Super Rich: Spend money on handsome guys and get cashback, turning your life around

Chapter 253 Twice-cooked Pork

Let's go back half an hour.

At that time, Jia Lai was still undergoing a makeover by a makeup artist in the dressing room.

Just like outside, it's packed with people here.

The room was filled with contestants and makeup artists, with makeup mirrors and dressing tables arranged densely like a honeycomb hexagonal structure, dividing the small space into countless busy little cubicles.

The sounds of hair dryers humming and makeup brushes rubbing against skin rose and fell, mixed with the chemical scents of foundation and setting spray.

Jia Lai, sitting on a folding chair in the far corner, glanced at the dazzling array of bottles and jars on the vanity table in front of him and was immediately shocked: "What are all these?"

The round boxes were stacked one on top of another, tubes of various shapes were neatly arranged, and there were even trays of "palettes" with more colors than the watercolor pens he used in elementary school.

Are you sure it's makeup, not painting?

Jia Lai's understanding of makeup is that lipstick is for applying to the lips and foundation is for applying to the face.

The makeup artist smiled slightly, the facial cleansing device in her hand already turned on its gentle vibration mode, and she thought to herself: Okay, another makeup newbie has arrived.

As she cleaned Jia Lai's face, she felt a sense of relief.

After cleansing, the smooth, flawless complexion remains untouched, with a delicate texture that doesn't even require pore concealing.

With a face like that, whether or not someone wears makeup is actually not important.

The makeup artist patiently explained as she applied the makeup:

"This is a makeup primer, used to moisturize, so the makeup will adhere better later."

"As for concealer, your skin is simply blessed by God. Let's use it to brighten under your eyes and create a translucent look like naturally beautiful skin."

Jia Lai admitted that she was completely enlightened today; she had no idea that makeup was so complicated...

When the beauty sponge, coated with light beige foundation, was pressed against her cheek for the third time, Jia Lai finally gave up trying to understand.

Leave the professional tasks to the professionals.

He let the makeup artist apply layer after layer to his face, mechanically cooperating like a puppet, turning his neck, opening and closing his eyes.

Since it was a shared dressing room, there was another contestant putting on makeup to Jia Lai's right.

Lü Cong had been observing Jia Lai for a long time. Compared to Jia Lai, he was much more mature and was even able to make his requests to the makeup artist: "Please apply the double eyelid tape in an olive shape," "Blend the nose contour a bit more towards the bridge of the nose," etc.

The precise requirements drew a sidelong glance from Jia Lai, who was standing nearby.

Lü Cong was clearly very aware of his strengths and weaknesses.

Unlike Jia Lai, he already had some stage experience and naturally knew what kind of makeup suited him for the stage.

He debuted as a member of a group more than a year ago, but unfortunately the group has never made a splash.

Seeing no hope, the company had long since given up on continuing to operate the group.

Ultimately, the group quietly disappeared amidst the turbulent waves of the entertainment industry.

For Lü Cong, participating in "Star Making Lab" is a valuable opportunity to start anew.

In this industry, "reworking" is actually quite normal.

Many people think that debuting is the end of success, but little do they know that it is only the beginning of fierce competition.

What's truly cruel is the endless battle for popularity after debut.

Having experienced the entertainment industry firsthand and witnessed its cruelty, Lü Cong is exceptionally clear-headed.

For him, it would be great if he could debut successfully through this show; even if he didn't debut, as long as he could gain enough popularity, it would be a worthwhile trip.

From the moment he stepped into this park, Lü Cong had no intention of making friends. His goal was clear: to become famous. He had already secretly rehearsed various survival strategies in his mind.

According to Lü Cong, there are two main ways to gain popularity:

One way is to follow the right path, rely on genuine talent and learning, sing well, dance well, and win wonderful moments through strength;

The other path is the crooked one: follow the contestants who already have a following, piggyback on their screen time, hype up their brotherhood, and create buzz for yourself.

Although the second approach was a bit unconventional, it had a surprising effect in this kind of ensemble program.

If someone asked Lü Cong which path he would choose.

Lu Cong would only scoff at this. In the adult world, there are no choices; he wants to "cultivate both good and evil"!

To this end, Lü Cong had already put in a lot of effort in advance, thoroughly understanding the background information of each contestant.

The most conspicuous target is that second-generation star contestant.

Regardless of their actual abilities, their powerful family background has destined them to be the center of attention since the show began.

Lu Cong was determined to strike up a conversation with the other person in front of the camera, even if it was just a few words of small talk, it would still garner a lot of attention.

There are also some strong "seed players" in his plans.

