After being dumped by the diva, I was picked up by her arch-enemy.

The article by the state media outlet sealed the deal, bringing this online farce to a close.

The Jinghua Pear Garden Society, which was jumping around excitedly just a second ago, suddenly fell silent.

Xing Tieshan stared at the official article on his tablet, speechless for a long time.

Pei Linchuan even deleted all the posts that were stirring up trouble overnight.

The authorities have already stepped in and set the tone.

Anyone who dares to commit a crime at this time is asking for trouble.

This incident not only failed to bring down the Qilin Opera Troupe, but instead became the best free publicity.

After the Jinxiufang branch opened, the number of customers was simply terrifying.

Every day, before the doors even open, the queue outside already stretches for three blocks.

..........

An old opera house in Nancheng Hutong.

Tan Yunxiao, clutching a thick stack of A4 papers, rushed into the backyard in a flurry of activity.

He slammed the stack of papers heavily onto the stone table.

"Third brother, take a look at this."

Jiang Yichen held his teacup and glanced at the papers on the table.

"What is this?"

Tan Yunxiao grinned widely, his teeth practically disappearing from his eyes.

"CV!"

"Our theater club's email inbox has been overflowing these past few days."

"They all want to become apprentices to learn the art, or they want to join our troupe to perform."

"I did a rough screening and picked out these dozens that have a solid foundation."

Jiang Yichen put down his teacup and casually picked up a few papers to flip through.

There are quite a few promising talents.

Some graduated from local opera schools, some practiced martial arts since childhood, and some even won provincial martial arts competitions.

With its current fame and good benefits, the Qilin Opera Troupe has naturally become a hot commodity.

Jiang Yichen pushed the resume back to Tan Yunxiao.

"Senior Brother, you are in full charge of recruiting, but I have a few requirements."

Tan Yunxiao immediately stood up straight.

"you say."

Jiang Yichen held up one finger.

"First, one's character must be up to standard."

"Our theater troupe doesn't tolerate ingrates, much less opportunists like Ma San."

"The first thing to do when you enter a business is to assess the character of the person. No matter how good their skills are, if they have a wicked heart, don't hire them."

Tan Yunxiao nodded emphatically.

"Don't worry, I will definitely keep a close eye on it."

Jiang Yichen raised his second finger.

"Secondly, one must have a solid foundation in martial arts."

"Our theater troupe is now focusing on a younger demographic; the stage movements have to be beautiful and demonstrate real skill."

"You'll personally train the people you recruit, putting them through the wringer."

"Those who can't handle hardship should be kicked out as soon as possible."

Tan Yunxiao clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking.

"Leave it to me! I guarantee I'll transform these brats completely!"

The next two weeks.

A number of new faces joined the Qilin Opera Troupe.

There were twenty people in total, all of them young men in their early twenties.

The courtyards in the South City Hutongs come alive every morning before dawn.

"Lift your legs up! Haven't any of you eaten?!"

Tan Yunxiao, shirtless and carrying a white waxwood pole, weaved back and forth in the line.

Twenty newlyweds lined up in two rows, practicing horse stance.

The early autumn morning was chilly, but the young men were all covered in sweat, their clothes soaked through.

One of the newcomers, who had practiced Sanda for a few years, couldn't hold on any longer and his legs started trembling.

"Master... what era is this? Why are you still practicing this outdated horse stance?"

"We're here to perform opera, not to become monks at Shaolin Temple."

Tan Yunxiao stopped and looked at him coldly.

"What's wrong? Tired?"

The newcomer, with his neck stiffened and gritting his teeth, said, "It's not that I find it tiring, it's that I think... it's not scientific."

Tan Yunxiao sneered and casually tossed the white waxwood stick in his hand to his junior brother next to him.

He strode to the weapon rack in the center of the courtyard, grabbed the heavy steel broadsword weighing dozens of kilograms with one hand, and yanked it out!

hum!

The broadsword produced a muffled whistling sound as it cut through the air.

He bent his knees slightly, exerted force from his waist, and his large sword danced in the air, creating a silvery-white blur.

The sound of a blade slicing through the air was sharp and piercing!

After performing a set of Bagua sword techniques, he remained calm and composed, holding the sword with one hand, as steady as Mount Tai.

The entire courtyard was completely silent.

The newcomers who had martial arts training stared wide-eyed.

That arm strength, that speed, that stability of the lower body...

Is this even human? It looks like a humanoid Gundam!

Tan Yunxiao casually tossed the broadsword back onto the weapon rack with a clang and clapped his hands.

"Old-fashioned?"

"Without this old-fashioned foundation, you wouldn't even be able to do a proper somersault on stage!"

"If you can't stand it, go to the finance department to settle your accounts and leave now."

"Those who stay behind, shut your mouths and practice properly."

None of the twenty new recruits dared to complain anymore; they gritted their teeth and stood up straight.

Jiang Yichen stood behind the second-floor window, watching the scene in the courtyard, a smile curving his lips.

With the senior brother, a devilish coach, in charge, this team will definitely succeed.

...........

The 15th, Shanghai.

Unlike the bustling atmosphere in the courtyard of the capital city, the atmosphere on the top floor of Star Entertainment's headquarters was somewhat cold.

Gu Ruanxing sat in the boss's chair, a strawberry-flavored lollipop dangling from her mouth, her eyes glued to the data on the computer screen.

On the screen are real-time pre-sale reports for digital albums from major music platforms.

Brilliant Entertainment, Shen Ruoqiu's "Night Colors", pre-sale amount: 6.5 million.

Star Entertainment, Lin Qinghe's "Queen", pre-sale amount: 4 million RMB.

The gap is nearly one-third.

On Weibo's trending topics list, five out of the top ten spots featured Shen Ruoqiu's name.

Brilliant Entertainment's marketing accounts and online trolls are having a wild party across the internet.

"Shen Tianhou is back, sweeping the music scene!"

"A certain abandoned player overestimated its abilities, resulting in a crushing defeat in pre-sale data!"

"The title 'Queen'? That name sounds like a joke now. I suggest renaming it 'Stepping Stone'!"

In the comments section, Shen Ruoqiu's fans went to great lengths to mock Lin Qinghe, denigrating her to nothing.

Lin Qinghe sat on the leather sofa on the side of the office.

She was wearing a simple light-colored trench coat, and her long hair was casually tied back.

That stunningly beautiful face maintained its usual aloofness, revealing no emotional fluctuations.

The coffee she was holding had gone completely cold, but she hadn't drunk a drop.

The knuckles of his fair fingers turned slightly white from the exertion.

Gu Ruanxing crunched the lollipop in her mouth.

She turned around in the boss's chair, raised her eyebrows, and looked at Lin Qinghe.

"What? Panicked after seeing this data?"

Lin Qinghe put down her coffee cup, raised her eyes, and looked calmly.

"no."

Gu Ruanxing snorted coldly.

"It's good that you didn't panic."

"That bastard Bai Yanqiu only knows how to use money to buy his way onto the leaderboard."

"What's so impressive about high pre-sale numbers? That's just fans blindly buying things."

Gu Ruanxing stood up, walked to the French windows, and looked down at the bustling traffic below.

"When it officially goes on sale at noon, Brilliant Entertainment will be crying!"