Such work comes without pay, but the reward isn’t the point—what matters is a positive image.
First, shoot the PSA, air it, then use the public’s feedback to negotiate with the fire bureau.
A high school student as a fire safety ambassador?
The fire bureau thought it sounded frivolous.
Yuan Fenghui listed Li Mengjiao’s advantages.
Popular, high-profile, good image, an honour student at a provincial key school, and a Rongcheng native.
With all these factors combined, what’s wrong with her being a fire safety ambassador?
In Taiwan, celebrities are often chosen as ambassadors for various campaigns, and Yuan Fenghui saw it as perfectly normal.
Of course, compared to those celebrities, Li Mengjiao lacked fame and was still a student, so the fire bureau’s hesitation was understandable.
But Li Mengjiao had her own strengths. Unlike seasoned stars, she had no messy scandals, her image as clean as a blank slate.
With the positive feedback from the PSA paving the way, Yuan Fenghui’s plan could easily gain traction if she struck while the iron was hot.
This wasn’t just about laying groundwork for an album release; Yuan Fenghui was building Li Mengjiao’s persona for a full-blown rise to fame. Even outsiders could see that Yuan Fenghui wasn’t content with just being Li Mengjiao’s album producer—she wanted to sign her, package her, and make her a star!
Wen Ying’s stroke of genius caught Professor Fang and Xu Mei off guard.
Professor Fang went to Manager Guan for an explanation, but Guan shrugged, “Sister Fang, this isn’t a resource from the company. Li Mengjiao isn’t signed with us. As long as her short film doesn’t cause negative impact, the company has no grounds to interfere.”
In theory, Rongcheng was Professor Fang’s turf.
If Yuan Fenghui could pull this off, why couldn’t Professor Fang?
Had Professor Fang made this move earlier, Li Mengjiao wouldn’t have had a chance to shine.
As Manager Guan said, the company had no control over whether Li Mengjiao shot a PSA. Besides, Guan wasn’t inclined to restrict her. If Professor Fang, provoked by this, used Station Chief Duan’s connections in Rongcheng to promote Xu Mei, Guan would be delighted.
The more popular Xu Mei became, the more the company benefited. Guan couldn’t lose either way.
Professor Fang was left speechless by Guan’s response.
Ask her husband for help? Station Chief Duan actually admired Yuan Fenghui’s tactics, “That woman’s got some skills.”
Duan wanted to poach her.
Hunan Province had launched a talent show, which Rongcheng Provincial TV initially looked down on, so Hunan partnered with Rongcheng City TV instead. The show became a hit, and Hunan TV rode the wave to fame, leaving Duan regretful.
Hunan TV had already registered the “Super Girl” brand, but that couldn’t stop other stations from launching similar talent shows. Duan wanted to poach Hunan TV’s entire team.
The chief director was Manager Guan’s wife, impossible to sway.
Since Guan had brought Yuan Fenghui from Taiwan, he clearly planned to rely on her heavily, so Duan set his sights on Yuan Fenghui.
Hearing her husband praise Yuan Fenghui, Professor Fang’s alarm bells rang, suspecting Yuan Fenghui of underhanded moves. Taiwan’s culture was open, and Yuan Fenghui’s reputation wasn’t great. If Yuan Fenghui did something outrageous, Professor Fang wouldn’t be surprised!
She told Pan Li to keep a close eye on Yuan Fenghui.
“If they’re in contact behind my back, report to me immediately.”
Pan Li was troubled, “I can watch Yuan Fenghui, but getting too close to Master wouldn’t be appropriate, would it?”
Pan Li meant she needed a legitimate reason, but this didn’t stump Professor Fang. If Yuan Fenghui could secure resources for Li Mengjiao, Professor Fang could do the same for Xu Mei!
“No worries, I’ll get Xu Mei on a few provincial TV shows. You handle the coordination with the station.”
Professor Fang was certain Pan Li wouldn’t refuse.
Pan Li had once had a chance to intern at the provincial station, with the prospect of a prestigious job there after graduation if she performed well.
Now, she was just Professor Fang’s assistant.
Professor Fang reassured her, “I see your hard work, and I won’t let you stay an assistant forever. I have plans for you.”
Pan Li agreed readily.
“Being your assistant forever wouldn’t be bad either. Who else would look out for me like you do?”
With Professor Fang’s approval, Pan Li started visiting the provincial station regularly, always bringing something for Station Chief Duan. Not only did Professor Fang rely on Pan Li, but Duan grew accustomed to having the young, considerate “understanding flower” around.
Under Professor Fang’s arrangements, Xu Mei appeared on two provincial TV shows, but they barely made a ripple.
Professor Fang couldn’t figure out what went wrong.
