Lin Ran frantically clicked the button to grab the tickets. After a brief lag, the page refreshed, and the tickets were already sold out.
“You’ve got to be kidding me, there were three thousand tickets…” Lin Ran felt like smashing her phone.
“Hey, look over here…” Meng Xiao pointed to the bottom-right corner of the app.
Lin Ran saw a few words displayed: “Current online users, 102,345.”
No wonder she couldn’t get a ticket. The ticket-purchasing app for the New Star Theater had over 100,000 users online! Only about one in thirty people could get a ticket. How fast does your internet need to be to get through?
Just as Meng Xiao was feeling dejected, her phone rang. It was a call from Liu Yixin, and she answered it.
“Sorry to bother you, but a friend of mine wants a ticket… He’s willing to pay a high price. Do you have any way to get one?” Liu Yixin asked, “He said he could pay twenty thousand yuan, just as long as the seat isn’t too far back, any show will do.”
Meng Xiao sighed sadly, “Lin Ran and I were just trying to get tickets, but we couldn’t get any… It’s really impossible this time.”
“Ah, no problem, I’ll just tell my friend,” Liu Yixin hung up the phone and turned to Qiqi, “How about we give one of our tickets to your brother Mingzhang? Tell your dad he can’t go; just say we only have two tickets…”
Qiqi pointed behind Liu Yixin, “But dad is right behind you…”
Liu Yixin awkwardly turned around to see her husband, Lu Zhengkai, glaring at her.
She laughed dryly, “It’s for your own good, you see; haven’t you always wanted to invite Cheng Mingzhang to your show? We need to make a good impression on him, right? He’s a big influencer with twenty million followers!”
Lu Zhengkai frowned, “Since I need him on the show, I should be the one to communicate with him. So… you don’t go, I’ll go!”
Liu Yixin quickly waved her hand, “But do you know Cheng Mingzhang? No, right? I need to introduce you, so I have to go!”
Lu Zhengkai thought seriously for a moment, “You’re right, you have to go too… Then Qiqi won’t go!”
Qiqi: “???”
Suddenly, Liu Yixin’s phone rang again. It was Cheng Mingzhang calling, so she answered it.
“Director Liu, can you get the tickets?” Cheng Mingzhang’s voice came through.
“Mingzhang… aren’t you streaming live?”
“Yeah, I’m live right now, the audience is listening… Director Liu, you don’t know, my viewers are betting on whether I can get the tickets. Help me out, I just said… I said if I can’t get the tickets, I’ll imitate a pig’s cry. Save me!” Cheng Mingzhang’s tone was exaggerated.
Liu Yixin felt troubled, “I called An Fei, but her phone is off! She’s gone mad… Afraid everyone will ask her for tickets, I guess? I also called Lin Ran’s roommate, and she said Lin Ran couldn’t get any tickets. There really aren’t any tickets, brother, I tried my best.”
Cheng Mingzhang got anxious, “Come on, Director Liu, didn’t you say you had three tickets for Friday’s show? Give me one; let Qiqi stay home and do homework; he won’t understand the show anyway!”
Liu Yixin glanced at her teary-eyed son behind her, and motherly love won over, “No, Friday… is Qiqi’s birthday; we promised to take him to the magic show.”
“Isn’t Qiqi’s birthday in winter?”
“You remembered wrong, ah… bad signal; let’s talk later, haha…”
Cheng Mingzhang looked dejectedly at the chat.
The chat was bustling. The viewers didn’t seem to care much about whether he got the tickets anymore; their attention had shifted.
[Haha, Lin Ran couldn’t get a ticket!]
[Really? Lin Ran couldn’t get a ticket either? Now I feel balanced.]
[It’s hilarious that Lin Ran couldn’t get a ticket. Everyone was here for her.]
Seeing the chat shift focus, Cheng Mingzhang pretended he hadn’t promised to imitate a pig’s cry and continued chatting along, “Yeah, yeah, she couldn’t get a ticket either. So it’s understandable that I couldn’t get one, right? Hehe, how about I sing a song for you all…”
But the viewers weren’t easily fooled.
[Imitate the pig’s cry!]
[Anchor, don’t pretend you forgot!]
Reluctantly, Cheng Mingzhang pouted and imitated a pig’s cry.
…
“Hey, Ah Ran, you’re trending again!” Meng Xiao ran to the bathroom, shouting at Lin Ran, who was brushing her teeth.
Lin Ran was surprised. She hadn’t done anything, so why was she trending again?
#LinRanCouldntGetATicket#
Lin Ran: “…”
The discussion on this topic was intense.
Netizens said: If Lin Ran couldn’t get a ticket, then it’s normal for us not to get one too.
But soon, different opinions emerged.
[Aren’t actors supposed to get complimentary tickets? What kind of stingy boss doesn’t give complimentary tickets?]
[Exactly, not giving complimentary tickets is treating the actors like mere tools. The boss is too heartless.]
During the discussion, a small account named “Charlie’s Flower” reluctantly replied: [It’s not the boss’s fault. There are only three thousand tickets in total. If you keep giving them away, there won’t be many left.]
This account was quickly attacked.
[You’re very good at empathizing with capitalists. The boss’s name is An Fei, right? Did she make less money?]
[As far as I know, half of the ticket revenue goes to the theater owner. On average, each ticket costs 350 yuan. A full house of three thousand tickets is one million yuan. The owner does nothing and makes 500000 per show!]
[Charlie’s Flower must be An Fei herself, haha!]
Soon, “Charlie’s Flower” retorted, [I’m not An Fei! I’m just a bystander eating melon!]
Netizens quickly changed their focus again.
[Actually, the New Star Theater is too small, with only three thousand seats. It’s a small theater. The Miracle Magic Troupe should switch to a bigger venue, like the Guanlan Grand Theater? I remember it having five thousand seats.]
