Against the Light - Chapter 117
Chapter 117: Heart Entertainment's Secret Weapon
Recently, Weibo's trending topics have been almost completely monopolized by promotions for Wei Yi's big fashion show.
One moment, it was about some internationally renowned model they'd hired; the next, it was a tantalizing new product announcement from Wei Yi Group and Chan Ye, complete with tempting discounts and benefits. In contrast, Gu Xinran's side remained quiet. Despite having declared war so publicly half a month ago, all anyone saw was the other party actively preparing for their show while she seemed to have no counter-strategy. Some nosy onlookers inevitably started predicting her downfall, claiming that even without Shi Qing at the helm, Wei Yi was still an entity Gu Xinran couldn't afford to provoke.
Gu Xinran paid them no mind, focusing on preparing for her own variety show.
Thanks to Ming Zhen's efforts, the variety show had managed to secure quite a few sponsors. Unfortunately, in terms of both fame and brand power, they couldn't compare to Wei Yi's sponsors. The only one of note was the Ming family.
That day, just as dawn was breaking, Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan left quietly, afraid of disturbing Shi Qing's rest.
After her morning workout, Shi Qing sat on the sofa, a towel draped around her neck, and wiped away her sweat.
"They've left?"
"Yes, they just sent me a text. They said they're already in the car," Ye Nan replied.
"Today is the opening day of Wei Yi's fashion show. Do you think they chose this day specifically because they're plotting something?"
Shi Qing took a sip of her light tea, her eyes deep with thought.
"Everyone knows how important this show is to Bai Yiyue. Xinran and the others haven't made a move this whole time, so Wei Yi must be on guard. I'm worried…" Ye Nan frowned.
"Speak your mind."
Ye Nan gave an awkward smile. "It's nothing, just… aren't you going to lend them a hand?"
"It's not necessary for now. Besides, if she can't even handle Bai Yiyue, how can I rest easy entrusting such a large family enterprise to them?"
"Tsk."
"Don't worry needlessly. What time is Wei Yi's show?"
"It starts at ten."
Shi Qing glanced at her watch, then went to eat her breakfast as if nothing was amiss.
Meanwhile, Bai Yiyue, who hadn't slept all night, arrived at the venue early in the morning to direct the staff through their final checks.
This show was crucial for both her and Wei Yi Group. She had spent a fortune hiring the best models in the industry to grace the stage, and it was also the launch for new products from Chan Ye and Wei Yi. Moreover, her aunt had told her that only a successful conclusion to this show would completely secure her position as the heir.
Therefore, there could be absolutely no mistakes!
"Any movement from Gu Xinran's side?" Bai Yiyue asked.
Gu Xinran's lack of activity during this period was quite surprising to her, but it also made her a little uneasy.
"None. Ever since she posted that declaration of war on Weibo, there's been no movement at all. I reckon she's probably backed down after realizing the difficulty. After all, many companies on good terms with Wei Yi have also announced they will no longer cooperate with any artists under Heart Entertainment. That must have been a significant blow to them."
Bai Yiyue nodded. "Still, we can't let our guard down." Having failed to gain the upper hand in her previous clashes with Gu Xinran, she had learned to be a bit smarter.
Ye Nan had been keeping an eye on Weibo. Starting from eight o'clock, Wei Yi began to control the trending topics, constantly promoting their show. They even released very tempting discounts and benefits to entice viewers to tune in on time for the livestream's interactive segments.
"Sister Qing, Wei Yi's livestream has already started its warm-up activities, and the number of viewers has surpassed one million. I don't know how many of those are bots, but it looks quite impressive."
Shi Qing lifted her eyelids slightly and glanced at the time. She stared at the hands on her watch, and at nine-fifty, she put it down and said, "It's starting."
"Huh? What is?"
Ye Nan froze for a moment, then immediately picked up her phone.
For a moment, Weibo actually crashed.
【Qi Yuwei: Queen's Stage, the sisters are here! @Qi Qiuyan】
【Qi Qiuyan: Mmm, we're here.】
【Qin Qiong: Actually, I was against this [/SoEmbarrassing]】
【Lin Guo: @Qin Qiong, cut the crap.】
【Ye Qihan: At my age, doing a runway show with a bunch of young girls…】
【Huo Jie: Thanks to Sister Ran for the invitation.】
【Shen Can: Thanks, Sister Ran!】
【…】
Ye Nan scrolled casually and saw that more than half of the entertainment stars she followed had posted on Weibo at exactly 9:50, as if they had coordinated it. Many others posted expressing their regret at not being able to participate but offering their remote support. All the content revolved around a variety show called 【Queen's Stage】.
Even she was stunned by the sheer scale of it and subconsciously glanced at Shi Qing.
"Sister Qing, when you said 'it's starting,' were you talking about this? What's going on? Is this the show Xinran mentioned before? It was filmed this quickly? There wasn't a single leak beforehand. How did she manage to invite so many stars?" Ye Nan fired off a series of soul-searching questions.
Shi Qing smiled but said nothing.
Meanwhile, the netizens on Weibo, who had been dumbfounded for a while, gradually realized what was happening and flooded their idols' comment sections with questions.
At nine fifty-five, Gu Xinran's Weibo finally showed some activity.
【Gu Xinran: To all the big sisters and little sisters, I've been waiting for you! 【Queen's Stage】 officially premieres today at ten. Today, they will shed their glory, start from zero, cross over into the world of runway modeling, and set sail on a new journey!】
Following that, she released a list of participants and individual posters for each one.
The comment section instantly exploded.
