also a recognition of his own excellence.

Ding Xuan, who had been quiet all this time, glanced up slightly before lowering her head again.

Meanwhile, Lin Sifeng chose Zhao Qiuying.

Zhao Qiuying’s feelings grew even more complicated.

“Lastly, the reality show selection…” Zhao Qiuying hesitated for a moment before handing Jiang Su several program proposals to choose from.

This was an exclusive privilege for the first-place contestant.

Jiang Su flipped through the options swiftly. “…This one.”

A survival competition reality show.

Everyone looked at her like subway commuters staring at a weird message on their phones.

Aren’t we supposed to be becoming idols?

Aren’t we supposed to be delicate, soft girls?

Why are you picking something like this?! Aren’t the slow-paced lifestyle shows or comedy programs better choices?

Even Jiang N couldn’t help but ask, “Are you sure? You don’t want to change your choice? This show has only ever had one female guest before…”

Zhao Qiuying silently thought, She’s probably not going to change her mind.

He still clearly remembered how she had burst out of the water.

She only looked fragile…

Sure enough.

Jiang Su nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.”

Xuan Wen hesitated before writing her name on the proposal and handing it to the staff for submission.

Before long, representatives from the brands arrived, and Xu Dazhi also entered the building.

As he stepped in, he could barely contain his excitement.

So it turns out those online novels about randomly picking someone off the street who then becomes a superstar, a treasure, a golden lucky charm, or even a future wife… could actually be true!

When Xu Dazhi pushed open the door, Jiang Su was already seated inside.

She had become even more beautiful.

Even though she was just sitting there, motionless, she still looked stunning.

Unconsciously, Xu Dazhi lowered his voice. “Jiang Su.”

“Mm,” Jiang Su responded.

Seeing her again, Xu Dazhi felt a bit guilty.

Damn, before this, he had planned to use her as just a pretty face, riding on the rumors about her and Zhao Qiuying to stir up some hype. If she got criticized, even better—the more controversy, the higher the engagement.

But now? Looking at her now, he realized how ridiculous that plan had been.

She was incredible. She didn’t need any underhanded tricks.

“Please, have a seat,” another middle-aged man spoke up.

Xu Dazhi pulled out a chair and sat down, noticing two other people at the table.

One was a familiar Miguang executive, while the other—the middle-aged man who had spoken—was a stranger to him.

The two sides exchanged brief greetings, and the middle-aged man introduced himself.

“I’m the person in charge of Wu Dang Fei. My surname is Zhong.”

Mr. Zhong appeared to be in his forties, wearing an old-fashioned pair of black-framed glasses. He carried a refined and scholarly air, resembling a literati from the Republic of China era—somewhat out of place in this modern age.

As Xu Dazhi observed him, Mr. Zhong was also studying Jiang Su.

Before coming here, they had, of course, done their homework on the program and knew that the most popular contestant at the moment was Miss Jiang.

So, he couldn’t help but feel surprised—why did Miss Jiang choose their brand?

With this in mind, Mr. Zhong was unexpectedly generous when discussing the contract.

The negotiations went smoothly, leaving all parties satisfied.

Holding a pen, Mr. Zhong smiled and said, “Miss Jiang may not be too familiar with the history of our brand. Shall I give you an introduction?”

Jiang Su replied, “Mm.”

“Do you know the meaning behind ‘Wu Dang Fei’?”

“The Wu Dang Fei Army.”

A flicker of surprise passed through Mr. Zhong’s eyes before he smiled. “Not many people know about this anymore… That’s right. It refers to the Wu Dang Fei Army. Our company was actually founded toward the end of the Republic of China. The name, however, wasn’t chosen to commemorate the army—after all, there’s a history of thousands of years between us.”

He chuckled again and continued, “Back then, countless people across the country joined the fight against the Japanese invasion—not just the Han people, but also many Miao, Dong, Yi, and Qiang people…”

Jiang Su tilted her head slightly. “The Wu Dang Fei Army was also composed of ethnic minorities.”

“Exactly!” Mr. Zhong clapped his hands. “So, the company chose this name to honor those predecessors… The design of our cars has also incorporated military elements, making them appear rather cold and sharp. In recent years, however, such designs have become less popular. On top of that, our advertising efforts haven’t been very effective…”

Xu Dazhi had never come across this brand before. Hearing all this now, he was shocked.

This company—

It was a red-blooded, patriotic state-owned enterprise from the past!

