Chapter 32: The Problem of Location
During this half-day holiday, it seems that it wasn't just the twelve contestants involved in the competition who had different thoughts on their minds.
Compared to ordinary beauties like Li Sishi and Wan Jiamei who are truly powerless, penniless, and without influence, Yu Xiaobao, who was able to study in France in this era, is undoubtedly the kind of beautiful, academically gifted, and wealthy woman in the eyes of outsiders.
Although she couldn't compare to Huo Chuying, the "billion-dollar heiress," Huo Chuying had several children, while Yu Xiaobao was an only child. Considering both, Yu Xiaobao felt that the two of them weren't that different.
Moreover, her taste in men is much better than Huo Chuying's—the rumors about her and a certain rich young man are not unfounded, but rather that they are genuinely boyfriend and girlfriend with a close relationship.
The only difference from the rumors is that she and the young master of the Shi family did not meet at some event as people have been vaguely saying. Instead, they had known each other for a long time because of their family business cooperation. Moreover, when she planned to participate in the Miss Hong Kong pageant to enhance her image, she also received the secret support of her boyfriend, the young master of the Shi family.
The Shi family appears to be running a legitimate business, but their ancestors made their fortune through less-than-clean means in their early years. As a result, they still maintain connections with many triads in private. With such a family network that is well-connected in both the legitimate and underworld circles, it is naturally not difficult for them to dig up dirt on their rivals.
Although the media that follow the Miss Hong Kong pageant every year are also desperately digging for information, their approach is indiscriminate and diversified, releasing information about whomever they find; unlike what she and her boyfriend did, which specifically targeted the favorites who had a higher chance of winning and were also the biggest threats to her.
Aside from Li Sishi, whose background as a former heiress who is now in dire straits is too shallow to dig up any more dirt on, other bombshell revelations about people like Huo Chuying and Cheng Liaoying often involve the involvement of their boyfriends.
Yu Xiaobao was furious with Wan Jiamei, who had always been at odds with her but had no real substance to her story, so she could only instruct the media to write about her arrogance and domineering behavior. She couldn't believe that Wan Jiamei, a big-breasted, brainless idiot, could make it into the top twelve just like her!
She and Wan Jiamei actually look somewhat similar, but one is an intellectual, elegant, well-behaved, and sweet girl, while the other is a seductive sweet girl with a hint of ripe peach. Normally, people would definitely choose the one who looks "high-class," but in secret, who men prefer and who has a wider range of acting opportunities in the future? Without a doubt, it's Wan Jiamei, a good-looking and beautiful girl who doesn't seem to have much brains.
In this kind of beauty pageant, people who look similar naturally become the biggest rivals. The two have been at odds from the start and have had quite a few conflicts since then.
This relationship facilitated our progress.
According to past practice, the Miss Hong Kong pageant rarely selects two people with similar styles. Therefore, in order to enter the top three and achieve a good result, one must fight to the death with Wan Jiamei in the final. Ideally, one should eliminate Wan Jiamei when the top five are announced.
Therefore, when Yu Xiaobao was on the phone with her boyfriend, Mr. Shi, today, and heard him say that he had finally dug up a super bombshell about Wan Jiamei from the past, which would surely sink this opponent who had been giving her a headache and making her suffer, Yu Xiaobao's heart jumped.
It's not convenient to meet right now, but thinking about how much effort her boyfriend had put into helping her, Yu Xiaobao blew him two kisses over the phone, then asked with a hint of curiosity, "What juicy gossip did you dig up? Is it really that amazing?"
It's not that she lacks confidence; in fact, if it comes down to a contest of ability, the two are evenly matched. Nor is it that she's too ruthless; beauty pageants are manipulated by behind-the-scenes players. If she had external help but didn't rely on her own abilities and luck, that would be like holding a mountain of gold and becoming a beggar.
Despite Huo Chuying's family's repeated statements that they did not support her participation in the Miss Hong Kong pageant, the first to step forward to help cover up and clean up the mess after the scandal broke out were the Huo family members.
Perhaps only Li Sishi, that fallen heiress, truly relied on her talent and luck... no, maybe also on her exceptionally beautiful face and rare charisma that set her apart in this industry. Even though her family wasn't well-off, the TV station offered her considerable benefits and planned to sign her.
