37 Chapter 37
Ning Shu had no idea what new tricks those star-chasers who had just appeared in the City That Never Sleeps would come up with. She was currently sitting in her mother's training room, undergoing a very detailed examination.
"Your spiritual power has been growing very rapidly these past few days. It seems your previous performance had some effect." The sect leader withdrew his fingers from Ning Shu's pulse point and looked pleased. "That's great, Shu'er. Please perform a song and dance in your next competition!"
Ning Shu herself was completely baffled by this result. "So it's not that I ate something bad, but that some people were actually attracted to that technically unremarkable performance? And quite a few of them?"
She pondered this over and over, still in disbelief: "Is there something wrong here? If gaining followers is so easy, then what's the point of all the contestants' daily hard work and effort?"
I organize competitions and create magazines for them every day, and yet I just randomly jump around on stage and achieve the same results as the popular contestants? Isn't that a bit unreasonable?
"It's not just you. Both the contestants' cultivation and the Wutong tree's affection are growing at a remarkable rate every day." The Sect Master didn't find this unusual. She proudly stroked her daughter's beautiful face and said, "Besides, my Shu'er is naturally beautiful. It's only natural that she's liked by those cultivators."
She calmly led her daughter out of the training room and ran into Zixiao, who looked beaming. The sect leader eagerly asked, "How was it? How many people voted for Shu'er?"
Ning Shu also looked over nervously: "Could it be that my fans have really surpassed Liu Pianpian and the others in an instant?"
"Not really. The total number of people who voted for you was only about fifty, far less than the number of other contestants." Zi Xiao paused deliberately, and when he saw the sect leader's cheeks puffed up in dissatisfaction, he smiled and said the rest of the sentence:
"But every one of them really likes the Young Sect Master. On average, each person casts over a hundred votes without blinking an eye. Right now, the Young Sect Master's total vote count has already ranked him in the top five. In a few days, he might even win the championship!"
Ning Shu's expression was stunned. "Fifty people voting had the effect of tens of thousands of fans? Is that true?"
If it weren't for the fact that the spiritual power that surged in her body could not be faked, she would have suspected that some elder or disciple had secretly hired a group of water soldiers in order to please her.
"It's true. Your fans are very...very devout." Zixiao paused here, as if considering the right words to use:
"They wore clothes with your name on them, cheered you on as they voted, and even engraved your name on their magical tools and accessories. They looked like they were part of some organization loyal only to you. It was truly bizarre!"
Ning Shu subconsciously replied, "Fan club?"
"Ah! Right, right, right! That's a perfect description!" Zixiao slapped his thigh. "It's the team your fans formed to support you! I heard the number is still growing. Some cultivators who also like you have taken the initiative to join them as if they had found home. The team is growing bigger and bigger!"
Ning Shu: ...
Why is it that the host is the first person to set up a fan club in a talent show?
I always feel that something incredible must have happened in the meantime.
The sect leader finally smiled with satisfaction again. "I knew Shu'er was so beautiful. With a little preening, capturing a few cultivators would be a piece of cake."
Zi Xiao nodded in agreement and pinched Ning Shu's fair cheek. "It's not just her now. I heard that many fans of popular contestants have started to form fan clubs. This is really incredible. In the future, all the disciples of the Hehuan Sect will respond to the call of hundreds of people. Just thinking about it makes me feel proud!"
Let’s see if those arrogant old Taoist priests dare to throw dirty water on us again in the future!
"How can it be that easy..." Ning Shu refuted incoherently, and finally rescued her cheek from the clutches of the devil: "But now that everyone's influence has reached this level, I think it's time to realize one of my ideas."
In the city that never sleeps, when most of the cultivators gathered near the Linglong Tower to fight for their idols, in another old city area where no one cared, Ning Shu scattered a handful of spirit stones, and another brothel, Chuguan, which had been doing little business, secretly changed its owner.
