69novels Chapter 4: Why did I have to lie during this interview?
Chapter 4: Why did I have to lie during this interview?
Shen Teng's business card arrived faster than Shen Yan had expected.
Below is the contact information for Shen Teng's personal assistant.
Shen Yan stared at the business card for a few seconds, but didn't rush to dial it.
He knew very well that this kind of door couldn't be opened by simply knocking on the phone.
Bai Lulu's willingness to help only means that Shen Teng is willing to take a look. Whether he can get into the bureau depends on the matter itself.
Shen Teng and Bai Lulu are different.
Bai Lulu is now trapped by the label of "only knowing how to laugh" and needs an opportunity to prove herself.
Shen Teng is not.
He enjoys high national recognition, has been a box office draw for comedies, and is constantly receiving invitations to variety shows. Platforms usually invite him not because they need a guest, but because they need someone to keep the show running smoothly.
Such people are never short of work.
They are also the least likely to be swayed by new proposals.
At 2 p.m., Shen Yan received a call back.
The person on the other end of the phone was Shen Teng's assistant, whose tone was polite but also very formal.
"Teng-ge is in the rehearsal hall this afternoon, he has half an hour free. Teacher Lulu has already spoken to him, you can come over and chat."
Shen Yan glanced at the test materials on the computer.
"Okay, I'll be there on time."
The assistant paused, then added.
"However, Mr. Shen, let me remind you first, Brother Teng isn't taking on many new studio variety shows lately."
"clear."
"Especially low-cost trial files."
"I know."
The other person probably didn't expect him to answer so quickly, and fell silent for a moment.
Shen Yan smiled.
"I didn't go there to ask him to save the day."
The assistant's tone finally changed a little.
"And who are you?"
"Invite him to play a game."
After hanging up the phone, Shen Yan closed his laptop and picked up a few envelopes from the table.
Each envelope contained an identification card.
This was a small test he made on the spur of the moment after meeting Bai Lulu that morning. It wasn't complicated and could be completed in ten minutes.
The case isn't very big.
There was no missing producer, no complicated timeline, and no large amount of props needed for the actual recording.
There's only a small office, a missing contract, a cup of coffee that's been tampered with, and four people who each have their own secrets.
He didn't intend to use a PowerPoint presentation to persuade Shen Teng.
Comedians hate it when people explain "this is funny".
Whether it's fun or not, he'll have to try it himself.
3:20 PM.
Shen Yan rushed to the rehearsal hall in the south of the city.
This is the rehearsal space often used by Shen Teng's team. It looks ordinary from the outside, but it's quite large inside. Several old movie posters are pasted on the corridor, the most eye-catching one being a comedy film starring Shen Teng ten years ago.
He was very young then, standing in the middle of the poster, laughing carefree.
As the assistant led the way, he whispered:
"Teng Ge has been working on a short stage play these past few days, and he's not in a very good mood."
Shen Yan looked at him.
The assistant hesitated for a moment, then said:
"His last movie did well at the box office, but people online said he was formulaic and that he plays the same Shen Teng no matter what role he plays now."
He felt a little embarrassed after saying that.
Shen Yan was not surprised.
This is one of the reasons why Shen Teng was willing to meet.
What an actor fears most is not that no one laughs.
Instead, the audience only remembers his way of laughing.
In the rehearsal hall, Shen Teng was sitting at a long table, holding a thermos cup in his hand.
He looked a little thinner than he did on screen, and he had laugh lines around his eyes, but he didn't look as relaxed.
Bai Lulu was also there.
She was sitting on the small sofa next to him. When she saw Shen Yan come in, she raised her hand to greet him.
"Planner Shen, I've knocked on the door."
Shen Teng glanced at her.
"You're not knocking, you're taking my doorbell apart."
Bai Lulu laughed.
"Brother Teng, just listen to this."
"I heard it."
Shen Teng turned to Shen Yan and looked him up and down.
"Are you the one who's going to make Lulu solve the case while laughing?"
Shen Yan put down his laptop bag.
"It's not just her."
"You want me to break through too?"
"You're not necessarily responsible for solving the case."
Shen Teng breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's alright."
Shen Yan continued:
"You're responsible for making others give themselves away."
Shen Teng almost choked after taking a sip of water.
