Xiang Xu received his compensation and went to buy a new phone.
That phone cost 12,000 yuan, and the compensation he received was exactly 12,000 yuan. Given Xiang Xu’s personality, he would usually have pocketed a portion of that, buying a cheaper one to earn the difference. However, since the phone was intended as a gesture from Zhao Wulang, Xiang Xu painfully bought the same model.
The reason he called Zhao Yan “Zhao Wulang” was that in the Yin Dynasty, Zhao Yan was the fifth child in his family. Coincidentally, the modern Zhao Yan also had four older brothers.
Recently, Wen-jie’s marketing strategy for him on Xiaohongshu had shifted from “fun and handsome” to “upright and promising student.” Although Wen-jie was not entirely satisfied with this persona, feeling it did not utilize his maximum value, judging by the soaring engagement, the marketing campaign was quite successful.
At Wen-jie’s request, he opened a personal social media account. Because he used his original phone number, it was not a new account, but the homepage was empty. His following list only contained a few gaming bloggers, and his likes were filled entirely with strategy and gameplay videos for The Era of Divine Corrosion.
The modern Xiang Xu truly treated entertainment apps as tools.
Once the account was launched, Wen-jie took over the operations, leaving Xiang Xu to scroll through it casually to stay informed.
After scrolling a few times, a video thumbnail on the homepage caught his attention. The person had a thin, cold facial structure, piercing eyes, and slightly upturned eye corners. He was hugging a flaming guitar, his expression unrestrained and bold.
He wore a street-punk style and sang rock. It was Xiang Xu’s first time encountering this style, but it made his blood boil. He watched as the person in the video roared through a song, threw the guitar aside, and said with wild arrogance: “To the bastards who can not appreciate this but still love to run their mouths, tell them to go to hell!”
Xiang Xu froze and scrolled down to the tags.
Ripple.
Xiang Xu smiled with relief. No wonder that cursing style sounded so familiar.
He returned to the video to look at the real face that had been hidden by a mask. Now, fully revealed, the disdain in his eyes remained, but his face was even more beautiful than Xiang Xu had imagined.
If he were quiet, he would undoubtedly be mistaken for a gentle flower boy. But he insisted on calling others “bastards.” Xiang Xu felt that he was much better this way than as a gentle flower boy.
He sang, played guitar, cursed, and was as free as a gust of wild wind, galloping unrestrained across a vast wilderness.
For such a Ripple, Xiang Xu felt a mysterious sense of envy.
Two days after launching his personal account, Xiang Xu’s followers surpassed 100,000, and his first video hit 1 million views.
The content of the first video was Reverie Bookstore sponsoring his image makeover, as requested by netizens.
In reality, Wen-jie had said that freshness was important and he could not always keep the same look. Since a netizen had suggested it, she found a professional styling team to buzz around him for a few days. After twenty abandoned drafts, they finally got Wen-jie’s approval.
That was the fact, but the video portrayed him being dragged into a random styling shop and coming out with an awesome look in an instant.
Wen-jie said this was a strategy: “People admire the strong. This will make netizens think your face is powerful.”
The response was indeed good. So, while the store was closed for rest today, he was dragged in again to get the same style. Wen-jie hired a professional photographer to take a few photos in the bookstore. The request was very abstract: she wanted the photographer to capture the effect of a phone camera taking a casual, beautiful snap.
The photographer went to change batteries, and Wen-jie sat on the stairs chatting with him. Just then, a middle-aged man in a suit poked his head in from outside the glass door, seemingly looking for something.
“I am sorry, we are closed today,” Wen-jie apologized to him.
“I am sorry, I am looking for him.” The man gestured with his chin.
“Him” referred to Xiang Xu.
Wen-jie immediately became alert. “Why are you looking for him?”
“I am not a fan. I am here to…” Chen Hao suddenly found himself in an awkward spot. He could not exactly say that he saw the potential for Xiang Xu to be famous and was here to poach him!
Right in someone else’s shop? Poaching their employee?
He looked away from Wen-jie and sized up Xiang Xu, pausing again.
He was even more eye-catching than in the videos. Although he measured only about 175 centimeters, his proportions were excellent. His clear, bright eyes looked over, softening one’s heart. His slightly long hair was tucked behind one ear, revealing an ear and an exquisite profile, achieving a subtle balance between innocence and allure.
Honestly, he managed many artists, but this type was very rare. Furthermore, his aura was unique in the entertainment industry.
