After Binding the Face-Slapping System, I Rose to Fame [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 7

After seven or eight rounds of childish back-and-forth across the internet, Sister Lin finally exploded and called again. “I told you to stay quiet! What on earth are you doing?”

Chu Jinzhi adopted the “dead pig unafraid of boiling water” attitude. “Sister Lin, I was actually drawing traffic from the show’s official account. Now, thanks to you, the whole internet knows we’re fighting. Posting and then deleting is such an embarrassing look.”

“Posting the crap you posted is the real embarrassment!”

“Maybe so, but at least I’m owning it.”

Sister Lin was speechless. Knowing that further deletions would only make things worse, she snarled, “I’m sending Xiao Deng over to confiscate your phone. From now on, focus on filming the damn show! I’ve had someone encrypt your

Weibo password, don’t even dream of cracking it!”

The moment she hung up, there was a knock at the door. Her young assistant poked her head in tentatively, catching Chu Jinzhi’s gaze with a sheepish grin. “Zhizhi, Sister Lin told me to come get your phone.”

Chu Jinzhi didn’t make things difficult. she obediently handed it over, then immediately turned to the System, demanding it project an internet screen for her. She claimed she needed to “monitor” the progress of her Face-Slapping tasks, or she’d go on strike.

The System had no choice but to act as her internal monitor, only to watch as she used it to binge-watch Tom and Jerry dubbed in a thick Sichuan dialect, laughing like an idiot.

The System: [?]

After a good night’s sleep, the five guests officially landed on the island the next morning.

Today, everyone was dressed in the production team’s unified camouflage uniforms. With the tactical gear on, they all looked quite sharp and heroic.

On the beach, the crew had set up their equipment, and the livestream was officially live. First, each guest was required to surrender their suitcases while the rules were read aloud.

“First of all, welcome everyone to Celebrity Wilderness Survival. The livestream is now active. Over the next seven days of survival, there will be eight hours of live footage daily. Please, take a moment to greet the audience.”

Among the five guests, Hou Mi took on the “Steady Big Brother” persona, giving a standard, composed greeting to the camera.

Cao Xu was a comedian with zero baggage; he leaned in so close to the lens that you could see his back molars as he grinned.

Tong Zixuan maintained her “cool girl” vibe. Today, she sported misty-blue short hair. For some reason, she had decided to wear heavy, dark smoky eye makeup to a deserted island. Did she not realize the crew wouldn’t let them bring cosmetics? Or perhaps she just wanted to look cool while she still could. She gave a curt nod and a brief greeting before stepping back.

When it was Lin Shuyu’s turn, she had just started to move when Chu Jinzhi, who was right behind her, lunged forward like a startled rabbit. She beat her to the lens, tossed her hair with a flowery smile, and tilted her head cutely, framing her face with her hands.

“Hello, hello, everyone! Make sure to keep your eyes on me during the show. I definitely won’t be like certain people who beg to quit after three minutes.”

Lin Shuyu froze for a second, glancing at her. Everyone else on set looked at Chu Jinzhi, then back at Lin Shuyu.

Faced with the collective gaze of the group, the two leads showed a surprising amount of tacit understanding: neither gave the other a single word of response.

Once Chu Jinzhi finished her act, Lin Shuyu stepped forward with perfect composure. She waved at the camera with a polite, dignified smile. “Hello everyone. Thank you for tuning in so early to watch us. I hope we won’t disappoint you.”

The audience, who had tuned in specifically to watch a catfight, was disappointed that no hair-pulling ensued. However, Lin Shuyu’s poise was a huge “fan-magnet,” and her favorability among casual viewers soared.

Conversely, Chu Jinzhi’s performance was seen as utterly distasteful.

With the intros over, the production team continued: “Next, we have a regrettable announcement. For the first leg of Celebrity Wilderness Survival, we will be operating in Solo Mode. Those who last the full seven days will become permanent cast members for the series. Furthermore, the guest with the highest real-time audience approval rating at the end of the week will receive the Ultimate Grand Prize: an S-Rank Resource Package provided by Sea Princess, spanning film, music, variety, or fashion—your choice.”

Whoa!

Talk about a “King Bomb” opening!

Not only were the guests shocked, but the netizens in the livestream were stunned. The bullet comments exploded with praise for the “Gold Daddy” sponsor.

【That is a massive investment! As expected of Sea Princess!】

【S-Rank resource? And you can pick the field? My envy is literally drooling out of my mouth.】

【This is the kind of boss everyone wants. I’m tagging my own trash CEO right here @MyDogBoss [Smile][Smile]】

【With rewards like this, those permanent cast spots are going to be fought over like crazy.】

【Haha, exciting! Fight! I want to see them fight! [Cheering]】

【Capital knows how to play the game—the tension is already through the roof! [Cool]】

【I came here to curse Chu ‘Red Rose’ Jinzhi, not to crave someone else’s boss [Drooling]】

【Go Shuyu! You’re the best! [Fighting]】

The guests on-site turned solemn. Clearly, everyone was intensely motivated by these rewards.

Hou Mi, whose bronzed, square face had been set in a stern scowl, visibly brightened. He looked around at the other four with an air of absolute certainty.

His bad mood earlier had been because the original lineup of three men and two women had shifted to two men and three women. In his eyes, women in the industry were either “vases” for decoration or “screamers” who panicked. His only male peer, Cao Xu, was more flash than substance. Hou Mi felt he’d have to carry the whole team. With so many “dead weights,” of course his face was dark.

