Investment Cashback, Billionaire God [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 7 Insufficient Life Balance

Chapter 7 Insufficient Life Balance

Scandals often stir stronger reactions from bystanders than positive news. By midnight, these hashtags had climbed to the lower ranks of StarNet’s trending list.

While Fang Zhuo quietly waited for public opinion to ferment, Tong Qinglu sent him a lengthy, earnest message explaining herself. He couldn’t be bothered reading such a long text and directly called her instead.

During the call, Tong Qinglu’s voice sounded urgent: “Director Fang, I swear I’ve never had plastic surgery. I can go to Star Federation’s Ninth Hospital for examination.”

“The pre-operative examination form posted online is indeed mine. That was before I reported to ITOUCH. The agent required all female trainees to get nose jobs at his preferred hospital, but I got too scared before the anesthesia and ran away without undergoing surgery.”

“The agent only received the examination form – he always thought I’d gone through with the procedure.”

“I had no idea he’d previously organized male trainees to sell their bodies. Director Fang, please believe me, no matter how desperate for money I was, I’d never do such things.”

Though Tong Qinglu might not fully comprehend the scheme, Fang Zhuo immediately understood after hearing her explanation –

Malicious rumors never emerge from nothing. The ITOUCH agent and the plastic surgeon were most likely people specifically arranged by Ruan Zihan.

They were certain Tong Qinglu had undergone plastic surgery, having even predetermined what her post-operative face should look like, which gave them the confidence to steer such public opinion topics.

The opposition was acting brazenly mad, without any restraint.

This suggested that the so-called “botched plastic surgeries” of other supporting characters were also manipulated by schemers.

However, there was indeed some miscommunication between the agent and Ruan Zihan. At the very least, Ruan remained unaware of Tong Qinglu’s current actual appearance, hence daring to release the so-called “old photos” based on the original post-surgery template.

He should thank them for leaving this foolish loophole, making the public relations plan exceptionally easy to execute.

Outside the apartment, the view shifted to relentless heavy rain. Standing before the glass curtain wall, Fang Zhuo watched the rain-streaked streets reflected in it and softly responded, “Hmm.”

“You’re clever. Block that agent now and cut off all contact. Deactivate all previous communication methods and email accounts, only keep trusted real-life friends.”

“There’s an offline event requiring your attendance the day after tomorrow. Get yourself in proper condition.”

Though his words contained no comfort, they served as a strong reassurance for the anxious Tong Qinglu.

After the call ended, she received a 100,000 transfer from Director Fang in her account.

Huddled in her rented room in Primary Star’s suburbs, watching Yun Lie’s trails streak across the sky, she pressed close to the window, feeling a sense of stable hope welling inside.

The next morning, she noticed the company assistant had registered an account in her name and posted: [Tomorrow at 8 PM, I’ll meet everyone offline. Don’t miss it!]

The assistant sent her the account password, but Tong Qinglu never logged in. Just reading the comments below was already shocking enough – she could hardly imagine how vile the private messages in the backend must be.

[Sis, charging for fan meetings? 200 for regular tickets? Monetizing before even having works out, how shameless]

[Stop giving her attention, these types get off on it the more you engage]

[“It’s only twenty minutes from my place, I’ve gotta go check out what’s going on. I’ll livestream it for you all later.”]

[“So gross, how are these nobodies openly holding fan meetings now? Stay away from my cheese!”]

[“If she doesn’t look like the photos I’ll knock your head off. Can’t stand heavily photoshopped fakes.”]

[“Didn’t they say they’d ignore it? How were 500 tickets sold out in under a second? Is this the new queen’s coronation?”]

[“What queen? More like a wannabe queen from dreamland.”]

Out of sight, out of mind. She closed StarNet and used the transfer Director Fang sent last night to buy the expensive face mask she’d been hesitating to purchase. She gave her skin a thorough treatment at home.

[“Ms. Tong, I’m sending you an address. Please come here before 2 PM to try on the evening gown.”]

In the Giant Entertainment group chat, someone named Jiang Yu sent her a message. Tong Qinglu had noticed before that this person was always forwarding various announcements in the group, and knew he was Director Fang’s chief assistant. She promptly replied with a confirmation.

Shortly after 1:30 PM, Tong Qinglu arrived at the venue.

Pushing open the doors, she was stunned speechless by the luxurious interior.

It was an enormous and extravagant banquet hall with ceilings over ten meters high. The floor was paved with warm-white frosted tiles, with a long carpet stretching from the entrance all the way to the stage. On both sides stood white staircases half a level high, flanked by massive bouquets of fresh-cut roses.

Dewdrops glistened on the rose petals. With current preservation technology, these freshly picked flowers would wither within three days at most – their cost was staggeringly expensive.

“Ms. Tong, this way please.” Jiang Yu hurried over and guided her to the backstage area of the banquet hall.

