Why did the system take my request to take photos with a cosplayer seriously?

"A new company?"

"correct."

Longhe sat up straight and began to ramble on like beans.

"The investors have reached an agreement, and the business registration has been completed. Now I'm just waiting for my contract to expire so I can officially go solo."

"What kind of company is it? Is it reliable?"

“My mom told me that it’s backed by a rising investment company in Hong Kong with a pretty good cash flow.”

Long He complained, "Their boss is quite mysterious; he didn't show his face at all. The person who came to discuss cooperation was a female general manager surnamed Huang, around thirty years old, and she was very efficient."

Ding Heng smiled without saying a word. He had already spoken with Yang Sijie and asked her to keep it a secret for the time being.

Longhe continued, "I secretly asked Manager Huang, why did they choose to invest in the mainland entertainment industry? They make so much money in Hong Kong, why would they care about our small piece of the pie?"

What did she say?

"She said... our boss is particularly interested in Ms. Longhe and is a big fan of yours."

After saying that, Long He curled his lips, looking disgusted.

"I got goosebumps right then and there."

Ding Heng was struggling to suppress his laughter, and Long He keenly noticed the curve of his lips.

"why are you laughing?"

Did I laugh?

Is it funny?

"Isn't it funny?"

Ding Heng cleared his throat: "The big boss is paying with real money, and this is your attitude?"

"What's wrong with spending money? I'm even making money for him!"

Long He, his neck stiff, said stubbornly, "Let me tell you, since I, Long He, debuted, I've never done anything like that. If he's just being a law-abiding investor, I'll respect him as a big spender. But if he dares to have any crooked ideas..."

"What will you do?"

"I'll...I'll get my brother to beat him up!"

Ding Heng couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing.

The car turned a corner and came to a stop in front of the TV station.

Long He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to look at Ding Heng.

I'm leaving first thing tomorrow morning.

"So urgent?"

"Yes. I have a brand event to attend in Shanghai."

She sighed, "I've squeezed in time to talk to you today."

Ding Heng sighed, "There's no need. Even with glasses, it's still quite dangerous. Just call if anything happens."

"Humph!"

Long He snorted softly, pushed open the door and got out of the car, then bent down and leaned half his body inside.

"Bye-Bye."

"Bye-Bye."

Ding Heng waved to her.

Longhe closed the car door, turned around, and walked into the building.

The figure flashed past behind the glass door and quickly disappeared.

Ding Heng's phone suddenly vibrated.

Caller ID: Liu Chiwang

"Old Ding! Brother Ding! From now on, you're my real brother, my ancestor!!! Longhe posted on Weibo!!! She recommended our red sausage!!! Holy crap!!!"

Liu Chiwang's voice burst from the receiver; he was incoherent and as excited as if he had won the lottery.

"You know Long He?! You actually know Long He?! Why didn't you say so sooner?!"

Ding Heng moved his phone further away.

"I'll ask for you."

"Ask??? This isn't just asking!!! You've practically gotten a major celebrity to advertise for me!!!"

Liu Chiwang's voice continued to rise.

"Alright, alright."

Ding Heng interrupted, "Don't get excited. If the product is good, it will sell well. It's just a WB, don't take it too seriously."

Liu Chiwang thanked him profusely again before finally hanging up the phone.

Ding Heng picked up his phone again and opened Long He's chat window.

[Ding Heng]: [Transfer 5.20]

Longhe replied instantly.

【Sister Long is a dragon, not a milk dragon】: ? What?

【Ding Heng】: Advertising fees.

[Sister Long is a dragon, not a milk dragon]: How much do you think my Weibo promotion post is worth? [Milk dragon sneers.jpg]

Ding Heng thought for a moment and then added another stroke.

[Ding Heng]: [Transfer 13.14]

[Ding Heng]: Is that enough?

After a few seconds of silence, a payment notification popped up.

[Sister Long is a dragon, not a milk dragon]: [Milk dragon humming.jpg]

Chapter 242: My Brother Has Grown Up

After seeing Long He off, Ding Heng turned his car around to return to school. As he passed the TV station gate, he happened to see a black van slowly stop.

