Vase cannon fodder is pampered by the group again

Chapter 57.1

Editor: Jodi

Min Shoubei repeated himself: “I hope you can withdraw from the variety show.”

Shen Ci felt a headache coming on. This didn’t feel like a “hope” at all—it was clearly a “demand”…..

However he could only lower his head and say, “I-I need to discuss it with my agent. He’s the professional.”

Min Shoubei frowned. “Give me his number. I’ll talk to him myself.”

“No, no, no… I’ll handle it!”

Min Shoubei looked so intimidating that he’d definitely scare Brother Zhang into submission. He stopped him hurriedly then dialed Brother Zhang’s number reluctantly.

On the other end of the line, Brother Zhang seemed to still be on set, as the background noise was chaotic.

Shen Ci explained the situation to him, fully expecting Brother Zhang to deliberate with the team carefully. Instead, he shouted excitedly, “No problem at all!”

Shen Ci was startled by the outburst, however Brother Zhang, still excited, continued, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Hurry up and say yes, hurry up and say yes! I’ll handle things with the programme team!”

Then afraid that he might change his mind, Brother Zhang hung up right after that, leaving Shen Ci stunned.

Min Shoubei finally showed a faint, satisfied smile. “So now you’ll agree, right?”

Shen Ci held his forehead: “…. En.”

This kind of felt like the lowest-ranking student suddenly being forced into an elite class for advanced training.

**

Brother Zhang hung up, unable to suppress the grin on his face.

Shen Ci was simply destined for greatness—it was written all over him. His luck was unstoppable. The little cub he was raising was becoming more and more impressive, so much so that he, this old mother hen couldn’t be more proud.

Initially, he had planned to milk Shen Ci’s connection with Min Shoubei to drum up publicity. Who would’ve thought Min Shoubei would go even further—offering to write a script and direct a movie for him?

He had worked with many Movie Emperors and Movie Empresses, but only a handful had ever caught Min Shoubei’s eye.

After all, Min Shoubei never held auditions. He personally invited actors based on his own feelings and vision. So in regard to his choices, Shen Ci was a “nobody”, the kind Brother Zhang had never dared to dream would catch Min Shoubei’s attention.

And yet, this golden opportunity had just fallen into their laps, leaving him dazed from the impact.

The director, noticing Brother Zhang’s good mood, ran over happily to discuss Shen Ci’s schedule for returning to the village the next day. “Brother Zhang, what’s got you so happy?”

Brother Zhang beamed. “Our Xiao Ci is quitting your show!”

The director: “???”

His jaw practically hit the floor. “W-What did you say?!”

Brother Zhang: “Xiao Ci is leaving your show. His dad wants him to focus on honing his acting skills.”

The director thought he was joking, however his expression was so serious that it made the director start to panic.

“Perfect Guesthouse” had incredibly high ratings, dominating the competition, and this success was largely thanks to this popular rising star. Shen Ci’s delicate looks and genuine, unpretentious personality had attracted countless casual viewers who stumbled across the show.

Something which was evident from the live broadcast metrics.

When the director had first invited Shen Ci, he hadn’t anticipated the sheer power of his fanbase. He had just wanted a pretty face to spice things up and even hoped secretly that Shen Ci might stir up some drama in order to draw attention.

Instead, everything had gone surprisingly smoothly. Shen Ci had been so likable and conflict-free that even when the production team tried to edit in some drama maliciously for hype, they couldn’t manage it.

Now, with Shen Ci suddenly leaving the show, there would definitely be losses.

“This….. Teacher Shen has gained so many fans through the show, moreover there’s still a lot of room for him to grow. We’ll definitely help him get more exposure in the future!”

“And besides, the show is only halfway through. If he quits now….. the breach of contract penalty will be very high.”

Brother Zhang was a senior veteran in the industry, with far more clout than the director. Plus, he had Yunxiao Entertainment backing him—a powerhouse in itself. So the director couldn’t push back too hard and had to resort to subtle pressure and persuasion.

Brother Zhang’s eyes widened in mock surprise, his tone dripping with disbelief.

“Are you seriously trying to discuss money with Yunxiao?”

The director: “….”

In the end, the director had no choice but to agree and even called the village head to inform them. Luckily, the compensation Yunxiao was going to pay would cover most of the show’s losses.

The conversation had taken place in a corner, however someone still happened to overhear it.

Jiang Shu, who had been pretending to grab something nearby walked away with a heavy expression, her heart full of unease.

She hadn’t expected Shen Ci to suddenly leave the show. Didn’t this mean she would lose her chance to use him to get closer to Min Shoubei?

She needed to figure out a plan….

**