Chapter 71: The Fatal Temptation

In the livestream, someone started gifting expensive items again. It was the same "Spaceship" and the same user, "Da Wang." Of course, it wasn't as frantic as the first time when a hundred were dropped at once.

As the popularity surged, others began to follow suit. Now, luxury cars were considered too cheap to be worth mentioning, and many minor wealthy fans began sending "Large Aircraft" gifts—items that were quite pricey in their own right.

How many people could claim such treatment?

However, Shen Mingyue wasn't focused on the money. She needed to display "flattery." Liu Zichen couldn't manage that; she only performed gymnastics and techniques. Talking, however, was Shen Mingyue’s forte—she was a chatterbox. She could be sweet, coy, and syrupy, acting spoiled, dancing, singing, and flirting with ease. She focused her efforts primarily on Da Wang. Although his responses were sparse, she had pulled out all the stops.

Three days later, Da Wang finally took the initiative to reach out.

The fish was about to bite!

Suppressing her inner ecstasy, Shen Mingyue chatted with Da Wang for over an hour. This time, he was quite conversational, dropping his aloof persona. He told her that he worked for a large international film and television company called "Tianxia Media."

The name sounded incredibly imposing; she could easily imagine the scale of the company.

Da Wang patiently listed several recent blockbuster co-productions that had each grossed over a billion. Shen Mingyue’s heart hammered in her chest. To verify his claims, she downloaded these films and skipped to the end credits.

Most viewers rarely pay attention to the credits; they are long and tedious. Once the movie is over, who cares about the production team? Yet, Shen Mingyue quickly discovered that "Tianxia Media" was listed in a very prominent position—hard to miss.

Da Wang added that the actors they collaborated with were all A-list celebrities; ordinary artists didn't stand a chance.

Shen Mingyue asked, confused, "Don't you promote new stars?"

Da Wang sent a smiley face: "Promoting new stars is such a hassle. Plus, there's no guarantee of success. Don't look at our high box office returns; the investments are massive—hundreds of millions at a time. Who would risk using a newcomer?"

"Oh," Shen Mingyue replied nonchalantly. Inwardly, she was suspicious. If they didn't use newcomers, what was Da Wang’s purpose in approaching her? Had she guessed wrong?

As she pondered, Da Wang sent another smiley face.

Shen Mingyue mechanically typed, "No wonder you're so rich."

For the first time, Da Wang sent three giant smiley faces in a row, which looked rather strange.

Shen Mingyue asked with a bit of edge, "What does that mean?"

"Don't be so impatient. I have some good news for you," Da Wang said mysteriously.

Shen Mingyue was still deep in thought, asking listlessly, "What kind of good news could it be?"

"Our company has received a script—truly brilliant. It’s guaranteed to be a hit. We are currently scouting for a lead actress nationwide," Da Wang said cheerfully. "The production budget is breaking ten billion for the first time. Isn't that wild?"

Shen Mingyue curled her lip. She couldn't understand Da Wang's intent. Was this guy just here to show off?

"So, have you found the lead?" she replied curtly.

Da Wang sent five giant smiley faces again. Shen Mingyue felt an inexplicable sense of disgust; the rich really loved to put on airs.

"Yes, we found her," Da Wang replied just as briefly.

"Oh," Shen Mingyue typed. She was looking for an excuse to take a breath when another message arrived.

Da Wang: "Don't you want to know who the lead actress is?"

Shen Mingyue: "No need to guess. Probably one of those trendy young starlets..." She listed over a dozen popular actresses in one breath.

Da Wang: "Nope, nope. Guess again."

Shen Mingyue: "I can't guess." She had originally wanted to play along, but she was finding it increasingly boring.

Da Wang went silent for a while. Assuming he had gone offline, Shen Mingyue stopped responding and started tidying up her room. Then, her phone pinged a few times.

A flood of emojis appeared, all from Da Wang, followed by an image.

"Do you want to know the name of the film?" Da Wang finally asked.

Shen Mingyue was curious now: "Yes."

Da Wang sent a sly grin: "Mermaid VII. Get it now?"

Shen Mingyue froze, her mouth agape. So this guy really was after Liu Zichen, not just wasting time with idle chatter.

She feigned innocence: "No way? Is it that much of a coincidence?" She sent a string of confused emojis.

"Why not? Now you know who the lead is, right?" Da Wang seemed happy; Shen Mingyue could almost picture him.

"Well, I think Lin Y would be the most suitable choice for the lead," she continued, pretending to be oblivious.

"Sigh!" Da Wang sent a giant sighing emoji. "You really are a little blockhead."

Shen Mingyue pretended to be angry: "What is that supposed to mean?"

Da Wang sent a standard smiley face: "Little girl, you’re so slow! The lead actresses are the two of you! Isn't that a surprise??"

Shen Mingyue didn't hesitate: "Not a surprise at all. That’s more like a horror story, isn't it?"

"What horror story? I told you it’s fate. We were planning the mermaid film, and then real-life mermaids appeared. Tell me, is there such a coincidence in the world? If I don't pick you, who would? This is what you call a 'natural performance'!" Da Wang typed rapidly.

Shen Mingyue couldn't keep playing dumb. She countered, "With an investment of over a billion, you want to cast nobodies like us? Do you think we’d dare to take it? Even if you dare to cast me, I wouldn't dare to go." She paused. "You said yourself, your company only hires A-list stars."

Da Wang didn't answer directly: "The salary is 60 million... still thinking about it?" He seemed to realize the phrasing was unclear and added, "60 million for each of you. A natural performance!"

Shen Mingyue nearly spat her drink onto her phone keyboard. Sixty million! That was 120 million for both of them... Even if she didn't lack money at home, that was an astronomical figure.

Was this money too easy to make? Her expression flickered, and she didn't know how to reply for a long time. Should she agree? To be honest, she was a bit intimidated. If she didn't agree, the plan would have to start from scratch.

Was this person really the target Bei Ting was looking for? Was the 60 million just bait? Had the whole thing gone off track, a complication arising from nowhere? Was Da Wang not the target of the investigation, but her own stroke of good fortune?

Her mind was in a whirl. She sat there, stunned, for at least five minutes.

Da Wang seemed to get anxious on the other end: "Hey, hey... you aren't actually suffocating from excitement, are you? I can't help you with that!"

Shen Mingyue stared at the phone screen, her fingers tapping unconsciously.

"Are you telling the truth? ...Or are you playing some kind of international joke on me?"

Da Wang seemed to heave a sigh of relief: "You scared me, seriously."

"Whether it's true or false, we'll know once we meet!" Da Wang said lightly.