Lin Ran was focused on the computer.
“Ignore them. They’re just here to ride your coattails. Your popularity didn’t come easy, so your first drama must be a hit. Otherwise, you’ll fade out quickly. Wait for a good script before accepting another role. Be patient—it will come.”
Meng Xiao could only nod.
“Alright, I’ll wait a bit longer.”
Lin Ran couldn’t help but laugh.
“Don’t you still have stunt work now? Focus on doing your current job well. Now that you’re gaining some fame, you need to pay extra attention to your every move. Stay professional and don’t let anyone think you’re getting conceited, or you’ll be an easy target for criticism. Got it?”
“Mm, I’ll listen to you.”
Meng Xiao glanced at the computer in Lin Ran’s hands.
“Are you still looking up information on the president of Feiye Group?”
“Yes, he’s a competitor.”
Lin Ran clicked a few links on the webpage.
“There’s very little information about Zhou Qibo online. Feiye Group keeps everything internal and secretive, so it’s tough to find anything useful.”
“Aren’t you going to Feiye Group tomorrow for a commercial performance? Want me to go with you?” Meng Xiao asked.
“Yes.”
Lin Ran nodded.
“Tomorrow, follow the magic troupe inside and dress handsomely. I’m worried about creeps.”
Meng Xiao chuckled.
“Alright, I’ll protect you.”
The Feiye Group banquet was held in the company’s ballroom.
Since it wasn’t possible to install specially designed hidden mechanisms in advance, they couldn’t perform large-scale illusions.
Feiye Group’s requirements for the program weren’t high, and the performance was short.
Zhang Yupeng arranged for two magic acts.
Lin Ran teamed up with Li Xingyue to perform stage magic, while Qi Ruige and Liu Zhe performed close-up magic.
The entire show would wrap up within an hour.
The magic troupe rehearsed at Feiye in the morning, then went back to prepare for the evening performance.
Since it was an internal company event, Feiye Group kept it confidential.
Only employees and the clients involved in this collaboration were allowed to attend.
However, some employees secretly informed their family and friends, hoping to sneak them in to watch the show.
Tickets for the Miracle Magic Troupe’s performances were still in incredibly high demand.
Even with three shows added each week, totaling fewer than 10,000 tickets, they sold out in seconds.
When Zhang Yuetong entered the venue, she noticed a few employee relatives sneaking in before the company’s higher-ups arrived.
She didn’t make a fuss and simply grabbed a plate of cake and found a spot to eat.
“Wow, what a coincidence, you’re here too!” Someone greeted her from behind.
Zhang Yuetong frowned.
She didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was.
“What does our magic troupe’s performance have to do with you?”
Zhang Yuetong put down her fork.
“Here to poach talent again? Showing up so early too…”
Yu Shijia also picked up a plate of cake and sat next to Zhang Yuetong.
He scooped up some cream with his fork and praised, “As expected of Feiye Group. Even the cake tastes better than anywhere else. Loaded with cash, huh? Your performance fee this time must be substantial—what, over a million?”
Zhang Yuetong smiled.
“Two million.”
Zhang Yuetong took another bite of cake.
“It’s really good. I wonder if we can pack some up to take home.”
Yu Shijia mused, “Probably. They’d just throw out the leftovers anyway.”
Realizing the conversation had veered off course, they both fell silent.
Zhang Yuetong spoke first.
“You wrote those tweets for Meng Xiao, didn’t you? They’re obviously your style. Did she ask you to?”
“Lin Ran asked me,” Yu Shijia admitted freely.
“I owe them a favor, so I had to help. But… based on my experience, someone like Meng Xiao isn’t easy to make popular. Her appeal is too niche. Unless the stars align perfectly, no amount of effort from Lin Ran will make her a star.”
Zhang Yuetong nodded.
“You’re right. But Meng Xiao has been surprisingly quiet, showing a lot of restraint. I think she’s waiting for an opportunity.”
Yu Shijia shook her head.
“When I was writing those tweets, I spoke with Meng Xiao. She’s not that calculating. She’s only twenty—still pretty naive. It’s more like Lin Ran’s style. She’s trended online multiple times and never even responded. I’ve never seen anyone so composed—it’s like she’s an old fox, completely unreadable.”
A faint smile crept onto Zhang Yuetong’s lips.
“Exactly. She’s definitely an interesting person.”
Her phone chimed.
She glanced at the screen and stood up.
“I need to step out for a moment. Don’t let the servers take my cake.”
Yu Shijia laughed.
“Don’t worry. The guests aren’t here yet; the servers are slacking off.”
Zhang Yuetong left the ballroom and slipped into an inconspicuous room.
She shut the door behind her and looked at the young man sitting inside.
Though seated, it was clear he was tall.
He looked no older than eighteen or nineteen, yet carried himself with a maturity beyond his years.
“What did you mean by your message?”
