Chapter 120: Could There Be a Major Scoop? I Treat Him with Sincerity, How Will He Respond? (Extended Chapter)

It was the end of July, and the heat was sweltering. Whether in the north or the south, high temperatures were always difficult to endure. It felt just like a beauty wearing wool leggings over her long legs—no matter whether she shaved her leg hair or not, it was equally prickly.

At Galaxy Airport, Terminal 2, the crowd was dense and chaotic. Passengers in the departure lounge were all fixed on the massive LED screen in the center of the hall. It was currently playing a clip from the Youku variety show "That's Street Dance," and it was the most explosive episode of the season.

In truth, this show should have been trending across the entire internet a month ago, but it had been completely overshadowed by the massive hype surrounding "Xin Qiji." It could only be said that Su Mu’s own popularity was so overwhelming that only he himself could suppress it. However, the true reach of variety shows often came from short-form video platforms. Over the past few months, Su Mu had become a sensation on apps like Douyin. His dance clips even outperformed his acting segments in terms of engagement. This was easy to understand; short videos were all about the instant gratification of a one- or two-minute clip, which made the high-energy street dance segments hold a significant advantage. Currently, Su Mu’s Douyin account was fast approaching thirty million followers.

On the screen above, the show was replaying a battle between Su Mu and the other mentors.

"Wow! Su Mu is so handsome!"
"He’s such a good actor, and he can dance too? And he’s professional at it!"
"It’s such a shame he didn't join a boy band!"
"Su Mu can take off on his own; he doesn't need to be with anyone else."
"Our street dance club teacher said Su Mu has reached a master level; he dances incredibly well! It’s truly hard to believe an actor has this kind of talent."

People in the airport sighed with admiration.

Meanwhile, in the VIP lounge, Su Mu was eating complimentary desserts with Qian Jida and the others. Little Orange handed a small cake to Master Zhu, then took the opportunity to glance outside. She said excitedly, "Boss! You are really famous now! Look, the LED screens at the airport are all playing your dance videos! So many people below are praising how handsome you are~!"

Su Mu sighed and shook his head helplessly. "You’re so naive. What’s the point of playing videos? It doesn't pay. Only when the whole airport is covered in my billboards will that be truly satisfying."

Little Orange pouted. "Boss, you’re a big star now! Why do you always think about money?"

Su Mu replied, "Why wouldn't I? Isn't the whole point of being a star for the money?"

Little Orange: "..."
Qian Jida: "..."
Master Zhu: "Right."

Su Mu gave a gratified smile and gave Master Zhu a thumbs-up. Truly, a man with life experience was different; only someone like him could understand what he was talking about. A naive girl like Little Orange, who came from a well-off background, naturally wouldn't understand the significance of money. What was money? It was life itself!

Qian Jida said, "Alright, keep your voice down. I’m really afraid someone will recognize you. This trip to Beijing needs to be kept secret."

Little Orange covered her mouth. "Oh."

Su Mu lowered the brim of his hat and put his large sunglasses back on. This trip to Beijing was actually for upcoming work. One goal was to visit the administrative headquarters of China Wuling to discuss an endorsement deal. The other was to head to Jianghe Film and Television Company; since they had signed the agreement, he had to meet with Director Xu Jiang.

Originally, they hadn't intended to bring the whole team for the endorsement negotiation. But since it was a car brand, it was only natural to bring Master Zhu along.

Qian Jida continued, "After taxes, the studio brought in over 60 million this year, which is actually quite good. If we were still at Giant Elephant, we would have taken home much less. If this goes well, the salary from one drama plus the brand endorsement should match last year's earnings, and that’s not even counting other work."

Su Mu asked, "What’s the quote for China Wuling?"

Qian Jida replied, "It's a two-year phased endorsement. If the cooperation is good after two years, there will be a major six-year contract following it. For the two-year quote, I used the price we gave Liu Qiangxi and the others as a reference, but given your current popularity and traffic, I think anything in the 30 to 40 million range is reasonable."

Su Mu said, "Too low."

Qian Jida asked, "What’s too low?"

Su Mu patted Qian Jida on the shoulder. "Mr. Qian, you need to expand your perspective. With China Wuling's annual sales volume in this country, if you only ask them for 30 or 40 million, aren't you just slapping them in the face?"

Qian Jida: "..."
Little Orange: "..."
Master Zhu: "Right."

