Chapter 13: Business Trip for a New Job

Tide’s emphasis on their flagship variety show, Sing My Heart Tonight, was visibly significant.

The preliminary recording preparations unfolded very quickly.

How fast, exactly?

The night before, Li Tingzhou had a meeting with Ren Shiyu’s team. The next day, when the production crew learned of this, their first reaction wasn’t “Wow, your preparatory work is really early,” but rather, “How could you have such an important meeting without calling our film crew to shoot it?” They’d rather shoot a bunch of footage they didn’t even know how they’d use yet than risk having no material.

“So what now? We already finished the meeting.”

More accurately, Li Tingzhou’s progress was already leading the pack.

The Executive Director waved his hand: “That’s easy! I’ll have the camera crew split into teams. One goes to Teacher Shiyu’s side to shoot, the other goes to Heartbreak to shoot. Even though it was an online meeting, we still need to set the scene—show the working environment, give the audience something to watch.”

Meaning: though the meeting had happened, they could act like nothing happened.

Once the cameras were set up on both sides, everyone would “perform” the meeting process again.

Ren Shiyu had acted in a couple of idol dramas years ago. Couldn’t say she had great acting skills, but at least she could convincingly pretend when asked. As for Li Tingzhou, he seemed a bit too quiet.

A dark camera lens was constantly pointed at him; he was genuinely uncomfortable.

What should have been an agreeable, tacitly understood scene turned into a Q&A session:

Party A asked Party B if various needs could be met. Party B (despite there being zero technical difficulty) still had to ponder for seconds before nodding, or else raise his opinion (which was actually quite clear and didn’t require much asking). Party A considered it and decided to follow the advice, changing the requirements (there was no conflict, they’d already agreed). Party B (is this ever going to end?) again pondered for seconds and nodded. Repeating in this cycle…

“Forget it. This is also fine.”

Mainly because Mengmeng’s face was impressive enough.

When he leaned back in his chair wearing a cap, he looked like a leopard poised to pounce, with an aura of inherently intimidating wildness. But when the camera zoomed in for close-ups, the untamed wildness magically faded, replaced by the fresh vitality unique to young men, pheromones practically hitting you in the face!

Those eyes, just looking at them gave a sense of high intellect and calm composure.

Receiving the footage, the production crew had already decided on a public persona for the Ren Shiyu and Heartbreak duo:

A sibling pair with too large an age gap wasn’t suitable for shipping, especially since one had a girlfriend; but reinforcing labels was great for helping the audience remember them and enhancing empathy. So, why not First Sister, who’s “not particularly silly but very sweet,” and the reliable younger brother who “deliberates carefully on everything yet can actually fulfill every requirement”?

The more they thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. They even had a marketing plan taking shape!

Back at Heartbreak Studio, with a temporary camera crew stationed, the place was full of cameras, and everyone naturally felt more restrained.

“I want to go out for a smoke. They won’t film that, right?”

“Tired from work and want to surf the net, but I’m afraid the cameras might catch some weird webpage…”

Even the usually steady Li Tingzhou wasn’t quite used to the feeling of his every move being watched.

He could focus on work, but the assigned PD couldn’t sit still. Constantly asking what this was, what that was, then asking how this machine worked, if that button could be pressed. Seeing the dazzling array of audio tracks on Li Tingzhou’s computer screen, the PD was even curious to hear a sound:

“Can I take a listen?”

Li Tingzhou asked him, amused, “Doesn’t this need to be kept confidential?”

The equally young PD shook his head: “It’s fine. I’ll listen secretly. Later, in post, we can blur this part with special sound effects, or just cut it if we have to.” Saying this, he looked at Li Tingzhou again expectantly.

His eyes were practically saying, “Please, Mengmeng.”

Li Tingzhou was indifferent either way. He selected a single audio track and played it on the speakers.

It was exactly the saxophone part Ren Shiyu wanted.

This part wasn’t made with an editor; it was a live recording. A layperson might not hear a difference; they only knew if it sounded good or not, smooth or not, whether it had that Blues flavor.

