YA Ch120: The Grand Show

“Come here, be my secretary…”

Xiao Jiang almost thought he was hearing things from being too excited, but his long-term self-discipline, cultivated from professional ethics, made him step forward immediately, bow slightly, and say, “President Shen.”

He didn’t say anything further nor did he move directly. He gave himself a chance to correct any mistakes and also provided Shen Baishui a window to change his mind.

However, President Shen had no intention of backing out. He immediately began ordering him around, “Go outside and get them to grant you some permissions and send the script of the promotional video over. Or, switch out the chatterbox for the director.” As he spoke, he pointed to the male star who had just asked Xiao Jiang to leave.

Lu Yu, who was monitoring the big screen outside, twitched his mouth. “This brat… I already gave him the script from the back-end, didn’t I?” How the promotional video should be filmed was probably already clear in Shen Baishui’s mind.

Although Xiao Jiang was so excited he almost fainted, he maintained the perfect posture of a secretary and calmly replied, then exited the game.

At the moment, only Lu Yu and Ming Yan had operational permissions in the simulated world. Even Lao Yang didn’t have them. These permissions weren’t granted lightly.

But without a director on-site and no external communication channels, letting Shen Baishui direct everyone for the filming was indeed unreliable.

The limited space in the game cabin was just enough for all the stars and Xiao Jiang, with no extra room. The new game cabin for the staff would take a month to be shipped from overseas.

Lu Yu, helpless, discussed the matter with Lao Yang and quickly granted Xiao Jiang simple permissions.

The permissions weren’t easy to grant; they required the keys of Yang Chen, Lu Yu, and Ming Yan. Luckily, Ming Yan was present today. The three of them entered their keys one by one, scanned their irises, and Lao Yang began rapidly updating the data.

Moments later, Xiao Jiang re-entered the game, now holding a clipboard, the kind commonly used by secretaries, known as a “secretary’s folder.” This clipboard would display text messages from the outside world, and anything Xiao Jiang wrote on it would be transmitted outside, essentially functioning as a chat box.

As soon as he entered, Xiao Jiang naturally stood next to Shen Baishui and began explaining the script to the crowd.

Shen Baishui sat there calmly without saying a word. Whenever he could use his employees, President Shen would never do the work himself.

After Xiao Jiang photocopied several copies of the script and handed them out for the stars to rehearse, Shen Baishui finally spoke again, “Xiao Jiang, clear the room and have them rehearse outside, then bring me a cup of coffee.”

Xiao Jiang responded with a soft tone, politely negotiating with the stars to please go rehearse in the small lounge outside the office, as President Shen needed to shoot a pocket watch commercial here.

One of the stars expressed dissatisfaction, saying, “Our schedule is tight; we should rehearse and record simultaneously. Some rehearsal footage might even be usable.”

This star had a bit more tact than the one who had directly told Xiao Jiang to leave earlier. He didn’t bluntly say, “You virtual people can film commercials anytime,” but rather politely expressed how valuable their filming time was.

President Shen couldn’t be bothered to waste words with them. He simply pressed the red button on the table.

The black-clad bodyguards appeared promptly, dragging the stars out of the room and even thoughtfully closing the office door.

Xiao Jiang stood frozen for a second, said nothing, and turned to the tea room to make Shen Baishui a cup of coffee, adding two pumps of mocha syrup.

All of Shen Baishui’s fans knew that although he drank top-quality coffee, he had a sweet tooth. Early on, this was a little secret, and his competitors used to mock him as a country bumpkin when they found out.

Later, he toyed with those who mocked him so badly that they were left in their underwear, and nobody laughed at his sweet coffee anymore. However, the people who got to know him later were unaware of this little quirk. They only saw him elegantly sipping his expensive Blue Mountain coffee, with no one knowing how much chocolate and syrup was inside.

Shen Baishui took a sip, looked up at Xiao Jiang, and smiled slightly, “Well done.”

Xiao Jiang pushed up his glasses and said, “It’s my honor to work for you.”

In the age of artificial intelligence, there are no secrets.

Soon, the media reported the news of several A-list stars heading to Chenyu to record a show. Fans from all sides were thrilled, eager to see the promotional material.

What could it be when collaborating with Chenyu? Obviously, a variety show related to Novel Simulator!

If even two amateurs like Lu Yu and Ming Yan could make it so fun, it was bound to be even more interesting with top-tier actors involved.

Amid the audience’s high anticipation, Bajiao, known for its efficiency, did not disappoint, releasing the first wave of promotional clips three days later.

Fans eagerly gathered in front of their screens, ready to see how their favorite idols performed and curious about what kind of variety show this would be.

The promotional video launched at the scheduled time.

After the logos of Bajiao and Chenyu flashed, a strikingly handsome face appeared on the screen. Even in such a close-up shot, where even the best-skinned stars would show some flaws, his skin was smooth and delicate, without a single imperfection, like a masterpiece of the creator.

The man wore an exquisitely tailored high-end suit, with a long gold chain looping over the suit buttons, drawing an elegant arc across his chest, connecting to the intricate and lavishly jeweled pocket watch on his left breast.

Before the general audience could react, Shen Baishui’s fans had already flooded the screen.

[Ahhh, it’s my husband! It’s really my husband!]

[Bajiao, you finally did something right! You actually let my husband out to work!]

[Pray to President Shen, grant me wealth!]

[Bow to President Shen, and money will come from all directions!]

