Chapter 106: What's There to Be Proud Of?

“Xiao Lian, it seems everything is settled now? I’d like to head back and rest.” Mo Shu patiently sat in the conference room a while longer, but the group of TV directors kept gossiping endlessly. What was more frustrating was that they seemed to treat him like air; where was the promised introduction and explanation about the show? It was a complete waste of his time—utterly tedious!

“Mr. Mo, you should have a general understanding of our show, ‘Extreme Partners,’ by now, right? If you have no objections, I’ll escort you downstairs. Of course, if you have any questions after you get home, you can always contact me.” Xiao Lian spoke politely and thoughtfully.

“Mm, okay, I’ll head back first. If I remember anything unclear, I’ll call you,” Mo Shu nodded and quickly stood up. Finally, he could go home; he wouldn’t hesitate for a moment.

This whole experience was so dull—he was just a bystander with nothing to do. After all, it was just a variety show recording. He’d faced far more challenging competitions like car racing; playing in front of a camera was nothing to him.

Seeing Mo Shu ready to leave, Xiao Lian whispered a few words to Sister Juan, who frowned slightly before waving her hand. It seemed she agreed to let Mo Shu go.

Xiao Lian accompanied Mo Shu all the way to the entrance of Nanshan TV Station’s office building, then bowed slightly to apologize.

“Mr. Mo, it’s inconvenient to speak openly inside the building. Please don’t mind what happened earlier; Sister Juan didn’t mean any harm,” Xiao Lian explained on behalf of her colleague.

“Heh, it’s fine. But your colleague doesn’t seem very easy to get along with,” Mo Shu remarked. He felt Xiao Lian was a genuine girl, probably often bullied by her coworkers in such an environment.

“That’s not really true. Everyone’s actually quite nice to me. Sister Juan is a bit strict because she’s a senior employee. Besides, she’s the exclusive follow-up PD for King Zhang, so naturally, everyone follows her lead,” Xiao Lian’s words finally piqued Mo Shu’s interest.

“King Zhang? The all-around superstar who excels in film, music, and more?”

“Yes, that’s him. He’s grown even more handsome with age.”

“Is he a guest on our ‘Extreme Partners’ show?”

“Yes, Mr. Mo. He’s been with us since the first season and has appeared in three seasons so far. King Zhang is an incredibly dedicated, approachable, and compassionate big star,” Xiao Lian said with admiration shining in her eyes.

“Tsk, tsk. King Zhang will be here tomorrow? I quite like him,” Mo Shu said, suddenly taking the upcoming recording more seriously at the thought of sharing the screen with such a celebrity.

“Who wouldn’t like him? Since Sister Juan became King Zhang’s follow-up PD, her fan base has skyrocketed—nearly 100,000 now. That shows how magnetic King Zhang’s aura is,” Xiao Lian said with envy, her own fans numbering only in the hundreds.

“Oh… just because she serves King Zhang, and her fans are close to 100,000, she dares to boss you around and act so arrogantly in your department?” Mo Shu stumbled over his words at the end, nearly swearing in front of the young girl. He felt a bit embarrassed.

Though he held back his words, Mo Shu had already scolded that Sister Juan in his mind several times.

What’s her attitude? Just because she works alongside a big star, she has to be all high and mighty?

Why do so many in the entertainment industry adopt bad habits, ignoring good manners, yet play the diva card so well?

She’s only a TV station employee, a follow-up PD who just shadows the star occasionally—not a manager or assistant working by the star’s side every day. She probably only works with him one season a year; such arrogance is unjustified.

If one day Sister Juan really becomes a staff member under a star, she’d probably have her head so high it touches the sky.

Mo Shu despised people like that. In a kinder light, it was “enjoying the star’s halo,” but in truth, it was just bullying others with their status.

Although Mo Shu didn’t utter any curses, Xiao Lian clearly caught the meaning and covered her mouth, giggling.

She found Mo Shu quite an interesting person. Unfortunately, there was little information about him online, and he rarely appeared on social media. Still, a public figure who is straightforward and loyal like him was indeed rare nowadays.

“Well, don’t dwell on unhappy things. But thank you, Mr. Mo, for standing up for me,” Xiao Lian said, touched, bowing lightly.

“I won’t think about it or talk about your coworkers anymore; it’s all negative energy. Don’t be so formal with me. If I make mistakes during the recording, I’ll need you to remind me. I won’t take up any more of your precious time today. See you tomorrow,” Mo Shu replied politely with a bow. He was not the kind to act snobbish or arrogant.

“See you tomorrow! Mr. Mo, remember to come to the studio at 5 a.m. for makeup. I’ll be here to pick you up,” Xiao Lian called out as Mo Shu gradually walked away.

In the evening, Mo Shu returned home to find both his parents absent.

After calling them, he learned the loving couple had gone to the cinema for a romantic outing.

He then called Wang Yining, asking if she could accompany him for a simple meal since he had no dinner plans.

However, Wang Yining had already agreed to meet several high school friends for a reunion—old close girlfriends she hadn’t seen in a while.

As for Wang Yu, Mo Shu called several times with no answer. He guessed his friend had probably gone to bed early due to the time difference and set his phone to silent to avoid disturbances.

Unexpectedly, upon returning to Nanshan, Mo Shu felt a bit lonely. He quickly prepared some noodles and dried fruit for himself. To alleviate the solitude, he turned on his computer to watch past episodes of “Extreme Partners,” hoping to learn some reality show filming experience.

Opening a video website, Mo Shu searched for the show’s name. A long list of results instantly appeared on the screen.

The top result was a video titled, “King Superstar Challenged! China’s Renowned Racing Ace Debuts on ‘Extreme Partners!’”

Mo Shu was slightly surprised—this “internationally renowned racing ace” must be him. Clicking the video, he saw it was a preview for Season 3, Episode 6 of “Extreme Partners.”

Curious about how he looked on camera, Mo Shu leaned closer, waiting for his appearance.

Yet, when the entire preview finished, Mo Shu felt disappointed. He couldn’t find a single shot of himself. The previous racing footage wasn’t used at all. Only at the beginning and end did his name appear in subtitles, accompanied by a black silhouette replacing his image.

Was the TV station unable to find any footage of him? Or was it a deliberate tease to keep the audience in suspense? Mo Shu wasn’t sure.

Still, that black silhouette seemed insincere. At least they could have found a photo of his back online—it would have been far better than the shadow.