CSGM - Chapter 32
Chapter 32: The Director Thinks
"I thought hard work was reserved for the idiots."
Ren Zhi's tone was completely flat, yet her words carried a hint of a smile. Although Luo Yangtian was right beside them, he was utterly bewildered.
...Huh? Why is Sister Zhi suddenly sounding so passive-aggressive?
His expression was a mixture of confusion and bewilderment, as if he were an outsider who shouldn't be in the car, but under it.
But Chu Xi understood. After a fleeting look of surprise, she let a laugh escape from the corner of her upturned lips.
As expected of Ren Zhi, her talent for holding a grudge was first-class.
The Director also got it in a second.
Hearing the hidden meaning in Ren Zhi's words, his first instinct was to watch Chu Xi's predicament unfold. He even felt a bit of schadenfreude and wanted to applaud Ren Zhi and stir the pot.
Ren Zhi really knew how to talk!
Wasn't this a direct response to what Chu Xi had said in her last interview?
He was on Ren Zhi's side for this round!
Because this was the first time he had seen Chu Xi rendered speechless on this show. This Chu Xi, someone could finally put her in her place!
Chu Xi bent her knuckles and gently pressed them against her temple, rubbing it. After a long pause, she finally said to Ren Zhi.
"Your memory is so good, you don't need any training at all."
Ren Zhi chuckled and shot her a honey-sweet glare.
"Could it be because your words are so pleasant that they're unforgettable?"
Chu Xi's gaze lingered on Ren Zhi's face for a moment before she slowly retracted her smile. Vaguely, she asked tentatively, "Are you angry?"
No way, right? Was Ren Zhi actually angry? Just because of one thing she said?
Ren Zhi: "Not really."
For some reason, upon hearing this, she felt a sense of relief.
She quietly wondered, did Ren Zhi really need to be so petty?
"I never said you were dumb. In fact, you're actually quite smart," she said to Ren Zhi.
"But of course, you can't compare to me. My IQ is 149," she added.
She hoped Ren Zhi would realize that, from her perspective, saying something like "hard work is for idiots" wasn't strange or an exaggeration.
She wasn't wrong.
Ren Zhi: "...Go wash the dishes."
It seemed Chu Xi was better suited to doing more and talking less.
Ren Zhi was speechless and stopped talking to her.
Chu Xi didn't mind. "Oh, okay."
However, her casual remark had triggered a strong reaction among the viewers in the live stream room.
【Chu Xi's IQ is 149??? Is that for real???】
【Holy crap, I always thought she was smart, but an IQ of 149... that high!?! Hiss~ Terrifying!】
【Public service announcement: An IQ above 140 can be considered 'genius' level.】
【149??? Isn't that number an exaggeration? Who tested her?!】
【Damn, what kind of rare species is this in the entertainment industry!】
【To verify if what she said is true, I've decided to follow this show every day from now on. I want to see what a person with an IQ of 149 is like in their daily life. I've never seen one before.】
But the shock of "Chu Xi revealing her IQ is 149" was nothing compared to the Director's surprise at "Chu Xi actually showing gentle concern about whether Ren Zhi was angry."
From the very first day she arrived, Chu Xi had never been that kind of person.
The Director had been watching the live broadcast the entire time and had never seen Chu Xi show concern for any other cast member.
Only towards Ren Zhi did she seem a little different...
The Director rubbed the stubble on his chin. Suddenly, as if struck by inspiration, he felt he had sensed something.
He waved over the editor and said, "Cut this segment out and release it for promotion along with Chu Xi's first solo behind-the-scenes interview."
He hadn't released it before because Chu Xi's words were unpleasant, and putting it out would do more harm than good.
Now, he had a change of heart and decided to promote it because he discovered today that Ren Zhi seemed capable of holding her own against Chu Xi. Unlike the others, she didn't look completely helpless when facing her.
So there were times when even Chu Xi was at a loss for words when facing Ren Zhi... Hehehehehe...
The Director felt great watching this!
For dinner that day, although only eight tables of guests came, the cast's strategy of selling Western food and strongly recommending red wine resulted in the sale of two bottles of wine worth over a thousand yuan each. The revenue exceeded expectations!
Xiao Han reported to the camera: "Today's restaurant revenue is 6,942 yuan. The cost of replacing tableware and purchasing ingredients was 4,726 yuan, for a net income of 2,216 yuan. The restaurant's current funds are: 34,844 yuan."
Even though they hadn't reached the average daily income needed to meet the seven-day goal, everyone felt a sense of relief. At least today proved that the plan to sell Western food and red wine was effective. The revenue was high enough to give them a chance to reach the 80,000 yuan goal in the remaining time.
After a day of testing their results, the pressure on each cast member had lessened considerably.
At 9 p.m., as soon as the live broadcast ended, Chu Xi, as usual, pulled Luo Yangtian and Li Xiling into the break room for their lesson.
Tonight's training was on logical thinking. She gave them a set of reasoning problems.
"Do these first. I'll be back in twenty minutes."
After saying that, Chu Xi left the break room.
During those twenty minutes, she went to meet someone.
-Yu Yixue, an agent from Qingyou Agency.
She had been waiting for her at the production set all day, which showed a certain degree of sincerity.
She and Yu Yixue sat at a table in the restaurant, the light illuminating the black and white text of the documents in her hand.
