Chapter 121 : Chapter 121

Chapter 121: “Wanshu Zu likes shiny things.”

Chu Zu had to have a good talk with Qiao Tian.

The system, one "Oh my god" after another, urgently reported a high-level risk to the host: Qiao Tian didn't want to be in this line of work anymore.

“The readers are also dumbfounded. They were waiting for the revised text, but when they opened the first chapter, thirteenth line——Qiao Tian swore in her heart that after she finished this round of scolding, she would leave once she felt good.”

The little yellow chicken said rapidly, “It's not said in anger, her psychological activities are very detailed.”

The casting couch incident from back then appeared directly in the first chapter as a flashback.

Because it was from Qiao Tian's perspective, Li Yamin's presence was weakened, her impression of the manager was deeper, and her memories were basically only related to Wanshu Zu.

The reason for Qiao Tian wanting to leave the entertainment industry was thus formed:

The hidden danger planted by the casting couch many years ago.

Wanshu Zu's talk made her realize that she was not suited for this circle.

Judging rationally, pulling out early was the best policy.

Speaking emotionally…

Qiao Tian's rose-tinted glasses for Wanshu Zu were so thick that even Chu Zu didn't know what to say.

Just as she encountered the two ancestors outside the door, Qiao Tian seemed to regard him as an existence between a "benefactor" and an "elder," and her protective instincts immediately surged.

Just reckless, just impulsive, scolding whoever she caught.

Whether you're a top star or the boss, the barefooted aren't afraid of those with shoes!

The little yellow chicken marked out the key paragraphs, which densely occupied more than half of the main text.

Chu Zu told the system to stay calm and not panic.

“The only one with a plot problem should be Qiao Tian, everything will be fine once I wake up. Help me condense the content of the next twenty chapters into an outline, so I can follow it.”

Compared to being panicked, the little yellow chicken was more dumbfounded.

It didn't doubt the host's ability to handle it properly, it was just that the development of events was too dramatic.

Previously, in Death by Entertainment, Wanshu Zu's name only appeared sporadically, living in others' conversations and memories, and his appearance was timed for when the protagonist ran into trouble.

Now, with a brief search by the system, in the first chapter alone, Wanshu Zu's name appeared thirty-five times.

And that didn't include "manager" and "Wansu Zu."

This was only the first chapter...

The host gave the order, and the system cooperated proficiently, first forcibly waking up Wanshu Zu who was supposed to be unconscious for a few more days, then pulling up a table, arranging all of Qiao Tian's original plot points in chronological order.

The first thing Chu Zu did when he woke up was to take off his watch.

After the shift in work focus, Li Yamin saw less and less of Wanshu Zu.

He had to join the film crew, Wanshu Zu had to fly everywhere, and when they occasionally bumped into each other at the company, the manager would always have an annoying nephew by his side.

When Wanshu Zu wanted to return the watch, for some reason Li Yamin just gave it to him.

Wanshu Zu didn't refuse.

Rather than spending effort figuring out his partner's thought process, it was better to spend time on other proper business.

Chu Zu smashed the watch decisively, feeling no pain at getting rid of four million, if questioned, he would just issue an invoice for compensation and be done with it.

Besides, on the surface, what was given to him was his, and smashing one's own property wasn't illegal.

The urgent matter was still Qiao Tian.

Novels emphasize the golden three chapters, using the word count of three chapters to capture the reader's attention, establish the world view and plot, and introduce the core conflict.

Originally, the three protagonists encountered their own troubles in the same casting couch incident, and subsequently made different choices.

Now Qiao Tian had directly thrown in the towel.

What trouble?

As long as she ran fast enough, there was no trouble.

Fortunately, Death by Entertainment was generally a slow burn, focusing on character growth, with the characters' transformations and progress being down-to-earth, without the fast-food-like satisfaction of being troubled in one chapter and slapping back in the next.

“I need to talk to you, come here,” Chu Zu said to Qiao Tian.

There was nothing that couldn't be talked out.

…

Qiao Tian was very obedient.

Her obedience stemmed from respectful politeness, without any element of fawning.

When she approached the hospital bed, her face showed clear concern, and she even poured a glass of water for Wanshu Zu.

Qiao Tian sat by the hospital bed.

The conditions in the private room were very good.

It was now past four in the afternoon, the sunlight was a bit hot, and most of the heat was blocked by the window, falling on the pillow.

