Chapter 118: Confronting Lin Ze Head-On

It takes a long time to build a reputation, but it only takes a moment for it to collapse.

With everyone ready to kick a man when he is down, Zhang Yang’s career was effectively finished. As Zhang Yang plummeted, the brand "Zitan Ji" saw one of its competitors—a company that also specialized in Chinese-style apparel and had previously employed Zhang Yang—move quickly to terminate their contract.

The boss of "Huaxia Buyi" grew angrier the more he thought about it, finally grabbing a mug from his desk and hurling it across the room. The ceramic shattered into pieces upon impact.

"What is wrong with that Zhang Yang? Does he have any sense of decency?"

"I spent so much money to hire him as our spokesperson just to get a leg up on Zitan Ji, and this is how he repays me?"

Seeing his boss lose his temper, the secretary spoke up cautiously, "Sir, Donghuang Entertainment will have to pay us damages. Please, don't be so upset."

"What good is the money? On the surface, we haven't lost anything, but in terms of reputation, we’ve already lost to Zitan Ji!"

After smashing the mug and hearing the satisfying crash, the boss's rage subsided slightly.

"We still need a spokesperson. It’s crucial—we can’t go without one. But who should we pick?"

There were plenty of popular actors, singers, and internet stars, but most had already been snapped up for endorsements.

"Zitan Ji chose Lin Ze. Since we’re operating in the same market, we can't choose someone of a lower status than him."

The secretary thought for a moment. "Boss, if we’re talking about high-traffic celebrities who don't have an endorsement yet..."

"It seems there’s only Wu Qian left."

Wu Qian?

The boss shook his head. He had heard of the man. These days, short-video platforms were flooded with parodies of his song "Can't Get Enough," and anyone using his original audio was usually doing it to mock him.

"His online reputation is terrible. And besides... a hip-hop artist endorsing traditional Chinese-style clothing? Wouldn't that be a bit incongruous?"

"No, no, boss, look at it this way: since no one else is hiring him, we can offer him a fee lower than other celebrities of his tier."

"And so what?" the boss asked, glancing at him.

The secretary opened his phone and searched for the show *I Am a Rapper*.

"Look, he’s about to produce this show. His massive fan base will be watching. If it’s a success, we win!"

"And if it fails, he can just play it cool on the program, and the whole 'Can't Get Enough' debacle will blow over..."

The boss listened, and the logic seemed sound. Even if his singing was laughable, the controversy itself brought traffic. With his huge fan base as a safety net, it was hard to lose.

"Fine, contact Wu Qian!"

...

Lin Ze and Su Zitan were out shopping, wearing masks.

"It’s finally safe to go out today," Lin Ze remarked.

"Yeah, but it’s back to the grind tomorrow," Su Zitan added.

"Oh? Busy with what?" Lin Ze asked, feeling a bit confused.

"Busy with what? You silly boy, I have a company! The new designs are out, and I need to check the finished products."

Su Zitan rested her chin on her hand, watching Lin Ze eat. Her thoughts began to drift. She remembered him as a clumsy little brother, and in the blink of an eye, he had grown up into quite a handsome man.

"Hmm..." Looking at Lin Ze, an idea suddenly popped into her head.

"Our company hasn't filmed a promotional short in a long time. How about... you come and film the new collection's video with me?"

"Huh?" Lin Ze looked up, forgetting to wipe the sauce from the corner of his mouth.

"Why are you 'huh'-ing? It’s settled!" Su Zitan thought happily. It had been ages since they last shot a promo. Besides, Zitan Ji had never done a duo-themed campaign before. This time, she would make sure it was perfect. If they shot enough footage, it would basically be a professional photo shoot for the two of them. She could hang the results in her office—he-he.

...

"No way. With my level of traffic, you're only offering me second- or third-tier rates?"

Wu Qian sneered. Even though he couldn't land fashion endorsements, he was still a top-tier male star. Sure, when he starred in dramas, people called them trash, and when he went on variety shows, they said he was pretentious. But that didn't make him any less of a top-tier star, did it?

"Look, boss, it’s hard enough to find a clothing brand that wants you... and since your fashion endorsement spot is empty, this is basically free money!" the manager urged, bracing himself under Wu Qian’s glare.

Wu Qian shot his manager a fierce look, then rubbed his chin, looking dazed.

"Xiao Liu, why is it that I can never land a fashion endorsement?"

His manager, Xiao Liu, rolled his eyes. *Are you kidding? Look at your proportions. Your legs are so short. People are "short-legged cats," but you're a "short-legged human." You want a fashion endorsement? What are you dreaming about?*

"Um... maybe it’s because your rap style doesn't quite match the current trends in fashion," Xiao Liu said, keeping a straight face.

"Then why is this Chinese-style brand looking for me? I’m a hip-hop king."

"Maybe they want a fusion of East and West?"

"Bah! Some tacky, niche style trying to leech off my popularity!" Wu Qian sneered. "What kind of mess thinks they can touch our hip-hop?"

"So, we decline?" Xiao Liu asked, looking at the disgruntled Wu Qian.

Wu Qian paused. "Accept it! Why pass up free money?"

...

A little while later, Xiao Liu looked up. "Boss, they said they need you to shoot a set of promotional videos and photos in a couple of days."

"So much trouble?"

"They're positioning their new collection directly against Zitan Ji..."

"Shoot it!" Wu Qian gritted his teeth viciously. "The humiliation Lin Ze caused me last time—this time, I’ll make him pay it back tenfold!"

...

Promotional videos for items like these didn't really need a complex plot. The main goal was to use the models to showcase the beauty of the clothing.

Lin Ze and Su Zitan arrived at the company and were shown two samples. There was always a slight difference between a design sketch and the physical product—the color, the fit, and how it looked on a person.

This collection featured an ink-wash painting style, with a delicate pink lotus blossom blooming at the waist. The lotus stood out vividly against the ink-wash background, with a hint of moonlight seemingly shining down upon it from above.

"The finished product is actually quite good. It’s not much different from the design sketch," Su Zitan said, running her fingers over the fabric and nodding with satisfaction.

"Alright, alright, go try it on." She shoved the men’s piece into Lin Ze’s arms.

"I’ll go to the restroom..."

"Why are you going to the restroom? It’s just the two of us in the office. Just change here!" Su Zitan pulled on Lin Ze’s arm. "Just lock the door and change."

Lin Ze glanced around the office. "That doesn't feel right. What if your staff thinks we’re doing something..."

"Hurry!"

Lin Ze had no choice. He locked the door and quickly changed into the outfit. Su Zitan also slipped into her own piece in no time.

Su Zitan’s secretary, Tian Tian, was just about to head into the office when she was pulled aside by one of the staff members.

"Sister Tian Tian, wait!"

"What is it?"

The staff member whispered mysteriously, "The door is locked..."

"Huh?"

Tian Tian coughed into her fist and crept over cautiously. She had just reached the door when she heard Su Zitan’s voice from inside:

"You, put this on."