Chapter 14: 《The Birth of the Gu King》

The living room.

The guests listened to the director, clapping, but their expressions varied.

Yang Zi’s gaze was resolute, Jin Xia’s eyes were bright, filled with anticipation and longing for the unknown life ahead, while Shi Daifu remained expressionless.

Chi Ye, however, voiced the audience’s inner thoughts: "The director has high emotional intelligence."

"Oh?"

Jin Xia was puzzled: "How is that high emotional intelligence?"

Chi Ye glanced at her, thinking to himself that he had seen people running for their lives, but never someone running toward their death: "High emotional intelligence: Teacher Huang, Teacher Lü, and Lin Jingyi haven't finished their work yet; low emotional intelligence: let you bunch of monsters and ghosts live one more day."

"Haha, the way you put it... uh... you, you!"

Jin Xia let out a snort of laughter, but quickly realized what she had done; her charming peach-blossom eyes widened, and her pretty face turned sallow.

—You can even say that, brother?!

The other "monsters" nearby couldn't hold it in either; Shi Daifu swept an expressionless glance at Chi Ye, while Yang Zi clenched his fists tightly, secretly seething!

That kind of line should have been his to say! Wouldn't the audience love him to death if they heard that?!

A formidable rival; this little has-been is definitely a formidable rival!

"Ahem."

He coughed lightly twice, signaled his assistant with his eyes, and prepared to take out the gift he had ready to give to everyone.

He was the second to give gifts; even if he was a step behind Jin Xia’s team, a good meal is worth the wait, and he would surely gain traffic!

"As it happens, I have a gift here too..."

"Next, we are about to announce the first 'Hate Value' ranking for *See You*."

The buildup was too long and the spellcasting was interrupted; the head director spoke again, entering the first small climax of the first episode of *See You*.

—Announcing the Hate Value.

According to the production team’s plan, once the guests successfully moved into the *See You* cabin, the online Hate Value against them would be announced for the first time.

After one week, it would be announced again; the changes in the data, along with the guests' reactions and transformations, would be the biggest highlights.

At the same time, while this kind of "in-your-face" segment certainly offends people, *See You* was built for exactly this; only with this kind of program effect would the ratings and popularity skyrocket!

Who cares how the guests feel?

What we want is drama, what we want is a cosmic explosion, what we want is traffic!!

Sure enough.

As soon as this topic was brought up, the attention of both the guests on-site and the audience in the livestream was completely captured.

"WTF! Playing it this hard?!"

"Mango is capable, they've been like this since they were small!"

"Laughing to death, I see Yang Zi can't even close his mouth; he’s probably thinking he can take first place, right?"

"Yang Zi is capable, a hardworking contestant; black-red is still red!"

"Hard to choose, but I’m willing to cast my vote for Yang Zi in the *Gu King Championship*!"

"No way, everyone on this show is an artist; I’m voting for Has-been Ye!"

"This first place, let’s see who dares to compete with Has-been Ye, who leeches off the entire entertainment industry, today?!!"

"Wow, starting directly?"

Jin Xia was a bit unaccustomed to the production team’s direct approach; mainly, she was afraid in her heart, afraid that her Hate Value would be too high.

Regarding this, Chi Ye remarked: "What are you panicking about? With so many seniors here, is it your turn to take the crown?!"

Jin Xia: "..."

The head director watched this scene with a smile, then signaled the staff to turn on the projection TV in the center of the living room.

"Although the other three teachers are not here today, the Hate Values will be announced together; please look at the big screen."

After speaking, starting from the last place, 7th, the names and Hate Value counts appeared.

Seventh place, Teacher Lü, 980,000 Hate Value.

Sixth place, Lin Jingyi, 1.27 million Hate Value.

Fifth place, Shi Daifu, 2.01 million Hate Value.

Fourth place, Jin Xia, 2.93 million Hate Value.

Third place, Teacher Huang, 3.03 million Hate Value.

By the time it was revealed this far, the living room was already in an uproar, and the livestream chat was going absolutely wild.

"Actually revealing it?! WTF! So satisfying!"

"How is Jin Xia only fourth? Shouldn't a vixen like her who ruins marriages be first?"

"Laughing to death, Teacher Huang isn't even here, but he's far in the lead!"

"The next two are even more heavyweight!"

"I’m not surprised at all that these two are the ones left."

"Come, come, come, place your bets; for the first episode's Gu King, who is taking the crown, Yang Zi or Has-been Ye?"

"You’re looking down on Has-been Ye too much, right? My Has-been Ye has roamed the entertainment industry for so many years; when it comes to being favored by haters, who can compare to him!"

"That’s where you’re wrong; Teacher Yang Zi has the *Look Again, You Bitch* bonus; a hardworking contestant should be respected!"

The chat was a chaotic mess, and the popularity of the program’s livestream reached a historical high at this moment.

The head director’s mouth was stretched to his molars: Look, what is called a hit upon airing? This is what you call a trump-card variety show!