【???? 28 popular female stars??】
【Am I crazy or are you all crazy? Starting from zero? A crossover runway show? Sisters, are you serious???】
【Holy shit, ahhh, all my favorite side-idols are on the list! What kind of divine variety show is this, ahhhhh!】
【Did all the hottest and most talked-about artists in the entertainment industry show up??】
【Fuck, fuck, fuck, who the hell wants to watch some bullshit fashion show now? I want to watch the Queens!! Qi-Qi CP, go for it till I die, ahhhh!!】
【!! I can actually see this many stars in one show!?】
【Ahhh, damn! A divine supergroup! But wait, why aren't Xinran and Teacher Bai on the list!!! [Crying]】
【Don't get it, don't get it, don't get it. What does this mean? She gathered this group of people to walk a runway? Holy shit, is this Gu Xinran's tactic? Wei Yi's show next door is about to start, so she also gets people for a runway show to confront them head-on?】
【Damn it, to hell with Wei Yi! How can those models be as shippable as Qiong-Guo!】
【Gu Xinran is awesome!】
【Ahhh, it's starting, it's starting!!!】
Ye Nan scrolled through the comments and couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. In just five short minutes, there were over five hundred thousand comments, a million likes, and more than a hundred thousand shares.
Meanwhile, the livestream room was already packed with over five million people, and the number was still soaring. In contrast, the viewership for Wei Yi's livestream next door had plummeted, with fewer than five hundred thousand people remaining.
"Hiss… Xinran's business acumen is really something. No, on second thought, her personal connections are also incredible. To be able to invite all these top stars, she's really got some skills." Ye Nan was engrossed, clutching her phone.
Shi Qing glanced at her. "Bring it over here, let's watch together!"
"Oh, oh, oh~"
At ten o'clock sharp, the livestream went live, and Lin Guo's face appeared on the screen.
"Has it started already?" Lin Guo noticed the camera light suddenly turn on and immediately shifted back a little.
As the camera pulled back, the audience could see they were on a large bus, which was packed full of the most famous and popular stars of the moment!
Everyone started waving and greeting the camera, and the scene was, for a moment, quite harmonious.
The camera operator panned across them one by one, capturing everyone on screen.
"Hello everyone, I'm Lin Guo." Lin Guo sat up straight, waved at the camera, and greeted the audience. She was wearing a white poofy skirt with a suit jacket over it. When she was quiet, she had a bit of a cool sister vibe, but the moment she spoke, her cuteness shone through.
【Aww, aww, Guozi, Guozi! Mama loves you, hugs!】
【My baby is so cute!】
【Ooh, ooh, is Qin Qiong sitting next to her? Has my Qiong-Guo ship come true?】
The camera seemed to hear the audience's request and immediately focused on Qin Qiong.
"I'm Qin Qiong." Qin Qiong also greeted the camera. She was wearing a black formal dress. The two of them—one in black, one in white; one lively, one quiet—were a perfect match.
"On behalf of our vast audience, could I ask you two a question first?" The camera operator's face was written all over with gossip.
"Hmm?"
"Is the Qiong-Guo CP real?"
"? Get this camera operator out of here!" Lin Guo pointed at the bus window.
Everyone burst out laughing.
"Do you two know what you're here to do on this show?"
"A runway show," Lin Guo said.
"Have you ever walked a runway before?"
Qin Qiong shook her head. "No. I've played a similar role before, so for the character's sake, I learned a little about the modeling profession, but not much."
"Me neither. I thought that tearing off my existing labels and rediscovering myself would be interesting in itself, so I came."
Qin Qiong watched her silently from the side. "Tell the truth."
"…The boss forced me."
"Pfft…" The bus filled with laughter again.
【Hahahaha, 'the boss forced me' is so real.】
【Guozi is so cute, hahaha.】
【Qin Qiong, aren't you afraid Xinran will deal with you for exposing her like that? Hahaha.】
The camera shifted, and Qi Qiuyan and Qi Yuwei came into view.
The two of them politely greeted the camera.
"Sister Qiuyan, you rarely participate in variety shows. What made you decide to come this time?"
"Ah Wei said she thought it would be interesting and wanted to experience it, so I came with her," Qi Qiuyan replied with a smile, holding Qi Yuwei's hand the entire time. The two of them no longer shied away from the camera.
"Ooh~~ That's so doting~"
"Exactly, who are you trying to make jealous?"
The others all started to tease them.
"Sister Qihan never participates in variety shows. Don't tell me the boss forced you to come too?"
"Oh, she told me to come here to find a partner."
"???"
"Hey, me too!" Huo Jie and Shen Can said in unison. At the same time, the other single participants from Heart Entertainment also raised their hands. "Me too! Sister Ran said she organized this show to help me solve my lifelong singlehood, and she promised to invite the top-tier young ladies in the industry! She told me I had to make her proud!"
"??? Just how many people did she trick with that line?"
For a moment, the members of Heart Entertainment all started comparing their stories, while the artists from other companies exchanged glances and tacitly distanced themselves from the Heart Entertainment crowd.
"I get it now. This is Sister Ran's conspiracy. Heart Entertainment's secret weapon for development is recruiting husbands-in-law!"
"…?"
【What the hell, recruiting husbands-in-law, hahaha! Gu Xinran is a business genius! Heart Entertainment really struck gold with her!】
【So this is actually a matchmaking show?】
【Damn, to be honest, all the young ladies from Heart Entertainment are so gorgeous. Any two of them look good together. I can't ship them all, ahhhhh!】
【Me too!!】
【Holy shit, the viewership in this livestream has already passed ten million? The Wei Yi show next door has less than a hundred thousand now. Are you guys demons?】
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