"Lost so miserably," a teasing voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Who exactly are you!" Yu Linwan gritted her teeth and asked, "Why have you been harassing me again and again?"
"I just want to help you," the person on the other end chuckled. "Cooperate with me, and I'll give Wanqing Entertainment a chance to turn things around."
"How do I know I'm not dealing with a wolf?" Yu Linwan still didn't trust the person on the phone.
"It doesn't matter, I'll call again," the person on the other end said softly. "I have a feeling we'll become the best partners."
With that, the caller hung up, completely taking the initiative.
Yu Linwan didn't even have time to ask more questions, and could only furiously slam her phone against a shelf in anger.
This incident was undoubtedly another major blow to Wanqing Entertainment.
The trouble Wen Shengsheng had caused earlier, requiring apologies and donations from Wanqing Entertainment to barely salvage its image, had now collapsed once again.
"Gu Yaoyang..." Yu Linwan clenched her fists at her sides, her expression becoming increasingly grim. "Are you truly this heartless, pushing me to the brink of despair..."
Her heart was filled with despair, but Yu Linwan still endured it.
No matter how much she suffered inwardly, the matters had to be resolved, and what needed to be faced had to be faced.
They cooperated with the police, paid compensation, took down [Yi Xia]'s latest single, issued a public apology, and declared that Wanqing Entertainment would no longer venture into virtual idols. They apologized again for the negative impact caused by insufficient vetting of contracted artists.
This apology was so swift and decisive that it even made some onlookers feel a bit of sympathy for Wanqing Entertainment.
Not for any other reason than the fact that Wanqing Entertainment had become far too proficient at handling such situations.
[My take is the virtual idol's name, 'Yi Xia,' was too ominous. Wasn't it destined to only come out 'yi xia' (for a moment)? See, it faded after just one single.]
[Pfft! The one above is hilarious, but Wanqing Entertainment is really monopolizing all the recent gossip! The variety show 'Best Partners,' which is about to start filming, also issued a statement terminating their contract with Wanqing Entertainment. Wonder who they'll replace them with.]
[Whoever it is, as long as they don't replace my goddess Yao Yao, I don't care about the rest!]
[Ahhh... Hurry and replace them, I didn't like Wanqing Entertainment anyway!]
[It would be great if they could replace them with someone from Gu Entertainment, I really want to see Ling Feng Han!]
[Yes, let's quickly go to 'Best Partners' and leave comments, a billion people are begging for Ling Feng Han!]
[Let's go, let's go!]
Thus, with the enthusiastic comments from netizens everywhere, 'Best Partners' indeed submitted the project contract to Gu Entertainment.
In the conference room of Gu Entertainment.
"'Best Partners,' as the first reality show to reveal the interaction between agents and artists, certainly has enough buzz. However, Ling Feng Han is currently preparing for the Golden Microphone Awards, and his schedule is full."
"How about... asking them if they can change the person? We have other artists who can cooperate."
"But who should we replace them with?"
Everyone turned their gaze to Mr. Gu, who was seated at the head of the table.
Mr. Gu tapped his fingers on the table. He recalled that this variety show did not become a big hit in its later stages. While the initial buzz was substantial, it lacked momentum and highlight later on. Furthermore, two artists were constantly trying to maintain a persona and were not being themselves, while another artist's team was deliberately creating atmosphere, making it particularly awkward and leading to a significant loss of viewers. The show, originally planned for 12 episodes, was abruptly concluded after only 9 episodes.
Mr. Gu did not have high expectations for this variety show, but after a brief moment of thought, he said, "Wen Ning, take Xia Qingtian to participate."
"What?" Wen Ning was taken aback, and the others also looked shocked.
Send the "great demon king" Wen Ning to participate in a reality show?
This was something they had never dared to imagine!
Of course, the production team of 'Best Partners' thought the same.
Although they hadn't heard of this "Xia Qingtian," everyone in the industry knew Wen Ning!
Not yet forty, she had already produced one Best Actor, three Best Actresses, and one artist who consistently topped music charts, a new King of Pop who was showered with awards.
And when these artists mentioned Wen Ning to others, they all shivered. Hence, Wen Ning was often called "the demon king" by the fans of the artists she managed.
Not to mention the powerful and mysterious Wen family behind Wen Ning!
"Deal!" Finally, the production team slapped the table and finalized the matter, proceeding directly with the contract.
Even if Xia Qingtian was an unknown little shrimp, they signed based on Wen Ning's reputation!
They already had the selling point in mind.
The ultimate golden agent, the demon king vs. a newcomer to the industry.
It would definitely be a good buzz.
Both parties thus reached an agreement, and began the process of signing contracts and setting up the schedule.
Wen Ning couldn't understand why Mr. Gu wanted her to take Xia Qingtian to such a variety show.
While Xia Qingtian did need timely exposure, her personality was completely unsuitable for the camera. Especially since this show combined pre-recorded and live broadcast elements. If she really lost her temper on the spot, there would be no post-production editing for the live broadcast.
Wen Ning felt that her obsessive-compulsive disorder and bad temper would definitely be revealed, potentially causing trouble for Xia Qingtian and Gu Entertainment.
Therefore, Wen Ning sought out Mr. Gu.
"Go ahead, be yourselves," Mr. Gu said with a mysterious smile.
He was very curious to see what this variety show would turn into with Xia Qingtian involved.
Despite Mr. Gu's words, Wen Ning still informed the production team of 'Best Partners' in advance that she had a bad temper and that her behavior during filming might be unpredictable, so they should be mentally prepared.
If they couldn't accept it, they should replace her quickly.
The production team was eager for Wen Ning to reveal her "demon king" nature on the show and properly discipline a new artist in the entertainment industry, so they readily agreed.
Thus, after all the procedures were completed, Wen Ning went to Xia Qingtian's home a few days before filming to brief her on some filming details.
As soon as she entered, Wen Ning felt uncomfortable all over.
Xia Qingtian's jacket was casually tossed on the sofa, her shoes were placed one on the left and one on the right by the entrance, and the takeout from breakfast was still on the table near noon.
"Ning Jie, please come in and sit," Xia Qingtian went to the kitchen to pour water. When she returned, she saw Wen Ning standing by the sofa with a troubled expression.
"Qingtian," Wen Ning took a deep breath and finally couldn't help herself. "Why are your clothes scattered everywhere! And your socks! Why is there only one here? Where is the other one!"