The more he thought about it, the more stunned he became.

On the surface, the company seemed unremarkable now, but in reality, it wielded significant power. It wasn’t the kind of enterprise just anyone could align with. The fact that they reached out to Weiguang was most likely due to their recognition of the Cheng family’s influence behind it.

After all, in the past couple of years, the Cheng family had performed remarkably well in key national industries!

Xu Dazhi inwardly clicked his tongue.

He had been too short-sighted!

Previously, he had doubted Jiang Su’s choice, thinking she was too young and had picked an unheard-of brand, essentially handing an opportunity to her competitors.

But now, he realized… he had been wrong! Jiang Su had incredible foresight! Damn, this was a company’s cash cow—an absolute gold mine!

While Xu Dazhi was still processing all this, Mr. Zhong carefully observed Jiang Su and commented, “Miss Jiang carries herself with grace and has an outstanding presence—very different from some of the rumors out there.”

Xu Dazhi thought to himself, Of course.

He, too, had once assumed she was just a delicate vase.

Mr. Zhong continued seriously, “I hope that when Miss Jiang films the commercial, she truly immerses herself in our brand and avoids presenting anything that contradicts our philosophy…”

The executives from Weiguang initially thought Mr. Zhong was reminding Jiang Su not to rely on selling sex appeal to grab attention in the ad.

However, Mr. Zhong’s next sentence was:

“I believe we can increase Miss Jiang’s pay from 620,000 yuan to 920,000 yuan. How does that sound?”

620,000 yuan might seem like a lot, but after the agency took its cut and taxes were deducted, there wouldn’t be much left.

Mr. Zhong’s proactive pay raise was an unexpected surprise.

The Weiguang executives were stunned. Xu Dazhi was stunned as well.

To Sanjin Entertainment, this amount of money wasn’t significant, but it was a very positive signal! It demonstrated Jiang Su’s value! It hinted that more brands in the future might appreciate Jiang Su and be willing to pay even more for her!

Jiang Su responded without hesitation, “Okay.”

She wasn’t the least bit reserved about accepting it—in fact, she seemed genuinely pleased.

Thus, both parties happily signed the contract and scheduled the commercial shoot.

Mr. Zhong generously made an initial payment of 200,000 yuan. After the company took its share, 120,000 yuan remained, and after taxes, Jiang Su was left with 88,600 yuan.

Jiang Su didn’t find the amount small.

Because this was the first sum of money she had truly earned on her own.

She was independent now.

She no longer had to be kept under the organization’s care.

The money was quickly deposited into Jiang Su’s account, and as Xu Dazhi escorted Mr. Zhong out, an official notice regarding the reality show’s filming schedule arrived.

It was set to begin in three days.

Jiang Su returned to the 29th floor and went to bed early to ensure she would be in top form for the shoot the next day.

After returning, Mr. Zhong promptly issued an announcement on the brand’s official Weibo account.

Tian Tian and Chun Yue did the same.

[Is Jiang Su ranked first? She’s number one in votes, right?]

[As a fan of her career, I’m so relieved. I swear, I’ve never stanned someone so stress-free before!]

[Wait, why didn’t she pick Chun Yue? Did she give it to Lin Sifeng?]

[Is the show deliberately suppressing her? First, the “BUG” issue with the votes, and now this?]

[Jiang Su choosing this brand isn’t a good move. A cute girl group idol advertising for a car brand? Like a car model commercial? If that’s the case… I’m going to vomit.]

[+1, this ad won’t help her gain votes—if anything, it might even cost her votes.]

…

The show’s production team was at a loss when they saw these comments.

They weren’t suppressing her!

But given their past actions, no one would believe them now.

If they had known earlier that Jiang Su was this capable—and had solid backing—they wouldn’t have pulled that stunt!

The next morning, the brand sent a car to pick up Jiang Su.

As soon as Jiang Su left, Ding Xuan received a phone call.

Wan Yue, looking anxious, turned to her and asked, “What should I do? Is our company giving up on me? Sister Ding Xuan, do you have any ideas?”

Ding Xuan nonchalantly avoided her gaze and stepped into the fire escape to take the call. “Hello.”

Dong Jiayu’s voice came through from the other end. “Didn’t you say that the CEO of Lion Entertainment and Sun from Sanjin were planning to get rid of Jiang Su to pave the way for you in order to win your favor? But Jiang Su’s votes have already left you behind by tens of thousands.”

The words hit hard, making Ding Xuan press her lips together.