Chapter Forty-Four: Not Ransacking the House? Plans Take an Unexpected Turn!

“Failed the exam? Well, there’s still a chance… take a look at this.”

“Huh? This is… ‘My Fair Princess’?”

“That should be a work by Teacher Qiong Yao. They’re holding a talent show for the play now, a pretty good opportunity!”

“Really? Then…”

“This flyer came from the school, so it’s legit. You should start preparing right away.”

“Alright, then.”

Though the disappointment from the exam failure hadn’t fully lifted, Bingbing’s mother was already urging her to jump onto the next path.

Of course, Bingbing knew her mother meant well.

Competition was fierce these days, and the arts exam was incredibly tough.

Having another option was always better.

But was this talent show trustworthy?

There hadn’t been anything like it before.

Yet the flyer her mother held—the information about the talent show—was indeed from their school.

So it probably wasn’t a scam.

That gave Bingbing some peace of mind.

Still, she found herself glancing toward Gao Yuanyuan.

That man seemed… was he looking over here too?

“What are you thinking about? Come on, we’re heading to the Central Academy of Drama.”

“Okay.”

Since she had failed at the Beijing Film Academy, they decided to check out the Central Academy of Drama.

Mother and daughter left the Beijing Film Academy behind.

…

“What are you staring at? They’re gone already.”

Gao Yuanyuan’s sudden sarcastic remark made Ma Xun laugh.

“How do you know who I was looking at?”

“Hmph! It’s obvious — you look at whoever’s pretty.”

At that moment, Yuanyuan’s wit was sharp.

Ma Xun didn’t mind at all and enjoyed teasing her. “Jealous?”

Yuanyuan blushed immediately. “No way!”

Her denial was weak.

Ma Xun chuckled heartily before getting down to business. “Remember the ham sausage gig? The company was very satisfied. Now they want you three to do a commercial—you’re basically the brand ambassadors.”

“We?”

“Of course, the three of you.”

“Well…”

“Why hesitate? The brand is planning a big investment, and being in this commercial means nationwide exposure.”

“Oh no! That’s not what I meant!”

Was Yuanyuan really worried about the commercial?

No, it was that ham sausage again.

Just thinking about it made her blush.

She blamed her classmate for all this!

Seeing her reaction, Ma Xun had to get straight to the point.

“You’ll earn 50,000 yuan for this.”

“Ah… well…”

Yuanyuan’s face lit up with joy.

Fifty thousand yuan!

That was impressive.

Just for one commercial.

Of course, she didn’t forget to ask, “What about the other two?”

Ma Xun smiled. “They each get 100,000.”

Ah! Her mood instantly soured.

Ma Xun could see the change clearly. “They’re the leads. When you become the lead, we’ll talk.”

Harsh words, but true.

Yuanyuan nodded firmly. “I will definitely be the lead!”

That spirit pleased Ma Xun.

This single 1 million yuan commercial was split 250,000 among the three.

Anyone familiar with the entertainment industry knew Ma Xun was a decent boss.

There were plenty worse out there.

Often, artists only got a tenth of such a deal.

Ma Xun didn’t need to explain all this.

He wasn’t short of money, and this was a long-term investment.

As for this ham sausage brand — it was currently in an aggressive growth phase, throwing everything they had into marketing.

The timing was perfect.

Previously, the most famous sausage in China was “Chundu.”

That brand had invested heavily in ads and was very popular.

But a couple of years ago, a warehouse fire destroyed part of their stock, though some meat survived.

The company had the bright idea to use that meat.

The taste… well, later they spun it as a new smoked flavor.

Ridiculous!

Shameless beyond belief!

Actually, their sausages never had much meat to begin with; they started cutting down on meat content first.

Old-fashioned sausages used to be all real meat.

They brought this on themselves, no one else to blame.

Compared to those capitalists, Ma Xun could say he was pure and blameless.

The Double-Character brand saw their chance and threw everything into beating Chundu.

This required massive financial input.

Anyone who understood advertising knew the real expense came from airtime, not production.

So the three stars Ma Xun was promoting would be appearing on TV frequently in the coming period.

Though the money might be less, their national recognition would soar.

After this intense exposure, they were bound to rise.

Ma Xun’s and Sister Hong’s company would also become better known in the industry.

More newcomers would join, and more powerful advertisers and brands would come knocking.

This was called entering a healthy upward trajectory.

Gao Yuanyuan clearly didn’t grasp all this yet.

Just look at her happy face when she heard “50,000 yuan.”

Still, it was quite endearing.

Now that she had passed the initial test, the vocational class shouldn’t be a problem.

As long as the goal was set low enough…

Ma Xun’s next focus was the ‘My Fair Princess’ talent show.

