Chapter 62: Going to Claim the Prize: What Kind of Power-Fantasy Plot Is This?

Gu Cheng felt a slight warmth in his chest.

He stared at Jin Li for several seconds, shifting his gaze away just before she noticed anything amiss.

How to describe it? It was simply a warm feeling.

Ever since his team debuted and skyrocketed to top-tier status, he had encountered this situation several times—fans arbitrarily launching attacks, berating celebrities who got along well with him and telling them not to leech off his fame.

In the end, those people gradually drifted away from him.

Gu Cheng felt quite helpless about this.

He very much wanted to restrain such behavior from his fans, but the company's policy toward fans was to support them as much as possible and let them develop freely.

The company's only relatively strict requirement for fans was that they must not track the celebrities' schedules; beyond that, they generally did not interfere much.

This was also why, when Gu Cheng recognized Jin Li while recording the program, his first instinct was not to greet her but to pretend not to know her and leave.

He did not want fans to notice his private friendships with other celebrities; in his eyes, the way to protect friends from harm was to stay visibly distant from them.

But Jin Li was very different.

How could one describe this feeling?

It was as if a gloomy, overcast sky had suddenly been torn open, allowing a strand of bright morning light to shine through, dispersing all the dark clouds until only golden radiance remained in the heavens.

Gu Cheng suddenly let out a soft laugh.

Jin Li looked over, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Gu Cheng said, "Nothing much. I suddenly realized it's been a long time since I watched a sunrise, and I want to get up early to see one. What about you?"

Jin Li thought for a moment. "I haven't seen one in a long time either. That kind of scene should look even better up in the mountains."

Gu Cheng replied, "When we have free time in the future, let's go camping in the mountains. We can all watch the sunrise together and take a few photos."

Thinking of the girl group members she hadn't seen in a long time, Jin Li's eyes curved into a smile. "Alright, I'll bring my sisters along then, and we'll all watch the sunrise together!"

When Sui Lingfang woke up, Jin Li was already preparing breakfast for them.

After washing up and coming out, she immediately saw Jin Li busy working in the kitchen.

The kitchen was open-concept; although it saved space, cooking inevitably produced a smell of oil smoke, a scent that even the best range hood might not completely eliminate.

Such a simple scene would be an ordinary morning in any household, but when it involved Jin Li...

Sui Lingfang leaned against the wall and couldn't help but sigh, "No matter how you look at it, she gives off such a virtuous wife and loving mother vibe!"

Xiao Chen came out after washing up and asked, "What virtuous wife and loving mother?"

Sui Lingfang shook her head. "Nothing. Where did you put my camera yesterday? I need to use it now."

Xiao Chen replied, "It's right there on the table in the living room."

Sui Lingfang found the camera, chose a spot with good lighting, background, and angle, and captured Jin Li's gentle and serene profile.

Looking at the photo, she thought: Netizens all say Jin Li is very sweet, but the more she looked, the more she felt Jin Li possessed a scholarly air, a literary style.

If in the past, Jin Li's face was a standard girl-group face, not belonging to the category of elegant beauties.

Then now, with slightly less focus on her facial features, that aura had become distinctly prominent.

Could studying really change a person's overall presence?

Tsk, this path is getting wider and wider!

Countless announcements suitable for Jin Li's new temperament flashed through Sui Lingfang's mind, only to vanish the moment Jin Li called out, "Breakfast is ready."

Heaven and earth are vast, but eating is the most important!

After the meal, Jin Li cleared the dining table, and Sui Lingfang and Xiao Chen temporarily turned the dining area into their workspace.

Tablets and other items were all fully prepared.

As soon as work hours began, Sui Lingfang joined an online video conference, listening to the company analyze the buzz generated by Jin Li winning 500,000 from the scratch card yesterday; she also planned to report a separate matter to President Xiao.

Jin Li did not listen; she had her own rhythm.

Regardless of how the company arranged things, she was currently quite satisfied with her life.

While the agent worked outside, she returned to her room to work.

Just as she was about to start a livestream to watch videos, Jin Li thought of something and sent a message to Gu Cheng.

[Do you want to come over and study together?]

Gu Cheng: [Are you alone at home?]

Jin Li: [No, Sister Fang and her assistant are both here!]

