The moment he knocked on the door, almost everyone’s gaze was drawn over.
Immediately after came a chorus of sharp intakes of breath.
Fan Qing slowly typed out a question mark in his head.
What was going on?
Why did all these kids look like they had just seen the King of Hell himself?
Was he really that terrifying?
Yuan Jing was seeing him in person now, and he also sucked in a breath of cold air.
Then he hurriedly covered his mouth.
He leaned in close to Huo Er.
“Captain, what do you think Manager Fan came here for?”
Huo Er keenly noticed Fan Qing’s gaze sweeping over and felt like crying without tears.
Honestly, he guessed that Manager Fan might very well be here for them.
The problem was, Yuan Jing, you idiot—did you really have to come over and chat with me at a time like this?
“Take a short break.”
With the instructor’s order, the trainees instantly scattered like startled birds.
The instructor walked over, and even he seemed somewhat uneasy facing Fan Qing.
“Manager Fan is here to…?”
Fan Qing had not planned to tell the truth.
But after a moment’s thought, he walked with the instructor out the door.
“I came to check on their progress, and also to ask you something.”
As soon as the instructor heard this, he quickly waved his hands.
“Manager Fan, just call me Wen Qi. ‘Teacher’ is what the kids call me.”
Fan Qing glanced at him and did not refuse.
Although Wen Qi taught body movement classes, he was actually still fairly young, only in his early thirties.
Coupled with his refined temperament and good maintenance, people might even believe he was twenty-five or twenty-six. Standing next to Fan Qing, one could even say they were about the same age.
That was also because Fan Qing carried the air of someone in a high position, making him appear a bit more mature.
“I mainly wanted to ask—how do you think their training is going?”
He had originally planned to observe for himself, but he really could not tell much.
After all, he was not a professional.
It was better to ask a professional directly.
Wen Qi, hearing this, pondered for a moment before speaking.
“This batch of trainees can only be considered average overall, but there are a few with particularly good potential.”
He named several people, among them two names that Fan Qing knew very well.
Yuan Jing. Huo Er.
After finishing, he looked at Fan Qing again.
“Manager Fan is asking this—does the company have some new arrangement in mind?”
“There is such an idea,” Fan Qing replied.
Fan Qing briefly explained the matter of the talent competition show.
Wen Qi froze after hearing it.
“That really is a good opportunity…”
He muttered to himself.
Although talent competition shows had increasingly come under criticism, for many newcomers who might never in their lives have a channel to break out, wasn’t it still an opportunity?
The company signing this batch of trainees was likewise waiting for the right chance to push them forward.
Wen Qi looked as though he was thinking, yet he had already stolen several glances at Fan Qing.
“What?”
Seeing his expression, Fan Qing spoke bluntly.
“Is there something you want to say?”
Wen Qi pondered for two seconds, then cautiously asked,
“Has the company already decided to send the newcomers over?”
Fan Qing raised an eyebrow.
What exactly was Wen Qi trying to say?
Still, this was not confidential. He shook his head.
“I haven’t made a decision yet, so I came over to take a look first.”
That simple sentence was enough for Wen Qi to pick up on something.
Within the company, there had long been rumors that Young Master Jin the Second did not actually involve himself in company affairs, and that the person truly handling things was someone else—namely this Manager Fan who had jumped over from another company.
At first, Wen Qi had not believed it.
He thought such talk was utterly absurd.
But now…
Catching the implication in Fan Qing’s words, he could not help clicking his tongue.
So this person really was…
“Teacher Wen?”
Fan Qing did not particularly mind being stared at.
But he was short on time.
Wen Qi snapped back to his senses and hurriedly apologized.
“Sorry, I was thinking about something and lost my manners.”
After a moment’s thought, an awkward, almost age-inappropriate shyness appeared on his face.
“Strictly speaking, I’m not qualified to interfere in this matter. I just wanted to ask privately.”
He looked at Fan Qing with a trace of eagerness.
“Since Manager Fan has come to see them personally, is the company planning to give them a chance?”
After saying that, he felt the wording might cause misunderstanding and quickly rephrased it.
“What I mean is, if the company makes a decision, then the few I recommended earlier are all good prospects.”
“Including Yuan Jing?”
Fan Qing suddenly asked.
Judging from Wen Qi’s demeanor, he really did seem like a teacher who took his job seriously.
A little naive, perhaps, but nothing objectionable.
Still, Fan Qing very much wanted to hear Wen Qi’s opinion of Yuan Jing.
“Huh?”
Wen Qi froze for a moment, then muttered to himself,
“Didn’t I just mention Yuan Jing’s name?”
“You did,”
Fan Qing replied succinctly.
Considering Wen Qi’s temperament, he decided to be straightforward.
“What I mean is, Yuan Jing’s aptitude is good. Then what does Teacher Wen think about his face?”
Wen Qi’s expression changed.
Fan Qing knew he understood what was being implied.
He did not beat around the bush.
“Teacher Wen thinks Yuan Jing’s face—is it suitable for debuting?”
Wen Qi fell silent.
He understood Fan Qing’s meaning.
But…
Wen Qi looked at Fan Qing seriously.
“If Manager Fan asks that, then I would like to ask Manager Fan a question.”
Oh?
The little lamb suddenly bristling up was a bit like a mother hen protecting her chicks.
Fan Qing nodded.
