Chapter 7: Pure Workhorses In The Entertainment Industry!
“What’s wrong with the program team? Everyone else has post-interview footage, but we don’t?”
Chu Luan Yu and her team members left, and then Chi Ye Team walked in.
Keke learned this news and got so angry that her face turned unpleasant.
“Lin Jingyi even got this treatment, but Chi Ge’s star power is much higher than hers!”
“Lin Jingyi came with Teacher Huang…”
“Anyway, it’s best not to participate in this program in the future. It’s really infuriating!”
The team members were indignant, but Chi Ye himself had no ideas about it.
His attention at the moment was entirely on the system.
Favorability had risen from just over ten thousand at the start to just over thirty thousand.
After one variety show live broadcast, it had increased by about twenty thousand.
Chi Ye had no concept of this increase for now, but he felt he should study the system properly.
The group walked out of the studio, and Chi Ye asked: “Where’s the car? When are we going back to rest?”
“Uh…” The team was stunned, and Keke blinked: “The car will probably take a while… Chi Ge, we’re not staying at a hotel tonight, and there are still eighteen announcements to run.”
“That few?!”
Chi Ye was dumbfounded: “Eighteen?!”
“Yeah.” Keke looked at him puzzled: “The schedule is tight; we have to finish them in three days.”
Chi Ye felt like the sky had fallen.
He hadn’t had time to “inquire” about the original host’s upcoming work process before.
What does this mean?
Finish eighteen announcements in three days?!
I thought being reborn into a 2.08 million follower body meant at least drinking pure milk every day, but you tell me that not only can’t I drink pure milk every day, I have to be a pure workhorse?!
Pure moo moo moo?!
“Who arranged this workload? The King of Hell?”
Eighteen in three days, six a day—even being a wedding master of ceremonies would cause schedule conflicts!
Keke carefully glanced at Chi Ye, hesitating and not daring to speak.
Seeing her like this, Chi Ye immediately understood.
Got it, arranged by the company.
Who was it that called me Imperial Clan earlier? Have you ever seen such a “hardworking” Imperial Clan?
“The company really loves scamming for money.”
Chi Ye lost interest and turned toward the lounge: “Let’s go, then wait in the lounge for the car.”
The team members exchanged glances and hurriedly followed.
……
Arriving at the lounge, Chi Ye picked a comfortable spot to sit and began checking the system mall.
The main function of the Favorability system is to exchange rewards in the system mall using favorability.
He had skimmed it briefly before but hadn’t looked closely.
At this moment, entering the system mall, Chi Ye found the items inside very limited.
Only one kind—【Copy Scroll】.
Divided into beginner, intermediate, advanced, master, and perfect, five levels.
Chi Ye opened the beginner Copy Scroll, and the item description appeared.
【Copy Scroll（Beginner）】
【Function: Select a target to randomly copy one of the target’s beginner skills/talents.】
Select a target and directly copy it over?
Chi Ye was stunned.
This function… is a bit buggy.
Actually, in the half day since being reborn, Chi Ye had briefly thought about his future prospects.
After all, in his previous life he was a workhorse, and due to his personality, after quitting to do self-media, he was still a bigger workhorse, far from achieving wealth freedom, so of course he cared about his future prospects.
But after summing it up, combining info from people around the original host in a short time and what he checked online, Chi Ye could only conclude one thing—no prospects!
This is no joke.
First.
The original host’s professional skills were already worrying.
Aside from one awesome face, it was smoke into the lungs, foggy lungs!
Secondly, though Chi Ye had memories from his previous life and knew self-media, he was familiar with many hit products in film and television dramas and songs.
But he was just a self-media guy in his previous life, same as the original host—zero professional ability, like 100-degree boiling water, just another boiling object.
You want him to be a singing god or movie emperor?
He doesn’t have that ability, you get it.
So Chi Ye’s dilemma could be summed up in one sentence.
A newly paved road is flat—no gravel at all!
No gravel, Prison Brother!
But if the system mall can exchange for Copy Scrolls…
Then the key to unlocking Earth’s treasures and showing off in front of people isn’t here?
This king of showing off, Ye someone can do it, Xiao someone can do it, why can’t I, Chi someone?!
Chi Ye gradually opened up his thinking, suddenly enlightened, and looked at the price of the Copy Scroll.
Then, his emotions, which had just reached 50%, wilted slightly.
