Chapter 36: Conquering All with Unmatched Beauty

Chapter 36: Conquering All with Unmatched Beauty

"Where did this quest come from?"

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Who dares question my image and grace?"

"Which ingrate is slandering this palace behind my back!"

Tang Fei's brows knitted at this thought. The makeup artist's movements became even gentler. "Teacher Tang, does it hurt?"

"Apologies, I had an itch on my eyebrow. It's not painful," Tang Fei quickly composed herself, hiding the turmoil within.

The makeup artist gently pressed Tang Fei's eyebrows into place.

Tang Fei blinked, dispersing the task subtitles before her eyes. She waited for the makeup artist to finish, and then proceeded with the removal of her makeup.

She returned to the chauffeured van and, settling onto the long sofa, revisited the task of outshining all others at the event, as per the mission prompt, which indicated her attendance at the ceremony was required.

She recalled that two days ago, Zhou Weichuan had mentioned going to Shanghai to find her a sponsor brand, and planned to introduce her grandly as Time Culture's leading lady, followed by a signing ceremony. Speaking of ceremonies, this was the only clue that made sense – could it be that someone from a brand had been slandering her?

If she were to outshine everyone, didn't that mean outshining all those who had ever worn the brand's clothes?

Feeling confident, Tang Fei touched her face. Could she truly surpass everyone? Even those in the brand's historical records?

The system was being cryptic again. Why not just tell her outright instead of leaving her to guess?

Or perhaps you could let me know if I'll win just by showing up this time?

...

An hour passed, but the system remained silent.

Tang Fei felt that the system was getting arrogant since it had money now.

If you're so full of yourself, I won't spend a dime on any future missions. I'll become Tightwad Tang! Think about it.

"Guide to Outshining All in the Beauty Competition Mission"

"100,000 per piece"

These words before her eyes embodied the arrogance of game designers, the essence of money-grabbing games, and Tang Fei's threat, only to slap her back in the face.

"I'm still broke. Can't you give me a discount?"

The "100,000 per piece" finally flickered in response to Tang Fei's anticipation, transforming into "99,000 per piece."

A 1% discount, how considerate! Ha-ha!

Who triggered this ridiculous mission? That backstabbing courtier?

Ten thousand lost in an instant – that courtier must be either a lowly maid or a eunuch! Prick, prick, prick, let a needle pierce them to death!

Tang Fei angrily tapped the "99,000 per piece" button.

Meanwhile, at a golf course in Shanghai, Bora's business director sneezed repeatedly. "Let's take a break, I might be allergic to something."

"The sky is getting dark. Let's call it a day. I wish you all a pleasant collaboration with Yao Hui." Zhou Weichuan put away his golf club. Bora had a girlish line, while Du Mei leaned towards maturity. He felt that Bora suited Tang Fei better, but he knew that forced matches never worked. Tang Fei could handle various styles, and a mature look would benefit her image and choice of roles. Confident in his judgment, he said to Bora's business director, "Get ready for the bet."

"We prepare for each other, and we shall see."

Switching back to Tang Fei's chauffeured van, she wasn't in a rush to practice for the next day's shoot. The strategy, costing a hefty 100,000 yuan, was surprisingly simple – it comprised just one sentence.

"Reaping the rewards of the 'Innocence Vindicated' mission at 90% completion"

She was swiping through her taskbar, where three game quests were lined up.

"The Scroll of Clearing Innocence" continued to accumulate bonuses, +12, +8, +30, and the progress had already reached 89%. The reward for reaching 90% was almost within reach.

Following closely behind, "Matchmaker's Destiny," "Lottery Drawing," "90,000 per attempt."

Tang Fei effortlessly skipped over it.

And the newly emerged "Outshining All" or "0%"

Aside from her rebellious urge against the brand's defamation and the excitement to suppress all competitors as per the mission, the allure of an unseen fashion card was also irresistible.

He Zhou noticed that his cousin was unusually not engrossed in studying the next day's shooting schedule as soon as she got in the car. He observed Tang Fei with her cheek resting on her hand, her head tilted sideways, and her eyes fixated on an imaginary point in the air, as if anticipating a large pie to materialize out of thin air. The expression on her face suggested a certain longing.

Tang Fei fixated on the Progress Bar for the Vindication Mission, watching it inch forward relentlessly until it finally reached 90%!

The system let out a sound effect akin to fireworks, as a spark erupted from that point on the progress bar. A card spun out from the "Progress Reward," landing gracefully before Tang Fei. It was adorned with a dazzling magnifying glass pattern, and a small caption beside it read:

"Assistance Search Card: Can search for items needed to complete missions."

Following the prompt, Tang Fei tapped the card and dragged it onto the 'Outshine All' mission. Two cards automatically leaped out of their slots.

"Abandoned Empress of the Cold Palace" "Exotic Beauty of the Harem"

Could these two makeup cards help her accomplish her tasks?