She quickly and briefly read through the materials Yu Yixue had brought, while Yu Yixue quietly sized her up.
Sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, outstanding features, a sharp and cold temperament, long and distinct knuckles, faint muscle lines visible on her arms, and a belt cinching a slender waist. It seemed that besides her superior face, her body was also very well-maintained.
Yu Yixue judged in her heart that the artist's looks were more than up to par.
It was just her personality... perhaps not so easy to get along with.
She spoke too little, didn't like to make trouble, wouldn't even say "good evening," and even when looking at the company documents, her expression was very arrogant.
And the things she said were even worse, if not more so.
"To be honest, I don't care how powerful your company is. If you want to sign me, I need to see your sincerity. Hmm... it's acceptable, I guess..."
Yu Yixue held back. "Mm..."
If her boss hadn't repeatedly instructed her to sign Chu Xi, she personally would never be willing to deal with such an arrogant artist!
She began to doubt her boss's decision again. Chu Xi dared to speak like this before she was even famous. If she gained some popularity in the future, would she get exposed for being a diva?
Chu Xi glanced at her secretly pondering expression and smiled.
"You don't seem that eager to sign me, do you?"
After a moment of hesitation, Yu Yixue confessed.
"I'm just an agent. It's our company's boss who wants to sign you, and he insists that I be the one to do it. I hope we can work hard together in the future."
As if afraid Chu Xi would be displeased, Yu Yixue momentarily regretted her bluntness, then immediately stood up, extended her hand, and added sincerely, "I also genuinely hope to establish a cooperative relationship with you!"
Otherwise, if she couldn't complete her boss's order, how would she explain herself when she got back!
Chu Xi chuckled. "Interesting. You don't want to work with me, but you genuinely want to complete your boss's task."
But after saying that, she still reached out and shook Yu Yixue's hand.
Yu Yixue was slightly embarrassed and slowly sat back down, still confused.
She didn't understand what Chu Xi meant, but she was afraid Chu Xi would reject her.
She said, "Teacher Chu, if you have any demands, you can raise them. Please seriously consider the contract. Our company is very sincere."
This agent before her, with her small, single-lidded eyes, who spoke cautiously and acted prudently and by the book, was actually quite to Chu Xi's liking.
Because an agent didn't need to be too opinionated or love making decisions; they just needed to be able to provide her with support.
Yu Yixue's personality, for Chu Xi, would mean fewer communication troubles at work.
Chu Xi said, "I only have one condition. You are not allowed to arrange any schedules for me without my personal consent. I won't do things I don't like. If you force me, you will bear the consequences."
Yu Yixue nodded readily. "Okay, that's no problem. I promise."
"Bring out the contract."
Chu Xi was just as decisive. She picked up the pen, uncapped it, signed her name, and pressed her fingerprint.
From now on, Yu Yixue was her agent.
Chu Xi said, "Contact me on WeChat if anything comes up. I have other things to do, so I won't keep you company."
Yu Yixue left the RV alone. Staring at the signed contract in the file folder, she couldn't snap back to reality for a long time.
This Chu Xi was both easy and difficult to deal with.
To say she was difficult, yet she and Chu Xi had signed the contract in just over ten minutes tonight? This was the quickest signing she had ever experienced in her career!
There was no haggling over benefits, no feigning civility, no battle of words. The signing was just... over.
It was so smooth it felt fake.
Yu Yixue couldn't figure it out. Just like that, as if guided by some unseen force, she had signed a completely inscrutable artist.
Chu Xi returned to the break room to continue the lesson.
After an hour of tireless teaching, she finally saw a change in the two artists' IQs again, something she hadn't seen in a while.
Name: Luo Yangtian.
IQ: 116.
Name: Li Xiling.
IQ: 98.
She had finally saved up 5 IQ points.
On the way back to her room at the guesthouse, she acted with lightning speed, opening the System Mall and spending her tuition fee.
The System Mall displayed—
Item Name: 《Primary Advancement Card》
Redemption Cost: 5 IQ.
Item Description: Use this item to advance one designated "Primary" talent to "Intermediate."
Host IQ Pool Balance: 5.
Chu Xi commanded the System: "Redeem one Primary Advancement Card and advance my vision talent."
System: "Received. Executing for the host immediately."
Chu Xi had a plan. Having sharp senses was also a talent.
Moreover, to maximize her observational skills, her vision talent couldn't lag behind. She remembered that in some other world she had transmigrated to, she had even learned of a remarkable person who could "microscopically distinguish water" with the naked eye.
That was the special effect produced by combining the talents of excellent vision and observation.
Just as she was thinking, her vision suddenly refreshed as if the resolution had been upgraded, becoming clearer in the blink of an eye.
She wondered what things she could see now that she couldn't before.
At the same time.
System: "Congratulations, Host! Vision talent has advanced to Intermediate! You have completed your first purchase of the 《Primary Advancement Card》, unlocking the subsequent talent mall!"
As Chu Xi saw her panel update with "Vision Talent: Intermediate," the System's talent mall also refreshed with new items...
But a faint sound from the hallway drew her attention away from the new mall.
"What should I do? You haven't even left, and I'm already starting to miss you..."
-Because she recognized the voice as Ren Zhi's, and it was coming from Ren Zhi's room.
Chu Xi's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. She walked past her own room and went to Ren Zhi's door.
Who was Ren Zhi whispering sweet nothings to so late at night?
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