Chapter 8: A Sky-Shattering Pie Falls from Heaven

A sky-shattering pie fell from the heavens, leaving Sui Lingfang utterly stunned.

"What did you say? Jin Li has made a comeback? How did she manage it? Are you talking about that incident on Maozhua Live?" she asked rapidly.

The agent on the other end of the phone said, "Just hurry back to the company first; scroll through your Moments and short videos on the way, and the algorithm will tell you how Jin Li made her comeback. As for Yixuan, let her handle her own engagements for now; she's a grown woman, you can't revolve your entire life around her!"

Sui Lingfang quickly gave He Yixuan a few instructions before hailing a taxi to return to the company.

Inside the car, Sui Lingfang opened her Moments first; after scrolling through several posts, she noticed many people sharing photos of a black-clad koi fish who had won 200,000.

Why did this black-clad koi look increasingly familiar?

After scrolling a bit more, she finally found someone sharing a video, so Sui Lingfang clicked to watch it.

By the middle of the video, she was truly dumbfounded.

That familiar figure, that familiar face, and especially those incredibly curled eyelashes—wasn't this precisely the "Little Eyelash Fairy" she had seen just three days ago?

Aha, so Jin Li was actually that black-clad koi who burned incense at the Daoist temple, scratched lottery tickets in front of it, and ultimately won 200,000?!

A red dot appeared on her Moments indicating a new post; Sui Lingfang subconsciously tapped to open it.

It was a reflection posted by someone in the same industry.

[Before I entered the industry, I was a fan of the Pink Girl Group, especially adoring Jin Li for her cuteness; now that I'm in the business, I've always sought collaboration with Jin Li, but unfortunately, her health was too poor.

Jin Li truly lives up to her name; wherever she goes, she shines. Someone with buzz will never lack topics; she has made a comeback, she has actually made a COMEBACK!

Which colleague can share Jin Li's agent's contact details? Tomorrow I'll transfer you 50 to treat you to Crazy Thursday!!!]

This person also attached many images, all showing trending lists from various short-video platforms and blog sites.

Among them, hashtags like #BlackCladKoiFound#, #JinLiIsTheBlackCladKoi#, and #BlackCladKoiYoungLady# had soared to the top of the trending charts!

Sui Lingfang's heart pounded wildly; clutching her phone tightly, only one thought filled her mind: She must seize this sky-shattering opportunity!

But then she recalled Jin Li's physical condition, taking several deep breaths.

Stay calm, stay calm!

Rushing back to the company, she found the CEO already present, along with all the other agents; Sui Lingfang, as Jin Li's exclusive agent, was the last to arrive.

This was the advantage of a small company; everything felt like a small family workshop, where anyone could be summoned at a moment's notice.

The CEO glanced at her, wasted no words, and got straight to the point: "Now, let's discuss the marketing and promotion strategy for Jin Li, as well as follow-up work arrangements."

The meeting lasted two hours, during which Sui Lingfang's emotions shifted from initial excitement to calmness.

Her colleagues offered excellent ideas, planning every aspect for Jin Li; they even considerately suggested that her working hours need only be nine-to-five with weekends off.

Sui Lingfang stood up, scanned the room, and stated calmly, "There is now only one remaining issue: Can Jin Li's body actually withstand this?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

During the discussion, everyone had consciously avoided this very question.

After a long pause, the CEO said, "Tomorrow, have Jin Li come to the company; I will personally take her to Jingda Hospital to see an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor."

Three years ago, when Jin Li coughed up blood during a live stream, the CEO had personally taken her to Jingda; upon returning, he announced that Jin Li would suspend all engagements to recuperate.

Three years later, facing Jin Li's resurgence, it felt as though they had returned to that same critical juncture.

Everyone felt both joy and anxiety; would fate provide a different answer this time?

The meeting concluded.

The CEO left first, while the other agents slumped in their chairs, breathing a slight sigh of relief.

The agent who had called Sui Lingfang back, Zou Da, loosened his tie and asked, "How is your Jin Li's condition?"

Sui Lingfang replied cautiously, "She mentioned to me that she's been feeling quite well recently, but I don't know if she's capable enough to handle outdoor engagements."

Zou Da clicked his tongue, "Be careful; the CEO has high expectations for Jin Li's comeback this time."

The CEO's obsession with Jin Li ran deep; anyone would remember vividly the first failed investment of their career.

To the CEO, Jin Li represented an unforgettable matter, a business stain, a blot on his record.

Initially, to snatch Jin Li away from another company, the CEO had offered an unprecedented twenty-eighty split (twenty percent for the company, eighty for Jin Li), ultimately signing her to a ten-year contract.

Everyone had assumed Jin Li's arrival would propel the company to a brand-new starting point, rubbing their hands together ready to make a big push, yet reality cruelly dashed cold water on their hopes—

Jin Li was in poor health, a fact they hadn't learned in advance; they had been duped!

Chenxi Entertainment was backed by Chenxi Investment, the latter being a renowned private equity firm in the industry specializing in private funds, utterly lacking neither money nor resources.

Coincidentally, the CEO of both companies was the same person.

Although the CEO didn't care about the high signing fee lost down the drain, he certainly harbored resentment over the failure; otherwise, how could he have abandoned monitoring hundreds of millions in capital upon hearing news of Jin Li's comeback, specifically coming to the company for this meeting?

Sui Lingfang sighed, murmuring, "I also hope she can seize this opportunity."

All of this remained unknown to Jin Li.

She was diligently attending her online classes; perhaps due to the [Twice the Result with Half the Effort] effect influencing her state, Jin Li found that whenever she thought seriously, her mind became exceptionally active.

Immersed in the ocean of knowledge, she forgot the passage of time in the outside world.

Lines of comments scrolled through the live stream, but Jin Li didn't read a single one, fully immersed in her studies.

Gradually, some netizens dropped out while others stayed behind; those remaining silently accompanied Jin Li as she studied.

Some were at critical stages of preparing for civil service exams, graduate entrance exams, or college entrance exams; seeing Jin Li study so earnestly, they felt an irresistible itch to open their own learning apps and start studying as well.

As the sun slanted westward, a beautiful golden sunset showered over Jin Li, casting a layer of golden radiance upon her laptop, prompting Jin Li to emerge from her state of deep focus.

In the blink of an eye, it was already five o'clock; time to prepare dinner.

Jin Li first stretched her arms, then glanced at the camera; it was as if a expressionless doll had suddenly been endowed with life, or a fairy descending from the celestial realm to the mortal world—

One glance spanning ten thousand years.

She flashed a brilliant smile at the screen: "Thank you everyone for studying with me; let's continue tomorrow."

The next second, the live stream turned into a black screen.

Only the real-time comments below continued to scroll rapidly, expressing the netizens' excitement.

[Blow up Jin Li's beauty; what kind of adorable human creature is this, with stars visible in her eyes! This isn't a magazine shoot; how did I earn the virtue to witness magazine-cover quality in a live stream?]

"First, a '6' for now; tomorrow I'll continue accompanying Miss Jin Li in her studies!"

"I've gone all-in on the Jin Li stock; you all do as you please."

As for Jin Li, the subject of everyone's discussion, the first thing she did after ending the livestream was not to cook, but to face Sui Lingfang, who had stormed to her door...

...with a kindly inquiry.