But now that it was a solo competition with such lucrative rewards? Hou Mi suddenly felt that having four “useless” teammates was actually a stroke of luck.

Meanwhile, Chu Jinzhi took the opportunity to glance at Lin Shuyu, only to find that the other woman happened to be looking back at her.

Their eyes met in mid-air. Chu Jinzhi blinked, then instinctively gave her a playful wink. Lin Shuyu was evidently amused by the gesture; she pursed her lips to suppress a smile.

The interaction was lightning-fast. Since everyone else was focused on the prizes, no one noticed the silent exchange.

Seeing that the guests were fired up and the audience was engaged, Director Chen nodded with satisfaction. He raised his megaphone. “Now, the staff will distribute the exclusive ‘Fearless Pursuit’ Extreme Wilderness Survival Watches.

Besides maps, GPS, heart rate monitoring, and a compass, these watches have many powerful features waiting for you to explore.”

“There is an SOS button on the side of the watch,” Director Chen continued. “If any guest encounters an accident and cannot continue, press it to call for help from the professional search and rescue team we’ve invited. However, doing so means an immediate withdrawal from the competition. Please use it with caution.”

“Now, according to our premise, you’ve all been stranded on a deserted island following a maritime accident. It’s not impossible that you managed to bring some items from ‘civilized society’ with you. Therefore, before the show officially begins, we’re going to play a game. Each guest will perform a talent on the spot. A friendly reminder: the survival tools you receive will be directly related to the talent you show off.”

This was their chance to pick their gear. At least the production team wasn’t sadistic enough to send five celebrities into the wild completely empty-handed.

Cao Xu tried to initiate a short-term cooperation regarding the tools, but the results were lackluster. Hou Mi made it clear he only needed a knife and didn’t care for anything else. Tong Zixuan stood her ground, unmoving. Only Lin Shuyu seemed slightly tempted; she glanced back at Chu Jinzhi.

Chu Jinzhi, however, pretended to be intensely interested in the soles of her shoes.

Though a bit disappointed, Lin Shuyu chose to walk over to Cao Xu. Whether he was genuinely happy or just relieved to have a partner, Cao Xu welcomed her warmly, and the two began discussing what talent they could perform together.

The performances began shortly after.

Hou Mi went first, likely worried that each tool was a “one-of-a-kind” and fearing someone might beat him to the punch. Unsurprisingly, he performed a series of blade techniques on the spot and successfully secured the multi-functional survival knife he wanted.

With the first attempt out of the way, everyone understood how the “talent-to-tool” logic worked.

Chu Jinzhi was the second to step forward. She opened with a question: “So, if I perform fire-breathing, do I get a fire-starting tool?”

Director Chen joked, “Of course. Do you actually know how to do that?”

A female celebrity as pretty as a flower performing fire-breathing? No one really believed her. The livestream chat was already flooded with “Red Rose” insults and “What a turn-off” comments.

Chu Jinzhi flashed a brilliant smile. She accepted the torch and the bottle of alcohol provided by the staff, took a large swig of the liquor, and blew it directly toward the torch.

Instantly, a massive plume of fire roared to life, leaping more than half a meter forward. As a performer, Chu Jinzhi even added a spinning flourish, showing off a level of professionalism that rivaled a circus acrobat.

To finish, she pulled off a flashy move, spinning the torch so fast that sparks flew and crackled. Had it been nighttime, it would have looked like a shower of blooming stars.

The excitement-seekers in the livestream immediately cheered, while others expressed genuine surprise.

【Haha! Fair is fair—that was a beautiful move! Better than the street performers I saw during New Year’s when I was a kid!】

【She’s actually got the vibe down! 6666*】 (Note: 666 is Chinese slang for “cool/smooth”)

【Sister Chu is a hidden gem! That was badass.】

【Hmph, just some low-class parlor tricks. Only someone like ‘Red Rose’ would learn this. [Nose-picking emoji]】

【You got a problem, person above? What did she do to you?】

【Ever heard of Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage? Educate yourself.】

【You’re sick. Criticize Chu Jinzhi all you want, but don’t look down on a craft passed down from our ancestors.】

Amidst the small-scale bickering in the chat, the crew was also quite surprised. They had assumed Chu Jinzhi was just making a scene to grab attention; they hadn’t expected her to actually have a skill.

However, giving her a lighter would take away a major survival plot point. After a quick deliberation, the crew pulled a fast one: they gave her a flint and steel (a traditional striker)—an antique tool that almost no one nowadays knows how to use.

But because the “victim” of this trick was Chu Jinzhi, nobody cared. The audience even praised the director for being “innovative.”

Chu Jinzhi let out a dry laugh and remarked with a hint of sarcasm, “The production team is truly impressive; you actually managed to find such an ancient relic.” Without making a further fuss, she stepped aside.

Next, Tong Zixuan performed a song and dance. She received a trekking pole with a handle shaped like a microphone. Her expression was sour; she seemed to regret focusing solely on showing off her pop-star skills rather than thinking about utility.

The temporary alliance of Cao Xu and Lin Shuyu had also reached a decision.

Cao Xu asked Lin Shuyu hesitantly, “Are you sure?”

Lin Shuyu nodded and whispered a few words to the crew. Cao Xu stepped out first to perform a “wok-tossing” routine. Amidst Hou Mi’s sneers, he successfully secured a stir-fry wok.

Watching this, Chu Jinzhi couldn’t help but feel curious about the logistics staff, who seemed to be pulling an endless variety of supplies out of nowhere.

How were they so well-prepared? They were basically like a real-life Doraemon.