Chapter 8

The phone buzzed with a series of messages.

Ji Xiaotong: (picture) (picture) (picture) (picture)

Ji Xiaotong: (How is it? Your heat period is coming soon, right? I think you like this type of alpha. Check it out, is it to your taste? Should I send you his WeChat?)

Fu Haitang first muted Ji Xiaotong’s notifications, then casually clicked on the messages, took a quick look, and her eyes nearly popped out!

All of them were provocative photos with bared chests and legs.

• (Are you crazy?)
• (I’m at work! You’re sending photos like this!)

Fu Haitang walked out of the conference room.

Ji Xiaotong: (I heard that omegas and alphas are people with strong desires. Your heat period is in two or three days. Aren’t you tempted?)

“Just making trouble.” Fu Haitang sighed, turned off her phone, and walked back into the conference room.

“The last one to arrive buys everyone coffee.” Ren Qing stood under the projector with her arms crossed, looking at Fu Haitang.

Fu Haitang’s foot was suspended in mid-air, caught between a rock and a hard place.

Ren Qing: “The meeting starts in three minutes. Teacher Fu, that’s enough time for you to order takeout for everyone, right?”

“Enough,” Fu Haitang said with a wry smile, holding up her phone to show it. “I’ll order it now.”

Damn it. The more perfect Fu Haitang’s gentle and intellectual smile was, the more terrifying it became. More than thirty cups of coffee, which cost her over seven hundred yuan in one go. She closed her eyes and paid with her fingerprint, secretly adding this amount to Ji Xiaotong’s tab in her mind.

“Late again. If she’s so good at acting, why didn’t she become a trainee?”

“Speak softer, she has connections!”

“Connections? I see she’s quite close to that Gu Jingjing from Class A. It’s hard to tell if she has connections or if she’s just sucking up to a rich person.”

“Shhh—”

Fu Haitang pretended not to hear the whispers and took her seat discreetly.

Ren Qing: “Does anyone have any good ideas for the pilot episode? Creative team?”

Fu Haitang was called upon again. In a flash, her mind ran through the top ten popular variety show pilot episodes and trailers from both home and abroad. She immediately organized her thoughts. “Perhaps we can imitate Country H and start from this point…”

Fu Haitang spoke at length for half an hour.

The other planners nodded in agreement. After all, when making a variety show, the most direct way to succeed is to directly copy a proven hit.

Fu Haitang closed her laptop and was about to sit down when Ren Qing spoke up: “You seem to have something else to say? If you have a better plan, you might as well bring it up directly.”

Her thumb rubbed the edge of the laptop. Fu Haitang looked around at the other planners, a little hesitant.

Ren Qing said, “When the station first planned to make a show, you were the one who proposed a girl group survival show. The station adopted this proposal, and the effect has been great. You can speak your mind if you have a new idea. No need to be coy.”

Fu Haitang: “…”

A month and a half ago, she went for an interview at the Gu family’s house. She was knocked down by Ji Xiaotong on the way and was late. Gu Jingjing was not going to hire her, but Fu Haitang used the knowledge she had from the system—that the TV station would be holding a survival show in half a month and that Gu Jingjing’s fiancé, Lu Jing, would be a mentor.

When it came to anything related to Lu Jing, Gu Jingjing’s attitude was always “better safe than sorry,” so Fu Haitang got the job at the Gu family.

But just three days later, Gu Jingjing got her a job at the TV station.

It was then that Fu Haitang found out that the station had no plans to create a survival show. The higher-ups’ idea was to focus on two hit dramas during the summer prime time.

Gu Jingjing put pressure on her every day, making her take singing, dancing, and body management classes. If the station didn’t have this survival show, her two-hundred-yuan-a-month undercover job at the TV station would be gone.

So, as a newly hired intern, Fu Haitang gritted her teeth and proposed the survival show in the conference room.

Of course, as soon as the words “girl group” came out, Fu Haitang was immediately dismissed.

Just as Fu Haitang was in despair, things suddenly took a turn.

Green Channel launched a project to hold a nationwide audition show in the fall. It had been in preparation for over three months, and it was announced in advance to encourage young people aged 18-25 to sign up.

