Accidentally Sold Myself (Rebirth) - Chapter 16

16: The System is Upgrading

Luo Ningshuang’s brows were tightly furrowed, her eyes filled with disgust as she directly pressed the speakerphone to answer the call.

“Luo Ningshuang, not bad. I originally planned to catch you off guard, but I didn’t expect you to gather so much capital in just one night. Looks like I underestimated you.”

How could she have gathered so much capital in such a short time? It was merely a coincidence. If the Xiao family had made their move a few days later, after her funds had been disbursed, she would’ve had to beg for help.

Luo Ningshuang let out a cold laugh, saying impatiently, “Did you call just to tell me this?”

“Of course not, Ningshuang. You know how much I like you, how much I love you. For you, I almost fell out with my dad. Tell me, all these years, have I ever treated you poorly? Whatever resources I had, I gave them to you first. But you? You went and got married without a word. Where does that leave me?”

Upon hearing this, Gu Xi nearly gagged. Professing love with words while doing things that hurt her—this wasn’t love; it was just possessiveness and a desire for control. Better off without it.

“Luo Ningshuang, for old times’ sake, I’ll give you one last chance. Come back to me, and I’ll let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, I’ll make sure the entire LS and your little lover go down with you.”

Luo Ningshuang wasn’t intimidated, exuding a sharp aura. “She’s not my lover—she’s my wife, Luo Ningshuang’s wife. If you want to swallow LS, let’s see if you have the stomach for it.”

“Heh, the Xiao family may not have much, but we have money. Luo Ningshuang, you’ve disappointed me. To think I waited for you so long. Hah, I should’ve just taken you back then. Since you’re so stubborn, I won’t hold back.”

Gu Xi, listening to this, was speechless. Were all rich people this narcissistic? Not entirely, it seemed—at least the Luo family was an exception!

Luo Ningshuang suddenly laughed twice, then said calmly, “Xiao Feng, you’ve got some nerve. Let me make this clear: if you want to play, I’ll take you on to the end.”

“You…”

Luo Ningshuang didn’t bother listening to him anymore. After hanging up, she immediately blocked his number.

Seeing Luo Ningshuang’s troubled expression, Gu Xi was about to offer some comfort when Luo Ningshuang relaxed her brows and smiled. “Gu Xi, let me ask you. Based on what you just said, where should an actor start? You know, AC Entertainment basically controls most of the popular stars, while Blue Sky Entertainment doesn’t have many outstanding actors. If the Xiao family catches wind of my intentions, they’ll definitely stop me from signing good actors. What would you do in this situation?”

Gu Xi put down her chopsticks, puffed out her chest confidently, and said, “Simple—train new talent. While veteran actors are excellent, audiences are starting to experience aesthetic fatigue. New actors aren’t necessarily less talented; they just lack opportunities to shine. We can give them that chance.”

Luo Ningshuang frowned, pondering. “I understand what you’re saying, but these newcomers lack exposure. Audiences might not buy it, and training them takes too much time. I don’t have that kind of time.”

Gu Xi explained, “It doesn’t always take a long time. Once we sign them, we can collaborate with Blue Sky Entertainment to produce a reality show for new actors. It’ll showcase their acting skills, boost their exposure, and, if we’re lucky, make some money…”

Hearing this, Luo Ningshuang looked up and gazed deeply at Gu Xi. Her eyes were so profound that Gu Xi felt her heart skip a beat, as if she were being seen through.

Luo Ningshuang said slowly, “Gu Xi, why are you so confident? It’s like you know how the future will unfold.”

Gu Xi froze, feeling a lump in her throat. She couldn’t exactly say she’d died once and been reborn, could she? Her mind raced as she said, “Some people can accurately predict trends, right? I used to be a bit of a shut-in and loved keeping up with entertainment gossip to pass the time, so I’m pretty sensitive to these things.”

Seeing Luo Ningshuang still scrutinizing her, Gu Xi nervously clutched the hem of her shirt, feeling as though her lie had been seen through. It wasn’t until Luo Ningshuang said, “Go on,” that she breathed a sigh of relief.

But Gu Xi didn’t dare blurt out everything anymore. Instead, she said, “How about this? If you trust me, I’ll handle picking the actors. But if I pull it off, you’ve got to give me a raise.”

Gu Xi wasn’t sure if Luo Ningshuang would trust her—after all, they hadn’t known each other long. But as long as she could shift her attention, that was enough, even if the method was a bit clumsy.

“Oh, a raise? How much do you want?” Luo Ningshuang teased. With her intelligence, how could she not see through Gu Xi’s little scheme?

Gu Xi hesitated for a moment. She didn’t know what amount was appropriate, so she casually gestured a 4 and said, “40,000. You give me 40,000 a month.”

Luo Ningshuang burst out laughing. “I thought you’d aim higher. Fine, no problem. I’ll leave the actor selection to you. But before that, I need to acquire a management agency first.”

Gu Xi hadn’t expected her to actually entrust her with such a big task. It wasn’t a small matter, especially given the current situation. She wouldn’t let this trust go to waste.

“Didn’t you say you were out of money? How are you going to acquire anything?” Gu Xi asked.

