Chapter 19
Xia Wansheng was still carefully distinguishing the bird calls and didn’t notice the exchange between the two men. Turning back, he realized Old Man Feng seemed to have met an acquaintance. Assuming they were catching up, Xia Wansheng tactfully didn’t interrupt.
But something felt off.
Their conversation was a bit too long.
Just as his patience was wearing thin, Old Man Feng beckoned him over. Xia Wansheng thought their chat had ended and it was time for the junior to make a polite appearance, concluding the encounter.
Xia Wansheng quickly approached. Old Man Feng patted his shoulder forcefully, as if hinting at something, then pushed him towards his junior, boasting:
“I’ve seen the talent of those students in your training classes, they’re nothing special. Look, I already have a last disciple!”
His junior had been praising his training classes to the skies, calling it a star-making factory, saying that as long as Old Man Feng occasionally promoted it, he could pick any talented student he wanted.
This would greatly increase his chances of finding a last disciple.
Junior Feng had already calculated everything, he wouldn’t lose either way.
Not only would he get free advertising, but if his student became successful, he would also bask in their glory.
It was a win-win situation for Old Man Feng, who was single-mindedly focused on finding a disciple.
A few days ago, Old Man Feng might have considered it, seeing if he could find a suitable disciple.
But now, he was determined to guide Xia Wansheng to new heights, aiming for a spectacular comeback, with no time to slowly choose a new student.
Junior Feng glanced at Xia Wansheng, a look of disdain in his eyes.
He only had the advantage of looks. In terms of talent, the young people in his classes were definitely better.
“Senior brother, you can’t just choose anyone as your last disciple. You should choose someone with formal music training. Talent is crucial, you can’t just trust some random internet celebrity.”
Since this young man was brought out as a shield, he might have some talent, but how could he compare to someone who had been rigorously trained from a young age?
Xia Wansheng understood the implied insult.
As long as the other person was doubting his talent, this would be easy.
Xia Wansheng cleared his throat and gave Old Man Feng a thumbs-up.
Then, under Junior Feng’s puzzled gaze, he chose a highly difficult piece and gave a brief demonstration.
Old Man Feng expertly sat down on his portable stool, his eyes narrowing in pleasure.
He couldn’t be the only one shocked by Xia Wansheng’s performance.
Junior Feng: “!!!”
Despite years of currying favor, he still had basic aesthetic judgment.
Where did Old Man Feng find this hidden genius?!
With the tables turned, Old Man Feng felt much more relaxed.
As he shakily prepared to stand up, Xia Wansheng thoughtfully helped him up, preparing to continue their walk in the park, bypassing the stunned Junior Feng.
“Wait!”
Before they could take a few steps, they were stopped.
“Since you’re so talented, why not consider becoming the face of my training center? I guarantee you’ll be a top star within three years!” Junior Feng declared confidently.
He had finally recovered from his shock.
He originally intended to get Old Man Feng to advertise for him, but now it seemed Xia Wansheng’s talent was definitely worthy of being his new star.
Besides, young people were always easier to control.
Xia Wansheng didn’t move, not even loosening his grip on Old Man Feng.
He seemed completely uninterested in the offer, even a bit indignant.
“I became Old Man Feng’s disciple because I admire his talent. Being accepted as his disciple is already my greatest honor. I’m not interested in becoming a top star.” Xia Wansheng said calmly.
He said it, he finally said it!
The legendary “I’m not interested in fame,” guaranteed to trigger the enemy’s envy.
After speaking, he felt his image of detachment from fame and fortune had deepened.
Besides, three years was a long time. He might have already returned to the real world by then, why would he care about becoming a star in this game world?
Old Man Feng, watching Junior Feng’s deflated expression, even went over to offer some feigned consolation.
“Junior Feng, I have to say, young people these days are restless, they don’t play by our old rules anymore.”
Then he casually asked, “What was it you did again?”
Xia Wansheng smoothly replied: “Celebrity.”
“That’s right, I kept hearing him say that word and it sounded familiar. I remember you were a big star!” Old Man Feng said cheerfully.
He glanced at Junior Feng, whose expression had darkened, feeling even more satisfied.
After so many years, he had finally one-upped Junior Feng. This guy always liked to form cliques, constantly implying he was alone and isolated.
Now the tables had turned.
Watching the master and disciple walk away amicably, Junior Feng felt like he was going to grind his teeth to dust.
He immediately called Old Man Shao, his tone laced with displeasure: “Didn’t you say that Old Man Feng was a loner? And that he was looking for a high-potential last disciple, the perfect opportunity to control him?”
