Chapter 61 Grand View Entertainment [You have gained +10 points of favorability with Lu Chengjing...]
The staff member said those words and turned to leave, not giving Shi Yu a chance to refuse.
Someone wants to see him?
Who wants to see him?
Although Shi Yu had his doubts, he still followed. This instance had no elimination system, and players had no risk of death. The worst consequence was that if the aversion value reached 1,000, they would be left in the instance. His aversion value was the lowest among all the trainees, so there was nothing to worry about.
Moreover, someone wants to see him. What if this person is some important NPC and triggers some kind of quest?
The stadium covers a large area and contains dozens of venues of various sizes, most of which are empty. The NPC staff only led the way and did not introduce them to him one by one, so Shi Yu could only rely on his own eyes to see.
The staff led him through a maze of streets until they finally arrived at a standalone office building. The building was only five stories high and was almost hidden deep inside the venue. Without the staff's guidance, it would be difficult for outsiders to find it.
The NPC led Shi Yu to a closed office on the fifth floor, told him to go in by himself, and then left.
There was no indication on the solid wood door whose office it was.
"Knock knock knock".
Shi Yu knocked on the door, and a few seconds later a male voice came from inside, "Come in."
This voice sounds familiar, like I've heard it somewhere before.
However, it's not very clear when you hear it through the door, and there are many people with similar voices.
Shi Yu pushed open the door and entered. The office was very spacious. As Shi Yu walked along, he noticed that the area of each office from the first floor to the fourth floor was about the same, but the area of this office was three times that of the other offices. It must have been formed by combining two rooms on the left and right sides.
The office is decorated in a simple style, with a set of desks and chairs, a sofa, several bookshelves against the wall, and a few potted plants in the corners and on the balcony, adding a touch of interest.
The setting sun shone through the glass windows, making the marble floor shine. Only the sofa area was carpeted. A man in a suit sat on the sofa with his back to the door, one long leg crossed over the other, holding a glass of champagne in his hand, the pale golden liquid swirling gently in the stemmed glass.
This person should be a high-level leader at Shengjing Entertainment.
His posture and the rhythm of swirling his wine glass suggested that the man was in a very pleasant mood.
That probably doesn't mean I'm trying to cause him trouble.
Shi Yu thought.
"Hello, the staff said you want to see me. May I ask what brings you here?" Shi Yu asked politely, speaking clearly.
The man in the suit on the sofa stood up.
At the same time, Shi Yu received a system notification—
[Congratulations to the player for completing side quest 1: Meeting the president of Shengjing Entertainment.]
Shi Yu: "???"
Shi Yu: "!!!"
This side quest 1 was completed quite unexpectedly.
Is this dungeon quest really that easy?
So this person is actually the president of Shengjing Entertainment?
But what did the president of Shengjing Entertainment want with him?
When the man turned around and Shi Yu saw his face clearly, he was completely stunned.
This is... Lu Chengjing?
Lu Chengjing, the seventh uncle of Lu Boyue, the protagonist of the previous story, Platinum Supermarket?
In the previous instance's background, Lu Chengjing was indeed the CEO of an entertainment company, and this instance is called Shengjing Entertainment. The company name sounds somewhat similar to Lu Chengjing's name, but Shi Yu had never thought about it in that way.
However, these are two separate copies.
Although they are both named Lu Chengjing, he should treat the two of them separately. He cannot bring the grudges of Lu Chengjing from the previous instance into this instance, nor can he take Lu Chengjing of this instance lightly.
While Shi Yu was observing the other person without making a sound, the other person was also looking at Shi Yu with scrutinizing eyes.
Only strangers meeting for the first time would look at each other with that kind of gaze.
Shi Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Lu Chengjing is just an ordinary NPC.
"What? You've decided to become a star after all?"
Lu Chengjing's first words almost made Shi Yu choke.
Why does Lu Chengjing still have memories of the previous instance?
Is it a system bug?
“Actually, you don’t need to go through so much trouble to participate in the talent show.” Lu Chengjing smiled, not a forced smile, but a genuine smile of joy. He walked around the sofa to Shi Yu. “The second male lead in the idol drama I mentioned to you last time has already been cast and filming has started. I can help you find a new role, or you can choose the script yourself if you want.”
“However…” Lu Chengjing took a sip of champagne, his gaze fixed on Shi Yu’s face, his tone ambiguous, “Compared to acting, it seems that you prefer the stage, little kitten? It’s okay, I can also let you debut solo.”
Shi Yu: "..."
You're the little kitten, your whole family are little kittens!
