Superstar And Ordinary People - Chapter 5
Author: Su Youbing
Translator: Renkun27,
Proofreader:
Gao Qin opened the door and just when Xiao Bai and Jia Zhiqing were about to enter, they were stopped midway, “Go first to the guest’s bathroom.”
Jia Zhiqing somewhat expected that this would happen beforehand. With familiarly, he took three steps and turned to the right as he pulled Xiao Bai whose face was indescribable.
Although it was just a guest’s bathroom, it was enough to make Xiao Bai’s eyes open wide into a bell.
This was much bigger than their rooms combined.
Jia Zhiqing stripped naked and ran under the shower head to take a cool shower.
Xiao Bai looked at the splashing water on his stark-naked figure, then woodenly asked: “What are you doing? Didn’t you take a shower earlier?”
While Jia Zhiqing was vigorously rubbing his hair, he hatefully said: “It’s been more than 12 hours since the last time I took a shower. I must take a shower here before going to the living room.”
Xiao Bai was speechless: “12 hours?” Isn’t that taking a shower twice in a day?
Jia Zhiqing started taking a bath and then discontentedly glared at him, “Although we often go to public baths together, having seen it all, and there’s nothing to keep… you don’t have to stare at me like this, right?”
Because of what he said, Xiao Bai turned his head.
When he turned to the side, he saw a large mirror. The lamplight was reflecting on the mirror, and it lighted up like a little orange star. He watched his face become dazzling and brightly colored under the glistening starlight.
All of a sudden, there were two knocks on the door.
Jia Zhiqing turned around and clamped his legs.
Gao Qin opened the door and threw in two pairs of trousers and two shirts.
Xiao Bai reached out to catch it and just when he wanted to say thank you, the door was already closed.
“Just ignore him. He’s just got this bad attitude.” After Jia Zhiqing took a shower, he conveniently picked up the towel and wiped himself dry, “You should take a shower, too.”
“Oh,” Xiao Bai obediently undressed.
Although there were only two of them in the bathroom, getting naked in a strange place still made him get goose bumps, so he took a shower as fast as the speed of a rocket rising to the sky.
When Jia Zhiqing was putting on his clothes and combing his hair, Xiao Bai had already turned off the shower on his side.
“I didn’t look at you. What are you nervous about?”
Xiao Bai shyly put on his clothes and did not respond.
Jia Zhiqing did not take it to his heart and wanted to say something but thinking about it, he just sighed, “Let’s go.”
Xiao Bai’s hair was not long, so he easily carried on drying it up.
Gao Qin was sitting on the sofa while reading a magazine. When the two came out of the bathroom, he pointed to the two small round stools in front of him with his foot, “Sit.”
Xiao Bai looked at the soft sofa, then looked at the stool that was too small to hold even half of his buttocks. He faintly stared blankly.
As compared to Xiao Bai, Jia Zhiqing was very straightforward. He sat down with one butt cheek and said: “I’m here to ask help from you.”
“Well, I also can’t figure out what you came here for.” Gao Qin flipped through the magazine, picked up the red wine from the small coffee table next to him and poured himself a glass. He took a sip then asked: “Is it to borrow money, or… is it for him?”
“It’s for him.” Jia Zhiqing categorically replied.
Gao Qin looked up. He measured Xiao Bai with his eyes for quite a while, then he said: “He isn’t going to survive in this kind of job.”
Jia Zhiqing’s head exploded.
As far as he knew about this Gao Qin person, although he was very sarcastic, he was amazing in judging people.
He was the one who single-handedly brought Aaron Feng up in the first place. Otherwise, who would have thought that the boy who used to be indecent and thin, nowadays would actually become a superstar who dared to challenge Yan Su’ang?
“But isn’t it that your CEO in Yimate even looked for him to sign a contract with him?” he asked. Jia Zhiqing was unwilling to give up.
Gao Qin’s mouth curved up to a smile, “You should have heard of the phrase ‘cast out a net but focus on salvaging the catch.’ Signing a lot of individuals adds a small number to the company’s miscellaneous expenses every year. If they become popular, then the company will keep them; but if they’re not popular, they’ll be thrown away, which is basically an insignificant matter for the company. To be honest, the reason why Ma Rui wanted to sign him in is only because he had humiliated Yan Su’ang, and that made him look good, what do you think?”