Gu Cheng: [Won't they think I have ulterior motives? *Hesitates.jpg*]

Hearing this, it was clear he was somewhat tempted.

Jin Li quickly replied: [No, they won't. I'll tell them you're coming to be my study partner. But as for you, with your fans causing such a fuss these past few days, are you really going to come over and study with me?]

Gu Cheng laughed.

Gu Cheng: [Isn't it a bit too late to say that? Besides, the one who should be worried isn't me, but you. Will you feel pressured studying with me?]

Jin Li didn't catch the implication in Gu Cheng's words.

[No, studying with you will help me progress faster.]

Gu Cheng was speechless.

It seemed that the incident of fans rushing the livestream room was something Jin Li cared not the slightest about.

Because she didn't care, there was simply no pressure to speak of, nor did she think in that direction.

Gu Cheng: [Alright, I'm coming down to study with you.]

Jin Li looked around the bedroom, tidied up what needed organizing, then took out two small tables and prepared two sets of stationery.

While she was organizing inside the bedroom, she couldn't hear the movements outside and had no idea that Gu Cheng was moving extremely fast.

After deciding to come over, he set off with ease, wearing no hat, only a face mask.

Two minutes later, the doorbell to Jin Li's room rang.

Xiao Chen went to open the door and asked, "What is it?"

Gu Cheng pulled down his face mask.

Xiao Chen's eyes widened. "You, you, you—"

"Who is it?" Sui Lingfang turned to ask, her eyes widening just as much.

"You, you, you're Gu Cheng! How did you get here? No, how did you get to Jin Li's place? Are you two—"

Seeing Sui Lingfang's exaggerations escalate, Gu Cheng quickly said, "Don't misunderstand. I'm here to study. Jin Li invited me to join her; she said we could be study partners."

A bit of the commotion in the living room drifted into the bedroom. Jin Li pushed the door open and walked out, looking quite surprised to see Gu Cheng:

"You arrived so quickly!"

Gu Cheng said helplessly, "Hurry up and explain to Sister Fang and the others. People who don't know better might think I'm about to do something to you."

Jin Li smiled and said a few words to Sister Fang.

After understanding the situation, Sister Fang nodded. "Alright, I won't disturb your studies then. Go inside and learn, but remember to keep the bedroom door open."

After Gu Cheng and Jin Li left, Xiao Chen looked at Sister Fang with a hesitant expression.

Sister Fang glanced at her and said with an air of serene confidence, "I know what you're worried about. I was quite worried at first too."

Xiao Chen asked, "Then why did you still let Sister Jin Li interact with Brother Gu?"

Sister Fang shook her head and said slowly, "You're wrong. The more open and aboveboard they are, the less I worry. It's if they start being secretive and sneaky that I should panic."

Xiao Chen half-understood, half-didn't.

Meanwhile, with Jin Li.

When she started her live stream, she noticed her interface looked different.

One could now find educational courses directly on Cat Paw, without needing to split the screen for studying.

At the same time, Cat Paw had optimized her streaming frame, adding many features for study rooms.

During the study livestream, Jin Li could choose to make the instructional video the main interface, while she herself appeared in a small box in the corner.

Jin Li thought this was quite good.

In the previous streaming interface, her room had to share space equally with the instructional video, forcing viewers to split their attention between the lesson and her.

Now, with her video shrunk into a small corner, viewers could focus more intently on their studies.

Gu Cheng sent a message to Jin Li; he also thought this new streaming interface was nice.

Jin Li specifically set up a focused view for the stream, positioning her own image as the primary perspective.

If Gu Cheng accidentally appeared in the stream, the system would identify him and automatically erase his figure.

Jin Li hadn't known about this feature before; it was Gu Cheng who discovered it later and specially told her.

With this, the two of them studying together was now completely foolproof.

Time flew by, and soon it was noon.

Gu Cheng had a schedule to rush to in the afternoon; he didn't even have time to eat. As soon as the stream ended, he ran off.

Sui Lingfang was in the living room. Watching one disappear and the other prepare lunch, she suddenly asked, "Jin Li, what is your impression of Gu Cheng?"

Jin Li pondered for a moment. "He's a very considerate younger brother."

Then she changed the subject and asked a question of her own: "Sister Fang, what do you think of Brother Zou Da?"

