Wang Zhi shrugged. "Let's get to work. Fei is about to become a writer."
On the morning of the fifteenth of the first lunar month, Lin Chudong opened his eyes and stretched, feeling refreshed.
As soon as he opened his eyes, a call came from Lin Qiqi.
"Da Fei, I bought you some candied haws. I'll be there soon, come downstairs!"
Lin Chudong rubbed his sleepy eyes. "Okay, I'll get up now."
He quickly washed his face, brushed his teeth, washed his hair, and shaved. The whole process took five minutes.
He pulled up the roller shutter door and saw that Lin Qiqi had been waiting outside for a while.
She carefully held a candied haw, quickly running inside.
Lin Qiqi wore a cute woolen hat, her little face flushed.
Smiling, she said, "Da Fei, look, candied haw."
Lin Chudong smiled and quickly rubbed his hands, placing them on Lin Qiqi's cheeks to warm them.
Lin Qiqi laughed, revealing her neat teeth. "Da Fei, eat quickly, you eat the front, I'll eat the back."
"Okay."
He took a bite of the candied haw, it was sweet and sour.
He hadn't eaten anything this morning, was eating a candied haw for breakfast okay?
Lin Qiqi looked at Lin Chudong expectantly, staring as he ate three of them, almost drooling.
"Qiqi, you eat it."
"Okay."
Lin Qiqi didn't gain any weight over the New Year, so it seemed this girl was quite disciplined at home.
Lin Qiqi ate the last candied hawthorn, biting it with her mouth, revealing half of it.
"Mmm~"
Da Fei was stunned for a moment, and his old face immediately turned red.
"Give it to me?"
Lin Qiqi nodded.
Lin Chudong swallowed, a little shy, and leaned in, taking a bite of the candied hawthorn from her mouth.
Lin Qiqi's eyes curved into crescents as she offered him half of the candied hawthorn.
"Dafei, is it sweet?"
"Sweet."
Lin Chudong took her to play in the ice and snow world, which was far inferior to the snow scenery of Northeast China, and they just took a cursory look.
Although the scenery was so-so, he was happy to be with Dafei.
"Aren't you going back to celebrate the Lantern Festival?"
Lin Qiqi shook her head, "No need. Everyone in my family is busy. Can I spend the Lantern Festival with you?"
"Alright, are you busy after the New Year?"
"Yes, Sister Song said I have to leave tomorrow."
Lin Qiqi is also a workaholic; filming is also her interest. However, what she hopes for more now is to be able to film with Da Fei.
The two of them rarely had a day off, and they played all day today, visiting an ice and snow world, shopping malls, and eating a lot of delicious food.
They played until seven in the evening, and the two of them, hand in hand, came to the company.
As soon as they entered, everyone immediately became excited.
Some employees had never seen Lin Qiqi before. There were rumors that Fei Ge and Lin Qiqi were having an affair. Now, it seemed that it was true! Lin Qiqi greeted everyone as if she was coming home.
Besides Lin Qiqi, there was also a newcomer, Bai Guixiang.
Bai Guixiang looked at the employee benefits package Liang Yin sent her and was quite tempted by it.
Da Fei had been incredibly popular recently; just the TV series Beginning showed the company's strength.
Da Fei productions were always top-notch.
Whether it was sketches, film and television, or variety shows, everything was a hit.
Moreover, their main business, singing, was still outstanding.
Bai Guixiang directly resigned from her iron rice bowl at the drama troupe and came to Modu to join them.
Lin Chudong shook hands with Bai Guixiang.
"Welcome to Liang Yin Media."
"Da Fei, you invited me to your company before, it wasn't just to get back at Teacher Mao, was it?"
Lin Chudong smiled. "Of course not. I genuinely admire you. There's a role in my next show that's perfect for you. It's the second female lead, and we'll start filming in a few days."
Liang Yin asked, "The Xiuqin role in Swordsman?"
"Yes!"
Although Xiuqin doesn't make it to the end, she's an extremely important character. Both Bai Guixiang's appearance and acting ability fit the role perfectly. Lin Chudong had already decided to cast her when he invited her.
Bai Guixiang finally relaxed. "That's good. I'm happy to join you."
Seeing Lin Qiqi also visiting, Bai Guixiang felt even more confident.
Such a big celebrity is associating with them. It shows that Da Fei is really quite capable.
Liang Yin had prepared a large pile of sunflower seeds, fruits, and snacks, arranging them in the office like a home theater.
"The Lantern Festival Gala is starting, everyone, come watch."
Su Yulin, as usual, came over to watch the show with them. Now, she didn't even bother to avoid it; anyway, Shen Jianbin wouldn't care, and couldn't even if he wanted to.
Everyone sat in front of the TV, watching the show begin.
Lin Qiqi asked, "Da Fei, how many programs do you have?"
"Three."
"Wow, that's amazing."
After the opening song and dance, the first program was Da Fei's "Where Has Time Gone."
The camera started with Da Fei's fingers playing the piano. Then, a special effect of a book appeared on the screen, opening to reveal Da Fei on the right and some photos of online users on the left.
