Chapter 13: Let Her Go, Character Persona?

It was fortunate that they were exhausted this morning and so focused on completing their tasks that they didn't have the time—or the inclination—to pull out their phones. Otherwise, if they had seen the trending topics on social media right then and there, they would have absolutely exploded.

"Why should we confiscate them?"

"These guests are not ordinary people. It's their first time on a variety show, and they aren't as savvy as the usual industry professionals. I’m worried that if they see some of the inappropriate comments from netizens, it could lead to an irreparable situation."

Yang Feng’s concerns were thorough. It wasn't that Liu Shenghai hadn't considered this, but if you were afraid of everything while making a variety show, you would never succeed. Besides, if he had been that cautious, he wouldn't have invited these people or produced this show in the first place.

"No need. Let them see what’s online. Since we invited them and created this show, we should just let things unfold naturally. Besides, if we take their phones, how are they going to pay for things?"

That final point was the crux of the matter. Everyone uses their phones to pay nowadays; if you take their phones, how are they supposed to pay on the go?

Look at today—the way everyone whipped out their phones to pay for the yachts was as generous and carefree as it gets. If their phones had been confiscated, it would have been incredibly inconvenient!

"Fair enough." Liu Shenghai’s words reminded Yang Feng that the guests’ generous spending today was indeed facilitated by having their phones on hand.

"I’m not going back to 'Extreme Escape.' That show is a lost cause." Liu Shenghai thought for a moment and decided to give up on that project. Those guests were still hiding in a cave; there was no escaping happening there at all. It was better to put his energy into this program and make it a success.

Yang Feng nodded. Cutting losses in time was a wise move.

"Jiang Xian, you’ve really done it this time! You turned a misfortune into a blessing. You’re quite clever, pretending to be a wealthy person on a show full of rich people, and spending money even more extravagantly than they do. Originally, the company planned to give me a few newcomers to manage today, but as soon as you hit the trending list, they dumped those rookies on someone else and assigned me exclusively to you."

Her agent, Sister Hua, spoke with great excitement. In just one morning, Jiang Xian had hit the trending topics several times. Watching the top three spots on the chart constantly cycle through headlines, yet always featuring Jiang Xian’s name, was unprecedented. Not only had none of their company’s artists ever achieved this, but no one in the entire entertainment industry had ever held multiple spots in the top three simultaneously.

Because of Jiang Xian, she had finally stood tall in the company. She had spent years envying others, but now, this overwhelming fortune had finally come her way.

"To capitalize on this momentum, the company and I spent half an hour crafting a perfect strategy based on your current popularity."

"You need to maintain this 'wealthy' persona. As for the money, the company will provide it, but it won't be for free, right? You need to pick either Rong Fan or Zheng Jin and pester them relentlessly. Hook yourself a wealthy husband, and once you do, you can just pay the company back."

From the moment the call started, Sister Hua’s incessant chatter hadn't stopped. Jiang Xian understood why she was so excited; she had checked the internet herself and knew she was currently the hottest topic in the country.

Sister Hua continued to ramble on about the plan she and the company executives had devised. She was so absorbed in her own voice that she didn't notice the office door being slightly pushed open, or the phone lying on the floor that was recording every word she said.

"Though, I don’t think you’ll be able to hook Rong Fan. I saw how he reacted when you threw money at him; he didn't seem interested at all—he looked disgusted. Maybe you should focus on Zheng Jin instead!"

She had watched the clips circulating online; Zheng Jin seemed to like Jiang Xian, which was an opportunity.

"Are you done? What makes you so confident and certain that I’m going to do what you’re telling me to?"

"What did you say?" Sister Hua’s smile froze. She didn't react immediately, unsure if the cold voice she had just heard over the phone truly belonged to the person she was talking to.

"I don’t need the company’s money. Therefore, I will not follow the persona you’ve scripted for me."

She knew exactly how the original host had been treated by this company. Ever since Sister Hua took over as her agent, she hadn't been a qualified mentor; she had constantly shown disdain for her. If it weren't for the "Jiang family heiress" status, she would have been even more unscrupulous.

After the original host was exposed as not being the true daughter of the Jiang family, Sister Hua had forced her to take any contract that came her way, regardless of quality. She didn't care that the original host was sabotaging her own career; she viewed it as a way to generate buzz, with the mindset that if the original host burned out, she could just switch to someone else. That was why, even when the original host was being blacklisted by the entire internet and forced to retire, Sister Hua had still signed her up for "Extreme Escape."

Sister Hua stood up abruptly, her voice rising to a shrill, piercing volume: "Jiang Xian, have you lost your mind? Do you know what you’re saying?"

Realizing she had been too loud, she lowered her voice to warn her: "Jiang Xian, getting arrogant the moment you get a bit of fame is a fatal mistake."

"I’m not being arrogant. I just don’t need the company’s money, so I don’t have to play by the persona you’ve set for me."

Sister Hua sneered. "You don’t want the company’s money? What, do you still think you’re the Jiang family heiress, or are you actually planning to beg other guests for money later?"

This was the original host's agent—she would take the insults netizens hurled at her and throw them in her face repeatedly in private.

"That is none of your concern."

Hearing that, Sister Hua felt her rage hit the ceiling. "None of my concern? I am your agent! Do you think I don't have a say? If you don't follow the path the company has laid out, I don't think you want to appear on screen anymore, do you?"

In this industry, few artists were not afraid of being frozen out.

Especially someone like Jiang Xian. Originally, if she had survived "Extreme Escape" and won the prize money, it would have been enough to keep her comfortable for a lifetime, so being frozen wouldn't have mattered much. But since she had run off to join this show and act like a big spender, it was clear she wanted to stay in the industry. If so, she had to follow the rules.

"I can terminate my contract."

"Terminate? Jiang Xian, don't talk so big—you might choke on your own words. Can you afford the breach of contract penalty?"

"Name the number."

"Oh, ho, ho! You really are full of yourself. Fine, you want to terminate? You can, but the penalty is five million. Can you afford that?"

Ever since Jiang Xian was exposed as an imposter, Sister Hua had kept a clear tab on her earnings. Furthermore, because the original host had spent lavishly on credit while posing as the heiress, most of what she had earned in recent months had gone toward paying off debts. She had no money left.