I Rely on Gifting the Female Supporting Character to Get Cash Back (GL) - Chapter 5

Seeing that single character, Qin Ran couldn’t help but laugh. She replied with an emoji, tucked her phone into her pocket, and headed straight to class.

Not long after the individual introductions were filmed, the first official recording, which was also the elimination round, was set to begin. Only 50 people would remain for the subsequent recordings.

Both Yu Shuman and the company sent Qin Ran invitations to attend the live viewing. Yu Shuman’s invitation was likely given to her by her agent, allowing her to invite some classmates and friends to cheer her on and boost her momentum. Yu Shuman didn’t hesitate, sending a ticket to Qin Ran and instructing her to be sure to come and witness her starlit appearance.

The company offered her a better reserved spot, clearly an internal arrangement.

Qin Ran accepted Yu Shuman’s ticket without the slightest hesitation and declined the company’s offer. Because she was going to attend the viewing, Qin Ran skipped class. After gathering with Yu Shuman’s roommates, they took a taxi together to the recording studio complex.

Yu Shuman certainly couldn’t entertain them, but as the major boss, Qin Ran had already informed the company. The company not only distributed fan merchandise to Yu Shuman’s classmates and friends but also provided milk tea, snacks, and small gifts.

Sister Li, with her powerful aura, spotted Qin Ran in the crowd and immediately softened her demeanor, acting like a warm and friendly older sister next door. She welcomed them for coming to cheer for Yu Shuman, arranged all the provisions for them, and had an assistant escort them to their seating area, so they didn’t have to search for seats themselves.

99 Interactive Entertainment had recently stirred up significant waves in the industry. Its origins were a mystery, the boss’s name was unknown, and it had only just been established. Yet, this company possessed eye-watering financial muscle. In just over a month, it had already turned the industry upside down, even carving out a substantial piece of the pie from some major companies, and poaching quite a few established artists.

The company’s money seemed to fall from the sky. They not only poached staff but also covered the penalties for contract breaches. The treatment given to the poached artists was so generous that other companies in the industry were completely flabbergasted.

—Damn it! Where does this company get its money?! Who runs a business like this?!

The words “rich and powerful” were practically etched onto the face of 99 Interactive Entertainment. Other artists were waiting for it to sweep in like a peerless hero, riding on a colorful cloud, to take them home. However, after poaching a dozen or so people in quick succession, 99 Interactive Entertainment began to lie low, ceasing its aggressive recruitment.

Putting everything else aside, there was one thing the other companies guessed correctly: 99 Interactive Entertainment’s money did come from the sky. Qin Ran even justified her poaching actions: a company definitely couldn’t have only Yu Shuman as an artist. These individuals not only provided cover for Yu Shuman after being poached, but having fellow senior artists in the same company would also make Yu Shuman’s future path smoother.

The System didn’t hesitate for a moment regarding her rationale, immediately “transferring the payment” right onto Qin Ran’s face. Having spent so much during this time, Qin Ran had also accumulated a considerable personal fortune. Furthermore, having reached a certain spending level, the cash back ratio had improved significantly, changing from the original 100:1 to 50:1.

Aside from all that, because of 99 Interactive Entertainment, Yu Shuman’s friends and classmates were now enjoying excellent treatment. One of Yu Shuman’s roommates pulled Qin Ran aside, sounding incredulous: “Is this the kind of treatment everyone gets for watching live? This is too good!”

But she soon discovered that not everyone received the same treatment as them. Some artists backed by major agencies were fine; while their treatment wasn’t as good as theirs, it wasn’t far off. The real suffering was for the artists from small companies. They were allocated few seats, and once inside the shooting venue, no one showed any special favor to the staff or support groups of these small artists’ companies.

The world is harsh, and fawning over the powerful while stepping on the weak has always been the way. One can’t call the staff bad people; rather, work has worn down their edges. How could they possibly fight for the interests of others? If it weren’t for Qin Ran, these smiling seniors would likely be in the same position. They wouldn’t have many seats, and those who managed to snag tickets after staying up all night would be squeezed in among other fan groups, not even daring to hold up their homemade support signs.

On a larger scale, Yu Shuman wouldn’t have received very good treatment either.

Qin Ran sighed. She was someone who disliked trouble, but there were some things she still wanted to do. Qin Ran pulled out her phone and sent a message to Sister Li. Sister Li received it, glanced up in Qin Ran’s direction, then sighed, stood up resignedly, and instructed her assistant to carry out the task.

A little while later, the assistant returned with some people and a lot of iced beverages. They distributed them to the staff and the groups from the small companies, saying things like, “Thank you for your hard work” and “It’s not easy for anyone.” Soon, the staff and the small company people who received the drinks showed signs of gratitude.