Although Xiao Bai was not clever, hearing that Gao Qin was not optimistic about him made him look gloomy.
Gao Qin looked at him on the side and asked, “How old are you?”
“Twenty-two.”
“Can you sing, dance and play musical instruments?”
Xiao Bai honestly shook his head.
“How many literary articles have you read to become so adept at acting and telling lies?”
Xiao Bai secretly glanced at Jia Zhiqing who had the same unsightly expression as he had, then whispered: “I’ve read Grimm’s fairy tale.”
Gao Qin’s hand that was holding the glass of wine slightly shook, then calmly looked at Jia Zhiqing, “Tell me, what kind of popularity does he rely on? Just because he’s not considered to be ugly, but in showbiz, he’s definitely not considered to be a baby face, right?”
Jia Zhiqing suddenly straightened his waist and replied: “Before Aaron Feng made his debut, people weren’t optimistic about him either.”
“But he has a pretty face that both men and women like.” Gao Qin pursed his lips, “Do you know how much time and effort I’ve invested to reverse his strange shortcomings, and pack them into what they are now?”
Jia Zhiqing stood up in rage and said: “Xiao Bai can change, too.”
Gao Qin looked at him with a vague smile on his face, “Do you think it’s cost-effective?”
Jia Zhiqing was at a loss for words.
“Rather than bring a young man who has no talent and no idea about what the future is, I can pick a lot of people who have the potential to be qualified and trained.” He said indifferently, “Yimate is recruiting a lot of teens every year, then continuously eliminating and choosing the best ones. They don’t require me to worry about it. I just have to sit here and count the money.”
“Money, money, money, what else matters to you other than money?” Jia Zhiqing was angry.
Gao Qin shrugged, “What else should matter to you besides money?”
Jia Zhiqing was dumbfounded.
At the beginning, he encouraged Xiao Bai to go to the TV station to try his luck. It was also to see if his own luck was pretty good. He was wishing that he could touch the unexpected success and see if there was any possibility for him to make big money as a star. He originally hoped for almost the same thing, but, unexpectedly and in spite of everything, he would actually be in the second place.
He thought that although Xiao Bai was not employed by the TV station, he could become Yimate’s contract person, and later on, would also have a wealthy future, so Jia Zhiqing thickened his skin and asked help from Gao Qin, but he did not expect that after begging help from him, it would be hopeless. It was just a big pile of unready plans.
Xiao Bai suddenly said: “We just want money.”
Gao Qin obviously did not expect that he would answer so directly. He was slightly stunned as he said: “Oh, then you should go and rob a bank. I see that you have bigger prospects doing that rather than becoming a star.”
Xiao Bai ignored his sarcasm, and still single-mindedly said: “What Aaron Feng can do, I can do it, too.”
Gao Qin put down his wine glass, held his chest and looked at Xiao Bai for a long time, then he asked: “Why do you want to make money? Buy a house? Buy a car? Dally with women? Look for excitement? Want to assume an air of superiority?”
Xiao Bai shook his head, “I want to by the Xinglong’s Butcher Shop.”
“Xinglong’s Butcher Shop?” This answer was obviously beyond his expectations.
Jia Zhiqing quickly explained: “Xinglong’s Butcher Shop was Elder Brother Xiong’s shop. Xiao Bai was the assistant at that shop. Later, Elder Brother Xiong got addicted to drugs, sold the butcher shop, and committed suicide. Xiao Bai made an oath in front of Elder Brother Xiong’s grave that he will buy the shop back.”
“So, you run off thinking of becoming a star?” Gao Qin suddenly wanted to laugh, and his mouth was halfway up, but when his eyes made contact with Xiao Bai’s earnest eyes, he did not know why but he could not laugh.
“Please, please.” Xiao Bai suddenly bent down and knelt on the floor.
Jia Zhiqing was so shocked that he almost jumped, “Hey, aren’t you being a little too exaggerated? He’s not Zhuge Liang [1], and you’re not Liu Bang [2] to make three calls at the thatched cottage [3].
“…the one who made three calls at the thatched cottage was Liu Bei [4], not Liu Bang.” Gao Qin unhappily said.
([1] Zhuge Liang (181-234), military leader and prime minister of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period.)
([2] Liu Bang [256 or 247-195 BC], bandit leader who became first Han emperor Han Gaozu [reigned 202-195 BC].)