The veins on the man's hand were prominent.

He had been on an IV drip for several days, and the blood vessels on the back of his hand were bruised purple, as startling as the fatigue under his brows.

Qiao Tian handed the water over.

Wanshu Zu took it and sipped a couple of times to moisten his throat, saying, "Give me the phone."

Qiao Tian fumbled for her phone, and only realized after handing it over that she had forgotten to unlock it.

Wanshu Zu directly entered a string of numbers, the last six digits of Qiao Tian's birthday.

As expected, the password was unlocked successfully.

Wanshu Zu opened a web page and logged into his own email.

He quickly scanned through his emails, synchronizing with the current situation, and at the same time spoke: “You don't want to do this anymore.”

Qiao Tian sat upright like a student, without a trace of her previous ferocity, stammering, “How did you…”

“No need to be so polite with me.”

Wanshu Zu said, “You're a smart girl, if you really wanted to continue, you wouldn't offend those two people—even if you're not in the entertainment industry, you shouldn't have that attitude towards Li Yamin.”

Qiao Tian instinctively bit her lower lip and lowered her head as if she had made a mistake.

“I have to thank you.”

Qiao Tian was taken aback.

“You were very cooperative, you didn't panic, nor did you get emotional. This point alone far surpasses eighty percent of artists.”

Wanshu Zu only took a few minutes to quickly read through his emails, then logged out and returned the phone to Qiao Tian.

He moved to a more comfortable position, “You said before that you needed to think about it, is this the answer you're giving me?”

Qiao Tian nodded slightly: “I don't think it's worth it.”

She said softly, “Actually, I'm not afraid of going under the knife, and enduring hardship is nothing. I'm just not used to… having most of my life arranged by others.”

“Do you find me overbearing?”

“It's okay, I guess…”

“Tell the truth, Xiao Qiao.”

Qiao Tian took a deep breath and carefully raised her eyes.

She looked at Wanshu Zu.

The man had just woken up and lost his temper, but he didn't allow himself to be weak, the pressure he exuded was as strong as ever.

But Qiao Tian had been looking at him for a few days, and slowly lost her fear.

The current unease… was probably still because of his attitude.

For Wanshu Zu to terminate her contract was a matter of a single sentence.

To suggest a talk, and even ask her if he was overbearing…

Qiao Tian had reason to believe he wanted to continue this cooperation.

But Qiao Tian couldn't find a reason.

Wanshu Zu had made it very clear before, the premise of his cooperation was not how outstanding the artist was, but whether they were "obedient or not."

Qiao Tian felt that her performance was poor.

The artists under Wanshu Zu became huge stars one by one, glamorous and profitable.

Only she was unpromising, just getting by as she could.

She wanted to make money, but didn't want to pay the corresponding price.

“I don't know…”

Qiao Tian said, “I—no one has ever managed me, I'm not used to being managed…”

“The last one who said this to me was Shen Weidi, and the one before that was Li Yamin.”

Mentioning the two ancestors, Wanshu Zu's voice turned cold, “My answer to them was the same, if you don't like being managed, then get lost.”

Qiao Tian: “…”

“But you're different.”

The man's tone softened quickly, “They were complaining, you are stating a fact. I don't have much patience for complaints, and you never tell me about your own affairs. This is the first time, isn't it?”

Qiao Tian: “…”

“This isn't the first time I've been sick. Usually, after waking up, a large group of people would surround me, frantically asking me many questions, as if the world would stop turning without me.”

“This isn't to say how important I am, I know better than anyone what they're thinking.”

“These people don't want to take responsibility, waiting for someone to shove the answers into their mouths. Their view of cooperation or employment is simple and crude, believing that someone should give more beyond the scope of the contract.”

“After opening my eyes and seeing you, I breathed a sigh of relief.”

Wanshu Zu said, “I knew you wouldn't ask me anything, nor would you make me do anything. You've always been very quiet.”

Qiao Tian squeezed out a few words with difficulty through gritted teeth: “But this time it was originally because…”

“If you don't feel it's your fault in your heart, there's no need to hide it in front of me. Otherwise, who else can you speak the truth to?”

“…”

Wanshu Zu's aggressive temperament could dominate most situations, making people overlook the fact that he actually had a very comforting way with words.