"Two teachers, do you have anything you want to say?"

The head director looked at Chi Ye and Yang Zi.

Chi Ye was as steady as an old artist: "No rush, I’ll say it all later."

"Uh..." Yang Zi was stunned, then slightly nervous, following suit: "I... I’ll wait and say it later too."

He had his acceptance speech all prepared; he should be able to take first, right?

Should be, right?!

In fact, at this moment, besides Yang Zi, the others were equally nervous... what was this inexplicably heated atmosphere about?!

"Then let’s continue announcing the rankings; the guest in second place for the first episode's Hate Value is..." The head director paused: "Yang Zi! 4.99 million Hate Value."

"Ah!"

"Sigh!"

"No way, man!"

Upon hearing this news, Yang Zi felt as if the sky had collapsed.

For this segment, he had bought N-many bot teams to help him vote before the show aired; 4.99 million! And he still couldn't "beat" Chi Ye?!

If he didn't take first, how could he open a livestream to act pitiful and whitewash himself when he was feeling emo late at night?!

Damn it!!

Over here, the gazes of everyone else in the living room had already fallen squarely on Chi Ye.

Chi Ye waved his hand.

It wasn't an apology, but rather: Yang Zi, you need to practice more!

Seeing this, the head director coughed lightly, specifically to show respect for the "Gu King."

"The one who won first place is—Chi Ye!"

"His Hate Value is, 6.89 million!!"

"..."

Everyone was silent for a long time, then squeezed out a sentence: "Teacher Chi is truly talented!!"

Mango’s voting is theoretically one vote per person, but they have partnerships with major manufacturers.

Buying drinks and milk allows for extra votes.

So, whether it was the hater bots bought by the various guest teams or Chi Ye’s own haters' ability to "grind for votes."

It could only be said—truly talented!

"*The Birth of the Gu King*!"

"Sound effects, rise~"

"Satisfying."

"The gap is too big; everyone must hate Chi Ye so much."

"Last time on Weibo when he was collecting debts, I thought Has-been Ye had been whitewashed."

"Don't smear him; Has-been Ye collecting debts is fine, but just because he collected a debt, does that mean his past actions are all wiped clean?"

"Indeed, just a passerby, but I really don't like celebrities who jump around like this."

"Teacher Chi." The head director looked at Chi Ye: "Do you have anything you want to say?"

Chi Ye thought for a moment: "It’s too expensive; I suggest everyone not be so extravagant next time. If you really can't help it, you can give the money used for buying things directly to me; that way I’ll do anything, no need to vote!"

"Hahaha."

Everyone started laughing, yet felt inexplicably surprised.

This guy is so good at talking? Doesn't he want his haters anymore?!

"Feeling a bit helpless."

"Has-been Ye’s performance lately is actually quite good."

"Are those people who spent money to vote for Has-been Ye crazy? It’s too outrageous; I advise you to be kind!"

"To be honest, he’s quite magnanimous; after watching *How to Evaluate* and the pre-interview, I’ve already turned into a fan."

The barrage of comments was still scrolling, and popularity was soaring.

The chief director began to announce everyone’s living expenses: 100 yuan per day, with extra rewards for completing tasks.

But none of them were in the mood to listen to this.

Perhaps it was because the production team had delivered a shock right at the start, and they needed time to adjust.

Only Lin Xia’s team, upon hearing this, immediately acted like a cat with its fur standing on end, dragging the chief director to the side to argue.

Lin Xia herself saw Chi Ye sitting alone on the sofa and felt her chance had come; taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, she snuck over to Chi Ye’s side.

Chi Ye was startled: "Hm? What for?"

Lin Xia handed him a package: "Don't leech."

Chi Ye pushed it back: "Leech."

Lin Xia felt aggrieved and produced a second gift: "Don't leech!"

Chi Ye shook his head: "A tiny leech."

Lin Xia pouted, but her voice remained as sweet and affected as ever: "A very, very tiny leech!"

Chi Ye was taken aback; he looked Lin Xia over again and nodded solemnly: "A very, very tiny leech!"

Lin Xia’s peach-blossom eyes narrowed in satisfaction, and she hummed: "Then it's a deal; you can't leech much, only a very, very tiny bit!"

Chi Ye found it quite novel and asked curiously: "Have you never thought that by coming over like this, you're no longer just 'leeching a tiny bit'?"

"Ha." Lin Xia was amused: "I definitely came over while everyone wasn't paying attention. Right now they're all worried about the daily food budget; who would be looking at me?"

"……That's true." Chi Ye was thoughtful and pointed to the top of his head: "But there’s a live-streaming camera right above my head, didn't you know?"

"?" Lin Xia was stunned; she looked up, blinked her peach-blossom eyes, and turned pale.

I'm screwed.

Sure enough.

At this moment, the live stream barrage was already filled with insults.

"Shameless!"

"Is she trying to be dramatic? Being so proactive in talking to that has-been Chi Ye?"