The topic trended on Weibo for three days. It’s worth noting that it had been a long time since a survival show aired in the domestic entertainment scene, ever since the crackdown this year.

Two days later, the station made a decision, and an emergency notice was issued to immediately hold a girl group audition.

As a result, Green Channel’s week-long trending topic became free marketing for Station A. Although Station A received countless criticisms, it took only a month to complete the auditions and the construction of the filming location.

Fu Haitang was also promoted to a team leader, but she knew that a fast promotion could also lead to a fast demotion. She had taken advantage of her prior knowledge before, but what about this time?

Fu Haitang was a little hesitant.

“Why aren’t you speaking now?”

“Speak softer. If she comes up with another good idea, you’ll be blown away, won’t you? Look at how much Sister Qing values this newcomer.”

“Sister Qing is an alpha. Could she be interested in this newcomer?”

“Shhh!”

The voices were harsh, but no one stopped them.

Fu Haitang was about to speak.

The book in her mind opened.

[…At 11:15, it was Fu Yilan’s turn. There were nine girls from nine classes. The show’s theme song was called “Hey, Girl.” The style of the music and dance was a typical girl group style—cute, energetic, with many playful little details. During rehearsals, Fu Yilan was repeatedly pointed out by Lu Jing for her expression management problems.

Fu Yilan didn’t like to smile.

Chen Na knew her problem. Before she went on stage, she grabbed Fu Yilan. “Remember to smile! Smile sweetly! You can definitely get the C position!”

Fu Yilan moved the corner of her mouth.

“I told you to smile, why are you twitching the corner of your mouth?” Chen Na was speechless.

Fu Yilan forced a smile that wasn’t a smile: “I am smiling.”

Chen Na: “…Are you smiling?”

Just then, it was Fu Yilan’s turn. The close-up shot panned over, and Fu Yilan gave the camera an impatient warning: “I’m smiling.”

“…”

Fu Yilan never expected this conversation to be later edited by fans into a parody video, with the text and audio “Smiling is a form of politeness.”

For a while, the popularity of this meme was even higher than her own. This viral moment gave the production team a lot of inspiration, and they edited many other beautiful girls into parody videos, gradually establishing a name for domestic “abstract girl groups.” But this is a story for later, so we’ll leave it at that.]

“Fu Haitang!” Ren Qing rapped on the table. “I told you to propose an idea, what are you laughing about?”

Fu Haitang: “Sorry.”

Ren Qing: “If you have no ideas, sit down! Everyone else, brainstorm for ten minutes—”

Fu Haitang: “No need for ten minutes!”

Ren Qing: “Speak!”

Fu Haitang smiled and said, “I’ve been following the trainees for a few days, and I’ve found their personalities to be quite interesting. We could select some funny moments and edit them into…”

“Isn’t that just a short video?” Someone immediately interrupted Fu Haitang. “We are a variety show. We want to create the number one girl group in the country, not spend so much manpower and resources to create internet celebrities.”

“If you want to create internet celebrities, why not just let these omegas do suggestive dances? Someone like that Fu Yilan, isn’t it easy for her to become popular?”

“Haha, but seriously, that Fu Yilan really isn’t any less than a top-tier actress.”

Even sitting in a bright and clean office building, the alphas’ malicious nature remained. Fu Haitang’s eyes showed a hint of disgust. She took a breath and raised her voice: “The short video market isn’t necessarily worse than traditional TV. Many internet celebrities have higher commercial value than artists. If they can become popular, why can’t our artists?”

“With a show of 99 people, each person won’t get more than two minutes of screen time in a three-hour episode! The probability of us making someone popular is just too low!” Fu Haitang said.

The chatter grew louder. Ren Qing didn’t stop them, so the opposition grew even more.

Fu Haitang: “I know what the editing team means. You are all professionals. Editing, camera sense, and how to tell a story are not difficult for you. It’s just that the workload is too great, and you’re unwilling to do it.”

The editing team gradually fell silent.

Fu Haitang: “I’m done speaking.”

A few minutes later, Ren Qing stood up. “Are there any better proposals?”

