Chapter 17

Yuan Zixin proved to be a true professional. After Sheng Quan gave the
instruction to “quickly promote Yan Hui,” she didn’t ask why.
Instead, she flew to the film set on the same day. Then, within two days, she
tailored a “work plan” for Yan Hui.

This plan included, but was not limited to, acting classes, physical
training, dance classes, script classes, martial arts classes, and vocal
classes.

When Sheng Quan received this thick and detailed plan, just glancing at it
made her feel tired on behalf of Yan Hui.

“Such a packed schedule! Can Yan Hui handle all this?”

Yuan Zixin immediately explained, “I developed this work plan after
discussing it with Yan Hui. He believes he needs extensive learning.”

The first thing she did when she saw Yan Hui was excitedly pat his shoulder.

Initially, when she helped Yan Hui, it was purely out of her own conscience.
Who would have thought that after ten years, it would be Yan Hui who
recommended her to President Sheng?

Whether it was President Sheng’s appreciation or Yan Hui’s recommendation,
it made her work with passion, as if she had been injected with ten doses of
adrenaline.

Even though she hadn’t stayed a single night in the dormitory assigned to
her by the company, always traveling for work, she was still happy. She had a
sense of security and happiness.

Now, her state of mind was on par with that of Gu Zhao, who worked with an
IV drip, leaving one hand free for work.

Sheng Quan: As long as you’re happy.

After seeing off this new addition to the team and remembering Gu Zhao’s
state of “illness can’t stop me from working,” she immediately called
Yu Xiangwan.

“Didn’t Director Wan say he wasn’t feeling well? I told him to go to
the hospital for a check-up. Did he go? How is he now?”

She hadn’t forgotten that in “Starlight,” the reason Wan Bao
probably couldn’t enjoy the joy of a hit drama was likely because he had
already passed away due to illness.

When she went to the film set earlier, she reminded Wan Bao, but he didn’t
seem to take it too seriously.

It was normal. Career-minded people naturally place everything behind their
careers, like Gu Zhao, Wan Bao, and her in their previous lives.

The difference was that in her previous life, she had no choice. As a
diligent worker, her time didn’t belong to her. Gu Zhao and Wan Bao were purely
obsessed with their careers, completely neglecting other aspects.

So, instead of calling Wan Bao directly, she called Yu Xiangwan. If she said
to Wan Bao, “Go get a check-up,” he would probably agree but forget
about it once he got busy. But if she said to Yu Xiangwan, “Have Director
Wan get a check-up,” it was as good as a direct order.

As expected, Yu Xiangwan responded, “His condition is not very good,
but because he’s currently shooting a crucial major plot, he hasn’t gone yet.
If you want him to go, I’ll take him for a comprehensive check-up today.”

Sheng Quan authorized him: “Take him. I don’t want the director to
collapse before the shooting is finished.”

Yu Xiangwan immediately agreed, hung up the phone, and called the assistant
director and two martial arts instructors.

Wan Bao was busy scrutinizing the scenes, looking disheveled with a scruffy
beard, black circles under his eyes, and a bluish tint around his eyes, looking
like a recently transformed zombie. Yu Xiangwan’s statement that his condition
was not very good was quite a euphemistic description.

Previously, when Sheng Quan was on the set, Wan Bao often shot night scenes,
continuing the next day with daytime scenes. Although actors and crew members
worked together through the night, most of the time was staggered for rest. But
Wan Bao would sacrifice his sleep time to ensure he followed through with every
scene.

Yu Xiangwan was straightforward in his actions. He walked over and called
out, “Director Wan.”

Wan Bao immediately turned his head to respond, but before he could, the two
martial arts instructors behind Yu Xiangwan took a step forward and lifted him
off the chair. Then, the assistant director, who had previously given him hot
water to drink, suddenly appeared, sitting in his original position.

Wan Bao, whose arm was firmly held and couldn’t move, felt his tired and
excited brain freeze.

What’s happening? Are they staging a coup or something?

“What are you doing? Don’t play around. Get to work!”

“You may not be able to work temporarily,” Yu Xiangwan said
bluntly. “Ms. Sheng heard about your condition, and she is very worried.
She asked me to take you for a full check-up to ensure your health.”

Without waiting for Wan Bao’s reaction, Yu Xiangwan smiled at the two
martial arts instructors and said, “Let’s go.”

Wan Bao, held captive and turning around, said in a daze, “No, wait,
I’m not going. Let’s go tomorrow. I need to personally oversee this big scene.
Producer Yu, are you hearing this? I said I’m not going! Actually, my health is
pretty good. I just didn’t sleep well the past few days, that’s why…”

Yu Xiangwan was not affected by Wan Bao’s self-justification. He signaled
the two martial arts instructors to take him all the way to the car, stuff him
in, and then sit in the driver’s seat himself.

—Zoom!

The car sped away.

The rest of the crew, watching the black SUV disappear into the distance,
more or less breathed a sigh of relief.