[I remember their official account mentioning that their contract is expiring soon.]
[Will they sign with a bigger theater? Isn’t there a large theater in Qing City that holds twenty thousand people?]
[I bet they could sell out twenty thousand tickets too, one show equals seven shows! I support the Miracle Magic Troupe moving to a bigger venue!]
This time, “Charlie’s Flower” lost it.
[A three thousand-seat theater isn’t small at all, okay? It’s already very big! Do you know how much it costs to build such a theater? Over five billion yuan!]
[The twenty thousand-seat theater is for concerts, right? You don’t understand anything. Such theaters don’t sign long-term contracts. You don’t understand, so don’t mislead others!]
[Guanlan Grand Theater is trash! The owner takes the bus without paying and steals napkins from restaurants!]
Netizens were stunned by “Charlie’s Flower’s” remarks.
[An Fei, why don’t you switch to your main account to speak?]
…
Tomorrow is Friday, with rehearsals in the morning and a performance in the evening. To conserve energy, Lin Ran went to bed early.
Early the next morning, Lin Ran went to rehearsal. With no interruptions from social media influencers today, the rehearsal went smoothly.
After the afternoon show, the theater moved the Miracle Magic Troupe’s promotional poster to the most prominent position at the entrance. This poster was enlarged so that passersby could see it from afar.
An Fei proudly stood before her work, squinting her eyes in appreciation.
“Hmph, ignoring my calls, huh?” A sinister voice came from behind her.
An Fei turned around to see Liu Yixin standing behind her, looking upset.
“Oh, Director Liu, did you call me? Maybe my phone died; I didn’t get the call…”
“Really?” Liu Yixin didn’t believe her, “People say An Fei is a heartless miser, and now I see it’s true.”
“Director Liu, how can you say that? I’m so wronged…” An Fei put on a thoroughly aggrieved look, “Really, my phone died…”
She spotted Zhang Yupeng heading into the theater and quickly waved, “Brother Yupeng, come here!”
Zhang Yupeng was startled. It was the first time he heard the boss call him “brother,” and he sensed trouble.
She quickly fled in high heels.
Zhang Yupeng was left awkwardly scratching his head, “Um… Director Liu, right? Actually… I don’t have tickets either.”
Liu Yixin: “…”
An Fei is really not a human being…
Lu Zhengkai walked over with Qiqi and suddenly asked, “Mr. Zhang, you’re Lin Ran’s boss? Did she sign a contract with your magic troupe?”
Zhang Yupeng paused, “No formal contract, just a performance collaboration. Why?”
Lu Zhengkai said, “We are preparing a variety show, and I’m selecting guests. I’d like to invite Lin Ran; is that convenient?”
Zhang Yupeng said, “You’d have to ask her; I can’t decide. We’re about to perform, I need to go prepare… let’s talk another day.”
Lu Zhengkai pulled Liu Yixin aside and said, “Yixin, quickly, talk to Lin Ran. We’ve come all this way, let’s invite her. There’s not much time left!”
Liu Yixin took a deep breath, took Qiqi’s hand, and entered the theater.
…
The Magic Troupe’s show was spectacular as always.
Lin Ran executed her tricks flawlessly. The doves she conjured from thin air flew around the theater, creating an enchanting atmosphere. The floating rings and disappearing acts left the audience in awe. The grand finale, where she made a whole car vanish, received a standing ovation.
As the show ended, Liu Yixin approached Lin Ran with a smile and said, “Lin Ran, your performance was amazing as always.”
Lin Ran, still in her performance attire, smiled back and said, “Thank you, Director Liu. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Liu Yixin got straight to the point, “I wanted to talk to you about our variety show. We think you’d be a great fit as a guest. What do you think?”
Lin Ran hesitated, “I appreciate the offer, but I’ll need to check my schedule. Can I get back to you?”
“Of course, take your time,” Liu Yixin handed her a business card, “Here’s my contact information. Feel free to reach out anytime.”
Lin Ran nodded and took the card, “Thank you, Director Liu. I’ll let you know soon.”
As Liu Yixin and her family left the theater, Lu Zhengkai couldn’t help but feel hopeful, “I think she’ll agree.”
“Let’s hope so,” Liu Yixin replied, “We need someone with her talent to make our show a success.”
…
Backstage, An Fei was still on edge after her encounter with Liu Yixin. She approached Lin Ran, who was putting away her props.
“Lin Ran, we need to talk.”
Lin Ran looked up, “What’s wrong, boss?”
An Fei sighed, “We’ve got a lot of attention lately, and it’s bringing both opportunities and challenges. I want to make sure we’re all on the same page.”
Lin Ran nodded, “I understand. I’ll do my best to represent the Magic Troupe positively.”
An Fei smiled and said, “I know you will. Just remember, we’re a team. If you have any concerns or need anything, don’t hesitate to come to me.”
Lin Ran appreciated the gesture, “Thanks, boss. I’ll keep that in mind.”
As An Fei left, Lin Ran couldn’t help but feel a sense of responsibility. The Magic Troupe was more than just a job; it was a family. And she was determined to make it thrive.
The next day, Lin Ran received a call from Liu Yixin.
“Lin Ran, have you thought about our offer?” Liu Yixin asked.
Lin Ran took a deep breath and said, “Yes, I have. I’d be honored to join your variety show.”
Liu Yixin’s excitement was palpable, “That’s wonderful news! Welcome aboard, Lin Ran. We’ll be in touch with the details soon.”
As Lin Ran hung up the phone, she felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. This was a new chapter in her career, and she was ready to embrace it with open arms.
The Magic Troupe’s future was bright, and Lin Ran was ready to lead the way.