His unkempt bangs also fell down, revealing the same bright eyes as always—Qiao Tian actually felt a restrained tenderness.

Was it because he was sick?

Qiao Tian looked at Wanshu Zu's expression, her mood was extremely complicated.

“To be honest, I'm inclined to continue our cooperation, but we're not suitable to continue cooperating.”

Wanshu Zu said, “You're more talented than Shen Weidi, and much less trouble than Li Yamin. But you're not suitable for me, and I'm not suitable for you. I must thank these two people for getting me where I am today, they pushed me to my limits, time and time again, but you're too little trouble.”

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, “I've held you back for five years, Xiao Qiao.”

Qiao Tian quickly waved her hands, saying anxiously, “No, no!”

She was genuinely flustered.

In Qiao Tian's perception, Wanshu Zu should be condescendingly accusing others of wasting his time, not "confessing his guilt" here.

She also never felt that she had been held back.

Wanshu Zu quietly watched her being at a loss.

“You should be more confident in yourself, Xiao Qiao.”

He said, “Li Yamin saw your potential at a glance. His personality is trash, even if a starving beggar begged him, he wouldn't see them. But he told me about you, which in itself says a lot.”

“You will be a good actor.”

Qiao Tian's lips were trembling.

She understood Wanshu Zu's meaning.

Wanshu Zu lived in a high-pressure environment and was used to it, forcing himself to treat the discomfort of his nerves and body as motivation, otherwise he wouldn't have lasted until now.

He couldn't even adapt to a relaxed environment.

People who made him feel comfortable, these factors instead made him feel insecure.

Under absolutely rational consideration, he judged that his actions had brought losses to Qiao Tian.

Because from the very beginning, he was certain that Qiao Tian was a "genius" no less than Li Yamin.

Am I a genius…?

Qiao Tian had never considered this question.

This wasn't the first time Qiao Tian heard a positive evaluation from Wanshu Zu's mouth; before, they were hidden in harshness, hard to find if you didn't look carefully.

Qiao Tian had no passion for acting, she kept saying she wanted to make money, but never put her heart into her career.

She rarely made up her mind to do something, and the number of times she quit was far more.

Qiao Tian had no reliable parents to guide her, the few important decisions in her life… seemed to have all come from Wanshu Zu.

The first time was for tuition fees, she knew nothing, but still braced herself to go on set and act.

The second time she was enticed, signed a five-year management contract with him, and stepped halfway into the entertainment industry.

Now Wanshu Zu wanted to tell her, even if you're not under me, you can still be a good actor.

So, do you want to persevere, and not waste the five years that allowed you to grasp the rules and quietly settle?

…

“There's a chance!”

The system was constantly monitoring the changes in the main text, “Xiao Qiao is starting to seriously consider it! Your praise was spot on!”

Chu Zu was still waiting for Qiao Tian's reaction.

He was calmer than the little yellow chicken, his emotions didn't fluctuate much: “This is how we trolls have heart-to-hearts, and what I said was very pertinent, not an exaggeration.”

Wanshu Zu couldn't manage Qiao Tian well.

He had long been stretched into a taut string, used to acting swiftly and decisively.

When encountering someone like Qiao Tian who was easy-going, sensible, and had little of her own opinion, he would constantly want to put pressure on her.

Those two ancestors from the Li family could handle the pressure; one would hear it and treat it like a fart, the other would only get fired up after being provoked.

No matter how harsh the words were, they held no substance in their minds, they were just modal particles, serving a decorative purpose.

Qiao Tian couldn't, she would take every word seriously, and it could easily turn into PUA.

No heavyweight actor could become famous overnight.

Attention and fame only brought traffic; works always needed time to settle.

No matter how much money Shen Weidi could make, his status could never catch up to Li Yamin's in the slightest, and it was for the same reason.

Li Yamin's achievements were built on years of solid, hard work.

So there was only one choice, to give up on Qiao Tian.

Wanshu Zu wouldn't change his style, but as long as she was under him, Qiao Tian absolutely couldn't shine.

Even if his business mindset made him reluctant to let go, he couldn't dig out much commercial value from her.

It would be better to let go, let her find a suitable environment to grow, and then talk about other collaborations.

—This also aligned with the plot's direction.

“What did Xiao Qiao do after terminating the contract?”

Chu Zu thought for a moment and said, “She should have a long period of inactivity, how would she support herself without a job?”