The exchange price for 【Copy Scroll（Beginner）】 is 10,000 favorability points.
Intermediate is 100,000, advanced 1 million, master 10 million, perfect 100 million…
With the favorability he has now, he can only exchange for three beginner Copy Scrolls.
‘Three beginner Copy Scrolls…’
‘Fine, with a negative foundation, it seems enough.’
‘So… who to use it on?’
Chi Ye thought somewhat unwillingly.
Among the people he can contact now, the valuable ones are only the few guests who participated in the program with him today.
Lin Jingyi is out.
The girl who loves eating history won’t have bad luck, but her acting skills and singing skill are both poor.
Teacher He… Teacher Huang…
If possible, Chi Ye really wanted to copy Teacher Huang’s skills.
Though Teacher Huang likes playing Breaking Bad in internal entertainment circle when idle, you have to admit his acting skills from teaching at Beijing Film Academy for over a decade.
Definitely stronger than him.
But this posed a problem—Teacher Huang’s acting skills aren’t top-tier in internal entertainment circle, but definitely not beginner level.
Using the scroll on Teacher Huang would likely reward him with poisonous bean cooking technique.
So, the most suitable target seems to be only…
Chi Ye glanced sideways at the lounge doorway.
Chu Luan Yu, draped in a beige windcoat, humming a tune from her hometown, passed by the lounge, then backed up in surprise, looking at Chi Ye: “You haven’t left yet?”
Chi Ye quickly exchanged for a beginner scroll and tossed it at Chu Luan Yu.
【You will randomly obtain『Chu Luan Yu』’s one beginner skill.】
【Randomizing…】
【You obtained『Chu Luan Yu’s Divination Skill』（Beginner）】
【Chu Luan Yu’s Divination Skill: Fortune and misfortune, Zi Wei Star descends! Chu Luan Yu divines for herself every midnight to test if she will be internal entertainment circle’s Zi Wei Star next year!】
【Learn?】
“Huh?”
Chi Ye heard this prompt and was instantly dumbfounded.
Divination Skill?
Divination???
You’re an actor who’s been acting for seven or eight years—what’s with the divination!
Chi Ye saw the skill description and nearly spat blood, but still chose to learn.
“You know divination?”
Chu Luan Yu, who had walked in, was stunned, her doll-like face full of surprise: “How did you know?”
“Um…” She suddenly reacted, shyly shaking her head: “J-just a little…”
Seeing her like this, Chi Ye already understood.
Makes sense; for a top unlucky person like her, it’s inevitable to have self-doubt…
“So what do you divine each time?”
Chu Luan Yu shook her little head like a rattle drum, unwilling to say.
Chi Ye was really curious and rephrased: “Then the result? I don’t know the question, but what’s the result?”
“…” Chu Luan Yu thought about it and felt it was fine, her eyes sparkling: “The year with the most hope!”
Chi Ye: “……Every time?”
“Yeah…” After saying it, Chu Luan Yu realized the issue, her face turning ashen.
Chi Ye: 6.
Taking advantage of this, he had already thrown out the second Copy Scroll.
Perhaps because Chu Luan Yu really didn’t have many beginner skills, the second time it precisely hit for Chi Ye.
【You obtained『Chu Luan Yu’s Acting Skills』（Beginner）】
【Chu Luan Yu’s Acting Skills: Chu Luan Yu’s acting skills, honed diligently every day after seven years in the industry.】
【Learn?】
‘Yes.’
Chi Ye chose to learn, then looked at Chu Luan Yu with a complex expression.
“What’s wrong?”
Chu Luan Yu was still immersed in her sea of sadness, not noticing Chi Ye’s change.
“Nothing.” Chi Ye paused and sighed.
All unlucky people, all foggy lungs—who can laugh at whom?
With Chu Luan Yu’s seven years of honed acting skills, he shouldn’t have facial features flying around or weak lines anymore, right?
At least, acting in an ordinary idol drama should be no problem.
That’s enough.
Food is eaten bite by bite; stably performing in idol dramas is already enough qualification to be a scoundrel.
“I’m heading out first; see you next time if there’s a chance.”
Chu Luan Yu left dispiritedly, like she had lost some dream.
“Chi Ge, what’s wrong with Sister Yu?”
Keke was very puzzled.
“Her suspended heart probably finally died.”
Chi Ye shook his head and asked: “Has the car not come yet?”
“Let me check…” Keke patted her head, opened WeChat to ask, then raised her hand: “Five minutes, downstairs.”