Bai Lulu was laughing uncontrollably.
"Brother Teng, I knew this show was weird."
Shen Teng wiped his mouth with a tissue.
"Wait, Planner Shen, has your interviewing at Xinghe really evolved to this level? Before, we talked about personal matters, now we're just asking for statements?"
"They're essentially the same."
Shen Yan sat down and placed several envelopes on the table.
"It's all about getting people to speak."
Shen Teng looked at the envelope and raised an eyebrow.
"Judging from your demeanor, you don't seem to be here to discuss a plan."
"I don't want to waste your time."
Shen Yan pushed one of the envelopes over.
"Ten minutes, one game. If you don't find it interesting after you're done, I'll leave right away."
Shen Teng did not answer immediately.
He leaned back in his chair and looked at Shen Yan.
Do you know why I don't like taking on new studio-based variety shows?
"Because most studio-based variety shows are just making you repeat things that are already familiar to the audience."
Shen Teng's eyes flickered slightly.
Shen Yan continued:
"The script is written so that you can deliver the punchline, the host is waiting for you to save the day, the guests glance at you when they can't continue, and the post-production editing amplifies all your reactions. The audience will laugh, but after laughing, they will also say, 'It's just Shen Teng's routine again.'"
The rehearsal hall became a little quieter.
Bai Lulu glanced at Shen Yan.
That's quite a statement.
The assistant, standing beside him, also subconsciously looked at Shen Teng.
Shen Teng wasn't angry.
He simply put the thermos down slowly and chuckled.
"When you young people discuss cooperation these days, is it fashionable to expose each other's weaknesses first?"
"If I praise you as a national comedian, you should let me just state my price."
"That's true."
Shen Teng picked up the envelope and tore it open.
Inside was an identity card.
He glanced down, his expression gradually becoming complex.
"Old Shen, do you owe the person who disappeared under the contract money for a late-night snack?"
He looked up.
"Why is it that I always seem to be missing something when I come to you?"
Bai Lulu leaned over for a look and laughed so hard her shoulders shook.
"Brother Teng, your persona is very stable."
Shen Teng glared at her.
"Don't laugh, you probably don't have a good background either."
Bai Lulu opened her own envelope.
Assistant Bai: Responsible for keeping the contracts safe; the last person to touch the folder.
After she finished reading it, her smile faltered for a second.
"Why am I being so suspicious again?"
Shen Yan handed the other two envelopes to Chen Man and Shen Teng's assistant.
Chen Man was just listening in when she received the envelope and paused for a moment.
"Me too?"
"There aren't enough people for the exam."
Chen Man glanced at him, but still opened it.
Her identity is:
[Chen's agent: We don't want the contract to be made public because it contains a supplementary agreement that could damage the artist's reputation.]
After looking at his card, Shen Teng's assistant looked even more confused.
[Xiao Tang: You were the first to discover the contract was missing, but you sneaked into the office last night.]
Shen Teng looked around and suddenly smiled.
"Nothing in this house is clean."
"right."
Shen Yan stood to the side and picked up her phone to keep track of time.
"The rules are simple: find out who took the contract within ten minutes. Each of you has a public fact and a secret you can't reveal. You can lie, but if you're caught by clues, you'll have to explain."
Shen Teng raised his hand.
"Director, I have a question."
"Please speak."
"Can I not lie? At my age, my memory isn't what it used to be, and I'm afraid I won't be able to cover it up."
Bai Lulu immediately chimed in:
"Brother Teng, even if you're not lying, it sounds like you're lying."
"Look, they're starting to attack the older generation."
The atmosphere immediately relaxed.
Shen Yan placed a folder in the middle of the table.
"The trial begins."
For the first two minutes, Shen Teng was clearly not playing seriously.
He held his ID card, leaned back in his chair, and occasionally teased Bai Lulu.
"Assistant Bai, you were the last one to touch the documents, so you're highly suspicious."
Bai Lulu replied with a smile:
"Brother Teng, you owe money for late-night snacks, and your motives are quite clear."
"I just owe you a late-night snack."
"Some people will do anything to avoid treating someone to a meal."
Shen Teng looked at Chen Man.
"Manager Chen, you need to manage your artist. This is tantamount to spreading rumors in public."
