Chapter 17
After the meal, the whole scene was very happy and harmonious, completely different from the beginning. In just a short while, Liang Xiaoliang had a new respect for this young man.
Shen Mingzheng had the same thought in his mind.
As soon as he heard what Mr. Liang had just said, he knew that the trip to Su Ning was basically a success.
Mr. Liang, this arrogant man, does not listen to flattery or accept bribes. Even Chen Yuan, who has known him for many years, has not spoken to his heart, but Su Ning can, just like he convinced Chen Yuan and Li Chu before, just like... this plate of yam cake suddenly placed in front of him.
He always seems to know what other people are thinking.
It's amazing.
After dinner, we saw Liang Xiaoliang off. It was around eight o'clock, so it wasn't too late to go back to Haicheng together.
Not long after Su Ning got in the car, the phone rang. It was Chen Yuan calling. Her voice was so loud that Shen Mingzheng could hear it clearly even without turning on the speaker.
"Liang Xiaoliang just contacted me!"
"He said he met you and is now going back to discuss it with the people in the company. He actually gave in so quickly. Su Ning, what did you tell him?!"
Su Ning was calm and responded, "It was just a meal. Mr. Liang is a nice person."
Chen Yuan: …
Based on her understanding of Liang Xiaoliang over the years, let alone him, he was really a good-for-nothing. She knew it was not that simple, but she did not ask any more questions about it. As long as the result was good, it was enough. She made this call to mention something else.
Chen Yuan acted very quickly. Except for the two people from Qilin and one spot reserved for Guangying Entertainment, the remaining seven people had been found as planned.
The two contestants who were one step away from debuting in the "friendly competitor" talent show agreed readily. The remaining five positions were originally reserved for the contestants who were eliminated from the original competition. However, the companies of two of them have recently had the idea of debuting, and they also knew that they were far from the debut position in the idol picture, so there was no need to compete for this part of the popularity, so they declined.
There was no point in looking for a position below this, so Chen Yuan made some adjustments and approached two well-known idol companies in the industry, who quickly agreed.
The eight people have been roughly decided, including three resurrected candidates, two candidates who came from other auditions, two trainees from other large companies who have never officially appeared, and Li Chu as mentioned by Su Ning.
Except for the two who were missing Qilin, all the information had been sent over. When Liang Xiaoliang gave a formal nod, Su Ning became the formal person in charge of the Light and Shadow Entertainment Docking Figure 4 according to the rules, and other people in the company had nothing to say.
Chen Yuan had already sent a message to Shen Mingzheng to tell him about the situation of these eight people, so it was very appropriate for her to inform Su Ning now.
Since the replacement match system was announced in advance, the public should be able to guess the five people who were previously eliminated and the competitors, but she plans to keep the other five who have never shown their faces a secret, wanting to maintain some mystery, which will be beneficial to the popularity when the show is officially broadcast.
So when I mentioned this to Su Ning, the two of us responded in the same way: "Send the silhouette first."
The interns are not that well-known, and it is not easy to be recognized by their silhouettes, but this little information disclosure is enough for people who are interested to analyze and discuss.
"Okay," Chen Yuan had a rough idea in her mind, "Once Qilin confirms the person, I will start posting on the official blog."
But Su Ning rejected it: "No, we will start releasing the silhouettes tomorrow morning, one by one, every hour. Director Chen, the popularity is at its peak right now. If we delay for a while, the attention will decline step by step."
"But Qilin hasn't..."
"As long as Mr. Liang makes up his mind, it's not too late," Su Ning said, "This matter should be decided as soon as possible. If we delay, Qilin will inevitably have more requests."
"We need to send a signal to the other party and keep some pressure on them. Liang Xiaoliang is a person who will never let go once he gets a bite of meat. We must not get used to him and must act decisively."
Just like what he said in his conversation with Liang Xiaoliang just now, this sense of crisis cannot end because of Su Ning's departure, but must continue in another way.
It is by no means easy for Mr. Liang to reach his current position. As time goes by, complications are inevitable.
While talking to Chen Yuan, Su Ning tilted his phone to the side and asked Shen Mingzheng next to him: "What do you think, Mr. Shen?"
He knew the other person was listening.
Shen Mingzheng replied: "That's great, I have no objection."
Then he added: "You really know Liang Xiaoliang very well. It doesn't seem like the first time we met, but rather like you've known him for a long time."
"Didn't Mr. Shen tell me this before?" Su Ning said with a smile, "If you hadn't asked Special Assistant Chen to send me those documents, I might not have been so successful."
Chen Yuan: “…”
To be honest, she had no objection, but her attention seemed to be a little diverted at this moment.
"...No? You two are still together?"
Chen Yuan looked at the time. She thought that Shen Mingzheng would stay in the morning just to talk to Su Ning for a few more words and show him the way before leaving. At most, he would leave an assistant to help. She never expected that Xiao Shen would always follow her.
"Yeah, we're still together."