...

Half an hour later, they boarded the plane. Su Mu was very generous and bought four first-class tickets. Money... well, even though he didn't earn much... he used points to exchange for them.

Back in the economy class, Sun Liaojun and his two assistants were secretly peeking over. They had managed to hold their ground at Su Mu’s studio for quite some time. It had been difficult at first because the competition from peers was fierce, and the parking spaces below the studio's office building were limited. There were many paparazzi lurking every day, and they had to fight just to snag a good parking spot. In the end, relying on a strong heart and perseverance, Sun Liaojun had emerged as the victor. The other media paparazzi had lurked for months, only to find that Su Mu didn't seem to have any "scandalous material" to capture, so they eventually moved on to other targets.

But Sun Liaojun had persisted, outlasting all his rivals. He firmly believed that Su Mu would eventually give him some "meat" to chew on; it was only a matter of time. After all, they were the only ones who had gone to the filming location of "Xin Qiji" in Gubei Province. Having witnessed Su Mu’s madness and capability with his own eyes, Sun Liaojun was certain: Su Mu just hadn't started a new project that would drive him to insanity yet. Once he took on a role similar to Xin Qiji, there would definitely be new content. If they could latch onto Su Mu’s trail, perhaps their "Black Material Jun" account could eventually produce a special feature on him. Once Su Mu became a legend in the entertainment industry, their feature would become an eternal classic! Hehehe, that would be nice!

"Boss, boss! What are you giggling about?" Xiao Li asked.
"Make way for the lady, she needs to get in," Xiao Zhang added.

Sun Liaojun snapped out of his daze, looked up at the stern-looking older woman, and moved aside. "Sorry, I was just spacing out..."

The lady looked Sun Liaojun up and down, then gave a look of disdain.
*What the hell?* She was laughing at him?
Sun Liaojun took it all in. He turned to Xiao Li and Xiao Zhang, but both shook their heads, indicating they didn't understand either.

"Tsk, tsk~ These young people today, their heads are full of messy things. Staring straight at the flight attendants without any regard for the occasion, truly clueless, you know~."

Sun Liaojun’s face darkened. "Auntie, I wasn't looking."
"Oh! Who are you calling 'Auntie'? I'm only a few years older than you!"
Sun Liaojun was exasperated. "Big... Sister! Please, don't misunderstand, I'm not the kind of person you think I am."
"Hmph, acting all sneaky, you know exactly what you're doing."

The three men were stunned. Was it that obvious? Could she even tell they were being sneaky?

Xiao Li whispered, "Boss, do you think we've been discovered?"
Xiao Zhang added, "If even this auntie... ahem, this big sister can tell we three are suspicious, then Su Mu and his team..."

Sun Liaojun narrowed his eyes, glancing through the gap between the flight attendants toward the first-class cabin. "No! Our cover is seamless! It's impossible for anyone to have found out. Besides, you have to remember, when I founded Black Material Jun, I experienced far worse than this, and didn't I come out unscathed?"

Xiao Li: "Boss is awesome."
Xiao Zhang: "Boss is truly great."

Sun Liaojun smiled confidently. "Focus! Su Mu’s trip to Beijing is definitely not simple! I have a premonition that our big scoop is coming!"

...

In first class, Qian Jida asked, "Are we really not going to do anything about those three in the back?"

Su Mu smiled and shook his head. "Leave them be. Without any real dirt, even if they film us, they won't publish it. Besides, you said yourself they are experts at operations. People with that kind of perseverance are rare; let's keep them around and observe them for a few more days."

After saying this, Su Mu ignored them and put on an eye mask to rest. In his mind, the proficiency parameters for his male artist skills appeared:

[Male Artist Panel] Skill Points: 26.54
[Speaking Proficiency LV3: 3509/5000 (Excellent)]

The attributes remained unchanged from before. As for the various proficiencies, he had indeed practiced quite a bit during this period. Several acting-related skills remained at LV4. Among them, "Expression Proficiency" had the highest count, having been ground up to 8,000 times. With another 2,000, he would reach the LV5 ceiling. Su Mu didn't know what the effect would be when his expressions reached the limit, but the LV4 master level had already given him a taste of the benefits. This wasn't just reflected in his acting; these techniques were equally useful in daily life and interpersonal relationships. Therefore, Su Mu was actually very much looking forward to it.