Sister Fang froze, slightly puzzled as to why she was suddenly asking about Zou Da.

"Zou Da? He's a very serious and responsible agent, reliable in character. He is someone I can trust to watch my back."

Jin Li: ???

"Is that all, just regarding work? What about in daily life? How do you think it would be to live with this person?"

Sister Fang replied, "How should I know? I suppose it would be reassuring? How would I know what his living habits are like? I don't live with him. Who knows what quirks he might have?"

Jin Li: ...

She glanced again at Sister Fang's forehead.

Bearing a touch of rosy pink, it was indeed the sign of the Red Phoenix Star stirring.

She hadn't misread that faint thread of connection from before either, so the current situation was— even Sister Fang herself didn't know she liked Brother Zou Da?

Jin Li thought with regret: Pity I'm not the Matchmaker; otherwise, I would definitely help tie this red string of fate.

After eating, Sister Fang and Xiao Chen prepared to return to the company.

Jin Li had nothing else to do and planned to go to the Lotto Station to claim her prize.

Upon hearing this, Sui Lingfang said, "Wait a moment. I'll call the few bodyguards the company hired to escort you to claim the prize."

Jin Li asked softly, "Can we travel a bit more discreetly?"

Sui Lingfang looked at Jin Li, her gaze chilly, as if cold blades were scraping against her.

"Do you really think going to claim a prize is something that can be done discreetly?"

Jin Li silently shut her mouth.

From the time she scratched open the 520,000 yuan grand prize yesterday until now, the online buzz had gradually subsided.

However, opening the trending search list, one could still glimpse yesterday's storm of controversy at the very bottom.

#JinLiScratchesCardWinsAgain419K#

#JinLiTearsUpKoiPersonaScratchesCardOnSiteWinsAgain#

#LottoStationOfficialResponseVideoConfirmsScratchCardValid#

#JinLiIsTheKoi#

#JinLiSaysThisIsHype#

#CatPawSaysScratchCardsWereBoughtCasually#

The trending list can record one hundred items; in the lower slots, from eighty to ninety, she alone occupied nearly all of them.

This was already the result after the frenzy had subsided.

One could only imagine how wildly Jin Li had dominated the trending list yesterday.

After Sui Lingfang arrived at the company,

she found everyone in a state of frantic chaos; agents were desperately answering phones, while the secretaries walked with such speed they seemed to carry wind, each clutching thick stacks of documents.

Upon entering the office, Zou Da spotted Sui Lingfang, his eyes lighting up immediately; he pressed the receiver against the phone and urged anxiously, "You're finally here! Come take these calls right away!"

There were three phones in the office, one at the front desk, and another at the security station.

As she made her way through, it felt as though every single phone was ringing.

Sui Lingfang asked, "Are they all calling for Jin Li?"

Zou Da, exhausted to the point of just wanting to collapse, replied, "Of course! Since yesterday, the phones haven't stopped ringing; I've talked so much my throat is hoarse."

He shot Sui Lingfang a glance. "And you, our main pillar, took leave this morning! A mountain of matters is waiting for your decision!"

Sui Lingfang shook her head. "Although I took leave this morning, I was in meetings the whole time. Let's set aside the immediate tasks; we have more important matters to attend to."

This left Zou Da stunned; among all the artists in the entire company, only Jin Li possessed such explosive popularity. What matter could possibly outweigh Jin Li?

Shortly after, they heard Sui Lingfang's decision, which also carried the support of President Xiao.

Chenxi Entertainment would make every effort to recruit Xi Mengze, a former member of the Pink Girl Group!

Although Chenxi Entertainment had never cultivated a top-tier star within the industry—even Jin Li, once a top-tier star herself, had been hired at a great cost—

they might lack connections in the circle, but they excelled in one area.

That was having money!

As long as something could be solved with money, it wasn't a problem at all.

Take Jin Li's current situation, for instance.

Xiao Chen sat silently in the driver's seat, operating the vehicle without a word.

In front of Jin Li, in the passenger seat, sat a bodyguard.

To her right, another bodyguard was seated.

To her left, yet another bodyguard sat.

As for the van following their car, it contained six bodyguards!

