Chapter 17
After the meal, the whole scene was very happy, 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, the Qilin man, does not listen to flattery or accept bribes. Even Chen Yuan, who has known him for many years, did not speak to his heart, but Su Ning could, just like he had convinced Chen Yuan and Li Chu before, just like... the 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 replied, "It's just a meal. Mr. Liang is a nice guy."
Chen Yuan: …
Based on her understanding of Liang Xiaoliang over the years, she knew that he was really a good-for-nothing. Of course, she knew it wasn't that simple, but she didn't ask any more questions about it. As long as the result was good, she made this call to mention other things.
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 who were one step away from debuting in the "friendly competitor's" talent show agreed readily. The remaining five spots were originally reserved for the contestants who were eliminated from the original competition. However, the companies of two of them already had the idea of debuting recently, and they also knew that they were far from the debut position in the idol group, 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 from other auditions, two trainees from other big companies who have never officially appeared, and Li Chu as agreed by Su Ning.
Except for the two who were missing Qilin, all the information had been sent over. When Liang Xiaoliang gave his formal nod, Su Ning became the official person in charge of Guangying Entertainment's connection with Outu Si according to the rules, and no one else in the company had anything to say.
Chen Yuan had previously 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 competing with other competitors, but she intends to keep the identities of the other five who have never shown their faces 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 trainees are not that well-known, so they will not be easily recognized if their silhouettes are released, but this little information disclosure is enough for anyone interested to analyze and discuss.
"Okay," Chen Yuan had a rough idea in mind, "I'll start posting on the official blog once Qilin confirms the person."
But Su Ning rejected it: "No, we will start posting 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 steadily."
"But Qilin hasn't yet..."
"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 demands."
"We need to send a signal to the other party and keep some pressure on him. Liang Xiaoliang is a person who will never let go once he gets a bite of meat. We must not indulge 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 not 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 and asked Shen Mingzheng next to him: "What do you think, Mr. Shen?"
He knew the other party was listening.
Shen Mingzheng replied: "That's fine, 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 each other for a long time."
"Isn't this what Mr. Shen told me before?" Su Ning said with a smile, "If you hadn't asked Special Assistant Chen to send me those materials, 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 at most to talk to Su Ning for a few more words and show him the way and then leave. 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 in fact he did help in all the ways he could.
Isn't it great to be a beautiful, kind-hearted 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 a little more relaxed and unconsciously leaned aside to fall asleep.
When he woke up, he saw his own house and familiar street lights next to him, and someone else's coat covering him. 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 the coat to him when he got off the car, 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, with a big temperature difference. If you wear a thin shirt when going out during the day, you will feel very cold at night. It also drizzles from time to time, making the feeling even colder.
Su Ning didn't like rainy days very much, even if it was just a drizzle like this. He seemed to have some shadow in his mind, but 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 held the umbrella to see Su Ning to the door. 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 a few steps away. Through the thin rain curtain, he could only vaguely see the other person's appearance, 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 get a good night's 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. This kind of variety show with a long cycle is most afraid of being weak in the middle and late stages and having a whimper. 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 quickly shifted back to the program itself.
"Ahhhh, I pushed him back to compete! 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 the rival Feiteng Video's Boiling Youth for this replacement match. Turns out it's true! Does this count as a mid-gate sniper match? Hong Hong Huo Huo is in a trance.
"It's such a pity that this guy didn't make his debut. He had great talent but his company was small and didn't have the money to package him. He didn't have many scenes and his scenes were edited maliciously. Later, when the truth came out, many people felt it was a pity. Go for it! This time, he will make his debut as soon as possible!"
“Oh my god, does this silhouette look like Xiao Bai from Mumulin Entertainment, the popular anchor with two million fans on Yinchao? I heard that he signed a contract with a company and was about to debut, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon!”
"I think he looks a bit like the up-loader Hai Zhong Yu Ren? The one with three million fans on D station, who do you think he looks more like?"
"Urgent! The replacement match has become such a big deal, is Qilin coming or not?"
"Come on, I've gone crazy reading the marketing accounts' leaks. How could Qilin's trainees possibly come? How high are they? Do they think highly of this replacement match?"
"Haha, you're so arrogant? The popularity of my fourth picture broke the record of Orange Video in the past three years. Qilin has also been on the decline due to the talent show in recent years. Why are you so noble?"
As more photos were released, the discussion became more heated than the program team had expected, with some people getting excited and others arguing.
When public opinion was exploding, 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 read the information and previous videos yesterday and hadn’t had time to watch the real people dancing, so he wanted to take a serious look.
Li Chu had a good rest today and was in better spirits. The doctor also 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.
After a while, Su Ning knew that he had chosen the right person.
What is rare is that he feels that Li Chu has a power when dancing, which matches his little white flower-like appearance and has a very special temperament. If he is a talent scout, he will call this unique temperament "star image".
Judging from his face alone, Li Chu is not extremely handsome. He is youthful and pure, with just the right amount of boyish fragility, and his movements are powerful, so there is an attractive contrast.
People like him are very suitable to be idols.
If she only had good movements and skills, she would be more suitable to be a dancer. But to be an idol, the most important thing is "temperament", and Su Ning can roughly confirm this with just one look.
This was the confidence that enabled him to establish himself in the entertainment industry in his previous 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 he didn't pretend to be confused. He said frankly, "Mr. Liang has always been decisive and never procrastinated. 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, he can come. We welcome him. If he doesn't come, we can quickly find someone else. It doesn't matter."
He knew that the current public opinion and attention were a catalyst for Liang Xiaoliang. After all, the popularity of the replacement match was there, and it would not 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 happened to be 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 circle, but Liang Xiaoliang was always staring at him and recognized him at a glance, as if he had 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 curse Su Ning: "...You are so cunning and deceitful!"
This person seemed to know that he was planning to negotiate with Ou Tu Si about this matter, so as to get more for the two participating trainees, 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 out of breath from dancing, to come over and have a rest.
Li Chu sat next to him obediently.
Su Ning came today and I remembered to bring him sandwiches, fruit and vegetable juice and lemonade. In order to maintain his figure, he often drinks fruit and vegetable juice. Most of the ones he made before were not very tasty. I don’t know how Su Ning made them, but now they are much easier to drink. 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 helped himself adjust the 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 that Su Ning is able to give him guidance, and it is not 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 would also take time to turn the photos into silhouettes for publication, and he knew he couldn't delay too long.
Upon hearing this, Su Ning felt instantly at ease.
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 calling 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 the phone as soon as he saw it, and he also heard the voice. He knew it was Liang Xiaoliang from Qilin. When the call came, he heard the other end say: "Li Chu, you will lose, and 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 stood up Mr. Liang, 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 obedient as a primary school student, and his voice was a little hesitant, so that Liang Xiaoliang laughed a little smugly after listening to him, as if the anger he had been surrounded and blocked by Su Ning before had mostly dissipated. He said to Su Ning on the phone: "Young Master Su, I don't think he has the ambition. You can't rush him. Wait until 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 so angry. Such a rude adult, at such an old age, actually took out 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 Diao Chunjiang, Su Ning has been taking care of him like a child.
Before, he could still curse Li Chu in his heart, but now he can hardly curse him out loud.
Su Ning, Su Ning is actually very nice to me.
He thought to himself with a conflicted feeling.
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