The little yellow chicken pulled out the outline of the first twenty chapters: “She went to walk dogs for people.”

Chu Zu: “…”

Little yellow chicken: “Xiao Qiao has some savings. While walking dogs for people to earn money for food, she started to ponder acting. She's a girl with a good plan!”

Chu Zu: “Remind me, when I'm discharged from the hospital, I'll go buy a dog for her to walk.”

Little yellow chicken: “?”

Chu Zu said as if it were a matter of course: “Even if she's not under me, we have to keep in touch. It'll be too late to contact her after she becomes famous.”

“A future Movie Queen is still very valuable, she'll have to thank me when she receives her award.”

He smiled, “You know, it's true. Not an artist under me, we had some 'past issues', but at the award ceremony she suddenly gives a sincere thank you. The impact of that is much more valuable than Li Yamin bringing me back eighty little golden statuettes.”

Little yellow chicken: “Even if Li Yamin could really create new glories every year, outshine everyone, and get you back trophies, he would have to work like a beast of burden non-stop for at least thirty years…”

Chu Zu didn't answer, his expression clearly saying: Is there something wrong with that?

The little yellow chicken had complicated feelings: “...Fine, then we'll buy a dog.”

“By the way.”

Chu Zu remembered again, “Didn't you say the other protagonist was here too? The streamer, the one who later becomes Xiao Qiao's manager.”

“Yes,” the system replied, “He's the staff member who was blocking the two ancestors, and he also arranged for Xiao Qiao's accommodation during this time.”

It pulled up all the background settings and checked.

“Last time, didn't you open up a new track with the press conference, collaborating with many platforms and taking a large piece of the cake in the blue ocean of live streaming.”

“A subsidiary of Lishou Entertainment has a UGC section—which can be simply understood as non-professional self-media—the streamer was one of the employees, and he was fired after the incident escalated.”

Chu Zu asked doubtfully: “Fired and still staying here to be bullied?”

“Please understand, host, the streamer brother is only 21, just graduated from college.”

The little yellow chicken sighed, “The company said there's a handover period for resignation, he doesn't dare to leave, afraid he won't get compensation.”

“How is he like Yu Yan, believing whatever is said…”

For Qiao Tian's sake, Chu Zu asked an extra question about the clear-eyed college student, “What did he do after losing his job?”

“Became a self-media blogger, but it didn't make money. He relied on his main job of feeding cats to get by.”

The system said, “He and Qiao Tian had the same employer. He ran into Qiao Tian who was going to pick up a dog while he was feeding cats, recognized her at once, and they started partnering up after a few encounters.”

As a fellow small animal, the little yellow chicken also clicked its tongue indignantly:

“What kind of employer is this, having both a dog and a cat, and not taking care of them at all, leaving it all to others to manage. The animal protection society should just arrest him and teach him a harsh lesson!”

Chu Zu was silent for a moment: “Adopt another cat…”

“…”

The little yellow chicken quickly sorted out the relationship.

The little yellow chicken said with difficulty: “If one is usually too busy, but really likes small animals… then that… that can't be helped…”

Qiao Tian timely dispelled the little yellow chicken's awkwardness.

She thought for a long time, and seriously asked Wanshu Zu a question.

“You seem to be particularly concerned about some… actors you consider talented, even if they often cause trouble, or have no economic benefits to speak of… why?”

“Why is Xiao Qiao trying to find a deeper meaning in you?”

The system sensed something, and wondered, “Aren't you a ruthless Long Aotian? Suddenly you've become a romantic who can't bear to see a pearl gather dust!”

Chu Zu summarized it accurately with two words: “Rose-tinted glasses.”

Little yellow chicken: “Should we… maybe not pop the little girl's beautiful fantasy right now?”

It was afraid Xiao Qiao would be so crushed she'd quit the industry on the spot.

“Not a big problem.”

Chu Zu said, “Just be a little mysterious and she'll behave.”

…

Qiao Tian clenched her fists waiting for the answer.

She seemed to have asked a stupid, unappreciative question, and had presumptuously elevated herself to the same level as Li Yamin.

But Wanshu Zu just laughed after hearing it, his eyes moved, and finally, he lowered his eyelids slightly, his bangs hiding the red in his eyes.

“What about you? Why do you always deny yourself?”

Qiao Tian's expression suddenly dimmed, and she bit her tongue to stop herself from speaking.