A full row of haute couture gowns stood displayed, attended by several gloved staff members in uniform – clearly waiting to make fittings for her.

She hesitated. “Why such an elaborate setup? This must be incredibly expensive…”

As a complete unknown in the entertainment industry, Tong Qinglu had never witnessed such grandeur. Even A-list starlets didn’t get such lavish debut ceremonies.

She knew Director Fang had substantial resources, but never expected such massive investment in a complete newcomer like herself.

The online comments about her were sharp as knives, yet the company not only showed no doubt in her, but was preparing this high-profile offline event amid the controversy. She almost felt unworthy of Director Fang’s attention.

Her fingers lingered on the clothing rack, hesitating to enter the fitting room.

Jiang Yu noticed her uncertainty and joked lightly, “Director Fang specifically asked me to tell you to be more confident. I thought he was joking, but I never imagined someone as beautiful as you would lack confidence. You’re the most stunning actress I’ve seen offline.”

His words were comforting, slightly easing the anxiety in Tong Qinglu’s heart.

Straightening her posture, she finally followed the stylist’s suggestion and selected a dark red silk gown with three-dimensional roses embroidered on the skirt for the final segment.

As 8 PM approached, the chaotic online discussions intensified.

Sitting in the backstage makeup room, Tong Qinglu took several deep, slow breaths.

Director Fang assigned her a very reliable female assistant. According to the assistant, she previously worked sorting components in a factory, exhausting herself for just over five thousand yuan a month, barely saving anything after daily expenses and rent. Following the factory’s restructuring, she now takes home over thirty thousand yuan after taxes and works with far more enthusiasm than before.

The assistant was exceptionally lively and talkative. Perhaps sensing Tong Qinglu’s nervousness, she kept sharing amusing anecdotes from her factory days, eliciting soft laughter from Tong Qinglu.

Lights illuminated sequentially as the background music’s tempo accelerated.

Tong Qinglu wore her first performance outfit a white short dress adorned with strings of pearls. Surrounded by backup dancers, she stood with her back to the stage, waiting for the drumbeat cue to turn around.

As she turned, she executed a salute-like dance move.

The audience was far more vibrant than she had anticipated. The banquet hall was packed; aside from the company’s live-streaming camera positioned centrally in the aisle, every spectator held a device pointed at the stage. The first two rows were uniformly occupied by long-lens cameras.

For the first five seconds, there were no cheers or exclamations only the deafening accompaniment filled the space.

She was thoroughly accustomed to such indifference. Maintaining a perfectly sweet smile with ease, her singing tone and movement execution remained entirely unaffected.

Meanwhile, the official live stream’s comment section exploded:

[Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! Wifey!!! My destined wifey!!]

[Someone actually looks like this in real life? I wouldn’t even dare dream this big her face is too unreal, needs insurance-level protection.]

[Sis, I’ve never criticized you. Can we get married? Oh wait, wifey, can we have a secret marriage? Even if it’s just playing around, I’m fine with it. I’m your most loyal puppy, woof woof!]

[If this sis had even a sliver of acting skills, Star Entertainment’s flower lineup would be completely reshuffled.]

[Which company signed her? This venue, stage design, and styling I can’t even imagine the cost.]

[Two hundred for a ticket isn’t expensive at all! I regret it so much it’s only half an hour from my university via Cloud Rail, and I didn’t even grab a scalper ticket.]

[No need for regrets, mate. Most attendees were scouts and media reps. Ticket availability was extremely limited general admission surged to over thirty thousand per ticket before the show, pricier than many fresh idol concert VIP sections.]

[I browsed seven or eight live streams from attendees. The official stream uses zero beauty filters… She’s even more stunning than in fan-taken candids. Styling deserves full credit.]

[The new queen has truly ascended. Hurry up and film a drama my wallet is itching to spend.]

As the dance’s second eight-count concluded, the banquet hall erupted with shouts and screams. Even the most indifferent observer would involuntarily gasp at the sight of her face.

By the end of the first song, some audience members had leapt to their feet in excitement, only to be pulled down by seated attendees behind them. Thunderous applause filled the venue, escalating the atmosphere to its peak.

Tong Qinglu smiled at the audience, her heart racing wildly.

This was nearly a scene from her dreams. She had expected weak knees, a trembling voice, or even vocal cracks, yet she executed all four scheduled performances almost flawlessly as if born for applause and adoration.

After the performance concluded, she bowed deeply to all the audience before returning backstage to change into that dark red gown.

The moment this look debuted, the venue erupted with collective gasps, and the sound of camera shutters never ceased.

Staff had already set up a small table on stage for interactions, allowing VIP ticket holders to queue for a one-minute chat with her.

The first few interactions proceeded smoothly. Just as the queue was nearing its end, a bald man suddenly emerged from the crowd, holding a container of liquid. Shouting “Drop dead!”, he raised his arm to hurl the thick viscous substance toward her.

