Chapter Seventy-Five: Pulling Strings

[What do you mean upstairs? Our Wan Ning is liked by plenty of people too, okay?]
[Exactly, the final outcome depends on the votes.]
[We agreed on a talent contest, and you’re just letting things slide like this? It’s so boring.]
...
The live stream became noisy again, but Li Weiwei watched the soaring popularity with satisfaction and didn’t bother to stop the arguments in the chat.
Since this variety show aired, its popularity has remained high.
The first reason was the intriguing content, but most importantly, its authenticity.
In recent years, as the entertainment industry expanded, people focused more and more on appearances, neglecting the professional ethics artists should possess.
Most just fake their way through, as long as they can work easily, show their face, and earn a quick buck.
Li Weiwei, an industry insider and director, knew this well.
So when contracts were signed, everyone agreed:
The production team could pay generously, but the guests had to genuinely participate. No stand-ins, no cheating or laziness.
The production team wouldn’t make unreasonable demands, so guests had to complete all tasks seriously.
The penalty for breach of contract was steep—twenty times the normal payment.
Of course, these wealthy heirs’ families could afford it, but every guest here was sent with great care by their parents. There was no way their families would help them pay the penalty.
Audiences rarely saw artists or celebrities sweating at work in variety shows.
It had been ages since anyone witnessed this kind of effect, so viewers were delighted and watched with relish.
The second reason for the show’s hotness lay in its guests: several brought their own traffic, and there was Song Wan Ning, who constantly trended.
Add Wen Jingxing to the mix, and the trending effect was explosive—countless people across the internet were betting on whether Song Wan Ning and the others would break off their engagement or end up married by the show’s conclusion.
Facing such a high-stakes engagement, and with Wen Jingxing’s perennial aloofness, many doubted the match.
While shipping their pairing brought joy, when reality set in, most quietly cast their votes under a trending poll by a major influencer, predicting Wen Jingxing would call off the engagement.
The number of participants grew from a hundred in the beginning to over ten million now.
The ratio between “won’t call off” and “will call off” shifted from fifty-fifty to eighty-twenty.

Li Weiwei, seeing the timing was right, waved her hand and declared, “Before six thirty tonight, all guests must decide what performance they’ll give. If you want to team up with another guest, you can apply for rehearsal time after lunch, and let us know your show by six so we can prepare.”
“Next, please head to your assigned locations as indicated on your cards to begin your tasks.”
“Yes, Director!”
Everyone responded, taking their identity cards and heading to their respective assignments.
Song Wan Ning glanced at her address—it looked familiar. Wasn’t this the address for the lakeside park?
Her task this time was food transportation.
Wen Jingxing checked her address, then his own: service staff.
Same job Song Wan Ning did last time.
But his brow furrowed instantly, annoyed—he and Song Wan Ning were assigned to completely different locations!
If he simply followed Song Wan Ning and then walked back to his own task, it would seem far too obvious.
Though Song Wan Ning never said much, Wen Jingxing sensed she was acutely aware of others’ intentions.
He worried she might sense something amiss and flee.
He wondered which gossipmonger had slandered him behind his back; years of estrangement already made things awkward, and if she heard bad things, Song Wan Ning’s impression of him would surely worsen.
Now that they could finally interact like friends, Wen Jingxing didn’t want to return to their old, distant state.
Nan Yan happily grabbed Song Wan Ning’s hand. “We’re headed in the same direction!”
This time, Nan Yan had a little van, and Song Wan Ning was hitching a ride.
Seeing Nan Yan wave, Wen Jingxing turned to find Yun Ze standing behind him, face dark.
Only then did Wen Jingxing realize someone else wanted to go but couldn’t.
Yun Ze wasn’t like Wen Jingxing; he could find any reason to force his way along.
But Nan Yan had changed—she no longer spoke to him stiffly. A single “Brother Yun Ze” instantly charmed him.
Face—could you eat it?
Yun Ze abandoned his pride, agreeing to whatever Nan Yan said. If she didn’t want him to go, he wouldn’t.
Soon, he regretted it, but Nan Yan had already vanished.

Song Wan Ning got out of the car at the lakeside park. On the way, she shared her skills and secret recipes with Nan Yan, who listened and took careful notes.
The gossiping audience in the live stream scrambled to copy her notes, considering Song Wan Ning’s business success.
Viewers who quickly spotted the opportunity believed that following her methods would guarantee booming sales.
Song Wan Ning hadn’t even entered the park before she spotted the same middle-aged man who’d hosted their boat tour last time.
A chilly breeze blew, but the man stood upright, dressed formally, his face brimming with smiles.
Before Song Wan Ning drew near, the manager called out from afar, “Miss Song, hello!”
She raised an eyebrow—his unusual enthusiasm made her wonder if he was a fan of some celebrity.
She had no idea he was the park’s managing director.
The manager walked with Song Wan Ning, explaining her responsibilities in detail.
He covered every aspect he could.
After finishing, he arranged a handcart for her, so she could transport the food boxes from the entrance to the processing area inside.
Throughout, the manager showed great concern: offering tea, fruit, and sweets, urging Song Wan Ning to rest often, praising Wen Jingxing’s resort management.
Before she could even be surprised, viewers in the live stream were already astounded.
[The park staff are treating Song Wan Ning so well!]
None of the viewers recognized the manager.
[This has to be favoritism. When Shen Yue and Jian An’an worked as delivery staff, they got no such treatment.]
[But every delivery destination is different, and each has its own rules and tasks.]
[You call that “different”? It’s worlds apart. Others are doing real tasks, Song Wan Ning looks like a leader inspecting the site.]
[Exactly, everyone else carried boxes by hand, only Song Wan Ning gets a handcart.]
[But is that fair? Regardless of the staff’s attitude, isn’t Song Wan Ning herself working hard?]