The Heiress's Game

The data for the premiere of "Walking with Brilliance" on satellite TV came out early the next morning.

The show achieved a viewership rating of over 1.8, ranking first in its time slot. Online viewership nearly tripled compared to the previous episode, and online discussion remained dominant from Friday night to Saturday morning.

The radio station called early this morning, their voices filled with barely concealed excitement.

This performance ranks among the top three in this year's premiere of satellite TV variety shows, and GG has already begun negotiations with the title sponsor to renew the contract for the second season.

Nan Zhenquan hung up the phone, sat at his desk, and flipped through the data reports twice from beginning to end.

Then he picked up the internal phone and asked his secretary to call Chen Cui.

When Chen Cui arrived, Nan Zhenquan was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of his office, answering another phone call.

He nodded to Chen Cui, gesturing for her to sit down, and murmured a few "hmm"s into the phone, his tone steady and brief:

"...Let's not move for now, let them burn through the money. Yes, we'll proceed at our own pace."

He hung up the phone and turned around.

Nan Zhenquan is 45 years old this year. He has only been working in the cultural media industry for a few months, but the judgment and sense of proportion he has honed in the business world have given him his own methodology for dealing with any industry.

He sat down opposite Chen Cui, and without any further pleasantries, got straight to the point.

"The data is good; you already know that."

He pushed the tablet in front of Chen Cui. On the screen was a graph with three lines—ratings, online viewership, and social media discussion—all of which climbed steeply at the point of satellite premiere, with almost no sign of slowing down.

Chen Cui glanced down and nodded.

There was no surprise on her face, nor any relief or relaxation; she simply waited quietly, knowing that Nan Zhenquan had more to say.

"However," Nan Zhenquan indeed added a twist.

"As the discussion goes up, so does the negative sentiment. Your social media comment section is now a battleground between two groups—one supporting you and the other criticizing you."

I won't repeat the insults I said to you; you've probably seen them yourself.

"I saw it," Chen Cui said.

It's not just what we saw; after finishing work last night, she stayed on the sofa scrolling through comments until 3 a.m. Some people called her a scheming bitch, some said she deliberately stepped on Gu Mingyue to get ahead, and some analyzed her expressions frame by frame on the show, saying that "her eyes and brows were full of ambition."

She looked at them one by one, and as she looked, she noticed her hands were trembling.

It wasn't anger, it was fear; she was terrified that all of this could be taken back at any moment.

"We've analyzed it; the other side has also hired online trolls."

Nan Zhen leaned back in his chair. "Gu Mingyue's side is putting in a lot of effort. Both sides' online trolls are working hard. Her trolls want to portray you as 'ungrateful,' while our trolls are trying to lead you towards 'inspirational comeback.'"

The current situation is a stalemate; your popularity is the result of a clash between two forces. But this kind of infamy isn't sustainable.

He paused for a moment, looking into Chen Cui's eyes.

"I've discussed it with Miss Gu."

Now that your popularity has reached a new level, what you need to do next is not to continue fighting with the other side's online army—that's a war of attrition, and it won't do you any good.

What you need is to regain control of public opinion. That's why we've arranged an exclusive interview for you.

Chen Cui's eyelashes fluttered: "Which one?"

“People Depth Weekly,” Nan Zhenquan said, “is the most authoritative magazine in China for interviewing people.”

They rarely choose topics for entertainment variety shows, but this time, when the topic was submitted, their editor-in-chief was very interested and willing to do an in-depth interview.

This is a crucial step for you in transitioning from a 'reality TV star' to a 'public figure.'

He stood up, walked back behind his desk, picked up a printed outline, and handed it to Chen Cui.

Chen Cui took it and looked down to read it.

The interview outline was quite thick, about seven or eight pages long, and the questions covered everything from her family of origin to her recent trending topic controversy, with each question going very deep.

It wasn't the kind of entertainment gossip interview where they asked, "What's your favorite color?" Instead, they genuinely treated her as someone with a story to explore.

"The topic of the interview has been finalized with the other party," Nan Zhenquan said, sitting down again and looking at her.

The theme is: all experiences in life are precious.

Chen Cui paused for a moment as she turned the page.

"Including the time you carried Gu Mingyue's bag," Nan Zhenquan said calmly.

"You should focus on this part in this interview."

But it shouldn't be discussed from the perspective of a victim or a champion—that would be too narrow-minded.

You should talk about it from the perspective of gratitude. You should say that Gu Mingyue is your benefactor.

Chen Cui looked up at him, her lips moved slightly, but she didn't speak immediately.

Nan Zhenquan didn't give her time to be silent and continued speaking.

"I know what you're thinking. Gu Mingyue wasn't very good to you, and the experience of being a handbag clerk isn't a glorious memory for you."

But now the Achilles' heel of public opinion lies here—Gu Mingyue's reason for attacking you is that she thinks you climbed to the top by stepping on her and are ungrateful.

If you were to step forward and, in a nationally authoritative interview with a prominent figure, earnestly say, "Gu Mingyue is a benefactor in my life," how do you think the other person would respond?

If she continues to criticize you, it makes her seem petty. If she stops, then you win this round. You not only win in terms of public opinion, but also in terms of perspective.

Chen Cui placed the outline on her knees, clasped her hands on top of it, and remained silent for a moment.

Outside the office's floor-to-ceiling windows, the midday sun of Dahai City was blazing, and the light shone in, falling on her profile and illuminating every subtle emotion in her eyes.

She didn't show the grievance or resentment that Nan Zhenquan had expected; on the contrary, her expression was very calm.

"I understand, Mr. Nan," she said.

"It's not about explaining, it's about redefining."

Redefine "handbag girl" as "helpful person" and "dark history" as "valuable experience".

In this way, all of the opponent's attacks hit like cotton.

A barely perceptible smile finally appeared on Nan Zhenquan's lips.

This girl's mind works faster than many of the older professionals he's met; no wonder Gu Yunjin chose her.

"It's not just about hitting the cotton," he said.

"It's about making her hit herself. All her previous actions against you will be made seem petty and narrow-minded by this interview."

You offered her a glass of wine as a token of gratitude; if she throws it back, it means she has no manners.

Chen Cui nodded and put the outline into her bag.

"Mr. Nan, after I go back, I will thoroughly understand the outline. I will prepare in advance the direction of the answer to each question, the wording and the emotional control."

On the day of the interview, I will show everyone that I, Chen Cui, am not just a reality show actress who relies on scandals and controversies to attract attention.

She paused here, "Miss Gu and you have given me this opportunity, and I will not waste it."

I didn't crawl out of the mud to roll back in. I'll hold on tight to every rope that leads me up.

"Okay, then go and prepare. The interview is scheduled for Wednesday."