Tong Qinglu instinctively shut her eyes and jerked backward.

However, security personnel seemed to have prepared for such scenarios. Two burly, well-trained guards swiftly emerged from the side, each seizing one of the bald man’s arms. The container of viscous substance spilled onto the floor before it could be thrown, immediately causing the tiles to emit white smoke.

The bald man was swiftly escorted out of the venue. Several assistants quickly stepped forward to clean up the viscous substance while simultaneously calling the police and following the commotion outside.

The remaining audience members in line were visibly startled by the incident, and murmurs of unrest rippled through the crowd below.

The host calmly took the stage to reassure the audience. Tong Qinglu remained seated, her heart racing even faster than during her performance.

She could hardly imagine what she would do for the rest of her life if that liquid had actually splashed onto her face.

Was she truly born under an unlucky star, doomed to be followed by misfortune wherever she went?

Her anxious gaze drifted forward, landing directly on the second-floor balcony across the way.

That area wasn’t arranged for audience seating no light sources, no bustling crowds just a few people leaning against the railing, briefly checking cue cards to confirm subsequent arrangements.

Noticing her gaze, a female assistant holding a water bottle and small fan silently mouthed to ask if she needed anything; Director Fang sat composedly on a nearby sofa, calmly processing content projected from his Light Brain as if the earlier disturbance had been entirely anticipated.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yu smiled and raised a hand in greeting, patting his chest in a reassuring gesture.

Suddenly, Tong Qinglu felt calm.

No matter how misfortune-prone her constitution might be, there would always be people standing behind her.

After taking several deep breaths, her heartbeat gradually steadied. She took the microphone from the host and smiled at the audience: “Sorry for the little interruption, everyone. Our staff is handling it. How about we all take a group photo together later?”

Her voice was sweet, and the moment she spoke, the unrest in the venue immediately settled. Staff seized the opportunity to switch to more lively background music. Within less than five minutes of the incident, the atmosphere became vibrant again.

Those in line continued their interactions, the live broadcast below proceeded uninterrupted, and after the entire meet-and-greet concluded, everyone gathered for a commemorative group photo.

On his way back to the apartment, Fang Zhuo received a message from Jiang Yu: [Director Fang, the suspect has been transferred to the Federal Police Headquarters. He’d rather serve three years in prison than reveal who instructed him.]

As expected such disposable pawns wouldn’t expose their mastermind immediately.

[No matter. Have his family members arrived?]

Jiang Yu replied quickly: [His wife is here.]

Fang Zhuo lightly tapped his cup: [Give her my business card. Tell her to come find me when she’s ready to talk.]

Even if this attempt yields no results, the other side is bound to slip up eventually. With such clumsy methods and low-tier tricks, loopholes are inevitable.

He glanced at his watch 10 PM. His life now had ten days and two hours remaining.

Perhaps sensing his emotional fluctuation, a prompt suddenly flashed before his eyes: [Ding-ding-ding! This is an ominous warning. Your remaining survival days will be reduced to ten. Upon expiration, the initial random disease level will be upgraded to Tier 2 with significantly heightened pain perception. Please renew your subscription promptly!]

The copyright fees for Scorching and Jian Yujing’s live-streaming donations continued to climb. Combined with the loan from Interstellar Bank, his available cash balance reached 1.06 billion credits.

Currently, exchanging for one survival day cost 8 million credits, and the price grew steeper each time.

Unfortunately, his margin for error was alarmingly slim.

The opposition could afford countless mistakes, but in his current state, he couldn’t withstand a single failure.

Through Yun Lie’s window, the faint trails left by passing aircraft were visible in the clouds. Fang Zhuo gazed quietly for a while before exchanging credits for three more days of life just before midnight this time at a rate of 10 million per day.

That same night after the fan meeting, related topics surged onto multiple top trending lists, while clips from the live stream went viral across short-video platforms.

The comment sections were now remarkably harmonious half pleading for the actress to take on more roles, the other half asking about the new face in the video.

The marketing campaign proved exceptionally successful, instantly dispelling previous plastic surgery rumors. Tong Qinglu’s account gained millions of followers overnight, and her fan community transformed from a hate group into a peaceful dedicated space.

Back in her rented apartment, Tong Qinglu couldn’t bring herself to remove her makeup or sleep. Smiling, she burrowed under the covers and browsed fan posts on her alternate account.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, a woman tapped her long nails against the virtual screen of her Light Brain, her expression caught between amusement and sarcasm:

“You claimed every artist under your watch would remain under control. Then explain how did Miss Tong suddenly rise to fame?”

The man seated across from her asked, “Any leads on which company signed her?”

“The same one as Qiao Ankuang Giant Entertainment.”

Author’s Note:

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