As for other proficiency items, there hadn't been much progress. His singing proficiency was something he only practiced when in a good mood, so it was still hovering at LV2. The three street dance styles, as well as fishing, horse riding, and sword fighting, hadn't been touched since he returned. One reason was the lack of a suitable environment; the other was Su Mu’s philosophy: only grind the proficiencies that offered immediate returns. He wasn't grinding everything, but rather planning his efforts selectively.

So far, the proficiency parameters were clear. However, Su Mu was more looking forward to the categories that might be unlocked later. This brought to mind his new drama, "Ghost Blows Out the Light." The character Hu Bayi was quite special because the genre itself was unconventional. To play this role well, he needed to delve into the character’s own experiences. The problem was, according to the script, Hu Bayi had been dealing with antiques and tomb raiding since he was young, which gave him the skills to "seek dragons and locate acupoints," resulting in a brooding and profound personality. Su Mu could definitely nail every expression, but to guide the audience into the tense atmosphere through his performance, he had to immerse himself in it first.

Yet, Su Mu couldn't imagine what the feeling of tomb raiding was actually like. Just like when he played Xin Qiji—if he hadn't spent every day riding horses and practicing swordplay, he might not have understood the man's state of mind on the battlefield. Without the most authentic sensations and a proficient grasp of the character's skills, it was hard to empathize. Tension, fear, excitement... all these emotions manifested differently in different environments. Ultimately, it came down to experiencing the most authentic environment.

...

Two hours later, the plane landed in Beijing. Su Mu and his team left the airport through the VIP channel and headed straight to the hotel. They might need to stay for a few days, as there were many people to meet for future work. They didn't bother with anything fancy and just checked into a conveniently located hotel.

...

At the China Wuling headquarters building, in the large conference room, a slightly plump middle-aged man was listening to reports from his team. Beyond data and project progress, they were discussing the schedule for the next few days.

"Mr. Li, when Su Mu comes to our headquarters, we may need to confirm the price. They are asking for 40 million."

Li Rong’s expression paused upon hearing the price. As the CEO of a manufacturer of legendary cars, he was extremely sensitive to every penny spent. The reason he had chosen to target the low-end market with China Wuling was precisely because of his extreme frugality. By picking and choosing, cutting costs where possible, he had created the legendary "entrepreneurial car" that was cheap but lacked everything.

Li Rong said, "40 million for a two-year phased endorsement? If that's the case, won't the major six-year contract later exceed 100 million? How many cars do we sell a year? Sure, it's a lot, and we are repeat sales champions, but so what? That’s no reason for them to open their mouths like lions. Negotiate again."

The room fell silent. Everyone knew Li Rong’s personality—he wasn't exactly a "stingy miser," but he was certainly calculating, which matched the tone of the cars they produced. Everything was calculated; otherwise, how could they be so cheap? But the problem was that Su Mu’s popularity and influence were undeniable. Furthermore, their quote was based on a reference list for the international brand Cartier. In other words, this price had already been paid by others and had been tested by the market. He was worth that much.

"Mr. Li, we can't really negotiate on the price. This is the lowest they've offered. Originally, they were prepared to ask for even more."

"Huh?" Li Rong was taken aback. "Where does he get the confidence? Besides, does hiring him for an endorsement guarantee positive revenue?"

"Mr. Li, so far, the biggest brand Su Mu has endorsed is the international luxury brand Cartier. Since he started, according to their annual report, year-on-year growth has been 15-20%. Additionally, the launch of their new sub-brand, which Su Mu also endorsed, saw their flagship stores in China selling out over the past six months. Although it's a different industry, we can preliminarily judge that Su Mu’s image is, at the very least, one of the most influential stars of the next year or two, provided there are no major mishaps."

Li Rong listened to the team’s explanation, lost in thought. Then, he said to himself, "It seems Su Mu is indeed an excellent star. That’s fine. I’ll meet him in person tomorrow! In any case, we must show our sincerity! Let him feel the warmth of the Wuling people, and then when we negotiate, he will easily soften up."

*If I treat him with sincerity, how could he resist?*

Li Rong smiled confidently. He had seen every type of negotiation since founding the car factory. He wasn't a pushover as a CEO. He was certain he could negotiate a discount on that 40 million endorsement fee!

Everyone in the room looked on in astonishment.