Chapter 76

With no schedule announcements, Jin Li felt completely at ease.

Her desire to rest was not spoken lightly; after talking with Gu Cheng last night, she had resolved to devote more time to studying and burning incense.

Her Master had told her that this body of hers had reached the end of its rope and required divine power to sustain it, so she must be diligent in offering incense.

Additionally, according to the warning she received when she first transmigrated.

In that novel, at the very beginning of the story, Jin Li had already passed away.

This month, she had basically relied on achieving twice the result with half the effort to extend her life, using all the energy she cultivated to rush between scheduling commitments; Jin Li thought carefully and felt she was quite negligent in her duties.

Without delay, she would leave immediately!

Jin Li exited the company, got into the car driven by her assistant Xiao Chen, and said, "First, go to Tianxuan Temple."

Xiao Chen was slightly bewildered: "Tianxuan Temple?"

Jin Li nodded: "Yes, set the navigation; I went to Tianxuan Temple before with Sister Fang."

Xiao Chen: "I know, but are you going just like this? Don't you need to go back and get your luggage or anything?"

Jin Li: "I already packed my luggage in advance and had it shipped to the hotel at the foot of the mountain."

Xiao Chen's eyelid twitched.

Good heavens, this was premeditated!

She wondered how Jin Li had managed to persuade Sister Fang; how did she know Sister Fang wouldn't schedule any work for her during this period?

It was morning, and traffic in the urban area was still manageable, not too congested.

Xiao Chen glanced at the rearview mirror and said, "There's a car following us constantly; it must be paparazzi trying to sneak photos. Should we shake them off?"

Jin Li affirmed: "Shake them off!"

She was very curious; since it was morning, what method would Xiao Chen use to lose them? Would she have to recreate the miracle of that day again?

Facts proved she had thought too much.

With no traffic congestion, Xiao Chen simply relied on driving skills that swerved left and right, drifting and shifting unpredictably, then turned into an inconspicuous alleyway narrow enough for only one car at a certain unremarkable spot.

When they emerged again, they had successfully shaken off the paparazzi.

Ever since Xiao Chen started drifting, Jin Li had been gripping the overhead handle tightly.

She asked with utmost sincerity: "Xiao Chen, have you ever considered going into acting?"

"Hmm?"

Jin Li: "I think the role of a female racer suits you perfectly; it was practically created for you."

Xiao Chen: ...

Should she say something like, "You flatter me, you flatter me"?

They arrived at the hotel at the foot of Tianxuan Temple.

Before Jin Li even got out of the car, she noticed something and frowned slightly.

"Don't you feel that there are more tourists at Tianxuan Temple?"

Xiao Chen thought for a moment, picked up her camera, and said, "Sister, stay in the car for now; I'll get out and take a look."

Ten minutes later, Xiao Chen returned.

She handed the camera to Jin Li: "When Sister Fang came to Tianxuan Temple with you last time, I also came a few times to bring you some things and stayed at the hotel for two nights."

"Compared to before, the number of tourists at Tianxuan Temple has increased significantly; these are the photos I took, take a look."

"Even during the day, tourists are coming and going; the snack street near the hotel is already very lively, with most of the small vendors setting up their stalls."

"By the way, I also heard some news: today's admission tickets for Tianxuan Temple are already sold out. Did you manage to buy a ticket?"

Jin Li: ...

The last time she came, this place was still very quiet.

Let alone tourists, there were barely a few human figures to be seen; the entire Tianxuan Temple had fewer than ten visitors.

Therefore, coming here this time, she hadn't thought at all about buying tickets in advance.

She took out her phone to check and said helplessly: "It is sold out; even for tomorrow, there are only a dozen tickets left."

"It's truly strange; when I booked the hotel last night, they said rooms were still plentiful, so how is it that the visiting tickets for Tianxuan Temple are gone?"

Xiao Chen paused: "I probably know why; near the snack street, I saw two newly built guesthouses. The last time I came, they were still private residences, but now they've been converted into inns."

"The cheap rooms at the hotel where you're staying are probably gone too; only the expensive rooms remain in relatively large numbers."

Jin Li said with some uncertainty: "So, Tianxuan Temple has become popular?"

Xiao Chen also said uncertainly: "Why don't you disguise yourself and go take a personal look?"

