Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 506 The Affairs of Party Strife
Considering that the final stop of this season's Chinese Restaurant is Wuhan, the production team has arranged a very full workload for everyone.

The group was either setting up the restaurant or familiarizing themselves with the kitchen.

There's been a significant decrease in the lighthearted, comedic moments used for entertainment purposes.

Its main focus is on mainstream themes and positive energy.

Time flew by and it was already 8 p.m.

It's time to eat.

The six permanent guests of the Chinese restaurant, plus guest stars Shen Juan, Liu Yuning, Yang Chaoyue, Wang Junkai, and Du Haitao, as well as the Fresh Chef F4 who came to help, made for a lively gathering of more than ten people. Huang Xiaoming and Zhao Liying thoughtfully reserved two seats for Shen Juan and Cheng Xiao to sit close together.

"Come on, I'll use water instead of wine!"

"Thank you everyone for coming to help!"

"Let's work together to do something meaningful, and toast to all the friends in Wuhan who have given so much!"

"Go for it! Cheers! Great cheers!"

"To be honest, I really didn't expect Juanjuan to come today." After sitting down, Huang Xiaoming immediately brought up the topic of Shen Juan. "Do you know what my reaction was when the production team told me you were coming? Huh? Shen Juan? Which Shen Juan? It was so sudden, you know? I didn't even dare to think it was you."

Shen Juan smiled upon hearing this, "Brother Xiaoming, you flatter me too much. Actually, I've always wanted to come to Wuhan to see the city. When the production team invited me, they said that the Chinese restaurant would be operating here on a charitable basis and would invite heroes from all walks of life who fought against the epidemic, so that I could contribute to this heroic city. So I agreed."

"Oh my, Teacher Shen, what are you saying! We all went crazy when we heard you were coming this afternoon! It's an honor for us to host a banquet for the heroes of the Anti-Japanese War, and it's an even greater honor to record a program with you and fight side by side!" Liu Yuning replied casually, flattering him while holding up a freshly peeled shrimp.

This guy just transitioned from an internet celebrity to an actor and landed the role of the second male lead in "The Long Ballad". He has been staying in Hengdian to act with Dilraba Dilmurat and Shen Congwen, so he is very clear about how much Shen Juan means to these two actresses. This has made him even more determined to try his best to please Shen Juan.

In his view, as long as he could get close to Shen Juan's circle of friends and become even close to Shen Juan, he could gain a foothold in the Chinese entertainment industry!

Isn't it just being a bootlicker and sucking up to someone?

If Peng Yuchang can go, there's no reason why Liu Yuning can't!

Yang Chaoyue, standing beside her, nodded vigorously, her cheeks flushed slightly, whether from excitement or her makeup, she said: "Yes! I just saw your performance in last year's Champions League final on Douyin last night, and I never imagined that we would be sitting together chatting and eating today. It feels like a dream!"

Since everyone else is fawning over me like this, I, Yang Chaoyue, can't be left behind!

Cheng Xiao glanced at Shen Juan gently, her eyes filled with a smile as she softly added, "Actually, Juan Juan started learning about Wuhan's specialty dishes online several days in advance, saying she wanted to learn how to make a few local dishes for the restaurant's customers to try."

"This is such a thoughtful touch!"

Huang Xiaoming clapped his hands and looked at everyone with a smile, "Listen to this, this is a role model! Our trip to Wuhan was originally intended to do something practical for everyone. With Juanjuan's heart, I feel more confident as the store manager!"

"Teacher Shen can cook?"

"He will always do it."

"Then why is it that in the show 'Yearning for Love,' it's always Teacher Huang who cooks, and I've never seen him cook?" Zhao Liying asked curiously.

"Um, I can't answer that question."

Having personally tasted Huang Xiaochu's delicious food, Du Haitao couldn't help but feel a little awkward upon hearing this. So, he cheerfully stood up, raised his glass, and said, "Of course! Come on, let's have another one! It's for Wuhan, and also for the fate that brought us together in Wuhan!"

"cheers!"

As he spoke, Du Haitao took out small gifts from his bag that he and Wang Junkai had prepared for everyone when they were choosing a restaurant today.

"Well, Xiao Kai and I have prepared some small gifts for everyone." The two stood up, one on each side, and distributed the gifts to the crowd.

Coincidentally, Shen Juan had also prepared a gift in advance.

So I simply took this opportunity to send it to everyone as well.

It remains a very iconic friendship bracelet.

However, the list above is a string of names of each guest.

