Chapter 18
In the studio, Lin Na's proposed "saturation shooting" strategy was like a ray of light, cleaving through all the fog. Chen Feng paced excitedly, already sketching out the structure of his material library in his mind. Liu Yifan, watching the two men's renewed fighting spirit, felt the heavy stone in his heart loosen a little, but then a most realistic and pressing question surfaced.
She frowned slightly, and her voice rang out in the brief silence after the excitement, with a hint of clear inquiry, her eyes moving between Lin Na and Chen Feng:
"So, according to this new strategy..." She paused briefly, as if confirming the necessity of this question, "Do I... still need to fly to Rongcheng and stay by his side? If so, what is the reason now...?"
What she asked was no longer her personal confusion, but a core question concerning the strategic execution level.
Upon hearing this, Chen Feng abruptly stopped, adjusted his glasses, and blurted out with the straightforwardness and excitement of a technician, "Of course! Absolutely! Teacher Liu, you are now our most advanced, living 'sensor'! Everything you feel over there, the atmosphere of his circle, his way of doing things, even that inexplicable pressure he brings to you... is all unique, top-notch material! It is the most important emotional database and status basis for our 'variable combination' later on! It is more valuable than any written data!"
His tone was filled with the joy of discovering a new world, completely instrumentalizing and technicalizing Liu Yifan's trip to Rongcheng.
Liu Yifan turned his gaze to Lin Na, seeking deeper confirmation.
Lin Na met her gaze, her eyes calm and sharp. She took over Chen Feng's words, but elevated them to the level of strategy and philosophy:
"Chen Feng is right, but there's more to it than that." Her voice was low, yet it carried a weight like a final decree. "Yifan, your 'flying to Rongcheng' is no longer just your personal activity. It's the forefront and core 'on-site collection unit' of our 'saturation filming' plan."
She walked over to the whiteboard and drew a heavy line under the words "Saturation Shot," pointing to a new area:
"You don't have to 'play' his girlfriend," she emphasized. "You have to use this impeccable identity as a cover to conduct a deeply immersive 'field investigation.' Like a top spy, you have to feel the 'texture of power' in his world, experience the dizzying feeling of being able to subvert the rules, and savor the ultimate loneliness of standing at the pinnacle."
"Remember," Lin Na's gaze burned brightly, seemingly igniting the air. "You are now not only our crew's 'Chief Experience Officer,' but also one of Zhou Ping'an's most important co-actors in that grand 'performance art.' Although he may not know it, he is playing the role of 'King You of Zhou' for us."
Her words, like a scalpel, precisely dissected the double meaning of the action:
"For him, this is still what he considers a 'natural attraction born of the project,' part of the process. For us, it's the ultimate 'process material collection.' We have to use the 'unlimited budget' he provides to fulfill his desired 'ultimate process!' You have to transform everything you feel around him, whether it's excitement, depression, fear, or anything else, into the most authentic 'state,' then bring it back to the studio and inject it into every shot!"
Finally, Lin Na's tone slowed down, with a hint of almost cruel clarity and trust: "So, the answer is absolutely yes. You need to go, and you must go more frequently and more deeply. This is not a choice, this is a strategy. You are the only perfect 'sensor' and 'trigger' we can embed into his core."
Chen Feng nodded heavily at the side. "That's right! Teacher Liu, you are our only living channel to the inner world of King You of Zhou! This job belongs to you!"
Liu Yifan listened quietly, and the last trace of confusion and hesitation in his heart was completely dispelled by the two people's explanations - rationality, strategy, technology and philosophy.
The expression on her face gradually shifted from inquiry to clarity, finally settling into a calm and resolute acceptance of her mission. She nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping across her two comrades before answering clearly and calmly:
"I understand. I will be a good 'sensor' and 'experience officer'."
There was no longer any struggle or uneasiness in her tone, but instead a professionalism and determination that was almost like "mission accomplished."
At this moment, her personal emotional entanglements were completely absorbed into the grand project strategy. Liu Yifan's journey to Rongcheng was imbued with a new, incomparably more profound meaning. She was no longer a lone explorer, but a "pioneer" shouldering the entire team's strategic objectives.
Every subsequent flight will be a clearly targeted "material collection" mission, and every interaction between her and Zhou Ping'an will become an extremely dangerous waltz on the border between reality and performance.
Haicheng, Weihua Building, Su Ying's office.
Su Ying had just hung up her daily progress call with Lin Na and was about to process the next funding application for the "Turning the Country" project when the internal phone rang and the secretary announced, "Boss Su, Boss Zhou is here."
Su Ying was a little surprised. Zhou Ping'an usually didn't visit without an appointment. As she stood up, the office door was pushed open.
Zhou Ping'an stood at the door and didn't come in immediately. His face remained calm, but Su Ying, having worked with him for a long time, keenly caught a rare, elusive complex emotion in the depths of his eyes. It seemed to be a kind of... exhaustion after a struggle, and the heaviness of making a certain resolution.
"Mr. Zhou?" Su Ying walked around the desk.
Zhou Pingan walked in and did not sit down. Instead, he stood in front of the window with his back to Su Ying and was silent for a moment. The air in the office seemed to freeze.
Finally, he turned around, his eyes not looking directly at Su Ying, but at a corner of the desk. His tone was calm, but he asked a question that completely surprised Su Ying:
"Boss Su, did you help arrange Dai Xiaoyi's recent job opportunity?"
Su Ying's heart tightened slightly, her mind racing, and she answered cautiously, "Yes, Mr. Zhou. Ms. Dai has excellent qualifications. We just provide her with several more suitable platforms and opportunities based on her characteristics." She deliberately emphasized "own conditions" and "suitability", hiding the operation under professional evaluation.
