Chapter 118: President Xiao Generously Purchases Ten Vehicles; Jin Li Shifts Her Mindset; Xi Mengze Vows to Slaughter Every Romance D

Jin Li and Xi Mengze had only spent two days playing in Hubei Province before Sui Lingfang urgently summoned them back to Nancheng with a single phone call.

Qiguan Mingzhu returned with them, yet she received no call from the company.

Inside Chenxi Entertainment.

Sui Lingfang brought up the matter of the public welfare charity short film to the two, her expression grave as she said:

"The company will do its utmost to secure filming roles for both of you, but the exposure behind a public welfare short film is immensely vast.

Besides relying on a star's character, reputation, and public fame, it also hinges on a hidden unspoken rule."

She paused. "The company's strength."

Jin Li and Xi Mengze exchanged a glance.

Even with the addition of the two of them, Chenxi Entertainment remained merely a medium-sized company in terms of corporate strength.

This medium-sized status had only been awarded this year.

In previous years, it had still been classified as a small company.

Jin Li looked at Sister Fang.

Since Sui Lingfang had taken the initiative to summon them back and appeared so confident, she had likely already found a way to break the deadlock.

She asked directly, "Sister Fang, what do you want us to do?"

Sui Lingfang said thoughtfully, "First, like every other company, we must go to Director Zhong Wenkun.

I have heard rumors that even Tianding Entertainment has dispatched a top-tier artist to wait for Zhong Wenkun; other companies will certainly not miss this opportunity.

Although I believe waiting for a rabbit by a tree stump is useless, since the entire industry does it, you two should do the same."

The entry of top-tier companies was a signal in itself.

If even the industry's top-tier companies instructed their artists to act this way, what room for pretense did second and third-tier companies and their artists have?

Not only must they keep up, but they must do so aggressively, showing more sincerity than the top-tier companies and artists!

Although the entertainment circle was never a place where "sincerity" alone could move heaven, at least one must appear earnest on the surface.

If selected, one could claim to have moved the director with genuine sincerity.

If not selected, one could still post online claiming one's efforts and excellence were insufficient, garnering some sympathy.

As long as the attitude was adequate.

Then one could advance to attack or retreat to defend.

Hearing Sui Lingfang's plan and arrangement, the two exchanged another glance, holding no objections.

If this were merely Sui Lingfang's blind arrangement sending them off, they might not have been willing.

But since even Tianding Entertainment was doing this, those of them who still wished to survive in the entertainment circle had better follow suit.

Chenxi Entertainment had already digested President Xiao's investment.

This was evident not only in the establishment of two new departments and improved daily benefits for the stars but also in their transportation.

Previously, with only three nanny vans, artists could hardly get a vehicle; even Jin Li sometimes had to hail a taxi herself.

Now, upon returning to the apartment, both Jin Li and Xi Mengze were each assigned their own vehicle.

Jin Li specifically went to inspect the company garage.

Even after allocating one car to each of them, five idle vehicles remained in the garage.

And judging by the quality of those cars...

Jin Li felt nothing toward vehicles; she did not recognize license plates nor could she distinguish good from bad.

But visually, the several cars in the garage looked much better than the previous ones.

So Jin Li asked Xiao Chen.

While driving, Xiao Chen answered with ease, "Those few cars were not bought with company funds."

Jin Li was surprised, "Not bought with money? Could they be rented?"

Xiao Chen rarely joked, saying, "Sister Jin Li, renting cars is convenient for temporary use, but for long-term usage, it is money spent without gain.

With the time spent renting cars daily, it would be better to simply buy a commuter vehicle, but the company's cars were not purchased."

She then shifted her tone, sighing, "President Xiao came to the company for a meeting the day before yesterday to hear leadership summarize recent operations.

Since we are now at the end of the second quarter, President Xiao came to check how the company's KPIs were being met.

I do not know the specific situation, but I saw President Xiao leaving the office with a smile on his face.

Perhaps because he was in a good mood, he spontaneously detoured to check the company garage, saw not a single car inside, and casually asked how many vehicles the company usually had.

Recalling that scene, Xiao Chen could not help but sigh.

The demeanor of the wealthy was truly omnipresent!

"At the time, I was following behind Sister Fang and heard the company executives say the company had three commuter vehicles, whereupon President Xiao asked another question: how many artists did the company have?"

Jin Li asked curiously, "So how many artists does the company have now?"

Xiao Chen replied, "There are already fifty-five."

Jin Li let out a soft "Wow"; for a medium-sized entertainment company that did not promote idol groups and had no trainees,

having fifty-five formal artists was already considered quite a large number.