Chen Man looked at her ID card and said calmly:
"She's a suspect now, I can't control her."
Shen Teng slammed his hand on the table.
"This show is great; once an artist comes on board, their manager is out of a job."
Bai Lulu laughed out loud.
But Shen Yan didn't interrupt immediately.
Shen Teng is still playing in his usual way, and all his words are aimed at making people laugh.
no problem.
The rules will gradually drag him in.
Soon, Bai Lulu found the first clue.
She pulled a sticky note out from the bottom of the folder.
It says:
The contract wasn't stolen, it was switched.
After Bai Lulu read it aloud, everyone at the table paused for a moment.
Shen Teng originally wanted to respond, but the words stuck in his throat.
Chen Man reached out and took the sticky note, glancing at it for a few seconds.
"So, what's missing isn't necessarily the contract itself, but rather a specific page within the contract?"
Shen Yan nodded.
"That's one way to understand it."
Shen Teng sat up a little straighter.
"Wait a minute, what does my owing money for late-night snacks have to do with the contract?"
Bai Lulu looked at him.
How do you know the contract has nothing to do with you?
"It's not written on my ID card."
"You believe in ID cards?"
Shen Teng was stunned.
Bai Lulu looked at him with a smile.
"Brother Teng, Director Shen just said that everyone has secrets they can't openly talk about. Are you trying to make us overlook other things by constantly emphasizing that you only need a late-night snack?"
Shen Teng looked at her without saying a word for a long time.
Two seconds later, he turned to look at Shen Yan.
"Is she like this all the time?"
Shen Yan said:
"So I want her to get into the bureau."
Bai Lulu's lips curled up in a smile.
Shen Teng looked down and examined the identity card again.
This time, he was clearly serious.
The next clue is in the hands of Shen Teng's assistant.
Xiao Tang pulled out a coffee receipt.
The time was 9:20 last night.
Buyer's remarks: Shen.
Bai Lulu immediately looked at Shen Teng.
Shen Teng slowly put down the thermos.
There are many people with the surname Shen.
Chen Man looked up.
"You're all alone here."
"Shen Yan also has the surname Shen."
Shen Yan stood to the side, speaking calmly.
"The director was not involved in the crime."
Shen Teng sighed.
"Your production team is so unfair."
Bai Lulu moved closer and asked with a smile:
"Brother Teng, you just said you didn't go into the office last night?"
"right."
"How did you know there was coffee in the office?"
Shen Teng paused.
Bai Lulu pushed the receipt over.
"Director Shen just described the case, only saying that the contract was missing, but he didn't mention that there was coffee on the table."
Shen Teng's lips moved slightly.
The first time, I didn't immediately find the burden.
Chen Man's eyes also changed.
She suddenly understood why Shen Yan had put Bai Lulu into this scheme.
Bai Lulu didn't suddenly become smart.
She was still smiling, and her tone was soft, but the questions she asked made people relax their guard.
Once the other party goes along with her words, the flaws will become apparent.
Shen Teng stared at the receipt for a while, then suddenly slammed the ID card on the table.
"Okay, I admit it, I went in last night."
Bai Lulu's eyes lit up.
"Where did you go?"
"Find the contract."
"Did you find it?"
"no."
"So what did you take?"
Shen Teng subconsciously said:
"coffee."
Bai Lulu immediately smiled.
"So you weren't looking for the contract, you were going to steal coffee?"
Everyone in the rehearsal hall laughed.
Shen Teng laughed, then shook his head.
"No, this thing is a bit annoying."
Shen Yan asked:
"What's bothering you?"
"It doesn't let me talk nonsense in peace."
Shen Teng pointed at Bai Lulu.
"Her smile used to look quite cheerful to me, but now it feels like an interrogation lamp."
Bai Lulu crossed her arms and smiled with satisfaction.
Chen Man looked at Shen Yan.
She has begun to reassess this trial.
This is not your average murder mystery game.
For a typical murder mystery game to be entertaining, the guests need to be skilled at playing the game and have strong reasoning abilities.
But Shen Yan's design wasn't to have them solve complex cases from beginning to end.
Instead, it puts everyone's original personality into a situation that will cause misunderstandings and pressure.
Shen Teng loves to interrupt, so every joke he makes can turn into a message.