Sini said, “Let’s add a pilot episode with a two-minute individual introduction for each person, filming the reason they joined the show, preferably with a little story about their family background. A few tears would definitely resonate with the audience.”

Fu Haitang scoffed. Her phoenix eyes narrowed, and the uncontrollable smile was hidden beneath her long lashes: “Isn’t that the same filming technique as ‘If You Are the One’ from ten years ago?”

Everyone: “…”

“Playing the sympathy card isn’t in style anymore,” Fu Haitang said. “The audience won’t like a stranger crying to them. Besides, these girls come from wealthy and powerful families; this approach isn’t suitable for them.”

Sini: “Then let’s introduce their companies! And the bosses behind them. The bosses are famous!”

Fu Haitang: “The most famous ones are either boycotted by the whole internet or are known for changing women like clothes. Once we announce it, it will only bring bad publicity and slut-shaming to the girls.”

Sini shrugged and sat back down: “You have a point.”

Fu Haitang: “I’m done speaking.”

Ren Qing: “Does anyone else have anything to say?”

Liang Fang from Creative Team A stood up: “This proposal sounds good, but it seems to have no concrete direction. I think the feasibility is low, and this kind of editing is fragmented and not conducive to…”

“I have a different opinion.” Fu Haitang stood up.

Ren Qing tapped the table. “Didn’t you say you were done?”

Fu Haitang smiled: “Compared to the trainees’ backgrounds and their ambitions, I think the gossip in the practice rooms and about the girls is more of a selling point.”

Ren Qing didn’t speak, so Fu Haitang spoke even more boldly: “For example, ‘The Girl Group’s Legend of Zhen Huan.'”

“Hiss!”

Someone in the creative team gasped.

“That’s definitely a selling point, but isn’t that Mango TV’s editing style?”

“What’s wrong with Mango TV? If it gets a lot of discussion, just copy it!”

“…The whole show is a copy anyway, so why be afraid of this?”

Ren Qing tapped the table: “Watch your words. It’s not copying; it’s a business battle.”

Fu Haitang continued to speak boldly: “The audience is tired of harmonious content. The selling point that the audience enjoys is always something with impact. Besides, they’re only newcomers. Even if the station offends a few of them for the sake of the show’s effect, it won’t matter!”

Everyone: “…”

The whole room was silent for half a minute.

Fu Haitang: “I’m done speaking.”

Ren Qing: “I still prefer the feeling of girl groups being more about truth, goodness, and beauty. Scheming? I don’t like it.”

Fu Haitang: “It’s not scheming; it’s portraying their ambition.”

Ren Qing placed the folder on the table. She looked at Fu Haitang deeply and asked, “Are you suggesting we portray their ugly faces, only caring about their own interests?”

Fu Haitang met Ren Qing’s gaze, neither humble nor arrogant: “It might still be a great selling point.”

Ren Qing smiled, then threw the folder in her hand in front of Fu Haitang. “I want you to write a separate proposal and hand it to me at the morning meeting tomorrow.”

“Also,” Ren Qing announced, “the editing for the first episode will be done according to what Fu Haitang said. I want to see the final cut within two days. The on-site planners will coordinate more with the editors to shorten the production schedule.”

Everyone: “Understood.”

“Meeting adjourned!”

People started leaving the conference room. Sini patted Fu Haitang’s shoulder and said, “Congratulations, great planner.”

Fu Haitang let out a sigh of relief. Sini walked with her out of the conference room, still confused: “You’re a junior planner who just got a permanent position a half a month ago. Where did you get the courage to talk so much in a meeting with more than thirty people?”

“Must be a song called ‘Courage,'” Fu Haitang said.

Sini: “That’s a terrible joke. It’s not funny at all.”

Fu Haitang returned to her desk, let out a long sigh, and opened her computer to work overtime. She sent a message to Ji Xiaotong saying she wouldn’t be going home tonight, and the thought of renting a place was also dropped at this moment. Being this busy, there was no need to spend a large amount of money on a room where she would only stay for four or five hours a day.

…

The group stage ended, and the mentors announced the results on-site. Fu Yilan missed out on the C position due to a series of mistakes during the official performance.

