Chapter 38: Publicly Financed Love

Before you know it, it's the day of the audition for the variety show.

Sheng Mingzhi woke up at 8am to arrive at the show and spent two hours on make-up and styling.

Not long after his arrival, Xiao Jia, a female actor and a vegetarian university student from the same group, also arrived.

Xiao Jia also brought a breakfast, which she handed over somewhat coyly.

"Have you guys had breakfast yet? I picked one up on the way over in the car."

Buns with soy milk are placed on the dressing table.

When the actress saw this, she muttered, "I'm not eating, it's easy to get fat with breakfast."

A dry refusal.

Xiao Jia was not given a single step to take.

But it's normal.

Most artists are flattered by the stars and unconsciously think they are superior.

Xiao Jia smiled awkwardly and turned to Sheng Mingzhi: " Mr. Sheng, are you eating?"

Sheng Mingzhi looked at him and was about to say no, after all he had come for breakfast.

But I don't know why, but when I see Xiao Jia, I can't help thinking of Lu Jiayan.

Then I remembered the years when Lu Jiayan had just graduated from university and was struggling to live abroad.

She is probably about the same age as this Xiao Jia.

Suddenly there was a little bit of a softening of the heart.

He took Xiao Jia's soy milk.

"Thanks."

Xiao Jia is very flattered.

Even Little Wang looked at Sheng Mingzhi with surprise.

What's wrong with this little one today?

In such a good mood, you can still help poor male university students?

In his usual character, he would not have said "thank you".

He may not even extend his hand, and may even say "I'm allergic to breakfast under $1,000".

After all, Little Wang has seen how picky Sheng Mingzhi can be about his food.

The follow up camera faithfully records the interaction of the guests for use in post-production editing.

Xiao Jia didn't even say a word to the actress during the rest of the recording, she just hovered around Sheng Mingzhi.

The title also changed from "Mr. Sheng" to "Little Mr. Sheng".

At around eleven o'clock, all thirteen guests were ready and settled into the conference room in turn.

The conference room at Sheng Jia is modernly furnished with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, overlooking the entire city centre of YunJing.

Although the guests had been impressed by Sheng Jia's wealth when they arrived in the morning, seeing the conference room sparked a wave of discussion.

For the variety show, the conference room is equipped with five manual camera positions and four infrared cameras.

The camera captures the varying expressions of the guests.

There were the imperative ones and those who kept reviewing interview materials.

There will be some subtitles at a later stage to build up the tension before the interview starts.

However, the artist guests will have more interaction with the camera than the vegetarians.

Yu Jie is very good at capturing the camera, patting her heart and sighing, "I'm really nervous, I don't know if I'll be able to wait a while.

On the other hand, the camera is also directed at Su Yang who has changed her car to a luxury car for the interview today.

" How does Little Su feel now?"

"It's okay." Su Yang said lightly, "I've seen this kind of interview situation at my dad's company before, so I'm not that nervous."

The director saw the scene on camera and nodded his head in satisfaction.

The two celebrity guests have good personas, one is a working Little Bai and the other is a calm rich kid, so when the time comes, Su Yang's footage will be branded as "the gap between people", and the young master who doesn't eat the world will be sold.

In the end, the camera gave a round, but didn't even split Sheng Mingzhi one.

The 18th line of paste curry is treated with miserable clarity.

He only appeared for a few short seconds and it was all in one sweeping motion, looking intently at his CV in the corner to check the gaps.

The interview recording officially starts at 11:30.

First up were the first six guests, three celebrities and three vegetarians.

While they were recording up there, the rest of the group was

Xiao Jia's palms sweat nervously as she looks around the room.

Yu Jie was interacting with the camera, Su Yang couldn't resist taking out her phone and swiping through Weibo, while the rest of the vegetarian interns were memorising their CVs.

When I turn my head again to look at Sheng Mingzhi, the other man sits slackly in his chair, his eyes falling on the interviewer.

He had a serious look on his face, and at first glance he was listening intently.

In fact, in general job interviews, it is unlikely that you will be allowed to observe someone else's interview.

However, as the recording of the variety show was needed for the effect of the programme, it was cheaper for Sheng Mingzhi.

The questions asked by the interviewer were moderate.

I guess the show was afraid that the celebrity guests would not be able to answer the questions and some of them were given away like retards.

Xiao Jia was somehow less nervous when she saw Sheng Mingzhi's relaxed posture.

He spoke in a whisper, "Little Mr. Sheng, why aren't you nervous at all?"

