I have a persona specifically for acting.

Under further questioning, Tong Zhao discovered that the problem was quite significant.

When she was filming “One Life Survivor,” there were many messages she didn’t have time to handle. Her friends knew she was busy with work and didn’t want to disturb her. The “Little Lamb Companion” project had matured well under Tong Zhao’s previous guidance, and Wei Zekai couldn’t find any flaws in it; the only issue was that they were stuck on the promotion aspect.

This had him so worried that he was nearly bald.

Tong Zhao had high hopes for “Little Lamb Companion.” Not only had she gotten Zeshan to invest in it, but she had also purchased it outright.

If Tong Zhao believed in the project, he couldn’t mess it up!

However, Wei Zekai truly lacked experience in marketing, and the proposals from the people he hired didn’t seem good enough.

With his vast financial resources, he thought about renting a batch of bus stop advertising spaces and purchasing subway ad spots. But then he wondered, would that be effective? The target users for “Little Lamb Companion” were likely not busy office workers… At least during their commutes, they probably wouldn’t feel compelled to download the app or place an order upon seeing such advertisements.

So how could they promote it effectively?

Under Tong Zhao’s guidance, Wei Zekai had already begun to adopt the necessary business mindset.

That was to avoid wasting unnecessary money.

In the past, the young master Wei had been overly pampered, and what he did was not really investing; at most, it could be considered charity.

Now, he was being very meticulous with his spending.

After listening, Tong Zhao first praised him, saying, “Now you understand the importance of saving. Your thinking is correct; don’t buy subway ad spaces, they’re not suitable for ‘Little Lamb Companion’ at the moment.”

“What should we do instead?”

Wei Zekai asked sincerely.

He had always held Tong Zhao’s words in high regard. It wasn’t about romantic feelings; he simply believed that Tong Zhao was stronger than him in business and investment—quite a bit stronger. If they were partners in making money, he should listen to someone more capable. As long as he handled the tasks she assigned him well, he would take credit for it!

This distinction was quite subtle.

A man who wants to pamper a woman and listens to her is different from one who finds her strong and excellent and therefore obeys her. The feelings that arise from these two scenarios are not the same.

Tong Zhao was more inclined to accept the latter.

Unfortunately, the timing of the question was off, as Wei Zekai recalled a series of “plop plop plop plop…” sounds.

“…”

He frowned, sensing that things weren’t simple: “Tong Zhao, what are you doing?”

Immediately, Wei Zekai heard the sound of water.

“I’m taking a bath. I got so absorbed in my thoughts that I forgot half my face was submerged in the water.”

Tong Zhao casually described a rather silly situation.

Her tone was so flat that Wei Zekai didn’t think much of it. He listened attentively to every proposal she mentioned, taking notes on his iPad as he listened.

It wasn’t until Wei Zekai hung up the phone that he belatedly realized…

Huh? Tong Zhao was kind of cute just now.

Wait, she’s taking a bath. Does that mean she’s not wearing any clothes?

…

Wei Zekai clasped his hands over his head, trying to stop imagining what was happening on the other end of the call by picturing himself as a stone.

Stop your shameful imagination!

…

The original promotional spokesperson for “Little Lamb Companion” was Peng Yuankang, who was currently in quite a mess.

His cheating scandal had been exposed, and after a heated argument with his girlfriend, he “accidentally” used too much force, which was captured on camera and turned into undeniable evidence of violent behavior. He lost a significant number of fans. Fortunately, the remaining fans weren’t too bright and were particularly eager to support him… but after the numbers dwindled, many partnerships that had been going well fell apart, and some contracts were terminated.

Capitalists never act foolishly; the contract clearly stated that no major scandals could occur during the cooperation period, and the various clauses made his head spin.

Many businesses stated that while they wouldn’t demand compensation, the funds definitely had to be returned.

With no energy or money to fight lawsuits, Peng Yuankang had no choice but to refund the money.

For some businesses that didn’t have time to find a replacement or had no one to replace him, Peng Yuankang knew they would stubbornly use him until the end.

“Little Lamb Companion” was one of those cases.

Unexpectedly, that morning, his manager received a call from the other party about terminating the contract and replacing him, and their attitude was quite firm. Last night, after partying until midnight, Peng Yuankang woke up with a hangover and was hugging the toilet to throw up when he heard this news, instantly looking even worse as he angrily said, “If I’m replaced, who else can they find?”

The promotional budget for this app wasn’t high, and they wanted to find a star who could portray a gaming persona.

He happened to fit both criteria perfectly.

If it weren’t for the major scandal, he would have been a cost-effective choice for promotion.

Feeling like “I’m finished, but I can’t stand to see you do well,” he was like a loser obsessively stalking his ex’s Weibo, fixating on the official account of “Little Lamb Companion.”

In the end, there was only a single post announcing the termination of their collaboration with Peng Yuankang.

The comments below were filled with disappointed fans and satisfied passersby.

What about the new spokesperson?

