Daily Life of a Villain at Work [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Seventh Day of Maintaining the Villain Persona~

The first live broadcast of the fifth season of Heartbeat was a massive success. The person in charge was grinning ear to ear looking at the data metrics and the influx of new advertising revenue.

The originally planned twice-a-week broadcast was bumped up to three times. Furthermore, under the director’s orders, the remaining four unedited episodes were expanded into six to maximize profits.

Looking at the freshly printed contract, Wen Qingyun furrowed her brows. “Sister Xiao, what do you think about this ‘seven episodes turning into nine’ situation?”

“It’s an acceptable change. Looking at the airtime, it’s been condensed from three and a half weeks to three. Fans who have high expectations for the show should be quite happy,” Sister Xiao replied, holding a supplemental agreement in her hand.

“The production team also added an extra appearance fee for you. After tax, it comes out to over ten million,” Sister Xiao added. “As long as you don’t take it all out to do fan giveaways, the studio’s revenue for this quarter will hit the target. You’ll be able to rest until the end of August at most.”

“For real?” Wen Qingyun sat up straight instantly. “Sister Xiao, Heartbeat finishes recording at the end of July. You mean I can rest for a whole month?”

“Of course. It’s not like I’m some heartless exploiter.” Sister Xiao closed the contract and held up her fingers to list the prerequisites.

“As long as you don’t cause any negative trending topics, post at least two updates a week, and from late July to late August, you only need to attend two banquets and one opening ceremony. The rest of the time is yours to arrange.”

Wen Qingyun let out an “Ah.” “What’s the new plan for the end of August?”

Sister Xiao: “There’s a good role I want to fight for on your behalf. Whether we get it is hard to say; that director values an actor’s actual strength quite heavily.”

Hearing this, Wen Qingyun became indignant. “Is my acting that bad?”

“Is your acting that good?” Sister Xiao shot back bluntly. “Sister, are you even classically trained?”

“But I took a class!” Wen Qingyun argued her case. “A Masterclass! The teachers there have trained several Best Actress winners!”

“Mhm, a thirty-day crash course,” Sister Xiao nodded dismissively. “The kind of ‘Masterclass’ that internet celebrities who want to squeeze into the entertainment industry love most. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of students.”

Wen Qingyun rubbed her nose, feeling a bit guilty. “If my acting isn’t up to par, it just means I’m not meant for that life. At worst, I’ll just stick to the variety show circuit.”

“That’s an option, but didn’t you want to enter the industry to fulfill your dream of becoming Best Actress?” Sister Xiao countered. “And you want to expand the studio into a full company. Without connections in film and television, it’ll be very hard to get good resources.”

Wen Qingyun blinked, digging through her memories from three years ago.

It seemed her original purpose for joining the industry wasn’t to become Best Actress; it was purely because she had a fight with her family, happened to be scouted by a director for her looks, and became a minor hit playing “beautiful vase” roles.

As for why Sister Xiao thought otherwise—well, after Wen Qingyun unilaterally fired her “idiot boss,” she needed a professional to help her out. So, she used some friends to poach Sister Xiao for her own studio.

Recalling how she had essentially bluffed and tricked Sister Xiao from the start, Wen Qingyun laughed it off. “True, but I’ve realized there’s more than one way to prove oneself besides being Best Actress. Besides, as long as we’re rich enough, we don’t really have to worry about resources.”

Sister Xiao didn’t speak; she just stared at Wen Qingyun with a deep, mournful gaze that made Wen Qingyun rub her arms.

“Sister Xiao, I was wrong! I’ll work hard to improve my acting and become a variety star who also wears the Best Actress crown!” Wen Qingyun said solemnly, practically raising her hand to swear an oath.

After staring at Wen Qingyun’s stunning face for a moment, Sister Xiao lost her temper and could only reach out to pinch her cheek. “It’s a role that suits you very well. If you get it, you must consult the seniors once you’re on set, do you hear me?”

Wen Qingyun blinked and smilingly hugged Sister Xiao’s arm, expertly smoothing her ruffled feathers. “Don’t worry, I’ll get along great with the seniors~”

…

A week later, Wen Qingyun arrived at the observation room just in the nick of time. She sat down in the center seat and began watching the fourth episode.

Compared to the earlier episodes, the show had become much more exciting with the emergence of love triangles and “two men fighting for one woman” scenarios.

Setting aside whether it was scripted or not, Wen Qingyun’s interest was clearly higher than in previous episodes. She didn’t even need the other commentators to throw her topics; she proactively critiqued the guests’ behavior.

“There’s no problem with an ordinary physical education student discussing the global economy with an Economics Master’s student. But why does he think the opinions he saw online are the ‘correct’ ones and use them to dismiss the views of a professional?”