He's not here to debut as a celebrity.
He was just leaving to complete his mission.
Moreover, the main quest of this instance is "to debut as part of a group," so a solo debut is definitely not an option.
Shi Yu did not forget the persona he had created in front of Lu Chengjing—a poor but strong male college student who was full of a sense of justice, would stand up for his friends, and was willing to love life even if life did not love him.
He replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Lu, but I don't want to take shortcuts. I will strive for what I want through my own efforts."
Lu Chengjing chuckled briefly and said, "Who in this industry doesn't work hard? But not everyone can get what they want through hard work. The female lead in that idol drama I mentioned to you was originally supposed to be a top-tier actress, but they changed her at the last minute. Do you know why?" After a pause, Lu Chengjing continued, "The new actress is the niece of the biggest investor in this drama. You've just graduated from school and don't understand many things. You think this is taking shortcuts? No, this is making reasonable use of resources."
Yes, Lu Chengjing knows how to use sophistry and PUA.
But what's the point of saying all this to him?
He's not a real trainee.
He's just an ordinary gamer.
Shi Yu countered, "But resources also need to be exchanged, don't they?"
"Is Mr. Lu really willing to give me resources for free without me having to pay any price? If that's the case, then I thank Mr. Lu in advance." Shi Yu's eyes were bright, and her tone was lively. "Mr. Lu is such a kind person!"
Lu Chengjing's face turned green from the praise: "..."
Live Stream Room——
[Generally speaking, if the player who ranks first on the initial stage gets summoned to the office by the perverted CEO Lu, a "hidden rules" scenario will be triggered. Then, out of fear of angering the NPC, the player usually submits, leading to a series of censored scenes? This seems different from the dungeon progression I've seen before!]
[That's how the plot initially progressed, and President Lu was working hard to follow the storyline. However, our Yu Yu doesn't take the usual route, hahaha!]
[The perverted CEO Lu stared at the "friend card" in his hand and made a confused face emoji.]
...
Where is your boyfriend?
The conversation was going nowhere, so Lu Chengjing sat down on the sofa and changed the subject: "Didn't he swear that he'd rather work three jobs than let you suffer? Why would he let you participate in a talent show?"
"This is my own business," Shi Yu said, avoiding the main point and remaining ambiguous.
"Hmm, an independent little kitten, I admire that." Lu Chengjing walked to the coffee table, poured himself some champagne, and then poured champagne into a clean stemmed glass as well, his movements slow and deliberate. Finally, he returned to Shi Yu with both glasses of champagne, his tone indifferent yet authoritative, "However, you are now a trainee at Shengjing Entertainment. The trainee agreement stipulates that you are not allowed to date during the contract period. Did you not read the agreement carefully? Or do you want to pay the penalty for breach of contract?"
very good!
If the soft approach doesn't work, we'll have to resort to the hard one.
Shi Yu lowered her eyelashes, feigning disappointment: "I didn't break the contract, I'm single now..."
"Oh? Oh, so you broke up." Lu Chengjing couldn't help but laugh out loud. He handed one of the glasses of champagne to Shi Yu. "So, he realized his limitations and backed down? It's a bit of a pity, but it's for the best. It won't hold him back or you back."
"Your boyfriend can't support you, why don't you come with me?" Lu Chengjing stepped forward, raising his hand to touch Shi Yu's face, but Shi Yu dodged it. He then grabbed Shi Yu's chin and said fiercely, "I'm telling you, don't be stubborn. So many people want to get close to me but don't have the chance..."
Shi Yu pushed Lu Chengjing away.
A glass of champagne was splashed on Lu Chengjing's face.
"I don't need anyone to support me; I can support myself."
After saying that, Shi Yu turned and ran.
I wonder if this will trigger the NPCs' dislike?
However, he didn't have time to think about all that; he genuinely hated being touched.
A system message popped up during the departure process:
[You have gained +10 points of favorability with Lu Chengjing]
Side Quest 2: Gain 100 points of favorability with the president of Shengjing Entertainment. (Progress: 10/100)
[Friendly Reminder: Lu Chengjing's favorability can be exchanged for points to increase affection or reduce dislike, at a ratio of 1:1]
Shi Yu: "???"
The live stream chat was also filled with question marks.
【？？？？？？？？】
[Huh? Throwing champagne at him actually increases his favorability? Is Lu Chengjing some kind of masochist?]
[It's obvious that CEO Lu is really trying hard to follow the original storyline! He's even spouting cheesy pickup lines like a domineering CEO, completely ruining his character.]