Li Mengjiao’s casual PSA had massive impact, while Xu Mei’s proper TV appearances garnered no attention. Why?
Professor Fang, not an industry insider, had musical expertise but no grasp of star-making. Yuan Fenghui knew the issue, but with Xu Mei now competing against Li Mengjiao, why would Yuan Fenghui help her?
Xu Mei herself figured the provincial TV shows weren’t good enough. She wanted to appear on Hunan TV’s top-rated variety show.
When Xu Mei made this request to Manager Guan, word leaked, and Yuan Fenghui seized the chance to push for Li Mengjiao, “If we’re going, let’s all go—do a talent show special.”
Yuan Fenghui even included Zhang Yangning.
On a variety show, Yuan Fenghui wasn’t worried about Li Mengjiao losing out.
Xu Mei tended to act poised on camera, Zhang Yangning went for a cool-girl vibe, but Li Mengjiao’s natural charm and quirky humour made her a standout for variety show appeal.
Manager Guan said he’d think about it, and Yuan Fenghui didn’t press.
While Professor Fang was trying to catch Yuan Fenghui slipping, a company called “Tianjiao Film” quietly registered in Rongcheng with a capital of 5 million, Wang Jun as its legal representative.
These matters were closely tied to Li Mengjiao but had little to do with Wen Ying.
The fire safety PSA was for promoting the “Shrimp King” physical store. If Li Mengjiao hadn’t starred, someone else would’ve.
Yuan Fenghui thought Li Mengjiao got a great deal, while Wen Ying felt “Shrimp King” was the one benefiting.
Hiring someone else to achieve the same effect would’ve cost “Shrimp King” a fortune!
Xu Mei’s commercial performance fees were already in the six figures, and Li Mengjiao’s popularity was no less. If she’d shot an ad for “Shrimp King,” charging tens of thousands wouldn’t be unreasonable.
Now, “Shrimp King” hadn’t spent a dime and gained massive publicity. If Wen Ying wasn’t satisfied, that’d be greedy.
After the PSA aired, not only did Li Mengjiao’s buzz grow, but foodies in Rongcheng dug up that “Shrimp King” was the filming location. Soon, the newly opened “Shrimp King” on Night Market Street was packed, with Wen Ying and the other shareholders pitching in to help.
Li Mengjiao had the most fans in Rongcheng, and they flocked to “Shrimp King” to check in. The crowd overwhelmed the flagship store’s capacity, forcing them to divert customers to Big Liu’s franchise.
Big Liu was grinning ear to ear, finally tasting the franchise benefits Wen Ying had promised.
Customers only cared about the “Shrimp King” brand. Both stores served the same dishes, with consistent quality and shared seasoning recipes, so people ate at whichever was closer.
Big Liu’s “Shrimp King” opened before the flagship store and reaped the same promotional benefits!
Shu’s Seafood Stall, meanwhile, had faded into obscurity on Night Market Street.
Chinese people love a crowd—the busier a place, the more they’ll queue up to eat.
Sadly, Shu Guobing didn’t live to see this.
Chen Ru and Wen Dongrong sneaked to Night Market Street to scope things out, finding “Shrimp King” thriving. The couple couldn’t muster a smile.
They’d wanted Wen Ying to quit business and focus on studies, but “Shrimp King” was only growing.
From a temporary stall to a physical store, now on TV.
With this momentum, how could it shut down?
Chen Ru wanted to pull rank as a parent, but after paying deposits on two houses, their savings were drained. She could order Wen Ying to stop, but how would Wen Ying’s financial losses be covered?
Broke and unable to assert parental authority.
“This monthly exam, her grades improved a bit,” Chen Ru muttered.
Though the progress was slow, she was indeed doing better each time, inching forward.
This left Chen Ru without the “neglecting studies” excuse.
A student improving with every exam was clearly diligent.
But if Wen Ying weren’t caught up in these distractions, wouldn’t she progress faster?
Wen Dongrong stood with his hands behind his back.
Being a parent was like working a job—you had to keep adjusting your mindset. If Wen Ying were too mediocre, Wen Dongrong would be more disappointed than anyone.
But Wen Ying as she was now, though she made it hard for him to play the stern parent, filled him with a deep sense of pride.
—No matter how outstanding, she’s still a Wen!
“Progress isn’t good enough?” Wen Dongrong asked Chen Ru.
Chen Ru glared, “You’re satisfied with this little improvement?!”
“Then what do you want? Tell her to aim for a top university?”
Wen Dongrong’s offhand remark hit Chen Ru’s sore spot.
She did want Wen Ying to aim for a top university!
In her youth, she hadn’t had today’s educational opportunities. Since Wen Ying had the conditions, why not strive for the best?
