RAHHSFL - Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Hearing footsteps at the bedroom door, Ruan Nan put down her phone, turned over, and pretended to be asleep.
Qin Juran gently lifted the covers and slipped into bed, also closing her eyes and resting her arm on the quilt.
The winter morning light was dim. There was no sun today, and the thick curtains blocked most of the light, making the room quite dark.
After lying quietly for a long time, Ruan Nan pretended to roll over in her sleep, facing Qin Juran.
Just as she was about to peek with one eye open, Qin Juran also turned over, their eyes meeting. Qin Juran froze for a moment, then feigned a stretch, pulling Ruan Nan into her arms. "How did you sleep last night?"
Ruan Nan played along, pretending to be sleepy. "Soundly. You?"
Qin Juran lied smoothly. "Pretty good. Just woke up."
Seeing Qin Juran's blatant lie, Ruan Nan pursed her lips but didn't call her out. They cuddled for a while, Qin Juran enjoying the warmth of Ruan Nan in her arms. "Don't want to get up.”
Ruan Nan played with a strand of Qin Juran’s hair. "Want me to hold you for a bit longer?"
Qin Juran shook her head, kissing Ruan Nan’s forehead. "After we've dealt with everything, Ah Ruan, you can sleep however you like."
Ruan Nan chuckled and nudged her playfully. They got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Qin Juran offered to make breakfast, but Ruan Nan rushed into the bathroom first, then pushed Qin Juran in after her shower, telling her to focus on the studio issues and not worry about breakfast.
At nine in the morning, there was still no word from Xia Jin. She had only posted two videos, one a pre-prepared collection of local shops and restaurants, well-edited and informative, clearly made in advance.
A few shots were from their time together as a team. Seeing this, Qin Juran felt a strange sense of relief.
Although Xia Jin’s actions were despicable, Qin Juran had been reflecting since hearing the news. Besides blaming Xia Jin, she wondered if she had made mistakes in managing the team that led to people leaving.
But now it seemed clear that, from the moment she joined, Xia Jin had only seen the studio as a stepping stone, even exploiting Qin Juran’s reputation for her own gain.
Qin Juran shared her analysis with Ruan Nan, who agreed that she didn’t see any fault in Qin Juran’s leadership. Some people, she said, simply had a knack for scheming and backstabbing without any justifiable reason.
"However, Ju Ju, we do have one major problem. Because we're still students and haven’t registered a company, working as a studio, even with comprehensive contracts, in the face of potential profit, there will always be people like Xia Jin.”
Ruan Nan was absolutely right. Qin Juran, having navigated the business world in her past life, understood this all too well.
After a moment of silence, Qin Juran calculated the studio's earnings. After paying rent and distributing shares to the team members, they had only about 300,000 yuan left.
Enough to register a company, but not enough to hire any well-known influencers. They would be starting from scratch.
"Ah Ruan, I might need to seek out investors. We've connected with several businesses and even some competitors, so there are opportunities.”
Ruan Nan nodded. The comments sections of their videos and Xia Jin's personal account were battlegrounds of opposing opinions. This was a double-edged sword. On one hand, it generated buzz and attracted curious onlookers, many asking about the relationship between the two. On the other hand, it damaged their reputation.
Qin Juran had two more videos with Xia Jin in them. They had filmed them together, but since Xia Jin had left the team, she had no right to publish them. Qin Juran didn’t want to post anything with Xia Jin anymore. She asked the remaining tech guy if he could edit the videos, replacing Xia Jin or adding voiceovers.
They arrived at the studio. Only three of the six chairs were occupied. They ordered takeout for lunch. There was a lot to do, but protecting their hard-earned accounts was the top priority.
"Juran Xue Jie (Senior), can we use footage from your competition to make a video?”
Qin Juran had participated in three national knowledge competitions, transforming from a marginal team member to a team leader, culminating in her declaration of faith in Ruan Nan on national television and their championship win. This would undoubtedly be a compelling story.
Qin Juran had been reluctant to exploit this, although many other accounts had already posted about it, but their videos were poorly edited and lacked focus.
Qin Juran considered it for a moment, then agreed.
At eight in the evening, they posted the new video. It began with clips and photos of Qin Juran's early work, showcasing her transformation throughout the three competitions. The music built to a crescendo, the theme becoming increasingly clear. It ended with a night scene of a bustling city, Qin Juran walking alone on a pedestrian bridge, smiling at the camera.
She then spoke about how both successes and setbacks were valuable experiences in life and that, with the support of loved ones, she would strive to channel her strength into her work.