In an instant, exclamations and praises rose and fell among the crowd. Everyone carefully held the bracelet that Shen Juan had given them, their joy barely concealed. Judging from their expressions, they all clearly planned to post it on Weibo or WeChat Moments later to show off this special gift from Shi Yi.

Huang Xiaoming's eyes were full of envy as he looked at Shen Juan and said politely, "Juanjuan, you were recently officially announced as an honorary doctorate recipient from Hong Kong Island University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and you also received the title of Dato' from Malaysia. That's amazing! To be able to shine in so many fields and set an example for young people is truly admirable!"

He was genuinely envious!

He envied all of Shen Juan's identities.

But which one do you envy the most?

Those are definitely empty titles like honorary doctorate and Dato'!
After all, at his age, he has seen through some things. Actors are destined not to be able to show their talents as freely as singers. This means that his achievements in the entertainment industry are almost at their peak. The only things he can improve on are his achievements in the social field.
So he actually really wanted to get along well with Shen Juan.

Even if the price is wearing a green hat that doesn't exist.

Shen Juan smiled and waved his hand. It wasn't all good to receive these titles right after graduating from university. "You flatter me. I just spent more time and energy on things I like, hoping not to let everyone down. So, receiving these honors and titles is everyone's recognition of me."

"That's quite remarkable! Look at all the celebrities in our industry, how many of them can become honorary doctors?"

"Yes, and it's very difficult to get a Datuk! I looked online and it seems that only Jackie Chan has ever received one among Chinese celebrities."

"so smart!"

"The Datuk is considered a minor local nobleman!"

"It's not as exaggerated as you say."

At this moment, Li Haofei's eyes sparkled as she curiously approached Shen Juan and Cheng Xiao, asking, "Teacher Shen, the birthday collaboration single 'World' that you and Xiao Xiao released yesterday was really amazing! The lyrics and melody are incredibly catchy. Did you have any special inspiration when you created this song?"

As the person in charge of enlivening the atmosphere of the Chinese restaurant, she would naturally bring up some trending topics for the sake of the show.

Cheng Xiao couldn't help but curl up the corners of her mouth, "Anyway, my inspiration for writing lyrics comes from some recent events."

Although the song didn't become a hit, she was overjoyed just thinking about how many people online were calling her Sister Yu!
Shen Juan also smiled and explained, "I don't really have any special inspiration. Or rather, my inspiration is Xiao Xiao herself. I just need to try my best to express her emotions. Because unlike before, this time the lyrics came first and then the music came later. I used to compose the music first and then write the lyrics."

Zhao Liying picked up the conversation and brought up a topic she was very interested in: "Shen Juan, I was really shocked when I watched your documentary! Because I'm an actress, I don't know much about the music industry, but this documentary really broadened my horizons. Your monologues and views on certain things made me immediately understand the points you wanted to express!"

She had been in contact with singers before.

For example, Chris had previously been paired with her in a romantic drama.

They even released a Chinese collaboration song called "Thinking of You," and performed it together on stage at a New Year's Eve concert, showering everyone with their affection.

But compared to Shen Juan, Wu Jiaheng...
how to say?

They're not even on the same level.

It can only be said that there are differences even among international stars.

Kris has at best only scratched the surface of becoming an international star.

Shen Juan had already reached the end of this road.

Speaking of which, why do many people now think that international celebrities are lousy?
Besides information cocoons and low awareness, another very important reason is that people are fooled by these fake international figures who lack ability but love to boast, and think that so-called international figures are nothing special.

such as
Although Jackson is Wajuan's good friend, Shen Juan still has to say that this guy's marketing in China is really crazy.

He has no notable achievements, such as concerts in Mexico, New York, the Manchester derby, or Coachella.

Despite still not making it onto the Billboard Hot 100 since his debut, his peak listener count for "Sound of the Sky" was around 4 million. He managed to become an international superstar in China by relying on information asymmetry and the so-called 30 million Instagram followers, leading many netizens unfamiliar with the entertainment industry to believe that China had produced another world-class star like Jackie Chan.

In reality, his voice is so powerful that it's hard for him to even crack the top 50 in K-pop, let alone among Western singers.

With 3000 million monthly listeners, Broken Eyebrows is considered a third-tier obscure artist.

My buddy has 300 million monthly listeners, showing his superstar status!

Who can he complain to about this broken eyebrow?

Is it really true that becoming an international superstar only requires 300 million?
There must be thousands of international superstars in the world.

As for the giant C?

Not to mention that.