They weren’t thanking them for a single bottle of water—who couldn’t afford a bottle of soda? They were grateful that a large company actually acknowledged them and treated them as equals. The entertainment industry is the most pragmatic; you only ever see the poor flattering the rich, and you never see the rich lower their heads or show any kindness to the poor. Even if they did, it would just be an act. But now, outside the spotlight, someone had actually thought of them, and they naturally responded with gratitude.

Small favors may seem insignificant, but when done repeatedly, they can always improve someone else’s situation.

Qin Ran looked away after seeing the 99 Interactive Entertainment staff distributing the drinks and focused on the artists’ performances on stage. She wasn’t just watching Yu Shuman; she was also watching the female protagonist and looking for any other promising talents to scout for the company. A single flower doesn’t make a spring; a hundred flowers blooming together makes a garden full of spring. Qin Ran didn’t want Yu Shuman to be the only standout, nor did she want her to realize the favoritism the company was showing her. Protecting Yu Shuman meant hiding her within a garden of flowers, making her the most noticeable one, but not the only one blooming.

The first episode was somewhat like an audition. When edited into the formal program, everyone had limited screen time, but from the audience, they had to watch everyone perform. If one song is 4 minutes, 50 selected people would be 200 minutes. The actual number of participants was far greater than the number selected. Qin Ran had seen the internal documents and knew that the total number of artists sent by various companies and those who signed up themselves was 150. With a three-to-one elimination, 100 people had to be cut. 150 people meant at least 600 minutes, or 10 hours, of stage performances. Accounting for breaks in between, it would take no less than twelve hours to complete.

The most pitiful ones were the audience members. Fortunately, they didn’t arrive too early. Yu Shuman’s performance was scheduled for 2 PM, so they could leave immediately after watching it.

At noon, Sister Li took their entire group, along with the company staff, to a nearby restaurant for lunch. There weren’t many dining options near the shooting complex, but because there were many celebrities coming and going, there were a few high-end restaurants.

Sister Li chose the most expensive one without hesitation. Are you kidding? The boss is right here. Why should she worry about reimbursement?! She also took the opportunity to pull Yu Shuman out of her holding area so she could join them for lunch. When Yu Shuman arrived, she was still wearing a simple practice outfit and light makeup, but her hair was already styled. A head of wavy curls made her look even more attractive. Her roommates were astonished that she was allowed to come out.

Yu Shuman thanked Sister Li in front of everyone. Sister Li waved her hand and said it was nothing. Only then did everyone realize that she was able to come out thanks to Sister Li. After everyone sat down, Sister Li unceremoniously ordered many signature dishes. Yu Shuman’s classmates, friends, and the company staff filled a large private room. The ordering alone cost over 10,000 yuan, but Sister Li didn’t feel any pinch.

Everyone ate until they were stuffed. Only Yu Shuman ate sparingly since she had to compete that afternoon. The attendees were all Yu Shuman’s roommates, classmates, and friends, who knew each other. Only Qin Ran seemed solitary and somewhat out of place. Yu Shuman noticed this, directly sat next to Qin Ran, constantly served her food, and told her not to be shy, as the company would cover everything.

…The company would certainly cover it, and they’d come to her for reimbursement.

However, having Yu Shuman sitting next to her made Qin Ran feel much better. Only Sister Li’s occasional probing gaze made Qin Ran feel awkward. Her status as the hidden boss could be kept from many people, but not the CEO and Sister Li. One was the company’s actual operator, and the other was Yu Shuman’s agent. If she wanted to interfere with Yu Shuman’s actual work, she had to go through Sister Li, so she had to confide in her.

Sister Li was a perceptive person who naturally wouldn’t reveal her identity, but she couldn’t hide her curiosity and constantly found herself looking at Qin Ran.

Yu Shuman only took a few bites before stopping. She thought Sister Li was watching her, and as an artist, she should be somewhat conscious and not eat too much. When the time was right, Yu Shuman left first to go prepare. Before leaving, she told Qin Ran, “Junior, you wait and see, I’m going to blow the whole place away today!”

She clenched her hand into a fist and waved it at Qin Ran. Qin Ran smiled slightly and replied, “We’ll all be here to watch.” Yu Shuman walked away spiritedly, leaving them to continue eating. Once they were mostly finished, Sister Li paid the bill and led everyone back to the audience seats.

The artists performing in the afternoon were generally much more skilled than those in the morning, which is why the production team scheduled them for the afternoon to give them ample time to prepare. It takes several hours to complete stage makeup. The first artist to perform had to wake up before dawn. Those backed by major agencies wouldn’t put up with such hardship; only the ones without backing suffered.

At 2 PM, Qin Ran, who had waited for a long time, finally saw Yu Shuman take the stage. On the stage, devoid of any elaborate set design, Yu Shuman, wearing a plain black sequined dance outfit, stood gracefully. After a brief chat with the judges, she smiled in their direction.