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Chapter 125
Ke Hai had been rather idle lately.
This wasn't the kind of "idle" that meant he could relax, but rather that he genuinely had no work to do.
A few years ago, he had won a Best Actor award, shooting to fame with an outstanding spy thriller.
However, the entertainment industry was a place of rapid turnover, with newcomers constantly emerging, all frantically competing for resources and attention.
Ke Hai wasn't one to play those games—he only knew how to rely on his actual ability. But without access to good resources, all the talent in the world was useless.
E ṅú m̌ а . іd
After playing several supporting roles and stagnating for years, Ke Hai had now completely become a has-been Best Actor.
"Ke Hai! Why are you sprawled on the sofa again?" His agent hurried in from outside, his tone unusually excited. "Stop lying around like a dead fish. There's a variety show inviting you to be a mentor. Hurry up and get yourself ready."
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Three question marks slowly appeared above Ke Hai's head.
He watched his agent pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, and sat up from the sofa in confusion.
"A variety show mentor... wants me?"
What kind of variety show would invite a washed-up actor?
Ė n̊ ū mа_. і̃d́
Ke Hai had indeed won a Best Actor trophy, and the characters he played had once been household names, but his was a case where the roles became famous while the actor didn't. He never had many fans.
By now, he had no popularity to speak of. Young people probably hadn't even heard his name.
His agent rolled his eyes. "Why would I lie to you? It's true, and they're offering a very generous price."
"It's an actor-focused variety show, using both live broadcasts and recordings. I heard Yao Bianliang and Wen Xuan will be participating too."
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"I looked at their requirements—mentors need to be familiar with the short drama scripts in the show and provide at least 500 words of feedback for each actor. So it seems impossible to be a slacker mentor who just makes casual comments."
"But I think this rule is excellent—it can really showcase professional expertise. If it were other variety shows, most would just involve praising each other and pointing out a couple of harmless flaws, which wouldn't be very meaningful."
Е n̄ ú m а̊ . ī d̊
After his agent finished speaking without seemingly taking a breath, Ke Hai was left dumbfounded.
He slowly regained his senses: "What show is this? I've never heard of it."
The agent replied: "The show is called 'Actor Training Camp,' created jointly by Yao Bianliang and Mo Group. They expect to start recording very soon."
"Since you don't have much to do lately, why not participate in the show and get some exposure? You might even get new resources."
Ke Hai thought this was a good opportunity.
He was already washed up anyway. Actors in his situation, just to get exposure, would even go participate in talent shows as mere companions, performing alongside popular celebrities with minimal acting skills.
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Yet Ke Hai had won a Best Actor award, so he couldn't possibly participate as a contestant. And with so many famous directors and actors in the country, it was unlikely he'd be chosen as a mentor.
So at this point, having a variety show willing to invite him as a judge was already a stroke of good fortune.
"Looks like I'm quite lucky," Ke Hai couldn't help but laugh. "Even though I'm this washed up, there's still a show willing to approach me."
He said to his agent: "Alright, pass me the contact's WeChat. I'll chat with them."
Since they had invited him, he naturally needed to prepare seriously.
Though Ke Hai didn't follow variety shows closely, he had a general understanding of these types of programs.
Ё n ŭ ṁ а̌.іď
For instance, the recently popular fourth season of "Good Drama PK Competition" basically followed a script—when arguments should happen, when to create talking points—everything was clearly arranged.
As for whether contestants could advance, it mainly depended on how hard their fans worked or how much capital was backing them. The contestant's actual ability wasn't much of a requirement.
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If he was going to be a judge on a variety show, his first task wasn't to prepare as an acting coach, but to understand the complex interpersonal relationships in the show.
He needed to know who was investing in the show and which contestants they planned to promote.
Which contestants had capital support and many mindless fans—these were people he couldn't offend.
Finally, he needed to understand the script provided by the production team. Most of the judges' words and actions should follow the script.
Еñ u mä . і̄ d́
Once he understood these rules, there shouldn't be any major problems.
His agent shared the contact's WeChat, and he immediately sent a friend request.
After a long wait, the other party finally accepted his request.
[TodayAlsoWanttoFlop has accepted your friend request. Come chat together!]
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Ke Hai stared at this ID, momentarily silent.
—This ID didn't seem very auspicious.
Ĕ n̆ù m̀ а̌ . і̃ d
[TodayAlsoWanttoFlop: Hello, Teacher Ke, I'm Yao Bianliang. Thank you for agreeing to come to our show to provide guidance. shake hands]
Ke Hai was slightly surprised—it was actually Yao Bianliang?
This meant Yao Bianliang wasn't simply a judge; she was likely the behind-the-scenes leader of this variety show, fully responsible for it.
Ke Hai politely replied: "Hello, Teacher Yao. I'd like to get a general understanding of the show's rules and script to prepare in advance."