Jin Li thought to herself that if President Xiao showed even a bit more kindness, this still wouldn't feel safe enough; with a wave of his hand, he might add several more vehicles, and she might actually assemble a reinforced company of bodyguards today.

She shook her head, somewhat helplessly.

She really just wanted to claim a prize!

Arriving at the Great Temple of Yue Mountain, Jin Li, escorted by her bodyguards and fully geared up, entered the lottery station to claim her prize.

This was also Sui Lingfang's idea.

She had said, "You dominated so many trending topics yesterday; trying to keep a low profile is impossible. Whether you disguise yourself or sneak off to claim the prize, the paparazzi will definitely find you. In that case, you might as well go openly and proudly."

Jin Li pondered this. "There must be more to it than just that reason, right?"

Sui Lingfang smiled, a somewhat cold expression.

"Many people online yesterday accused you of hype, including quite a few industry peers. Fortunately, you admitted it was hype. Since you're going to claim the prize today, why not give them a proper show of 'hype' right to their faces!

I'd like to see which entertainment company can randomly pick out a 520,000 scratch card and bring it out for their artist to use as a stunt!"

Upon hearing this, Jin Li understood immediately.

Sister Fang intended to slap those faces.

She didn't care how she claimed the prize; since Sister Fang had a plan, she would follow it.

Thus, under the escort of her bodyguards, Jin Li walked into the lottery station in a manner that was nearly "arrogant."

At the same moment, inside LP Entertainment,

some agents inquired about the status of Jin Li's trending topics.

The head of the data monitoring team replied, "They have already dropped to the lower ranks, around eighty or ninety. In another hour, they should be completely cleared out."

Some agents complained dissatisfiedly, "Can't you speed up the removal? Replace them with our artists' trending topics!"

The team leader did not get angry but instead laughed. "The current rule for trending topics is that either you spend a huge sum to remove them, and it must be done by the person involved or their own company. If we spend money to remove theirs, it won't work.

If you think it's too slow, your only option is to buy other trending topics to push them up. If you buy enough to fill the top spots—one, two, three—the ones at the bottom will naturally be squeezed out.

Why don't you spend some money to send your artist to the front page of the trending list?

But let me warn you beforehand, this approach is extremely laborious. Even if you buy a top spot, there's no guarantee you can push Jin Li's entries down. As long as netizens continue discussing the topic endlessly, those lower-ranking trends are very hard to dislodge."

The team leader retorted so bluntly that the agents were left speechless, departing in anger with a sweep of their sleeves!

This scene played out in more than one company.

Within the data team, an employee asked, "Team Leader, must we buy spots in the top 50? Can't we buy positions in the lower 50?"

"Wrong. You can only buy into the top 30, and only a few people can do so. Those who wish to buy must not only quote a price to the blog platform but also be selected by the platform based on the content of the trending topic.

If many celebrities quote prices for the same time slot, the blog platform will only allow the trending topics they are interested in to rise.

Do you really think all top thirty trending topics are bought? The blog platform wouldn't dare deceive the public so blatantly!

As for the lower fifty spots, first, their value is not high, and second, as I said before, while the platform allows you to pay for trending topics, they must also ensure there is genuine feedback. This is an open secret within the industry."

Previously, Jin Li had caused Lian Baozhi of LP Entertainment to suffer a loss; after failed coordination, LP Entertainment had now set its sights on Jin Li.

The reason so many agents came to inquire about Jin Li's data this time was twofold: dissatisfaction with Jin Li, and a desire to see if there was an opportunity to kick her while she was down.

If the lower fifty spots could also be bought, Jin Li would definitely not have a single trending topic remaining today.

The team leader checked Jin Li's data again, pulling up the click-through rates on her blog page.

Suddenly, he froze in surprise.

"What's going on? Jin Li's blog clicks have increased again. Has she appeared on the trending plaza?"

The employee quickly scanned the trending searches. "No, besides the previous ones, no new entries have appeared yet."

The team leader's expression turned grave: "Jin Li is likely about to generate a naturally trending search entry."

Those of them who analyzed data could tell at a glance the difference between purchased trending topics and those that rose naturally.

The team leader thought: Jin Li is truly formidable; if LP tries to move against her, they might end up trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice!

Jin Li's popularity gathered with remarkable speed.

