Sun Dan was the former deputy director of the Jiangjing Cultural and Tourism Bureau. Currently, she serves as the director of the Xiangcheng Cultural and Tourism Bureau.
Being the director in Xiangcheng was fine, but the previous title made people uneasy. Anyone who could climb to a high position in Jiangjing couldn’t be ordinary. Why was she in Xiangcheng, appearing on “Come On, Friends”? Until they learned about her family connections below.
Her grandparents’ names could be found in modern history, and her husband’s name was one almost everyone in the entertainment industry had heard of – Zhang Weizhi.
Li Yang’s manager looked at the introduction on Qianke, beginning to understand why “Come On, Friends” could be broadcast on satellite TV. He unconsciously glanced at Li Yang.
Beside him, Li Yang was looking down at his phone, probably receiving messages about Sun Dan.
Even as his manager, he couldn’t find words to comfort Li Yang. “We shouldn’t have refused Yan Lu. We might have added Mrs. Sun on WeChat…”
If Principal Jian was like the moon in the sky to them – someone they’d never interact with in their lifetime – then Sun Dan and Zhang Weizhi were like earthly nobility. Not to mention Yan Lu herself, but the show’s team had secured support from Jiangjing TV. Their future success was guaranteed.
Li Yang pressed his lips together, his facial features extremely rigid, regret making it hard to breathe.
“Brother Li is still okay,” a small assistant mumbled. “An Qi must be the most regretful…”
Everyone in the industry knew that An Qi had debuted with Yan Lu, but after becoming famous, he immediately distanced himself from her and their CP, choosing to create buzz with Man Xi instead.
Not only that, but he also spread rumors that Yan Lu had been using him. At the time, he cut ties with Yan Lu so decisively, probably thinking she had no chance of making a comeback. Who knew that Yan Lu would actually rise again? Even before “Da Yong” aired, her popularity had already reached first-tier status.
With “Come On, Friends” broadcasting, her popularity skyrocketed even further.
At Qingshui Street, in Ji Heng’s house.
Director Chen casually watched the TV.
On screen, Mei Yi and Yan Lu were touring Xiangcheng’s two popular streets. Many tourists waved at the cameras when they saw the show being recorded, and the production team didn’t avoid filming anyone.
After visiting the puppet show, Mei Yi and Yan Lu went to the martial arts school across the street.
Opening the door, they saw a group of shirtless men practicing with various weapons on the left. The camera zoomed in on a man wielding a spear, showing his bronze muscles with sweat running down the defined lines.
[Family, I have urgent business in Xiangcheng [Running]]
To the right, on several rows of wooden posts, there was only one muscular, cold-looking man on the right posts, his toes lightly touching as he moved from post to post.
[Damn, is that lightness skill water floating?]
[I’ve only been offline for a few months? Has Xiangcheng been secretly practicing immortal cultivation?]
[The fact that we know magic will finally be exposed to foreigners [Lights cigarette]]
[Officials, please share his Weibo or video account!]
[…]
Director Chen peeled peanuts with his legs crossed as he watched the screen, commenting, “Master Ming isn’t very sociable.”
As he spoke, on TV, Mei Yi took a spear and handed it to Yan Lu. “Try the flowery spear you often use?”
Yan Lu took the spear.
Director Chen froze. He put down the peanuts, sat up straight, and clapped his hands, watching the screen without blinking: “She knows how to use a spear too?”
On screen, Yan Lu wore loose casual clothes.
Her smoky blue short hair fluttered slightly in the wind. Her right hand held the spear while her other hand pressed the spear’s end. Using her waist strength, the spear moved like a swimming dragon as she suddenly leaned back and thrust behind her! The camera paused perfectly on her posed position, casual yet masterful.
The other spear practitioners nearby were genuinely impressed.
“I haven’t learned it well,” Yan Lu smiled. “I can’t even show one-tenth of this move’s proper spirit.”
Online viewers went crazy in the comments.
[Is that the horse-return spear? Never been so excited for Da Yong!]
[What do you mean you haven’t learned it well? This is amazing!]
[Yan Lu isn’t being modest, look at her smile. She must be thinking of someone who’s better than her]
[So who is that person?]
[…]
Not just the online viewers, even Director Chen took a deep breath. He stared at the screen, then remembered something and took out his phone to send the old master a WeChat message.
“She’s even more skillful than Yu Hongyi,” Director Chen excitedly looked at Jiang Fuli and Bai Lian. “And she says she hasn’t practiced well?”
Jiang Fuli sat loosely in his chair, uninterested in the TV, only glancing at Yan Lu’s spear. “It’s ordinary.”
Bai Lian calmly looked away, offering no comment.
She just looked down at her phone message from Mao Kun:
[Sis, for the April 18th auction, my godfather saved you an invitation]
White Tiger Auction House would give Bai Lian a VIP card for every major auction, and most times Bai Lian would sell it at a high price. For Mao Kun to personally report an auction to Bai Lian, it must be important.
Bai Lian: [1]
Beside her, Director Chen quietly looked away.
After a commercial break in the variety show, it was evening.
On the small road of Qingshui Street, Yan Lu and Mei Yi were going to watch fighting.