Although it seemed outrageous for a producer to take a director directly to
the hospital for a check-up, Wan Bao’s condition was indeed worrying. If their
crew was still short of money, it would be understandable for him to work day
and night like this, as every day the crew existed was an expense.

But now, with President Sheng’s investment, there was no need to be so
rushed on time. Why did Wan Bao have to exhaust himself like this for work?

“The main point is that everyone understands the reasoning, but the
director has always been the highest authority on the set. Only Yu, the
producer who received Director Sheng’s instructions, can handle this matter.

Lin Aike, who had just come over with the script, happened to see this scene
and sighed in relief.

It’s not in vain that she informed Director Sheng about it. She has seen a
lot in the industry, and directors like Wan, who work day and night with
irregular eating habits and high stress levels, could end up with minor
illnesses dragging into major illnesses or even terminal conditions.

I hope Director Wan doesn’t have anything serious.

---

Director Wan is very angry! Director Wan is very anxious! Director Wan wants
to fly back to the set immediately!

For someone immersed in their work, being suddenly pulled away from it makes
him want to curse loudly. If he had dared to, he would have done it long ago!

However, when the test results came out, those angry and anxious emotions
instantly turned into confusion.

“Malignant tumor…”

He raised his head in bewilderment and asked, “Isn’t that cancer? Do I
have cancer?”

Even the martial arts instructors didn’t expect this result. When they were
instructed to forcibly take Director Wan for an examination, their intention
was to be genuinely concerned about his health.

Another reason is that the expenses for the crew are under the authority of
Producer Yu. With Producer Yu in front, it was smooth sailing when they
confronted Director Wan.

To put it bluntly, without Sheng Quan’s instructions, no one in the crew
would have forced Director Wan to undergo a health check.

As for Yu Xiangwan, apart from Sheng Quan, no one cares about him.

After Sheng Quan expressed concern about Director Wan’s health, he diverted
some attention to Director Wan’s health status. But if you say he genuinely
cares about Director Wan from the bottom of his heart, that’s impossible.

So among the four people present, Yu Xiangwan is the most rational one.

“You don’t have to worry too much. It’s still early; as the doctor just
said, the tumor tissue is small, and its location doesn’t interfere with
surgery. By performing a removal surgery, the chances of a cure are very
high.”

Only then did Director Wan come to his senses and say, “Yes, yes, just
have the surgery.”

The doctor’s words reappeared in his mind, and among a pile of words, he
only remembered the phrase “fortunately, it was discovered early.”

“Fortunately, you brought me for an examination. If we had waited until
the later stages…”

As everyone knows, the likelihood of curing tumors in the early stages is
very high, but it becomes more difficult as time goes on. If you wait until the
later stages, it’s too late for treatment.

The two martial arts instructors also felt a bit surreal. How did they
transition from “defying the director” to “saving the director’s
life”?

But Yu Xiangwan seized the opportunity to gain Sheng Quan’s favor: “I
was also instructed by Director Sheng. She is very concerned about your health.
Although Director Sheng wants to see excellent work as an investor, she cares
more about your health. You know, Director Sheng has always appreciated
talent.”

“She knows that doing this might make you angry, but she is really
worried about your health. She explicitly expressed this when she called me.
Compared to delaying the shooting schedule, your health is the most important
for her.”

Of course, Sheng Quan did not say such words.

But that doesn’t prevent Yu Xiangwan from saying so in front of Director
Wan.

He had already figured out that if Director Wan had nothing serious, he
would say that Sheng Quan was just worried about Wan Bao’s health, and it was
his initiative to bring him to the hospital.

But now that Director Wan has been diagnosed with a malignant tumor,
everything naturally falls to Sheng Quan’s credit.

With Yu Xiangwan saying so, Wan Bao was genuinely moved.

Mainly because this is cancer.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Sheng Quan saved his life.

She is an investor. As long as the crew produces good results, it’s enough
for her. Even if he dies immediately, with Sheng Quan’s financial strength and
the current progress of the crew, she can easily find a new director to take
over.

And he was still angry just now; he really isn’t a decent person.

Seeing that it was almost enough, Yu Xiangwan took out his phone and said,
“Since the test results are out, I’ll call Director Sheng and report to
her. She should be waiting for the results, so she doesn’t have to worry.”

This last part is a killer move.

Wan Bao’s emotions of excitement, fear, confusion, gratitude, and joy are
all mixed together. He quickly stood up, rubbing his hands somewhat
embarrassedly. “I’ll also talk to Miss Sheng for a while. I should thank
her properly; if it weren’t for her, I might really…”

Sheng Quan, who was leisurely lying in her large bathtub, enjoying a bubble
bath while watching a drama and applying a face mask, received a call from Yu
Xiangwan.

“Malignant tumor? In the early stages? That’s good. If the doctor says
that surgery can remove it, then let Director Wan relax and undergo
treatment.”

She had just finished speaking when Yu Xiangwan, perhaps passing the phone
to Wan Bao, transferred the call. Wan Bao’s voice, with a bit of a choked-up
and touched tone, came from the other end:

“Miss Sheng, thank you. You saved my life. I didn’t expect you to care
about me so much. From now on, you are my goddess. I swear I will always follow
you and be by your side.”