Da Fei's piano skills were impeccable, Jing Feifei said while munching on a potato chip.
"Big Fei's legato is really steady," she said.
Wang Zhi said excitedly, "Shh, shh, my part's coming up soon!"
Wang Zhi had put a lot of thought into this Lantern Festival Gala.
Besides a cool hairstyle, he had also spent a long time practicing his smile in front of the mirror.
In the past, when musicians played instruments, they always had to make some expressions, which the professionals called guitar face.
It's inevitable to make such expressions when playing instruments. It's perfectly acceptable at music festivals or concerts, and is considered a way of showing off.
But during the gala, it's definitely necessary to maintain composure. A calm smile is the best performance.
At this moment, Wang Zhi was extremely excited, his expression seemed to say, "Don't move, I'm about to start showing off."
The camera switched to Dafei's face, as a melodious song began to play.
Liang Yin held her phone, as usual, watching the show and the comments.
Dafei's appearance at this moment caused the netizens to erupt.
"After fifteen days, I finally saw Dafei again!"
"Dafei is too strong. Did you see the program schedule? Dafei has three performances; that's awesome!"
"This time, hopefully, there won't be any more problems, like switching Dafei's program with someone else? Like what happened to Wu Bo last time?"
"Of course not, this is pre-recorded, it's already finished!"
"This song is so touching. I just came to work in another city, and Da Fei insisted I cry!" "Ugh, who can understand us forty-year-olds? We have elders above and children below. When we feel for our parents, we're also parents ourselves."
"It's tear-jerking. The Lantern Festival Gala is a bit ruthless; it starts with a knockout."
"I've seen the photos on the side online. They were all recorded by netizens. This song with these photos, it really tells a story."
"..."
Lin Chudong was also very satisfied with the program's effect.
CCTV's editing skills are still quite impressive. This song, paired with those photos full of life online, had an excellent effect, making people's noses ache even more.
The camera switched, and Chen Jianguo, Jing Feifei, Jia Lu, and Guo Xiaoliang all made an appearance.
Although it was just one long shot, everyone got their moment, which was considered Director Qiu's consideration for them.
The camera panned across, focusing only on the musicians; there wouldn't be any close-ups of them.
During the three-minute song, most of the screen time, apart from those photos, was dedicated to Lin Chudong.
After all, the star of the show was Da Fei, and everyone else was just supporting.
When the camera swept past Wang Zhi, Liang Yin and the others couldn't help but burst into laughter again.
This time, Wang Zhi was right in the middle. Of the five musicians, he was in the center, closest to Da Fei.
As a result, the lid of the grand piano blocked his face.
Although his hairstyle was visible, his face was completely obscured by the piano lid!
This was the only shot they got as musicians. The rest of the shots were blurred backgrounds. And yet, in this one crucial shot, his face was blocked by the piano.
Wang Zhi's face was ashen, and he looked like he was about to cry.
"Brother Fei, your CCTV is being too unfair!"
"Hey, does the bassist from Liang Yin Media have some connections? Why can't we see his face? Last time it was a replay, and this time it's a piano?"
"Definitely! A rich young master, or maybe an illegitimate son of a wealthy family. Anyway, he's got a mysterious identity that can't be revealed."
"That's not right, is it? Even Miss Jing is showing her face. Is this bassist's background even stronger than Miss Jing's?"
"Of course! I know him. His true identity is the King of Bass in Audition, the number one player in the entire server."
"Hahaha, the guy upstairs is killing me! What a mysterious identity!"
"You guys are such heartless bastards!"
Wang Zhi was scrolling through the comments, thumping his chest in frustration.
He immediately sent the video to his family group to explain himself.
As a result, his family all asked if he'd offended someone, that he must have offended some leader at CCTV!
Da Fei's opening act for this show was just too good.
The song and dance performances that followed, regardless of who performed them, seemed a bit lackluster in comparison.
"Can we fast forward through the other acts? Just want to see Da Fei's magic."
"And Da Fei and Teacher Zhao's skit at the end, there's nothing else worth watching."
"Da Fei's become a mainstay at CCTV now, that's awesome."
"..."
This song, Where Has Time Gone, once again earned him a lot of popularity, Liang Yin said.
"Da Fei, our official account has over ten million followers."
When they were filming Beginning, Da Fei had over five million followers, half of which were because of Beginning, and the other half because of I Am a Singer.
Now, his followers had reached ten million, which meant he was a star with his own traffic.
Although he couldn't compare to someone like Lee Chi-lam, who had over a hundred million fans, Da Fei was on the rise. Invitations were countless. As soon as the song ended, Liang Yin had already started answering calls. It was estimated that after tonight, there would probably be more invitations after work tomorrow.
Finally, everyone patiently watched the other programs and arrived at Lin Chudong's magic show.
When that coin fell, the netizens immediately erupted.
"Holy shit, that's amazing! I'm completely stunned. Is this magic, or is it fucking sorcery?"