But it did sound good, and that was enough.

The PD listened and nodded: “Truly impressive!”

Li Tingzhou gave a smile, said nothing more, put his headphones back on, and concentrated on his work.

Having his curiosity satisfied, the PD didn’t mind being ignored. He continued filming Mengmeng’s focused profile, the clearly visible blue veins on the back of his hand, the prominent bones of his wrist. Occasionally pausing to think, he’d clasp his hands together, resting his chin on them for support, accompanying the slow blink of his eyes, as if piously praying for smooth thought and abundant inspiration.

Hmm, a bit cute, this Mengmeng…

~

In mid-May, Jiang Hu’s chemotherapy concluded a phase, and his condition improved considerably.

The other three from Heartbreak went together to B City to visit him.

“Been feeling more energetic lately. Only then did my mom let me touch the computer.”

Mao Maoyu chuckled: “Did you see our live performance from the Y City Music Festival? You can rest easy now. Mengmeng can handle things. Jier and I will cooperate with him properly.”

Jiang Hu nodded with a smile: “Of course, I saw it!”

He looked to be in good spirits, even had the mood to tease Li Tingzhou about his relationship.

“Don’t care too much about what the public says. They fundamentally don’t care about a stranger. Typing a word, saying something, actually means nothing. It’s only because you’ve become a public figure that your every word and action gets amplified. Date properly when it’s time to date, work hard when it’s time to work. Just live your own life well.”

Dai Jier quickly agreed: “That’s the reasoning.”

After the gossip, the conversation returned to serious matters.

It had been so long since Heartbreak debuted, and they’d finally received a proper program invitation. Not some puzzle-solving game, nor watching others get married or divorced, but a legitimate, high-prestige music variety show. Moreover, the current competition format was highly favorable to Heartbreak, guaranteeing a significant portion of performance time.

“Next Tuesday, we’ll have to fly to G City to record the show. Ah, a first time for everything.”

Jiang Hu asked Li Tingzhou again: “What about you? Nervous?”

“Alright. The main guest is First Sister. With her there, we can stay steady.”

Although rehearsals hadn’t started, Li Tingzhou had accompanied Ren Shiyu at the Y City Music Festival and had a grasp of First Sister’s live performance. Since the first performance was still Telepathy, there was nothing to worry about.

“That’s good. Remember to tell me when the show airs, I’ll watch the live broadcast.”

After saying goodbye to Jiang Hu, the group didn’t immediately return to J City. With the upcoming business trip and no foreseeable rest for a while, since they were already here, they might as well have some fun.

So, everyone accompanied Mao Maoyu as he queued for the fried liver he’d been craving.

Li Tingzhou didn’t like offal. He watched expressionlessly as Mao Maoyu devoured two portions.

Dai Jier ordered other snacks.

During this, he and Mao Maoyu discussed their game, fretting together about the infrastructure of a virtual city. Li Tingzhou listened quietly when his phone suddenly started vibrating. He received a call from Xi He at an unusual time.

Li Tingzhou adjusted his cap, put his mask back on, and walked outside.

“Sis, what’s up?”

“There’s something I want to ask you about. I’m not quite sure…”

After receiving the forwarded chat logs from Xi He, Li Tingzhou read through them carefully, word by word, but couldn’t immediately verify their authenticity.

“Send me her business card too. I’ll ask Sister Lusi.”

Liu Lusi replied quickly: Tide does have this producer.

A little later, supplementary information also came.

[Xu Yuenan is a senior sister of mine. Worked at CCTV in her early years, only went to Tide after getting married. But she’s never been the main producer. If it’s a new program, you’d better advise Xi He to observe cautiously. The internal competition at Tide is beyond your imagination, especially for projects that haven’t been finalized yet.]

After listening to Li Tingzhou’s organized reply, Xi He was indeed silent for quite a while.

“A platform like Tide should be good, right?”

