Chapter 19

Xia Wansheng was still carefully distinguishing the birdsong and, without paying attention, walked straight past the scene of the two men’s confrontation.

Only after turning back did he realize Old Feng seemed to have run into an acquaintance. Assuming it was a rare meeting between old friends catching up, Xia Wansheng tactfully chose not to interrupt.

However, something felt off.

The two had been talking for far too long.

Just as his patience was reaching its limit, Old Feng finally beckoned him over. Xia Wansheng assumed their conversation was drawing to a close and that he was being called over for the customary polite introduction expected of a junior, bringing the whole affair to an end.

Xia Wansheng hurried over. Old Feng clapped him firmly on the shoulder—carrying a sense of hidden meaning—and pushed him toward his junior brother with a flourish, boasting, "I've seen the talent of the students in those training classes of yours—they’re nothing special. Look at this! I’ve already taken on a closed-door disciple!"

Earlier, the junior brother had been painting a glowing picture of his training center, calling it a "star-making factory" and promising that if Old Feng would just stop by occasionally to provide some publicity, he could pick any of the promising seedlings he liked.

In this way, the chances of finding a true successor would be greatly increased.

The junior brother had already calculated it all in his mind; he couldn't lose either way. He would gain free publicity, and if any of his students truly became successful, he could naturally bask in some of the glory and save face. For Old Feng, who was desperate to find a disciple, it seemed like a win-win situation.

A few days ago, Old Feng might have weighed the options to see if he could find a suitable candidate. But now, his heart was set on guiding Xia Wansheng to reach the peak and making a splash; he had no interest in slowly vetting newcomers.

The junior brother glanced at the youth who had been pushed forward, his eyes filled with disdain. Aside from having a decent face, he was sure the talent of the youngsters in his own class was far superior.

"Brother, you can't just pick anyone as a closed-door disciple. In my opinion, you need someone who has received formal musical training. True talent is top-tier; you shouldn't just trust some random internet influencer," the junior remarked.

Since this junior was being used as a shield, he might have a bit of talent, but how could he possibly compare to someone who had been rigorously trained since childhood?

Xia Wansheng caught the drift of this thinly veiled insult. If the other party was questioning his talent, that made things much easier.

Xia Wansheng cleared his throat and gave Old Feng a discreet "OK" sign. Then, under the skeptical gaze of the junior brother, he performed a segment of the most difficult piece of music as a brief demonstration.

Old Feng sat down on the small folding stool he carried with him, his eyes narrowing in delight. He certainly wasn't going to be the only one shocked by Xia Wansheng’s performance; he wanted to pull everyone into the same boat.

The junior brother: "!!!"

Even after years of sycophancy, he still possessed basic aesthetic judgment. Where on earth did Old Feng find this down-and-out genius?

With the tide of public opinion reversed, Old Feng felt his spirits lift significantly. As he prepared to stand up shakily, Xia Wansheng, showing great foresight, helped him up, ready to bypass the stunned junior brother and continue their stroll through the park.

"Wait a minute!"

Before they had taken more than a few steps, they were called back by the man behind them.

"Since your talent is so good, why not consider becoming the flagship of my agency? I can definitely turn you into a top-tier star across the entire internet within three years!" the junior brother said, full of ambition.

The junior brother had finally recovered from his shock. He had originally just wanted Old Feng to provide some publicity, but now it seemed Xia Wansheng’s talent was absolutely good enough to serve as a new star attraction.

Besides, young people were always easier to manipulate.

Xia Wansheng didn't move a muscle, not even loosening his grip on Old Feng. He looked completely uninterested in the proposal, even appearing somewhat indignant.

"I came to study under Old Feng because I admire his talent. Being accepted as his disciple is a stroke of fortune for me; I have no interest in becoming a 'top-tier star,'" Xia Wansheng said lightly.

He had said it—he finally said it! The legendary "I have no interest in fame," guaranteed to trigger the opponent's "envy" debuff. After saying it, he felt his image of being indifferent to fame and fortune had only deepened.

Besides, three years was a long time. By then, he might have already returned to his original world; he wouldn't care whether or not he became a superstar in a game world.

Watching his junior brother suffer a setback, Old Feng didn't forget to offer a bit of faux consolation. "Junior brother, I have to have a word with you. Young people today have different priorities; they aren't interested in playing our old games anymore."

He added casually, "Oh, I remember—what was it you used to do again?"

Xia Wansheng answered smoothly, "I was a celebrity."

"That's right! I kept hearing him use that word earlier and thought it sounded familiar. I remember now, you used to be a big star!" Old Feng chuckled.

He glanced at the junior brother, whose expression was inevitably sour, and felt even more satisfied. For years, he had finally managed to hold his head high in front of this man who loved playing politics and constantly implied that Old Feng was a lonely old man.

Now, the tables had finally turned.