[Do you all remember when they first met in the last instance? Shi Yu punched him in the hotel. He wanted to hit her back, but he didn't because of Shi Yu's face. After that, his interest in Shi Yu only grew stronger! So, you know what I mean.]
[Tsk, as expected of President Lu, his perversion is so refreshingly unique.]
[Some players are still fighting over dormitory issues, while others have already completed side quest 1, started side quest 2, and learned a second way to eliminate aversion points. Tsk.]
Why don't they understand that which dorm room you live in isn't important! What's important is who you choose as your roommates!!?
[Qi Xue invited Qiu Xiaoyuan to be her roommate, and I'm totally shipping this mature woman and innocent girl pairing! Pretty girls should stick together!]
[He Yiran, ranked 99th, and Wang Chao, ranked 100th, unsurprisingly became roommates, hahaha, I couldn't help but laugh.]
【Ugh, why is no one sharing a dorm with my Yunyi? Why are they all isolating him? Is it because he's unlucky? But it's not something he can control!!!】
No, it's because Yun Yi is too outstanding. People want to get close to ordinary outstanding people, but they can only admire those who are excessively outstanding and far surpass them from afar.
...
While Shi Yu was being called away by the staff, a conflict broke out among several trainees in the dormitory over who would be taking over a room.
Actually, the main problem doesn't lie with the trainees.
Although the rules state that two trainees share a dormitory room and that trainees are allowed to choose their own rooms, the dormitory rooms assigned to trainees are not all of the same standard. There are premium rooms, mid-range rooms, and basic rooms. Premium rooms are large and equipped with air conditioning, computers, TVs, washing machines, refrigerators, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a balcony. Mid-range rooms do not have air conditioning, and only have two bedrooms, a private bathroom, and a small living room. Basic rooms are simply 30-square-meter rooms with two single beds.
There are only 5 superior rooms, 10 mid-range rooms, and 35 basic rooms.
They were going to stay here for 90 days, so naturally they all wanted to choose a better dormitory, and thus they all rushed to grab the superior rooms.
The dormitory selection was based on the principle of first come, first served, and whoever grabbed it first got to live there. However, everyone was quick, which led to a series of disputes such as "I stepped in with my left foot first" and "I entered with half of my body first." Subsequently, the mediation failed, the conflict intensified, and a fight broke out.
Logically, if trainees engage in fighting, NPC staff should intervene, but the NPCs did nothing, and the system did not issue any punishment.
Just like how the system allows trainees to fight and brawl.
They even welcome it.
The system allows players to freely choose their dormitories, which sounds very humane, but in reality, it's a way to shift the focus of conflict, turning the problem into an internal issue among the trainees. To put it bluntly, isn't it just a way to see players fight over dormitories?
After the players fighting for the premium room finished, the winner got the right to stay in the premium room, and the loser wanted to choose a mid-tier room, but found that all the mid-tier rooms were also taken, leaving only the low-tier rooms.
Yun Yi didn't try to grab a premium room; he just randomly chose a mid-range room.
Although the mid-range room is not as well-equipped as the superior room, it has two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, so he and his roommate can have their own private space.
Just as Yunyi's fans described in the comments, Yunyi is actually aloof, speaks very little, and doesn't like to chat with people. Today, his initiative to strike up a conversation with Shiyu under the pretext of exchanging number plates is the only time in his streaming career that he has done so.
There is no other reason.
He was indeed interested in Shi Yu.
However, his interest wasn't the kind of enthusiastic, screaming interest that fans have; rather, it was the desire to become teammates with Shi Yu and play games together.
After the performance, Yun Yi walked back to his dormitory without greeting anyone or speaking to him. After he chose his dormitory, no one was willing to be his roommate.
But none of that matters.
Yun Yi chose one of the bedrooms, then went to the cafeteria to get some food to take back, and slowly ate it in his room.
Actually, it's not surprising that others isolate him; his bad luck is well-known, after all, he's number one on the list of unlucky people.
Many players who know him won't team up with him. In the game, life and death are intertwined, and a slight mishap could mean certain death. Teaming up with someone whose luck is extremely bad is practically suicide.
He hopes to have teammates who can fight alongside him.
But he can also play games alone.
.
Shi Yu stared blankly at the three system notifications.
What did he do to gain 10 points of favorability from Lu Chengjing?
Oh, he spilled Lu Chengjing's champagne.
Can splashing champagne on Lu Chengjing increase his favorability? Then can he splash a whole bottle of champagne on Lu Chengjing?
But thinking about it, it's impossible.