Su Ning didn't understand why she was so surprised. He felt that Shen Mingzheng seemed a little cold on the surface, but actually he did help in all the ways he could.
Isn't it good to be a beautiful, kind and responsible person?
He chatted with the somewhat shocked Chen Yuan for a while before hanging up the phone. As it was getting darker, Su Ning felt more relaxed and unconsciously leaned to the side and fell asleep.
When he woke up, he saw his own house and familiar street lights next to him, and was covered with someone else's coat. In a trance, he almost thought he had returned to yesterday.
But he soon came to his senses.
And today, Shen Mingzheng did not make any sarcastic remarks. He just woke him up softly and told him that they had arrived.
Su Ning rubbed his eyes and wanted to return his coat to him when he got off the bus, but he still didn't take it. He shook his head and said, "Put it on. It's raining outside."
The weather in Haicheng is like this in this season. The temperature difference is big. If you wear a thin shirt when going out during the day, it will be very cold at night. It often drizzles, which makes you feel even colder.
Su Ning didn't like rainy days very much, even if it was just a drizzle like this, and he seemed to have some shadows in his mind about it. However, Shen Mingzheng's coat did bring a hint of warmth to him, making him feel better.
Chen Tao was ready to wait outside the car with an umbrella. Shen Mingzheng said "I'll do it" and took Su Ning to the door with an umbrella. Su Ning thanked him and suddenly remembered something. He turned to Shen Mingzheng and said, "Mr. Shen left a piece of clothing with me yesterday."
Shen Mingzheng had already walked out of the room. Through the thin rain curtain, he could only see the other person's face vaguely, but his voice came through clearly: "No hurry."
"Su Ning, we will have many opportunities to meet again in the future."
That's true.
Su Ning waved his hand and replied, "Then Mr. Shen, please go home early. Good night and have a good sleep."
He himself did have a good sleep.
The next morning, Chen Yuan started posting silhouettes as the two of them had agreed upon the day before.
There have been big events every day in the past few days, such as buying a house on the hot search. The most feared thing for a variety show with a long cycle is that it will become sluggish in the middle and late stages and have a weak start and a weak end. The popularity had dropped slightly before, but now there is a clear upward trend, and the evaluation is gradually turning positive.
Now that the silhouette has been released, the public's attention has been quickly diverted back to the program itself.
"Aaaaah, I pushed him back to participate! He was so close to getting in before, it's such a shame that he was eliminated, I want to vote for him!"
"Fuck! There was news before that Orange Video poached players from rival Feiteng Video's Feiteng Youth for this play-in match. Turns out it's true! Does this count as a mid-gate sniping match? I'm confused.
"It's such a pity that this person didn't make a successful debut. He has great talent but his company is small and has no money for packaging. He didn't have many shots and his scenes were badly edited. Later, the truth came out and many people felt it was a pity. Go ahead! Let me debut with a four-figure soon this time!"
"Oh my god, does this silhouette look like Xiaobai from Mumulin Entertainment, the popular anchor with 2 million fans on Yinchao? I heard earlier that he signed with a company and was about to debut, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon!"
"I think he looks a bit like the up-loader Hai Zhong Yu Ren? The one with 3 million fans on D-station, who do you think he looks more like?"
"Urgent! The qualifying match is so big, will Qilin come or not?"
"Come on, you've gone crazy reading the marketing accounts' leaks. How could a Qilin trainee possibly come? How high is their status? Would they be interested in this qualifying match?"
"Haha, are you so arrogant? My picture 4 has broken the record of Orange Video in the past three years. Kirin has also been on the decline in recent years due to the talent show. What are you so proud of?"
As more photos were released, the discussion became more heated than the program team had expected, with some people getting excited while others were arguing.
When public opinion was at its peak, Su Ning remained calm.
He just came to the company on time today, found a separate small practice room, and watched Li Chu dance very seriously.
He only looked at the information and previous videos yesterday and hadn't had the chance to watch the real person dancing, so he wanted to take a closer look.
Li Chu had a good rest today and was in better spirits. The doctor came to see him and said that there was no serious problem, but he needed to pay more attention to his knees. Unlike the languid look he had yesterday, his movements and expressions were very good. When he moved in the small practice room, it was as if he was on a large stage with bright lights and shadows.
Su Ning will know after a while that he has made the right choice.
What is rare is that he feels that when Li Chu dances, he has a strong energy that matches his innocent appearance and has a very special temperament. If he were a talent scout, he would call this unique temperament "star image".
Judging from his face alone, Li Chu is not extremely handsome. He is youthful and innocent, with just the right amount of teenage fragility, and he moves with power, creating an attractive contrast.
People like him are very suitable to be idols.
If she only has good movements and techniques, she is more suitable to be a dancer. But if she wants to be an idol, the most important thing is this "temperament", and Su Ning can be roughly confirmed with just one look.
This was the confidence that enabled him to establish himself in the entertainment industry throughout his life.