Although these types of contestants may be unknown at the beginning, they are very likely to shine on stage and become the focus of attention in the later stages due to their excellent professional skills.

Lü Cong plans to proactively seek cooperation, aiming to team up with them or create opportunities for interaction. This will allow him to leverage their strengths to enhance his own image and showcase his own progress, thus cultivating a persona of hard work and ambition.

Thinking of this, Lü Cong's gaze subtly swept over the person beside him.

This person was actually on his observation list, but he had been too busy since entering the park these past few days and hadn't had a chance to test the waters yet.

Lü Cong knew that there was a champion in the first Liyuan New Voice Competition named Jia Lai.

At the time, they also acquired the rights to perform "My Bad," produced by Day and Night Entertainment.

That song spread like wildfire, dominating the charts on major platforms for three whole months, and even becoming a global phenomenon.

Everyone thought the singer was about to be elevated to godhood by Day and Night Entertainment, but singer Jia Lai disappeared as if he had vanished into thin air, leaving not even a photo behind.

I wonder if the person next to me is the same person.

The young man sitting next to her was being coaxed by the makeup artist to apply lipstick, looking quite uncomfortable.

But I have to say, he's quite cute-looking; you'd never guess he's the kind of person who sings songs like "My Bad."

Moreover, according to his understanding, the person named Jia Lai was just an online singer, and online singers generally do not show their faces.

Back when "My Bad" was such a hit, why didn't they debut as singers and instead went down the idol route? Were they out of their minds?

The person next to her is probably just someone with the same name.

It's not that Lü Cong's intelligence work was inadequate; it's just that Day and Night Entertainment had kept Jia Lai hidden too well.

As a contestant trained by an entertainment company, participating in a program produced by the company itself is a highly topical selling point.

However, this is a double-edged sword; premature exposure may trigger a backlash from public opinion.

Therefore, the company deliberately hid all of Jia Lai's information. In addition, Jia Lai was originally an unknown masked singer on the internet, so not many people are paying attention to him now.

Lu Cong rolled his eyes. Although there was a high possibility that they shared the same name, he still had to rule it out. He also took this opportunity to test the depth of this kid's abilities.

Seeing that Jia Lai seemed uncomfortable with the makeup, he greeted him with a perfectly timed friendly smile, "Young man, is this your first time attending an offline event?"

Jia Lai paused for a moment before realizing that the question was directed at him.

He glanced at the unfamiliar contestant beside him and simply said, "Well, I guess so."

Indeed, this was his first public appearance offline.

Previously, I only sang online.

Lü Cong quickly chimed in, "Hey, your face is just born for the entertainment industry. Your bone structure is so defined, it's like a model. You'd definitely stand out on camera!"

Regardless of the truth, let's praise them first.

—One cannot hit a smiling face.

In this industry, the art of flattery is an essential skill.

For example, "You look exactly like a certain big celebrity," "Your legs must be 2 meters long," "You're simply an industry benchmark"...

When meeting people of different backgrounds, Lü Cong always has a witty remark to say.

Unfortunately, Jia Lai isn't in the industry and doesn't understand Lu Cong's ways.

Not only was he a complete novice, but his past experiences of being scammed also made him extremely wary. Faced with Lü Cong's unexplained enthusiasm, his first reaction was to be suspicious.

Is this person really praising themselves?

Jia Lai pointed to himself: "Huh? Me?"

Lü Cong quickly nodded with a smile: "Yes, yes, it's you! Your temperament is different from others, you're especially popular with the audience!"

If it weren't for the makeup on his face, Jia Lai would have wanted to scratch his face.

Being praised didn't make him happy; instead, it made him feel uncomfortable.

He pondered to himself, "I'm only of average ability, why would anyone exaggerate like that?"

Jia Lai looked at Lü Cong suspiciously: "Really? You're not kidding me."

Lu Cong's smile almost froze. Inwardly, she thought to herself that this person was too clueless, but she quickly explained, "Why would I lie to you? Don't be modest! Makeup artist, don't you think?"

In this situation, what else can you say besides agreeing?

None of the contestants on this show are ugly; they're all good-looking.

Although Jia Lai felt uncomfortable, he was at least being praised, so he reluctantly chatted with Lü Cong for a few minutes.

However, the two communicated with almost complete impairments.

Jia Lai is a complete novice in the entertainment industry, knowing nothing about it, and he also has some reservations about Lu Cong.

Lu Cong's intentions were not pure; he wanted to test Jia Lai's abilities, but in the end, he couldn't even find out whether Jia Lai was good at singing or dancing.

Instead, I became their free guide, answering only basic questions.

……

Lü Cong: "Are you planning to pursue a vocal career or develop into an all-around performer?"