Li Tingzhou didn’t want to immediately crush her confidence and could only try his best to analyze the pros and cons for her: “If Xu Yuenan can take the lead, this program’s concept has great selling points. The premise is she can maintain control over the direction.”

Xi He took a soft breath: “So… should I just directly refuse her?”

“No, wait and see for now.”

In early summer, B City wasn’t too hot. The sunlight was slightly warm, basking people gently.

But Li Tingzhou felt a subtle premonition, as if something was happening imperceptibly, but he couldn’t quite grasp it at the moment.

After two seconds of silence, he still replied to Xi He patiently.

“I think the concept is good. It has elements of a talent show but doesn’t completely adopt a talent show’s format. There’s a lot of room for maneuverability. If it allows women to display various types of charm, even their ambition, and establishes a core spirit, it would be a very good marketing point.”

Good, yet not good. So, which was it?

Xi He was confused, yet could still sense Li Tingzhou’s affirmation of the program’s concept.

“If I participate, what about my current job?”

“If it can become an outlet to promote Kunqu Opera, the production team should directly contact your troupe. Just treat it as a business trip.”

Li Tingzhou soothed Xi He: “Sis, no need to overthink. The project isn’t even confirmed yet. Right now, it’s more about collecting preliminary interests. We’ll talk again when it’s actually that stage. Don’t worry about problems that don’t yet exist.”

“Do you think I should go?”

Xi He’s one sentence circled the topic back again.

Making choices was always difficult, especially when survival was at stake.

“Rather than always being curious, it’s better to go out and see…”

Sensing her obsession, Li Tingzhou ultimately expressed his support.

The inner entertainment circle didn’t lack actors transitioning from traditional opera, whether to TV or film, and they even had greater advantages. Regardless of whether Xi He had thoughts of switching careers, her choice was free.

Only by truly experiencing it could one genuinely understand.

When the time came, whether to plunge into a new world or retreat to her comfort zone, presumably Xi He wouldn’t regret her choice.

~

Back in J City, Heartbreak only rested one night before flying to G City the next day.

This was Tide Media’s headquarters.

Upon landing, Li Tingzhou was hit in the face by a wave of heat.

“Similar to Y City, but less humid.”

The airport pickup staff directly took them to the Tidal Building, one of G City’s famous landmark structures: Wave Tower, named after three high-rises and an elevated platform forming an overall shape resembling ocean-blue waves.

When entering the parking lot from Area A, Li Tingzhou noticed it was quite lively outside.

Mao Maoyu asked aloud: “Why are there so many people?”

The staff member smiled and replied: “Cui Lin’s here for a building sweep today!”

Li Tingzhou had heard the name but wasn’t familiar. He let it go after listening. Mao Maoyu didn’t press either, clearly uninterested in outsiders. Dai Jier was holding his phone reading a game guide, completely indifferent.

The group took the elevator directly from Basement Level 3 to the 12th-floor grand studio.

Almost as soon as Heartbreak arrived, the PD who had followed them before latched on again!

“Hello, Teacher Mengmeng. I’m here again.”

“Hello.”

Today had no special tasks, just getting to know people and later having dinner together.

As could be seen, everyone had their own circles. Exceptions were for particularly close personal relationships; otherwise, they all interacted quite politely. Li Tingzhou didn’t enjoy socializing, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t. Following Ren Shiyu, he also met a few people and exchanged contact info.

However, as soon as the meet-and-greet ended, Ren Shiyu gave Li Tingzhou a heads-up.

“You see the situation now. Wanting to descend to the mortal world to make money but still needing to put on airs, each one more aloof than the next. With so many people putting on pretenses, can the atmosphere be good? It doesn’t have to be rowdy, but at least it can’t be dead silent! Since none of them can swallow their pride, guess who the director will eventually assign the ice-breaking task to?”

Li Tingzhou immediately had a bad feeling: It couldn’t be me, right?

“Do I look like someone easily bullied?”

Ren Shiyu gave him a pitying look: “Whether you’re easily bullied or not, I don’t know. But you do look like the relatively softer kind of little persimmon.”