Bai Lulu loves to laugh, so her laughter can make problems seem easier and leave the other person speechless.
Chen Man herself doesn't like to talk, but instead stands by like an inspector, scrutinizing for loopholes.
Even a complete novice like Assistant Xiao Tang was forced to explain why he had been in the office.
The trial run only lasted eight minutes, so it no longer matters who changed the contract.
Shen Teng was clearly engrossed in the game.
He started asking Xiao Tang questions on his own initiative:
"You were the first to discover the contract was missing, so why didn't you call the police first, but instead notified Agent Chen?"
Xiao Tang was stumped by the question.
"Because...because Sister Chen asked me to keep an eye on the contract."
Chen Man frowned.
"When did I tell you to keep an eye on the contract?"
Bai Lulu immediately turned to Chen Man.
"Sister Man, didn't you say you didn't want the contract to be exposed?"
Chen Man was stunned.
Shen Teng slammed his hand on the table.
"Oh, so the agent is the real big boss."
Chen Man was so angry she laughed.
"Brother Teng, stop shifting the blame."
"This isn't called shifting blame; this is called logical reasoning."
Shen Yan stood to the side and glanced at the timer.
I'll be there in ten minutes.
He didn't announce the answer immediately, but looked at Shen Teng first.
"Brother Teng, if this is a formal recording, do you think this part can be cut?"
Shen Teng did not answer immediately.
He picked up his thermos, took a sip, and looked much more serious than before.
"It can be cut."
He said.
"And it's not difficult to cut."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yan knew that the door had opened a little wider.
Shen Teng put down his cup and continued:
"There are a few interesting points here. Lulu asking me about coffee earlier can be edited out. Chen Man's expression when we questioned her can also be edited out. It would be funny to include Xiao Tang, a non-celebrity, being stumped by the questions in the behind-the-scenes footage."
He looked at Shen Yan.
"The key is that it doesn't require me to force a punchline."
Shen Yan nodded.
"right."
"In those old shows, I was always the one who kept the conversation going. This one is different; it puts everyone at risk of falling off."
Shen Teng smiled.
That's a bit harsh.
"You have to be a little sarcastic for the audience to believe it's real."
Shen Teng looked at him and suddenly asked:
"What exactly did you do in the past?"
Shen Yan did not answer immediately.
Bai Lulu also looked at him.
Shen Yan simply took the identity card back from the table.
"I've done some shows."
"Will it flop like your last one?"
"We've also had successful ones."
Shen Teng stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.
"Fine, if you don't want to talk about it, then forget it."
He leaned back in his chair.
"I can't agree to a formal recording right now. Schedule, contract, platform support—these all need to be discussed by the team."
Bai Lulu's smile faded slightly.
Shen Yan was not surprised.
Someone like Shen Teng wouldn't make a decision after just ten minutes of playing around.
"What about internal trial recording?"
Shen Teng looked at Bai Lulu.
"You really want to play?"
Bai Lulu nodded.
"think."
"Just to prove you're not just all smiles?"
Bai Lulu thought about it.
"Not entirely."
"What is that?"
"I want to see how the comments section will react when they find out I'm not what they thought."
Shen Teng paused for a moment, then smiled.
"You're quite competitive, aren't you?"
Bai Lulu also smiled.
"After being criticized for so long, you have to win at least once."
Shen Teng held his cup and remained silent for a few seconds.
He probably also remembered the comments he had seen recently.
"Is Shen Teng only capable of playing the role of Shen Teng?"
"That's how comedians are when they get old."
"They're too familiar with the routine."
Actually, he did see those words.
However, once he reaches his position, he cannot easily show that he cares.
After a while, he looked at Shen Yan.
"I'm available for the audition."
Chen Man breathed a sigh of relief.
Bai Lulu immediately smiled.
Shen Teng raised his hand.
"Don't get too excited yet. I have conditions."
Shen Yan said:
"Please speak."
"First, don't make me pretend to be smart the whole time. I can't pull it off, and it's exhausting."
"You're responsible for annoying everyone with your questions."
Shen Teng nodded.
"This is something I'm good at."
"Secondly, I don't want to be a mere tool. Don't just cut out a joke from me whenever someone gets bored."