Sheng Mingzhi glanced at him and said casually, "Didn't you read the slogan written on the door of Sheng Jia. Think of Sheng Jia as your home and come back to the office as if you were home, there's nothing to be nervous about coming home to. Understand?"

...... doesn't get it.

My house is not so gilded, thank you.

A few of the camera masters who were following the film couldn't hold back their laughter.

I thought only Sheng Mingzhi would have the audacity to treat Sheng Jia as his own home.

The first half of the interview is over.

Yu Jie's agent came in through the back door and whispered something in his ear.

Yu Jie's eyes glowed and he almost exclaimed in excitement.

It took some will power to suppress his voice: "Really?"

"Really. It's true." The agent is also excited: "I just went to confirm with Director Cui that it was an impromptu decision by Sheng Jia's management."

Yu Jie's heart pounded as she whispered, "Are you sure that Sheng Jia's boss will come to the interview?"

The agent nodded: "It's in the second half, Sheng Jia asked for secrecy, but I guess everyone with a few contacts knows."

As expected, Yu Jie subconsciously looks over at Su Yang, who is also discussing something with her manager.

The gesture is clearly tweedy.

The President of Sheng Jia is coming to interview you in person?

Doesn't that mean that Lu Jiayan will be in the conference room!

The great news instantly smashed the small number of people in the audience who knew in advance.

Yu Jie calmed down and said, "So when will Sheng Mingzhi's degree explode?"

Agent: "It has been arranged for the marketing number to tweet, don't worry."

Before the second half of the interview began, the big marketing numbers on Weibo suddenly started linking up with the anonymous section, breaking the news about Sheng Mingzhi's qualifications.

The first to post was an old and famous foodie blogger.

@LittleBadgerLovesMelon: [stunned] Intern recording degree revealed, Sheng Mingzhi is actually a YunJing Yea University graduate?

There were not many replies to this tweet as Sheng Mingzhi was too vague.

Half roadie, half veteran inner-entertainment fan.

" Who is Sheng Mingzhi?"

--This is the passer-by.

"Remember to pick a high-profile one next time you take a blurb, no one cares about the education of well-known internet celebrity Mr. Sheng."

--This is an old Inner Entertainment fan.

Seeing that a marketing number explodes doesn't work.

Next suddenly seven or eight marketing numbers came down together, and since they couldn't hold up before, the ones that came down later were simply straightforwardly black and unadorned:

[The net rumor is that Sheng Mingzhi YunJing graduated from Yea University, is that true? It's not another academic forgery, is it?

It was at this point that the discussion on Twitter gradually picked up steam.

Academic falsification is now one of the black spots that the internet can hardly stand, and one of the bottom lines.

The first half of this year, there is a rural girl's results were impersonated, even after the impostor received the admission letter, but also gleefully tweeted, the matter has triggered a national debate. In the next postgraduate exam, another celebrity obtained her degree by falsifying her results and was raked over the coals, directly socially dead.

The issue of falsified qualifications has become a hot topic this year.

It was thought that these two incidents would serve as a warning to the stars in the entertainment industry.

But to my surprise, before the year is out, it seems that another star with questionable qualifications has popped up.

Comments from netizens quickly rose to the occasion.

"No. What year is it, piling on to fake degrees?"

"Really? Cloud Arts is not a pheasant university, you can find out by checking the entrance photos, why fake this?"

"Eat your melon and wait and see for a while, it feels a bit delicate with so many marketing numbers coming down together."

"Isn't the internship show a closed broadcast, so how did someone break the news?"

"e, who is Sheng Mingzhi?"

"Umm. Why do I think it's not him, little punk that has the personality of pretending to be a b inscribed in his DNA, if he was a graduate of the University of Arts, his diploma would have been PO'd eighteen times over."

......

The good thing is that the internet is not stupid.

Although the marketing numbers linked up and broke the story, it didn't fester that fast.

There have been so many facepalming incidents of melon reversals over the years.

This led to the netizens being on alert before eating the melon.

-

Yu Jie's aim of creating momentum has been achieved.

Satisfied, he swiped his Twitter feed and then handed his phone over to his agent for safekeeping.

The second half of the interview begins.

Originally Yu Jie was supposed to be the first to go on, but after learning in the morning that Lu Jiayan would be auditioning, his manager asked the programme team to help him change the order of his appearance.

He came into the set backstage, and the director's team didn't make it particularly difficult for him.

The green light was given when it was said that the order would be adjusted.

So Yu Jie switched to the penultimate player.

The first person to take the stage became Su Yang.

Sure enough, after two interviews in a row, no one came inside the meeting room.

Yu Jie looks through the water, frequently looking towards the door.