Xiao Chen continued, "Upon hearing this, President Xiao countered with a question: 'Are your vehicles sufficient?'

The executive naturally had to answer truthfully, stating they were not enough.

At that moment, President Xiao said casually, 'I will have my driver bring over a few cars shortly to leave at the company for the artists' commute.'

That bearing, that style, was just like a TV drama; for a wealthy person to gift several cars seemed as simple as discussing today's weather."

Jin Li laughed upon hearing this.

She said, "So all those cars in the garage were brought by President Xiao?"

Xiao Chen nodded, "Yes, I originally thought President Xiao would just provide a few more cars, but I did not expect him to bring ten directly, all of the same brand and model.

"Sister Jin Li, do you know what this means?"

Jin Li was equally happy to play the straight man. "What does it mean?"

Little Chen said excitedly, "How could a big boss have the same car in their garage, let alone ten of them? That's completely unnecessary!"

Jin Li: "So?"

Little Chen: "Boss Xiao must have told his assistant to buy ten new cars at once and park them in the company garage!"

Seeing Little Chen speak so happily, Jin Li couldn't help but feel happy listening.

She thought to herself: From what I can see so far, Boss Xiao is truly a good person!

Night fell as evening arrived.

Jin Li continued her live stream.

This time, she chose to watch videos, summarizing and organizing key difficult points.

Netizens accompanied her throughout, taking notes alongside her; afterward, Jin Li would randomly select ten sets to give away scratch cards!

This was an old rule in the live stream room.

Netizens were still very willing to participate and try their luck at winning a prize.

But because many netizens participated every time, they also looked at the notes Jin Li made each session.

This time, upon seeing her notes, some people were stunned.

[Pearl Baby's note-taking style has changed...]

[Yeah, I thought I was misreading the notes!]

[It's become much simpler and more efficient, keeping only the key difficulties; those irrelevant supplementary details are no longer written down.]

[Could this be considered another step forward in Pearl Baby's summarization and organization?]

[I truly feel her progress. Before, while listening to lectures, she couldn't wait to record every single word the teacher said.

Now, she consciously targets her own weaknesses to record core content. This is a shift in a student's mindset.]

[Watching her become smarter step by step!]

Jin Li had not realized that her note-taking style had changed.

After finishing her notes, she planned to randomly select netizens' notes; only upon seeing the comments section did she discover her notes had undergone such a massive transformation.

Only at this moment did she suddenly realize.

She seemed to be becoming increasingly adept at studying.

After the prize draw, Jin Li decisively ended the live stream.

Gu Cheng was still connected with Jin Li, giving her private tutoring on a comprehensive, complex problem.

For a problem of this difficulty, Jin Li previously would have needed to listen for half an hour.

Yet now, after listening for only ten minutes, she understood everything completely.

After explaining the problem, Jin Li told Gu Cheng about the netizens' praise for her and asked, "

Can changing just the note-taking style make such a huge difference?"

Gu Cheng pondered for a moment, then countered, "Why do you take notes?"

Jin Li replied, "To record key knowledge."

Gu Cheng compared two sets of her notes, one from early on and one from now: "Previously, your recording consisted of writing down all key knowledge without any thoughts of your own.

Those records were identical to summaries found in reference books, or even more detailed than them.

But now, look again: you consciously omitted some knowledge. You must ask yourself why you chose not to record them."

Jin Li reflected for a moment, then said hesitantly, "While listening to the lecture, I felt this part was quite simple; I had fully digested it, so I chose not to record it.

Moreover, this knowledge can be found in reference books; since I understood it, there was no need to record it again.

During lectures, I prefer to record only the knowledge points I find somewhat difficult."

Gu Cheng gently tapped his knuckles on the desk. "So, that is the crux of the matter.

You have begun employing methods effectively!

Instead of expending all your energy on every single knowledge point, you consciously select the content you find difficult to understand, recording those again with emphasis to deepen your impression."

Speaking thus far, Gu Cheng shifted his tone. "Jin Li, would you like to see my notes?"

Jin Li did not notice the change in how he addressed her.

She instinctively said, "I recall your notes are also very concise. Last time you posted them online, and netizens caught—"

However, the moment she saw Gu Cheng's notes, she suddenly fell silent.

Gu Cheng's notes were not a collection of already summarized formulas and theorems.

Instead, they consisted entirely of derivation processes!

His notes were all derivations!

The derivation processes were far more detailed than what was taught in textbooks or by teachers.

Jin Li carefully examined the derivation processes; she understood some steps, but others remained incomprehensible to her.

Gu Cheng said, "The deeper one delves into science subjects, the more one discovers that all their formulas and laws are actually derived step by step.

