You Don’t Understand The Pain Of Being Popular

After scrolling for a while, Yao Bianliang finally came across a Baidu Tieba post that caught her attention.

The post's title was eye-catching: "How can a company's D-list artist stay on the D-list?"

This question was similar to what Yao Bianliang wanted to know, so she immediately clicked on it.

The poster username was "I Really Have No Money," which was quite unique.

However, after reading the post's content, Yao Bianliang realized that this person definitely had money. On the contrary, they had so much money they couldn't spend it all.

【I Really Have No Money: As the title says, I don't want to work, so I want to go bankrupt. Is there any method to make the company's stars become cold and make me lose money? Those who provide effective solutions will be greatly rewarded.】

The replies below were diverse and comprehensive.

【FlowerDoesNotEatFlower: Is this a new way to flaunt wealth?】

【IronPillar: The poster can try making the stars under their management date each other. Once their relationship is made public, they will be cold immediately. doghead .jpg】

【Client: I'm laughing so hard, there are actually people giving advice to the poster.】

【LaughingYa: Why don't you hire me? I can become cold in no time and bankrupt you without any issue.】

【PearlMilkTea: Hahaha, it's so easy to make a star become cold. This Versailles Competition is so basic.】

Yao Bianliang looked at the post, feeling both shocked and slightly disheartened.

Who said it was easy for a star to become cold? It was not easy at all!

However, she didn't expect that there would be someone in this world with a similar mindset as her own, someone who not only didn't want to become popular but also sought ways to become cold.

"But I don't know if this poster is just showing off or if they really want to cultivate cold stars."

Yao Bianliang scrolled down and found that the poster's replies were serious and meticulous. Although the sentences were short, they were all earnest and couldn't detect any trace of joking.

【I Really Have No Money: It's not showing off. My family has money, so I don't want to start a business.】

【I Really Have No Money: It's my father's request. I'm not interested in running a company.】

【I Really Have No Money: I'm not joking. I have tried my best, but the stars under my management keep getting popular one after another.】

After briefly reading a few more replies, Yao Bianliang understood.

The poster didn't want to go through the hardships of starting a business, but unfortunately, his father firmly believed that he had investment talent and business acumen. The two couldn't reach a compromise, so they made a bet—once the company he started went bankrupt, his father would no longer force him to start a business.

However, the poster didn't expect that not only did he not go bankrupt but he also kept developing and reaching an irreversible stage.

Yao Bianliang: "..."

Although she didn't know if it was true or not, it could be inferred that the poster's father must have had a discerning eye and easily recognized the poster's talent.

She continued scrolling through the comments one by one and found that the direction was becoming increasingly absurd.

Many people thought the poster was making up a story, and many others were joking and playing along. In addition to that, a small number of people started guessing the poster's identity.

【Well, a second-generation entrepreneur started an entertainment company, and all the artists under their management became popular one after another... I think I know who it is.】

【Kuiqian Entertainment?】

【To be honest, Kuiqian Entertainment's luck is ridiculously good. All their artists unexpectedly became popular.】

【Why are some people taking it seriously? It's obvious that this person is making up a story. I hope nobody actually believes this nonsense.】

Yao Bianliang looked at these speculations and felt a slight stir in her thoughts.

She certainly remembered the name Kuiqian Entertainment. When selecting an entertainment company, she received an invitation from this company.

If it wasn't for the company's unbelievably good luck and the artists becoming so popular, she might have actually joined that company.

Could it be that the post was made by the owner of this company?

While thinking this, Yao Bianliang refreshed the page. She saw a circle appearing in the centre of the screen, followed by a loading failure message.

【The post has been deleted by the poster. Go elsewhere to browse other posts!】

Yao Bianliang: "..."

They actually delete the post?

She was already somewhat sceptical, but seeing the post being deleted made her mind even more active. She searched for the user "I Really Have No Money."

This should be the account that the poster frequently used. Based on the latest activities, he liked many posts related to film and television works.

The most recent comment was ten minutes ago, where he left a message under a post asking which kind of historical idol drama was most likely to flop.

Yao Bianliang: "From this perspective, it seems that this person is indeed not lying."

Yao Bianliang didn't know what the other person's script was, as there was very little information available to speculate on the details. However, after reading the poster's self-description, she couldn't help but feel intrigued.

The rich second generation casually filmed the poster's drama for fun, with no intention of making money. They even aimed for it to flop. Isn't that in line with her goal?

There might be unexpected results if she auditioned for this drama and negotiated with the other person.

Although the possibility was relatively low, Yao Bianliang didn't want to miss this opportunity. After contemplating for a moment, she left a message for this rich second-generation netizen.

For whether the other person had any intention of collaboration in this regard, it would depend on luck.

*****

Yao Bianliang didn't have a moment of leisure throughout the day, searching online for relevant information.

After changing a few ways of phrasing her inquiries, she actually found quite a lot of useful information.

For example, there were many cases of stars becoming less popular on the internet, which provided her with some inspiration.

"Stars becoming less popular due to tax evasion, being a third party in a relationship, having scandals, drug abuse... Well, I'll exclude these things that have no reference value, and what's left is quite useful."

Yao Bianliang briefly organized the information. Offending senior figures in the industry, dating during the peak of one's career, collapsing public image, and other factors were all easy ways for a star to become less popular.