Luo Ningshuang finished her last bite of food, put down her chopsticks, and said, “Someone will deliver it.”

“Huh? Who?” Gu Xi asked, puzzled, her eyes following Luo Ningshuang as she stood up.

Luo Ningshuang didn’t answer. Instead, she said, “Leave the lunchbox there; someone will clean it up. I need to draft a proposal now. You do your own thing.”

Hmph, so she’s saying not to bother her? Used and discarded—just like a scumbag. Gu Xi had no intention of disturbing her anyway.

Gu Xi shoveled a couple of bites of food into her mouth, muttering under her breath, “Think you’re the only one who’s busy? I’m busy too, hmph. Time to write.”

Logging into Jinjiang, she received a system email.

Ding! System Task: Successfully sign new actors and increase their exposure. Reward: 10 Luck Points. (Task Status: Incomplete)

Ding! Activate Weibo. Let your book fans and haters get to know you through Weibo! Reward: 1 Luck Point. (Task Status: Incomplete)

Total Accumulated Luck Points: 1/100

Friendly System Reminder: The higher your Luck Points, the more good fortune those close to you will receive.

System Upgrade Notice: Due to the inconvenience caused by requiring the author to log into Jinjiang to check task progress, an additional 1 Luck Point has been awarded as compensation.

Total Accumulated Luck Points: 2/100

Gu Xi was thrilled—happiness came too suddenly! She never used Weibo and didn’t have time to manage it, nor did she know what to post or do.

After downloading Weibo and fiddling with it for a while, she finally linked it to her profile.

She checked her emails again to see if the task was completed, but every time she clicked, the system crashed. After a few tries, she gave up.

So this was the inconvenience the system mentioned. Gu Xi could only hold back her impatience and focus on writing.

At that moment, Luo Ningshuang’s phone rang. She glanced at it with a frown, saw it was Mo Yuze, and hung up immediately.

But soon, the phone rang again. Luo Ningshuang hung up once more, thinking that should be the end of it—Mo Yuze knew her temper, after all.

“Buzz buzz.” The phone vibrated again. Luo Ningshuang answered with clear displeasure, her tone icy. “Mo Yuze, you know I hate being disturbed while working. You’d better have a good reason.”

“Luo Ningshuang, Lady Luo, can I crash at your place for a couple of days?” Mo Yuze’s voice carried a trace of fear.

But who was Luo Ningshuang? She couldn’t care less, especially not these days. “No way. Hide wherever you want, just don’t call me again.”

After hanging up, she dove back into her work.

Gu Xi pursed her lips, silently mourning for Mo Yuze. Calling at a time like this—wasn’t that just asking for trouble?

Checking the time, she saw the stock market was about to close. It seemed they’d made it through the day.

Just as Gu Xi relaxed and prepared to update her chapter, her phone rang. Luo Ningshuang glanced at her but said nothing.

Gu Xi quickly answered, letting out a small breath before whispering, “What’s up?”

Mo Yuze’s tone was anxious. “Gu Xi, darling, please, please, let me stay with you for a few days. Can I have your room?”

Yeah, right. No way was she sharing a bed with Luo Ningshuang again. Still whispering, she said, “No can do. Didn’t you hear Luo Ningshuang just say no? Why are you calling me now?”

“Ugh, I don’t want to, but I got drunk yesterday and… ugh, it’s a long story. Anyway, Ningshuang said to hide somewhere else, so I’m hiding with you. Tonight, just whisper a little pillow talk, and she’ll definitely agree. Please, please, save me—I know you’re the best.”

Pillow talk? She’d probably get herself killed trying. But hearing Mo Yuze’s desperate tone, it seemed serious, and Gu Xi couldn’t bear to refuse. “I’ll help you, but I’m not sharing a room with her. Either you bunk with me, or you take the couch. No other options. Deal?”

“Fine, fine, fine! As long as I can hide out for a few days, I’ll sleep on the floor if I have to. It’s settled then—I’ll come over tonight. Make sure you tell Luo Ningshuang, or she’ll skin me alive if I show up unannounced.”

Gu Xi sighed. She was scared too, but since she’d agreed, she had to face the music. “Got it. I’m hanging up now.”

“Thanks, Gu Xi! Love you!”

Love you, my foot. Gu Xi glanced at Luo Ningshuang, feeling conflicted. After slowly updating her chapter, she got up and cautiously approached her, step by step.

Might as well get it over with. Gu Xi steeled herself, knocked on the desk, and when Luo Ningshuang looked up in confusion, Gu Xi pursed her lips and said, “Mo Yuze’s coming over tonight. I’ve already agreed.”

Luo Ningshuang had mostly finished organizing her documents. She stood up and nodded. “Alright, I know. Let’s go to Chenghuang Hotel first.”

Gu Xi was dumbfounded. Just moments ago, Luo Ningshuang had been ready to tear Mo Yuze apart over the phone, and now she agreed so easily?

“What are you standing there for? Hurry up.” Luo Ningshuang said, finding Gu Xi’s dazed expression rather cute.

“Oh, uh, right!”

Chenghuang Hotel was a property under the Luo family’s name, having hosted countless dignitaries and celebrities. Only those with significant status dined there.