Since she was already here, Jin Li did not want to return empty-handed.

The clothes she wore today were very ordinary; putting on a hat and a face mask, she got straight out of the car.

There weren't too many people on the hotel side, just a lot of cars.

As soon as she reached the snack street, seeing the hubbub of voices, Jin Li blinked several times to confirm she wasn't seeing things.

—The snack street had become even more prosperous!

Just standing at the entrance and exit, she could already feel the fiery atmosphere inside.

Several young, bright girls walked out arm in arm, chattering excitedly.

"This is the temple where Jin Li stayed before; it's truly different. Even at the foot of the mountain, I can feel a sacred atmosphere!"

"I heard that the Three Pure Ones, the ancestral masters of Daoism, are enshrined on the mountaintop; they are very powerful."

"I searched on Xiaohongshu; it seems there's a place inside undergoing renovation, preparing to build another Hall of Wealth to satisfy us tourists!"

"Wow, Tianxuan Temple is really great!"

And Jin Li.

After listening, Jin Li silently turned around and walked back toward the car.

This Tianxuan Temple was no longer a place she could stay; she would have to find another location.

After retrieving her luggage stored at the hotel, Jin Li returned to the car, where she and Little Chen pointed at the phone's navigation app, discussing their route.

Jin Li said, "How about this Daoist temple? It looks quite remote, so there probably won't be many people."

Little Chen replied, "That's fifty kilometers away; it's a bit far."

Jin Li suggested, "Then how about this one? It's a small place with a smaller temple, so I estimate there won't be many people there either."

Little Chen hurriedly shook his head. "No, we can't underestimate small places; what if all the locals go there to worship?"

After searching for a while, the two finally found a temple that was at a moderate distance, neither too large nor too small.

Let's hit the road!

The temple Jin Li visited was called the Wenchang Temple.

There was also a hotel near the Wenchang Temple, located just behind the shrine.

Behind the temple lay a bustling commercial district, while the Wenchang Temple itself was tucked away in a corner, embodying the idea of "finding tranquility amidst the noise."

Upon arrival, Jin Li discovered that the Wenchang Temple offered lodging and meals to tourists, but with only three rooms available, one had to make a donation of incense money to stay.

This was even better!

She didn't even need to look for a house anymore.

She donated ten thousand yuan as incense money, and the young Daoist acolyte in the temple began looking at her with slightly different eyes.

Little Chen, worried about Jin Li, called Sister Fang and decided to stay there with her.

Because the location was close to the bustling commercial district where land prices were high, this Wenchang Temple was not built very large.

Inside, there was only one main hall, a small fish pond, and a tiny grove of quiet bamboo.

Jin Li first went to pay respects to the Wenchang Emperor enshrined in the main hall.

The Wenchang Emperor, also known as the Gengsheng Yongming Tianzun, the Zitong Emperor, and the Leiying Emperor, was the deity governing fortune and salary and presiding over academic success.

Among the common people, He had another title: the Exam God!

Whether it was the college entrance exam, the high school entrance exam, major tests, minor tests, or mock exams, this was the Exam God who ensured one would "pass every exam!"

Of course, there were several Exam Gods, not just this one.

This was Jin Li's first time worshipping the Wenchang Emperor while in the mortal world.

She devoutly offered incense and bowed three times; as she walked out of the main hall, a surge of divine power entered her body, invigorating her spirit and making her mind feel clearer.

Jin Li took out a small mirror from her bag and checked her appearance.

Hmm, her eyebrows were clear and her eyes bright, adding a touch more scholarly elegance to her look.

She sat by the pond, glancing down; the koi carp raised here were quite well-kept.

Jin Li quickly got into the zone, picking up her "Five Years of Gaokao, Three Years of Simulation" workbook and started solving problems.

Occasionally, when she grew tired of doing practice problems, she would toss some fish food to feed the fish.

Three more days passed in peace.

After worshipping the Wenchang Emperor once again, Jin Li walked out of the main hall, and a surge of divine power far greater than before struck her.

Jin Li's expression suddenly changed, followed by a look of slight oddity.

Had her ability leveled up?

Inside LP, in a certain conference room.

Ji Qinglian was negotiating with her manager.

Zhang Ziqiang frowned sharply. "No, I do not approve of you joining this film crew!"