And this helpful tip says that Lu Chengjing's favorability can be exchanged for points to add to the affection value or to eliminate the dislike value?
Has he unlocked another way to eliminate aversion?
However, Shi Yu did not choose to exchange. His dislike value was not high and could be eliminated through performances. Lu Chengjing's favorability was not easy to raise, and it was likely that he was just lucky this time.
Shi Yu hadn't eaten anything since entering the instance, and almost a day had passed since everyone finished their performances. He was also delayed for a while by Lu Chengjing calling him to the office. Now it was almost dark, and Shi Yu decided to go to the cafeteria to eat something.
After all, all the dorm rooms have already been taken by others, so even if he went back to the dorm now, he wouldn't be able to find a good one. He might as well just let fate decide.
Shi Yu has a good sense of direction and found the cafeteria by navigating around using her memory.
The cafeteria was empty. There was a piece of paper on the glass door that said dinner was served from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. It was 7 p.m. now, and the meal time had passed.
Shi Yu pressed her rumbling stomach.
Oh well, it's okay to not eat for a day, I'll just consider it a diet.
When Shi Yu returned to the dormitory, she found that the room had indeed been chosen by others, and only one bed was left.
I don’t know if it was intentional on the part of the system, but there are exactly fifty double rooms prepared for the trainees, and they are divided into three levels: high, medium and low. Currently, there is only one bed left in the 201 medium-level rooms.
Then Shi Yu was surprised to find that the other player staying in room 201 was Yun Yi.
"You...don't have a roommate?" Shi Yu asked, puzzled. Yun Yi was such a good singer and dancer, there should be many people vying to be his roommate.
Yun Yi smiled wryly: "I've always had bad luck, and they're all worried about being implicated because of me. If you don't want to share a room with me, you can ask the staff if you can change dorms..."
"No need." Shi Yu said as he walked in. He smiled at Yun Yi and said, "To be honest, I know nothing about singing and dancing. I may have to ask you for advice in the future."
Yun Yi smiled and said, "Okay."
Yun Yi then said, "By the way, I packed some food back, but it's too much for me to finish. Do you want to eat some together?"
Shi Yu was hungry, so she didn't refuse.
The two ate slowly, chatting as they ate. Yun Yi said, "The mission for this instance is very clear. The main mission is to debut as a group, but you have to undergo 90 days of grueling training before you can debut. That means we have to stay here for 90 days. There shouldn't be any possibility of clearing it ahead of time."
“I think so too.” Shi Yu nodded and continued, “I wonder if everyone’s side quests are the same? I just completed a side quest and learned another way to eliminate aversion points.”
Shi Yu had already considered Yun Yi as a temporary teammate, so he didn't want to hide the dungeon clues from his teammate. He described the appearance of the president of Shengjing Entertainment to Yun Yi and also briefly explained how he gained Lu Chengjing's favor.
Yun Yi slowed down his eating of the chicken leg.
Finally, he put down the half-eaten chicken leg.
She completed a side quest on the very first day? Isn't Shi Yu a newbie? Does she have to be this fast?
Shi Yu continued, "I'll give you a map of Lu Chengjing's office later. Find some time to complete side quest 1 first. As for the favorability of side quest 2, I was lucky to get it this time, so it can't be used as a reference. We'll have to try a few more times to figure out how to do it."
"Side quest 3 might be difficult to uncover Lu Chengjing's secret, but we still have 89 days. This instance takes a long time, so the pace should be relatively slow. We can take some time to wander around and see if we can find any clues."
Live Stream Room——
Don't assume the 90-day dungeon will be slow-paced, and don't assume the newbie dungeons will be easy to clear. The system has a hundred ways to keep you up at night!
[Yun Yi is unlucky, while my Yu Yu has a +1 luck item, isn't that a coincidence?]
[So why did this newbie complete a side quest on his very first day?! Suddenly, the chicken leg in Yun Yi's hand doesn't taste so good anymore, hahaha!]
[Yun Yi: Aren't I a veteran player? How come I seem to be getting ganged up on by a newbie? And the thing is, his ganging up on me is actually quite reasonable???]
...
The comments in the live stream were right; the system does indeed have a hundred ways to prevent players from getting a good night's sleep.
At 11:55 PM, the loudspeaker broadcast blared throughout the dormitory:
"Attention, trainees—"
"Attention, trainees—"
"All trainees will enter the mini-exam stage in five minutes!"
"Rules for this mini-test: 100 trainees will compete in a 2V2 stage battle, organized by dormitory. The winning team can sleep soundly until dawn, while the losing team will have to train all night."
Good luck to everyone!
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