Wen Qi was startled and hurriedly shook his head.
“That’s not what I meant. I mean—Manager Fan is really capable, to be able to secure so many slots for the company.”
He paused, his expression natural.
“Manager Fan is actually my idol. Even though I don’t have that kind of ability, I once dreamed of becoming a manager as formidable as you.”
Fan Qing slowly typed out a question mark in his mind.
The four trainees were equally stunned: they hadn’t expected Teacher Wen to be this kind of person.
Wen Qi noticed the trainees’ gazes and chose to ignore them completely.
Although Wen Qi felt intimidated when facing Fan Qing, that was just the fear of an ordinary corporate worker, that was all.
As for embarrassing himself in front of the trainees?
No embarrassment. None whatsoever.
This was simply a mature teacher giving the trainees an early demonstration of what social finesse looked like!
Putting that small interlude aside, Fan Qing quickly returned to the main point.
“I really do have good methods.”
The moment he said that, Wen Qi and the four of them were all shocked at the same time.
Wen Qi’s admiration for Fan Qing shot straight through the roof—when it came to thick skin, his own really was still a bit too thin in comparison!
Fan Qing ignored their looks.
That his methods were effective was simply the truth.
Being able to repeatedly go back and forth with the program team and ultimately secure four slots relied entirely on his own leverage.
Was there anything wrong with stating a hard truth?
No. There was no problem at all.
“You should all understand what these four slots mean. The ones standing here now are the ones who will be participating in the program.”
Fan Qing watched as a surge of wild joy rose in the four of them, then waited a few seconds.
“Ahem.”
Wen Qi coughed lightly as a reminder.
The four, still riding their excitement, hurriedly quieted down.
Hands folded in front of them, obedient and well-behaved.jpg
“But let me be clear with you first.”
Fan Qing clasped his hands together under his chin, his tone utterly casual.
“The company is not a charity. I’m sending the four of you to participate in this program, but I won’t demand that you sweep all the rankings.”
Sweep all the rankings???
Wen Qi was stunned.
The four trainees were equally shocked.
Only Fan Qing thought this was perfectly normal—why does a company sign new talent?
Why cultivate newcomers and give them opportunities to go on programs?
Of course it’s so they can make use of their abilities and earn money for the company.
Put another way.
If these people couldn’t place at all, couldn’t even generate profit for the company—
Then was it excessive to require them to rank?
He felt it was only natural.
Of course, Fan Qing wasn’t about to say that outright.
He phrased it more tactfully.
“The company invests in you because it hopes you’ll be able to make money for the company.”
Wen Qi’s eyes began to go blank.
The four boys also started to feel dazed.
So… so direct?
Fan Qing said, “My expectations for you are that simple. You can do it, right?”
Should… should they answer?
The four of them turned in unison to look at Wen Qi.
Wen Qi wore a blank expression and nodded instinctively.
What else could he do—say no, and get kicked out by Manager Fan?
“Good. Since you all seem quite determined, that’s great. Then work hard.”
Fan Qing looked satisfied.
No?
Actually, they weren’t that determined at all!
The group stood there in a collective daze, eyes unfocused.
“Oh, right.”
Fan Qing handed over another form.
“This is a training plan I previously made for Jian Feiyang. You can use it as a reference.”
At that, Wen Qi’s eyes lit up.
As he took it, he said, “You can practice according to this plan. I’ve long heard that Manager Fan is very skilled in this area. You all know this—Jian Feiyang from the company was trained by Manager Fan back then. His muscle definition is practically perfect. If you follow what’s on this plan—”
Wen Qi’s words abruptly stopped.
He stared at the sheet, pupils shaking violently.
“What’s wrong, Teacher Wen…?”
Huar looked dazed.
“Huh? What’s wrong, uh…?”
Yuan Jing’s gaze also began to drift.
Fan Qing raised an eyebrow slightly, a quiet laugh stirring in his heart.
He’d already said it was just for reference. These people simply refused to believe him.
Once the talent show was finalized, the program team finally began its promotions.
First came the massive open auditions, which occupied half the slots.
As soon as the auditions began, the official side spared no expense.
With more than ten audition regions, there were more than ten live-stream channels.
Each livestream broadcast the audition process in real time.
The moment Fan Qing heard this news, he immediately selected several people from within the company.
Tenghuang didn’t only cultivate traditional artists; it had also expanded into new media.
Fan Qing selected two internet personalities with some level of fame—one was known for a sharp, cutting tongue.
The other was someone Fan Qing had recently discovered by accident—a small talent skilled at making meme-style remix videos.
Both of them were completely confused when they heard Fan Qing wanted to see them.
Then they pushed open the door with bewildered expressions.
Soon after, they walked back out with faces full of excitement.
At the same time, Tenghuang, like the other companies, announced its artists who would be participating in the talent show.
Setting everything else aside, the moment Yuan Jing was revealed, he immediately attracted massive traffic.
Almost every perceptive media professional felt they’d found an opportunity.
For two consecutive days, the names Yuan Jing and Jing Yuan were everywhere.
There were even countless “analyses,” dissecting what Tenghuang’s intentions were this time.
Some went so far as to spin conspiracy theories centered on Fan Qing himself—they somehow found out that it was Fan Qing who’d secured the slots from the program team, then linked it to the fact that Fan Qing had previously worked with Jing Yuan.
“According to them, I apparently have an irreconcilable blood feud with Jing Yuan, and now, just to disgust Jing Yuan, I went so far as to deliberately find someone to target him.”
Fan Qing couldn’t help laughing as he spoke.
“I really underestimated their imagination. It’s honestly impressive.”