The young man glanced at her, confusion etched on his face.
“You’re not joking, are you?”
Zhang Yuetong yawned.
“Is that all you called me here for? Didn’t I say already? I’m turning down your offer, so you’d better find someone else to be your vice president, Lu Lanxiao.”
Lu Lanxiao raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t even call me ‘President Lu’ anymore. Seems serious. So, tell me, who’s the person? How much are they paying? I doubt anyone can outbid me…”
Zhang Yuetong narrowed her eyes.
“Have you considered the possibility… that I don’t plan to work for anyone? I intend to start my own company.”
“Impossible. Absolutely impossible!”
Lu Lanxiao declared without hesitation.
“You don’t have the guts to give up a multimillion-dollar salary to start your own business. The risk is too high. You’d never do that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have approached you. Unless…”
He fixed her with a stare.
“You’ve found a reliable partner. Someone who gave you the confidence!”
“…”
Zhang Yuetong sighed.
“You’re scarily sharp when it comes to management. Must be tough working under you.”
“Who is it?”
“…”
Zhang Yuetong finally nodded.
“Fine, you’re going to find out in a few days anyway. Her name is Lin Ran. You’ve probably heard of her, right?”
“Lin Ran?”
Lu Lanxiao frowned in thought.
“The magician performing today? What’s her background? Is she the daughter of some corporate tycoon?”
Zhang Yuetong let out a deep sigh.
“I know you’ve had your eye on me for a while, junior, and I genuinely appreciate your admiration. But after serious consideration, I’ve decided that finding a heartless capitalist boss like you, who treats me like a machine, isn’t all that difficult. However, finding an interesting partner is a rare opportunity. I’m still young; I don’t want to live like a robot so soon. Everyone needs a little ambition, don’t you think?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Lu Lanxiao said, turning his head away in frustration.
“But I’ll respect your decision. If you regret it, though… don’t bother coming back to me.”
Zhang Yuetong smiled slightly.
“If you ever need help in the future, feel free to find me. We can keep a running tab. Don’t worry; as per our previous agreement, I won’t reveal your identity before it’s officially announced. After all, you’re still a student.”
With that, she pushed the door open and left.
From a shadowed corner in the hallway, a middle-aged man stepped out.
In a low voice, he remarked, “Young Master, so the talent you spent a year trying to recruit… has been poached just like that?”
Lu Lanxiao frowned.
“Find out more about Lin Ran. I want to know which family’s heiress is trying to steal my talent. What’s her background? Does her family run a Fortune 500 company? Lin… are there any Lin families in the Fortune 500?”
The steward, Sun, took out his phone and began searching.
After a while, he put it away and replied, “Young Master, she’s a magician from the Miracle Magic Troupe.”
Lu Lanxiao glared at him.
“Do you think I didn’t know that? What about the rest? Which university did she graduate from? What kind of family does she have?”
Steward Sun shrugged.
“She has no personal information online. There’s nothing about her anywhere. To find her academic background, we’d need her ID number, and she hasn’t registered her ID with any of our company’s subsidiaries. As for her family, we’d have to get her ID number and check at the local police station… but we don’t have the authority to access such records. Young Master, invading someone’s privacy is illegal.”
Lu Lanxiao muttered, “What if I hacked into…”
Steward Sun quickly interjected, “I must remind you not to entertain the idea of using hacking to obtain her private information. It’s a crime, and you’d end up in jail.”
“…So besides reminding me to follow the law, you’re useless, aren’t you?”
“Young Master, Madam has always said that abiding by the law is of utmost importance.”
“…”
Lin Ran stepped out of the magic troupe’s vehicle, carrying a prop box as she headed toward the dressing room via the back entrance with the others.
She noticed a tall boy trailing behind her and, with some caution, turned back to glance at him.
Seeing the boy in a white shirt with a scholarly demeanor, Lin Ran tossed the box in her hand at him.
“Take this to the dressing room for me.”
Lu Lanxiao looked around, then pointed at himself.
“Me?”
“Who else? Do you see any other staff around here?”
Lu Lanxiao glanced at his white shirt, hesitated briefly, but eventually picked up Lin Ran’s box.
Walking alongside him, Lin Ran reminded him, “The items inside are delicate props. Be careful not to damage them… You look like a student. You’re not a full-time employee, right? Just a temp?”
Lu Lanxiao replied after a pause, “…Yes, I’m just here… part-time.”
Lin Ran nodded knowingly.
“Makes sense. With so many guests today, Feiye Group’s staff probably wasn’t enough. They must’ve hired some temps.”
After entering the dressing room, Lin Ran motioned for Lu Lanxiao to put the box down.
“Alright, you’re done here.”
She opened the box and began taking out props and costumes to prepare for makeup and wardrobe changes.
When she turned back, however, she saw Lu Lanxiao pull up a chair and sit down as if he had no intention of leaving.