Beautiful Maid—Lin Zhi

Last year, Balala Media also launched its own traditional Chinese-style girl group in the second half of the year.

A seven-member team!

Their name: Hanfeng Girls.

The name was straightforward and a bit tacky.

But that was exactly the point.

With Young Master Cao's cultural sophistication, coming up with something more poetic—like "String Music Weaving Dreams," "Scarlet Music Hall," or "Starlight Letters"—wouldn’t have been hard.

But it had to suit the market.

Take the Phoenix Legend from his dreams—wasn’t it tacky?

So tacky it made your toes curl, right?

Yet, everyone remembered them.

That’s the face and brand of a girl group.

So,

it’s not about complexity—it’s about memorability.

Hanfeng Girls was easy to remember and right on theme.

Traditional Chinese style, after all.

They’d been active for nearly half a year now. While not wildly famous, they had a solid fanbase in certain circles.

The seven members each had distinct roles.

There was the visual, the dancer, the vocalist, the variety star, the one with the figure, and even the "cultural" one.

These seven were entirely unique to Blue Star—no counterparts existed in the dreamt-up Earth.

Honestly,

Young Master Cao had considered whether to scout some "famous" faces from his dreams.

Though the two worlds had minor differences, finding lookalikes wouldn’t have been too hard.

But after some thought, he decided against meddling.

If he micromanaged everything, wouldn’t he just work himself to death?

That said, the girl group’s dancing really couldn’t compare to the dance troupe under Young Master Cao’s wing. His dancers were professionals, trained since childhood—how could mere trainees compete?

But in terms of fame, the girl group had the upper hand.

A traditional-style album, plus five music videos, was enough to boost their visibility.

Add to that the backing of Balala Media.

With Wang Haodong—the self-proclaimed "disciplinary inspector" of the entertainment industry—behind them, the girls gained no small amount of extra attention.

……

"Lin Zhi."

"Yes~~"

Cao Cheng suddenly called out, and the pretty maid by his side responded promptly.

Don’t let her act the part of a demure servant fool you—she was the center of the dance troupe.

One of the best dancers.

And her looks were striking—elegant and dignified, with sharp, well-defined features.

"Sharp" here didn’t mean masculine; it meant camera-ready.

Anyone who’d worked in film knew that many actresses got filler or Botox before shooting—not to slim their faces, but to accentuate their angles.

The more defined the angles, the better they looked on screen.

Lin Zhi stood around 1.7 meters tall, about the same as the other girls in the household. But her face, her features, her figure, her aura—all were perfect for film and TV.

So,

Cao Cheng paid extra attention to her.

"Pack your things tonight. We’re going on a business trip tomorrow," he said, glancing at her.

Lin Zhi’s eyes sparkled. "Understood, Young Master."

Her tone was sweet, almost coquettish.

She didn’t know what the trip was for, but everyone in the dance troupe knew Cao Cheng loved watching Lin Zhi dance.

When he first hired acting coaches, Lin Zhi was the first to be trained.

The others were green with envy.

What they envied most, though, was how Lin Zhi got to serve tea, pour water, and stay by Young Master Cao’s side now and then.

Let’s be real—with his looks and charm,

which girl wouldn’t be a little tempted?

Even putting money aside, just being near him felt like a win.

And yet, though Young Master Cao loved watching them dance, he never crossed lines. No hints of casting couch nonsense.

At first, the girls were reserved around him. But over time, they grew bold—some even flirted outright.

Young Master Cao, like a monk avoiding temptation, dodged their advances with playful exasperation.

It became a game that left the girls giggling,

as if they’d gotten away with something.

But…

The cleverest hunters often disguise themselves as prey.

……

That evening,

in the eco-park’s cafeteria, Lin Zhi couldn’t stop smiling.

Her sisters swarmed her with envy.

One pouted, "What’s with the grin? We all know you went to see the Young Master again. What’s so great about that, huh?"

The words sounded teasing, not mean.

They all joked like this.

Having trained together for so long, their bond was strong.

Lin Zhi was the best all-rounder, and while some envied her,

no one truly resented her.

Lin Zhi feigned innocence. "I’m not smiling!"

"Pfft—"

A chorus of disbelieving noises made her cheeks flush.

"Fine, ignore you all. I’m going on a trip tomorrow."

"A trip?"

"Wait, what?"

"What kind of trip?"

"The Young Master is sending you?"

The girls gasped in unison.

They’d been at the eco-park for nearly a year now.

None had ever been sent on a business trip.

It was almost like being back in school—

practicing basics, dancing, teasing the Young Master (even the term "Young Master" had a playful, cheeky undertone).

"Boss" sounded too distant, after all.

They also had classes in Mandarin, vocal training, acting, history, posture…

More than they’d ever done in school.

But,

Young Master Cao had promised them that if they mastered these skills, they could join Miracle Media as stars.

Even if they didn’t make it big, they could still become trainers for Miracle’s artists.

A stable future, a secure job.

So they took it seriously.

But a business trip? That was a first.

Everyone knew how lazy their Young Master was.