As expected, the video quickly went viral, attracting a new wave of followers.
Unlike Xia Jin, Qin Juran's beauty was natural and effortless. Just standing in front of the camera, without any contrived expressions or elaborate makeup, her aura was captivating.
In the video, Qin Juran, wearing a black trench coat, looked like both a seasoned actress and a successful CEO - beautiful, composed, and powerful.
Previously, viewers focused on the quality of their content and its value. Qin Juran’s appearance added another layer of appeal; the person behind these amazing videos was just as remarkable.
The video continued to gain traction, the comments overwhelmingly positive. Although this indirectly benefited Xia Jin, without Qin Juran's team, a video creator who primarily focused on fashion and had a childish voice wouldn't get very far.
Around nine o'clock, Lin Wei and Zhou Ziqing called, saying they had seen the video and had already bought several promotional slots. They were confident the account would be safe. They had also been actively defending Qin Juran in the comments sections.
Zhou Ziqing had also looked into Xia Jin. She was a well-known student from the School of Journalism and Communication. It seemed she had somehow secured funding from a small investor, which emboldened her actions.
Zhou Ziqing said he’d asked his friends at the journalism school to notify them as soon as Xia Jin returned to campus.
Qin Juran thanked him and said there was no rush. If they wanted to teach Xia Jin a lesson, it should be in a way that hit her where it hurt most.
They monitored the data until eleven o'clock. Everything was going according to plan. Qin Juran breathed a sigh of relief. Ruan Nan prepared some late-night snacks and told her to go take a shower.
Just as Qin Juran finished showering, she heard Ruan Nan call out from the living room. She hurried out and saw Ruan Nan frowning at her phone. Qin Juran walked over and saw that Xia Jin had posted another video.
It was titled "The Hidden Rules of MCN Companies.”
In the video, Xia Jin, posing as a whistleblower, sat in front of the camera and listed several clichéd "secrets" of the industry, then brought the topic back to her former studio.
She practically stated that she "had no decision-making power due to differing operational philosophies," "had no autonomy in choosing video content," and that "the recommended shops and restaurants were often paid promotions, such as a certain small restaurant that benefited greatly from their account’s early success, which happened to be owned by a family member of the team leader.”
It was their account that had initially boosted Ju Tavern’s popularity thanks to its genuine quality, but Xia Jin twisted the narrative to her advantage.
"Finally," three exclamation marks appeared on the screen. "For those aspiring to work in this field, be very careful! If the team leader or company founder has certain... tendencies..."
She wiggled two fingers together suggestively. "Then you need to be extra cautious!"
The video ended there. Comments from fake accounts quickly appeared, each with less than a hundred likes, but each liked and replied to by the author.
One comment: [Is the restaurant she's talking about that 'Ju Tavern' place that’s all about city nostalgia?]
Liked by the author 3 minutes ago.
Reply: [Shhh.]
Another comment: [Is the team leader she's talking about that S University beauty, Qin Juran? Isn’t she...]
Liked by the author 2 minutes ago.
This comment quickly rose to the top, and genuine viewers started replying: [Isn’t she what?]
[Finish your sentence!]
[When I’m rich, I’m going to pay someone to write complete sentences!]
Hundreds of comments flooded in. One quickly caught attention: [I remember that campus beauty liking girls, right? Is that what you’re implying?]
The replies exploded.
Gossip thrived in the entertainment world. Whether supporting, opposing, or simply curious, everyone enjoyed the thrill of peeking into hidden secrets.
At eight in the morning, Xia Jin’s phone rang for the fourth time. She groggily rolled over in bed, still half-asleep, and answered without turning on the lights.
"Why didn't you answer your phone?" It was the guy who had left the team with her.
Xia Jin, her head throbbing, replied in her childish voice, "So noisy! I went out last night and I’m tired. Do you know what time it is~"
"You still have the mood to go out and party?"
Xia Jin found him amusing. She lazily kicked her bra, which she'd taken off the night before, to the side and giggled. "Why wouldn't I? I just exposed Qin Juran, riding on her popularity. Do you know how many views that video got? Aw, are you angry? Do you feel bad for Qin Juran and want to crawl back to your old team leader?"
"Crawl back my ass!"
The chubby guy on the other end exploded.
"Get online and check your accounts! They're being bombarded! I just finished talking to the investor yesterday, and you pull this stunt! I'm telling you, Xia Jin, I don't care who you offended, our partnership is over!"
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