"You've spent most of your earnings these days on buying the house and land here, right?" Zixiao sat in a private room in the brothel they had just bought, fanning herself lazily as she looked out at the deserted streets.
"I have to remind you, young master, that the business of these brothels has long been declining, and it is not a good idea to take over at this time.
"Of course I know, and I have no intention of continuing to engage in this flesh trade." Ning Shu sat on the chair and looked down at the transaction document that had been prepared long ago, then picked up the pen and slowly wrote his name on it: "Didn't I say it before? To save these fallen women, we must give them the skills to make a living."
"Oh? So you're not just talking about talented women like Liu Pianpian, but also those plain-looking men and women in the brothel?" Zi Xiao raised an eyebrow in surprise, then finally leaned over with interest. "How? Those people can't attract enough fans to practice with them, right?"
"Yes, whether we like it or not, the fact is that there are only a few stars who can shine on the stage, and the majority of ordinary people who are mediocre will never be able to make a name for themselves through this in their lifetime."
Whenever Ning Shu talked about such heavy and realistic topics, she would become a completely different person from her usual quirky self. She carefully put the deed and documents into her storage bag, then raised her head and looked at Zi Xiao, who was full of curiosity:
"So giving them a job that can support them is the most important thing. To free these people from suffering, we need to find a way to create a brand new industrial chain to absorb these unemployed people."
"Well, every time you come to this point you start saying something that no one can understand..." Zi Xiao shrugged helplessly, picked up a grape from the fruit bowl, peeled it, and fed it to Ning Shu flatteringly: "Just tell me what you want to do. If these people don't do this, what do you want them to do?"
"Of course, we should convert those people into ticket sellers and waiters like we did at Yihong House. However, considering that the number of movie theaters in the city that never sleeps will be oversaturated if we continue to build them, we should open some new stores, such as..." Ning Shu opened his mouth and rolled up the grapes, his words coming out unclearly:
"For example, clothing stores, jewelry stores, beverage stores, cosmetics stores, and even celebrity merchandise stores, just like the large shopping malls within the Hehuan Sect. As long as the new commercial district is revitalized, those poor prostitutes will naturally have jobs."
"But...will this work?" Zi Xiao was skeptical. "Although the things you've tinkered with are indeed very popular among the sisters in the sect, the cultivators of other sects are not as lustful and obsessed with beauty as we are. What if..."
"It doesn't matter. If there are no conditions, we can create them." Ning Shu's serious and calm face finally showed a playful smile. She took out the special spirit shadow stone connected to the love network, and jumped out of the window with Zi Xiao and flew towards the Hehuan Sect:
"If they don't have this demand, we will create it. The Hehuan Sect has been the exclusive sponsor of this talent show for so long, so we should exercise our right to insert more advertisements."
After another seven days of intense and exciting voting, with the joint efforts of the demon cultivators and the cultivators who joined in later, Ning Shu's votes miraculously climbed to third place. Fortunately, the Hehuan Sect announced early on that the host's votes would not be included in the competition ranking, otherwise it would be an unexpected disaster for Xiao Lihua, who always sat in third place.
After seven days of rapid growth, these newly established fan clubs have gradually penetrated into the monks' daily star-chasing lives. Now, the audience seats are filled with monks who support the same contestants sitting together. They are also wearing uniform clothes, and some of them have the contestants' names written on their clothes. At first glance, they are clearly distinguished, and the popularity of the contestants can be seen at a glance.
Suddenly, the huge screen in front lit up, and Xuan Mo, who was waiting anxiously, immediately sat up straight. His usually calm eyes flashed with anticipation, and he stared at the picture on the screen with concentration.
And the reality did not disappoint him. Just like last time, the haunting figure appeared on the screen again.