Fishing and sipping tea was exhausting enough for him.

Lin Zhi giggled. "When I left earlier, the Young Master told me to pack. I’m going with him tomorrow."

"Aww…" A round-faced girl whined, "I wanna go too!"

"You? Look at that face! Lay off the rice, will you?"

The round-faced girl groaned, "It’s not my fault! I was born with this face! My body’s not even chubby! And the Young Master loves pinching my cheeks!"

"Sure he does…"

Mocking laughter followed.

The girls then grilled Lin Zhi for details about the trip.

But she knew nothing—not even the destination.

They stared in disbelief.

"Are you dumb or just playing dumb? You don’t even know where you’re going? What if he sells you off?"

"He wouldn’t!" Lin Zhi huffed.

Still,

even with no useful info, the envy in the dorm that night was palpable.

Traveling with the Young Master? That was a golden ticket.

Not necessarily to become his wife, but maybe to kindle a whirlwind romance.

No loss either way.

Sigh.

Why her?

Just because she’s got the looks, the body, the dance skills, the decent acting?

Well…

They were all pretty good too.

Jealousy hung thick in the air.

The next morning,

Cao Cheng arrived at the eco-park and picked up Lin Zhi in front of everyone.

"Young Master, treat our Lin Zhi well, okay?"

"Young Master… come back soon!"

"Young Master…"

The girls chirped like spring birds.

Cao Cheng chuckled. "Relax. Lin Zhi’s scouting the path for you all. If it goes well, you’ll all be stars soon."

"Really?"

His words lit up their faces.

As he left, the girls curtsied in unison, voices sweet:

"Farewell, Young Master."

After speaking, a group of girls burst into laughter themselves.

...

Upon arriving at the airport, they took a special passageway, avoiding any unnecessary attention.

Later, they boarded a flight to Xiangdong.

Over the past two years, Miracle Media and Hunan TV (Mango TV) have increasingly collaborated, not just on TV dramas but also on variety shows.

For instance, the "Han Style Girls" group even appeared on Mango TV's flagship program, which helped boost their popularity.

Despite the deepening cooperation, fans from both sides still couldn’t stand each other.

Super Girl fans were still trashing Little Hanyun, while Miracle Media fans, including those of "The Voice," were also hurling insults at the Super Girl contestants.

The online bickering was relentless.

Yet, business collaborations continued as usual.

Upon arriving in Xiangdong,

senior executives from the TV station personally came to greet them.

This time, the collaboration was for a variety show—

"Great Detective."

Last year, Cao Cheng sold the copyright for "The Voice" and made a hefty profit.

It was a classic case of selling high.

The money wasn’t the main concern, though.

What mattered more was the surge in emotional engagement points.

After the copyright was sold, longtime fans grew anxious. The first four seasons had been flawless in quality, but now, with the team reshuffled—including the mentors—rumors spread that only two original mentors remained: Halin and Jay Chou.

The replacements? Youniao and Leather Pants (a nickname for a certain artist).

Whether the rumors were true or not, fans were furious.

Their resentment toward Young Master Cao grew.

"Why sell it when everything was going so well?"

"Were you that desperate for money?"

Cao Cheng, of course, happily reaped the emotional engagement points—and continued to do so even after the sale.

As "The Voice’s" reputation declined in later seasons, the comparisons to its golden era only intensified, ensuring a steady, even growing, stream of emotional points for Young Master Cao.

Now, Cao Cheng was at Mango TV finalizing a brand-new show—

"Great Detective!"

Whether it would take off in this world was uncertain, but in his dreams, the show had been a massive hit, generating tons of emotional engagement.

In fact, each season outperformed the last.

By launching it early and leveraging Young Master Cao’s fame, the show was practically guaranteed to explode in popularity.

...

The show had been in preparation for nearly six months.

Numerous directors and screenwriters were hired, and Cao Cheng even contributed scripts based on his memories.

At the very least, they had enough material for the first few seasons.

The army of writers was mainly there to refine details and gameplay mechanics, making the show more entertaining.

Additionally,

they partnered with film studios to create elaborate detective-themed sets, sparing no expense.

If they were going to do it, they’d go all out.

...

Now, in early March, the show was fully prepped and ready to start filming.

The entire TV station was paying close attention.

After all, this was a Miracle Media production.

Cao Cheng brought Lin Zhi along to replace the "Midnight Script" female lead from his dreams.

In every aspect, Lin Zhi outshone her.

A year of intensive training wasn’t for nothing.

Of course,

her fame couldn’t compare—yet.

But that wasn’t a problem.

Before "Great Detective," the "Midnight Script" actress had only played minor roles.

She didn’t start gaining traction until after 2016!

Without that scandal and this variety show, who would’ve known her?

Her most notable role was as a femme fatale spy—and that was it.

So,

fame-wise, Cao Cheng wasn’t worried at all.

Besides, that woman didn’t even exist in this world. Someone had to fill the role, and Lin Zhi was more than capable.

...

What’s more,

many of Miracle Media’s talents were figures from his dreams.

Cao Cheng was curious to see how his own nurtured stars would measure up.