Chapter 24: The Same Dream, The Same Song

On the campus of the Beijing Film Academy, after finishing her correspondence with Li Wenyu, Huang Shengyi turned to those around her with an expression of pure excitement. "Can I really command a 300,000-yuan fee for an advertisement now? My senior said that my current standing is equivalent to being the runner-up in the Miss Hong Kong pageant, but for mainland China. When you put it that way, there are so many predecessors who gained fame just like this."

"This feels so surreal... By the way, does Brother Wenyu have a girlfriend?"

Huang Xiaolei, Sui Lan, Che Xiao, Dong Xuan, as well as Yu Bo, Xiao Yang, Ye Jing, Zhou Yiwei, and the rest of the group, who had been waiting for news, were all left stunned.

Around them, many students from other classes were also watching. For an amateur student to land a 300,000-yuan commercial—the campus was absolutely buzzing.

After a few dozen seconds of shock, Li Wenyu’s roommate, Old Wang, adjusted his glasses. "I don't think so? I've shared a dorm with Old Li for two years, and I’ve never heard of one. Plenty of girls have chased after him, but who does he actually like? It seems like it’s Vivian Chow. He even said that if he ever got the chance, he’d definitely hand a 'green hat' to that guy surnamed Ni."

"That’s just the biggest piece of trash talk he’s ever spewed. I’ve bragged about wanting to woo Song Hye-kyo myself—bragging isn't a crime, after all."

The group of girls erupted in laughter, some spitting out their drinks. While there were plenty of wild individuals in the entertainment industry, Old Wang’s remark was still hard to process.

Yu Bo covered his mouth and coughed twice. "Well... Sister Vivian is the 'white moonlight' for fathers and sons of the same generation alike. It’s no surprise he feels that way. Like Old Li, I’ve also had a crush on her."

Zhou Yiwei nodded mysteriously. "I agree. Same dream, same song. From the class of '99 to the class of '00, what guy hasn't bragged about that? Who doesn't like Vivian Chow? That's not even a challenge."

Huang Shengyi retorted on the spot, "You guys are truly gross. But if Brother Wenyu really has that thought, isn't he worried about the age gap? He’d be the one at a disadvantage."

The title of "Senior" had already vanished from her address.

The girls nodded repeatedly; humans are naturally drawn to power and success.

For the students of the '99, '00, and '01 classes, Li Wenyu had suddenly pulled off such a daring feat and created such a massive platform that even the teachers were struggling to keep their composure, let alone a group of students.

Huang Shengyi came from a decent family background, but even she, as one of the primary beneficiaries involved in this sudden rise to power, felt an instinctive attraction to such strength.

She hadn't even finished her first semester of freshman year, and her ad fee was already 300,000 yuan?

She was already receiving plenty of offers for films and television dramas, free to pick and choose as she pleased. Those seniors like Xiaoming and Akun, who had been struggling for a long time after graduation, were probably crying their eyes out.

Dong Xuan and the others also cast envious and jealous glances at Huang. They were all beauties, but out of so many, Li Wenyu had reached across classes to choose the freshman Huang Shengyi. Dong Xuan and the others could only watch with envy.

Among the men, Xiao Yang chimed in, "I have that dream of liking Sister Vivian too. If Senior Li does it, it's normal, but if we do it, we're disgusting? You guys are being such hypocrites. I’m going back to developing my 'water army' (online manipulation team). With over 60 people under my command, I feel like I’ve been greatly inspired. I think I’m actually starting to use my brain."

"Once I become famous, I’ll go to Canada to pursue Sister Vivian. She isn't married, after all."

When one person speaks carelessly and it reaches too many ears, it could easily turn into a rumor that brings trouble to Li Wenyu. The men from the three classes of Beijing Film Academy joined in to manage the narrative, ensuring the issue wouldn't escalate.

Xiao Yang, from the directing department of the '01 class, thought to himself that Yu Bo and Zhou Yiwei were quick on their feet.

However, by following Huang Shengyi's lead and joining the "water army" team, everyone had benefited immensely in such a short time.

Yu Bo laughed, "I have over a hundred people in my team, and I’ve even hired a few to run errands and check the results for me. We’ve managed to frame this as a beauty pageant spanning East and Southeast Asia, and big-name celebrities are even getting involved."

"Good grief, Huang Shengyi, you’re directly competing against Cecilia Cheung, Jun Ji-hyun, and Kim Hee-sun. Even though *My Sassy Girl* hasn't been released in the mainland, the online resources are everywhere—how many netizens are obsessed with her?"