Ji Qinglian steadied her emotions and said calmly, "Brother Qiang, the production team for 'The Great Sheng Dynasty' is excellent; I have already conducted an on-site inspection.

Whether it's the producers, the production company, the supervisors, including the chosen director and the actors, everyone possesses great capability."

She added, "Didn't you say that given my status, I must choose a film crew that matches my worth? I feel 'The Great Sheng Dynasty' fits perfectly.

This production team alone includes several veteran actors, as well as first-tier actors and idols; it has both substance and popularity.

Moreover, the role I received is the second female lead, with no shortage of screen time; as my debut acting work, it is already good enough."

Zhang Ziqiang softened his tone slightly. "I know this film crew is excellent; earlier when you asked me to inquire about joining 'The Great Sheng Dynasty,' I investigated and confirmed it is indeed very good, but—"

His tone shifted. "You worked so hard to secure a mentor position on 'PICK~Next Stop Diva'; are you really willing to hand it over so easily?

To join the film crew, you would have to miss the recording of the final two episodes; I cannot agree to this!"

The film crew for 'The Great Sheng Dynasty' was indeed good.

But with so many stars participating, filming would take several months, and plus the post-production time, it might not even be released by next year.

No matter how good the popularity or reputation, under such a long timeframe, they would become fragile.

Compared to gambling on the future, it was better to firmly grasp the present.

The popularity of 'PICK~Next Stop Diva' showed a trend of growing larger, and he did not want Ji Qinglian to miss this variety show.

Seeing that negotiations with Zhang Ziqiang were futile, Ji Qinglian said with a cold face, "I have already signed a contract with the director and will join the crew in at most half a month.

If you don't want me to participate, then have the company pay the breach of contract fee for me; the amount isn't large, just ten million."

Zhang Ziqiang's eyes widened slightly as he looked at her in disbelief, saying angrily, "Ji Qinglian! You are not a newly debuted artist; you should understand LP's rules—stars cannot sign contracts privately!"

Ji Qinglian shrugged, speaking with an indifferent, let-it-rot attitude. "Anyway, I want to act, and I don't want to miss such a good film crew.

When I initially signed with LP, LP guaranteed me they would spare no effort to provide the best resources. You couldn't secure the resources for 'The Great Sheng Dynasty,' but I did, yet you still don't want me to go; it is LP that first violated the spirit of the contract."

Her tone shifted. "Or do you think that 'The Great Sheng Dynasty' is not a good film crew, and you are pessimistic about its prospects?"

Zhang Ziqiang very much wanted to say he was pessimistic!

But he suddenly remembered that a shareholder in the company had also invested in 'The Great Sheng Dynasty,' so he immediately swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Disaster comes from the mouth; caution ensures safety for ten thousand years.

Suppressing his emotions, he stared at Ji Qinglian and suddenly laughed.

"Fine, so you insist on joining the cast? Then you deal with Tencent yourself; the company won't clean up your mess.

You signed a contract to join 'PICK~Next Diva,' so if Tencent is dissatisfied and sues you for breach of contract, you handle the penalty fees yourself."

Ji Qinglian's expression turned ugly; she stood up and walked out.

Pushing open the door, she found several young artists already waiting outside.

None of them dared to look at Ji Qinglian.

Ji Qinglian ignored them and quickly left the company.

The door to the LP conference room was of decent quality.

But if one pressed close to the doorway, one could still overhear some words, especially since the two had just had a fierce argument.

By the time Ji Qinglian left the company, news of her quarrel with her agent had spread throughout LP.

"Have you heard? Ji Qinglian argued with her agent; seems she's breaching her contract, with compensation up to ten million!"

"Oh my god, how dare she talk back to her agent?"

"Why not dare? She's at least a top-tier star; how many top-tier stars does her agent even manage?"

Lian Baozhi arrived at the company and immediately heard about this from her assistant.

Knowing that she competed with Ji Qinglian for resources, the assistant deliberately disparaged Ji Qinglian.

"Sister Baozhi, if Ji Qinglian falls out of favor with her agent, she won't get many resources, so she'll no longer be a threat to you."

Lian Baozhi glanced at her, sneering, "That's ridiculous. If she gets no resources, does that mean I'll get them?

We don't share the same agent; her agent certainly won't take engagements meant for her and give them to me."