Collecting the information took up the entire afternoon. Yao Bianliang didn't receive a reply from the rich second-generation netizen, but she did receive a message from her assistant, Chen.

"Sister Liang, I took a preliminary look, and about thirty emails meet your requirements." Chen's efficiency in handling tasks was extremely high, and he had organized them for her that evening.

After reporting the completion of the task, he added, "Personally, I think one of the invitations matches your requirements and interests. You may want to pay special attention to it."

Yao Bianliang was somewhat surprised by this statement.

Chen was usually a man of few words. He would generally just do whatever she assigned him without saying much. He wouldn't proactively say anything if she didn't inquire about the other party's opinion.

This was the first time he had taken the initiative to remind her of something.

"Oh? Which email?" Yao Bianliang became curious.

Chen replied, "The invitation is from Kuiqian Entertainment. The CEO said that his drama is deliberately made in a direction that is not favoured by the market. If you are willing to take on the role, he is willing to offer you a 50% higher remuneration than the market price."

Yao Bianliang was taken aback.

Deliberately aiming for a flop?

Why does this statement look so familiar, as if I've seen it somewhere before...

"Are you sure?" Yao Bianliang couldn't believe it.

Chen reassured her, "Yes, the other party said that he wants to experience the feeling of investment failure, so the chances of this TV drama becoming popular are low."

This was actually a more euphemistic statement.

According to the original message sent by Mo Yougan, the general idea was that he was very wealthy and not short of money, and his lifelong dream was to lose some money, so he hoped to invest in a flop TV drama.

The wording sounded a bit punchable, so Chen had to soften it a bit.

After a pause, he continued, "Furthermore, according to the other party's intention, if you take on this role, the production team will not require you to engage in any marketing or promotional activities. Additionally, the production team will not engage in hype or publicity. This aligns very well with your expectations."

After listening, Yao Bianliang understood.

This bizarre situation was indeed rare, and it was no wonder that Chen specifically mentioned this matter.

At this point, she couldn't help but suspect that the CEO of Kuiqian Entertainment was really the rich second-generation netizen with the ID "I really have no money."

The style was just too similar!

"Give me the CEO of Kuiqian Entertainment's WeChat, and I'll contact him immediately," Yao Bianliang said decisively.

Her heartbeat slightly accelerated.

If everything went smoothly this time, she would have a powerful ally!

By then, her path to becoming less popular would surely become much smoother, right?

*****

On the other side, at the Yao family villa.

Yao Xinxin hadn't been in a good state of mind recently, and she even went to see a doctor privately. Following the doctor's advice, she decided to disconnect from the internet for a few days and go on a vacation with her friends.

Cutting off from the internet, forgetting past troubles, and without the pressure from her parents, Yao Xinxin's mood had improved significantly over the past few days.

Tonight was the time for Yao Xinxin to return from her vacation. After returning home and taking a brief rest, she finally turned on her phone.

In fact, after a few days of adjustment, she had already made up her mind.

Her reputation was very poor, but she could just retire from the entertainment industry and stop playing with those people.

Although Yao Bianliang has a good reputation and has surpassed her in various aspects, she still can't escape the low viewership!

Where can Yao Bianliang's fate be better than hers without popularity and traffic?

Perhaps the only path awaiting Yao Bianliang is to become less popular and retire from the entertainment industry.

With this in mind, Yao Xinxin's mood finally improved slightly, and she opened her phone.

Sure enough, after opening the phone, it vibrated intensely, and countless messages popped up frantically.

After a few seconds of lag, it finally returned to normal. Before Yao Xinxin could check the details, a call came in.

The caller ID showed her manager. Yao Xinxin frowned slightly and answered the call.

At this time, Yao's mother also heard that Yao Xinxin had returned and immediately went to her room downstairs to find her.

She pushed open Yao Xinxin's door and happened to see her holding her phone, frozen in place.

The manager on the other end of the phone seemed to have said something, and Yao Xinxin suddenly sat on the bed, unable to believe it, saying, "What did you say? Yao Bianliang's drama... is on TV, and the official account made a promotional video for her?! No, this can't be! Are you mistaken about something?"

Yao Xinxin's voice was trembling, and at the room entrance, Yao's mother's expression also changed gradually.

As she was getting older, she naturally wouldn't spend her days surfing the internet like young people. Moreover, she had been worried about Yao Xinxin's condition in the past two days and had no interest in other matters.

Yao's mother originally thought that the "Good Drama PK Competition" finals had already ended, with Yao Xinxin's viewership remaining high while Yao Bianliang's popularity was abysmal. She believed that it had already become a settled matter.

But now, things seemed to be different from what she had thought.

The video was on TV and recommended by the official account. What a great honor!

Not only did she gain traffic and popularity, but she could also earn money. Moreover, this was much better than mindless sweet dramas in terms of reputation.

Aside from other benefits, just mentioning her own daughter's short drama being praised by the official account would bring a great face when chatting with others.

No... this couldn't be possible.

Yao's mother found it hard to believe. She had never held high expectations for this daughter, Yao Bianliang. She thought that she would only bring shame to their family. How could she suddenly become so incredible?

Unable to hold back any longer, she walked into the room.

"Xinxin, what's going on?" she asked. "You just said... Yao Bianliang's drama is on TV?"