Starlet Taotie Chapter 20 (Part 1)
Chapter 20.1 Undercover
Tong Tong's phone had been buzzing nonstop all evening.
Calls about collaborations, feelers testing the waters, people just trying to stir up trouble—endless, really.
Finally, after hanging up the last call, she felt completely drained.
But not tired in a bad way, instead, she was excited and full of energy.
For a manager, an artist's success was their success.
And Jiang Tao was her very first real artist, in every sense of the word.
Tong Tong stretched and made her way to the break room to brew some coffee so she could keep pushing forward.
But the moment she stepped out of the break room, she ran straight into Sun Jianxian.
Compared to Tong Tong's radiant success, Sun Jianxian had been having a miserable time lately.
First, the company made Tong Tong Jiang Tao's manager, turning him into the laughingstock of the entire office.
And now that Jiang Tao had exploded in popularity after leaving him, quite a few of the artists under him were starting to have second thoughts.
The entertainment industry was a place rife with superstition.
After all, there was always that saying: ‘To become somewhat famous, you need backing; to become truly famous, you need fate/luck (小红靠捧, 大红靠命).’ Artists desperately wanted to believe they were dripping with good fortune from head to toe.
When Jiang Tao first debuted, her starting point had been extremely high. But after she landed under Sun Jianxian's management, her career turned worse and worse. And now, after leaving him, she suddenly exploded in popularity again.
To make such a comeback, Jiang Tao's talent and luck were beyond question. So the only problem left was Sun Jianxian.
And curious people had done some digging. In nearly ten years as manager, Sun Jianxian hadn't managed to make a single artist successful.
Before long, rumors spread like wildfire that Sun Jianxian was a jinx, that he killed the careers of anyone he managed.
Not long after, one artist went straight to the higher-ups, demanding a change of manager. If not, they'd rather terminate their contract with Starfruit Entertainment.
That one outburst dragged the underground gossip into the open.
Although the higher-ups hadn't made any official moves for the time being, soon after, that artist was transferred to another manager.
Those following the drama knew then that Sun Jianxian was done for.
Sure enough, once the news got out, the artists under Sun Jianxian fled one after another.
In an instant, he became a commander with no troops.
What use was a manager without artists?
Sun Jianxian had no choice but to resign.
Today was the day he came to submit his resignation letter.
He carried his box, slinking out of the company in disgrace, just as Tong Tong came out with her coffee.
Tong Tong saw Sun Jianxian and instinctively flinched out of habit.
Then she remembered, she wasn't his assistant anymore.
She was jie's manager, she represented jie's image. There was no way she was going to embarrass her at a time like this.
So she puffed her chest, gathered her courage, gave him a cold, brief greeting, and turned to head back to her office.
Sun Jianxian had become extremely sensitive because of everything he'd been through lately.
Even though Tong Tong hadn't said a word, he still felt like she was mocking him.
Just a month ago, Tong Tong had been nothing but his assistant.
Running around doing his errands, getting bossed around by him.
And now—
She had become a manager.
While he was slinking out of the company in this humiliating state.
And all of it was because of one person: Jiang Tao.
If you asked Sun Jianxian whether he regretted it…of course he did.
Back then, he had thrown away a real diamond just to cling to Young Master Han's coattails.
Every time he saw Jiang Tao trending, he was consumed by regret.
His heart ached as if countless tiny insects were slowly gnawing away at it.
But if he couldn't have a good ending, neither would anyone else!
He called out to Tong Tong and said contemptuously, "Don't think that just because you're riding high now, you'll keep riding high forever. You think just because Jiang Tao got lucky and had a hit, she can keep riding that wave? Naive!"
Tong Tong paused briefly.
She didn't want to fight with Sun Jianxian. He could say whatever he wanted about her, she didn't take it to heart.
But Sun Jianxian couldn't talk about Jiang Tao like that!
Her voice trembled with anger. "Nonsense!"
Sun Jianxian sneered. "Sure, I've fallen this time. But don't think you're any better off. Jiang Tao won't stay popular for long. And when that day comes, your fate will be even worse than mine!"
Then he turned and left.
Tong Tong slowly calmed herself down, but unease began to creep into her heart.
