Chapter 68: #JinLiWearsQipaoToEndorseDuomi#

Xiang Jinli called Jin Li early the next morning.

She had deliberately timed the call.

It coincided exactly with the moment Jin Li returned to the hotel after worshipping Mazu and buying breakfast.

Having previously accompanied Jin Li to the Tianxuan Temple and experienced the life of spiritual cultivation there, she already understood Jin Li's mysterious reverence for Daoist temples quite well.

She could not speak for others, but if it were Jin Li, Sui Lingfang had no doubt that should Jin Li decide to retire from the entertainment industry, her greatest desire would be to stay within a Daoist temple.

Even if it meant working as a sweeping auntie, she would be willing.

Over the phone.

Sui Lingfang spoke with decisive efficiency: "I received your message last night; let me first share my thoughts with you."

"I investigated New Tide Entertainment; frankly, this second-tier company possesses even more strength than ours, and they have been rather fortunate."

"They have always held resources in the film and television circle, having collaborated with several directors, and they host micro-video competitions annually to discover emerging directors."

"I say they are fortunate because, according to New Tide's development plan, their first top-tier star was supposed to come from the film and television circle, yet they unexpectedly produced Qiu Qiwen first."

"This has caused some conflict in their resources, making them unable to fully meet Qiu Qiwen's demands; however, thanks to their strength in the film and television sector, they can still secure some top-tier resources for her."

"If you intend to develop in the film and television circle in the future, it would be worthwhile to use this opportunity to establish a solid foundation with New Tide Entertainment."

Upon saying this, Sui Lingfang felt somewhat unwilling.

Ultimately, Chenxi Entertainment's resources simply could not keep up; they could only wait for commercial sponsors to approach Jin Li actively, unable to proactively secure film and television resources for her.

If the company's hard capabilities were sufficient, there would be no need to pay attention to the olive branch extended by New Tide Entertainment.

Jin Li pondered for a moment and said, "Sister Xiang, as you know, I originally had no intention of participating in the fourth season; if we can connect with New Tide Entertainment while keeping a low profile, I am willing."

"But there is a problem: this is merely a private communication between Qiu Qiwen and me; I am uncertain about New Tide Entertainment's stance."

In such resource exchanges, discussions between stars alone are useless; both companies must confirm their intention to cooperate to avoid easy fallout.

Sui Lingfang replied, "Understood, I know your position; I will contact Qiu Qiwen's agent."

After hanging up, Jin Li immediately called Qiu Qiwen.

When they parted ways yesterday, they had exchanged phone numbers to stay in touch whenever necessary.

Jin Li shared her thoughts with Qiu Qiwen, who had just woken up and still looked somewhat dazed.

Jin Li's sudden offer of "willingness to cooperate" instantly sobered her up considerably.

Qiu Qiwen said, "Good, I will tell my agent."

She had not yet informed her agent about the resource exchange, but as long as Jin Li agreed, she had plenty of ways to persuade him.

As soon as Jin Li hung up, Qiu Qiwen hurriedly called her company.

Time flew by, bringing them to the recording site for the fourth episode of "PICK~Next Stop Diva."

This session was once again recorded in advance.

The list of trainees eliminated in the previous episode would not be finalized for another three days.

Since the rankings could not be settled until the very last moment, all existing teams had to perform.

It was also on this day that the second commercial Jin Li filmed for Duomi Cosmetics officially went live!

Released on the Duomi Cosmetics blog, the advertisement garnered over a million views within half an hour of going online.

In the video.

Jin Li, wearing a black qipao, strolled slowly along a bustling pedestrian street.

Surrounded by neon lights and green wine, countless signs twinkled, evoking a sense of decadent luxury.

Under the boundless night sky, the sequins on Jin Li's clothing shimmered faintly, resembling stars scattered across the Milky Way, her figure swaying gracefully with every step.

For a moment, one could not tell whether the scenery enhanced the person or the person enhanced the scenery.

She picked up a drink, sipped it slowly, smiled and greeted passing friends, then entered a shopping mall where she lightly tapped her fingers, casually purchasing numerous items: clothes, bags, shoes, perfume...

After shopping, Jin Li returned to her apartment.

The indoor lighting was not bright, shifting instead to a soft warm yellow, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

Sitting before her vanity mirror, Jin Li tilted her head slightly, her expression revealing a hint of fatigue as she looked somewhat bewildered at her reflection.

Suddenly, she opened an eyeshadow palette, rubbed some rose-colored powder between her fingertips, and began casually painting on the mirror.

One stroke, two strokes, three strokes...

A small fish was skillfully born beneath her hand.

Jin Li could not help but smile.

[Ahhh, Sister, you're killing me! I give you my life!]

[So sweet, I'm going to drown in her dimples!]

