All the guests gathered, the live broadcast started, but Old Wang could not find Lu Ling.
The guests finished the lottery draw, but they still could not find Lu Ling.
The guests set off one by one, but they still could not find Lu Ling.
The photographer, Old Wang, was getting a bit anxious. "Director, Lu Ling hasn't arrived."
The director was incredibly calm. "Don't panic, she will definitely come."
"I suspect she was threatened by me yesterday and is a bit afraid of me, so she's probably hiding somewhere."
"Keep a close watch."
Old Wang nodded with a heavy expression. "Okay."
Half an hour later, Old Wang had searched within a one-kilometer radius, but he still hadn't spotted Lu Ling.
He had his colleagues search around every guest, but they still didn't see Lu Ling.
Old Wang could no longer sit still.
"Director, Lu Ling really didn't come. What to do?"
The director held the walkie-talkie and shouted on the encrypted channel.
"All photographers, has anyone seen Lu Ling?"
Everyone: "Didn't see her."
The director was a bit dumbfounded; this shouldn't be happening!
"Keep a close watch. If she appears, give me the camera lens immediately."
"Old Wang, you go look around some more."
Old Wang: "..."
He was a photographer, not a detective!
The director switched the walkie-talkie to another channel and shouted to the five guests.
"Ahem... um, has anyone seen Lu Ling?"
"Lu Ling didn't come to cause trouble today, did she?"
All guests: "Didn't see her!"*5
The director was truly dumbfounded this time.
How could she not have come?
This shouldn't be!
Where exactly did he get it wrong?
He sat back in front of the monitor and carefully observed the situation in the five live stream rooms.
He was impatient to find Lu Ling's figure.
The result.
He didn't find Lu Ling, but he found the complaints from netizens in the bullet comments of each live stream room.
Where is Lu Ba? My big Lu Ba, why has she disappeared?
Sigh... am I the only one who thinks this variety show is boring without Lu Ling?
I came for Lu Ling, but I didn't expect her not to come. My heart is broken.
Director, Director, calling the director, can you please invite Lu Ling?
Calling the director, if Lu Ling can't be invited, I won't watch anymore.
...
Hao Dou had thought these netizens were just saying that.
He didn't expect that after more than ten minutes, people would start leaving the live stream rooms one after another.
Half an hour later.
The number of online viewers in the live stream rooms had dropped by half.
Hao Dou was shocked, Hao Dou was terrified, and Hao Dou's heart was racing.
Damn it!
They were playing for real!
Watching the number of online viewers in the live stream rooms dwindle, especially in the live stream rooms of Gu Nianchen and Jiang Yuanyuan, both of them were losing followers severely, and there weren't many viewers left now.
Among the remaining viewers, half were anti-fans, there were very few die-hard fans, and there were no casual fans at all.
If it goes on like this, it's dangerous!
What to do?
Hao Dou thought for a moment; it seemed he couldn't save this money, and he had to actually invite Lu Ling.
He hurriedly called the agent, Ye Jing, to invite Lu Ling to participate in the variety show.
He thought Ye Jing would agree immediately, but he didn't expect her to say coldly.
"No, Lu Ling doesn't have the schedule for now."
Hao Dou:?
Hao Dou was dumbfounded.
"No schedule? Wasn't Lu Ling loitering around here yesterday with nothing to do?"
Ye Jing: "That was yesterday."
Hao Dou: "..."
He tentatively asked, "Did Lu Ling just take on a play? Or an endorsement?"
"That is not something you need to worry about," Ye Jing said.
Hao Dou: "..."
Hao Dou was about to speak when he was interrupted by Ye Jing.
"I'm a bit busy, hanging up now."
After she finished speaking, with a snap, she hung up the phone.
Hao Dou:?
Hao Dou:??
Hao Dou:???
After a while, he realized.
Ye Jing was doing this deliberately!
She was holding a grudge!
When asking for a favor, one has to lower their head, so Hao Dou continued to call Ye Jing.
He called five times in a row, and all were rejected.
Hao Dou had no choice but to go to Star Shine Entertainment in person to find Ye Jing.
He, a great director, going to the company to invite her in person—how sincere that was.
He didn't expect to be given the cold shoulder; Ye Jing left him waiting for half an hour and said three sentences to him.
"No schedule."
"Not participating."
"Please leave."
Hao Dou was so angry his beard was crooked.
He walked out of the Star Shine Entertainment company angrily.
After sitting in the car to calm down for a few minutes, he regretted it again.
This won't do; if he can't invite Lu Ling, the variety show will be half-dead.
No, he still had to find a way.
Since he couldn't get through to Ye Jing, he would find a way to reach Lu Ling.
After much trouble and asking around through connections, he got Lu Ling's phone number.
Lu Ling didn't answer.
Hao Dou didn't give up and kept calling.
When he called for the eighth time, Lu Ling finally answered.
Hao Dou was excited; his voice was shaking with excitement.
"Lu Ling, it's me, Hao Dou!"
Lu Ling said "Oh."
"Dou Dou, what's up?"
Hao Dou: "..."
Money tree, money tree, money tree.
Hao Dou repeated it three times in his heart and finally controlled his emotions.
"Lu Ling, didn't you say before that you wanted to be on my variety show?"
"I can give you a chance."
Lu Ling, who was lying on the bed, turned over. "Not interested."
"You can give the chance to someone else."
Hao Dou:???
"You're not interested?"
He couldn't believe his ears. "Didn't you really want to be on my variety show before?"
"Do you know how popular my variety show is right now?"
"So many people want to be on it but can't, and you're actually not interested?"
Lu Ling repeated the same thing, "Not interested."
Hao Dou was getting a bit anxious. "Oh! I'm paying, I won't make you work for free."
"Not interested."
Hao Dou paced back and forth in the room nervously.
But he pretended to be calm. "Lu Ling, I'm not joking with you, there's only one such chance."
"If you don't seize it, you'll regret it."
Lu Ling hung up the phone directly.
When Hao Dou called again, she didn't answer.
Hao Dou was so angry.
Assistant Xiao Gao, who was nearby, didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
After a while, he finally gathered the courage to advise.
"Director, why don't we show more sincerity and go invite her in person?"
Hao Dou slapped the table.
"Go to hell!"
"Not much fame but a big temper, take it or leave it!"
"She's spoiled!"
...
Two hours later, he stood at the entrance of Lu Ling's residential community, explaining nicely to the security guard.
"I'm looking for the tenant of 1801, Building A1, Lu Ling. I have something to discuss with her."
The security guard, who had long since received the tenant's request, glanced at him.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"If you don't have an appointment, you can't see her."
Hao Dou: "..."
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