“Go ahead.”
Wen Qi met his gaze directly.
“If the company feels Yuan Jing is not suitable for debuting, then why sign him in the first place?”
That really was—
Hitting the nail on the head.
Under his gaze, Fan Qing slowly smiled.
“Teacher Wen has more backbone than I expected.”
He didn’t!
Only after seeing Fan Qing smile did Wen Qi realize that all he could hear beside his ears was his own heart pounding frantically.
He did not know how he had dared say something like that to this Manager Fan.
And why was it that someone so young could carry such a terrifying sense of pressure?
Now he was panicking—his legs were going weak!
Fan Qing naturally did not miss Wen Qi’s change.
So he was still a lamb after all.
But the words had made sense.
Fan Qing nodded.
“Then I understand. Teacher Wen, please continue your class.”
He turned and was about to leave.
Wen Qi had just let out a sigh of relief, one hand unconsciously bracing against the wall.
Then Fan Qing pulled a sudden about-face.
Turning his head, his gaze swept teasingly over Wen Qi’s thighs and calves.
His tone lifted slightly.
“Since Teacher Wen believes they have potential, and there’s still some time to prepare, I’ll have to trouble Teacher Wen to really put in the effort with them, so that I can see their value.”
He had no intention of making a losing investment.
Even though, lately, he had inexplicably lost a bit of his drive to strive forward.
Wen Qi stiffened, then nodded.
By the time Fan Qing had truly gone far away, Wen Qi clung to the wall, wanting to cry without tears.
This Manager Fan really did not play fair!
Only after a long while did he slowly return to the classroom.
The first thing out of his mouth carried a ruthless edge.
“Your performance today has been extremely disappointing to me. For the next week, all of you are doubling your training!”
Wails immediately filled the room.
Yuan Jing could not help quietly tearing up as well.
Doubling it again—at this rate, his legs were going to belong to someone else’s family.
Huo Er, however, could not help glancing toward the door several times.
Doubling the training?
Did it have something to do with Manager Fan coming over?
Once the decision was settled, Fan Qing quickly contacted the production team.
Although Tenghuang looked as though it had fallen on hard times, its foundations were still there.
Naturally, the production team was willing to set aside several slots for them.
As for exactly how many slots—Fan Qing went back and forth with them properly over the price.
After some intense tug-of-war, the number was finalized at four.
Not a lot, but definitely not few either.
Fan Qing then tried to sound out the situation with other companies. After offering a few favors, he managed to get a fairly vague answer.
The slots Tenghuang obtained were neither particularly many nor particularly few.
At present, more than a dozen companies had already contacted the production team and successfully secured slots. Roughly half of the remaining slots would be filled through open auditions.
Which meant the total number of participants would very likely exceed a hundred.
That kind of competition was no joke.
Once Fan Qing had a clear picture in mind, he no longer treated this talent competition as something overly critical.
Although it truly was a rare opportunity for the newcomers, the sheer number of participants also meant that the screen time each person could get would be limited.
Under those circumstances, how to seize every bit of screen time to showcase oneself would become the most important thing for the trainees.
But as for Yuan Jing…
The pen between Fan Qing’s fingers leapt into the air, spinning into the shape of a flower.
Yuan Jing would probably become a camera favorite the moment he stepped in—after all, he had a face that was identical to Jing Yuan’s.
And even his name differed by nothing more than a reversed order.
This was an opportunity.
And also a gamble.
What kind of results could be achieved from this opportunity would ultimately depend on Yuan Jing himself.
Once Fan Qing finished weighing things out, his phone suddenly rang.
An unfamiliar number.
Fan Qing raised an eyebrow and answered it. By this point, he was used to receiving countless calls from unknown numbers every day.
“Hello, is this Mr. Fan?”
A sweet, pleasant female voice came from the other end.
“Yes, this is he,”
Fan Qing responded.
The caller succinctly explained her purpose.
She was calling about delivering some clothes. As for who bought them—there was no need to think too hard.
A smile slowly appeared on Fan Qing’s face.
“Alright, I understand. Then please deliver them to this address.”
He rattled off an address. After finishing, he could not help laughing again.
The place he lived in was where Nie Luo had once stayed—did Nie Luo really not know this address?
Having someone deliberately contact him—was it because he was afraid Fan Qing might miss this surprise?
Thinking about it, the corners of Fan Qing’s mouth lifted uncontrollably.
And he was genuinely curious.
Curious how Nie Luo, who had bought him clothes, knew his size so precisely.
“…Alright, then we’ll arrange—”
The other party tactfully stated that they would arrange prompt delivery and hung up the phone.
“Do you have partners?”
Fan Qing suddenly looked up at the three bodyguards.
All three of them said nothing.
The smile in Fan Qing’s eyes deepened.
“I do. And my boyfriend mentioned last time that I was short on clothes, so today he bought some for me.”
He paused, his smile so rich it was almost blinding.
“He’s really adorable, don’t you think?”
The three bodyguards were already gradually blending into the air.
Fan Qing had not really expected a reply from them anyway.
He clocked out early for once and returned home.
After letting the three bodyguards pick other empty rooms to stay in, Fan Qing eagerly began going through the new clothes Nie Luo had bought for him.
The more he looked, the harder it was to suppress his smile.
He was genuinely curious how his boyfriend had managed to even grasp the size of his underwear.