Chapter 357

"Who did she cut off?"

Na Zha couldn't help tilting her head; the anger on her face faded significantly, even turning slightly mischievous.

Her team members also seemed unable to hold it together, double-checking again, "Jing Tian's other official brand endorsement is exactly the one Dili Rebah has recently been negotiating with—timing is nearly identical to ours."

"Ah, is she crazy?" Na Zha couldn't help wanting to laugh, but she held it in, scratching her head, utterly baffled as to what Jing Tian had eaten to act this way.

Still, since the other side also gave Dili Rebah a lesson, she could let go of her own grievances.

She was very magnanimous!

"Do you think I might get to watch them fight, then watch the cat reap the benefits while the weasel and the fish battle?" Na Zha poked her junior assistant, eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Sis, it's 'when the heron and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits.'"

Na Zha waved her hand, speaking with complete conviction: "The fisherman isn't as cute as the cat!"

As if in response, the cat on her lap, Xiao Bao, lifted its head and meowed.

That meow melted Na Zha's heart completely!

She immediately scooped it up and kissed it twice: "Xiao Bao, so good, I didn't raise you for nothing!"

The junior assistant shrugged: Fine, as long as you're happy, sis.

"Maybe. Dili Rebah's fans are pretty fierce in these matters."

"I'm calling right now to stir things up!"

Na Zha instantly perked up, ready to teach Jing Tian some tricks for dealing with Dili Rebah.

She'd replayed this scenario countless times; though she was bad with words, she remembered everything~

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Third endorsement just announced! My god, she's insane!"

"What the hell?!"

Na Zha stared blankly—when did Gao She endorsements become this easy to mass-acquire?!

Is this the true power of a wealthy, radiant flower?

But after imagining it, she suddenly realized: "Who's getting cut off this time?"

"Sis, Jing Tian isn't necessarily cutting anyone off—she seems to be bulk-buying."

With that reminder, Na Zha finally caught on.

One reason she hadn't been that angry earlier was because, for Gao She endorsements, there were never just one or two people vying for them.

Otherwise, they wouldn't be in negotiations at all—she'd always had competitors, and not just one.

She didn't know much about Dili Rebah's side; Na Zha and her team didn't care much about other female entertainers outside Dili Rebah.

While they were direct competitors, they'd also crushed many other rivals.

But after being in the industry this long, she'd never seen Jing Tian pull off anything like this—it was outrageous!

This move truly opened everyone's eyes in the industry—could you even do this?!

"Wait, how many Gao She endorsements does she have now?!"

"Four Gao She. And the endorsement levels are all top-tier—she's probably number one among female entertainers right now."

"Whoa, she's terrifying!" Na Zha hissed.

What kind of being had she originally bullied?

Today's entire entertainment circle was chanting one name: Da Tian Tian~

This "feat" left countless people stunned, wondering: Are we even playing the same game?

Is this little brat secretly running her own private server?

She completely overshadowed Yang Mi, Zhao Liying, Liu Yifei, Liu Shishi—all of them—at least in this regard, she was far ahead.

So what now?

After such a huge commotion, it felt like something was missing if Da Tian Tian didn't come out and say something.

Yet under the watchful eyes of half the entertainment industry, Jing Tian remained completely silent.

A quick check of her schedule revealed she'd gone abroad on vacation; digging into her Instagram, she'd indeed posted her latest travel itinerary—seemingly hanging out with some girl friends.

Huh?!

Dili Rebah received the news slightly later; when her team told her, the fanbase had already exploded, all buzzing about Jing Tian's insane triple Gao She endorsements in one day.

The news left her stunned for several seconds; she even unconsciously mimicked Gu Li Na Zha's dumb expression, scratching her head innocently~

"Sis, are we being targeted—or hit by area damage? She seems to have grabbed every high-end Gao She brand currently seeking endorsements in the circle."

"I don't know~" Rebah's expression was blank—this was beyond her comprehension.

It didn't feel like a normal female star fighting over resources at all.

Couldn't understand it.

Not just her—even Mi Jie, who'd been in the industry for years and seen every storm, admitted she'd truly had her mind blown.

Even when Bai Liang had blown her mind before, she hadn't screamed like a startled ground squirrel.

But upon deeper thought… it actually made sense.

In 2017, Gu Li Na Zha rode the traffic wave to become a top-tier rising star, equal to Dili Rebah.

Even though she achieved nothing significant the entire following year and just greedily cashed in, she's still standing strong today.

In 2018, Jing Tian was the most successful female entertainer in film and television.

She clung tightly to Bai Liang's leg and rode his rocket to the stars, dominating both film and TV.

Logically, she should've made a big move by now—but she held back.

And now, it's as if all that pressure has erupted at once.