His image was upright, his appeal to the general public was strong, his malleability was high, his aura was unique, and he could attract fans.
As he stammered, unable to find his words while sizing Xiang Xu up, Wen-jie’s face darkened. “I am sorry, we are busy.”
“Wait!” A flash of inspiration struck Chen Hao. Desperate, he asked: “Do you know Ripple?”
Xiang Xu’s gaze showed a flicker of emotion, clearly indicating that he did indeed know him.
Although it had worked, Chen Hao was somewhat displeased. He had not expected that one day, he would need to rely on that brat’s light to poach someone.
Zhao Yan was in his private outdoor pool, admiring the beauty of human lines, when a “this is bad” call from Wen-jie scared him into dropping his sunglasses. He threw on some clothes and rushed to the studio.
He burst in, panting, his hair not even dry. Wen-jie, sitting opposite the table, looked up and gestured toward the table.
“Boss, have some tea.”
Zhao Yan glanced at the 70% sugar Mango Sago sitting in front of him. He was in no mood to drink. He howled: “Forget the tea, tell me what happened!”
Wen-jie casually poked a straw into the cup and took a slow sip. “Sit down and catch your breath first.”
Zhao Yan pulled out a chair and sat down, feeling restless. “What exactly is it? Can you just say it?”
Wen-jie sighed, hesitated for a moment, and gestured toward Xiang Xu.
“Little Xu, you tell him.”
Zhao Yan immediately shifted his nervous gaze to Xiang Xu, who had been keeping a straight face and looked deeply preoccupied.
Xiang Xu said in a deep voice: “Someone tried to poach me today.”
That opening line nearly made Zhao Yan choke on his saliva. After a fit of coughing, he asked in a hoarse voice: “You did not agree, right?!”
At this moment, Xiang Xu pursed his lips and looked at Wen-jie.
“Tell me, quick! You are killing me with suspense!” Zhao Yan was irritated and distracted by their mysterious behavior.
Wen-jie finally lifted her eyes and looked at him solemnly. “Boss, the budget for boosting Xiang Xu’s profile can be reduced from now on.”
Zhao Yan: “!!?”
That sentence clearly meant they were about to part ways!
Before he could react, Wen-jie could no longer hold it in and burst into laughter.
Amidst Wen-jie’s smug laughter, Zhao Yan knew he had been teased. His face grew longer than a shoelace.
“Poaching right in front of my face; this person is quite interesting.” Previously, Wen-jie and Chen Hao were at a stalemate, finally settling on letting them talk within Wen-jie’s line of sight. It was indeed a poaching attempt under her nose.
Zhao Yan put his heart back in place. He finally poked his Mango Sago open with a straw, sipping it while studying the business card Xiang Xu had handed him.
“Chen Hao, talent agent at Star Rising Entertainment…” Zhao Yan muttered while drinking his milk tea, then flipped the card over. “So, what kind of background is this?”
Wen-jie explained: “Star Rising Entertainment was founded in 1882. It is one of the industry giants in the mainland entertainment circle, hailed as the ‘star factory’ of mainland pop culture. They represent artists like Zhong Zhengtao, Lu Zheng, and Tang Siyan. I mean, Boss, if you want to make money from traffic, at least put in some effort. Can you do some homework on common knowledge like this?”
“Hey, I am just starting to learn.” Zhao Yan pretended to study Chen Hao’s business card carefully. He lingered on the name “Ripple” for a while before placing the card back on the table.
“So, brother, you did not abandon me, did you?” Zhao Yan blinked at Xiang Xu like he was acting cute.
Xiang Xu shook his head: “Wen-jie told me to agree for now.”
“Why?!” The sudden betrayal caught Zhao Yan off guard.
Wen-jie chuckled, a crafty glint in her eyes. “Boss, this is a heaven-sent opportunity. We should use this chance to utilize them well, drain the traffic value from Star Rising. What do you think?”
Although this sounded like something from a web novel, it was abstract. Zhao Yan did not understand. He knew that if Xiang Xu signed with Star Rising, their bookstore would have no traffic leader, which would either mean an end halfway through or having to find someone new and start over.
“Explain it clearly, I do not understand!”
Wen-jie sighed at her boss’s impatience and took out a pre-prepared document from the drawer, handing it to Xiang Xu and Zhao Yan: “I knew you would not do your homework. Read this first.”