Zhou Ping'an nodded, seemingly unsurprised by the answer, and he didn't dwell on it. He was silent for a few seconds, but his next words carried a weight that was at odds with his usual extremely rational demeanor:
"Agent Li mentioned this to me. Thank you for this."
He paused, his eyes slightly lowered, as if staring at a point in the void. His voice was a little deeper than before, and each word seemed to take a great deal of effort:
"She's very strong-willed and doesn't want to rely on me." He spoke softly, but like a piece of ice dropped into a deep, silent pond, it chilled her to the bone, imbued with immense restraint and an almost clumsy desire to protect her. "So, please don't let her know that I'm behind this."
"She wants to stand up on her own. Any 'special care', if she notices it, will be a harm to her. She shouldn't live in anyone's shadow, especially... mine."
These words completely overturned all of Su Ying's previous perceptions of Zhou Ping'an. She looked at the man before her, a man who usually resembled a precise, cold, calculating machine, a "god" who could easily determine the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars. But now, he revealed a deep, human pain and an almost childish tenderness.
She instantly understood everything. It wasn't that he had no feelings for Dai Xiaoyi, but his way of expressing them was so extreme and... awkward. He used a method that bordered on self-destruction to fulfill the other's independence and pride.
"I understand, Mr. Zhou." Su Ying's voice softened unconsciously, carrying a hint of respect. "Please rest assured, I know what to do. Everything will be handled naturally and properly. This is the best thing for Miss Dai."
"Okay." Zhou Ping'an seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, the tense feeling fading slightly. He was silent for a moment, as if after a very brief struggle, and then added in a low voice, with an indescribable complex emotion in his tone:
"If you can take care of her without being discovered...please help me...take care of her."
After saying this, he didn't linger, nodded slightly, and turned away almost hastily, as if staying for another second would reveal more emotions.
Su Ying watched him retreat, a flood of emotion welling up in her heart. This final, understated exhortation moved her more deeply than any of the calm analysis that had preceded it. It revealed the man's deepest tenderness and loneliness—he wasn't without emotion, but his feelings were tightly wrapped in an impenetrable shell of rationality and paranoia, expressed in a nearly distorted way.
She sat alone in her office for a moment, clearly distinguishing and marking in her mind the humane and secretive mission of "Dai Xiaoyi" from the frantic art project of "Qingguo." After dealing with a few urgent emails, she picked up her phone and dialed a number, her tone returning to her usual efficient tone:
"It's me. As I mentioned before, we can start to give some proper attention to Miss Dai Xiaoyi's fashion resources. Yes, especially tonight's Fashion magazine dinner event. Ensure her a seat and exposure... well, keep it in check and it's absolutely natural."
She gave the order concisely and clearly, as if handling an ordinary job. For her, this was not only the fulfillment of her promise to Zhou Pingan, but also a precise resource operation.
Almost immediately after Su Ying hung up the phone, a five-star hotel on the other side of the city lit up brilliantly. A charity gala hosted by Fashion magazine was about to begin. Flashbulbs lit up both sides of the red carpet like a sea of stars.
Dai Xiaoyi is wearing a dress that is not the most high-end fashion of the season, but is extremely well-tailored and complements her cool temperament. She is making final preparations accompanied by the brand's public relations.
Unlike a month ago when she had to desperately fight for this kind of exposure opportunity, her appearance tonight was surprisingly smooth - the dress brand took the initiative to contact her, and the makeup and hair team were senior teachers arranged by the magazine. The whole process exuded a sense of smoothness that was well-arranged.
Agent Li Li stood aside, with a long-lost, relaxed smile from the heart on her face, and was chatting with the magazine's fashion director.
"Xiaoyi looks great tonight. This dress seems to be tailor-made for her," the fashion director praised.
"Director, you have a good eye for giving us this opportunity," Li Li replied with a smile, her words polite, but her back straightened significantly. Just now, she had received two follow-up photo shoot invitations, both of which were radiated through the magazine's resources.
Dai Xiaoyi looked at herself in the mirror, then through it at Li Li, who was chatting and laughing with the director. She could sense a subtle shift taking place. It wasn't earth-shattering, but it was evident in every detail: the staff's more respectful attitude, the brand's more patient communication, and the glint in Li Li's eyes.
"Xiaoyi, get ready. We'll be here soon." Li Li came over and whispered, her tone filled with irrepressible excitement and confidence. "Relax and go, just like usual. I just got word that the host's questions for tonight's interview will be very friendly."
Dai Xiaoyi nodded. The moment she stepped onto the red carpet, the glaring flashes and clamor of media attention washed over her like a tide. But unlike the usual feeling of needing to hold on, tonight, her feet felt remarkably solid. She posed calmly, a practiced, perfectly composed smile on her face.
In the brief interval while walking towards the interview background board, her eyes accidentally swept across the huge glass curtain wall of the hotel in the distance. The curtain wall reflected the bright lights of the city, and also reflected her figure shrouded in light.
An extremely brief thought flashed through my mind: When did all this go smoothly begin?
But there was no answer to this question, and she wasn't allowed to delve into it. The host's microphone was already in front of her, and she immediately switched to professional mode, answering the question fluently.
Only in the intervals between certain answers, her eyes would reveal a barely perceptible trance, as if she was trying to confirm whether this sudden "good luck" was real.
The banquet room was bustling with elegantly dressed people. Li Li moved among them, chatting naturally with several people in the industry who usually had to make appointments to meet, and her business card piled up.
Dai Xiaoyi sat quietly at her assigned seat, occasionally chatting politely with her tablemates. She enjoyed the long-lost feeling of being respected and looked at with equal eyes, which made her feel that her persistence and hard work had finally been recognized.
She didn't know that there was a pair of silent hands behind her, she just felt that the wind tonight was particularly smooth.
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