Hu Man wasn’t in Liang Dan’s office.
Taking advantage of the scandal’s momentum, Hu Man was rushing to release a new album and had been busy with it lately.
To facilitate the publicized romance with Yu Tianlin, Hu Man had been staying in Hunan recently. For her new album, she naturally needed Huang Yongjuan’s help.
There was a reason Huang Yongjuan, despite his long-time crush on Hu Man, could never make it official. He had no principles when it came to her. Though he disapproved of her fake romance with Yu Tianlin, the moment Hu Man asked, Huang Yongjuan rushed from Beijing to Hunan at top speed.
*Galaxy and You* had aired for two days, losing in ratings to *Love Cruise*. Despite the loss, the theme song composed and sung by Zhang Yangning received constant praise. Hu Man’s assistant even discovered that just two days after the drama’s premiere, the theme song was available as a ringtone for download and quickly informed Hu Man.
Hu Man sneered, “The song is indeed well-written. It’s a pity a newcomer like Zhang Yangning sang it!”
Every creator has their golden period. As a top music producer, Huang Yongjuan had once crafted chart-topping hits for Hu Man. But in recent years, whether due to creative burnout or not, his albums for her lacked their former glory.
Hu Man knew Huang Yongjuan’s creative golden period was over!
Fortunately, his production skills remained. If they could find a few suitable songs, Hu Man’s album still had a shot at becoming a bestseller.
Initially, Hu Man had high hopes for the theme song Zhang Yangning wrote for *Galaxy and You*. Too bad neither Zhang nor Tianjiao appreciated her interest!
With Zhang Yangning singing, the song already garnered such praise. If Hu Man had sung it, what a sensation it would have been?
Huang Yongjuan, overhearing Hu Man at the door, tried to console her, “Manman, what’s done is done. Let it go, okay? I promise, for this new album, I’ll do my utmost to find you some great songs.”
“Let it go? My focus is on the new album!”
Hu Man’s words lacked sincerity.
Huang Yongjuan sighed helplessly.
Back when he abruptly quit producing *Galaxy and You*’s soundtrack album, he left Tianjiao scrambling to find a replacement. Huang Yongjuan felt guilty, but since Tianjiao managed to release the album on schedule, his guilt eased slightly.
He bought a copy and listened carefully. The album’s style was very different from his own. The replacement was a renowned producer from Taiwan, with accolades matching Huang’s stature.
But this significantly increased the production costs for *Galaxy and You*’s soundtrack.
This became a debt Huang Yongjuan didn’t like to mention, yet Hu Man kept bringing it up, “That Yuan Fenghui is cunning. She spread word that the album couldn’t be completed, but it still launched on time—”
“Manman!”
Huang Yongjuan, rarely stern, cut her off, and Hu Man finally fell silent.
Hu Man was unaware that something even less likely than winning the lottery was about to happen.
At the same time, Liang Dan’s office was steeped in silence.
Yu Tianlin never directly commented on whether *Galaxy and You* was good, leaving Cao Bo uneasy.
Maybe he should watch *Galaxy and You* tonight?
Cao Bo couldn’t worry about contributing to the rival’s ratings anymore.
A tiny bit of viewership wouldn’t affect the big picture. If *Galaxy and You* did surpass *Love Cruise*, it definitely wouldn’t be because of Cao Bo’s contribution!
…
As the competitors finally realized they needed to check out *Galaxy and You*, Wen Ying and Yuan Fenghui didn’t give them much time to think, launching a decisive strike!
On July 5, after *Galaxy and You* had aired four episodes on Eastern TV and was set to premiere on Zhejiang Satellite TV that evening, Wen Ying and Yuan Fenghui executed their pre-planned counterattack.
Yuan Fenghui took Li Mengjiao out of town, while Wen Ying stayed at Tianjiao to oversee operations, temporarily managing Li Mengjiao’s blog.
On the blog, Zhang Guangzhen was still tearing into Yu Tianlin’s fans, relentlessly criticizing *Love Cruise*.
At 2 p.m., Wen Ying posted an update on Li Mengjiao’s blog:
“Over a year after my debut, I’ve taken on a very meaningful job!”
What?
Jiaojiao updated her blog!
Li Mengjiao had been quiet since *Galaxy and You*’s premiere, but now she suddenly mentioned a new job.
Wen Ying, Yun Chen, and Zhang Yangning immediately reposted the blog with “Congratulations!” This synergy among Tianjiao’s four stars not only caught fans’ attention but also alerted the blog’s portal site, which quickly contacted Yuan Fenghui, “We’re old friends. Got any exclusive news for us?”
Online media were far more sensitive than traditional outlets. Tianjiao indeed had exclusive news, but not for the portal.
Yuan Fenghui politely declined, “Next time, we’ll collaborate on something like this!”
