Tui Buliu went through the selection process twice and easily picked out the artist he wanted to manage. 

You You Entertainment was originally an unknown small company, until last year when a pair of twin brothers debuted in a talent show, barely squeezing into the entertainment industry and going public through a backdoor listing. 

The company has two main divisions: the artist division led by Li Yi, who manages the popular twins along with some other unknown artists. 

Then there’s Tui Buliu’s trainee division, which makes money through a bunch of unfair contracts. There are many trainees, but their quality is generally low, and there are quite a few oddballs among them. 

But fortunately, there are still some worth nurturing. 

The next morning, Tui Buliu ran into Yong Baosheng in the restaurant and casually mentioned this matter to him. 

“Why did you choose this person?” Yong Baosheng frowned at the photo. “Did you forget about the last time he beat up an investor at a dinner? I had to swallow my pride and apologize. If it weren’t for him participating in ‘JUST ME,’ I would have shelved him already.” 

Tui Buliu raised an eyebrow, seemingly unsurprised. “He’s that fiery?” 

“Exactly, I’ve never seen someone so unruly.” Yong Baosheng sighed, shaking his head repeatedly. “Why don’t you pick someone else? I think Jiang Yitian is not bad, he looks decent, has the necessary talents, and most importantly, he’s very obedient.” 

“No,” Tui Buliu refused without hesitation. 

“Hey, I just don’t get it, why are you so set on choosing Hui Ji?” Yong Baosheng squinted his eyes suspiciously. “You don’t have some secret deal with him, do you?” 

Tui Buliu put down his chopsticks and glanced at him, looking at him like he was one of those incompetent subordinates. 

“Alright, alright,” Yong Baosheng was intimidated by his gaze and couldn’t help but back down. “I was just saying, not blaming you for anything.” 

Tui Buliu then withdrew his gaze, speaking slowly, “You don’t understand?” 

Yong Baosheng shook his head. “I don’t understand.” 

“He has a face that will become famous,” Tui Buliu explained. “Even if he has no talent, just standing there, he can make countless people scream.” 

“Look at what you’re saying,” Yong Baosheng was displeased. “Our company’s trainees all have the potential to become stars, and there are many who look better than him.” 

Tui Buliu: “Pick a few for me to see.” 

Yong Baosheng randomly pointed out a few, saying, “I think they’re all about the same.” 

“Far from it,” Tui Buliu placed the profiles together for comparison. “Hui Ji has very standard facial proportions, and in the entire company, you can’t find 10 people with such standard features.” 

Yong Baosheng frowned, “That’s true, but what’s the use of being standard?” 

Tui Buliu: “It means his appearance is widely appealing, and many people will like him. In your industry’s terms, he’s handsome from every angle. The ones you mentioned are handsome under specific conditions, you need to find the right angle to capture a good picture.” 

Yong Baosheng compared again and seemed to understand a bit. 

Tui Buliu continued, “Besides his face, Hui Ji also has a great physique and aura, broad shoulders, narrow waist, relaxed but not sleazy. His voice is also good, whether he becomes an idol or acts in the future, he has great potential.” 

“Seems like I have a good eye,” Yong Baosheng got a bit smug. “I was the one who brought him back from the hospital. I heard he was a top student at Q University, and because his grandmother was sick and needed money urgently, the company offered ten thousand yuan, and he joined without a second thought.” 

Tui Buliu raised an eyebrow, “What about his parents?” 

“Don’t know,” Yong Baosheng shook his head, not caring much. “I think they’re dead.” 

Tui Buliu nodded, “Alright, I got it.” 

“But let me remind you, you’re underestimating the entertainment industry. It’s not just about being handsome to make it big.” Yong Baosheng wiped his mouth and put down his chopsticks, speaking earnestly. “The sponsorship for this talent show is controlled by the Lin and Zhou families, the center position is definitely between them. As for Hui Ji… if he debuts, I’ll be burning incense in gratitude. You’re betting everything on him now, heh, just wait to keep working for me in three months.” 

Tui Buliu tidied up his plate, not taking Yong Baosheng’s warning to heart. 

Capital, he was all too familiar with it. 

The fortress built by money seems impregnable, but once its weakness is found, it can crumble unexpectedly. In the business world, nothing is absolute, only eternal change. 

After the meal, Tui Buliu had his assistant contact Hui Ji. 

“Minister,” Chi Luyang made several calls but was hung up each time, awkwardly reporting, “He won’t answer the phone.” 

Tui Buliu called with his own number, but it was still hung up. 

“So what do we do now…” Chi Luyang looked up cautiously at Tui Buliu’s expression, afraid of being implicated. 

Tui Buliu stood up, his expression calm as usual, “Accompany me to the program group.” 

Chi Luyang breathed a sigh of relief and volunteered to be the driver. 

