"Nine, I'm willing to compete," Xiang Fei was the first to speak, his gaze filled with determination and trust.
Quan Jiu looked at Wei Tian with a challenging glint in her eyes, "Of course, if you're not willing, then just pretend I said nothing."
Wei Tian's eyes hardened. Without asking if Li Gui was willing, she declared, "We'll compete, but you can't set the questions. Our team, Xiao Kou Chang Kai, will set the questions."
"Agreed," Quan Jiu's gaze shifted to Wu Qian, "Mr. Wu, would you agree to this competition and serve as its notary?"
Wu Qian chuckled, adopting an attitude of an amused spectator, "Alright, young people need drive and grit. I agree to this competition. I'll set a topic. You've all seen the movie that made Ren Chao a movie emperor, right?"
"We have," Xiang Fei replied.
Li Gui, however, looked at Wei Tian, clearly unwilling to gamble his future. But Wei Tian was only concerned with her immediate satisfaction and didn't even glance at him.
After a moment's thought, Li Gui spoke, "Mr. Wu, Manager Wei, this competition is not fair to Xiang Fei. It concerns his future. He might retire from the industry because of me. I feel really bad about it..."
"It's fine," Xiang Fei chuckled, "If I have to retire, I won't blame you."
Li Gui felt contempt but put on a pleasant face, "That doesn't seem right, this kind of competition..." It carries risks for me too.
Wei Tian, sensing Li Gui's thoughts, but unwilling to lose face, cut him off, "Only those who dare to fight will win. Li Gui, I believe in my judgment, and I won't be wrong about you."
Li Gui thought about it carefully. It was true, how could a grotesque like Xiang Fei be his opponent? He no longer hesitated and agreed with full confidence.
Wu Qian continued, "Ren Chao is the pillar of Xiao Kou Chang Kai. He delivered a very classic performance in that movie. You will both perform that segment. Each of you will have half an hour to prepare, and you can find a mentor for guidance and analysis."
Wei Tian immediately said, "Then our two groups will each find a teacher. I'm familiar with Teacher Gao Hu, so I'll go to him."
Zhao Wei frowned. Gao Hu was Ren Chao's mentor, and Gao Hu was most familiar with that classic performance.
"I think it would be better if both of them find the same mentor for guidance, so we can truly see who is better. Otherwise, they might say the mentors were different and their skill levels varied," Zhao Wei suggested.
Wei Tian knew exactly what he was thinking and smiled, "The company has so many lecturers. Why do you have to fight with me for him? Are you deliberately trying to cause trouble for me?"
"I'll guide Xiang Fei," Quan Jiu said at the opportune moment.
Zhao Wei was startled and signaled Quan Jiu with his eyes.
Wei Tian, however, seized this opportunity and immediately smiled, "Alright." She then turned to Wu Qian, "Mr. Wu, since it's a competition, it's not right without an audience. Could you invite all the company employees to come and vote?"
Wu Qian readily replied, "Yes." He then turned to Zhao Wei, "Notify the company employees to be here in half an hour to watch the competition."
Quan Jiu thought to herself that this boss was quite amusing, his demeanor so casual.
...
After the challenge was confirmed, Wei Tian led Li Gui to find Gao Hu first. The onlookers dispersed. Zhao Wei first went to the administrative department to have them issue the notification, and then took Quan Jiu and Xiang Fei to the performance room.
On the way, Zhao Wei expressed his concerns, "Gao Hu is our top-tier mentor. Ren Chao's performance was also guided by him, which led to the final classic effect."
Quan Jiu nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on Xiang Fei, "People rarely unleash their full potential unless they are pushed to the brink. I can see your ambition, and today's move is not just a momentary display of bravado, but a way to force out your potential while also securing the greatest opportunity for you."
Xiang Fei understood and nodded, "With Li Gui and Wei Tian around, it's hard for me to stand out in the company or get noticed. Teacher, you are creating a chance for me to perform. I understand. I don't want to retire. I love acting. Even for that reason alone, I must win."
Quan Jiu nodded with satisfaction, then patted Xiang Fei's shoulder to comfort him, "Don't worry. The reason I suggested guiding you is because I understand you better. I know your strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes, what's suitable for you isn't necessarily the best, and the best isn't necessarily suitable for you."
Xiang Fei chuckled, "In my eyes, Teacher Nine is the best."
Hearing their confidence, Zhao Wei was no longer worried. Instead, he started talking about Li Gui's situation.
"Li Gui also has talent, but he's arrogant and conceited. He can't settle down, so his good fortune won't last. I've mentioned this problem before, but Wei Tian insisted on choosing Li Gui. Honestly, if you can really win, I'll be the first to applaud."
Quan Jiu's eyebrows subtly rose. She would naturally play along with those who stirred up trouble.
...
The company group chat suddenly sent out an invitation to "watch the drama," which the employees welcomed with open arms. Instantly, the company became lively, with discussions erupting in every office.
After Wei Tian brought Li Gui to see Gao Hu, she left alone and began to wander through the various office areas.
In the publicity department, there was a boisterous scene.
"I heard it's someone who got in through connections, and they're incredibly ugly. To openly challenge Li Gui, who is this year's popular favorite, I bet half the people will vote for him unconditionally."
"I suspect you're calling me a brainless fan."
"Li Gui chose Gao Hu as his mentor. The outcome is already a foregone conclusion. Who can compare to Gao Hu? Ren Chao was also guided by Gao Hu back then."
"Why don't we make a bet too? I'll bet an ice cream, betting on Li Gui to win."
They chatted amongst themselves, and then someone asked curiously, "I heard the other person responsible for guidance is the screenwriter Nine, the very famous one online, who is elusive and never shows her face."
"Ah? She's a screenwriter, not an acting performer. Why is she taking on this job?"
"She's a great screenwriter, very confident," Wei Tian stepped forward and said with a smile.
"That confident person, one might think she's a master. She completely disregards others, looking down her nose, and she's so hypocritical. She wrote the script, she recommended the person, and she still has the nerve to say Xiang Fei hadn't seen the script beforehand."
"And what was the result? Did Xiang Fei see it beforehand?" someone asked curiously.
"How could he not have? That performance was definitely planned in advance. Otherwise, how could a fresh graduate handle it so well? She denied it when I called her out, insisting on another competition.
She deliberately set the stakes as retiring from the industry or leaving Xiao Kou Chang Kai, thinking I wouldn't dare to bet, so she could back down. What a joke! What is there that I wouldn't dare? Do I not know Li Gui's capabilities? I'll just play along and see how she handles it later."
The office staff sighed in unison. Coupled with Wei Tian's managerial position, they all began to agree with her.
"No wonder there were so many negative rumors about Nine online before. So she's that kind of person."
"She, a screenwriter, dares to guide? Isn't she afraid of leading people astray?"
"Why are we even agreeing to someone like that? We should just kick her out. How shameless can she be to still insist on this?"
Wei Tian snorted, "Others are indeed shameless. Relying on their unverified fame, using writing scripts for the company as an excuse, they make demands wantonly, treating a chicken feather as a military order. All the screenwriters in the company graduated from prestigious universities, but none of them are like her, a screenwriter constantly trending on hot searches, thinking she's an internet celebrity."
Everyone in the office nodded. Some offered comfort, others criticized. Wei Tian was very satisfied with this outcome. After saying a few more words, she left and then moved on to the next office.