In merely five minutes, a trending topic concerning her had amassed enough volume to parachute directly into the top twenty!

#JinLiGoesToClaim520K#

As soon as this tag appeared, not a single netizen who encountered it scrolled past; they all clicked through, surprised to discover they could actually view the live scene.

In front of the lottery station, Jin Li was surrounded by several bodyguards, keeping her head lowered as she queued to claim her prize.

When a tourist attempted to yield their place in line to Jin Li, she politely declined.

[Haha, who was jumping up and down yesterday claiming this scratch card was a stunt, even saying Jin Li admitted it? Jin Li simply didn't want to be associated with the 'lucky koi' persona, so she lied; surely no one fails to see that?]

[I recall several top-tier artists under LP subtly implying yesterday that Jin Li was self-promoting and that the scratch card was fake; well, today she has gone to claim the prize!]

[Oh my god, it seems the scratch card company has sent someone else over!]

While Jin Li was queuing, several individuals wearing scratch card uniforms suddenly called out to her; after some negotiation, she agreed to their request.

These individuals were official personnel dispatched by the scratch card company.

Yesterday, when she trended, the scratch card brand trended alongside her, leading many to doubt the authenticity of the card in her possession.

The most common theory was that the 520,000 prize had been scratched open in advance, knowing this specific card was a winner, and that Mao Zhao had specially reapplied the coating film for Jin Li to scratch.

However, this theory met with fierce rebuttal from the scratch card company.

Their coating film utilized a new technology employed by no one else in the world; other companies used a different type of coating.

A simple inspection of the coating film would reveal whether this theory was true or false.

Furthermore, forging a scratch card was even more impossible; as stated before, their cards possessed anti-counterfeiting features.

A forged scratch card would never pass the machine's verification!

Jin Li was escorted outside, where several tables and various tools had already been set up on the open ground.

She took out the 520,000 scratch card for official inspection, remarking, "No need to rush; please examine it carefully and thoroughly."

[Hahaha, Baby Li isn't the least bit afraid!]

[I also really want to win 500,000!]

[So it really wasn't a scripted act; this scratch card can actually be redeemed, yet Jin Li still claims she isn't a lucky koi!]

After about ten minutes, an official stamped a specific section of the scratch card and processed her prize redemption through the computer backend.

Another person then produced a silver-gray small case and handed it to Jin Li.

Jin Li accepted it with a look of bewilderment.

The staff member smiled: "Open it and take a look; yesterday our technical team was analyzing your scratching scene, and everyone agreed the card in your hand was genuine, so we prepared the prize money in advance."

Jin Li's eyes widened slightly; she hardly dared to believe it, yet the case in her hands indeed felt quite heavy.

[Holy crap, is the box filled with cash!]

[The scratch card company is awesome, so bold; I'm a country bumpkin who loves watching this; Baby Li, open the box for us, let us feel the thrill of money!]

[What kind of movie plot is this? Is this something I can watch without paying? Wah, why hasn't anyone handed me a stack of cash?]

Jin Li...

...of course, would not actually open the box on the spot.

Although the prize-claiming event had been made somewhat high-profile at Sister Xiang's suggestion, Jin Li herself preferred to keep a low profile.

She quickly thanked the officials for their kindness, stating, "I won't redeem the prize here on the spot; there are too many people, and I'm a bit concerned about safety. How about this: tonight I'll post a few photos on my blog to publicly thank you all."

Why did the scratch card company do this?

Wasn't it simply to have her help promote them?

With Jin Li's verbal commitment, the officials naturally had no objections.

Disappointed at not witnessing the dramatic scene they had anticipated, the netizens frantically posted, pushing Jin Li's trending topic higher and higher.

Within moments, it surged to the number one spot on the trending list!

Inside LP Entertainment.

The agent had just inquired about Jin Li's trending status; after merely resting a moment and slowly sipping some tea, he heard his assistant say:

"Jin Li has yet again, repeatedly, trended!"

The mouthful of tea in the agent's mouth truly could neither be swallowed down...

...nor spat out.

He was completely choked!

Here at the lottery station, under the escort of her bodyguards, Jin Li carried the safe box back to the company.

Just moments ago, she had received a call from Sister Xiang; the advertisement script for Duomi Cosmetics had finally been revised and delivered to her.