Chapter Ninety: Is It Not Just a Stone?

No, the female lead role absolutely could not go to Yun Fu.

With this thought, Qiu Fangfei’s eyes sharpened. She took out her phone and dialed a number.

“Hello, President Shen~”

——

KDS Gaming Base.

A group of young men sat before computers that were clearly top-of-the-line and expensive, each of them wearing a grave expression.

About five minutes later...

“Damn! Who the hell is this F? Are they insane? They must be cheating!” exclaimed a blond-haired youth, a single earring gleaming in his left ear. His clothes marked him as a notorious troublemaker.

Beside him sat a man with dark hair and fox-like eyes, a cigarette dangling lazily from his lips. “Face it, he’s not cheating. He’s just that good.”

The blond youth raked his hands through his hair in frustration, settling a virtual chick into its nest. “And from his records, he only started playing recently, right? Even played Tetris. Has to be some pro’s alternate account.”

“Nope.” The dark-haired youth removed his cigarette, his gaze bright with interest. “The leader checked—he’s not an alternate. It’s like he’s just playing for fun.”

A few others nearby couldn’t hold back any longer, voices rising in disbelief. “No way, is this guy even human? Playing for fun and he’s already left us in the dust!”

“Captain, if he’s this good, why don’t we recruit him? He’d be a real asset.”

Their captain, the dark-haired youth, narrowed his eyes as he lit another cigarette and shook his head. “Hard to say. He doesn’t seem like the type who’d go pro.”

“So what do we do now?” The blond sighed, slumping back in his chair. “Our skills are nowhere near enough to beat Team H, and that traitor... never mind.”

At the mention of that word, the whole room fell silent, the boys’ faces darkening.

Only the captain remained expressionless as he snuffed out his cigarette, voice rough. “I’ll go meet this legend myself. Even if I have to beg, I’ll get him on our team.”

“...Captain, where’s your pride?”

Meanwhile, Yun Fu had no idea she was being sought after. Under Qiao An’s puzzled gaze, she put down her phone and picked up a pen, scribbling and sketching on a piece of paper.

“Xiao Fu, what are you doing? Not gaming anymore?”

“Drawing. I’m bored.”

“...Alright, I’ll go check with the production crew about when they’ll announce the results.”

Yun Fu waved her hand carelessly, returning to her sketching.

Before long, a necklace design emerged on the paper, so stunning that even the draft alone could captivate anyone who saw it.

Yet its creator only glanced at it, frowned, tore the page free, crumpled it up, and tossed it aside.

She lay sprawled on the sofa, a flash of elusive nostalgia passing through her eyes.

Once, she had owned many jewels—gifts from others, or pieces she bought just for their beauty, along with countless uncut stones.

But the designs from outside were always so gaudy; she couldn’t help but design her own.

Back then, Eric used to say, “If people found out you practiced with a piece of emerald jade, they’d be furious enough to wake up in the middle of the night.”

And what had she replied? “It’s just a green stone, isn’t it?”

There had been two others with her then.

With that memory, Yun Fu sighed.

Regret flickered in her eyes. She reached for her phone, intending to play another game, only for a Weibo notification to pop up.

[Qiu Fangfei and Yun Fu were both seen at the audition set. Who will the leading role go to?]

There were already over ten thousand comments below.

[Qiu Fangfei? Isn’t she the one who played Little Orange? She’s grown up so much!]

[Who is Yun Fu? Never heard of her. Are they really competing for the same role? I’ll stick with Qiu Fangfei.]

[Isn’t Yun Fu just a pretty face? Her only notable work was as the SC spokesperson. Her fans are still gloating, but it’s been almost a week and the sales are probably a disaster.]

[She’s the actress whose poster is always hanging outside the SC building. With SC backing her, I bet the role is already hers.]

[The entertainment industry really is shady. I’m not a fan of either, but if I had to choose, I’d pick Qiu Fangfei. She’s a former child star—her acting has to be better than that other one’s, right?]

Yun Fu hadn’t read for long before Qiao An stormed in, cheeks puffed with indignation.

“What’s wrong?”

“Qiu Fangfei is shameless!” Qiao An handed her the phone. “She just put up a Weibo post. Now the whole internet is being manipulated. No matter if you get the part or not, you’ll be criticized.”

Yun Fu glanced at the post. Qiu Fangfei had written: [A happy day. I gave it my all in the audition—hope it turns out well.]

Clearly a reference to the audition.

All the comments were from her fans.

[Aaah, our girl is working! Is this Director Pan’s new movie? She’s so talented, she’ll get it for sure!]

[Heard the lead is a character with depression. Fangfei’s acting is perfect for it.]

[I’ve seen all the actresses auditioning—Fangfei’s the most experienced. If the role goes to someone else, I could accept it, but if it’s Yun Fu, then it’s obviously rigged.]

[If they dare to pull strings, don’t blame us for fighting back!]

After reading, Yun Fu had just one thing to say: “A bunch of brainless fans!”

“Exactly! Qiu Fangfei did this on purpose. I bet she hired some of those online trolls, too. Her acting is decent, but I’m worried the production team will cave to the pressure and choose her.”

Yun Fu looked up, her gaze deep, and finally gave a faint smile. “You’re wrong. And she’s wrong, too.

If I were the director, even if I’d wanted her at first, now I wouldn’t choose her.”

Qiao An was stunned. “Huh? Why not?”

Elsewhere, Pan Dalong received the news from his assistant and slammed the table in anger.

“She thinks she’s clever!” he sneered. “Using such low tricks and not even ashamed. I’ve eaten more salt than she’s eaten rice! I’ve decided. Yun Fu gets the lead—any objections?”

The others in the room, including the producer, all nodded in agreement.

Back with Yun Fu, she answered Qiao An’s question with just one line: “Because no leader likes to have their authority challenged.”

In a production team, aside from the producer, the director calls the shots.

And Pan Dalong was a renowned director, his authority even greater.

What director would accept being manipulated by an actor, especially with such underhanded methods?

Yun Fu’s slender fingers tapped the screen as she murmured, “If some people are so eager to dig their own graves, I might as well throw in another stone.”

The issue even made it to the trending topics.

In the matter of Yun Fu and Qiu Fangfei vying for the same role, nearly everyone—except Yun Fu’s fans—sided with Qiu Fangfei, swept along by the online frenzy.

Qiu Fangfei’s fans even flocked to Pan Dalong’s Weibo, demanding fairness and justice.