If even a gossipmonger like Wan Jiamei could find out the information, then someone like Yu Xiaobao, with connections and resources, would only know more and in greater detail: if it weren't for the apparent infighting among the people at the TV station that prevented them from reaching an agreement, Li Sishi might already have received several contracts waiting to be chosen.
Yu Xiaobao, who thought she had already achieved success thanks to her family background and boyfriend, really couldn't have imagined that Li Sishi, this seemingly ordinary but fallen heiress, actually had an even more outrageous advantage than hers...
A forward-looking vision and decades of accumulation are enough to transform someone with a little talent into a prodigy in the eyes of people today.
Yu Xiaobao was thinking about her rivals when her boyfriend, Mr. Shi, answered her earlier question on the phone. This brought her back to reality. After confirming the information with her boyfriend again, she started to get angry: "No, this is too explosive. Don't release it."
"Seriously? You're still being soft-hearted?" Her boyfriend, Mr. Shi, asked on the phone.
He chuckled habitually, but Yu Xiaobao found his voice, which usually sounded pleasant, unusually grating today. "It's not like I haven't done things like leaking information to smear our rivals before. Now that we have such a bombshell, if we release it, it will definitely take care of your most troublesome opponent."
“It’s not that I’m soft-hearted, I just feel that I don’t need to do such a heinous thing. Even if I were to compete with her fairly, I wouldn’t be much worse than her, and I might even have an advantage. After all, the Miss Hong Kong pageant aims to ‘value both beauty and intelligence’…” Yu Xiaobao took a deep breath and said.
"You still remember this was supposed to be about 'beauty and intelligence'? Isn't this the perfect opportunity for you to use your 'intelligence' to defeat your rivals?" The tone on the other end of the phone hardened. "I went to great lengths to dig up this information for you, and I even deliberately had her ex-boyfriend, who had the negatives, call her, threatening to sell the photos to weekly magazines if she didn't comply. And now you're telling me you're quitting?!"
“It’s Wan Jia Mei’s business that she’s stupid, but I wouldn’t stoop to associating with scum who did such a thing. With that scum’s phone number, Wan Jia Mei’s condition is probably not good anymore. That’s it.” Yu Xiao Bao could hear the resentment and dissatisfaction in her boyfriend’s tone, and she also became annoyed.
Even if she uses external forces to attack her opponents, it is only within a relatively "reasonable range." Why go to such extremes when it is something that makes other women feel extremely uncomfortable?
If something goes wrong with Wan Jiamei, it might cause trouble for herself and her boyfriend.
Yu Xiaobao was thinking about empathy and the big picture, but her boyfriend on the other end of the phone laughed angrily: "You really are confident in yourself!"
"Why can't I have confidence in myself? My photo sales are often in the top five according to Xunhe's statistics. My performance in the semi-finals was also good. I'm not as good as the favorites, but at least I'm a semi-favorite. If I can maintain this form in the finals, I'm basically guaranteed to be in the top three, second place, and even the champion!"
Yu Xiaobao, who is a suitable candidate with no scandals, is very confident in herself after reading the contract terms, even though she has not officially signed a contract yet.
The contract terms were determined by the TV station based on the individual's merits. Her contract was among the best available, indicating that the TV station had high hopes for her and believed that signing her would guarantee a place in the rankings.
"Fine, if you're so confident in yourself, then I won't interfere anymore!" Hearing his subordinate suddenly come in reporting that the leak seemed to be in trouble, and his girlfriend speaking on the phone with a disdainful tone about what he had done for her...
Young Master Shi's anger intensified. "Everyone's been busy lately, so let's not contact each other for now. I'll be waiting for your good news of making it into the top three!"
Without waiting for a response, he slammed the phone down.
Then, Mr. Shi slammed his fist on the table with a gloomy expression: He had originally planned to make some extra money by taking advantage of the scandal of this beauty pageant contestant, but now, that brainless but lucky bitch Wan Jiamei was the first to sign a contract and even went to the TV station to tell them about it!