By high school, every subject contains numerous formulas and laws. How to master them quickly does not rely on rote memorization.

Because even if you memorize them, without understanding their meaning, you will fall into traps when solving problems.

But if you derive them yourself and summarize the formulas and laws from that process, many problems will be readily solved.

Jin Li, that is why I basically do not take notes."

Gu Cheng lightly tapped his own head with his finger. "My thinking is my best notebook."

Although Jin Li did not fully understand, she was profoundly shocked!

At this moment, she felt this might be the difference between an ordinary student and a top scholar.

Time flew by in a flash.

Just as Sui Lingfang finalized the date for Jin Li and Xi Mengze to visit Zhong Wenkun, the drama "The Ideal Husband" had already reached its midpoint.

Under the anticipation of netizens, Princess Liu Ci, played by Jin Li, returned after turning dark!

After Liu Ci went to the Dian Kingdom for a political marriage, her life could not be described as anything but miserable.

Although the television series did not depict it in detail, with only a few minutes appearing every couple of episodes.

Netizens could still glimpse from these fragments that Liu Ci suffered greatly in the Dian Kingdom.

What made Liu Ci lose all hope most was this:

The child in her womb was rejected by the King of Dian for having Central Plains blood, forcing her to miscarry.

And the one-year promise she had waited for day and night had long since passed.

It was now the third year, and not a single person had come to save her!

Not a single person!!

In a foreign land, inside a dim, cramped room, biting cold, with no maids to attend to her.

Liu Ci thought she was going to die just like this.

She fell seriously ill.

But Heaven did not take her life; instead, it let her survive!

The moment Liu Ci woke up, only hatred remained.

Her former self was already dead!!

The production team of "The Ideal Husband" also knew that Liu Ci's descent into darkness was a major climax of the series.

Therefore, the team did not deliberately withhold the climax to drag out the suspense for netizens over several more episodes.

In the previous episode, Liu Ci woke up in the Cold Palace and resolved to seek revenge.

And in the next episode, she launched her "Tale of a Fallen Princess's Counterattack," executing her plan swiftly, accurately, and ruthlessly—

Seducing the King's younger brother, expanding his ambitions, and navigating between the two men...

Finally, she personally killed the original King beside his pillow and, coordinating with the King's brother from within, overthrew the original rule of the Dian Kingdom!

It took Liu Ci only half a year to become the Queen of the Dian Kingdom, second to none but the King himself!

Though her name was Liu Ci (Benevolence), there was no benevolence left in her eyes.

[These two episodes gave me goosebumps! The pacing is so fast, just like a movie, with no dull moments from start to finish!]

[Does the director like Liu Ci? He contributed some of the rare excellent editing in this entire drama to her scenes!]

[The Princess is a typical 'beautiful, powerful, and tragic' character; knowing her ordeal, even though she is a villain, I just can't bring myself to hate her.]

[Given my recent mental state, I prefer Liu Ci even more; I hope she kills everyone and goes completely mad!]

[This is the first time I've ever hoped that Liu Ci, this second female lead, would counterattack and become the female protagonist.]

Jin Li, Xi Mengze, and Sui Lingfang boarded the van together, setting off for Director Zhong Wenkun's residence.

By last night, Jin Li's performance in "The Ideal Husband" had already topped the trending searches several times.

And today, even during the daytime, the buzz showed no signs of weakening.

Even Xi Mengze couldn't help but ask, "Carp, regarding the episodes airing today, what will you do? Will you really lead troops back to kill your way into the Central Plains?"

Jin Li found it strange: "This morning, Zhenzhu asked me about it in the group chat; why are you asking me now too? Are you all watching it?"

Xi Mengze waved her hand: "I'm not watching it; I don't like TV dramas."

Her tone shifted, "But I do scroll through short videos!

You have no idea, netizens have edited your clips together; so miserable, so bitter, so ruthless and mad, it gave me goosebumps."

She said enthusiastically, "I'm on Team Liu Ci; I hope Liu Ci can pull off a counterattack!"

Jin Li hadn't scrolled through any videos yet; whenever she had free time, she devoted it entirely to studying.

Recalling the subsequent plot, she said tactfully, "You also know this is an ancient idol drama.

Liu Ci's most highlight moment is her counter-kill within the Dian Kingdom; the script was designed quite well for that part.

When she leads the army back to kill her way into the Central Plains, it inevitably falls into the cliché of romance."

Hearing this, Xi Mengze was very disappointed and said resentfully, "Someday when I hold a blade in my hand, I'll kill all the romance dogs in the world!

When it's time to focus on one's career, you make me talk about love? Kill, kill, kill!!!"