Chapter 109 1/2

Whether it was on forums, bulletin boards, super topics, or fan groups, the level of activity was usually related to the number of people.

Apparently, Sheng Quan had a considerable number of fans.

In just two minutes, several replies appeared under the post.

“I’m good at dancing too. Let me try.”

“I have the same idea as the OP. I’m not talented, but I once won second place in the dance competition in the first grade at Qushui Elementary School.”

“Is dancing impressive? My talent is doing a spiral turn with my left foot stepping on my right foot and ascending to fan Sheng Dong. OP, dare to compare with me?”

“Singing and dancing are indeed essential, but, OP, you have too many competitors.”

“All the artists in the country are queuing up for Sheng Dong’s favor. Someone, give OP a number.”

“I’m here! OP’s number is 888,888!”

The despair deepened in Tuzhu’s eyes.

The replies kept increasing. Although most were playing around, they indirectly revealed that Sheng Dong had created one “myth” after another, attracting more and more people who aspired to be recognized by her. Figures like Yan Hui, Hua Qing, Yu Hongdou, Jin Jiu, Jiang Zhen, and Poshui—even the globally renowned director Xu Man—were all discovered by Sheng Quan.

There were too many successful examples, naturally leading to more people wanting to replicate their success. The person who posted this, Tuzhu, was just one of the thousands.

No, it was even worse.

While others might still have a chance to move forward, he couldn’t even seize the last opportunity.

Tuzhu sat still in front of the computer, watching one reply after another. His face gradually darkened, but soon a determined expression flashed in his eyes.

He logged into his social media account, found a contact, and sent a message:

Bamboo Stick: [I want to ask about terminating the contract with the company.]

Just when he knew very well that even if he gave everything, he might not get this opportunity, and Sheng Dong might not even notice his existence,

But he was willing to take a desperate gamble.

***

“Ranked 880,000, are they still trying to show off?”

Sheng Quan sipped her milk tea while browsing various posts in the [Sheng Dong’s Mighty Harvest of Countless Grains] group. Beside her was a majestic mechanical dog, sitting quietly on the ground.

In the background, there was a well-maintained garden that looked like a holiday resort, with a fountain shooting out beautiful water sprays. In the distance, employees were tending to the garden.

Behind her, a young man with black hair and blue eyes, with a tall and slender figure, was approaching with afternoon tea.

Placing a tempting dessert adorned with cherries gently on Sheng Quan’s right side, he also brought a tablet showing visitor information.

“Your guest has arrived.”

Sheng Quan looked at the visitor’s photo and information on the tablet. Amidst the background noise of the fountain, she suddenly had the illusion that she was a typical popcorn movie villain: living in a luxurious villa, having a loyal butler, strategizing in the garden, and waving her hand to ruin others.

But instead of plotting dark schemes on her computer, she was browsing forums and bulletin boards.

There was no way around it. Sheng Quan, who exuded a strong villainous vibe, had spent most of her time either receiving guests or on the way to receive them.

As the remaining fragmented time for Sheng Dong was fully booked, she could only browse forums and bulletin boards during those brief moments.

As for why there were so many visitors…

“Sheng Dong, this is my nephew Yangyang. Come on, Yangyang, quickly greet Sheng Dong.”

A certain general manager, who had a collaboration with Xingmang, pushed his nephew forward with a smile.

The good-looking nephew hastily bowed to Sheng Quan. “Hello, Sheng Dong.”

Sheng Quan smiled and nodded at him. “The young man looks handsome.”

The tall male star was flattered. Even though Sheng Quan spoke in a tone similar to an elder, she was only a few years older than him.

All these visitors coming to Sheng Quan’s house had the same purpose: to try to secure a piece of the big cake, the holographic stage.

Sheng Quan didn’t mind.

Despite the mythological status of Xingmang in the entertainment industry, she was hosting a stage for the first time. She needed to ensure that the stage was flawless and immensely successful.

In times like these, each big shot in the entertainment industry added another layer of security when they joined. They were like a large ship made up of differently shaped steel plates. No matter what storms they faced, they would hold onto each other tightly, defending their common interests.

