NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22 - Photoshoot
Chapter 22: Photoshoot
“Houshi Entertainment Headquarters, T2 Floor, Producer’s Office.”
“How about it, Miss Snow Qing? Do you have any suitable projects in mind?”
The producer just handed her a company-issued tablet, displaying various job options she could currently take.
“Of course, whether or not to accept depends on Miss Snow Qing’s personal preferences. I’m just here to introduce various possible options to you.”
He made a point of clarifying.
Snow Qing’s slender index finger slid across the tablet, maintaining silence.
“If Miss Snow Qing doesn’t have any ideas for now, I can recommend one for you.”
The producer smiled obsequiously.
“What about this? Our magic girls usually start with this type of assignment.”
“This is…”
Snow Qing’s brows lightly furrowed as she looked at the location indicated by his finger.
The matter written there—photo shoot.
Seeing Snow Qing’s expression, the producer quickly explained.
“I need to make a preemptive statement for our company. This photo shoot is absolutely in line with industry standards, with no intention of offending Miss Snow Qing. It’s merely an opportunity for magic girls to change into everyday clothes, showcasing their ‘girl’ side for the fans and presenting a different perspective. Most of our magic girls will shoot a set of these photos, and it’s the best way to promote their ‘new debut.'”
“…”
Snow Qing silently watched him prattle on.
“If Miss Snow Qing is unwilling or has any objections to this job, please treat it as if I never mentioned it.”
The producer’s smile became somewhat forced.
“It’s nothing, not a big deal. If this is the company’s practice, then let’s proceed this way.”
Snow Qing lightly closed her eyes, putting down the tablet.
“Miss Snow Qing understanding our company’s work is truly wonderful.”
“Anyway, after joining you guys, taking assignments is just a matter of time, right? Just that…”
Snow Qing’s eyes half-opened, and her purple gaze stared at the producer.
“Just that?”
The producer echoed Snow Qing’s words.
“Just that, taking photos usually involves changing clothes. Your company… doesn’t have the habit of secretly peeking at its artists, does it?”
Snow Qing’s tone was calm and serious.
“How could that be? Haha, Miss Snow Qing loves to joke.”
The producer quickly denied.
“Really?”
Snow Qing, with half-closed eyes, glanced up, then lazily leaned in close to the producer’s ear.
The surprised producer only felt an intoxicating sweetness hitting him, followed by a seductive yet ice-cold voice.
“Your executives… wouldn’t be secretly peeking right now, would they?”
The breath of her words fell on the producer’s neck, but instead of warmth, it brought a chilling cold. A drop of cold sweat slid down the producer’s forehead, feeling as if something was tightening around his heart. He was about to involuntarily speak the truth—
“Knock, knock, knock.”
Just then, the knocking sound outside the door broke the deadlock. The woman, who was close behind, leaned back against the chair back, and the illusion of her heart being locked finally disappeared. Along with it vanished the unknown “desire” that had been entwining around Snow Qing.
“Come in quickly!”
The producer’s voice shouted somewhat out of shape.
The door opened, and in came Azure and Bao Xiang.
The flowing air finally broke the stifling atmosphere in the room.
“Huh? The weirdo is not here today.”
Bao Xiang looked a bit surprised as she glanced at the vacant seat in front of the TV.
“How can you casually call others weirdos?”
Although Azure didn’t know who Bao Xiang was talking about, she spoke up in defense.
“But her name is really Weirdo, right? How did I insult anyone?”
Bao Xiang, feeling unjustly accused, protested.
The two were on the verge of arguing.
“Are your injuries healed?”
Snow Qing’s question interrupted the impending dispute.
“Well… it’s okay, just minor injuries.”
Azure said forcefully and then gestured to her right forearm.
Seeing Azure so lively, Snow Qing couldn’t help but marvel at the amazing technology of Houshi.
“Snow Qing, do you really want to join this lousy company?!”
Azure seemed to have objections to Snow Qing’s choice.
(You’re also a semi-debuted artist under Houshi. Is it really appropriate to say such things in front of others?)
Snow Qing felt somewhat speechless.
However, the producer had no reaction, still wearing a stiff smile.
“Bao Xiang, please take Miss Snow Qing to the photo studio. She’s not very familiar with this place yet.”
After hesitating for a moment, Bao Xiang finally followed the producer’s orders.
So, the three magical girls left the producer’s office. However, before leaving, Snow Qing turned her head and gave the producer a meaningful glance.
Snap.
The door closed again, and now, only the producer remained in the office.
In the quiet room, a screen slowly descended from the hidden layer of the ceiling and stopped above him.
Sizzle…
After a flash, a certain image appeared on the screen. It was a dimly lit room, and in the center of the screen appeared the figure of an old woman.
The hoary white hair and hunched figure made her look at least over eighty years old. She dragged an apparatus resembling a cyberpunk-style breathing aid on her wrinkled face. Her slightly deformed limbs and almost skeletal body were packed into a transparent pod filled with pale yellow liquid. Inside the screen, occasional gurgling sounds could be heard — the sound of bubbles rising from the nutrient liquid in the pod. The pipes of this life support chamber seemed to connect to somewhere, continuously drawing nutrients to sustain the frail life of the old woman.
But even so, the current scene still made it difficult for people not to doubt—whether the old woman in it was already a corpse, and the mysterious yellow liquid was the only reason preventing her from decomposing.
Just as the producer was “rebelliously” contemplating this, the “corpse” turned its murky gaze towards him.
“You did well. Indeed, entrusting this matter to you was the right decision.”
Gurgle, gurgle…
The person praised the producer verbally.
However, the speaking was done through a distorted electronic sound, mixed in with the noise of bubbles, making it incredibly eerie.
“Ch-Chairman, we were just following your orders. The smooth progress is all thanks to your foresight.”
The producer quickly stood up, sweating profusely, and reluctantly lowered his head to flatter.
The old woman was Houshi Group’s chairman, Hou Sun Shi—a person who had been active in the business world a hundred years ago. The years she had lived through were even longer than the history of the Federation.
“Planning is one thing, execution is another. Not everyone can execute a plan correctly.”
Gurgle, gurgle…
The old woman’s words seemed to carry a hidden meaning.
“Relatively speaking, being able to do this well makes you a qualified talent.”
“Thank you for the Chairman’s praise, but… Are we not concerned about offering such high conditions to Snow Qing?”
The producer expressed some concern.
“Don’t worry about those. What she wants is just a drop in the bucket for the company. As long as that thing can be completed smoothly—everything else is irrelevant. And she is essential to our plans.”
Gurgle, gurgle…
Even with the jarring synthetic electronic sound, there seemed to be excitement in the speaker’s tone.
“Alright, I understand, Chairman.”
The producer lowered his head.
“Remember, don’t mess things up like your predecessor, acting recklessly.”
Gurgle, gurgle…
The old woman seemed to be hinting at something.
“I-I won’t be like him, absolutely not.”
The producer hastily replied.
“Sigh, originally, this plan could have been completed faster. If it weren’t for him…”
Gurgle, gurgle…
A sigh was emitted through the synthesized sound.
The producer, keeping his head low, dared not speak.
“Because of his mistakes, we lost a TOP 10. This time, we can only succeed, understand?”
Those cloudy white eyes stared fixedly at the producer!
“Y-Yes! I understand!”
He didn’t dare to meet the other’s eyes.
As the conversation ended, the display screen slowly ascended and finally retreated into the hidden layer of the ceiling. The producer finally breathed a sigh of relief.