Are they not looking for one?

It’s possible, but how are they planning to promote it?

Peng Yuankang’s educational background wasn’t great; he was focused on how to gain and retain fans, and how to become popular. After graduating from high school, all he wanted was to become a star. He thought about how easy it would be to gain fans and make money. He only knew that if he became popular, he could sell a single Weibo post for six figures and earn significant promotional fees just by taking a few smiling promotional photos. Money seemed to come as simply as he imagined.

Fans were only lovable when they were spending money.

Without those fans willing to download the app repeatedly and provide attractive data for the business, how could this app be promoted? He thought about it for a long time but couldn’t come up with a solution. Eventually, he decided to just lie in bed after throwing up and happily scroll through Douyin on his phone.

As he scrolled, he came across a gameplay video for “Honor of Kings.”

In one game, a female player who enjoyed playing mid-lane was getting “greened.”

She originally had a jungler partner, but her jungler was lured away by a soft and charming voice belonging to a girl named Yao, who happened to be matched up against the female protagonist. The scumbag, along with his new fling, bullied her, and the new girl mocked her in everyone’s channel, saying she had no one to support her.

At this moment, the jungler on the female protagonist’s side responded: [She has me to support her.]

Not only was there a voiceover, but it was accompanied by a classic black-and-white, melancholic, and darkened male avatar.

The voice was so clear that it couldn’t have been in-game voice chat.

It had to have been added in post-production.

Of course, the result was that the female protagonist, with the help of this super strong random jungler, turned the tables and made a comeback. The female protagonist was very grateful, and the random jungler, using his sexy and husky male god voice, replied casually, “No need to thank me, I’m just playing solo.” Then, he exited the game room. When the female protagonist checked, she discovered he was a newcomer in “Little Lamb Companion” (highlighted in bold and red) and loudly exclaimed, “So downloading this Little Lamb Companion app allows you to find powerful players?” With a curious mindset, she decided to place an order for him…

“Ah?” Peng Yuankang looked completely bewildered.

In “Honor of Kings,” unless you’re in a high-ranked tier or playing at odd hours like late night or early morning, the chances of matching the same players or people you know in lower-ranked matches or fish ponds are very low. (Of course, it’s very low, not impossible.)

This was clearly staged!

Can gameplay be staged?

The key was that the comment section was so unable to distinguish reality from fiction, totally captivated, and enthusiastically discussing this melodramatic plot, complete with download links.

There were also gender-swapped versions.

The lonely male players who had gone through breakups encountered the gentle and soft-voiced companions in “Little Lamb Companion,” where they both leveled up and healed from their pain.

The skilled jungler who couldn’t find a girl to play with tried taking orders in “Little Lamb Companion” and ended up making money while finding love.

After receiving the promotional refund from Peng Yuankang, Tong Zhao divided it into several parts and decided to collaborate with game streamers who charged relatively lower fees, spreading out the investment. She allowed these streamers to have their names featured in “Little Lamb Companion” and, if they were willing, they could actually sign contracts and take orders there, receiving a more favorable revenue share…

The big streamers would only be listed as names, but many mid-tier and small streamers genuinely wanted to take orders here.

One sheep is one dollar, and 200 sheep for one game session.

It’s not cheap, but there will definitely be fans willing to pay.

For ordinary companionship, the cost generally starts from 10 sheep for one game session, and the price can be increased as their level goes up with more orders.

Any game can have companions.

There are also those who read stories, sing to lull people to sleep… Of course, Tong Zhao had the foresight to strictly prohibit inappropriate services, requiring that profile images and backgrounds undergo review to ensure they aren’t vulgar or overly revealing.

This promotional effect was much better than hiring a spokesperson.

Tong Zhao also pointed out a clear path for Wei Zekai: “There must be people in your friend circle who know about e-sports clubs. When looking for a spokesperson, you should reach out to them. Gamers don’t recognize entertainment industry stars; they only recognize the gaming circle.”

Wei Zekai asked, “So we won’t look for spokespeople in the entertainment industry?”

Tong Zhao sent him some of her best promotional photos, telling him to find someone to edit them, and once that was done, she would inform her agent to finalize the matter.

The blue ocean market of companionship and training was thoroughly occupied by Zeshan under her forward-thinking decisions.

The first person to take the plunge gets to seize all the advantages.

First, they captured the target customer group with streamers and game videos. As long as a large number of curious players came to join, some to consume and others to earn money, the “Little Lamb Companion” platform became “alive.” Finally, Tong Zhao stepped in as a spokesperson, allowing the general public to discover this formal and convenient software, elevating its status.

Everyone in the industry couldn’t help but marvel at how difficult it is to make a platform-based software popular; throwing money at ad placements and splash screens is like pouring money into a bottomless pit.

Who would have thought that directing and acting out some melodramatic gaming stories could spread virally?

There must be experts behind this!

But who are these experts?