Yang Mi: You're really good at holding back! Even better at it than that brat Bai Liang.

But some things just get stronger the longer you hold them in!

It makes your head spin~

If such achievements were spread evenly over half a year, no one would be this shocked—they'd even think it reasonable.

But all of it was crammed into a single day, making the impact utterly different.

This seems to indirectly amplify Bai Liang's value even further?

Big Mi Mi's thoughts aligned perfectly with the online spectators.

Everyone immediately thought of that guy, Bai Liang.

This incident made the Little Flowers fight even harder.

They didn't envy Zhao Jinmai from The Wandering Earth, but they truly envied Miss Jing Tian.

Different projects bring different boosts! And you must also consider the female lead's weight.

But the Little Flowers haven't yet built their climate—this brawl isn't for them yet.

Even the fans of Na Zha and Re Ba hadn't even stepped onto the field when the 85 Flowers started fighting again.

Miss Jing Tian, who had never really joined the fray before, now stood firmly at center stage, looking down equally on all other 85 Flowers.

Could she win?

There was no way she could win.

But Miss Jing Tian's fans were already in an invincible position—their advantage was too great.

With real achievements in hand, they watched the mad dogs with amusement.

Add four luxury brand endorsements, and they were now at the very top of the hierarchy.

What do online fan wars really measure? Isn't it exactly these things?

What's left is national recognition, and in that area Miss Jing Tian wasn't strong—after all, she was famously a resource girl. But her resources improved these past two years, and her reputation got better too.

Thus, Miss Jing Tian's fans experienced their most satisfying wind-assisted battle.

While fighting, they also took time to visit Bai Liang's Weibo and "fulfill their vows"—every comment was something like "Thank you, Great Immortal," "Infinite Power," "."

The Capybara fans stared blankly at the scene, not knowing what to say.

This déjà vu felt a bit like...

Star Lord Immortal, infinite power, eternal divine fortune, longevity equal to heaven and earth.

"So cool, so cool."

"Ah Shi, what are you doing? It's time for your scene." Bai Liang held a watermelon in one hand and a script in the other, tapping Ah Shi's head to remind him not to slack off.

This was the filming set of "White Day Meteor," a segment of My People, My Country.

Due to length constraints, it wouldn't take long.

This kind of anthology-style main melody film was quite friendly to artists in terms of scheduling.

Even the lead actors weren't stuck on set for months, unlike earlier films like The Founding of an Army or The Founding of a Nation—unless they were just playing a minor role.

Plus, they could boost box office and performance metrics, since technically everyone was a lead.

That glory wouldn't be claimed by one person alone—everyone shared it, and together they lifted each other up.

But after Bai Liang arrived, he noticed Ah Shi's "high school grades" weren't very good~

What the heck had this kid been studying in America?

Ah Shi, upon seeing the online commotion, thought about things differently from others.

Because the Little Flowers were fighting over Bai Liang, Ah Shi thought: Brother Liang's achievements are amazing! The girls all want to improve.

But now the 85 Flowers were fighting too, and Ah Shi began fantasizing: Brother Liang, I also want to see big sisters fight for me.

Yet Bai Liang thought: The big sisters aren't fighting because of me.

It's purely because Sister Tian Tian is too arrogant—what's that got to do with me?

Imagining Sister Tian Tian, smug and hands on hips, he felt an oddly endearing contrast.

"Bro, you said you'd teach me," Ah Shi said eagerly, almost rubbing his hands like a fly.

Bai Liang grinned: "Have you memorized your script yet? Your dad's coming to beat you up~"

"Old man? Ignore him."

Ah Shi seemed to have lost his mind—or maybe he'd been surfing the internet too hard—he just blurted it out.

Bai Liang gave him an internal thumbs-up: Good lad—he dared say that to his own father to his face.

Ah Shi: To his face?

He turned around—and froze.

His father, the nationally renowned director, stood with arms crossed, glaring at him fiercely.

He was instantly terrified.

Bai Liang couldn't bear to watch the ensuing family drama, so he chose to eat watermelon while watching.

When Director Chen complained of thirst, Bai Liang casually handed him a slice.

The director was surprisingly polite: "Thanks~"

"Don't mention it—it's all for the crew, it's only right. Director, you've worked hard."

As the overall director, Chen Kaige didn't just oversee his own segment—he had to review all other segments and also worry about his own son. His workload was indeed enormous; saying he'd worked hard was no exaggeration.

By the way, Ah Shi's problems weren't just about "high school grades."

In these two days since joining the set, he'd nearly been driven to death by his father.

Who else but this guy had recommended Bai Liang to his father to co-star in "White Day Meteor"?

Why not just find Liu Haoran instead?