"You’ve reached the level of a big star just by association."

Everything was for the sake of box office numbers and public buzz. Even with Leslie Cheung, the overseas sales had already earned over 60 million pre-tax. Since the mainland "water army" was so cheap, it was only natural to push them hard.

Of course, at this stage, others like Hu Jing, Yan Danchen, and Gao Yuanyuan were also trying to jump on the bandwagon as the "new generation of beauties."

Whether it was recruiting for the "water army" or trying to send money to Li Wenyu’s team at the academy—following the example of Le Jiatong—everyone wanted to be famous.

There was too much to say. Huang Shengyi hadn't done anything, and yet she was commanding 300,000 yuan per ad! Where could one even argue with that? Wealth moves hearts.

Li Wenyu had rejected several requests; Le Jiatong was enough. Any more would dilute the focus of the netizens, and he wasn't short on small change anymore.

For young beauties like Dong Xuan, Che Xiao, Yao Di, and Ma Su who had the opportunity to join the team, they certainly didn't want students from other classes or outside schools stealing their resources. They were fully supportive of Li Wenyu’s rejections.

Therefore, Hu Jing and Gao Yuanyuan had to hire their own "water army" and copy the homework. At best, they could only serve as backups to Huang Shengyi and Yang Xue in the mainland. Many netizens thought Hu Jing and Gao Yuanyuan were prettier, but they had zero popularity or presence in the networks of Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, or Korea. The "water army" outside was far more expensive, and most people didn't have that much Hong Kong currency to burn.

Huang Shengyi rolled her eyes at Yu Bo and stood up to walk outside. "I can't be bothered talking to shallow people like you. Xingtong, let's go. I also think that if this operation goes smoothly and replaces the Miss Hong Kong pageant trend, this year is just the first, and there might be a second next year."

"In our classes, Sister Xue and I got lucky, but the next round will be everyone else's turn."

At these words, Yu Bo, Zhou Yiwei, and Xiao Yang were stunned. "Wait, are you saying we’re replacing the television stations??"

Everyone was in the entertainment industry, but suddenly realizing the nature of what they were doing was still shocking.

Huang Shengyi was also stunned. That's right, Li Wenyu’s reply was that it was equivalent to the Miss Hong Kong or Miss Asia pageants, but Brother Wenyu never said it was something as explosive as replacing television stations.

Yu Bo took out a cigarette and lit it, his hand trembling slightly. "Hey, I spent my whole life dreaming of working hard just to buy my own courtyard house in Beijing. Old Li is incredible."

Even if the scale was only one percent of that, it was still terrifying!

Yao Xingtong excitedly pulled Huang Shengyi away. "Sister Yi, if Senior Li wants to hand a 'green hat' to that guy surnamed Ni, would you dare hand him a 'raincoat' (condom)? Even if he doesn't have a girlfriend, look at Senior Li's current popularity and his brilliant methods."

"How many seniors and juniors in our school do you think want to throw themselves at him? If you don't have the mindset to help him 'wear protection,' you won't be able to keep a treasure like him."

"Forget about inside and outside the Film Academy—for the title of the number one beauty in East and Southeast Asia, do you think those famous stars like Cecilia Cheung won't throw themselves at him? Senior Li is so handsome, too."

Huang Shengyi was speechless, staring at Yao Xingtong in disbelief. "Xingtong, you're the ruthless one! I’d like to crown you the greatest schemer in the Film Academy!"

Yao Xingtong shook her head quickly. "Don't. I’m just reminding you. Who can't see your little intentions? But even the famous seniors can't resist the temptation of a prodigy like Senior Li."

If they were currently selecting the number one handsome man in East and Southeast Asia, Yao Xingtong herself would become a fanatical fan lost in the online world.

It wasn't just about having such ideas; it was about the ability to turn those ideas into reality and drive development. Regardless of who Li Wenyu was working for, once the momentum caught fire, he was already halfway to success.

A moment later, Yao Xingtong added, "I heard a joke: our senior from the '96 class, Brother Xiaoming, is spending money to hire people to build hype for Yanzi online, claiming she's a beauty... Isn't that hilarious? Sister Yanzi already has a boyfriend."

The incident was true, but Yanzi had created such a bizarre scandal that if her current boyfriend didn't have significant influence, she would have long since been ruined instead of still being able to mingle at top-tier banquets in Hong Kong.