It's unbelievable that someone could be touted as a Grammy superstar based solely on a Grammy collaboration stage that was only posted on their official website.

Even more outrageous is that a large group of passersby, swayed by patriotic sentiment and unaware of the true extent of the problem, actually believed it.
My buddy always jokes that Koreans are narrow-minded and arrogant, never imagining that he himself has unknowingly become one of them.

It's fair to say that playing chess with a terrible player will only make you worse.

Fortunately, Shen Juan went to work overseas as soon as he became famous.

They didn't stay in the domestic entertainment industry to slowly suppress their rivalry.

Otherwise, if you hang out with these peers, you'll probably be assimilated into a braggart who uses information asymmetry to fool fans and netizens like sharks. After all, you can trick fans into sending you money and netizens into bragging for you with just a little money. So why would you need to step out of your comfort zone and make music seriously?

In short, whether in the core of global popular culture, Europe and America, or in the rapidly expanding domestic entertainment market, this powerful dragon is a "foreign invasive species" that will be resisted by local bullies. Naturally, it cannot be accepted by the "local natives" and thus collude with them.

This is both a good thing and a bad thing for him. Back to the main point.
During the dinner, everyone gradually joined in, without any airs or barriers between them. They joked around, chatted about interesting things that had happened recently and topics that interested them. The atmosphere was great, with everyone talking and enjoying themselves.

Time slowly ticked by until 11 p.m.

Huang Xiaoming glanced at the time and, considering that the kitchen team would have to get up early to prepare food the next day, hurriedly told everyone to go back to their rooms to sleep.

Before leaving, Yang Chaoyue deliberately pretended to be nonchalant as she walked past Shen Juan and whispered "Goodnight" to him.

Shen Juan was tidying up the things on the table when he heard the sound. He looked up, smiled, and replied, "Go back to your room and rest early. Tomorrow will be very busy."

Yang Chaoyue paused for half a second.

Her breathing and heartbeat quickened as well.

She had actually rehearsed that seemingly ordinary "goodnight" in her mind dozens of times before daring to say it aloud.

Although he tried his best to lower his voice and pretend to be relaxed and casual, his heart was still beating so fast that it felt like it was going to burst out of his chest, afraid that his hidden nervousness and excitement would accidentally leak out.

But when Shen Juan's voice finally reached her ears, his gentle, smiling words of advice made her realize that all her previous wild thoughts were unnecessary.

He was listening so attentively and responding so gently, how could he possibly notice her little schemes?

Thinking of this, Yang Chaoyue lowered her head and pursed her lips. With mixed feelings, she quickly walked out of the restaurant. The night breeze outside carried the sultry heat of summer, which did not cool her burning cheeks.

That's how a young girl's heart is.

I'm afraid you'll see it, yet I'm also afraid you won't.

People tend to lower their stance and become exceptionally humble when they develop feelings for someone of a much higher status than themselves.

When he replied with a smile, she didn't even dare to look up at him, afraid that her little thoughts would be exposed.

But when I reviewed it afterwards, I felt that I had done a really bad job, and that I had acted so childishly and ridiculously!
He's almost 22 years old, but he still acts like a 15 or 16-year-old high school student going through puberty, getting nervous and shy at the drop of a hat.
The night breeze carried the distant chirping of cicadas past her ears. Yang Chaoyue raised her hand to rub her burning cheeks, trying to calm herself down.

Since achieving financial freedom through her success on "Produce 101," she hasn't felt this sense of humility in a long time.

But in front of Shen Juan.
It's really hard not to feel insignificant.

It's hard not to feel inferior.

Everyone returned to their dormitories and went to their respective doors.

Cheng Xiao had previously mentioned that she had specially secured a single room for Shen Juan, which puzzled Shen Juan at the time.

And now, his doubts have been answered.

So she was planning a night raid.
However, although there are no cameras in the room, there are in the hallway!

So they're really not going to act anymore!
In response, Shen Juan could only say that he would accompany him even at the cost of his life.

Did you know Yang Chaoyue before?

“We’ve met a few times before.” Shen Juan nodded. “We met at a League of Legends exhibition match two years ago.”

"So you're really not familiar with each other?"

"It's so unfamiliar."

"That's it"

Cheng Xiao said with a smile, "But I think she seems to like you quite a bit. She kept glancing at you while we were eating."

"how do you know?"

"I'm sitting right next to you, do you think I don't know that?"

"Is it possible that she just wants to curry favor with someone powerful, and doesn't mean anything by it?" Shen Juan replied casually.