[Pearl Baby is cutest when smiling sweetly; that opening scene with the domineering female CEO vibe totally stunned me!]

The video continued as Jin Li began to remove her makeup.

The makeup removal sequence was accelerated through editing, finishing completely within a few seconds.

Jin Li lowered her head to tidy the cotton pads, then looked up at the mirror, suddenly tilting her cheek slightly to meet the carp drawn on the glass.

The rose-colored carp was gently imprinted onto her cheek.

[Ahhh, perfect attention to detail!]

[Oh my god, so beautiful!]

[Am I the only one who thinks Duomi Cosmetics' eyeshadow quality is excellent? It shows such vibrant color even on a mirror!]

Having finished removing her makeup, Jin Li pushed open the door to find her best friends already waiting in the living room; together they happily drank beverages, ate fried chicken, sang karaoke... enjoying themselves to the fullest.

At the very end of the commercial, Jin Li's voice came through—

"Life offers many varieties; everyone can choose the way they like. You are already beautiful."

Netizens who finished watching the advertisement casually gave it a like.

[The entire clip never promoted the product or mentioned Duomi Cosmetics once, yet the whole thing was about Duomi Cosmetics.]

[The highest realm of advertising is making people feel that silence speaks louder than words!]

[There was no promotional hype, but this ad warmed my heart; suddenly, I want to buy Duomi Cosmetics.]

[Finally, no more marketing appearance anxiety. Jin Li, I'm crying to death; you filmed this so well, wuwu!]

[I asked a friend working at Duomi Cosmetics; he's a senior manager and leaked some news: apparently, the concept for this ad was proposed by Jin Li. Someone in upper management strongly supported her, so they gave the final approval to film it according to her vision.

If that executive hadn't been so firm, this ad probably wouldn't have this style. Truly, thank him for his keen eye in recognizing talent!]

[Is the advertising industry finally going to make its own voice heard?!]

[Everyone should compete by this standard; I'm already sick of those forced-insertion ads!]

Duomi Cosmetics launched this advertisement simultaneously and began its distribution at the same time.

From this day on, many people scrolling online encountered this ad and collectively remembered Duomi Cosmetics.

Two hours after the ad went live, the official flagship stores of Duomi Cosmetics on every shopping platform were! completely! sold! out!

President Nan specially stationed himself in the Sales Department, listening to feedback from online sales while monitoring the ad's popularity.

"What's our ranking on the trending search?"

"#JinLiWearsCheongsamToEndorseDuomi# has already surged to number one, with rave reviews; especially our eyeshadow, which many netizens are asking about in the comments."

"How is the inventory status?"

"Every platform is seeing explosive orders; if this trend continues, we'll likely sell out by tonight."

As this employee spoke, he suddenly shouted, "The Pinduoduo platform is already out of stock! President Nan, should we still proceed with the 'Ten-Thousand-Person Group Buy: Koi Good Luck Gift Box'?"

Another employee added, "Inventory on Taobao is also running low. President Nan, our promotional event hasn't even launched yet; should we push it out now? Given the current momentum, I'm afraid we'll be out of stock before the event even starts."

President Nan's expression shifted repeatedly as he hesitated.

Previously worried that this ad might receive a poor response, he had applied for a new product sales promotion.

For Jin Li's first advertisement, Duomi Cosmetics focused on foundation and lipstick.

The second advertisement, as anyone with eyes could see, focused on eyeshadow and makeup remover.

Naturally, the sales promotion was intended to bundle the eyeshadow and makeup remover together.

While he was hesitating, another employee said, "President Nan, all eyeshadow stock on JD.com has sold out."

"President Nan, eyeshadow and makeup remover on Taobao are gone; I notice other products in the same series are also clearing out rapidly."

"President Nan, the big data on customer purchases within the last two hours is out; customers are more inclined to buy the full set of 'Koi Good Luck Makeup' products!"

"President Nan, are we still going ahead with this event?" someone asked again.

President Nan slammed the table and said excitedly, "What event? Cancel it!

The goods are almost sold out, proving we have no trouble selling; why run a promotion? Let's hold one only when sales slow down. Invalidate all those previously approved events immediately!"

Meanwhile, over with Jin Li.

She remained completely unaware of the newly launched advertisement.

When the ad went live, Sister Xiang had sent her a WeChat message sharing the link; since Jin Li wasn't filming today either, Sister Xiang was becoming increasingly reassured about her.

Jin Li was recording diligently and hadn't checked her phone.

This recording session lasted two full hours.

This time, the girl group members finally didn't cry, Jin Li didn't say any mushy things, and the other mentors' critiques were quite normal.

Everyone has a bright future!

After the mid-session break ended, Jin Li felt her stamina could still hold up, so she continued recording; this time, she changed seats to sit alongside Qiu Qiwen.