[Haven’t found any fighting venues in Xiangcheng]
[Who’s that girl talking next to Yan Lu? Her voice sounds so nice, why isn’t she showing her face?]
[The voice is too soft, no mic, is she Yan Lu’s friend?]
The comments decreased until the crew arrived at Heishui Street.
Many scenes couldn’t be shown, leaving only a small portion of footage. Everyone saw the characters “Heishui Street” in the night, along with the “Green Dragon Bar” glowing with pale light.
Xiao Wu’s half-red hair appeared, along with many tough-looking men and women of various skin colors on the street.
Comments:
[Why are their legs censored?]
[Why can we only see most people’s upper bodies?]
[This person glanced at the camera, why do I feel like he wants to challenge me?]
[????]
[????]
The audience also noticed something was off and began soul-searching questions: [Wait, where exactly is this??]
The show was still broadcasting, but “Come On, Friends” had already claimed several hot topics:
[Jiangjing TV]
[Urgent Business in Xiangcheng]
[Where is Heishui Street]
The first episode ended just as they arrived at the fighting venue.
This year hadn’t seen any phenomenal variety shows yet, and “Come On, Friends” was the first to claim several hot topics just after broadcasting. Viewers’ curiosity had reached its peak.
Once something gains popularity, countless fearless people will dig deep to find out everything.
Information about “Heishui Street” was already being secretly shared.
After the show ended, Jiang Fuli took Jiang He home.
Jiang He’s cabbage backpack was still on the side. Bai Lian picked it up and handed it to Jiang Fuli.
Jiang Fuli hooked it with one finger, clearly disgusted but didn’t throw it away. He looked at Bai Lian and paused slightly. “I’m returning to Jiangjing tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Mm.” Jiang Fuli looked away, his slightly long bangs falling down.
Bai Lian nodded, not saying much. “Is Jiang He going back too?”
Jiang He kept his head down without speaking.
Director Chen fidgeted on the side, waiting until Bai Lian and Jiang Fuli finished talking before coming over. “Miss Bai, do you have Yan Lu’s WeChat?”
He knew Yan Lu but had just learned she was skilled with the spear.
“Yan Lu?” Bai Lian glanced at him. “I’ll ask.”
She took out her phone, found Yan Lu’s profile picture, and explained the situation.
Yan Lu remembered Director Chen. After Bai Lian finished explaining, she didn’t even ask why, just directly let Bai Lian recommend Director Chen’s WeChat to her.
Bai Lian found Director Chen’s WeChat and sent it to Yan Lu.
Director Chen took Jiang He and left first, with Ji Heng holding his pipe to see them out.
Bai Lian still had that unfinished document rolled up in her hand.
Jiang Fuli stayed in the courtyard, just glancing at the thesis in her hand. “He Wen is just being lazy, making you help organize his thesis.”
“He can’t finish reading it all,” Bai Lian languidly defended He Wen.
“Everyone else can finish, why can’t he?”
Bai Lian knew this wasn’t a good time to speak up for He Wen.
She walked a few steps, stopping under the banyan tree. Above was a bright light. Bai Lian lifted her head slightly. She had beautiful almond eyes, deep and dark, always carrying a kind of lazy casualness, as if nothing really mattered to her.
Before she could speak, Jiang Fuli bent down, his arms casually extending, hands lightly resting on her back.
The banyan tree cast shadows on his face as he lowered his head slightly, his hair brushing past her ears as he spoke lazily: “I’ll be back Sunday.”
“Come On, Friends” popularity continued to rise, creating another record high for Xiangcheng’s tourism.
Especially the news about Heishui Street.
Right after the show aired, the director of “Come On, Friends” smiled as he looked at the trending topics on Weibo that didn’t cost them a penny.
“I told you choosing Yan Lu wasn’t wrong,” he looked at the planner. “See…”
Before he could finish, his phone rang. Looking at it, he saw a Jiangjing number. Confused, he answered, “Hello?”
“Hello, this is Zhang Weizhi,” a deep voice came from the other end.
Zhang Weizhi? The director was startled and immediately stood up. Their show had passed Jiangjing TV’s review, but they had only dealt with Zhang Weizhi’s secretary.
As for Zhang Weizhi himself, the director of the State Administration – was he someone ordinary people could contact?
“It’s like this,” Zhang Weizhi was very casual. “I heard your crew filmed at Heishui Street? You must be very familiar with the people there?”
Anyone who could film at Heishui Street must have extraordinary connections.
Zhang Weizhi got straight to the point. “I was wondering if you could get an invitation to the White Tiger Auction House for April 18th. If you can help me get one, I’ll definitely reward you generously.”
The director dazedly hung up the phone. White Tiger Auction House – the show hadn’t aired that part yet, but he had seen it.
Why was Zhang Weizhi asking him about auction house invitations?
As he was thinking, the phone rang again. This time it was his previous biggest investor, speaking very kindly, all because of “Heishui Street” that appeared tonight.
In just this short time, the director received countless calls from industry big shots.
The director finally sensed something was off, realizing belatedly: “Wait, who exactly is Yan Lu’s friend?”
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