They drove all the way to the recording site and, after going through various procedures, finally reached Hui Ji’s dormitory. 

The door was open, and Tui Buliu knocked three times, but there was no response. Inside was a four-person room with bunk beds and small desks on the side. 

“Not here either?” Chi Luyang blinked, “Should we check the practice room? He might be training there…” 

Tui Buliu: “Someone’s in the bathroom.” 

Just as he finished speaking, the bathroom door opened, and a blond boy walked out. 

He was wearing pink Hello Kitty pajama pants, shirtless, with a towel over his head. He raised an eyebrow in surprise when he met Tui Buliu’s gaze, “Yo, handsome guy, who are you looking for?” 

Before Tui Buliu could speak, he chuckled and added, “You’re not looking for me, are you? The show hasn’t even aired yet, and I already have fans?” 

“Hello, I’m Hui Ji’s manager,” Tui Buliu stood at the door, politely inquiring, “Is he here?” 

“I know you,” the boy lifted his head from the towel, a hint of interest in his eyes, “Lin Su’s former manager.” 

“I know you too,” Tui Buliu smiled slightly, extending his right hand, “Hello, Zhou Mu Yang.” 

“You know me?” Zhou Mu Yang sized him up, a bit surprised as he extended his right hand, “You seem different from the rumors.” 

Tui Buliu: “I’m glad you trusted your judgment.” 

“Interesting,” Zhou Mu Yang pulled off the towel, jumped to the top bunk, grabbed a white Hello Kitty T-shirt, and put it on. Then he leaned over and asked, “You’re looking for Hui Ji?” 

Tui Buliu: “Do you know where he is?” 

“Want to know?” He swung his legs nonchalantly, suddenly grinning, “Vote for me during the performance, and I’ll tell you.” 

“Sorry,” Tui Buliu refused without hesitation, “My votes are only for Hui Ji.” 

Zhou Mu Yang shrugged, regretting, “Then I don’t know.” 

“Sorry to bother you.” Tui Buliu didn’t press further and turned to leave. 

“Hey, wait!” Before he reached the door, Zhou Mu Yang suddenly called out, like a vendor trying to retain a bargaining customer, “I really can’t handle you, fine, I’ll tell you.” 

Tui Buliu stopped, “What’s the condition this time?” 

“Uh… let me think…” Zhou Mu Yang rubbed his chin, then said, “How about this, say: ‘I wish the world’s most handsome Zhou Mu Yang debuts in the center position in this competition.'” 

Seeing Tui Buliu silent, Zhou Mu Yang exaggeratedly exclaimed, “No way? You won’t even do that?” 

Tui Buliu looked at him for two seconds, then asked instead, “You want to debut in the center position?” 

“Who doesn’t?” Zhou Mu Yang widened his eyes in surprise, looking like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “Isn’t that why we’re here, to debut in the center position? I’ve been training hard every day for it.” 

Tui Buliu nodded slightly, “Then I hope you get your wish.” 

“Thanks for your kind words,” Zhou Mu Yang smiled, his eyes curving like they were filled with stars, “Hui Ji took leave and went out. He’s not in the dorm every Sunday afternoon, all mysterious.” 

Tui Buliu: “Do you know where he went?” 

“That I don’t know,” Zhou Mu Yang waved his hand, hinting, “We’re competitors, not close enough to know that.” 

With useful information, Tui Buliu left the set. 

“What’s so serious that he had to take leave now?” Chi Luyang followed behind, puzzled, “Taking leave costs two points, which means he’ll have 10 seconds less performance time next time. He’s currently ranked 25th overall, if he doesn’t perform well in the third round, he might be eliminated soon…” 

“To the hospital.” The usually silent Tui Buliu suddenly spoke. 

“Hospital?” Chi Luyang didn’t catch on, “Minister, are you feeling unwell?” 

Tui Buliu: “Hui Ji is in the hospital.” 

Chi Luyang: “How do you know?” 

After asking and not getting an answer from Tui Buliu, Chi Luyang realized the question was quite naive. 

In the days of being Tui Buliu’s assistant, Chi Luyang deeply felt his boss’s extraordinary nature. 

Tui Buliu was different from everyone else in the company, he wouldn’t make him do meaningless chores, wouldn’t organize dinners after work, and wouldn’t force him to drink at social events. 

Their only interaction was work, and although the workload was heavy and the pressure great, Chi Luyang could feel that he was indeed growing. The more he grew, the more he felt the gap between himself and Tui Buliu, which made him somewhat self-conscious. 

What frustrated Chi Luyang even more was that Tui Buliu had a habit of giving orders without explanations, and he had to ponder for a long time to understand. 

This time was no exception. 