On the colorful printed pamphlet, the first page introduced Star Rising’s A-level project, Defining the Future.
“In fact, it is not that easy to get into Star Rising these days.”
Starting from two years ago, to keep up with fashion trends and save on training costs while quickly selecting the most popular idols, Star Rising launched a show called Defining the Future.
Defining the Future featured 100 amateur contestants picked by Star Rising scouts. Through rounds of screening, netizens voted for the top 5 most popular artists to join their company.
The materials stated that the five-member limited group selected in the first season was named “Weather,” and Ripple was the runner-up in that season.
The second season of Defining the Future was the girls’ season, and the third season, which Chen Hao had invited Xiang Xu to join, would start in half a month.
“These 100 amateurs sign temporary contracts during the three-month recording period of the show.”
Wen-jie tapped the table. “The temporary contract stipulates that if the artist ranks in the top 5 after 3 months, the formal contract with Star Rising takes effect automatically. The artist officially debuts and becomes a member of Star Rising. If they do not reach the top 5, the artist leaves the company with no room for negotiation.”
“Automatic?!”
Wen-jie smiled: “Most contestants do not have questions about this, because most people participating in the show are aiming to sign with Star Rising.”
“But Xiang Xu is not! Xiang Xu belongs to Reverie!”
Wen-jie sighed at her boss’s impatience: “I know. Listen to me: as long as Xiang Xu does not enter the top 5, we are just hitching a ride on the traffic. We will complete our mission and withdraw gracefully. It will be wonderful. You do not know how high the ratings are for this show. Even if Xiang Xu is eliminated in the first performance, it will still be much more effective than our laborious marketing.”
“But what if he ends up in the top 5?!” Zhao Yan was clearly more worried about his brother signing a “slavery contract” with others.
“Boss, rest assured. The artists participating this time include popular returnees from the first season, newcomer actors with some fame, and internet celebrities with far more followers than Xiang Xu. The difficulty for him to reach the top 5 is not ordinary. Xiang Xu, we will ride the traffic wave and leave. Do not worry, even if he really makes it to the top 5, I have a way to suppress the ranking and send a big gift to Star Rising in the process.”
Wen-jie covered her mouth, smiling sinisterly. Her look of certainty made Zhao Yan and Xiang Xu feel a sense of relief.
Zhao Yan and Xiang Xu looked at each other, both seeing a sense of awe for Wen-jie in each other’s eyes.
It must be said, having someone like this as a teammate rather than an opponent was truly great.
After synchronizing progress with Old Xu in the afternoon, Old Xu patted Xiang Xu’s shoulder and laughed: “Very good, very good. Your life is finally getting on the right track, and you look much more spirited than before.”
Huanhuan drove her scooter over and parked it on the side of the road, chiming in: “Is Brother Xiang Xu going to be on TV? I want to watch you every day!”
Xiang Xu visited Old Xu often and would bring Huanhuan treats and toys. He was handsome, gentle, patient, and willing to listen to Huanhuan talk, so she naturally liked him.
Old Xu pretended to scold her: “Always thinking about watching TV, be careful of ruining your eyes!”
Huanhuan pouted, unconvinced: “No way! Yuanyuan said, watching handsome guys makes your body and mind healthy, and if your body and mind are healthy, your eyes will be healthy too!”
For a kindergartner to say such things was quite funny; Old Xu could not keep a straight face, his mouth twitching.
Ignoring her grandfather, Huanhuan dived in front of Xiang Xu for a hug, and Xiang Xu understood and picked her up.
Huanhuan was beyond excited: “Brother Xiang Xu, does your show have many celebrities? Can you see Ripple? Many girls in my class like Ripple. You help me get an autograph, please, please. If I have Ripple’s autograph, I can be the queen of our class!”
Xiang Xu took a moment to react, realizing that “Ri-bo” meant Ripple. He smiled and rubbed Huanhuan’s head: “Huanhuan wants to be a queen at such a young age? What a grand ambition!”
With her ambition recognized, Huanhuan was beyond happy. She triumphantly spread her arms: “Of course, being queen means I can make them buy me snacks, play with their toys, and there will be magic, building huge castles.”
Hearing that Ripple would be a mentor on this show, although he was not exactly close with Ripple, Xiang Xu could not refuse when looking at Huanhuan’s expectant face:
“Fine, for the big castle, Brother Xiang Xu will get it for you!”