([3] Similar to what Liu Bei did when he sought the aid of Zhuge Liang, a master strategist then living in seclusion. This literally means making earnest and repeated requests of somebody.)
([4] Liu Bei [161-223], warlord at the end of the Han dynasty and founder of the Han kingdom of Shu [c. 200-263], later the Shu Han dynasty.)
“They’re all in the same family, what’s the fuss all about.” Jia Zhiqing reached out and tried to help Xiao Bai up, but Xiao Bai was not willing.
“I won’t sign new people again.” Gao Qin relentlessly said.
Jia Zhiqing, who was enraged, almost rushed him, but fortunately, Xiao Bai quickly pulled him back.
Seeing that Jia Zhiqing was still enraged, Xiao Bai suddenly got up and dejectedly said: “Forget it, maybe your cousin is right. I’m really not cut out to be a star. I should have my feet planted on solid ground and find a job.”
Gao Qin crossed his legs, “Although I don’t sign new people, it doesn’t mean that others don’t sign new people.”
Jia Zhiqing glared at him suspiciously. “What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you compare him with Aaron Feng just now? In that case, I’ll see if in the end, he’ll be become the second Aaron Feng. Anyway, the company invited one to have a free meal. They can invite two people, too. What kind of work are you doing now?”
Jia Zhiqing subconsciously did not want him to know that he had just been fired. With a husky voice, he said: “I do insurance. What’s up?”
“Come to Yimate to report with him tomorrow.”
Jia Zhiqing was palpitating with fear as he asked: “Are you inviting me?”
“I am not the one inviting you. Yimate is inviting you. If it’s my money that’s going to be spent, I surely wouldn’t be wasting it like this.” Gao Qin picked up the wine glass and pursed his lips as he said: “You will prove it to me and I’ll take a look at how you will create a second Aaron Feng.”
Create a second Aaron Feng?
Jia Zhiqing gazed at Gao Qin, who was sitting on the expensive leather sofa at the moment while drinking red wine. He suddenly felt that warm blood in his body was awakened. “All right, watch me with your eyes opened wide!”
He pulled Xiao Bai up, “Let’s go.”
Xiao Bai stumbled and waved to Gao Qin as he said goodbye.
Riding the elevator down, Jia Zhiqing stuck his chest out when he passed by the entrance guard.
Inevitably, there would be a day when he would feel proud and elated and would let everyone look at him with anew. No one would look down on him anymore. No one would dare to ignore him and yell at him!
Xiao Bai’s voice suddenly sounded in his ears, “If you will continue walking like this, you will walk into the pole ahead of us.”
When Jia Zhiqing woke up from his daze, the thick electric pole was almost three centimeters from his nose. He turned his head excitedly, “Xiao Bai!”
“Yup?”
“Let’s go eat a bowl of spicy soup to celebrate!”
“Celebrate what?”
“Celebrate our separation from the ranks of unemployment!” Although his ambition was very far-reaching, still the most important thing was still to receive a monthly salary.
Romantic Love’s Hot Spicy Soup Shop was very near Elder Brother Xiong’s Xinglong’s Butcher Shop so they were very familiar with it. Although the name ‘Romantic Love’s Hot Spicy Soup’ really made people get lost in their wild and fanciful thoughts, the ingredients that they used in this shop were just the same as the usual spicy soup.
There were only few guests in the shop today. Only a couple of young lovers were sitting in the corner and whispering.
Jia Zhiqing ordered a few things. When he looked back at Xiao Bai to ask him what he wanted to order, he found that Xiao Bai’s eyes were firmly stuck on the TV.
“What are you looking at?”
“That person…”
“Hmm?” Jia Zhiqing looked up saw that it was the monthly ‘New Song of the Month.’
“He was the distinguished guest of the day.”
Jia Zhiqing sighed and said, “He’s called Yan Su’ang.”
“He must be very rich.”
….Rich? Jia Zhiqing did not know what that multi-talented superstar, who had countless fans and countless winning awards, would think if he knew that in other people’s eyes, he was only being seen as a rich man. Jia Zhiqing patted Xiao Bai’s shoulder and seriously said: “As long as you make him your goal, inevitably, one day you’ll be able to buy the Xinglong’s Butcher Shop back.”
“Yeah!” Xiao Bai clenched his fist. Yan Su’ang… He silently engraved this name in his heart.