Until the interviewer called out his name: " Yu Jie, fellow student."

Yu Jie didn't even notice when he shouted twice.

The interviewer's face was clearly unpleasant and he raised his voice, " Is Yu Jie here?"

Yu Jie is now back on his feet.

It's just a pity that the interviewer's first impression of him has turned sour.

Unlike the previous vegetarian interviews.

The interview questions for celebrity guests are basically scripted and the artistes already know the interview questions, so they just have to memorise them.

Yu Jie is not too crotchety, he answers whatever the interviewer asks.

The show is also moderately effective.

Halfway through the proceedings, the door to the meeting room was opened.

The recording was closed and no one was allowed to enter or leave the conference room during the recording to avoid affecting the radio.

So as soon as there was a movement, it drew the attention of almost the entire room.

Sheng Mingzhi, too, rarely returns from his state of relaxation and looks towards the door of the conference room as if he feels something.

The next second, the door was opened by what looked like an assistant and a handsome young man burst into the crowd's view.

And then the next one.

The man's gaze made brief airborne contact with Sheng Mingzhi.

Then turn your head.

It seemed as if they didn't know him at all.

......

......

Sheng Mingzhi finally knew what Lu Jiayan, the dog man, meant when he left the house this morning and said "see you later".

He had no idea that Lu Jiayan would come to the show in person for a small recording session.

And look at those interviewers, not surprised at all.

That means they must have known Lu Jiayan was coming.

So he's the only one who's been kept in the dark?

Sheng Mingzhi reveals a few moments of disbelief.

Wait, he suddenly remembered that when he came in this morning, the way these interviewers had lusted after themselves and wanted to please but didn't dare to do so too obviously -

Sheng Mingzhi thought he was already in good graces with his face, so all these people knew about his relationship with Lu Jiayan!

Oh.

So it wasn't the handsomeness that impressed him.

......

He thought he was hiding his "wife of the president" persona quite well.

"Wow." Xiao Jia's surprised voice brought Sheng Mingzhi's thoughts back, "This guy is so handsome coming in. Is he our guest too? He doesn't look like it."

Sheng Mingzhi gave him a look with a look of retardation.

Lu Jiayan's arrival obviously caused a small stir.

Although no one shows it, those who have been informed long ago know by heart who the man who is now present in the conference room is.

Especially when you see that several interviewers' faces have turned serious and are vaguely about to stand up and say hello.

But when the man just casually lifted his chin and the interviewers had to be ordered to stay put, this suspicion was directly implemented by all.

It was no one else who came.

It is Sheng Jia's current boss, Lu Jiayan.

Lu Jiayan comes in casually and stands casually.

He picked a viewpoint where he could see Sheng Mingzhi and sat down in a casual manner.

He was casual, but everyone's body in the room couldn't help but stiffen up.

Yu Jie, in particular, went blank when the interviewer asked the next question and forgot everything he had memorised.

Xiao Jia finally reacted to the fact that this man's aura was so strong that he didn't look like a guest at all: "Why do I feel that the atmosphere in the meeting room is much heavier?" "Little Mr. Sheng, are you nervous?"

Mr. Sheng Jr. is not nervous.

Little Mr. Sheng even wanted to hit someone a little.

You want to pretend you're not familiar with it, don't you?

This is a professional match to Sheng Mingzhi's strengths.

The two of them, plastic husbands and wives, are not good at anything else.

The best thing he does is pretend he's not familiar with it, it's almost like he's in character.

Xiao Jia is probably the one who talks more and more the more nervous she gets.

After Lu Jiayan entered, the atmosphere was even more serious than before, causing Xiao Jia's previously somewhat relaxed mood to tighten to the point of no return.

Then turning into a chatterbox: the

"Little Mr. Sheng, how's your back ......"

"Little Mr. Sheng, I have a bit of a need to go to the toilet ......"

"Little Mr. Sheng, where are you going for dinner tonight, I know a good restaurant nearby ......"

"By the way little Mr. Sheng, haven't asked what university you graduated from ......"

"......"

The more it is said, the closer Xiao Jia and Sheng Mingzhi get to each other.

After all, the meeting room was quiet and the only way to talk was to whisper and nibble.

The camera is undoubtedly a good pair of friends.

There was mutual cheering and encouragement during the interview process in a harmonious and loving manner.

In Lu Jiayan's eyes, it was a different story.

As he watched the two young men get closer and closer, seemingly having endless conversations, his eyes gradually sank.

Then beckoned and called for an assistant.

Just when Sheng Mingzhi was about to be bored to death by Xiao Jia.