Sheng Quan: “?”

Wan Bao’s voice abruptly stopped, and from the phone came Yu Xiangwan’s
magnetic and pleasant voice:

“You don’t need to worry; Director Wan slept only two hours last night,
and today he received a considerable shock. His thoughts are a bit confused
right now.”

Sheng Quan instantly understood: “I can understand. Artists, after all.
How is the progress on the set? How long is it expected to finish
shooting?”

“It will take about three months to finish. You can rest assured;
although Director Wan is ill, the crew will continue to operate normally.”

Producer Yu is as reliable as ever.

Sheng Quan is very reassured. “Good, I’ll leave it to you over there.
When the filming is over, come back to the company. After all, you are our
company’s first employee. The company has been established for so long, and you
haven’t come back to see it yet.”

“Yes, as soon as the filming is completed, I will rush back.”

Yu Xiangwan promised warmly and then inquired about Sheng Quan a bit more
before hanging up the phone.”

“Two months…

He thought about the tone of praise from Sheng Quan just now, and his eyes
softened. When his gaze shifted to Wan Bao, who was looking at him eagerly with
a scruffy beard, he returned to calmness.

“Director Wan, you don’t need to worry about the crew. I just inquired,
and after the surgery, you can resume work in a month. It won’t delay the
shooting progress too much.”

Wan Bao: Actually, I wanted to ask if Miss Sheng is worried about me.

Sheng Quan, who didn’t know that Wan Bao was concerned about him, felt
relieved when he learned that Wan Bao had been diagnosed with an early
malignant tumor with a high chance of cure. Then she continued watching a few
more episodes of the TV series.

Time ticked away to eleven fifty-seven in the evening.

Sheng Quan looked at the time and turned off the TV.

She generally didn’t stay up late. President Sheng, who now had substantial
assets, paid great attention to health and care. Her routine had adjusted to
the standard of sleeping at ten and waking up at seven to ensure worry-free,
beautiful hair.

However, today was the last day of the month.

The system settlement time was midnight tonight.

In crucial moments, it’s essential to treat them with importance.

Sheng Quan, in a bathrobe, took out a wine glass, walked to the balcony,
looked at the bustling night scene outside, and raised the wine glass.

pouring herself a glass of iced cola.

She even went to the refrigerator to add two ice cubes and insert a straw.
Full of ceremonial sense.

[Ding! [The settlement time for this month has begun.]

006 reported diligently: [The career degree of the first sponsored person:
16.2%]

[The goodwill of the first sponsored person towards the host is over 80%.]

[Now beginning settlement: The host’s lifespan increases by 92 days, and a
money refund of $4.21 million]

Sheng Quan had already guessed these details. Her focus was on: [What about
my previous application? ]

According to the host’s request and the system’s judgment, having a small
company is indeed beneficial for better sponsoring the sponsored person.

Since the host successfully completed the first task, the system agrees to
let the host use the rent for maintaining the company’s development. However,
this is limited to internal use within the company and cannot be used for other
purchases.

As expected.

Sheng Quan had suspected it all along. The so-called rules were quite
flexible. For example, when she initially tested the system by using the reason
of “going to see Yan Hui” to buy things, as long as 006 approved,
there was no problem.

She used system funds to start a company and hired Yu Xiangwan, and because
both the company and employees would have an impact on the sponsored person’s
future, it went smoothly.

And this time, with the company offering generous benefits, employees were
more willing to work. For the sponsored person signed under her, having a
company to rely on was also quite advantageous for future development.

The construction of 006’s [willpower] did not have specific thoughts. Sheng
Quan even suspected that [Willpower] had turned into 006 itself. Aside from the
fixed rules, other uses of system funds that bordered on the edges, as long as
they could have an effect on the sponsored person and were approved by 006,
were acceptable.

She vigorously recruited employees and increased various welfare benefits.
In essence, she was gambling, betting that the system would judge her actions
as effective for sponsorship work and consequently approve her application.

And she won the bet.

Just as in her past life, she always seemed to win every time.

Sheng Quan took a sip of iced cola as a reward for herself: [Thank you,
006.]

The serious and solemn 006 continued reporting: [You’re welcome, host.] You
did really well.

It continued: [The sponsorship fund for the second month: one billion]

Sheng Quan’s hand, holding the red wine glass, paused: [So much? ]

006 explained considerately: [Because the host requested more money, so I
helped the host apply for it.] However, there are limitations. This one billion
is only limited to online spending and cannot be used in reality. [In other
words, the host can only spend it online, but the refund is real.]

Sheng Quan slowly took another sip of iced cola.

For a moment, countless names of novels about rich protagonists she had read
in the past flashed through her mind.

“I’m the Big Brother in the Live Stream,” “Rich Protagonist
System: Splurging One Billion,” “Starting with One Billion: Streamer
Kneels Down and Calls Dad,” and so on.

She rubbed her forehead, driving these weird book titles out of her mind.

One billion.

How should she spend it?