"You must be joking!" Cheng Xiao rolled her eyes speechlessly, too lazy to argue with this hypocritical scumbag.

Shen Juan smiled, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "Speaking of which, does Brother Xiaoming usually make things difficult for you?"

"No, he takes good care of us. Do you really think he'd target me because of your rumors with Baby?"

"That possibility can't be ruled out, after all, they haven't officially divorced yet." Shen Juan shrugged. Anyway, Sister Nose had been flirting with him on WeChat for the past six months, and even hinted to Shen Juan to go out and get their hair done together, cosplaying as Pigman and Li Xiaolu, which greatly shocked Shen Juan at the time.

Fortunately, Sister Tian didn't see these chat logs, otherwise he suspected that Sister Tian would have gone directly to Weibo to criticize Sister Tian.

Because Sister Tian is really capable of doing something like that!

Previously, when her old friend harassed Shen Juan on WeChat, she made sarcastic remarks about it on Weibo, though she didn't name names.

"Then I can only say that he is more open-minded than you imagine. Of course, it's also possible that he doesn't care or pay attention."

They each do their own thing and don't care about each other, so they naturally don't feel like they've been cheated on like ordinary people do.

"By the way, Hunan TV's 'Oh My Body 2' has sent me an invitation to become a regular cast member, but I don't really want to accept it, what should I do?"

"If you don't want to answer, then don't!"

"But I also feel a little regretful, after all, it's a regular variety show, and it doesn't feel right to just turn it down like that."

Cheng Xiao, who is jokingly referred to as "Mango TV's favorite daughter" by fans, has developed a good habit of thrift and frugality because she used to a hard life at Lehua Entertainment. She wants to get all the resources but doesn't want to work, which makes her very distressed.

"How about we push it to someone else in the company?"

Without hesitation, Cheng Xiao replied, "Okay!"

Do you have any suitable candidates to recommend?

Shouldn't you be the one making the decision?

"But you fought for this resource."

"All right."

Cheng Xiao thought for a moment, "What do you think of Sally?"

She had no intention of forming cliques or small groups.

She was simply following the principle of keeping the benefits within the family and wanted to help her own relatives as much as possible.

Yes, Liu Xiening is one of our own.

As for the things that Sister Tian and her group did, they had nothing to do with her. She just wanted to protect her own little corner of the world.

But Shen Juan clearly misunderstood.

He felt that, spurred on by Sister Tian and others, Xiao Xiao also wanted to pursue the Central Plains, just like the lyrics of "The World's First".

He then smiled and raised an eyebrow: "You know Liu Xiening?"

"We knew each other back in South Korea. We debuted in the same group. What do you think? Do you think she's good enough?"

"of course can."

"Then it's settled?"

"Okay, I'll talk to my agent about it later."

Shen Juan would certainly not object to the birth of a fourth super team besides Huizhou Zhongcheng, Shenzhen Enqing, and Tongliang Lakers.

Based on current intelligence, Sister Tian is not only a powerful minister, but also a lone minister with no one behind her except Li Yitong. Xiao Ye and Xiao Hu have each gathered a group of close friends to form their own small groups, attempting to rival Sister Tian, ​​who seems invincible at Hulao Pass.

As a representative of the neutral faction, Xiao Xiao will likely attract a group of people to her side, forming a fourth force around her and making the fishpond situation even more chaotic.

For Shen Juan, this is a good thing.

Although it is well known that partisan strife is a double-edged sword.

It could become a tool for balancing power, dividing the power of sharks and strengthening control over the fry system; or it could evolve into a hidden danger that undermines the rule, such as breaking through the boundaries of checks and balances, evolving into pure power struggles, allowing factional interests to override the interests of the fishpond, and leading to the paralysis of the fishpond.

But to put it bluntly, the essence of the fishpond factional struggle is the manifestation of the contradictions in the distribution of the right to serve one's husband in bed.

As the scale of the fishpond continues to expand, the conflicts will also become increasingly intense. The core issue lies in whether the fishpond owner can effectively manage the degree of factional strife and keep the struggle within his control.

Shen Juan was clearly confident in his ability to manage and control the situation, so he allowed everything to happen.

We chatted for a while longer, and it got quite late.

So, in order not to affect tomorrow's recording, the two stopped talking and began their back-to-back continuous work in this small Japanese tatami-style room, so that the pure white flower, symbolizing life, could bloom brilliantly after the storm in every corner of the world.

(End of this chapter)