The agreed-upon time hadn't arrived yet, but Yi Xing and his companion reached the location early. It was another coffee shop. He hadn't even digested the coffee he'd had a few hours earlier, and now he was about to have another cup. It seemed he wouldn't be sleeping tonight.
After waiting for a while, the wind chimes at the entrance suddenly jingled, and a middle-aged man carrying a briefcase walked in, looking around.
When he saw Liu Xuhui, he walked over and sat opposite them, saying,
"I apologize, something came up at the last minute and I was delayed. You haven't been waiting long, have you?"
"No, we just arrived. Director Xu Ke, what would you like to drink?" Liu Xuhui handed him his phone.
Yi Xing sat cautiously to the side. He wouldn't say an extra word unless the conversation involved him, maintaining a faint smile on his face.
Xu Ke quickly waved his hand.
"I won't be drinking. I still have a pile of things to do later, no time to wait. Let's get straight to the point. Introduce me to this person next to you." He then turned his gaze to Yi Xing.
Liu Xuhui nudged the person next to him with his elbow, signaling him to introduce himself. Yi Xing straightened up, nodded, and politely said,
"Hello, Director Xu Ke, I am Yi Xing. I just graduated from Cambridge University this year. I've been on the stage of 'Who is the Last Man Standing,' and currently have over 200,000 followers on Wei Bo."
He rattled off his experiences in one breath, like pouring out beans.
"I trust anyone Liu Xuhui recommends. I've seen your performances on stage, and they don't quite match your current demeanor. Is your true personality like it was on the show, or like this now?"
"Like this now."
"Alright, I understand. One more question: How is your physical stamina usually? Our show requires intense physical activity. Can you handle that?"
Xu Ke tapped the table with his hand, a negotiation tactic he always used to firmly control the pace of the conversation.
"Ah, I can accept that, but could you briefly introduce our show? I still don't know its name or its main content."
Yi Xing nervously rubbed the back of his head. What kind of show needed to be kept so secretive? He was usually open to anything, but after hearing this, he started to worry about his own capabilities.
"Liu Xuhui, didn't you tell him?"
Liu Xuhui gave an embarrassed laugh. Seeing Yi Xing overly excited, he had forgotten to introduce the specifics: "Hehe, I accidentally forgot."
"Never mind, I'll tell you. I want to host a large-scale creative reality game show, tentatively named 'China Speeding Up.' You will play the role of an Accelerator in it."
"Within the game area, we will have Black-Clad Men that we've set up. You can affectionately call them Hunters. You need to evade the Hunters' pursuit until the game time ends."
"Each recording will have a theme. During the game, you will receive various tasks arranged by us. Accelerator teammates need to complete the given tasks to earn rewards."
"If you are unfortunately caught by a Hunter, you will be eliminated and need to rest in the Suspension Room until someone revives you. That's pretty much it. Is there anything you don't understand about the above?"
After Xu Ke finished speaking, he regretted it a bit. If he had known Liu Xuhui hadn't introduced it, he would have ordered a coffee.
Now, his throat was dry and uncomfortable, and he was too embarrassed to ask for another cup; he wanted to save face when out and about.
"No, thank you, Director, for your explanation. When do we sign the contract?"
Yi Xing, having made up his mind, was a bit impatient. Just hearing those words, he had already constructed a grand scene in his mind. He loved such an exciting and unpredictable show.
His second variety show was such a big production. He absolutely had to secure a spot. This was his first step to gaining 2 million followers.
"We can sign now."
Xu Ke took out the contract from his briefcase and placed it on the table, exchanging a glance with Liu Xuhui, who was sitting opposite him.
At first, when the other party asked him to bring a physical contract, he thought it was a joke. Out of curiosity, he brought one along, and it actually proved useful.
Yi Xing took the contract from the table and read it carefully. This wasn't his first time reviewing a contract, so he was quite familiar with some of the clauses. After confirming there were no major issues,
He pulled out a pen from his person and, without another word, signed his name. He didn't even look at the salary details written later; he wasn't doing it for the money.
"I like straightforward people like you. Welcome to the Accelerator team family! Our first recording will begin the day after tomorrow at 2 PM. Don't be late!"
"I won't be; I'll be there on time."
A hand suspended in the air was clasped by another outstretched hand; it was Yi Xing and Xu Ke's hands.
"I have other things to do, so I'll be leaving now. See you the day after tomorrow."
After seeing Director Xu Ke off, Yi Xing looked at Liu Xuhui in confusion. Why wouldn't he take on such a big production himself, and instead give the opportunity to him?
But he didn't ask. He knew that when the other party wanted to speak, he would naturally do so, and there was no need to force an answer.
"Judging by your expression, you probably want to know why I'm not going and recommended you instead, right? It's because I've taken on another regular variety show, and there's a time conflict. But I will still be there for the first recording, so you don't have to worry about being surrounded by strangers."
Liu Xuhui took a sip of coffee and continued, speaking to himself. He genuinely wanted to join such a challenging show. If it weren't for the penalty for breaking his contract with the other show, Yi Xing wouldn't have had this opportunity.
Even though he was forced to give up the spot, Yi Xing still kept this favor in his heart, looking at him with gratitude and saying,
"No matter what, you secured this opportunity for me. If you ever need my help, just say the word. I'll unconditionally stand by your side."
"Hahaha! Alright, I'll remember that, a promise from a rich second-generation!"
...Time, like water in a toilet, once the button is pressed, comes and goes quickly, leaving no trace.
Yi Xing stood at the recording site of 'China Speeding Up.' He took a deep breath at the entrance of the dressing room. For him, socializing was a very complex matter.
And among all the Accelerator teammates, his fame was the least, so he had to take the initiative to greet them.
Pushing open the dressing room door, he saw three high school students, not yet adults, sitting inside. Among them was someone he knew, whom he had last seen three years ago when he returned to his hometown.
In the blink of an eye, he was almost as tall as Yi Xing. Indeed, teenagers develop quickly. Before he could even greet them, a surprised voice came from across the room,
"Xiao Xing Ge, what are you doing here?"