Chapter 33: To Fight or to Make Peace

Within Yan Ying School, there was an amusing little structure resembling a pyramid, though diminutive in size. It stood upon the lawn before the main academic building.

Descending the stairs, Ma Jun soon reached the spot. From more than ten meters away, he could already see his assistant, Ruan Xinyue. She still dressed like a student, bearing none of the air of a working professional.

All around, the female students outdid one another with mature attire and makeup, as if forever on the cusp of becoming celebrities.

Just as he was about to approach, Ruan Xinyue spotted Ma Jun. She waved at him, signaling for him not to come over, then picked up her phone, gesturing to speak by call.

What sort of game was this? Mystified, Ma Jun answered the call. “Hello, what are you up to now?”

“Keep it down—we’re doing a candid shoot!” Ruan Xinyue answered earnestly. “Pretend you don’t know me. Just wander the campus with your guitar, pick a few scenic spots, strike some cool poses. I’ll follow behind and snap some shots. It has to look natural!”

You must have lost your mind, Ma Jun thought, too weary to argue. He turned and ambled away at a leisurely pace.

After more than twenty minutes, he received another call from Ruan Xinyue. She had finished taking her photos and was already at the school gate, ready to sneak off.

“Wait right there! I have more to discuss with you!” Ma Jun said sternly, hurrying toward the gate.

Beneath a distant tree near the entrance, Ruan Xinyue glanced furtively around. Upon seeing her boss, she forced a smile that couldn’t quite hide her displeasure. “Jun, if you need something, say it. If not, I’ll—um—get back to work!”

“One thing,” Ma Jun said gravely. “From today, my career in entertainment begins. As my personal assistant, you must be on call twenty-four hours a day, unless I say otherwise. I’ll have Old Qian raise your salary to forty thousand a month, but you must move into my villa for the sake of work.”

“My—” Ruan Xinyue’s face filled with astonishment. A moment later, she transformed into a furious tigress. “Listen, I sell my skills, not myself—wait, that’s not right! I perform, but I won’t sell myself to you! Don’t even think about it!”

Ma Jun burst out laughing. Seeing people glance over, he quickly covered her mouth. “Don’t let your imagination run wild. I’m simply satisfied with your work and want to make things more convenient. That villa is a privilege—others would jump at the chance. Outside of work, I wouldn’t cross any lines. And this isn’t a negotiation—I’m just informing you. This afternoon, move in. I’ll have Old Zhang drive you.”

“I—” Ruan Xinyue hesitated, staring into Ma Jun’s eyes but finding no trace of improper intent. Thinking of her cramped rented room and the generous salary, she finally relented. “Fine, but it’s strictly professional! If you ever try anything, I’ll keep evidence and ruin you in court!”

She’s already plotting that far ahead, even thinking about keeping a souvenir bedsheet! Ma Jun was taken aback. He genuinely had no ulterior motives, but now he almost regretted his decision. With her temperament, if they spent enough time together, who knew what might happen?

Lighting a cigarette, Ma Jun waved her off like shooing a fly. Ruan Xinyue rolled her eyes and left.

With no classes that afternoon, Ma Jun took a cab home and secluded himself in the basement to sort through his spatial ring. Everything unnecessary was piled out; he kept only food supplies, weapons and ammunition, and several sets of different outfits.

Currently, the system’s energy totalled eleven thousand, with two thousand prestige points. The world of the Tailsuit wasn’t particularly dangerous, so next time, Ma Jun would use two thousand points to traverse again, scout ahead, and then decide whether to bring Old Qian along.

That afternoon, Ruan Xinyue arrived with Old Zhang, the driver. She had little luggage—only two suitcases of clothes, which she slowly moved into the room Ma Jun had prepared for her.

The promotional plan had already begun yesterday; today marked the full-scale launch. Wishing to admire his newfound stardom, Ma Jun pulled Ruan Xinyue into the study, opened the computer, and began searching online.

Typing his own name into the search engine brought up a slew of results, most with headlines like “Yan Ying’s Handsome Idol.” On the music teaching site, the songs he’d uploaded earlier were now surging in popularity.

Opening Weibo, he saw “Yan Ying’s Musical Prodigy” climbing the trending list. His own Weibo comments had swelled by nearly ten thousand, and even his private messages were filled with girls sending photos, hoping to arrange a date.

At first, Ma Jun was delighted, but after replying to a couple of messages, he quickly grew bored. Stretching lazily, he lit a cigarette. “Yue’er, fetch me a cup of coffee—no sugar, no coffee powder, no beans. Make it iced!”

“Fine,” Ruan Xinyue replied grudgingly. “One cup of ice water coming right up. Wait here.”

After a cold drink to clear his head, Ma Jun logged on to play games, leaving Ruan Xinyue to find another computer and handle work matters on her own.

Just before dinner, Ruan Xinyue suddenly rushed in. “Jun, something’s wrong—we’ve been hit!”

“What?” Ma Jun, dozing in his chair, snapped to attention.

“It looks like competitors or another company have exposed your so-called true colors—calling you a scumbag, accusing you of plagiarizing songs, cheating on exams, skipping classes at will, and so on!”

So-called true colors? Ma Jun shot her an exasperated glare, then searched online. As expected, public opinion about him was no longer wholly positive; rumors and slander had begun to surface.

He shrugged, unbothered. In a world like this, the line between truth and falsehood was always blurred for the general public. Sometimes, the more notorious you became, the more fame you gained.

As long as he didn’t cross any red lines or provoke someone truly untouchable, the dance of black and white was all a matter of performance and publicity.

Qian Modo responded swiftly, soon calling to explain that another company’s artist had tried to make headlines at the same time and been overshadowed. In retaliation, they’d gathered dirt to smear Ma Jun early that morning.

When fighting for a piece of the pie, everyone fought tooth and nail, but while dividing it, they cooperated to maintain the balance. Junma Films was new and unfamiliar, so the others hadn’t given advance notice, resulting in this collision.

Qi Wanying was already in contact, discussing whether to fight back or settle things amicably; by tomorrow at the latest, there would be a clear answer.

As for Ma Jun, all he needed to do was stay calm, keep playing his games, and let the storm pass.