Is This How the Entertainment Industry Works? (GL) - Chapter 12

Xu Weiwei invited Yan Zhen: “Why don’t you sign up too? The open audition is only fifty yuan. Whether you get in depends on fate, but if you do, you’ll be famous.”

Yan Zhen was interested. “I want to become a top-tier star. Is participating in this useful?”

“I couldn’t tell you were so ambitious,” Xu Weiwei said. “Of course it’s useful. As long as you win the championship—do you know what the grand prize is?”

Yan Zhen shook her head.

“It’s incredible,” Xu Weiwei said. “First, there’s a huge sum of cash. Then, there’s a global endorsement contract for a major international brand covering both the International and China regions. You also get a reality show tailor-made for you by Tianhua Company and a role in a mega-budget movie.”

Yan Zhen counted on her fingers. “That really is quite amazing.”

“Yeah. But even if you don’t win, as long as you make the top three, you’ll still be famous.”

“Why? Are there rewards for the top three too?”

“Not officially, but the show has a massive audience,” Xu Weiwei explained. “Do you know Xu Fengmei? She only took second place back then, but look at her now—she’s doing better than ever.”

Yan Zhen asked, “What about Zhao Baoshang?”

“Zhao Baoshang had a high starting point. She had no need to participate in a show like this.”

Yan Zhen thought it over and felt this program was truly excellent. She hadn’t found a place to stay yet, nor had she decided on a school. If she could avoid elimination, the show would provide food and housing. Moreover, she could use the show’s popularity to accumulate fame, making it easier to become someone of “matching status” for the Eldest Princess.

She asked hurriedly, “I want to join. How do I sign up?”

Xu Weiwei said, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you!” She opened her phone and logged onto the website; soon, the words “Registration Successful” popped up.

Yan Zhen was immensely grateful. “You are truly kind-hearted.”

To repay Xu Weiwei’s kindness, Yan Zhen suggested, “Are you interested in a divination?”

Xu Weiwei thought Yan Zhen was joking, but she didn’t refuse, treating it as a way to pass the time. “Sure, what method do you use?”

Yan Zhen pulled out a piece of paper and said, “Let’s do word divination. Just write any word on it.”

Xu Weiwei thought for a moment and wrote two characters: “Champion” (冠军).

Yan Zhen reminded her, “You can only write one.”

Xu Weiwei hesitated for a long time, then crossed out the character “Jun” (军), leaving the character “Guan” (冠) (meaning crown/first place).

After looking at it, Yan Zhen first offered her congratulations. “If you had crossed out the word Guan, the outcome might not have been as good as it is now. Going into the competition with your current mindset, you will achieve at least a fourth-place finish.”

Xu Weiwei laughed. “Then I’ll trust you.”

Yan Zhen nodded. “The character Guan is open on three sides, but the top is covered. I’m afraid there will be an extremely formidable contestant in this competition. The bottom part is supported by Yuan and Cun (units of measure/foundation), which means as long as you stay grounded and keep your feet on the ground, you will receive great reviews.”

Xu Weiwei said, “Only one formidable opponent? I thought there would be at least a dozen.”

“Most people in this world are ordinary. Just keep a balanced mindset,” Yan Zhen said. “Furthermore, the way you drew that ‘X’—it strokes from bottom to top with delicate lines. After this competition, your life will usher in a new beginning.”

Xu Weiwei giggled. “You’re really good at bragging. That ‘formidable opponent’ couldn’t be you, could it?”

Yan Zhen laughed along. “It’s not impossible.”

After chatting with Yan Zhen for a while, Xu Weiwei felt much less nervous.

The man sleeping on the upper berth heard their conversation, poked his head down, and asked, “Can you really tell fortunes?”

Yan Zhen said, “I can calculate small things, but not major affairs.”

The man hopped down and sat on a stool. “I don’t really believe it. Why don’t you guess what I do for a living?”

Yan Zhen glanced at the man and asked with a smile, “You’re a reporter, aren’t you?”

The man’s eyes widened. “Could it be you actually calculated that?”

Yan Zhen said, “Your cheekbones are high and your forehead is prominent, which means your career has been going smoothly lately. However, your Renzhong (philtrum) is short, and your children’s and marriage palaces are quite barren. I’m afraid you neglected your family for your career and only recently got a divorce, right?”

The man was shocked. “Holy crap? You really know? You didn’t investigate me beforehand, did you?”

Yan Zhen said calmly, “I didn’t.”

The man thought for a while, still skeptical. Yet, he couldn’t help but ask in a low voice, “Calculate one more thing for me. That ‘big move’ I’m planning recently—will it succeed?”

Yan Zhen looked at him. This man was covered in dark clouds; it would be a miracle if he succeeded.

“You’d be better off going home to rest,” she advised.

The man burst into laughter. “You really are just a charlatan. To tell you the truth, I’m ninety percent sure about this matter. Even without your word, it’s basically a done deal.”

Yan Zhen wanted to advise him further, but she suddenly sensed something through her calculations, and her expression changed. She looked at the man with a complex gaze and warned, “Always leave yourself a way out in whatever you do. There will always be a glimmer of hope if you do.”

The man froze for a moment, then muttered, “You talk so mysteriously.” After that, he flipped back to the upper berth and went back to whatever he was doing.

The room fell quiet for a moment, save for the sound of Xu Weiwei cracking sunflower seeds. After a while, the train approached the station.

Xu Weiwei told Yan Zhen, “This competition still has a preliminary round. The preliminary involves posting your photo on social media; the top fifty people can enter the formal competition.”

Yan Zhen realized this meant she still had no place to stay for the next few days… She had no choice but to go to a real estate agency. Carrying the ten thousand yuan in her pocket, she found a tiny room to rent.

The little house was in a busy district. Next to it was a wet market and various street stalls—it was full of life, and also extremely noisy.

After resting for a bit, she went online to search for information on Zhao Baoshang, only to find a crowd of people attacking her. Yan Zhen began to fight back under several of those hateful Weibo posts.

@WealthyDeadbeatZhaoBaoshang: Why does Zhao Baoshang insist on acting when she can’t do it at all? She even took the Movie Queen title. Money really makes things easy.

Yan Zhen replied: 【You haven’t even watched the movies Zhao Baoshang filmed. Spreading rumors like this damages your hidden merit. The specific damage has already manifested in your pet cat; your cat will fall ill tomorrow and be difficult to cure. The cause lies with you.】

@ZhaoBaoshangGetOutOfTheIndustry: Wealthy Zhao is acting like a diva again! She signed onto a big production, signed all the contracts, but then backed out at the last minute! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!!!

Yan Zhen calculated and replied: 【The content of that movie was a new addition not in the original contract; it is reasonable not to film it. However, you should be careful, blogger. Inventing false facts to deceive the ignorant public will easily lead to you scalding your mouth while eating.】

@ProfessionalZhaoHater: Posting a few pictures, see for yourself. [Image: Zhao Baoshang pulling someone’s sleeve] [Image: The person falling] [Image: Zhao Baoshang walking away without looking back]

Yan Zhen countered: 【Are you blind? Can’t you see they are both wearing costumes?】

…

………

Author’s Note:

Yan Zhen: Are you blind…

Zhao Baoshang: That’s right! I’m blind, that’s why I like you!

Yan Zhen: …Princess, I wasn’t talking about you.