Unexpectedly, trouble arose.

…

“Ma Xun, I’ve secured He Xiuchong. We’ll be coming to the mainland next week to meet Director Ouyang.”

“Good.”

Ye Quanzhen brought news from her side—everything was progressing smoothly.

Apparently, He Xiuchong’s daughter-in-law was eager to seize power.

Ma Xun understood the situation clearly.

This daughter-in-law was the wife of Qiong Yao’s son.

It was essential to clarify this relationship.

Qiong Yao had written in her work:

“I came to join this family, not to break it apart…” — from ‘New Moon Princess.’

The classic mistress line.

But adults must understand one truth:

Say one thing, do another.

Previous Qiong Yao dramas, including the ‘Plum Blossom Trilogy,’ had Qiong Yao’s husband listed as a producer.

Ma Xun recalled her husband’s name also appeared in ‘My Fair Princess.’

But this time, the daughter-in-law was clearly the core.

What was there not to understand?

Aunt Qiong was well aware she was leaving the best parts to her own son.

She hadn’t said she wanted to break up the family—just playing it smart.

No need to dwell on this further.

Ma Xun was ready to use this situation.

This talent show would allow He Xiuchong to legitimately remove the old loyalists.

If Liu Lili and his apprentice Shen Yi were out of the way,

Qiong Yao’s husband alone wouldn’t be able to stir up much.

He was quite old, after all.

If all went according to plan, the final result would be:

The husband kept as a figurehead, receiving some money.

Nothing more.

The ‘process’ of this plan was where Ma Xun’s real interests lay.

A 12 million yuan sponsorship for the talent show!

That was the true prize for him at this moment.

Of course, Ma Xun wasn’t only after this slice.

The entire advertising sponsorship for ‘My Fair Princess’ was the real jackpot.

You shoot your drama, you fight for your power.

I just want to make money!

Of course, he couldn’t take it all.

But as long as there was a chance, why not try?

…

Ma Xun and Sun Donghai arrived in Shashi.

They came first, while Bai Daqing would join later.

At that time, Bai Daqing would bring a 6 million yuan check.

The three of them would then meet with He Xiuchong, Director Ouyang, and perhaps Ye Quanzhen.

That meeting would signify the talent show’s project was halfway there.

For now, the two of them went ahead to make initial contact.

At the TV station entrance, they planned to meet Director Ouyang for a brief chat.

Unexpectedly, they were stopped at the door.

“What? Director Ouyang won’t see us?”

“Exactly, no meeting.”

“You…”

“Alright then, no meeting means no disturbance.”

The security guard at the TV station gave the two men a cold shoulder.

Ma Xun and Sun Donghai were there for a legitimate business negotiation, arriving openly.

They hadn’t expected such a result.

“Brother! Don’t hold me back! A mere security guard? Hmph! I have a hot temper!”

Sun Donghai had never suffered such indignity in Beijing.

He was furious, struggling to confront the guard aggressively.

But Ma Xun loosened his grip…

Suddenly, Sun Donghai’s anger seemed to vanish; he looked at Ma Xun.

His eyes said: You’re really not going to stop me?

Ma Xun knew he was bluffing.

But clearly, something had gone wrong.

Let’s deal with this problem first.

“Give the security guy some good cigarettes and chat him up.”

“Chat about what?”

“Ask if any Taiwanese people have come by.”

“Got it!”

Sun Donghai understood immediately and went over.

Sometimes, the trick was simple: a few good cigarettes and a couple of bottles of water could change a guard’s attitude completely.

Sun Donghai soon returned, grinning.

“Brother, just as you suspected! Taiwanese folks have been here before!”

Ma Xun nodded. “Looks like Qiong Yao’s husband made the first move.”

That old fox was no pushover.

Sun Donghai grew anxious. “Does this mean our talent show is doomed?”

“Maybe someone hijacked it.”

“Damn! That can’t happen!”

The stage our brothers built was about to succeed.

And now hijacked?

Unacceptable!

Ma Xun was troubled but what could they do?

“Can you find someone to fight for it?”

“But… but…” Sun Donghai was sweating profusely. “If Bai Daqing can’t meet Director Ouyang, will that 6 million check still be ours?”

True enough.

Ma Xun pondered.

Sun Donghai suggested a plan: “How about we stall Bai Daqing, tell him to wait? Or better yet, get his money first?”

It was a plan, though imperfect.

At that moment, Ma Xun noticed someone entering the TV station without trouble.

It was Kang Jianmin!

Ma Xun didn’t greet him but smiled at Sun Donghai.

“Tell Bai Daqing everything’s normal!”

Sun Donghai’s sweat dried instantly.

My brother definitely has a plan!

“Good!”