Since she had already reached a cooperation agreement with Qiu Qiwen's company, Jin Li, besides keeping a low profile, also wanted to see if she could help Qiu Qiwen secure more screen time.

It was a matter of mutual benefit; if she could help, she would, as it had no negative impact on her anyway.

During this recording, Jin Li specifically observed Qiu Qiwen and discovered that her critiques were actually quite good, even more professional than Lian Baozhi's, but they appeared too professional, making her seem somewhat serious.

Variety shows require a cheerful atmosphere; even seriousness must be approached with the right method.

Thus, Jin Li often added a sentence or two after Qiu Qiwen finished her critique to lighten the overall mood, effectively acting as a supporting partner for Qiu Qiwen.

The trainees couldn't perceive this shift in dynamics, but Lian Baozhi certainly could.

It was break time again.

Lian Baozhi went to the restroom and bumped into Ji Qinglian.

Both stood before the mirror touching up their makeup when Lian Baozhi specifically asked, "Did something go wrong between you and Jin Li? Why is she helping Qiu Qiwen get screen time but not you?"

Ji Qinglian glanced at her and said nothing.

Lian Baozhi smiled and said, "Qinglian, you and I are artists from the same company; she is in your past. You aren't in the same agency anymore and can't support each other. If you cooperate with me, we can squeeze Jin Li's screen time out—"

Ji Qinglian flicked the water droplets from her hands and interrupted, "Do you think comparing yourself to her now is even meaningful?"

Lian Baozhi frowned slightly.

Ji Qinglian took a tissue to dry her hands and said indifferently, "There is still a gap between top-tier stars; she just hasn't encountered the selection period yet. Wait until Selection Month arrives, and you'll see whether Jin Li can reach the top tier.

Besides, she has both popularity and reputation; where does your confidence come from to compare yourself to her, let alone surpass her?"

Ji Qinglian turned around, looking down at Lian Baozhi, and spoke deliberately, "Baozhi, I think self-awareness is a precious virtue, but you seem—"

She paused, then flashed a brilliant smile at her, "always unable to recognize your own position."

Lian Baozhi stared at Ji Qinglian's retreating back, clenched her fists, took several deep breaths, and viciously yanked out several tissues to wipe her hands.

On the other side, with Jin Li.

She took out her phone to check and finally discovered her newly launched advertisement.

Gu Cheng sat beside her, holding a copy of the 'Five-Year Gaokao, Three-Year Simulation' workbook, ready to discuss a problem with her.

Naturally, he knew how to solve it.

But this problem is heavily disguised; one must grasp the essence of the theorem to solve it, and he wanted to see if Jin Li could.

Turning his head, he saw her staring intently at her phone, her eyes sparkling.

Gu Cheng asked, "What are you doing?"

Jin Li replied, "Watching an advertisement; the second commercial I filmed for Duomi Cosmetics has been released."

He leaned in closer. "Let me see too. I heard this commercial is quite interesting. Was it your suggestion?"

Jin Li glanced at him curiously. "How did you know?"

Gu Cheng smiled. "There are no secrets in the entertainment industry. If you don't want others to know, don't do it yourself."

Chen Lin pushed the door open, saw both of them staring at their phones, and went over to take a look as well.

That single glance caused quite a stir.

"Wow, the creative concept of this ad is excellent! I want to film an ad like this too!"

"What advertisement?"

Ji Qinglian had just pushed the door open when she heard Chen Lin's loud exclamation.

"Jin Li's new commercial. It's quite good; it doesn't mention the brand name once, yet the entire piece conveys the core message the brand wants to promote."

Everyone watched it several times, offering their opinions one after another, all agreeing it was well done.

Gu Cheng asked, "Is it difficult to paint a fish using eyeshadow?"

Jin Li shook her head. "Painting isn't hard; the tricky part is applying the color while looking in the mirror. Fortunately, their eyeshadow has good pigmentation, so I managed it in no time."

Luo Yi looked somewhat surprised. "From what you're saying, did you paint this yourself?"

Jin Li nodded. "Yes, I painted the fish myself."

"That fish looks so cute. Sister Jin Li, could you paint one for me too? I feel like it might bring me some good luck."

No sooner had Chen Lin made his request than a hand pressed his face, which was leaning close to Jin Li, back away.

"Paint what? You're a man; wouldn't you be ashamed to wear koi carp makeup?"

Gu Cheng pulled Chen Lin away and simultaneously handed the 'Five Years Gaokao, Three Years Simulation' book to Jin Li. "There's still some time; finish this problem first."

Jin Li nodded. "OK!"

She specifically told Chen Lin, "I can't paint it today; I'll do it for you another time when I'm free."

Chen Lin nodded vigorously; he decided he would paint a koi carp on his face and then go scratch a lottery ticket.

Who says a koi carp fortune-bringer must be a woman? He insisted on being a male koi carp!