The assistant offered an embarrassed smile, confused by Lian Baozhi's reaction.

In the past, Lian Baozhi had seemed quite pleased when people spoke ill of Ji Qinglian.

"Enough, you may leave; I want to be alone."

After the assistant departed, Lian Baozhi stared at a chat interface on her phone, her expression turning grim.

How could she possibly have the leisure to gloat over Ji Qinglian's misfortune?

She herself was barely able to safeguard her own position!

Time flew by, bringing them to April 15th.

This day marked the debut anniversary of the Pink Girls group; every year, their fandom would celebrate wildly, securing a trending topic for those six lovely girls.

[It's the anniversary again; time really flies!]

[The days when they first debuted feel like they were just yesterday.]

[Starting to loop Pink Girls' songs; they're so upbeat, so why do I feel more and more emo the more I listen?]

Blogs were the first to flood with tributes from the group's fans.

In many fan groups, admins began rallying members to dominate the trending topic square.

Getting their idols onto the trending list had never cost them a penny.

Firstly, their fan base was massive.

As long as they organized in advance and created explosive keywords, sheer manpower alone could push them into the top fifty trending topics.

Secondly, their public favor was immense.

Once the Pink Girls appeared in the top fifty trending topics, netizens who saw it would spontaneously join in with comments, boosting the trend further.

Gradually, this trending topic climbed higher and higher, eventually squeezing into the top twenty.

Sometimes, if luck held, they could even break into the top ten.

The fans of the Pink Girls group did not know how many supporters would participate each year on their debut anniversary.

Even less did they know how many years they could continue sending their idols to the trending list.

Everyone simply relied on their boundless passion, wanting to give their favorite stars a commemoration.

Perhaps one day, one of them would halt this tradition due to various reasons in life.

But regardless, none of them would ever forget the Pink Girls combination.

There are some people who only stay briefly in another's life, or perhaps appear just in a fleeting glance, yet they dazzle time and warm the years.

But heaven seemed to show some pity for the fans of the Pink Girls group, or perhaps the devotion of these faithful women over the past few years had moved the heavens.

On this very day, April 15th, this special milestone.

Chenxi Entertainment made a major move first, issuing an official announcement sufficient to send the group's fandom into a frenzy!

Chenxi Entertainment: [Cooperating with you is a fortune for us both. They say companionship is the longest confession of love; I am willing to walk through the long years with you, advancing hand in hand @Xi Mengze.

Welcome Xi Mengze to sign with Chenxi Entertainment; let us look forward to her brand new future!]

For this day, Chenxi Entertainment had prepared a week in advance, determined to make a huge splash.

The moment this announcement was released, it shot straight to number one on the trending list!

The group fans exploded, passersby exploded, and celebrities exploded too.

[Ahhh, this is a once-in-a-lifetime moment!]

[Chenxi Entertainment, I'm crying to death; I'll never mock you for being a small family workshop again, you're simply amazing!]

[Oh my god, Mengmeng and Li Bao are now in the same company; can the others be far behind? Begging for a grand Pink Girls reunion!]

"Wow! Big news, the Pink Girls are reuniting!"

Chen Lin, having just finished an engagement, hadn't even entered the van when he opened his phone and saw this news.

The others looked over, and Yan Xingdong asked curiously, "All six of them appearing together in the same frame?"

Chen Lin shook his head, "Not exactly; it's just that Xi Mengze has signed with Sister Jin Li's company."

A thoughtful glint passed through Gu Cheng's eyes, "Chenxi Entertainment?"

He said, "To be honest, if it weren't for Sister Lizhi under their banner, I would never have heard of this company."

Gu Cheng looked at the team leader. "There's something I'm quite curious about: why didn't Tianding take over the entire Pink Girl Group back then? Wasn't their group especially popular three years ago?"

Yan Xingdong pondered for a moment. "We only returned three years ago. If you ask me, I'm not entirely clear either. Let's just ask Brother Guang directly in a while."

"The Pink Girl Group, huh?"

Inside the car, Brother Guang thought for a while, then shook his head. "Too difficult to take on. That group is too unique."

Chen Lin asked, puzzled, "Why? Did they become popular not because of their talent, but purely by luck?"

Brother Guang shook his head again. "Not to that extent. Even now, the Pink Girl Group remains top-tier among girl groups."