She knew Sun Jianxian well. This didn't sound like the mindless rage of someone just venting, it sounded like he actually knew something.
Could someone be planning to go after Jiang Tao?
So for the next several days, Tong Tong remained extremely cautious.
Everything related to Jiang Tao had to pass through her hands first.
Soon enough, it was time for the fourth episode recording of 'Our Village'.
Although only two episodes had aired, 'Our Village' was already rivaling the year's top variety shows.
And after the second episode aired, Jiang Tao's mid-roll ads had sparked another wave of buzz, attracting a slew of sponsors, all of whom specifically requested that Jiang Tao star in their mid-roll ads.
Even the remote town of Qingxi had drawn some tourists because of the show.
Vessa was a moderately well-known travel and food streamer. He'd recently launched a new project called ‘Live Travel’, where he visited less famous locations. Since Qingxi Town had suddenly blown up thanks to 'Our Village', he decided to make it his next stop.
Because Qingxi Town was so remote, there were only two buses each day—one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Vessa held up his phone, greeted his live-stream viewers, and glanced around.
"It’s pretty crowded on this bus! I thought there'd be barely anyone."
The hallmark of Vessa's travel style was that he loved to chat with people.
It often led to all sorts of interesting moments.
So, seeing that the bus was packed, he perked up immediately.
Holding up his phone, he went over to chat with the person next to him. "Hey buddy, you're not a local, are you? Here for tourism? Or visiting family?"
【When it comes to being a social butterfly, first place will always go to our Silly-sa ge lolol.]
Silly-sa ge was the nickname Vessa's audience had given him.
【Why's this guy wrapped up so tight? It's not even that cold out right now, is it?]
The man he was talking to wore a thick outdoor jacket, zipped all the way up, along with a mask and a baseball cap. He clutched the bag in his arms tightly.
His name was Lai Junling. He was the man Han Ziheng had hired to disfigure Jiang Tao.
This wasn't the first time he'd done this kind of job. He hadn't thought it would be difficult.
Who knew this time would turn out so unlucky?
First, the disfigurement cream was used by his wife, Shi Jiajia.
Then, on the way here, the car he was on broke down halfway, forcing him onto this public bus.
On him, besides the ointment, there was also a switchblade. He'd gone through hell just to get it past security.
And now, after finally making it onto the bus, who ended up sitting next to him? A livestreamer!
Lai Junling cursed the idiot under his breath.
He pulled out a mask and put it on, projecting an icy, keep-away demeanor.
But to his surprise, this dumbass streamer couldn't take a hint and actually came over to chat.
Lai Junling replied in a hard, blunt tone: "No chitchat!"
Then he pulled his cap down even lower and glanced warily at the phone in Vessa's hand.
【Hahahahaha, Silly-sa ge's social superpower finally failed!】
【This guy is so hostile! If you don't want to talk, just say so. why act like that?】
【I get that some people don't want to be on camera, but this guy's so nervous he looks like a wanted criminal or something...]
The one who said it didn't mean anything by it, but the one who heard it took it to heart.
Vessa glanced at the bit of tattoo peeking out from the man's neck. Something actually stirred in his mind. When the man wasn't paying attention, he secretly snapped a photo and reported it to the police.
…
When they arrived at Qingxi Town, Lai Junling got off the bus first. He found a secluded corner and called Han Ziheng.
After confirming the money had been transferred into his account and saving the recording, he headed toward the filming location.
Not long after he left, a young man with a ridiculous bleached punk hairstyle crept over, pulled out a cheap knockoff phone, and made a call. "I'm here. You better keep your words, I teach her a lesson and you give me ten thousand yuan!"
Whoever was on the other end said something, and he broke into a sleazy grin. "Don't worry. ‘Long as you pay up, anything’s possible."
After hanging up, the young man clicked his tongue in admiration. "Women in the entertainment business are more ruthless than the last."
This young man's name was Zhang Hui. A lowlife.
He had gotten to know Le Hui when she was doing livestreams. After getting kicked off the show, the more she mulled about it, the angrier she got. So she hired Zhang Hui to go teach Jiang Tao a lesson.
And so, two men with ill intentions left that secluded corner one after the other, heading toward the same destination.
TL Note:
