Caught in Affairs with Superstar
Chapter 76: The Beginning of the Scandal

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: The Beginning of the Scandal

"Why does everyone in the company know you’re taking over Zhou Lan’s position?" He Yong’s face darkened. "Didn’t I tell you to keep your mouth shut and not to say anything to outsiders?"

Yuh Jiangxing looked aggrieved and said, "I just accidentally mentioned it while drinking, who knew they would spread it so quickly!"

"You still feel wronged?" He Yong, unable to maintain his usual calm demeanor in front of his cousin, scolded angrily.

"Cousin, I know I did wrong, but what really happened here? Everything was fine, so why is Zhou Lan not leaving after all?" Yuh Jiangxing said. "Aren’t you still wanting me to keep an eye on Zhou Yun? That woman Zhou Lan never listens."

"But she’s not as foolish as you!" He Yong cursed.

Yuh Jiangxing didn’t dare to speak anymore.

He Yong loosened his tie and said sternly, "This matter is already settled, don’t bother me anymore, you’re giving me a headache, get out."

Yuh Jiangxing still tried to plead, calling out, "Cousin..."

He Yong had already made a face indicating he didn’t want to deal anymore with him.

Feeling somewhat helpless, but intimidated by the imposing manner of He Yong, Yuh Jiangxing knew that staying and pestering further would be futile, and reluctantly left.

After Yuh Jiangxing left, He Yong finally raised his head, his thoughts returning to when Zhou Yun came to see him yesterday.

He Yong had to admit, among all the artists he had seen, Zhou Yun was the most clear-headed.

"President He, I think my performance during this period should have also pleased you. Actually, I don’t have any fundamental conflicts with you or the company, especially since you were the one who valued and signed me into the company. Perhaps I’m overstepping my bounds a bit, but I believe our mutual interests are aligned. You need me to make money for the company, possibly to become a second-tier, and even a top-tier artist, another representative that you personally picked and pushed to fame. I too need your support to climb up, to turn my current popularity into real substantial outcomes, to become a true top-tier artist."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I need Zhou Lan to stay. Please, help me keep Zhou Lan."

"Why should I agree?"

"Because you need me now, and you will need me even more in the future," Zhou Yun said. "Chengqian Entertainment is experiencing internal decline, the top female artists are leaving too quickly. Whether Ruxue chooses to renew her contract or not, you need a new Ruxue. You can’t put all your bets on one person. From what I can see, I am the most suitable candidate, the one with the most promise. Don’t forget, I’ve only been with the company for one year; there’s still a long way to go."

He Yong laughed.

"Zhou Yun, I’ve always liked grooming female artists as princesses. Many things behind the scenes are handled by agents. You are the first to come and negotiate terms with me after just one year in the company."

Zhou Yun smiled wryly.

"Then, will you agree to my terms?"

Zhou Yun was sure that He Yong would agree.

Why did He Yong sign Zhou Yun to the company in the first place?

And why did Ruxue view Zhou Yun, a newcomer who had just signed with the company, as a thorn in her eye?

Many things already had their traces.

The only thing elusive might be the direction of the internet.

On the night when Zhou Yun and Zhou Lan teamed up again, the company, following previous arrangements, released a batch of materials about Zhou Yun that topped the trending searches.

Hot search keyword: How beautiful is Zhou Yun’s bare face?

It was during an internal training session when she first joined the company, where someone was invariably filming with a camera. A segment of that was Zhou Yun’s.

Perhaps just after dancing, wearing black trousers and a white shirt, her figure slender and exquisite, she twisted open a water bottle, took a drink, turned around, saw the camera, and gave a radiant smile. Her makeup-free, porcelain-like face lightly flushed, still dripping with sweat, seemed to exude a freshness like a spring bubbling forth, as if a ray of light had pierced through dark clouds, capturing the hearts of those who saw the scene.

The brief twelve-second video was clipped into a GIF by several prominent social media influencers.

Not the usual marketing accounts, but rather those that usually have collaborations with Chengqian Entertainment, posted under the guise of a casual discovery, acknowledged with amazement.

Reposts, comments, slowly gathered heat, naturally climbing up the trending searches, gradually ascending.

The movements did not seem as covert as some other abrupt trending topics, but from the frequency of concentrated reposts and comments, insiders could still spot the traces of data manipulation.

For the general public, however, it was not so easily noticed.

The smiling girl in the GIF, fully representing "beauty is justice," managed to successfully create a small explosion across the web.

Zhou Yun couldn’t help but laugh and cry when she saw the trending keyword.

In the GIF, her portrayal was the most unlikely to be criticized for purity and vitality within the public opinion field, appealing to both men and women who enjoyed such non-aggressive, vibrant beauty.

The flowing sweat beads instead revealed a slight sexiness, reminiscent of a summer’s first love.

"Where did they dig up this video from? I don’t even remember filming this," Zhou Yun said.

"They made a repository of your materials in the marketing department. It includes all the materials related to you, sorted by tags set by Minister Hong, to find the relevant footage," Zhou Lan explained.

Zhou Yun was amazed, "That’s terrifying, they even made a repository?"

"It’s standard for big companies. Often when artists join a shooting crew, it can last from three to eight months without exposure. The company has to operate some topics to maintain visibility; otherwise, the collaborative brands would have issues," Zhou Lan explained to Zhou Yun.

"But have I been on the trending searches too often lately?" Zhou Yun expressed her concerns. "Too much of a good thing isn’t good anymore, right? People are already criticizing me a lot."

"The trending searches you’ve been on are mostly related to Song Chi, so we need to change the public’s impression of you with some different topics."

"I thought you guys would be happy to see rumors about Song Chi and me."

"Happy, yes, but if your long-term impression to others is just as Song Chi’s girlfriend, your image will only become more restricted."

"Really?"

"I’ve already mentioned this to the company, and we’ll try to keep your and Song Chi’s heat under control from now on."

"How could the company agree? All my resources are coming from this right now," Zhou Yun wasn’t hopeful.

"They might not agree, but Song Chi will ask them to," Zhou Lan said. "I heard Luo Yuhu has already slammed his fists on the table with Hong Chen twice about it."

"Ah? Luo Yuhu came to our company?" Zhou Yun was surprised. "When?"

"Just the other day, Luo Yuhu came to discuss the follow-up to the joint statement with Hong Chen," Zhou Lan said. "Now when he sees me, it’s like seeing an enemy."