Li Mengjiao’s “new job” suspense didn’t keep fans waiting long. During the ad break before the CCTV news broadcast, Li Mengjiao’s “commercial” appeared out of nowhere, stunning countless viewers!
Wait, it wasn’t a commercial—it was a fire safety PSA.
Wow, Jiaojiao’s made it big, airing a fire safety PSA on CCTV?
Fans flooded Li Mengjiao’s blog with comments, praising her achievement, half proud, half teasing. Some asked about her exam results, others cheered for *Galaxy and You*, saying temporary ratings didn’t matter.
“Jiaojiao shot a fire safety PSA? That’s such a meaningful job. No wonder Yun Chen and the others congratulated her.”
“Another day to be proud of Jiaojiao!”
“Tonight, *Galaxy and You* adds another station. I’ll watch the latest episodes on Eastern TV and tune my bedroom TV to Zhejiang Satellite TV to boost its ratings! Have you seen that *Love Cruise*? What a flop. Those newspapers hyping it and bashing *Galaxy and You* have no taste!”
“*Love Cruise* is definitely a flop. Didn’t you see Teacher Zhang Guangzhen disown it as his script? The plot’s awful, just Yu Tianlin showing off. What’s the appeal? If I want to see someone cool, I’ll watch Yun Chen. No, Yun Chen is genuinely handsome, perfect as an elite heir or idol star!”
“You’re all right, but let me remind you, ratings aren’t calculated that simply~”
“I’ll keep watching new episodes on Eastern TV and have my parents start from the beginning on Zhejiang Satellite TV!”
Wang Shuang scrolled through the comments on Li Mengjiao’s blog, new ones appearing with every refresh.
None of the fans or netizens guessed correctly.
Wang Shuang felt the thrill of being the only one in the know.
Mrs. Wang, unimpressed by her son’s smugness, delivered a reality check, “Don’t laugh at others. You didn’t figure it out at first either!”
“Don’t blame me; you all kept me in the dark.”
Wang Shuang weakly defended himself.
Mrs. Wang rolled her eyes.
Only a handful at Tianjiao knew about this. Though a shareholder, Wang Shuang wasn’t on the list. Yuan Fenghui didn’t trust him, fearing he’d spill the beans.
To land a big blow on Yu Tianlin’s team, they needed secrecy with no time for reaction.
Mrs. Wang twisted the knife, “It’s because you’re not strong enough. If you were, Yuan would’ve told you first, not Wen Ying.”
That was the truth.
Wang Shuang’s face reddened, unable to retort.
Being weak and loud wouldn’t help; he had to work to get stronger.
Wen Ying didn’t join the mother-son bickering. After posting the blog, she was free. Everything was planned; she just pressed the “start” button, now waiting for the explosion.
When the news broadcast aired, fans and netizens learned what Li Mengjiao’s new job was.
“The Ministry of Public Security’s Fire Department held a signing ceremony in Beijing today, appointing renowned singer Le Weiwen and artist Li Mengjiao as National Fire Safety Ambassadors, hoping they’ll encourage public participation in fire safety and enhance societal fire prevention capabilities…”
A brief report, a fleeting news clip, showed Le Weiwen and Li Mengjiao receiving their “National Fire Safety Ambassador” certificates.
So, this was Li Mengjiao’s new job!
Not just shooting a PSA, but becoming a National Fire Safety Ambassador?
—Holy cow, Jiaojiao’s made it big!
Le Weiwen, a veteran singer of talent and virtue, was no surprise as an ambassador. But Li Mengjiao, with her limited experience, being chosen alongside Le Weiwen?
Why was Li Mengjiao selected?
Everyone watching the news had this question.
Her fans were ecstatic, while her detractors were curious.
Regardless of how she was chosen, the news proved one thing: Li Mengjiao was an officially recognized artist with no scandals.
On one side, Yu Tianlin with his Hu Man scandal.
On the other, an officially endorsed clean artist.
Many neutral viewers immediately leaned toward one choice: if watching TV, they’d check out Li Mengjiao’s new drama!
July 3: *Galaxy and You* premiered on Eastern TV with a 2.12% rating.
July 4: *Galaxy and You* on Eastern TV hit 2.96%.
July 5: *Galaxy and You* premiered on Zhejiang Satellite TV with 2.47%, while airing episodes 5 and 6 on Eastern TV, reaching… 3.51%!
Liang Dan’s judgment was wrong. Zhejiang Satellite TV’s simulcast didn’t dilute *Galaxy and You*’s existing Eastern TV ratings; instead, Eastern TV’s ratings rose!
Cao Bo and the others relied on Liang Dan’s decisions. As all eyes turned to her, Liang Dan forced a smile, “I said it’s a slimmer chance than winning the lottery. The July 5 rating breaking 3% must be due to Li Mengjiao’s ‘National Fire Safety Ambassador’ title. Yuan Fenghui is sharp, securing such an opportunity for Li Mengjiao!”