The car door opened, and three young women got out one after another.

Longhe's teammates, Zhou Yi and Zheng Shiyu, and Jin Canya who was walking at the back.

A large number of fans and reporters had been waiting on both sides of the gate for a long time, and the flashes of cameras were going off everywhere. Many people were shouting at the top of their lungs.

Ding Heng parked the car on the side of the road, rolled down the window, and looked into the distance.

Zhou Yi walked at the front, her face mostly covered by a mask. She walked quickly inside with her head down, not glancing at the fans on either side of her the entire time.

Zheng Shiyu followed behind her, also wearing a mask and sunglasses, covering herself up completely, and walked even faster than Zhou Yi.

Only Kim Chan-ah was left out last.

She didn't try to hide her face, and kept waving to the fans on both sides, occasionally stopping to sign autographs, her attitude gentle and patient.

A reporter suddenly rushed out from the crowd, shoving the microphone almost into Zhou Yi's face.

"Zhou Yi! Why didn't Long He come with you today? Has she left the group and is preparing to go solo?"

Zhou Yi did not answer and quickened her pace to walk inside.

The reporter followed relentlessly.

"There are rumors that internal conflicts within your team have intensified and Longhe is about to go solo. Is this true?"

"Do you still have contact with Longhe privately?"

"Zheng Shiyu! Zheng Shiyu, can you say something?!"

Zheng Shiyu lowered her head and didn't say a word. She rushed into the hall as if she were fleeing, and almost tripped over the threshold, staggering half a step before regaining her footing.

Kim Chan-ah was stumped by two questions at the same time, so she had no choice but to stop and smile politely at the camera.

"Thank you all for your hard work and for your concern! Today was just a regular program recording, nothing special. Long He... does have her own work commitments, but please believe that we are always a team!"

After speaking, Kim Chan-ah bowed slightly and followed the two people in front of her.

The three figures disappeared behind the revolving door, while the screams of the fans continued.

Ding Heng looked away, picked up his phone, and opened Weibo.

In the past two days, three topics related to Longhe have appeared on the trending search list.

#Longhe goes solo#, #AuroraEos team discord#, #Longhe absent from program recording#

Ding Heng clicked on the first topic; the trending Weibo post was a long article by an entertainment blogger titled, "From Intimate to Strangers, How Far Can AuroraEos Go?"

The article is written in great detail, starting from last year's tour, and listing various signs that Longhe and his teammates are "drifting apart": subtle expressions during interviews, reduced interaction on stage, and the absence of photos of each other on their respective social media.

Finally, he also posted a screenshot of the red sausage Weibo post that Longhe made this afternoon, along with a metaphorical interpretation.

A bag of red sausage snacks can be interpreted in eighteen different ways, and some people in the comments section are even applauding it, with opinions varying widely.

Some people expressed their sympathy: "[Sister Long is carrying the entire group single-handedly, it's only a matter of time before she goes solo.]"

Some people mocked: "[He's already going it alone before even going solo? He really doesn't respect his teammates!]"

Some more balanced perspectives suggested: "These women are never really on the same wavelength; forcing them together is pointless. It's best to part ways amicably."

Ding Heng scrolled down and saw a new revelation—someone photographed Long He leaving the airport alone after landing in Xingcheng, without going to the hotel with his teammates.

Some people in the comments section have already started making a big deal out of it, saying that Longhe is deliberately acting like a big shot and doesn't want to be in the same frame as his teammates.

They even analyzed frame by frame the way Longhe looked at his teammates, saying it was "cold," "aloof," and that he "had long wanted to leave."

Ding Heng exited WB and threw his phone onto the center console.

He remembered Long He's complaints in the capital very clearly. Now it seemed that the conflict between her and her teammates was much more serious than Ding Heng had imagined.

This afternoon, Long He suddenly appeared at Hunan University, saying he was "just passing by and stopping by." Now that I think about it, it was probably more than just passing by.