Chapter 113

“Woo!”

“Squeak!”

After Xiao Yi finished packing, the wildcat and Huang Mao both ran back.

As for the two Arctic ground squirrels, they turned and vanished from Xiao Yi’s sight.

Xiao Yi found nothing strange about this scene.

In fact, it matched his initial prediction.

The wildcat certainly wouldn’t want to leave—after all, the scent of those two lynx pelts was far too tempting.

As for Huang Mao, perhaps he stayed to look after this little wildcat.

After all, Huang Mao had been quite kind to the little creature, as shown by how he dared to climb down and block Xiao Yi.

In truth, Huang Mao had struggled internally after his two brothers arrived.

Following Xiao Yi meant inevitably facing the two black bears he feared.

But Xiao Yi’s home, aside from those two bears, was simply too wonderful.

No wilderness battles, no worries about food or drink.

Most importantly, the place felt just like a warm summer in the wild—something Huang Mao loved dearly.

Of course, even more importantly, driven by the most basic animal instinct, Huang Mao had sensed no killing intent from Xiao Yi when he faced them.

Otherwise, Huang Mao would have found any way to flee with the wildcat.

Even before returning, Huang Mao had invited his two younger brothers to come along and share Xiao Yi’s meals.

But clearly, Huang Mao’s two younger brothers were terrified of Xiao Yi down to their bones.

They outright refused his invitation, merely expressed their hope that he would return, then hurried away.

Of course, Xiao Yi had no idea of Huang Mao’s little schemes.

If he knew, he’d kick the little thing across the room.

Does he really think Xiao Yi’s place is some kind of stray animal shelter?

Of course, if those two Arctic ground squirrels truly intended to stick with Xiao Yi…

But given Xiao Yi’s current mindset and personality, he’d just send them all to the pot.

Already keeping four creatures at home had left Xiao Yi mentally and physically exhausted—he’d even prepared to chase the bears away.

Taking in more would be nothing but self-inflicted suffering.

A lazy fellow like Xiao Yi would never allow such a thing to happen.

Besides, Xiao Yi was never an animal lover—he’d never owned a cat or dog in his past life.

Now, he was willing to keep these few only to pass the time.

If he kept too many, they’d become too noisy and annoy him; he might even slaughter them all.

…

…

“Let’s go. Today we head straight to Jingcheng—Yinfu has already arranged things, right? It’s been a long time since I’ve done a show like this.”

At this moment, inside a luxurious and elegant villa in Taiwan, two men were sipping tea and chatting.

A slightly overweight man spoke first with a smile.

Hearing this, the middle-aged man beside him chuckled teasingly:

“Isn’t it because you’ve grown lazy these years? Otherwise, where would all those fresh-faced idols get their market?”

“Don’t say that—it’s easy to offend someone. I’m just doing what I think appropriate for my age.”

“I knew you’d say that. Yinfu has already arranged their response. But Brother Zhou, are you really not considering SuShou’s invitation?”

“They offered an incredibly generous fee—one hundred million yuan, twice what Yinfu offered us!”

“Decline it! Don’t you remember why we agreed to this show in the first place?”

“I know, I know—you’re repaying Ming Zong’s favor at Yinfu!”

“It’s just a pity. Besides, there’s no time conflict—the SuShou side said they don’t mind you appearing on Yinfu first, then joining them later. They’re willing to wait for you.”

“No reason to feel sorry. Yinfu and SuShou are already competitors, and their shows are nearly identical—clearly designed to block each other.”

“If we take Yinfu’s offer and then SuShou’s, we’ll look like two-faced traitors, ruining our own credibility and character. That loss can’t be recovered by a hundred million.”

“You’re right—I didn’t think this through. I’ll politely decline SuShou.”

The two men speaking were Zhou Tianwang and his long-time manager, Zhao Long.

Upon hearing Zhou Tianwang’s words, Zhao Long replied directly.

Zhao Long valued SuShou’s hundred million yuan, but he understood far better than anyone his own subordinate position to this man.

That was the main reason Zhao Long had remained his manager for so many years.

As for Qi Zong at SuShou, he could only say he’d done his best to persuade him.

Besides, he’d given SuShou no promises—still, Qi Zong would remember this favor.

“The chauffeur van is ready. Let’s head out now!”

Zhao Long smiled at Zhou Tianwang. Zhou Tianwang said nothing more and walked out first.

…

…

Meanwhile, Zhang Huixin in Yiyang was doing the same.

As the undisputed national-level female singer from the mainland, Zhang Huixin’s musical achievements might not match Zhou Tianwang’s.

But as head of the National Large-Scale Song and Dance Troupe and a performer holding military rank, she was among the top figures in the entire cultural circle.

“Decline SuShou’s invitation.”

After Zhou Tianwang’s side declined SuShou, Zhang Huixin told her business manager the same.

The reason was much the same as Zhou Tianwang’s—any artist who reached this level was no fool.

Accepting SuShou’s offer wouldn’t exactly offend Yinfu, but it would certainly irritate them. Zhou Tianwang understood; Zhang Huixin saw it just as clearly.

But refusing SuShou meant they had no grounds to complain—after all, China has always valued precedence.

Besides, at their status, they rarely accepted any show invitations.

The reason Zhang Huixin and Zhou Tianwang accepted this show was the same: to repay a favor.

To repay one favor and then offend another—that kind of foolishness? A woman as perceptive as Zhang Huixin would never do it.

Hearing this, Zhang Huixin’s female manager said nothing.

She simply replied and turned to act immediately.

Zhang Huixin always acted with decisive speed—so did everyone around her.

…

…

Meanwhile, the Yinfu production team was actively preparing.

The show’s popularity had already reached its peak; to break through further, external force was necessary.

The arrival of Zhou Tianwang and Zhang Huixin was Yinfu’s best choice.

Both had massive fanbases across all age groups, and both had not appeared on variety shows in many years.

Their presence would surely attract viewers who rarely watched live broadcasts.

For this reason, Yinfu had already launched its promotional campaign three days ago, rolling it out nationwide.

The effect was excellent—many people left comments on Yinfu’s official platforms.

Even Yinfu’s own staff were excited upon hearing of their arrival, let alone the internet at large.

If a decade equals an era, their fanbases spanned three eras, crossing multiple generations.