Watching the master and disciple walk off happily together, the junior brother felt like his molars were about to shatter. He made a phone call directly to Elder Shao, his tone filled with five parts annoyance: "Didn't you say this old man Feng always kept to himself? And that he was looking for a high-standard closed-door disciple, making it a perfect opportunity to manipulate him?"

He grew more frustrated as he spoke. It was one thing to be slighted by his senior brother, but even a junior like Xia Wansheng could look down on him? What was this?

"That’s right! I’m telling you, Old Feng has been a bit crazy lately. I heard he hasn't found a suitable disciple in ages, so he’s been running off to those streaming rooms, hahaha," Elder Shao mocked.

Others might not understand the novelty of streaming, but he knew exactly what it was. How many people in those places could actually sing? It was hard enough to find someone who sang live, let alone someone who met Old Feng’s absurdly high standards for talent.

His own grandson had wanted to try, but Old Feng hadn't even listened closely before saying they weren't fated. He was so arrogant—no wonder he could never find a disciple. Who would want to follow him and put up with that temper?

The junior brother had a splitting headache, and Elder Shao just kept rambling on, his voice grating and dizzying.

"Your information is completely outdated! I ran into him today, and he has already taken on a disciple!" the junior brother snapped.

He realized he had probably been played and had wasted a prime opportunity to curry favor with his senior. Now, because of the bad intel from Old Shao, he had missed the chance to get in early and had even offended Xia Wansheng. Truly, this was a disaster.

"No way. Where could he find a suitable disciple? He’s already scoured the entire area. Could he have really picked one up from the internet? Do they even have talent?" Elder Shao’s tone was full of doubt. At best, he was just some amateur wanting to get famous.

"Talent?" The junior brother almost laughed out of anger. "I just heard him. His talent is absolutely not inferior to our senior’s."

Elder Shao: !!!

"And he’s already a celebrity; he just joined to learn music because he likes it," the junior brother added, twisting the knife.

Elder Shao felt his heart couldn't take much more. He managed to choke out one final question: "Did you ask what his name is?"

He held onto one last shred of hope. Even if this person had some talent and fame, it would be simple for his family to manipulate a small celebrity in the entertainment industry. He would see if the kid could be made useful later.

But the junior brother’s next words shattered that hope completely:

"I did. His name is Xia Wansheng, that little celebrity who exploded in popularity across the internet a while back."

Xia Wansheng… Why did that name sound so familiar?

Elder Shao recalled Shao Huan, whom he had put in confinement a few days ago, and suddenly remembered: Yu Congyan had come to the Shao house specifically because of Xia Wansheng.

So, this person had the backing of the Yu family.

But even though they were grinding their teeth in hatred, they were powerless, and a sense of resentment bubbled in their hearts: Why did all the good things happen to Xia Wansheng?

Even if they couldn't touch him now, there was no shortage of dirt on people in the entertainment industry. They could look into his upcoming activities and pull some strings to bring him down. This person was tied to too many interests; it would be better to eliminate him.

They also wanted to see just how much provocation it would take for Yu Congyan to strike. Yu Congyan’s style in the business world had always been ruthless, leaving no path of retreat, which had inevitably made him many enemies. Since Xia Wansheng had appeared as a target, they all planned to use him to settle the score.

At the Yu Group’s conference room, things were equally lively. Shareholders were arguing fiercely over the details of several projects. Yu Congyan was only half-listening; they would eventually ask for his opinion anyway.

Just as the room was in an uproar, the assistant, who had finished writing down Xia Wansheng’s schedule from the previous day, approached tentatively: "Mr. Yu, that program is about to start filming. The director has sent an invitation. Do you think it’s appropriate for us to stay there for a few days?"

The assistant had prepared himself to accompany his boss through the entire filming process. He boldly guessed his boss’s intentions: the boss likely wanted to watch Xia Wansheng be crushed to rock bottom in person.

"You go and keep an eye on things first. If there’s nothing else, I won’t go..." Yu Congyan took the schedule, but stopped mid-sentence.

On the message sent, the director had highlighted in bold that the program would be "fully live-streamed with no script," as if afraid he wouldn't notice.

He remembered this program being a simple travel variety show. How did it end up being live-streamed?!

If Xia Wansheng’s emotions flared up, wouldn't he have a breakdown right in front of the live camera? Even if he managed to pull him back, the leaked footage would inevitably have a negative impact on him.

The assistant watched his boss stare at the schedule and the invitation for a long time. A bold new idea popped into his head. He suggested, "Mr. Yu, as the investor, it is only proper for you to be present to supervise when the program begins filming."

He had made that rule up on the spot. But it didn't matter; the basic skill of a qualified assistant was to anticipate the president's psychological state.

Yu Congyan remained silent for a long time. The people in the conference room saw his grave expression and assumed the company was facing some major crisis; the discussion gradually died down.

"Notify the General Affairs Department. I’m going on a business trip."

Yu Congyan ultimately didn't dare to take the risk. If any emergency really did happen, he wanted to be able to respond immediately.

Besides, Xia Wansheng wouldn't be able to keep hiding from him anymore.