“Then let’s go too.”
Chi Ye took a deep breath.
Reborn workhorse life, here I come!
……
Chi Ye had thought running eighteen announcements in three days would be tiring, but he didn’t expect it to be this tiring.
Aside from time spent traveling, he didn’t even know what he went through during this period.
The company annual meeting near year-end was okay—go up and sing; the hardest was the drinking table socializing.
Besides that, he actually went to a wedding site and acted as master of ceremonies!
Twice!
Of course, compared to the above, the real hell was still ahead.
Going to Pig Factory for ribbon-cutting, rich second generation’s birthday, even funeral arrangements…
Yesterday in Northeast, tomorrow in South—weddings, funerals, celebrations, all covered, making Chi Ye feel torn apart.
This was completely different from what he imagined and knew about running announcements!
Where were the promised variety shows, press conference recordings, major platform satellite TV annual galas?
Those exist of course, but Chi Ye’s star power isn’t enough for that many gigs.
More importantly—low pay.
The reason for taking the above announcements was simpler—high pay.
They offered too much!
By Chi Ye’s estimate, running one announcement at these places earns at least a hundred thousand, up to over five hundred thousand sometimes.
Sing a few songs, drink a few glasses, let them gain face, and earn that much.
In less than three days, he personally earned nearly five million in announcement fees!
This money-sucking level gave Chi Ye a real 2.08 million follower feeling.
—He’s just a second-tier star!
Of course, the exhaustion was real.
After running these announcements, motion-sick Chi Ye had slimmed down a full circle.
And… the first two days of normal announcements were fine—tiring, but at least the sponsors’ industries were legal and compliant.
On the third day, checking the schedule, Chi Ye found three or four borderline sensitive announcements in a row.
“What’s up with the company? Taking these announcements—if dug up later, it’s all black material.”
While Chi Ye was puzzled, the bedroom door was knocked.
Keke came in holding a tablet: “Chi Ge, next week’s announcement schedule is set—fewer this time, total thirty…”
“More?! Isn’t today already Sunday?”
Chi Ye was confused.
Keke looked down, not daring to meet his eyes, voice like a mosquito: “I-in the past, it was always arranged like this…”
“Wait.”
Chi Ye frowned and interrupted.
Actually, during these days running announcements, he had realized a problem.
—This crazy scamming for money, no screening, going wherever pays more—isn’t this killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, overdrawing his own commercial value?
To put it harshly, the eating appearance is too ugly; continuing like this would ruin his career.
“What do you mean ‘in the past too’? This does make money, but after this wave, I’m done for!”
Chi Ye waved decisively: “Cancel all these announcements; I’m not running them.”
“Huh?”
Keke looked at him in shock, then thought of something, face paling: “But… Chi Ge, let’s still run them… or Sister Ge will scold you again…”
Sister Ge is Chi Ye’s agent at Yue Na, one of the famous big agents in the industry, very dominant in her actions.
“It’s fine; report to the company like this, and I’ll handle the rest.”
Imperial Clan?
This is Imperial Clan?
Chi Ye’s feeling was very bad now.
Even if Sister Ge is a big agent, she can’t disregard his wishes like this.
Original host’s star power isn’t high, but in internal entertainment circle he’s at least somewhat famous; the company is this dominant?
“……Alright then.”
Keke is the personal assistant, basically Chi Ye’s de facto “agent,” but without an agent’s treatment or authority.
Hearing this, she sighed, thinking Chi Ge is at it again… every so often, he makes a fuss.
Thinking of this, her gaze toward Chi Ye already carried a hint of pity.
Chi Ye noticed Keke’s look before she left, feeling even more uneasy.
Not long after, probably after Keke notified the company, Chi Ye’s phone rang.
Chi Ye saw the caller ID 【Sister Ge】 and answered: “Hello?”
“I don’t have time for your tantrums now; we’ve already taken money for many of these announcements—you must run them, understand?”
A low female voice came from the phone.
Chi Ye refused without hesitation: “Not running.”
Silence on the other end for a moment, then a slightly uncertain voice: “Have you gone mad? Do you know who you’re talking to?”
Chi Ye paused: “Have you gone mad? If you keep this up, I’ll breach the contract.”
“…”
Another silence, then the person finally spoke, seemingly having thought it through, tone flat: “I suggest you calm down first, then communicate with me.”
With that, the call ended.