The assistant next to one of Sheng Jia's interviewers approached respectfully.

"Excuse me."

Xiao Jia froze as the assistant said, "Can you speak a little more quietly over here so as not to disturb the interview."

Xiao Jia feels wronged: "My voice is very soft ......"

And he clearly saw Su Yang and the others whispering before he spoke up!!!

Why not remind Su Yang!

But Xiao Jia was silenced by her assistant's awkward but polite smile.

For some reason, it was clear that no one was looking at him, but he always felt like he was being stared at by some kind of hostile gaze.

It was like a mango and was uncomfortable.

OK.

If he doesn't talk, he can just memorise the interview material.

Who knew that just after Xiao Jia had made up her mind.

The assistant whispered again, "This student, we have arranged a new seat for you to facilitate your interview."

Xiao Jia: ????

I -

He wants to say I'm handy right now!

And there are still three more auditions before my turn, so what's the point of giving me a seat now? Is it an arrangement by the programme team?

Xiao Jia looks to the photographer, who is also confused.

Not only that, but the off-camera director's team is at a loss - what's going on? It's not in the script?

But with a "we don't think you're comfortable" look on the assistant's face.

Xiao Jia is placed in a quiet corner.

Hmm.

It is about fifteen seats away from Sheng Mingzhi.

There's even a super placeholder camera in the middle.

Xiao Jia will not be able to see Sheng Mingzhi even if she stretches her neck.

Sheng Mingzhi, who witnessed it all: ......

Who else would be so boring.

He turned his attention to Lu Jiayan, speechless.

This was met with an innocent and questioning look from Lu Jiayan.

As if to say: what's wrong?

Heh.

Play dead you forget it, male vixen.

-

Yu Jie's interview was over, and she looked at Lu Jiayan with reluctance and a bit of resignation.

He thought Sheng Jia's boss would come over and ask him at least one or two questions.

All it takes is one, and the whole show has a pop for this issue.

But Lu Jiayan has no intention whatsoever of asking questions.

He just sat there the whole time, as if he had just popped over for a casual look.

The next two guests were interviewed, and then it was finally Sheng Mingzhi's turn.

Lu Jiayan seems to have finally taken an interest, and his posture, which had been slouching in his chair, has become slightly more serious.

The interviewer takes a look at Sheng Mingzhi's turn.

"With a swish, the whole atmosphere suddenly became solemn and involuntarily made all four interviewers sit up straight.

It was a respectful reception for the "boss's wife".

The inexplicable and subtle atmosphere left the directing team baffled.

The interview began in earnest and the interviewers, who had been notified in advance, certainly did not make things difficult for Sheng Mingzhi, but neither did they deliberately let things slip.

After going through the process, Lu Jiayan suddenly stood up when the interview was about to end.

As he stood, the eyes of the room fell on him.

Seeing this, the interviewer sitting in the very middle grasped the president's meaning and hurriedly stood up to make way.

Lu Jiayan sat down and looked up Sheng Mingzhi's CV.

He looked up at him with a "I'm here for a serious interview and I don't know you well" kind of leadership look.

Sheng Mingzhi firstly stares, then: ......

Very well, man, I'm going to see what little tricks you play.

He thought that Lu Jiayan was preparing to make things difficult for him.

I wonder what kind of wicked hobby this dog man has, coming to interview himself for a CV he wrote?

But surprisingly, Lu Jiayan's supplementary questions were quite serious.

We asked Sheng Mingzhi about his career plans, his views on the job, his understanding of the position and a few other questions.

The off-camera director's crew was already overwhelmed with excitement.

"Quickly, quickly, turn all the camera lenses towards Mr. Lu."

Director Cui was all excited.

Lu Jiayan's presence at the interview was explosive enough, and they had no expectations that Sheng Jia's CEO would cooperate with the team.

In the meantime, the crew couldn't help but be impressed by Sheng Mingzhi's good fortune.

Director Cui is righteous: "We don't want to cut any of the footage in this section, we want to keep it all!"

Just as these words were being said, the camera was already in the final part of the interview.

Lu Jiayan put down his CV and leaned back slightly, looking at Sheng Mingzhi absently.

Slowly, he spoke, "One last question."

Sheng Mingzhi had just been brought to his senses by Lu Jiayan's businesslike manner.

At the moment, too, it cannot help but be serious.

For some reason, he just didn't want to be underestimated by Lu Jiayan.

So the attitude is twelvefold serious.

Then, Sheng Mingzhi heard the man's droll, impish voice.

"Are you free to join us for dinner tonight?"