You must understand, Brother Liang never holds back, and he has no reason to treat Arthur with any "tenderness"—even if he were a man, he wouldn't get a pass, not even if he were a little boy-girl.

Besides, Bai Liang usually doesn't take male actors into his scenes—he only works with Misses. Women stay on the roster; men must fend for themselves.

So at nineteen, Arthur simply couldn't keep up with his acting.

The matching system is deeply flawed.

As Chen Kaige put it, when his son appeared in the same shot as Bai Liang, it felt like they weren't even on the same layer. Of course, that's an exaggeration.

Yet their opposing scenes were endless.

This drove Chen Kaige crazy—he cared about face, and even though his reputation had taken some hits lately, he'd never let Bai Liang deliberately underperform just to make his son look better.

He was a master director, not an amateur.

Even if his films over the years had received mixed reviews and his overall reputation had steadily declined, he still had principles.

So all his frustration poured onto Arthur, who got beaten down until he was half-dead.

Then what could be done?

Arthur truly couldn't do it!

!

Just as Bai Liang was munching on melon and watching Arthur suffer, a scent suddenly drifted over from beside him.

He sniffed—hmm. The scent of a woman over forty.

He'd been deeply studying this lately.

The scent of a twenty-year-old, a thirty-year-old, even older women—all differed.

Aside from a few unconventional types, generally, as age increased, this fragrance grew richer.

Some became too overpowering; others controlled it well—these were precisely the "mature women" many old lechers favored.

Too bad Arthur's mother, Chen Hong, once the #1 beauty of mainland China, was now fifty—past the point of being just "ripe."

Even a vintage Bentley shouldn't be this old.

How far past ripe had she gone?

So far that even with her husband and son standing nearby, she could casually lean toward Bai Liang and smile as she chatted with him:

"You must be Bai Liang—you're such a handsome young man!"

"Sister, you're quite beautiful too."

"You should call me Auntie~"

"No no no, 'Sister' suits you better."

At first, this sounded oily—as if Bai Liang were groveling.

But his next reason was so powerful it instantly washed away the slickness, making him seem instead... a naive, earnest young man, genuinely adorable.

"I'm just trying to be one generation older than Arthur—I plan to trick him into calling me Uncle."

Hearing this, Chen Hong's smile widened impossibly. "All you boys are always trying to be each other's elders, aren't you?"

Not each other. Arthur wouldn't dare~

Chen Kaige was still scolding Arthur when he heard the commotion and turned to see his wife laughing uproariously beside Bai Liang.

Of course, calling a fifty-year-old woman "laughing like blossoms in the wind" is a stretch—but show some respect to the former #1 beauty of mainland China: it's "laughing like blossoms in the wind!"

Chen Kaige had no thoughts at all—only that he disliked his son even more. Look at him! Look at Bai Liang!

So young, yet his skill is Gao Chao, and his social grace is flawless—he makes your mother laugh so hard. Can you do that?

Arthur:... What's so impressive about making my mom laugh? Making someone else's mom laugh is the real skill. So Brother Liang is awesome—I want to learn~

Seeing the "ambition" in Arthur's eyes, Chen Kaige finally felt somewhat satisfied, and thus didn't utter the classic father-son line: How did I end up with a son like you?

So after being yelled at, Arthur just brushed himself off and grinned at Bai Liang.

Bai Liang:...

Fine then!

I'll teach you a few tricks!

In truth, the "Wu Gong" manual Arthur wanted didn't exist with Bai Liang—he had no secret techniques for getting along with older women.

If Arthur really wanted to know, he could ask his mother: why does she enjoy chatting with Bai Liang?

But Bai Liang was always good at learning, so he reluctantly gave Arthur a rough method.

How to attract a woman's attention in a room full of people?

Sit in the corner, wear a white shirt underneath, just slightly eye-catching, but stay silent most of the time—that's the moment most likely to draw a woman's gaze.

She'll think: Why isn't he talking? Why is everyone else talking?

How to show concern for a woman?

If she's working late tonight and won't leave the office until nine, stand outside her company at 8:55—preferably on a cold, windy night—with a thick scarf in hand.

When she appears, don't say a word! Speaking ruins the moment.

Just walk up, wrap the scarf around her neck, then speak—or even don't speak—and you'll see tears swirling in her eyes.

This is called "achieving everything in one move." Do this once, and she'll think you're truly kind to her—then you can slack off a little afterward.

The most crucial step: how to sleep with her?

Start with philosophy, then art—move from East to West, making her feel this man truly wants to understand her, not just sleep with her.

Then shift to the French Revolution, bourgeois society, philosophy—keep talking until three in the morning, until one of you can't reasonably go home anymore.