“Normal. These people are like a pack of hyenas—so long as there’s even the slightest connection to an incident, they’ll pounce on it and write to their heart’s content.”
Nie Luo paused, his voice softening a little.
“But were you really not affected?”
He paused again, then added one more sentence.
“I’m your boyfriend.”
Calming his boyfriend, who was rattled by the media frenzy, was simply his responsibility.
Nie Luo thought to himself.
“I know.”
Fan Qing didn’t even bother suppressing his delighted laugh.
“My boyfriend really cares about me, I know that. But you also have to trust your boyfriend—he’s strong.”
“That has nothing to do with it.”
Nie Luo spoke seriously.
“How much I care for my boyfriend has nothing to do with whether he’s strong or not. It only has to do with whether I truly care.”
“Boyfriend, your words are so sweet.”
So sweet that Fan Qing genuinely wanted to taste them.
His gaze darkened slightly, his voice husky.
“But I really don’t want my boyfriend to just care for me—I want a different kind of care.”
He left his meaning clear.
The moment he finished speaking, Nie Luo went silent on the other end.
Shy already?
Fan Qing raised an eyebrow, feeling a little troubled.
A shy boyfriend was indeed adorable, pure, and endearing.
But if he was always shy, it was just too tantalizing.
Fan Qing recalled a few past moments where he’d touched Nie Luo, and his tongue couldn’t help but lightly wet his slightly dry lips.
With such a good… foundation, shouldn’t he make full use of it here? Otherwise, wouldn’t it be wasted?
Nie Luo remained quiet for a long time before finally muttering a few words over the phone.
“Huh?”
Fan Qing didn’t hear clearly.
“Brother, what did you just say?”
This time, Nie Luo’s voice came closer.
He sighed clearly, a thick trace of helplessness in his tone.
“Stop teasing me.”
His duties and privileges, which were clearly Fan Qing’s to give, he didn’t receive—but yet, Fan Qing kept teasing him for no reason.
Nie Luo even felt a small headache coming on.
Where on earth did his boyfriend learn such bad habits?
Was he really this shy?
Fan Qing didn’t regret it.
But since Nie Luo couldn’t let go for now, he didn’t feel the need to tease him further.
After all, teasing Nie Luo came with the equally fiery consequence of self-restraint.
Having a boyfriend yet having to handle everything on his own was downright frustrating.
Suppressing the mischievous flame in his heart, Fan Qing surprisingly shifted the topic obediently.
Seeing him no longer tease, Nie Luo breathed a sigh of relief.
But not long after, he quietly sighed again.
When would he truly be able to enjoy the benefits of having a boyfriend?
If necessary, letting him fulfill a duty wasn’t out of the question.
Back then, he should have listened to Jin Yi’s advice.
He shouldn’t have given the keys to the other apartment to Fan Qing.
The two of them switched to a new topic, sighing in unison.
Even though they had a boyfriend…
After two days of the media recklessly speculating, Fan Qing finally got to work.
The sharp-tongued internet celebrity had already, under the company’s arrangement, been given the right to simultaneous live-stream.
His sharp tongue was his selling point; his fans didn’t care whom he insulted—they only came to enjoy his masterful delivery of cutting remarks.
Soon, they discovered that the live stream was synchronized.
Many fans instantly became excited.
“Damn, Director, you’re amazing! Isn’t this the hot open audition show recently? You actually got the live-stream rights?”
The internet celebrity, nicknamed Director, nodded generously.
“Yes, I got them, but only thanks to the company. I don’t have that much power on my own.”
“That’s still impressive! I heard this talent show is really competitive. I tried streaming several times before and got shut down immediately.”
“Guys, you’re focusing on the wrong thing! The point is, the Director is clearly going to influence these open audition participants, right?”
“Exactly! I was worried the Director wouldn’t have fresh content lately.”
“Well, it’s not like there’s nothing to do, but it really isn’t new—always just roasting competitions.”
“But seriously, the Director is impressive! How did he get it? Which company is he signed with? A company with this capability can’t be small, right?”
“I think it’s Tenghuang, isn’t it? The one that’s been in the news recently?”
“Tenghuang? That’s an entertainment company, right? What’s the Director’s connection? Didn’t they recently put several artists into this show themselves? All the news these days is about them, saying they debuted a ‘second-generation Jing Yuan.’”
“Yes, Tenghuang. Wasn’t it said that the agent Fan Qing, who previously switched to their company, had a feud with Jing Yuan? They claim it’s revenge, deliberately sending a person to mess with Jing Yuan!”
Fan Qing foresaw it all.
Seeing the live-stream sentiment suddenly shift, the Director pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, a trace of understanding flashing across his eyes.
So, someone really was targeting Fan Qing and the company?
He didn’t think too much, simply adjusted his white coat—a look that made him seem eccentric, and one of the main reasons he was called Director.
He sipped water slowly, then quickly read out several IDs.
“These patients are not in great shape. It’s obvious they’d never score in elementary school essays—they always go off-topic. The administrators can give them a gentle timeout to prevent their ‘genius’ from scaring other patients. We don’t yet know if idiocy is contagious, so we must remain cautious. This is all for everyone’s benefit.”
“LOL, Director, your sarcasm is too much, but it makes me feel great! Hear that? My heart’s got yours.”
“Hahaha, let’s reason it out: one person going off-topic is fine, but a whole group? Clearly idiocy is contagious. Thanks, Director, for caring for them and looking out for us. Brothers, aren’t you touched? I’m already teary-eyed.”
“LOL, I’m going to die laughing in this live stream one day.”