He also received a call from Liang Xiaoliang here. As soon as he answered the phone, he heard the other party yelling, "I guess it was you who gave Chen Yuan a bad idea. Why are you so anxious? Can't you let us discuss it?"
"I discussed this with you yesterday," Su Ning knew what he meant as soon as he heard it, and did not play dumb, saying frankly, "Mr. Liang is always decisive and never procrastinates. Besides, the replacement match is urgent, and time waits for no one. Director Chen and I have also discussed that the timeliness of the program is the most important. If Qilin wants to come, then he can come. We welcome him. If he doesn't come, we can quickly find someone else. These are not a problem."
He knew that the current public opinion and attention were a catalyst for Liang Xiaoliang. After all, the popularity of the qualifying match was there, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to do it now. On the contrary, Qilin's demand seemed more urgent.
While he was talking, the eighth silhouette had already been sent, and it was of Li Chu.
Because no one could recognize him, they all guessed that he was some internet celebrity or some trainee with a little fame in a small area, but Liang Xiaoliang often stared at him and recognized him at a glance, as if there was some Li Chu ptsd.
Su Ning heard him take a deep breath.
There is not much time left for Qilin.
Liang Xiaoliang didn't hang up the phone. He seemed to be in a meeting. He just covered the microphone and talked to the person next to him. He turned around and continued to scold Su Ning: "...You are so cunning and deceitful!"
This person seemed to know that he was planning to negotiate with Otusi about the situation so as to get more for the two trainees participating in the competition, but there was no room for negotiation in the current situation.
Su Ning knew this very well, so he didn't respond to him. Instead, he stretched out his hand and called Li Chu, who was dancing breathlessly, to come over and have a rest.
Li Chu obediently sat beside him.
When Su Ning came today, I remembered to bring him a sandwich, fruit and vegetable juice and lemonade. He often drinks fruit and vegetable juice to maintain his figure. Most of the juices he made before were not very tasty. I don’t know how Su Ning made them, but they are much more tasty now. The sandwich is also delicious, just like before.
What surprised Li Chu today was that Su Ning didn't just sit there and watch, he would help himself adjust his movements and rhythm, and he didn't just adjust blindly. He had a sharp eye and a slight difference in arm strength would indeed make the movements different and the effect would indeed be better.
Li Chu has very high requirements for his profession. He is really impressed by Su Ning's ability to give him guidance, and not just blind guidance.
After a while, Liang Xiaoliang seemed to have made up his mind, and replied in a nasty tone: "I have sent the information of the two people to Director Chen. Are you satisfied?"
It also takes time to turn the photos into silhouettes and publish them, and he knew he couldn't delay too long.
Upon hearing this, Su Ning felt relieved instantly.
Although he was confident, everything was unknown until the definite result came out.
"Of course I am satisfied, but I believe Mr. Liang will also be satisfied with this matter," he said, "We have a pleasant cooperation."
But Liang Xiaoliang was still a little unwilling and asked, "Is Li Chu next to you? I heard you call him, I want to talk to him."
Su Ning: "He is very busy, just tell me."
Liang Xiaoliang refused and said he would not hang up the phone unless Li Chu came over. Su Ning couldn't keep holding him back, so he turned on the speaker.
Li Chu knew the name of the contact on his phone as soon as he saw it. He also heard the voice and knew it was Liang Xiaoliang from Qilin. When the call came, he heard the other party say, "Li Chu, you will lose. You will definitely regret giving up Qilin in the future."
Mr. Liang is really...
Su Ning frowned, and his first reaction was to cover Li Chu's ears to prevent him from hearing such words. After covering them for a while, he put down one hand, put on a stern face, and said to Li Chu: "Reply to him."
Li Chu was stunned. He didn't care much about this. He had let Mr. Liang go, so it was normal for him to have this attitude. So he looked stupid at this time: "Then, then, how should I respond?"
"Call him bullshit and tell him you're going to win."
"...You're talking nonsense." Li Chu glanced at Su Ning and repeated honestly, "I will win."
He was as well-behaved as a primary school student, and his voice was a bit hesitant. After listening to this, Liang Xiaoliang let out a proud chuckle, as if most of his anger from being chased by Su Ning had dissipated. He called Su Ning again and said: "Young Master Su, I don't think he has the ambition. You can't rush it now. Wait for the competition..."
He didn't say the rest because Su Ning hung up the phone.
"Don't listen to him, what does he know?" Su Ning comforted him, "Liang Xiaoliang was just talking nonsense because he was angry. Such a rude adult, at such an old age, actually vented his anger on a child."
Li Chu: ...
It took him a while to realize that the child Su Ning was talking about was referring to himself.
Yes.
Since the last time they met in Diaochunjiang, Su Ning has been taking care of him like a child.
Before, he could still curse Li Chu in his heart as a hypocrite, but now when it comes to Li Chu, he can hardly curse him out loud.
Suning, Suning is actually very good to me.
He thought with a tangled mind.