"Look at her; it's obvious she did it on purpose!"

"I said it before, with the way she looks, who knows how messy she is in private?"

"She dares to act like this on a show; I don't even want to imagine what she's like behind the scenes."

"She's not picky either, is she? Even a has-been like Chi Ye, she's throwing herself at him?"

"I can only say that a turtle meets a green bean; the has-been and the drama queen are a perfect match. I suggest they lock them together!"

"I... you..." Lin Xia knew she must be getting roasted by the barrage. The closing line she had prepared before coming—"Don't be sad anymore"—she didn't dare say. She lowered her head, hunched her shoulders, and turned to leave like a cat.

"Why is she so sneaky?"

Chi Ye complained, but couldn't help but sigh that a woman's jealousy was truly terrifying.

——Among Lin Xia’s anti-fans, ninety percent were female fans who hated her simply because of her appearance.

……

Lin Xia’s team must not have had a pleasant communication with the production crew.

The manager’s expression was ugly, shouting things like "100 a day is too little, even a bottle of water for our Xiaxia costs more than that!"

But due to some reason, they didn't continue making a scene.

Half an hour later, the sky began to darken.

The team assistants for the several guests were also about to leave.

The manager held Lin Xia’s small hand and kept urging her: "Xiaxia, if you feel uncomfortable living here, you must tell Sister Mi. Sister Mi will come to take you home."

"Oh, Sister Mi, don't say that. I feel great."

This was likely the first time Lin Xia had "left" her team; she felt a little sad, but was more secretly delighted. She pursed her lips and nodded frantically: "Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself!"

"Sigh, ever since you entered the industry, you've never been without someone to take care of you for this long. I'm really worried."

The manager glanced at Chi Ye, who was discussing what to eat for dinner with the others, her eyes vigilant: "Remember, associate less with these has-beens. You must learn to protect yourself!"

Lin Xia was dissatisfied: "Sister Mi, what are you saying? Everyone is a friend, and besides, of course I know how to protect myself."

Seeing that the other party was about to nag more, she hurriedly pushed her: "Alright, I'm not a child anymore. I've been in the entertainment industry for so long, I understand everything! You can rest assured!"

"Fine." The manager sighed: "Then we'll go first and come see you in a few days."

"No need to come... uh... okay, I'll miss you!"

The manager: "……"

"Alright, I won't be the bad guy here, but you must remember, your diet must be healthy. You can't touch any of that junk food, you hear me? If I find out, I'm telling your parents."

"I know, I know, hurry up and go!"

"Sigh."

The manager sighed one last time and left with the team, looking back every few steps.

Lin Xia watched the team leave until they were out of sight, then immediately hopped over to the kitchen, excited: "What are we eating tonight? Have you decided?"

"Just about."

Chi Ye looked up at the doorway: "Your mom left?"

"Ah, she left... no..." Lin Xia realized what he said and was very angry: "Why are you insulting people!"

Chi Ye: "?"

"Isn't she your mom? I thought..."

"Your mom, she's your mom!"

Chi Ye was silent for a long moment, thinking of his own manager, Ge Shuang, and nodded sincerely: "That's not necessarily a bad idea!"

Lin Xia: "……?"

"Ahem, we've decided on the menu for tonight. Do you want to take a look?"

Yang Zi coughed lightly at this moment and looked at Lin Xia with a "burning" gaze.

Leeching popularity, leeching popularity—if Chi Ye can do it, why can't I?

Leeching—of course I have to leech off the most popular person on this show!

Lin Xia was startled and acted reserved: "I... I can't eat anything too greasy, I can't drink carbonated beverages, and also..."

"Alright." Chi Ye turned back: "We'll talk about the Empress Dowager's meals later. Let's discuss who's going out to buy groceries and who's cooking."

"I'll go buy the groceries!"

Lin Xia immediately raised her hand, then realized it was wrong and added guiltily: "I want to go out and see what I like to eat."

"Fine." Yang Zi moved closer to Lin Xia without a trace and said, pretending to be indifferent: "Then I'll go out with Xiaxia."

Lin Xia: "Ah?"

Chi Ye glanced sideways at Yang Zi, then looked at the female boxing champion who had said very little from the beginning.

Shi Daifu spoke very little: "I have no opinion."

"I... I..." Lin Xia saw Yang Zi’s "malicious" gaze and felt her fur standing on end. She was almost crying, and after holding it in for a long time, she said: "I'm afraid of old people!"

Yang Zi: "?!"

"I also promised Chi Ye that I'd let him leech a tiny bit!"

Everyone: "?!"

"I'll go." Chi Ye received the distress signal and shoved Yang Zi aside with his hip: "We young people have things to talk about."

"Besides, I need to leech some popularity, otherwise I'm going to drop in status soon!"

"???"

Yang Zi looked at Chi Ye in disbelief.

Can one really express such thoughts so directly?

I can't learn it, I absolutely can't learn it!

This problem is too hard; he simply can't learn it!