The more he spoke, the angrier he became. Not only was he humiliated by his senior brother, but even a junior like Xia Wansheng looked down on him. What was this?!
“Yes, I told you Old Feng has gone a bit crazy recently. I heard he hasn’t been able to find a suitable disciple for a long time and has even resorted to those livestream platforms, hahaha.” Old Man Shao mocked.
Others might not understand these newfangled livestreams, but he did.
How many genuinely talented singers could be found there? It was difficult to find someone who could actually sing live, let alone meet Old Man Feng’s high standards for talent. Ordinary people couldn’t even catch his eye.
His own grandson had tried before, but Old Man Feng didn’t even listen carefully, just said they weren’t fated.
So arrogant, no wonder he couldn’t find a last disciple, who would put up with his eccentric temper?
Junior Feng felt a splitting headache, but Old Man Shao was enjoying himself, continuing to chatter on the phone, making his head spin.
“That’s outdated news, I saw him today, he’s already taken on a disciple!” Junior Feng snapped.
He thought he had been tricked, wasting precious opportunities to connect with his senior brother.
Now, because of Old Man Shao’s misinformation, he had completely missed the chance to invest early and even offended Xia Wansheng.
What a disaster.
“No way, where could he find a suitable disciple? He’s already searched everywhere, did he really pick someone up from the internet? Could they possibly be talented?” Old Man Shao was full of doubt.
Probably just some attention-seeking nobody.
“Talent?” Junior Feng almost laughed in anger, “I heard him sing just now, his talent is no less than senior brother’s.”
Old Man Shao: !!!
“And he’s already a celebrity, he simply came to learn music from a master.” Junior Feng added another blow.
Old Man Shao felt his heart couldn’t take it anymore, finally managing to ask: “Did you ask for his name?”
He still had a sliver of hope. Even if this person had some talent and fame, it would be easy for the Shao family to control a small-time celebrity. They could see if he could be of use to them.
But Junior Feng’s next words shattered his last hope:
“I did, his name is Xia Wansheng, the celebrity who went viral online recently.”
Xia Wansheng…
Why did that name sound so familiar?
Old Man Shao suddenly remembered Shao Huan, whom he had recently grounded, and then it hit him,
Yu Congyan’s previous visit to the Shao residence was because of Xia Wansheng.
So this person had the backing of the Yu family.
They were furious but helpless, even resentful: Why did Xia Wansheng get all the good fortune?
Even if they couldn’t touch him now, there was no shortage of scandals in the entertainment industry. They could find out about his activities and sabotage him with a little manipulation.
This person was involved with too many powerful figures, it was best to eliminate him.
They also wanted to see how far they could push Yu Congyan.
Yu Congyan’s ruthless business style had offended countless people, making him many enemies.
With Xia Wansheng as a target, many families planned to use him as a test subject for their revenge.
The Yu Corp conference room was also bustling with activity.
Shareholders were arguing over project details. Yu Congyan listened half-heartedly, knowing they would eventually come to him for a decision.
Just as he was feeling like the only sane person in the room, his assistant, having finished writing Xia Wansheng’s schedule for the previous day, approached hesitantly: “CEO Yu, that program is about to start filming, the director has sent an invitation, how many days do you think we should stay there?”
The assistant was prepared to accompany his boss for the entire program, assuming he wanted to witness Xia Wansheng’s downfall firsthand.
“You can go and keep an eye on things first. If there’s nothing unusual, I won’t go…” Yu Congyan took the schedule, stopping mid-sentence.
The message from the director emphasized “full livestream, no script,” as if afraid he wouldn’t notice.
He remembered this program was originally a regular travel variety show, why was it a livestream now?!
If Xia Wansheng’s emotions were unstable, wouldn’t he have a meltdown on camera?!
Even if he intervened, the broadcasted footage would inevitably have a negative impact.
The assistant watched as his boss stared at the schedule and invitation for a long time, a bold new thought forming in his mind. He suggested: “As an investor, you should be there to supervise the filming, CEO Yu.”
He made up this reason on the spot.
But it didn’t matter, a qualified assistant’s essential skill was to understand the CEO’s thoughts.
Yu Congyan remained silent for a long time. Seeing his serious expression, the people in the conference room thought the company was facing some major problem, and their discussion gradually quieted down.
“Inform the general affairs department, I’m going on a business trip.”
Yu Congyan ultimately didn’t dare to take the risk. If anything unexpected happened, he could respond immediately.
And Xia Wansheng wouldn’t be able to avoid him anymore.