“I must remind everyone: when marketing accounts on short-form video platforms spread news, they prioritize how explosive the news is. Secondly, they chase speed.”

“Accuracy is dead last on their list. What a marketing account says is not necessarily the truth, and you definitely shouldn’t believe the comment sections that are just there to stir up trouble.”

“I suggest the male guest stop using fragmented info from short videos as knowledge he can whip out anytime, anywhere.”

“If you get the right info, maybe you can show off a bit. But if you memorize something wrong, you’ll just make a fool of yourself and lose that ‘face’ you care so much about.”

Wen Qingyun’s commentary was as sharp and double-standard as ever. The venom was reserved for the men, while patience and indulgence were for the women.

This was specifically evident when she commented on male vs. female guests “keeping their options open.” Depending on the gender, Wen Qingyun gave entirely different takes.

When a female guest wavered between a “younger dog” type and an “elite” type, choosing to date them separately to enjoy their attention:

Wen Qingyun: “A very wise decision. As they spend more time together, her understanding of them will deepen, which will help her make the right choice later.”

When a male guest wanted to maintain a good relationship with the Economics Master while also eyeing a rigorous Engineering PhD to “make friends”:

Wen Qingyun: “To be blunt, he’s overthinking it. Both of these women are so outstanding that anyone they find in their social circles would be better than him. As a mediocre student, choosing between Tsinghua and Peking University isn’t a problem he actually needs to worry about.”

Wen Qingyun’s biting commentary made Chu Ke—who hadn’t missed a single episode—unable to stop her lips from curling upward. Since she was currently slacking off at work, Chu Ke had to try hard to control her facial expressions.

Just as Chu Ke was about to sneakily post a bullet comment, the office door was knocked. Her direct supervisor walked in holding a thermos.

“Director.” Chu Ke turned off her phone and stood up to greet him.

“Xiao Chu, I have something I want to discuss with you.” The director walked over with a smile and sat across from her.

“Please, go ahead, Director.” Chu Ke straightened her back.

Director: “Thanks to Deep in the Mountains, many people have their eyes on Shishu Village’s agricultural products. They plan to build factories at the foot of the mountain and create a corresponding brand.”

Chu Ke looked delighted. “That’s wonderful! Shishu Village doesn’t just have agricultural products; fruits and vegetables can be planted on a large scale. If there’s a factory, the surrounding villages will be boosted too.”

“Indeed.” The director nodded. “But before that, we have a very important task to complete.”

Chu Ke thought for a moment. “Do the investors need data on Shishu Village? I happen to have organized quite a bit; I can provide whatever is needed.”

The director shook his head. “Data isn’t the issue. It’s something more important.”

Chu Ke blinked, her eyes filled with confusion. When it came to investing and building factories, she really didn’t have much experience.

“It’s reputation. We must ensure the reputation of Shishu Village and our local area; only then can the brand be established,” the director said.

Chu Ke pursed her lips. “Director, although there were some small accidents during the broadcast, the audience’s general impression of Shishu Village hasn’t been a big problem.”

“I also made an agreement with Ms. Wen. After certain customs in Shishu Village have changed, I’ll invite her back to visit.”

The director nodded. “You did well on that. But right now, there’s something more urgent.”

Chu Ke stopped speaking and took a listening posture.

The leader had laid so much groundwork; he likely had a task for her to handle.

“The person who caused trouble at the market before has confessed. The mastermind behind it is related to a certain villager in Shishu Village. I hope you can communicate with Wen Qingyun and try to facilitate a private settlement. Don’t let this blow up.”

“Xiao Chu, if Wen Qingyun takes the villagers to court, the factory project might fall through.” The director let out a long sigh. “We’ve discussed it on our end; we can offer up to 200,000 in compensation. I hope you can talk to Wen Qingyun properly.”

Chu Ke was stunned. Her intuition told her that someone with a personality as distinct as Wen Qingyun’s would absolutely not accept a settlement. “But the director, Ms. Wen…”

“Xiao Chu, I know this is difficult, but isn’t it our job to work hard and overcome difficulties?” The director interrupted Chu Ke, using a tone that allowed no refusal.

“If the processing plant can be established, it will provide many jobs and help many villages escape poverty.”

“I hope you can do ideological work with Wen Qingyun. Don’t let her affect so many people just because she’s acting out of spite.”

Chu Ke opened her mouth. Under the director’s pressuring gaze, she could only nod with difficulty. “I understand. I’ll try, but…”

“Xiao Chu, I believe you won’t let me down.” The director interrupted her again, leaving only a “Keep it up” before walking away.