Even then, don't rush. Talk more—about Italian cinema, French literature, the origins of humanism.

If after all this you still can't sleep with her, the problem is yours.

Buy some medicine. No shame.

Or find a skilled traditional Chinese doctor.

Of course, if you find it troublesome, there's a simplified version too.

"Do you know the Diamond Sutra?"

Arthur: "Huh?"

He felt a flicker of familiarity, yet something about it felt off.

Bai Liang said: The Dao has three thousand paths, all leading to the same destination.

Arthur wrote down a lot, filled with admiration.

He felt as if his mind had been utterly crammed with "knowledge."

Too brilliant!

He couldn't help but ask: "Bro, how'd you summarize all this? You must've practiced it countless times, right?"

"Nope, this was summarized by your dad," Bai Liang said, shrugging like a little bear.

His method was impossible for the other to learn—better to study his dad instead; that man was a true master.

Bai Liang had studied Wu Xiubo's moves before, and later realized, compared to Chen Kaige, Wu Xiubo was nothing.

The former was the true culmination of this entire approach.

Arthur:???

Who?!

There's a saying that doesn't quite fit here, but Bai Liang felt it suited Arthur perfectly:

Parents are Buddhas alive on earth—why trek a thousand miles to worship Mount Ling Shan?

Of course, besides this method school, there's also the heart school.

Summed up in one sentence: After seeing countless beauties, what still moves you most is pure sincerity.

This can't be learned—it depends on talent or whether you can awaken it yourself.

Bai Liang easily shows his sincerity because he truly can deliver it.

Act as one's heart desires without transgressing the bounds.

"Oh by the way, who exactly are you trying to chase? Why so eager every day? Some female celebrity in the industry?" Bai Liang couldn't help asking.

Arthur shyly showed him a photo—it was unfamiliar; Bai Liang couldn't match it to any female celebrity in the industry.

"This isn't your sister-fan stuff, is it?"

"Yeah."

Get lost!

Do you even need a methodology to fangirl? Sit with Ah Kun!

Bai Liang thought he was being fair—at least he didn't make him sit with Wu Moufan.

Sensing Bai Liang's negative energy, Chen Kaige immediately called Arthur over and scolded him again.

Then, after confirming his son would inevitably, possibly, probably—truly—be overshadowed by Bai Liang, and since he couldn't confront Bai Liang directly, he had to think of other ways.

Including but not limited to rewriting the script.

Shift more perspective onto Bai Liang.

Come to think of it, Bai Liang wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but the screenwriters seemed oddly excited, as if they were thinking, "Finally, we can rewrite the script!"

Bai Liang had even heard some screenwriters complain: "How could two kids possibly rush into the landing zone?"

The story of "Daytime Meteor" combines poverty alleviation with spaceflight.

Its core is the return capsule of Shenzhou XI landing, interwoven with a local poverty alleviation tale.

Probably something about a teenager's redemption.

After reading the script, Bai Liang felt the romantic sentiment Chen Kaige, the great director, had poured into it.

Too "romantic"—romantic to the point of being unrealistic.

Using "Daytime Meteor" as a metaphor for hope and redemption created a forced, unnatural link with the real-world themes of poverty alleviation and space engineering, making it hard for audiences to empathize.

There were also many strange elements, all overly poeticized, hence disconnected from reality.

Of course, Bai Liang wasn't the director—he just thought the plot felt odd, and many others could see it too.

Among the participants in this project, the proportion of idiotic, leaky fish was still significantly lower.

But Chen Kaige's stubbornness in filmmaking was well-known; sometimes arguing with him was useless—you had to let him figure it out himself.

What the screenwriters hadn't done before, Bai Liang didn't do either.

He just relentlessly "bullied" the director's son.

Forcing the great director Chen to find his own way out.

Fortunately, Bai Liang was taking two days off, giving the screenwriters another chance to revise.

When he left, several screenwriters came to see him off.

"Thanks so much, Brother Liang!"

Bai Liang would carry this blessing into the upcoming "Hell Arena."

Cosmo Fashion & Beauty Gala.

This event was organized by one of the so-called "Big Five" top magazines; Bai Liang had been invited by the brand.

But the lineup for this event was a bit…

Before that, he still had to shoot the cover for "Jia Ren" magazine, completing his full set of fashion magazine covers.

That is, all twelve: the five major men's magazines and the five major plus two minor women's magazines.

It was an achievement, since he appeared to be the first entertainer to accomplish this.

Lao Zhou was usually invisible, but when he worked, he delivered real value.

Without a word, he'd already arranged everything for Bai Liang.

At the same time, Sister Yanzi called, her tone exceptionally excited.

"Brother Xiao Bai, we hit the top!"

(End of chapter)