Among these were a large number of Shen Baishui’s girlfriend fans, boyfriend fans, a portion of career fans, and plenty of casual viewers hoping for good fortune. Rumor had it that praying to a Shen Baishui figurine could bring financial success. Whether true or not, when it came to money, praying was always worth a try.

The first promotional video, which lasted three minutes, didn’t showcase the hard work of the stars during rehearsal at all. Instead, it was a humorous and chaotic edit.

President Shen elegantly turned around and announced, “Welcome to the world of Golden House.”

The camera shifted, and he arrogantly spread his five fingers, saying, “If your IQ isn’t enough, snap the fans are gone.”

The scene then switched to him decisively pressing a red button, and black-clad bodyguards dragged the stars away. The glamorous men and women, like wronged commoners being hauled off by officers, screamed in confusion.

The newly appointed assistant Xiao Jiang stood steadily beside President Shen, smiling calmly the whole time.

The audience burst into laughter. President Shen was just a fictional character, so no one minded his rudeness. On the contrary, they found it very amusing. It suited the image of a domineering CEO perfectly. Seeing their favorite idols being dragged away, fans even joined in the fun.

It was like seeing the Evil Queen in Disneyland mock the visitors — everyone thought it was funny and didn’t consider the actress rude.

As soon as the short promo ended, viewers were left wanting more. They rushed to the official accounts and Lu Yu’s account, demanding the second release.

Lu Yu didn’t say anything but posted a watch advertisement shot by Shen Baisu instead.

The elegant CEO stood in a luxurious office spanning thousands of square meters. He took out the pocket watch from his chest and, with a click, opened it, revealing a dial as dazzling as a starry sky. The small pocket watch stood in Shen Baisu’s long, slender hands, which were more beautiful than the watch itself, creating an extraordinary scene.

President Shen glanced at the time, lowered his eyes, and his long eyelashes cast two fan-shaped shadows on his handsome face as if pondering something important. After a moment, he lifted his gaze toward the camera and said, “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. How many tomorrows there are①. Next Monday, the grand pocket watch show by Tomorrow Watchs.”

With just these two lines, the ad ended, transitioning into Tomorrow Watches’ logo. No unnecessary lines like “You’re welcome to watch,” which made it feel all the more high-class.

[Ahhh, so handsome and so luxurious!]

[What pocket watch show? Next Monday? How do I attend?]

[Tomorrow Watches is back! Wow, I must have the same one as President Shen.]

[I checked the estimated price… sobbing… which company has merchandise worth millions? I’ll have to wait for the plastic version.]

Lu Yu skillfully capitalized on the popularity of a variety show, having his son promote the pocket watch show, which turned out to be unexpectedly effective. The news spread at lightning speed, giving the show unprecedented attention. Celebrities who were hesitant about attending, after seeing others scrambling for tickets, decisively chose to attend.

On the day of the show, Lu Yu accompanied Father Ming and Mother Ming, sitting in the front row, directly facing the runway.

Lu Yu whispered to his father-in-law, “Uncle, why aren’t you waiting backstage to join the final bow?”

This was the first step in the Ming family’s revival. As the head of Tomorrow Watches, Father Ming should be up there enjoying the moment of restoring his family’s glory.

Father Ming smiled and shook his head. “This is A-Yan’s stage. This is his era.”

The lights dimmed, and elegant, melodious music gradually filled the venue as models in bespoke suits began to walk the runway.

The male models, dressed in suit jackets, carried pocket watches in their suit pockets, with the watch chains replacing pocket squares, looking expensive and dazzling. Upon reaching the end of the runway, the models took out the pocket watches to display them. The watches’ radiant jewels gleamed under the spotlight, as if they contained the entire starry sky.

The male models in waistcoats kept their pocket watches in the inner pockets, with the watch chains attached to the waistcoat buttons, instantly transforming them into refined princes. The ordinary waistcoats now appeared as royal attire.

The female models in bespoke gowns wore the pocket watches on waist chains. Upon reaching the end of the runway, they gracefully lifted the watches, exuding not only beauty but also a commanding presence. The women’s jewelry was no longer just for decoration, but also a tool to control time.

Female models holding expensive clutches opened their mini purses, taking out the dazzling pocket watches to check the time, instantly elevating their elegance.

…

The entire show left the audience overwhelmed, and everyone was captivated by the intricate pocket watch designs. Some keenly realized that this show would spark a new fashion trend. In the age of smart devices, wristwatches had been forced out of style. However, a century-old pocket watch, through the cycle of fashion, was returning to the stage of luxury goods.

All of the handcrafted jeweled pocket watches were sold out on the spot, and countless pre-orders were placed.

At the end of the show, Ming Yan, dressed in a pure white lantern-sleeved shirt, slowly walked to the front of the stage. He wore no accessories and no bespoke gown, just a soft shirt as light as swan feathers, yet he looked like a king surveying his domain. All the high-end suits and luxurious jewelry faded in comparison.

Ming Yan stood on stage and gave a slow bow. The light shone on his beautiful eyes, making them more dazzling than any gemstone.

The entire audience stood up, thunderous applause echoing throughout the venue, lasting for a long time.

Lu Yu was momentarily stunned, then quickly stood up, staring in admiration at the radiant figure on stage. This was the real Ming Yan, the confident and proud young nobleman who had made him fall in love at first sight, the incredibly talented designer being sought after by countless brands!

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Author’s note:

Footnote①: “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, how many tomorrows there are.” Taken from “The Song of Tomorrow” by Qian Fu, Ming Dynasty. As mentioned earlier, this is the advertising slogan for Tomorrow Watchworks.