TBL TV station is a large and powerful organization with connections to both the legitimate and underworld circles. If they wanted to suppress me, they would definitely be much more powerful than a second-generation heir like myself who relies on family protection.
What I fear most is... the TV station just signed Wan Jiamei, and then she gets blackmailed with explicit photos taken when she was young and naive. If the TV station suspects that the person isn't targeting Wan Jiamei but is trying to sabotage the station, and they investigate, then he'll be in deep trouble.
Originally, he thought that sending his girlfriend to the beauty pageant would enhance his own image, and that he could use her beauty pageant background to infiltrate the "Lixian Club" and make friends with wealthy socialites, and then connect with other families... Unexpectedly, after only reaching the top twelve, Yu Xiaobao has already started to get arrogant and doesn't care about her original position anymore!
The Yu family is trying to curry favor with them. If it weren't for the need for mutually beneficial cooperation, why would a notorious playboy like him be willing to hang himself on one tree?!
Okay, so you're pretty sure you'll be in the top three, right?
He could give her another push and help her get into the top three, but what if he did?
While Shi Gongzi and Yu Xiaobao were in a state of utter confusion and distress, Wan Jiamei, who had already reported her situation to the higher-ups, felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her heart and tightly grasped Li Sishi's hand under the table.
With such a potentially explosive scandal, the treatment at the TV station is definitely not as good as before. However, it's probably as Li Sishi predicted: because she was "obedient enough to come early and tell the truth," the TV station will definitely not let it go unpunished, and it's highly unlikely they will tolerate her "obedience."
She was subsequently sidelined.
Even if the TV station says she'll only make it to the top five, as long as she can still make an appearance in the finals and stay relevant, it's enough to maximize the buzz generated by the beauty pageant. No matter how the TV station arranges her career in the future, she'll definitely not start as a bit player like those who just came out of the training program.
"Thank you, May. I thought I wouldn't make it through this."
After the person who had been talking to them left to organize the documents, Wan Jiamei looked at Li Sishi with immense gratitude.
"You'll have a lot more to deal with later, don't be so carefree, there's a tough battle ahead." Li Sishi patted her hand, "However, since the TV station is going to take care of things, they'll definitely help you. When the time comes, you need to weigh whether you 'obey' them or not, but don't believe everything they say; you need to carefully discern..."
Even in the original trajectory, Wan Jiamei was not abandoned by the TV station. However, with such a scandal, she definitely could not take the innocent girl route. Therefore, the route planned for her was the glamorous and sexy route like that of Qu Yuzhen, who withdrew from the competition back then. The only difference was that Qu Yuzhen was still developing well in the Hong Kong film industry back then, and she also met a director boyfriend who was willing to spend time and effort to promote her. He poured resources into her and found a way to open up an alternative sexy goddess route for her.
The film industry is not what it used to be, and the middle-aged female audience of television stations does not like to watch this kind of sexy type. It is likely that Wan Jiamei will have a hard time playing leading roles in the future, and at most she will be able to play the second or third female lead.
"That's enough, that's enough. I don't expect too much. I know my own limitations. With my looks, it's hard for me to take on leading roles anyway!" After someone helped solve her problems, Wan Jiamei finally regained some of her former carefree attitude. "Besides, if I have the chance to play a supporting role for you, I'm not bad at all."
“Oh, no, let’s not get too close for now, so as not to affect you…” Wan Jiamei said, then waved her hand again.
Sigh, who could have imagined that the world would change so much in just half a day?
Li Sishi was chuckling at Wan Jiamei's conflicted expression when a woman dressed as an assistant suddenly pushed open the door to the small conference room from the outside, saying that Li Sishi should go with her to meet someone.
Upon hearing that it was Miss Zhuang who had invited her, Wan Jiamei, who had vaguely heard of Miss Zhuang from the TV station, immediately became anxious: "Is it because of me...?"
If you affect your friends, that would be a real sin!
"No, Miss Zhuang would like to discuss the contract with Miss Li Sishi," the female assistant explained with a smile.
Hearing this, Wan Jiamei breathed a sigh of relief and nudged Li Sishi, saying, "Then you should go over there quickly. I can go back by myself."
Li Sishi nodded, got up, and followed her female assistant to the door of Miss Zhuang's office.
