3 On the Rise

Chang Zhiqing studied computer science in university, so could do some software and websites development, and handle some HR tasks. But when it came to the entertainment industry? It's not that she wasn't familiar with it, but rather that she was completely clueless.

Upon hearing this, Yang Ruoqian couldn't be happier. He said, "Aren't we planning to start an entertainment company? You don't need to do HR anymore; you'll be the Director of Brand Promotion!"

"Are you okay, boss?" Her tone carried a hint of concern for his mental well-being.

Did he think himself needed to go bankrupt faster?

Yang Ruoqian sneered and said, "A monthly salary of twenty thousand after tax, full benefits. Sign the employment contract now, and if I fire you, I'll pay you two times your salary plus one. Do you want the job or not?"

In his previous life, Chang Zhiqing had worked tirelessly, dedicating her precious youth to Yang Ruoqian's struggling company.

In this life, with this reverse system in place, Chang Zhiqing could shine in the most crucial position and prevent the company's artists from falling into fame.

Company executive with top-tier salary and lavish benefits, and they bear no responsibilities – that's Yang Ruoqian's way of repaying Chang Zhiqing for her dedicated service in the ten years of his past life.

Chang Zhiqing stood at attention, saluted solemnly, and said, "Boss, do you have any orders? Your loyal employee is always ready and at your service."

High-rise office, high privacy, entertainment room, tea room, high salary, and lavish benefits...

Who would have thought that this money wouldn't fall from the sky?

The boss might be unreliable, but this lady would save the company!

"Do you know the responsibilities of the Brand Promotion Department?" Yang Ruoqian asked, handing her two copies of the employment contract.

Chang Zhiqing signed the contract quickly, afraid Yang Ruoqian retract her contract, then said loudly, "I don't know, boss!"

Not knowing was probably for the best.

Yang Ruoqian explained, "Your main responsibility is to oversee the company's brand development and marketing. You'll plan, employ, and monitor various brand promotion activities to enhance the company's visibility and reputation."

Determined not to let down her boss, Chang Zhiqing decided to quickly learn all the necessary professional knowledge. She couldn't afford to waste this salary, nor could she betray her boss's trust. She said solemnly, "I will work hard to fulfill my duties."

Yang Ruoqian nodded in satisfaction. Yes, with your hard work, our company's promotions will never take off, and our reputation will always remain in obscurity.

Satisfied with Chang Zhiqing's response, Yang Ruoqian turned his attention to the next step: finding an artist or streamer who was destined never to make it big. With this, a studio has been preliminarily set up.

An owner eager to mess things up, a clueless strategist, and artists who flop at first glance.

With these three legendary parties in place, the company was on the brink of demise.

Fresh out of college, brimming with enthusiasm, and ready to conquer the world, Chang Zhiqing declared, "Boss, I'm off to buy the relevant materials right now! I promise not to lag behind and ensure the company's success!"

"Success, or should I say, succumb, is all we need. Just make sure to be on time for work tomorrow."

After sending Chang Zhiquing off, Yang Ruoxian's only remaining task was to contemplate one thing: What kind of artist is destined to fail?

The question seemed absurd and simple on the surface, but upon closer examination, there was no clear answer.

Appearance?

There were successful stars with ill-favoured appearance, and plenty of good-looking ones who flopped.

Talent?

In the era of online popularity, as long as someone met a certain minimum skill level, they had a chance to gain fame through mass media coverage.

So, what about popularity?

In this world, which was highly similar to his previous life, the chaotic competition for popularity was even more intense, and lacking popularity in most cases meant no chance. However, there were also many individuals who had plenty of popularity but never took off.

The factors were too complex, and the relative importance of each was hard to determine. Identifying whether an artist or streamer would become popular was difficult for an outsider like Yang Ruoqian.

Though he aimed to make money with the system and become one of the world's top 500 companies, he wouldn't do so by crushing other people's dreams. Those with potential to succeed wouldn't be part of his recruitment criteria.

Yang Ruoqian would look for artists who were destined never to make it big, so they could work for the company, earn a decent living, and help the company make money through the system.

In other words, Yang Ruoqian wouldn't intentionally prevent talented artists from succeeding; he was seeking those who would never become popular naturally.

"I'm an outsider in the field of professional analysis, and I can't compete with the expert teams of large entertainment media companies..."

"Whether an artist will succeed or not involves too many complex factors, and my judgment is unreliable. But entertainment moguls have a keen eye!"

"An artist who has been rejected by the majority of major entertainment companies is exactly what I'm looking for!"

With his target audience in mind, Yang Ruoqian opened his phone, ready to call a ride-sharing service and stake out various entertainment companies and audition venues.

Ring, ring...

Suddenly, a call came in, forcefully occupying his phone's entire screen.

The caller displayed as "Tenant Gao Naiyun."

"Gao Naiyun? What's going on?" Yang Ruoqian answered the call and proactively asked.

He had some impressions of this tenant, who shared a house with Chang Zhiqing. In his previous life, she moved out around this time, and he hadn't heard anything about her since.

Gao Naiyun's timid voice carried a hint of embarrassment as she said, "Landlord, um, I might have to terminate my lease this month."

"Are you going back to your hometown?" Yang Ruoqian made small talk.

"No... it's just work-related." Gao Naiyun's voice became even more embarrassed, and she quickly changed the subject. "The lease is for a year, but I've only been here for ten months. Landlord, could you... be lenient with the deposit?"

This girl wasn't very articulate in her speech.

Yang Ruoqian chuckled and said, "No problem. Are you at home now? I'll come back and handle the paperwork for you."

"I'm at home. Thank you..."

"You're welcome." After saying that, Yang Ruoqian hung up the phone and changed the destination in the ride-sharing app to his own neighborhood.

Once in his car, Yang Ruoqian couldn't help but ponder the content of the recent phone call.

Gao Naiyun mentioned a problem at work...wonder if it's a serious issue?

If it's serious enough, maybe she can join the group, play along, sabotage the company, and get rich together.

Although Gao Naiyun was a neighbor to Yang Ruoqian and a roommate to Chang Zhiqing, she hadn't shared many details about her profession.

"You have reached your destination. Please check your belongings before exiting the vehicle. Thank you for choosing riding with us."

Putting away his phone, Yang Ruoqian walked back to the door of his opposite apartment.

There, he saw Gao Naiyun already packing her things.

Just as he was about to say something, Yang Ruoqian's footsteps suddenly stopped.

Above Gao Naiyun's head, in bold letters, were the words:

[Available for Hire. Occupation: Streamer.]