How did the minister know Hui Ji was in the hospital? While driving, Chi Luyang recalled his colleagues’ evaluations of Hui Ji—handsome but cold, doing things his own way, and deliberately not answering his calls. 

From these evaluations, it was clear that this was quite a troublesome person. 

Chi Luyang steadied himself, tentatively saying, “I’ve been thinking, and I believe he might have gotten into a conflict, which is why he went to the hospital.” 

“I suggest,” Tui Buliu glanced at him, speaking in a low voice, “you stop thinking in the future.” 

Chi Luyang: “…” 

Chi Luyang couldn’t figure it out and didn’t dare to ask further, so he obediently acted as the driver, driving to the hospital as Tui Buliu instructed. 

The recording location for ‘JUST ME’ was in a remodeled factory in the suburbs, next to a dilapidated urban village, desolate and bleak. 

Not long after Chi Luyang drove out of the gate, Tui Buliu suddenly spoke, “Stop the car.” 

Chi Luyang hurriedly stopped the car, not understanding what was happening, and Tui Buliu had already opened the car door and got out. 

“Minister?” Chi Luyang quickly turned off the engine, wanting to follow. 

“Wait in the car.” Tui Buliu left this sentence and disappeared into the alley ahead. 

It had just rained today, the sky was overcast, the alley was dark, and there were still puddles on the ground, stepping on them would be a muddy mess. 

Tui Buliu avoided the puddles and vaguely heard a commotion deep in the alley. 

“Behave yourself! You messed with the wrong people, and we’re gonna teach you a lesson… Damn… you dare to strike first… ugh… ah…” 

Following that were the thuds of fists hitting bodies and the muffled groans of those being hit. Suddenly, there was a loud “clang,” as if a steel pipe had struck a wall. 

Tui Buliu quickly walked forward, only to find the fight was over. Seven or eight burly men were lying on the ground, and only a man was still standing at the end of the alley. The man was tall, wearing a gray hoodie, with the hood covering his head, revealing only half of his rugged face. 

Tui Buliu watched for two seconds and spoke, “Hui Ji?” 

The man looked up at the sound, his cheek stained with blood, his eyes fierce and menacing. 

Those eyes were like a beast defending its territory, ready to attack indiscriminately if approached. 

Tui Buliu ignored it and walked over, his tone calm, “Weren’t you going to the hospital? I’ll take you…” 

Before he could finish, the man suddenly charged at him. 

He was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Tui Buliu. 

Tui Buliu quickly sidestepped the attack, but Hui Ji relentlessly pursued. The two exchanged about ten moves in the narrow alley, ending with Tui Buliu’s left hand pressing Hui Ji’s right hand, Hui Ji’s left hand gripping Tui Buliu’s right hand, their legs entangled, eyes locked, neither able to overpower the other. 

“Not bad,” Tui Buliu spoke with some appreciation, “but I’m not here to fight you…” 

Before he could finish, Hui Ji took advantage of his speaking to launch a new round of attacks. 

However, Tui Buliu was prepared, blocking Hui Ji’s attack with his left hand and counterattacking Hui Ji’s wound with his right. 

The sharp pain made Hui Ji frown, cursing under his breath, “Damn.” 

Tui Buliu pulled out a tie, binding Hui Ji’s hands, pinning him against the wall, and coldly questioning, “Still want to fight?” 

Hui Ji struggled, but Tui Buliu grabbed his chin, forcing him to lift his face. 

When Tui Buliu saw the photo before, he thought this face was good-looking, and now, up close, it was flawless. 

The features were sharp and deep, with a high nose and lips neither too thin nor too thick. The deep contours gave him a slightly mixed-race look, balancing handsomeness and ruggedness perfectly. 

But if everything was standardized, it would just be a standard ordinary face. Hui Ji’s advantage lay in his captivating eyes. Even in such a rundown place, his brilliance couldn’t be hidden. 

The only problem was his gaze was too fierce, not very likable. 

Tui Buliu held Hui Ji’s chin, his tone carrying a hint of reprimand, “Fighting back when bullied can be considered spirited. Attacking indiscriminately makes you just a mad dog.” 

Hui Ji sneered, full of disdain, “You came to me, can’t blame me… damn!” 

Before he could finish, Tui Buliu pressed down on him. 

Hui Ji’s knees were forcibly spread by Tui Buliu, almost half-kneeling on the ground, his hands tied behind him with a tie, his chin lifted high by the other, forced to look up at this man— 

It was a humiliating position, like a master casually disciplining a disobedient wild dog. 

Hui Ji glared at Tui Buliu, the new and old grudges from two lifetimes piling up, making him want to tear this man apart. 

However, Tui Buliu smiled. 

“What’s the point of being a mad dog?” The man brushed aside the damp bangs from his eyes, his voice low and enticing, “Why not be my dog, and I’ll make you a superstar.”