"Miss Zhuang, Miss Li Sishi has arrived." The female assistant knocked on the door, and only after hearing the voice from inside inviting them in did she unlock the door and let Li Sishi in.
"Please sit down."
"What would you like to drink?" Zhuang Menghua gestured for Li Sishi to sit in the chair opposite her desk. "I recently acquired some fine tea leaves; they brew very refreshingly and deliciously. Why don't you try some?"
Li Sishi obediently picked up the tea brought by her female assistant and took a sip. Then, maintaining a curious yet cautious attitude, she looked at Zhuang Menghua sitting directly opposite her.
Compared to the elderly woman I remember who dedicated her entire life to the television station, Ms. Zhuang is still in her prime and doesn't look like she's 59 at all.
However, the barely concealed worry and weariness between her brows and eyes subtly revealed the difficulties Zhuang Menghua had faced over the years.
The favored protégés are causing trouble, and the veterans at the TV station are constantly fighting – it's the perfect time to promote newcomers and for them to rise to prominence.
All she did was to get back on Miss Zhuang's good side, but also to make Miss Zhuang value her abilities and potential even more than she did in her previous life.
Clearly, the terms of this new contract indicate that her groundwork has yielded results.
“You’re a smart woman, you should understand what I mean.” Miss Zhuang didn’t say much, but every word was firm, constantly conveying an aura that she wouldn’t allow anyone to challenge her authority.
I guess I was born with a rebellious streak in my past life. Plus, I had Huang Qianyan ahead of me who had a better time to enter the industry and naturally had better resources, so I always thought of going against Miss Zhuang.
It's probably a mentality of not worrying about scarcity but worrying about inequality: why should Huang Qianyan start as a movie leading lady while she can only play supporting roles in movies and leading roles in TV series, without seriously considering the reasons for the change and the difference in their acting talent.
Now, with a change in mindset, Li Sishi can truly see that although Miss Zhuang didn't put in as much effort as Huang Qianyan when she first started promoting her, she at least did the best she could at the time.
After the film industry declined significantly, starting with television dramas to build popularity and experience was a viable path to resurgence. Moreover, this was during the golden age of television dramas, and securing a few classic television roles was just as valuable as film opportunities.
Unfortunately, I didn't understand these inside stories back then, and I didn't have the right mindset or position. I needlessly disappointed such a good boss and wasted such a good opportunity.
The more Li Sishi thought about it, the more she wanted to slap her stupid, obtuse self. As a newcomer to the industry, she encountered a boss who showered her with resources and nurtured her with care, without even having to worry about being sexually exploited. Anyone else would be laughing in their sleep!
Yes, Miss Zhuang has a bit of a temper, she likes...
She is obedient and listens to advice, but as long as you talk to her nicely and make sense, she is not intolerant of her subordinates' "little rebellion".
Back then, I was truly blind to the power of a powerful backer; I was young and didn't know the value of a kept man!
A stand-in? A backup plan? So what?
Back then, I was torn between not wanting to be Huang Qianyan's stand-in or Miss Zhuang's backup plan. As a result, Huang Qianyan retired from the entertainment industry not long after, and I ended up sulking for so many years without getting any benefit. Instead, it delayed my own career.
Adjust your mindset and understand your position. This is clearly not a backup plan, but a second child!
Being a mistress means attacking moral issues.
What's there to worry about with a second child? Especially since Miss Zhuang is the kind of person who has an incredibly long shelf life. If she can hold onto Miss Zhuang's coattails, she won't have to worry about resources for at least the next few decades.
Sign! You must sign!
Seeing that Li Sishi, the promising young talent she had recently discovered, obediently signed her name on the contract, Zhuang Menghua's smile softened: "Alright, it's getting late. You should go home now. I'll take care of the rest."
Li Sishi nodded, put the signed contract back on the table, and then got up to leave.
Unexpectedly, before her hand could even touch the lock, the office door was already being twisted open from the outside.
This close proximity allowed her to clearly see the beautiful face of the person who had just arrived—a face radiant with beauty, yet always shrouded in a hazy, melancholic air.
Oh, Huang... Da Bao. : .
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