Wanshu Zu said lightly: “Go find your answer. When you have a conclusion, come ask me this question again, and I will answer you.”

Qiao Tian was stunned, and only said okay after a long while.

Wanshu Zu pressed the nurse call button by the bed, and this conversation came to an end.

As the doctors, nurses, and Gu An and others who had heard the news swarmed in, Qiao Tian consciously stepped aside.

Wanshu Zu's summary was very precise.

Besides the medical staff, the group from the company frantically asked him many questions, as if the world would stop turning without him.

He let the doctor examine him, while at the same time starting to handle matters big and small.

Gu An was more useful than the others, perhaps because he was used to taking care of people.

He pulled out the pillow from behind his boss, tidied it up, and added a more comfortable cushion for him.

He also smoothed the bedsheets, pulled down the folding table attached to the hospital bed, and placed his laptop and mobile phone on it.

The doctor reminded from the side: “You just woke up, you can't overwork yourself for a long time, you don't have the energy.”

Gu An repeatedly said okay, but still focused on work, his mouth and hands were not idle.

In the blink of an eye, the hospital room became a second office.

The man on the hospital bed was like he was sitting in the main seat.

He expressionlessly browsed through the information from his subordinates, quickly issued commands, gear connecting with gear, operating non-stop with super-high efficiency.

Qiao Tian felt dazed, the man who had been talking to her calmly suddenly disappeared, and the Wanshu Zu soaked in high pressure and high intensity had returned to the world.

A businessman has a businessman's ways, and Wanshu Zu was a textbook example.

He treated everyone as the cornerstone of his career, including himself.

But he also said frankly: I held you back for five years.

Qiao Tian couldn't say which state was normal.

Qiao Tian walked out of the hospital room and sat on a chair outside.

There were still a few fragments of the watch dial on the floor, right by her feet.

Qiao Tian stared blankly at the pile of expensive debris.

When the work discussion in the room was almost over, Gu An came out first with his laptop.

Seeing Qiao Tian, he greeted her: “Good that you're here, Qiao Tian, come back to the company with me.”

The two ancestors weren't among the people who surrounded him, and Chu Zu didn't ask where they had gone to go crazy.

There weren't many things to deal with, following the plot was the right way to go.

Chu Zu was more interested in the progress of the collaboration with Netflix, and he found the relevant reply from the person in charge in the company emails.

Li Yamin was surprisingly useful.

In Wanshu Zu's absence, he actually managed to negotiate the collaboration, didn't lose out, and secured all the necessary benefits, just waiting for the person in charge to finalize it.

System: “He seems to be somewhat useful… and quite hardworking, knows what can't be messed up.”

It said secretly, “Are you considering exploiting him for a while to see?”

Chu Zu: “I want to dissolve the partnership even more.”

Little yellow chicken: “Huh?”

“The company was originally all in my hands, and suddenly, out of the blue, my partner shows me he has some real skills. Can I still sit still?”

Following the host "fighting and killing," the little yellow chicken almost forgot its main job, and summarized: “No way, the kingdom is the host's kingdom, this is very not Long Aotian!”

Chu Zu nodded along with it: “Right, this is very not Long Aotian.”

He said to the little yellow chicken: “Xiao Qiao gave me an idea, since the plot of dissolving the partnership is coming up, I'll take this opportunity to add some settings.”

The system consciously took out the setting collection, opened it, and handed a pen to the host.

Chu Zu wrote:

(Wanshu Zu likes shiny things.)

(He cannot describe the stirrings in his heart when witnessing a genius performance, the exquisite talent belonging to art, the profound emotions difficult to put into words.)

(He likes the pure emotion of that moment.)

(Later Wanshu Zu discovered that the genius shining under the camera was the most tiresome mediocrity.)

(After the fleeting moment of emotion ended, what swarmed in was prosperity, luxury, climbing desires, reality and concealment.)

(Wanshu Zu was equally addicted to it, unwilling to pull away.)

("A fleeting emotion, a vanity fair of wealth and glamour—what is it that I truly like?")

(At first, Wanshu Zu wanted to understand this point, but later he no longer questioned himself.)

(There is no need to trace it back to its source, he only needs to eliminate the impurities and merge the two into one.)

(Wanshu Zu likes, Wanshu Zu wants, so Wanshu Zu gets. That's all.)

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