Ke Hai had been in the entertainment industry for many years. While he disliked the unspoken rules of variety shows, that didn't mean he couldn't be flexible.
If he went on as a judge and got paid, as long as the production team didn't ask him to do anything against his conscience, he was willing to follow their arrangements to some extent.
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For example, acting according to a predetermined script.
But in the next second, Yao Bianliang shattered all his mental preparation.
"There is no script," Yao Bianliang said. "Don't worry, our show won't have a script."
Ke Hai was momentarily stunned.
These days, how could a variety show without a script generate any talking points?
Ke Hai wasn't certain and hesitated for a long time before finally asking: "What do you mean by 'no script'?"
Ẅе̂ b̆n̄ оv.е́ l̈ É ṅúm̊а
Yao Bianliang: "It means you don't need to prepare anything. Just improvise when the time comes."
Ke Hai fell silent.
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You've left me speechless!
If the show gave him a script, he'd at least have some idea of what to do and wouldn't be too nervous.
But with no script at all, just told to "improvise," he couldn't help feeling anxious.
"What about the contestants' profiles?" Ke Hai asked. "Is there anything I should be aware of regarding the participants?"
Е́n̆ú m̆а
Although Ke Hai's question was rather tactful, his meaning was clear.
Tell him which artists the show wanted to promote, so he wouldn't disrupt the production team's plans by improvising carelessly.
However, Yao Bianliang's answer once again shattered his preconceptions.
Yao Bianliang: "We haven't prepared profiles on the contestants. Of course, if it's convenient for you, Teacher Ke, it would be best not to gather information about them online."
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"After all, we hope judges can face actors without preconceptions and evaluate their acting more objectively."
Ke Hai: "..."
Е ñ ů.m а̂ .і̂d
Could such a variety show really exist in this world?
If this weren't their private chat, he would have thought Yao Bianliang was just saying this for the media and reporters.
Ke Hai was momentarily bewildered, wondering if he had been disconnected from the times too long to understand what today's variety shows were trying to achieve.
Could it be that this show didn't plan to promote certain contestants, had no intention of creating stars, and was simply about letting actors compete and selecting talent?
If so, wouldn't the investors lose their investment completely?
Seemingly sensing his concerns, Yao Bianliang quickly added: "Don't worry, Teacher Ke, we treat all 100 contestants equally. These contestants are either complete newcomers or extremely obscure."
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"When you evaluate them, you don't need to be too careful—just be objective."
She paused, then continued: "I'll have someone send you the rules of the talent show. You just need to understand those, nothing else matters."
Ke Hai felt incredibly conflicted.
He went back and re-read their conversation several times to confirm he hadn't misunderstood Yao Bianliang's meaning.
This was truly a variety show without scripts, without insider manipulation, without any false operations.
They had only one requirement for judges—be sincere, highly skilled, capable, and objective.
W е́b ñо̌ṽ e̊ l_ Еnu ma
Ke Hai took a deep breath and slowly replied to Yao Bianliang: "Okay, I understand."
So the next morning, when his agent came to Ke Hai's place again, he found him still lying on the sofa like a dead fish.
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"Ke Hai?" The agent was shocked. "The show is scheduled to air next week. How can you still be lying around?"
The agent felt exasperated.
Last night, he had hurriedly contacted a stylist, planning to prepare a good outfit for Ke Hai.
But when he arrived today, he found his artist completely unconcerned, still lounging around playing with his phone.
E̊n um ӑ .і ḋ
The agent was speechless: "Didn't the program coordinator tell you what to prepare?"
Ke Hai: "Yes, they did."
Agent: "So what do you need to prepare?"
Ke Hai: "Oh, just understand the show's rules."
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The agent grew anxious: "And then?"
Ke Hai, expressionless: "That's it."
Е̌n u m̆а̊
Agent: "..."
The agent stood silently in place, somewhat questioning life.
Could they have signed up for a fake variety show?
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
At Lu Group headquarters, President Lu finally had a brief respite.
Recently, the "Best Music Producer" project had suffered a major setback and been forced to suspend. Even for Lu Group, this wasn't easy to handle.
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Lu Group's subsequent plans all needed to be readjusted and replanned. President Lu had to work overtime, only now finally relaxing slightly.
Fortunately... another project was progressing well.
President Lu looked at the report email from his subordinate, his expression slightly relaxing.
Recently, they had collaborated with several manufacturers to launch a policy where purchasing products could help vote for idols, successfully earning huge cash flow.
Fans were never stingy with money when it came to helping their idols climb the charts. So those products on the shelves sold out in no time.
After this, Lu Group's cash flow had slightly improved, able to fill some of the holes in Yuehui Entertainment.
W е b́ nò v̄ё l̆ Eñů mа́
Thinking of this, President Lu sighed softly.