Compared to the last time when Ning Shu was forced by her mother and the elders, this time she prepared more seriously. Unlike the last playful performance, she wore a flawless white Liuxian dress and her hair was combed into a cool Lingxu bun. There was misty clouds filling the air below the stage, making Ning Shu, who was facing away from the audience, look like a proud female fairy in heaven.
A bright moon slowly rose from the stage. Facing the cool moonlight, Ning Shu began to dance gracefully. Her light skirt spread out like petals, and her cool singing voice slowly spread out:
"When will the bright moon appear? I raise my cup to ask the blue sky..."
It seemed as if a fairy who had finally ascended to heaven was secretly crying because of the loneliness in heaven. Xuan Mo stared at her light dance without blinking.
“People have joys and sorrows, separations and reunions, the moon waxes and wanes; it is impossible to have everything at once.
May we live long and share the beauty of the moon together even though we are thousands of miles apart."
As the last line of lyrics ended, this beautiful and exquisite song and dance performance that lasted for a few minutes finally came to an end. The fairy Chang'e flew away to where the moon was. The screen dimmed briefly, and Xuan Mo stared at the empty screen with a sense of loss in his heart.
The other monks were also infected by the faint sadness and loneliness in the lyrics. The audience fell silent, which was unusual. There was no lively feeling that a variety show was about to begin.
Just as everyone was feeling sad, a loud noise suddenly rang out from the screen. The fairy Chang'e, who had just been "flying to the moon", landed lightly in front of a bustling shop. Ning Shu jumped in and pushed the door open:
"Boss, I just saw that my jewelry is already finished?"
Zixiao, who plays the boss, smiled slightly with an air of mastery, bent down and took out the jewelry surrounded by spotlights from the transparent glass counter. The audience's confused eyes followed the camera to fall on the jewelry. The silver glow and round outline were exactly the "moon" that was projected on the stage just now.
Monks: ...
So you were singing and dancing to celebrate the completion of your jewelry? Flying to the Moon so beautifully was actually because you were in a hurry to go shopping, right?
What a waste of emotion!
It seemed that it was just as the monks thought. Ning Shu couldn't wait to take the necklace with jade and put it around her neck. The girl's fair skin and the lustrous luster of the jade complemented each other, making the girl in gorgeous dress look as beautiful and proud as a fairy on earth.
"Jade is like a jade plate, it becomes rounder as it grows.
"I give you the bright moon before leaving, so that we can share its beauty even though we are thousands of miles apart."
Ning Shu showed off the jewelry on her neck while reciting the advertisement for jade jewelry. Zi Xiao followed suit by showing off other jewelry, including hairpins worn by female cultivators and jade pendants worn by male cultivators. Each one was made of the same jade. Zi Xiao also imitated Ning Shu while showing and introducing the jewelry:
"Accessories will go on sale tomorrow at noon at the jewelry store in the East of the Never-Sleeping City. Please visit the store for details! We welcome you!"
At some point, Liu Pianpian and other top seven contestants in popularity also appeared in the store with smiles on their faces. Each of them wore clothes of different colors, and wore moonstone jewelry of different colors on the most conspicuous parts of their bodies. In addition to Ning Shu's silver, there were also Liu Pianpian's red, Shangguan Huaijin's orange, Xiao Lihua's yellow, and so on.
The seven people lined up in a row, forming the perfect color scheme of the Seven Fairies. They surrounded Ning Shu in the middle, smiling in unison as they spoke to the screen:
"Our shop is collaborating with the Xiuxian DreamWorks show for a limited time. Go pick out the same moonstone as your favorite contestant! We're looking forward to sharing the beauty of the moon with you—a thousand miles away~"
Monks:!!!
I'm not sleepy anymore when you say that! I must have this "token of love" tomorrow!
【Author’s words】
* This is Su Shi's "Water Melody Song Head". In addition to lyrics, it can also be sung as a song. I heard it at the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala before. It was quite nice.
Ning Shu: I can just dance around to gain popularity, but I'll prepare seriously for advertising! [shy]
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