Chapter 4: Quiet, I am admiring art.

Early in the morning.

Li Can and Lin Feng headed straight to Xingmei Entertainment Media right after leaving their school gates, skipping breakfast entirely.

Although Xingmei Entertainment Media was not among the absolute top-tier entertainment giants, it was firmly ranked within the top ten in the country. Its roster of artists spanned every cultural and entertainment field, and its workforce was vast.

The company’s business scope covered street performances, bar and nightclub events, corporate gala management, equipment leasing, various grassroots cultural projects, media investment, and copyright and IP operations.

It was, in short, a prime place to make money... or rather, a great place for an internship.

Once they were in the car, Li Can spoke up.

"Are we really just going in like this?"

Lin Feng paused, sensing that Li Can was definitely up to no good.

"What else would we do?"

"Don't you want to get a little more 'lovey-dovey' with your Jia-yin first?"

"...Shut it!"

"Oh, I see. You've already had your fill. That was fast!"

"Li Can, I'm going to kill you!"

Lin Feng’s face darkened with embarrassment and rage. He grabbed Li Can by the collar and began shaking him back and forth. All traces of his composure vanished, and he looked somewhat mentally unhinged.

"Brother, I was wrong! Stop shaking me, you're going to make me throw up!"

As soon as he said this, the driver, who had been stealing glances at the bickering pair through the rearview mirror, spoke up expressionlessly.

"Two hundred if you throw up in the car."

Lin Feng had intended to stop, but seeing Li Can grinning at him made him even more annoyed, and he increased his grip.

"I’m going to make you throw up eight hundred worth today!"

...

Time always flies when you're fooling around.

Soon, they arrived at the office building of Xingmei Entertainment. Looking up at the towering skyscraper with its floor-to-ceiling windows and the company’s artistically designed logo, Li Can rubbed his neck and sighed with emotion.

"Xingmei Entertainment really has the resources."

"They really do," Lin Feng agreed with a nod, shaking out his hands.

Entertainment companies sound prestigious, but in reality, it is rare to find one that has grown large enough to look this professional. Most are just empty shells, operating on a project-by-project basis and relying entirely on subcontracting. Such companies have no need for office buildings.

To own an entire building, possess complete resources and equipment, and have a talent pool with its own foundation—in the chaotic "amateur troupe" that is the entertainment industry, this level of strength was truly formidable.

The two presented their letters of introduction and walked to the front desk on the first floor. Guided by the receptionist, they took the elevator straight to the 14th floor.

Zone A on the 14th floor was the location of Xingmei Entertainment's music studio.

Watching Li Can and Lin Feng walk away, one of the receptionists couldn't help but nudge her senior, her eyes still lingering on the duo’s retreating figures, unwilling to look away.

"Mengmeng, they’re so handsome... are they new artists?"

"...You didn't even read their introduction letter, did you!"

Mengmeng rolled her eyes, speechless at the stupidity of the newcomer. But this was actually quite common. Ordinary people joining an entertainment company for the first time often felt a sense of novelty when faced with a crowd of handsome and beautiful stars.

However, after getting used to it, one would eventually realize that stars and artists were really nothing special.

"Those two are here to report to the music studio, not as artists."

"Ah? I can't believe it. They look so good and have such talent? What a pity... keeping a fan-idol like that would definitely..."

"Hehehe?"

"..."

Looking at the newcomer’s slightly spaced-out expression, Mengmeng was a bit speechless, though she couldn't help but agree with the sentiment.

Also on the 14th floor, Zone B had recently been hosting auditions for new artists and trainees. Many young hopefuls had come today. They were certainly not ugly, but compared to the two who had just passed by...

One possessed an overwhelming presence, and the other had off-the-charts looks.

Thinking of this, Mengmeng couldn't help but feel curious. If the trainees in Zone B knew that two non-artist staff members who were even more handsome than them had just arrived in the neighboring Zone A, she wondered how they would feel.

...

Soon, Li Can and Lin Feng arrived on the 14th floor.

After taking the company elevator, Li Can confirmed his assessment once again.

It really was a high-end company. There wasn't even a single piece of junk mail in the elevator.

Since it was their first time, they weren't familiar with the layout and had picked a random elevator, which led them into Zone D upon reaching the 14th floor. Following the room numbers, they walked from D to C, and then to B.

Just as they entered Zone B, they were blocked by a man in a suit who seemed to be in a rush.

"Why are you two so late?"

The man urged them on with a serious tone, yet he didn't seem angry. Instead, he scanned their appearance and nodded with satisfaction.

"Come, follow me. I’ll pretend I didn't see you this time, but remember to be early next time. Don't be late—it will really affect your future."

Li Can and Lin Feng were taken aback. They didn't know him, but it felt like he knew them. For some reason, under this man's presence, they felt an urge to trust him. Although he sounded a bit preachy, it didn't feel condescending; in fact, it was surprisingly easy to like him.

Without time to overthink it, the man moved with such urgency that they subconsciously followed.

"Sir, may I ask your name?"

"Ah, I'm the project manager here. Just call me Brother Song."

Manager Song walked quickly, speaking in a gentle tone as he moved. Within a few steps, he pushed open the door to an oversized rehearsal room and pulled over two plastic stools.

"Sit for a while! If you're thirsty, there are disposable cups and water over there; help yourselves."

Manager Song opened his briefcase, pulled out stacks of personal information, and began to search through them.

"What are your names?"

"Li Can."

"Lin Feng."

"Hmm..."

Manager Song checked the alphabetical directory of names. He couldn't find them. He immediately slapped his forehead.

Right! These two had such excellent appearances, they must be high-priority talent. It made sense that they wouldn't be on his list of ordinary applicants.

Manager Song muttered to himself. He had been a bit foggy these past few days and had spent most of his time slacking off. He’d drunk too much last night and was late this morning, so he really hadn't paid attention to the list. If he hadn't been trying to avoid embarrassment by pretending to work after arriving late, and if he hadn't stopped these two boys who looked like they were lost just to put on a show, he probably would have forgotten to look for the high-priority talent entirely.

No, he couldn't afford to mess this up. He had to go back and check the list.

The two in front of him—one with distinguished charisma and the other with perfect looks—the company hadn't seen such distinctive newcomers in a long time. If possible, he really needed to hire them immediately.

It just so happened that his current project could use them.

With this in mind, Manager Song smiled.

"I'll be out for a moment. If they call you in there, just go in for the interview as normal."

"Understood."

Li Can and Lin Feng nodded.

Both felt like something was slightly off, yet they couldn't quite put their finger on it.

The thought vanished as quickly as it came, their attention immediately captured by the audition scene.

It was like a spider's cave.

There were girls everywhere. Since they were all wearing makeup, one could basically say there were beauties with a rating of eight out of ten everywhere, which was quite a sight.

There were regal types, cute types, cold types, and gentle types. The air was filled with a refreshing, intoxicating fragrance. One could tell that, for today’s interview, the girls had brought out their most precious, high-end products that they usually couldn't bear to use.

Smooth, non-pungent. High-end.

It wasn't just their makeup that was exquisite; their clothing styles were incredibly diverse as well.

Looking around, the entire hall was filled with:

Traditional gowns, black silk stockings, and high heels.
Dance attire and evening dresses, black silk stockings, and high heels.
Urban professionals and girl-next-door types.
...All paired with black silk stockings and high heels.

Caught in this "LSP" (lecherous) speed bump, it was easy to get distracted.

Seeing Li Can staring blankly, Lin Feng’s eye twitched as he complained in a low voice.

"Stop looking! It’s embarrassing!"

"Quiet, I'm appreciating art."