Thankfully, although "Best Music Producer" had been destroyed by Yao Bianliang, the fourth season of "Good Drama PK Competition" was still proceeding smoothly.
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"Knock, knock, knock"
A knocking sound came, and an assistant hurriedly walked in.
"President Lu, the situation looks bad..." The assistant pursed his lips. "Yao Bianliang and her team are planning to launch an acting variety show."
President Lu: "..."
Ẇе b̃n о vе̃ l̈ Е n̆ umā
President Lu slowly turned to look at the assistant, pronouncing each word distinctly: "What... did you just say?"
The assistant worriedly continued: "They're planning to launch an acting variety show called 'Actor Training Camp.' This show didn't take long to prepare, and it should go live next week."
President Lu fell silent.
Just a second ago, he had been thinking how fortunate it was that the fourth season of "Good Drama PK Competition" hadn't encountered any trouble. But now, trouble had arrived.
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Yao Bianliang, it was Yao Bianliang again.
What was she trying to do?
Е ñŭ m̆ а̃. і d
"Yao Bianliang is just an actress," President Lu took a deep breath. "How could she possibly have the funds to launch a variety show?"
The assistant had a bitter expression: "Yao Bianliang indeed doesn't have that much money. But this time, she's partnered with Mo Group. Mo Youqian has invested a huge amount—almost as if he's eager to lose money."
He paused, adding: "We didn't know the details before, but we've just learned that Yao Bianliang and Mo Youqian likely have a deep collaboration."
President Lu's face completely darkened.
If it were just Yao Bianliang alone, he was confident she couldn't compete with Lu Group.
But with huge financial backing, that was no longer certain.
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President Lu carefully recalled recent events, quickly connecting them: "So you're saying Yao Bianliang's big recruitment drive for her studio was also because Mo Group invested?"
The assistant nodded: "That's right."
This was truly concerning.
News about Yao Bianliang's studio had already spread throughout the industry. The fantastical rules were being ridiculed and dismissed by many industry insiders.
Many directors, artists, and talent agencies were quite angry, feeling Yao Bianliang was disrupting industry norms and deliberately muddying the waters.
But this wasn't enough to cause major alarm for the capital.
E ň û m̆а̄
Yao Bianliang's studio was just small-scale—not many employees, even fewer artists—and this operating model was incompatible with the entire entertainment circle, destined not to last.
But if large sums of money entered the field, the situation would be different.
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Once this model became widely popularized, with many excellent actors emerging, the dynamic where bad money drives out good would no longer be stable.
Audiences weren't fools. No one would choose to watch mass-produced terrible dramas when excellent TV shows were available.
At that point, other actors would face two choices:
Either wait to be outperformed by new rising stars and eventually be eliminated by the market.
Е̊ n̊ ŭ m̂ ă . і́ ḋ
Or join other actors in the rat race, striving to improve their own abilities.
Once actors started focusing on improving their acting, they would inevitably have to reduce time spent on attending events and shooting advertisements.
And producing high-quality blockbusters was more about chance than design, with risks obviously much higher than mass-producing formulaic works.
This meant the established profit model for capital would be broken—someone was touching their cake.
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Now, Yao Bianliang was not only recruiting for her studio but also planning to host an actor variety show, undoubtedly confirming the above speculation.
Her plans were interlocking, her thinking clear, her goals precise—directly targeting their capital!
Ẽ n̆ ûm̂ а̂
President Lu's gaze turned vicious, his finger lightly tapping the desk.
He had indeed underestimated Yao Bianliang—an entertainment industry artist with no background had managed to accomplish this much.
According to his previous plan, he had intended to wait until he had free time to employ some tactics to make Yao Bianliang lose face and completely exit the entertainment industry.
But now it seemed he needed to accelerate this action.
He absolutely could not allow Yao Bianliang to continue like this!
"Announce a meeting for this afternoon," President Lu instructed. "Also, prepare a file with all relevant information about 'Actor Training Camp' for me."
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The assistant understood the severity of the situation and immediately nodded: "Understood, I'll do it right away."
Originally, the "Actor Training Camp" variety show had no reputation. But due to Yao Bianliang and Wen Xuan's participation, it quickly generated discussion.
When the assistant opened Weibo, he easily found the relevant topics.
#ActorTrainingCampNewVarietyShowComing#
#YaoBianliangActorTrainingCampJudgeMentor#
#ActorTrainingCamp100ContestantsReport#
Wèb̄ń о̌v̌е́l Ëñ üm̌a
#HudiEntertainmentStudio#
To his surprise, among the 100 contestants in "Actor Training Camp," the vast majority were practically nonexistent in the entertainment circle.
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These contestants might have played minor supporting roles or made brief appearances in films; some might be pure rookies who had just entered the industry without any good opportunities.