Of course, the size of the “steel plate” determined whether they embraced each other or stood on the shore shouting “666.” The visitor, Mr. Gu, who came to visit Sheng Quan, belonged to the kind that couldn’t even get on the ship.

He was well aware of this, so he decisively gave up on the idea of getting a share of the cake. Instead, he tried to find an alternative way to get his nephew on the stage.

With such a massive project, even just appearing in the first phase would bring significant benefits. Sheng Quan, of course, rejected him.

The main reason was that, although the handsome guy did look good, his skills were focused on acting. He couldn’t sing or dance, and sending someone who couldn’t do anything to the stage would only create trouble for the head, Wu Ying, who was in charge of everything.

Sheng Quan, who was well-prepared, commented casually, “The stage audition will be live-streamed throughout. If Yangyang, the guy who can’t sing or dance, doesn’t pass, it won’t look good.”

Mr. Gu was aware of this too, but what could he do? This was his brother’s son. If he, as an uncle, didn’t help plan for his nephew, his parents would definitely nag him.

However, immediately after, he heard the calm and composed girl sitting across from him saying, “How about this? We have a TV drama recently, ‘Boasting Heart.’ Let Yangyang try the audition and see how it goes. I think his image suits one of the roles in it.”

“Of course, whether he can pass the audition depends on Yangyang’s own abilities.”

Mr. Gu immediately smiled. “Thank you, Sheng Dong. Rest assured, my nephew may not be good at anything else, but his acting skills are excellent.”

The nephew was overjoyed. As “Boasting Heart” was a drama adapted from a major IP, it was bound to be explosive after its release, considering the trend set by Xingmang.

Mr. Gu quickly agreed, “Thank you, Sheng Dong. Rest assured, my nephew knows what to do. He will definitely get this role.”

“Uncle, you actually know Sheng Dong. When you said you were bringing me here, I was so surprised. That’s Sheng Dong!”

Looking at his nephew with admiration, Mr. Gu was also quite pleased. Although he had collaborated with Xingmang before and exchanged business cards with Sheng Quan, they couldn’t be considered close. This time, he had visited reluctantly, thinking that it might not work.

Unexpectedly, there was a pleasant surprise.

Now he could report back to his family. If his nephew passed the audition, it would be his own ability. If he didn’t, it would be his nephew’s lack of skills, and Mr. Gu wouldn’t be blamed.

Perfect!

It had to be said that Sheng Quan, although not very old, was quite adept at handling things. Those who were called “x total” in the industry were generally not fools. Sheng Quan gave him a face, so naturally, he had to reciprocate.

After getting into the car, Mr. Gu immediately called his assistant. “We are currently collaborating with Xingmang, right? Tell An Zhen that the conditions can be relaxed a bit more.”

In the world of relationships, it was all about mutual exchanges. Xingmang was currently in the limelight, and he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to strengthen this friendship.

Sheng Quan was unaware of this particular turn of events, but she had a rough guess. After all, she had been busy “receiving various visitors” during this period.

Whether the other party was a powerful ally on the same ship or someone like Mr. Gu, who couldn’t get on the ship and could only hand over nails from the side, she was adamant: cooperation was acceptable, but forcing people onto the stage was not.

Whether with a colossal background or immense fame, these didn’t matter in front of Sheng Quan. The talent show was about individual talent, with contestants overcoming challenges solely based on their own abilities without any backstage manipulations.

It was a grand show, and Sheng Quan wanted to make it the best.

Even for the current Xingmang, building the holographic stage was an enormous task.

Not only was she busy, but almost every department at Xingmang was working at full speed. Wu Ying, the overall head, seemed to have lost weight from working tirelessly.

As for Gu Zhe, apart from negotiating collaborations with other companies, he rarely left his desk.

No, he never left before, and now he had an even stronger sense of staying in the office until the end of time.

Seeing his subordinates working so hard, Sheng Quan, as their boss, couldn’t lag behind.