At 1 a.m., all the trainees finished filming and returned to their dorms to rest.

“Yilan, it’s a shame, but don’t be sad.” Chen Na comforted Fu Yilan. “Don’t be discouraged. You can stay with me tonight so you don’t get too tired from commuting.”

Fu Yilan shook her head: “I promised the coffee shop owner I would watch the shop for her, and I’m not used to living with others.”

After saying goodbye to Chen Na, Fu Yilan returned to the coffee shop. She took over from her colleague and thought there would be no more customers, but the wind chime on the door jingled a few times.

“Welcome…” Fu Yilan stopped speaking, looking at the person who came in with an unfriendly gaze.

Fu Haitang walked in with her laptop tucked under her arm. “Coke with extra ice, and a burger without mustard.”

Fu Yilan: “We’re closed.”

Fu Haitang: “Isn’t this place open 24 hours?”

Fu Yilan: “Order rejected.”

Fu Haitang reached out and grabbed the QR code on the table, noticing the small line below that said, “In case of an emergency, please contact the owner.” She said, “Then I’ll contact the owner.”

A hot hand covered hers. Fu Yilan took a step back: “Coke refills are free.”

Fu Haitang happily found a seat. She was wearing a pair of slippers. Fu Yilan turned to look at her and noticed that Fu Haitang had replaced her shark clip with a black hair tie. Her hair was loosely tied in a low ponytail, and the top two buttons of her shirt were undone, revealing her collarbones.

Without high heels, she was almost the same height as her. Around 168 cm, a height that wasn’t very intimidating. She had taken off her plain glasses, and there were two dark circles under her eyes, making her look droopy and tired. Much of her sharp, urban aura was gone.

“Here you go.” Fu Yilan brought the food over and asked, “How old are you?”

Fu Haitang was looking at her phone, fully absorbed. She didn’t answer Fu Yilan’s question. Three seconds later, her tired face lit up, and she snapped her fingers, saying, “And one more coconut cake, please. Thank you.”

Gu Jingjing: (The other party transferred 100,000 to you.)

Gu Jingjing: (Well done.)

Three minutes later.

On the table were two coconut cakes, a cup of Coke, and a cup of milk.

The QR scanner was right in front of her. With a beep, it deducted almost a hundred yuan from Fu Haitang. A vein on Fu Haitang’s forehead throbbed. “I didn’t say I was treating you.”

Fu Yilan sat on the high stool next to Fu Haitang. She forked a small piece of cake and fed it into her mouth with an extremely exaggerated gesture, her eyes provocative.

Fu Haitang stared at her small pink lips, neat white teeth, and the tip of her tongue scraping away the cream, then moved her gaze up to Fu Yilan’s eyes.

Fu Yilan glanced at Fu Haitang’s phone and reminded her: “You have a text message.”

Ren Qing: (I ordered some late-night food for you. Are you not in the office?)

Fu Haitang immediately replied: (I’ll be right back. I can go pick up the takeout by myself.)

Ren Qing was the supervisor and often bought coffee for colleagues working overtime. Fu Haitang occasionally got the task of distributing the takeout.

Ren Qing: (I only ordered for you. Be discreet, got it?)

Fu Haitang: (Huh?)

“Huh?” Fu Yilan repeated her reply, amused. “Huh?”

She imitated her like a parrot: “Huh?”

Fu Haitang: “…What are you doing?”

“This Ren Qing is an alpha, right?” Fu Yilan asked.

Fu Haitang: “Yes.”

“Is she your partner for this heat period?” Fu Yilan asked.

Fu Haitang: “Don’t talk nonsense.”

“The scent on you is about to overflow,” Fu Yilan said mischievously. “Don’t you know?”

Fu Haitang: “…”

Fu Yilan: “There’s a place to shower in the back. The cake and milk are my thank-you gift for troubling me.”

Fu Haitang’s face felt a little hot. She just remembered she didn’t have any toiletries. “I…”

“Wear my clothes.” Fu Yilan interrupted her.

The words were unnecessarily suggestive. Fu Haitang chewed on them in her mind a couple of times, then savored them with her teeth and tongue before saying, “Wear yours? Are they clean?”