Jia Lai: "Huh? There's a choice here?"

……

Lü Cong: "Have you had any experience with stage performance before?"

Jia Lai: "No contact yet, this is the first time tonight, is there a problem?"

……

Lü Cong: "Haven't you ever watched a talent show?"

Jia Lai: "I've come across short videos and watched a little bit. Does that count?"

……

This is a classic example of "talking past each other like chickens and ducks".

In the end, Lü Cong held his forehead and completely gave up trying to probe.

It's hopeless. Give up trying to test this person. This kind of "newbie" will be eliminated in the first round!

They haven't even figured out their own niche, they're completely clueless about the survival rules of talent shows, and they probably don't even know how to get on camera.

Simply singing and dancing isn't enough to participate in a talent show.

We also need to capture every single shot.

—Whether on stage or off stage.

For example, while waiting for the scene to start, capture every moment the camera pans across the screen and use just the right reaction and expression to attract the editor's attention; in the practice room, strike the perfect profile for the camera; you can even act cute and silly in front of the camera during breaks.

For ordinary people like them, who come from humble backgrounds and have no capital to pamper them, the only way to survive is to cherish every moment on camera.

However, Lü Cong did not easily reveal these advanced rules that contained hidden secrets.

Let alone passing it on to this blockhead in front of me.

Lu Cong silently shook his head in his heart.

These days, everyone wants to be an idol.

What's the use of being good-looking?

If you don't seize opportunities and climb the ladder, it's all for nothing.

At least, that's what Lü Cong thought half an hour ago.

Half an hour later, when he saw that the person chatting and laughing with Jia Lai was none other than Bai Li, the famous rich woman and CEO of Day and Night Entertainment, he instantly felt his face burning with embarrassment.

The Joker was himself!

This doesn't seem like someone who doesn't know how to seize opportunities; they're incredibly good at it!

While I was still figuring out how to stand out on the show, he was already chatting with the show's behind-the-scenes big boss!

To be honest, Bai Li's favor is much more useful than any of the scenes on the show.

Bai Li is not only the CEO of an entertainment company, but also a creator who can elevate people to god-like status.

Although Bai Li herself is unaware of it, she is now a well-known professional star-maker in the industry.

That's why Lü Cong was in the lounge when he heard someone say they saw President Bai in the corridor, so he came out to look for him and try his luck.

I didn't expect someone to beat me to it, and we even got along so well!

Was this kid pretending to be a newbie in the dressing room just now?

Lu Cong was so jealous he was practically grinding his teeth to powder. He really wanted to go up and switch places with Jia Lai!

What are you talking about? You seem to be getting along very well.

When I arrived, I heard some shocking news that almost made me have conjunctivitis.

what? !

Jia Lai is actually a contracted artist with Day and Night Entertainment!

royal!

This is real royalty!

In talent shows, there is a more noble species, even more awesome than those second-generation stars and top contestants!

That is the "royal family".

They are contestants favored by investors and strongly promoted by the show's production team.

They may not have particularly outstanding singing or dancing skills.

But being able to frequently appear in front of the camera not only involves dedicated story editing, but also frequent praise from mentors.

Ultimately, they can achieve a good ranking or obtain more debut resources.

If it's your own talent show, why would you promote someone else's artist instead of your own?

Now, in Lu Cong's eyes, Jia Lai is no longer just a "royal family member," but a "crown prince"!

Other celebrity offspring and promising talents should take a backseat.

He was determined to get on good terms with this "crown prince" and was determined to get some screen time from him!

With this thought in mind, Lü Cong no longer hesitated. He stepped forward, called out Jia Lai's name, and then, feigning surprise, saw Bai Li and exclaimed with delight, "Wow, President Bai!"

Then, flustered, he bowed and said, "Hello, Mr. Bai, I am contestant Lü Cong!"

He looked like a typical newcomer.

Bai Li also noticed the approaching contestant. She suppressed her smile and politely said, "Hello."

Bai Li did not personally participate in the selection of this contestant; she only glanced at the list briefly.

She didn't have much of an impression of the contestant in front of her.

Having finished explaining everything to Jia Lai, Bai Li didn't linger any longer. After a brief farewell to Jia Lai, she turned and left.

Only Jia Lai and Lu Cong, who was suffering from conjunctivitis, remained.

Lu Cong smiled eagerly: "Lai Lai! I was blind to your greatness! If you had told me earlier that your boss was Bai Li, I would have knelt down before you!"

Jia Lai got goosebumps all over his body from Lü Cong calling him "Lai Lai," and almost jumped up.

It wasn't until the show officially started filming that Jia Lai finally realized, "It's over, I can't shake him off anymore!"