It’s easy to trace the ownership of a software company, and it quickly led to the venture capital firm Zeshan behind it. No one doing business in the city was unaware that this group of playful second-generation wealthy individuals had a wise mentor behind them. It seemed that this was also the handiwork of that wise mentor. Many wealthy individuals secretly inquired with the Wei family, wondering if they could invite this behind-the-scenes expert at a high price for some guidance.

The Wei family, knowing the truth, thought: …

If he said this expert was a twenty-something female star, would these people believe it?

Mr. Wei was vague and could only say that this expert had a deep connection with his little Kai, describing them as a person of great skill whom he had known since childhood. Their reputation was high enough that it wasn’t convenient to reveal their identity.

Two days later, a message circulated in the city’s elite circles.

The wise expert behind Zeshan was none other than Wei Zekai’s godfather.

…

Unbeknownst to her, Tong Zhao’s other identity was rising in value.

And as for her, after knowing that this promotional strategy was feasible and that the software’s marketing was on the right track, she continued to be the hands-off manager.

After all, there were more important matters at hand.

Tong Zhao went for the audition for “The Knives of the Maiden.” The audition location was not in her city.

However, in the holographic era, Director Shi speculated that since she was busy with her rising fame, he didn’t insist that she come to Qin City; they could connect via a holographic filming chamber in the film studio to access the cloud data.

Tong Zhao’s impression of Director Shi improved even further.

The script for “The Knives of the Maiden” was not complicated, and she watched it alongside other characters.

The main character, Xie Guiya, had a name that resembled those in martial arts novels, but she had no interest in chivalry or heroics. Her biggest wish was to get accepted into a good university and find an ordinary job after graduation…

Although she couldn’t imagine herself getting married and having children, she firmly believed her life would be on the right track.

She longed for an ordinary life too much!

At university, Xie Guiya, who maintained a sense of distance from everyone, fell in love with the campus heartthrob. While they were dating at a milk tea shop during the day, they heard about a bizarre theft of a cultural relic from China. Beside the empty safe was a brand-new knife, and the stolen antiquity was exactly a knife. This was already the third cultural relic theft this season, and each time a weapon was lost, the same type of weapon would appear in the location, only it was brand new.

The reasons for the theft were various, and the campus heartthrob sighed that it really felt like something out of a martial arts film—how enchanting!

Xie Guiya asked him, “Do you really like martial arts movies?”

The campus heartthrob immediately became energized and enthusiastically recommended his favorite martial arts novels to her—turns out he was a martial arts fan. He had read all the high-quality and well-known novels, movies, and comics. He was also well-versed in various urban legends, including the one about a martial arts family with a history of over a hundred years that was said to be living as hermits in this city…

“By the way, your name has a very martial arts vibe too. Others say your name sounds masculine, but I particularly like it.” The campus heartthrob looked at her with affection, feeling he was quite good at sweet-talking!

However, the female lead’s mentality broke at that moment.

Because Xie Guiya actually came from a martial arts family.

The “hundred-year-old martial arts family” that the campus heartthrob mentioned… was her family. Since childhood, her father had insisted that she practice martial arts. Why? Because her father grew up during the era that promoted the idea that women could hold up half the sky. He was very patriotic and listened to the leaders, believing in gender equality, insisting that both men and women should practice martial arts for self-defense! Xie Guiya was an extraordinary martial arts talent, effortlessly training even better than her brother while maintaining an expressionless demeanor and complaining lightly.

But Xie Guiya only wanted to be an ordinary person; she didn’t want to become the modern martial arts leader.

The main storyline revolves around the theft of cultural relics, which leads to the upcoming 108th martial arts conference about to take place in the city.

The subplot involves the female lead resolving this seemingly ridiculous modern martial arts incident while learning that Huaxia martial arts are a cultural inheritance, reconciling her inner conflicts, and reaching personal growth.

So who should go?

Director Shi was attracted by Duan Ge from “One Life Survivor,” so it seemed natural for him to choose Duan Ge for this role.

Duan Ge: “I just killed twenty people in the movie, and I’ve been feeling particularly murderous lately. I might just kill all the competitors for the leadership position before going back to studying.”

…That makes sense.

“How about I go?” the female reporter suggested.

Journalism is a clerical profession, but not all journalists are the same.

Her first anti-war news was that of a war correspondent.

However, her personality is much more peaceful than Duan Ge’s; she even possesses a softness and kindness that sometimes border on excessive compassion, which often leads her to depression as she searches for the truth behind others’ suffering.

Tong Zhao pondered for a moment and decided to consult Director Shi—

Her subconscious inclination is toward diversity; everyone knows this. She couldn’t decide which side of herself to bring to the character of Xie Guiya. If possible, could she audition twice, allowing Director Shi to choose which side to use?

Shi Dingjun was surprised.

The production costs for a film can be high, but if only one segment is filmed for the audition, the price is not so exorbitant.

The director agreed, allowing her to portray the same segment with different mindsets to see how it would turn out.