If they claim to be second, no other girl group dares to claim first.

As for talent, they certainly possess it. Even Jin Li, their weakest link, is only lacking in stamina, mocked by fans as a mere vase.

But that is only relative to her fellow members; compared to other female stars, her abilities are still very strong."

Seeing their keen interest, Brother Guang stopped driving and began to educate them.

"But as for their group, simply put, their path was too wild, impossible to replicate, and difficult to plan for."

Their former agency was called 'Hao Zhongyi Entertainment,' an entertainment company from Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Pink Girl Group was their first major strike to break into the mainland entertainment industry.

Originally, Hao Zhongyi Entertainment held no expectations for this group. All selected members were locals, no competition was held; simply put, they were hastily assembled from odds and ends.

But the brilliance of the Pink Girl Group lay in this: their debut song exploded, skyrocketing their popularity. Hao Zhongyi Entertainment immediately took notice and personally produced all eleven subsequent songs."

Brother Guang paused. "Hao Zhongyi Entertainment also secured many resources in Hong Kong and Taiwan for them. The Pink Girl Group even has several Cantonese songs you've heard before."

"At that time, their slogan was to build Asia's number one female supergroup. Everyone in the industry treated it as a joke."

"But they truly had the capability. The quality of their new releases was exceptionally high, dominating the music charts for an entire year."

"If Hao Zhongyi Entertainment hadn't become embroiled in internal family strife, forced to face dissolution and restructuring, perhaps the Pink Girl Group would have truly been forged into that supergroup. What a pity!"

As an industry insider, Brother Guang felt a touch of regret as well.

Asia's number one female supergroup—what an immense honor that would have been!

They were really just a hair's breadth away.

Brother Guang continued, "When the company faced dissolution and restructuring, the Pink Girl Group, as a key asset, was sold off by Hao Zhongyi Entertainment."

"The successor at the time had no desire to enter the mainland entertainment market, feeling the waters were too deep. Thus, they set exorbitant transfer fees for each member of the Pink Girl Group."

"That successor was ruthless: the transfer fee for a single member was ten million, but for two members it jumped to thirty million, for three it was fifty million. For every additional member, another twenty million had to be added."

"Mainland entertainment companies did the math and unanimously deemed it unprofitable. What is this? Signing a girl group equals signing an international football team?"

"They can't even go onto the field to play matches!"

Brother Guang took a sip of water and spoke leisurely, "Besides, even if they were signed, would there be resources to sustain them?"

"Domestic engagements are one thing, but what about engagements in Hong Kong and Taiwan, or overseas? Could any company provide those?"

"Hao Zhongyi Entertainment could because they already had collaborations with foreign companies, but at that time, not a single mainland entertainment company could. Moreover, money back then was not as worthless as it is now."

"Consequently, major companies cooled off and stopped inquiring about prices. Later, even when Hao Zhongyi Entertainment lowered the transfer fees, the big companies still ignored them, which is how a small company managed to pick up the bargain."

"At the time, everyone knew that taking all six members together would yield the greatest profit, but without the funds, they could only acquire them one by one separately."

Thinking of something, Brother Guang smiled again. "However, the members of the Pink Girl Group were quite clever. They knew those companies wanted to make money from them and were quite eager to do so."

"So, they privately negotiated with small companies, driving up their signing bonuses while simultaneously demanding more lenient contracts."

"There was no choice; their fame was immense at the time. Companies just wanted to acquire them quickly to reap a wave of immediate profits, so they agreed to all their demands."

"Looking back now, they were quite formidable. Staying in small companies one by one, they collected high salaries while freely selecting engagements, effectively entering early retirement."

Listening, Chen Lin felt his heart soar with longing and sighed, "When will I be able to retire?"

Brother Guang chuckled. "They enjoyed princess treatment; you're just a beast of burden. What are you dreaming about?"

Gu Cheng opened his blog.

With a casual scroll, he came across the welcome video Jin Li had recorded for Xi Mengze.

Fans were moved to tears, extremely excited.

He couldn't help but smile gently.

She always seemed this way: appearing to care about nothing, yet always using her own methods to silently care for those who cared about her.

Update is here! Just learned there's a double monthly ticket event at the end of the month. Can this faithful girl modestly look forward to it? Are they all saved for me? (Extremely sincere)

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(End of Chapter)