However, it was difficult for a variety show to feature only unknown rookies. So this show also included a few slightly famous minor celebrities, and even some contestants eliminated from "Good Drama PK Competition."
But however you looked at it, this lineup was nothing compared to the star-studded cast of "Good Drama PK Competition."
The only somewhat famous names were probably just Yao Bianliang and Wen Xuan.
Wе̇b̀ n̆ ov̊ е̌l Ĕ n̂ûm̈ а
After compiling all the materials, the assistant couldn't help but ponder.
Could such a variety show really pose a threat to "Good Drama PK Competition"?
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
Meanwhile, President Lu wasn't idle either.
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He received a call from another entertainment company's President.
"President Lu, let's not beat around the bush," President Han, a middle-aged man in his early forties, spoke in a muffled voice. "I suppose you've already heard about the commotion Yao Bianliang is causing?"
W̄ е b n.о̀v̀ еľ Ѐńům̀ӑ
Although President Lu felt uneasy, his expression remained largely unchanged, giving no hint of his inner thoughts.
"Yes," he nodded.
"Let's collaborate," President Han suggested. "I've already reached agreements with Aihui Entertainment and Jins Entertainment. Yao Bianliang and Mo Group are trying to disrupt the entire industry—we can't just let them be."
President Lu's finger lightly tapped the desk, not responding.
President Han emphasized: "Yao Bianliang has already broken too many industry rules! She herself is an anomaly in the entertainment circle—of course, just one anomaly we can tolerate. But if large numbers of such 'anomalies' enter the field, can we still rest easy?"
"President Lu probably doesn't know yet, but Yao Bianliang's new variety show not only doesn't require fans to vote, it prohibits all forms of data manipulation—surely we can't let her destroy the fan culture that's been cultivated for so many years?"
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Girls who fervently follow celebrities were mostly students, not very old.
Their thinking wasn't mature—they were the group most easily influenced. With just a little pressure, they could be conditioned to pay for their idols, accustomed to being exploited by capital—and this habit might well continue into their adulthood.
This was a process that could yield profits long-term, and they absolutely couldn't give up this piece of cake.
President Lu was silent for a moment: "Isn't President Han overthinking? This is just one variety show."
"It's a harbinger," President Han's tone grew more serious. "Once a variety show succeeds, it sets a precedent. Later, there might be more and more similar shows, creating endless problems."
As things stood, after long-term manipulation by capital, fans were willing to toil daily, boosting their idols' rankings, fighting off haters, making data for support, downloading dozens of apps just to vote for their idols.
Е̄ n̄ ù m̆_а̊
But if conditions allowed, who would want to follow celebrities in such a taxing way?
Fans faced a difficult choice.
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Either grit their teeth and persist, helping their idol achieve a better future.
Or give up, letting other fans work desperately hard—which would mean their idol would be outperformed, unable to get good resources, perhaps even struggling to debut.
But if one day a new model was promoted, things would be different.
When popularity and traffic no longer linked to resources, it would mean no matter how hard fans worked, they couldn't help their idols.
W е̇ b ǹо̃ v е l̄ Е̃ńūm̌а_
Idols would have to rely on their own efforts and abilities to obtain corresponding resources.
Fans not only couldn't help their idols debut by spending money, but if they manipulated data or created fake sales, they would be judged as fraudulent, affecting their idol's future.
In that case, who would still do such thankless work?
Moreover, entertainment companies not only made money from fans but also dumped many burdensome tasks on them.
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For instance, fighting off haters and promotion—tasks that should be handled by the marketing department were now largely assigned to fans.
Fans were unpaid laborers, free workforce.
Ėńù ḿ ă
If fans went on strike, it wouldn't just mean losing customers—they would also lose free labor.
President Lu closed his eyes briefly, finally speaking slowly: "You're right. Such a danger... should be nipped in the bud."
He paused: "This Friday, let's have a video conference—all companies participating in this action together."
After hanging up, President Lu's face was dark as water, his mind rapidly cycling through several plans.
Without doubt, this would be an unprecedented crackdown.
The entire entertainment industry's capital was Yao Bianliang's enemy.
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"President Lu, we shouldn't worry too much," the assistant stood nearby, carefully saying: "Actually, I think Yao Bianliang might not be such a big threat."
He continued after a pause: "From the current situation, all the show's contestants are extremely obscure. The variety show probably won't engage in marketing hype, and they won't even design detailed scripts."
"So even with huge investment, they might not generate much heat."
"Even without our targeting, this kind of project might not succeed."
The assistant's analysis wasn't without merit.
But after stumbling with Yao Bianliang several times, President Lu didn't dare to be careless.
Е̄ ń ümа̇
"Let's hope so," President Lu said softly.
If Yao Bianliang had no other tricks up her sleeve, this variety show would likely face failure.
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