"There are always people in this world who use the guise of magic to play with sorcery. Da Fei is one of those people."
"This is truly the most awesome magic trick I've ever seen. Even Sister Deng pales in comparison."
"Sorry, but I'm still staring intently at Sister Deng."
"Right, newbies watch Da Fei, but old perverts still have to appreciate Sister Deng."
"Wait! I see a flaw. What did Sister Deng say when she took the microphone?"
"It seems like she asked about the ring?"
"Is Sister Deng a plant?"
"Isn't this just tricking the audience?"
"Duh, it's fake to begin with. It's magic, you know? Use your brain when you watch."
"So magic can just rub the audience's IQ the wrong way? It's too fake, isn't it?"
"..."
In an instant, the fact that Deng Siqing was a plant for the magic trick ignited heated discussions online.
Liang Yin asked, "Da Fei, what's going on? What did Sister Deng say to you?"
Lin Chudong was helpless, "Sister Deng asked me about the ring. Because during the rehearsal, the ring was used first. Later, the director said that taking the egg first would be a better effect, so it was changed temporarily, and Sister Deng wasn't notified."
"Wow, the online discussion is intense. Won't there be any negative effects?"
Lin Chudong said, "What impact could this have? Magic itself is fake; the audience should understand."
Lin Chudong didn't bother to respond. The fact that this matter caused a heated discussion was, in a way, good publicity.
Let alone the fact that Sister Deng wasn't a plant, even if she was, it's still part of the magic act, and there's nothing to criticize.
After the magic show, most people were still very impressed, but for the next few dozen minutes, everyone was discussing whether Deng Siqing was a plant.
They even started discussing the rubber band trick from the Spring Festival Gala.
At such a close distance, could Deng Siqing not see the flaws? Subsequently, netizens dug up videos explaining how the rubber band trick was done. With this purely sleight-of-hand magic, even if you put your eyes right up to it, you wouldn't be able to see how it's done.
With Da Fei's skill, he wouldn't need to use plants at all.
Those are very basic magic tricks.
A magician online called Di Dijie immediately released a video discussing the ring-through-egg magic trick.
"Actually, people have different understandings of 'stooges'. Many times, magic tricks require the audience's cooperation."
"For example, you ask an audience member to think of a card. After you perform the trick, the audience member says they were indeed thinking of 'a card,' not a specific card."
"In this case, the magic trick is immediately declared a failure, essentially killed by the audience's jokes."
"We magicians have seen this situation many times, so we usually choose to have the host cooperate. We let the host choose a card, and then we guess. For example, if we guess it's the ten of diamonds, that's not considered using a stooge."
"However, if you tell the host in advance, 'When you choose a card, choose the ten of diamonds; I'll guess it later,' that is using a stooge."
"But based on Dafei's magic skill level, he wouldn't use such a low-level trick."
As soon as this video was released, it immediately received over a hundred thousand likes and hit the top of Douyin's trending list.
"Da Fei, someone's speaking up for us."
Lin Chudong glanced at it and said, "They're riding the coattails pretty well. Douyin has a lot of trending topics right now. Later, you should recruit some short video artists, and we'll try our hand in that market too."
"Alright."
Although the popularity of short videos relies heavily on luck, the operating costs are low. Just come up with a hot meme, and you should be able to get a lot of views.
As the program neared its end, Lin Qiqi became excited.
"Da Fei, your skit!"
She hadn't seen Da Fei perform a skit before; this was so new to her.
She had taught Da Fei acting before, after all. The actress had provided personal instruction, and now it was time to see how the results were!
-----------------------
Completed English PDF of this fan-fic on my Patreon shop if you want to support and own the full fan-fic in one go. Just grab the PDF and binge the entire story from start to finish!
Guys, I've uploaded some High Quality english translated fanfic on my Patreon shop! Feel free to check it out-if you're interested, you can grab a copy and support me there.
Here are a few titles of recently uploaded fanfics:
New Addition:
" You Refused to Side with the Villain—So Why Cry When I Let You Go? (18+) "
" Succubus Physique: I Really Am Surrounded by Beauties (18+) "
" Many Children, Many Blessings—Starting with the Willow Deity (18+) "
" My Filial Piety Could Never Possibly Go Wrong (18+) "
" I'm Clearly the Villain—Why Are All the Heroines Throwing Themselves at Me? (18+) "
" Trapped in Enemy Territory, the Female General Tells Me to Open My Mouth (18+) "
" Douluo: Flame Lance Chongli and Fallen Heart Flame Cheat (18+) "
" Adult Urban: Starting with Qiao Yingzi's Flaw (18+) "
" The Heavenly Demon Begins with Attribute (18+) "
" The Empress Granted Me a Marriage—The Yandere's Favorability (18+) "
" Oh No—The Monster Girl I Picked Up Can Only Recover Mana Through Me (18+) "
" It's Really Hard to Date a Senior (18+) "
Your support means a lot-thanks in advance, legends!
many more are available 55+
patreon.com/RoyalStories
(End of Chapter)