"You're not a savior, you're a troublemaker."
Shen Teng was somewhat satisfied after listening.
"This sounds alright."
He thought for a moment, then added another sentence.
"Third, on the day of the audition, please reserve a place for me to sit."
Bai Lulu couldn't resist.
"Brother Teng!"
Shen Teng was very serious.
"Solving cases is one thing, but middle-aged people's knees also need protection."
Laughter erupted inside the room.
Shen Yan knew that the matter was basically settled.
Shen Teng's willingness to audition means that the show has gained a casual audience.
The presence of Bai Lulu only indicates that the program has a topical angle.
With Shen Teng added to the mix, Zhou Qiming could no longer treat it as an outrageous plan on paper.
Shen Teng picked up his phone and scrolled through it a few times.
"Also, if you really want to get close to Yang Mi Xue, don't go directly to her agent."
Shen Yan looked up.
Bai Lulu also looked at him.
Shen Teng said:
"Her new drama has flopped, so her team is being more cautious than anyone else. If you submit a proposal through her agent, it'll most likely be rejected by her assistant."
As he spoke, he pushed a business card onto Shen Yan's phone.
Liu An
[Yang Mi Xue Studio Vice President]
Shen Teng said:
"Liu An used to owe me a meal. He's not a bad person, just hard to talk to."
Bai Lulu muttered to herself:
"Brother Teng, how come everyone you meet is asking for food?"
Shen Teng looked at her.
"That's called connections, not owing money."
Shen Yan looked at the business card on his phone.
"Would you be willing to introduce me to someone?"
"I can send a message saying you're not a scammer."
Shen Teng thought for a moment.
"But don't count on me for the future. Whether Yang Mi Xue gets involved or not depends on your own abilities."
Shen Yan put away her phone.
That's enough.
Shen Teng leaned back in his chair, a hint of schadenfreude in his smile.
"Aren't you young people supposed to be solving cases?"
He picked up his thermos.
"First, we need to get past her team."
It was already dark when we left the rehearsal hall.
Bai Lulu followed them out, her mood noticeably lighter than when she arrived.
She looked at Shen Yan.
"Has Brother Teng finished calculating this?"
"Half of it has been calculated."
"What about your other half?"
"The day of the audition."
Bai Lulu nodded and then asked:
"Are you really going to Yang Mi Xue's place?"
Shen Yan looked at the business card on her phone.
"I'll have to go sooner or later."
"She won't agree easily."
"That's why we need to take you and Shen Teng down first."
Bai Lulu narrowed her eyes.
"I sound like a step."
Shen Yan glanced at her.
"No."
"You are the key to whether the first phase can be established."
Bai Lulu paused for a moment, then laughed.
"Planner Shen, you're speaking much more politely now than you did this morning."
"The truth usually depends on the occasion."
"So you're telling the truth now?"
"Yes."
Bai Lulu did not ask any further questions.
She put on a mask and walked to the parking lot with Chen Man.
After taking a few steps, she suddenly turned back.
"Shen Yan".
"Um?"
"Don't make me look too innocent during the audition."
Shen Yan smiled.
"You're not suited to being too obedient."
Bai Lulu's eyes crinkled slightly behind her mask.
Shen Yan stood at the entrance of the rehearsal hall, watching her get into the car and leave.
On the phone, the business card that Shen Teng had pushed to me was still on the screen.
Liu An.
Yang Mi Xue Studio Vice President.
Shen Yan knew very well that this door was more difficult to open than the previous two.
Bai Lulu needs to turn her life around, so she's willing to try.
Shen Teng had an old acquaintance with him and was also moved by the idea, so he was willing to agree.
But Yang Mi Xue is different.
She's a top-tier actress, and while it's true her new drama flopped, she still has plenty of options.
Regular variety shows beg her, talk shows beg her, brand galas beg her.
She had no reason to risk her life for a low-cost pilot project.
Unless Shen Yan can show her that there is something in this scheme that she must take.
The elevator doors opened.
Shen Yan went inside and pressed the button for the first floor.
The elevator car slowly descended.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror, the guest list for the first episode finally filled his mind.
Bai Lulu is willing to try.
Shen Teng also relented.
As for Yang Mi Xue—
Now, a crack has appeared in the door.