Chapter 113: An Accidental Encounter with Zhang Yang

"Old Boys!"

The final segment had finally arrived. The screen was now completely flooded with comments, causing the live stream to stutter. Lin Ze couldn't see the viewer count from his end, but he could easily imagine how broadly Director Zhang must be grinning right now.

...

"Alright, it's time for us to sing the last song!" Wu Qian felt a subtle surge of excitement.

I! I must redeem myself!

In the rap circle, nobody ever truly submits to anyone else; everyone believes they are the top dog. Many had been invited to participate in this program, and quite a few people showed up to watch mentor Wu Qian's live stream.

The circle was much like a palace drama—even if they didn't respect one another, they all put on a facade of being one big, happy family in the group chat.

"Is this... what they call foreign rap?" Bacon asked.

A rapper who was rumored to be a defrocked monk replied, "I don't know. I'm listening through my headphones, and it's really tingling—it's like my brain got electrified."

"And this guy is supposed to be a mentor here? He’s lost his mind. By the way, did he invite all of you too?" asked a round-headed rapper.

"If any of you go, I’ll look down on you for the rest of my life."

As soon as he said that, everyone went silent.

Nonsense. They might talk trash, but they would still go if they had the chance. Now that they finally had a shot at a show—a chance to move from the underground to the mainstream—how could they pass that up?

Yuan felt a bit awkward now. With no one responding, he had become a conversation killer.

Never mind, never mind. Yuan opened the live stream again, and the moment it loaded, he saw Wu Qian bouncing around on stage.

Every time he sang a line, he would pull the microphone away with a dramatic flourish. Say what you want, but at least his stage presence had a touch of that "rapper" vibe.

However...

How the hell can you sing an entire song without actually saying anything of substance? Do you think you're a web novelist? Why are you just padding for word count?

...

Soon, Lin Ze had a thousand yuan in his hand.

Lin Ze had originally intended to pay for the alcohol, but the boss refused to take the money no matter what, so Lin Ze didn't insist. He handed the thousand yuan to Chang Zheng.

Chang Zheng was quite happy to receive the money. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Boss, how about I treat everyone to a late-night snack?"

"Oh—sure! Everyone’s still awake at this hour anyway."

Chang Zheng opened his Weibo.

In just that one night of singing, he had gained nearly a hundred thousand new followers.

What a huge favor from the boss!

There were nine people in the crew, and the thousand yuan was basically all spent. However, for the first time, Chang Zheng didn't feel a sting of regret over the money.

For all these days, these veterans had truly been teaching him things. Even if it was mostly for the sake of Lin Ze and the show.

In the blink of an eye, three more days passed, and it was now Friday.

The filming was nearly finished, and all the remaining funds had been spent on hiring an editor. They were currently reviewing the footage to see what needed to be reshot.

"You've all worked hard these past few days. Once this week is over, let me treat everyone to a meal," Lin Ze said with a smile.

These veterans were truly wonderful people. If there was ever a way to repay them in the future, he would absolutely do so twofold. Chen Weiguo and Bai Qiong, despite their age, would wake up at six or seven every morning and sometimes work until past eleven at night. Only through such effort had they managed to rush out the entire short film.

Pei Xue and Zhao Funing—one managed the money, the other acted. Pei Xue had saved the crew's money bit by bit; she probably hadn't even been this diligent with her own company.

As for Ji Chen and Lin Chunshui, it went without saying. The two of them had been running everywhere, taking care of countless tasks. In truth, Lin Ze and Su Zitan were the most idle of the bunch. The script had been written by Lin Ze in advance, and they had only made one trip to the school.

"Alright, kid, I suppose you've got a bit of a conscience after all," Chen Weiguo said, patting Lin Ze on the shoulder.

"Why don't we go tonight?" Su Zitan mused, touching her chin. "I happen to know a restaurant, and I have a premium membership there. Most of the fans shouldn't be able to get in."

[? Sister Zitan! How can you be so guarded even against upstanding people like us?]

[That stings. These days, it’s hard to even follow a celebrity if you don't have money...]

"Great, great! I’ll get to bask in Zitan's glory this time," Lin Chunshui said happily.

At that moment, Wu Qian looked at the comments supporting him and felt a deep warmth in his heart.

*My show will definitely be a success!*

...

"Hey, alright, so your parents aren't home tonight? You can stay out overnight? Then let's go grab a bite, and I'll take you to a movie, and then..."

Zhang Yang was on a video call with a baby-faced girl. This was the same girl he had been holding in the KTV last time.

She was a die-hard fan who had already become a core member of the fan group. This was only the second time he had asked her out.

Zhang Yang hung up the phone and snuck into Zhang Huai's room.

There was a membership-only restaurant; he didn't have a card, but Zhang Huai did. After all, when going out with a fan like this, he had to be mindful of his reputation to avoid being spotted.

Zhang Yang grabbed the card, stuffed it into his pocket, and ran to the garage with his car keys.

The *Creation Factory* would be starting filming again soon, and he had to make sure he had his fun before going back in.

By the time Zhang Yang picked up his fan, it was just about time for dinner. The restaurant was quite famous; after all, only people of status held memberships there.

Zhang Yang presented the membership card and clarified his relationship with Zhang Huai. Only after everything was verified was he allowed inside.

Just as Zhang Yang walked off holding his little fan's hand, several cars pulled up outside the restaurant.

Su Zitan felt inside her bag and realized she hadn't brought her card, so she simply walked in.

"Excuse me, I forgot my card. My name is Su Zitan."

As soon as she mentioned her name, the receptionist immediately reacted. Some people needed a card to enter, but some names were required to be memorized. That was the essence of "class."

"Ms. Su, please..."

Pei Xue, following behind, gave Su Zitan a long, deep look. When she arrived, she understood the situation. Her original plan had been to work harder so that one day she could afford a membership card here. But Su Zitan... she was truly something else!

The others didn't know much about the restaurant. They were just marveling at the beautiful decor and layout as they followed along inside.

"Um, is filming allowed?" Director Zhang, who knew a bit about the place, asked cautiously.

The waiter looked troubled. "If you are filming only within your own private room, that is no problem. But you cannot film in the hallways or the rooms of other guests..."

"Right, right, understood!" Director Zhang nodded.