After the search card vanished, the two makeup cards merged together.

"Superstar Makeup Card, reusable after one use. The Abandoned Empress of Egypt, Coldness +50, Mysteriousness +48, Majesty +30, Melancholy +30, Sharpness +29, Visual Impact +20, Grace +20."

Upon seeing this array of attributes, Tang Fei's mouth gaped slightly. The Assistance Search Card seemed incredibly powerful! She glanced at the card slot, where the Assistance Search Card had turned gray, displaying "Energy Accumulation 0.1%." It wasn't a disposable card, but one with time constraints.

This was a treasure!

Observing the array of attributes, with her innate qualities, even wearing a burlap sack would be fashionable.

"He Zhou, is she rehearsing for an acting challenge?" Seeing Tang Fei's eyes dart around and her fingers pointing here and there, now with her mouth agape as if she had stumbled upon a mountain of gold, He Zhou scratched his head. "There isn't a scene where Li Xiuyun becomes money-minded in tomorrow's shoot?"

"A Zhou, cough, this is my own exercise routine to strengthen my small muscle groups," Tang Fei coughed, sweeping away the subtitles and cards before her, and focused on the script. "In just a few days, Li Xiuyun's part will wrap up. I'll miss it."

Tomorrow's shooting schedule was crucial for Li Xiuyun's character, featuring her and Su Yang's perilous journey out of the village. For three days, Li Xiuyun and Su Yang ventured beyond their village but remained within the territory of the local guardian. They hadn't encountered any major danger yet. Due to Su Yang's momentary carelessness, he didn't clear the surrounding spirit plants and animals before resting. Li Xiuyun, with her sharp senses, noticed a venomous python lurking in a nearby tree and warned Su Yang. Immediately, they entered a battle stance and subdued the snake together.

Afterward, Li Xiuyun discovered a bright purple-green tumor above the snake's head.

When provoked, the tumor began to twitch. Before Li Xiuyun could voice her suspicions, she threw herself onto the snake's head to suppress it. The tumor burst, releasing a cloud of poison.

Li Xiuyun's quick action prevented the poison from spreading, instead, it engulfed her own body. Witnessing Li Xiuyun slipping into unconsciousness, Su Yang, who had earned a box of detoxifying spirit pills as a reward from the guardian, promptly poured them all into Li Xiuyun's mouth.

However, Li Xiuyun couldn't swallow, so Su Yang dissolved the pills in water and administered them. When the water ran out, he resorted to cutting himself and mixing his blood with the pills to feed her.

As Li Xiuyun's purplish-blue complexion gradually regained its normal hue, all the spirit pills were used up.

With Li Xiuyun on his back, Su Yang dashed back towards the village, talking to her along the way. "Xiuyun, wake up, you promised to explore the world with me. Don't fall asleep just yet, it's not even dark."

"You love the song of the oriole the most. Listen to it."

"Xiuyun, let's go home. The county guardian has established a medical bureau. They'll find a way. Don't be afraid."

"Xiuyun, can you just give me a response, please?"

"I'll register at the medical bureau and volunteer as a test subject. They'll save you."

Li Xiuyun, carried on Su Yang's back, was too weak to speak or open her eyes. However, when Su Yang mentioned being a test subject, she mustered all her strength to move her fingers slightly.

Su Yang ran even faster, feeling a great weight lifted off his heart knowing that Li Xiuyun was still alive.

After reading this part of the script, Tang Fei's eyes glistened with moisture. "Li Xiuyun is about to exit Su Yang's captivating story. Su Yang will embark on his journey from the county guardian's medical bureau, on his path to becoming the world's strongest psychic master."

"Brother, I've heard that when this scene was serialized, many readers offered to send local specialties to the author, asking for their address. Li Xiuyun's popularity soared during this segment," said He Zhou, holding the 'Psychic Tide' novel, which he had read while Tang Fei was filming.

"I felt like sending something to the author too," Tang Fei put down the script. Tomorrow would mainly involve physical exertion, following the martial arts instructor to execute various moves.

She stood up to stretch her muscles and recalled that 'Innocent Until Proven Guilty' was almost 90% complete. She should be able to connect to the internet now! It had been almost a week since she was disconnected, and it was quite pitiful.

"A Zhou, I need to make a call. Could you return my phone to me?"

"Who are you calling?" He Zhou took out Tang Fei's phone. The public opinion had already shifted. Tang Fei's black materials were being collectively debunked by netizens across various websites. Time Culture and Zhou Weichuan had invested a lot of money and effort. He Zhou genuinely believed that his cousin had found a reliable company and boss.

To ensure Tang Fei's reputation wasn't just rectified online, they even invited people to write articles in print media.

"From the Rumors Surrounding Tang Fei: A Study on Fandom Culture" — Star City Daily

"Interpreting the Legal Boundaries When Fans Fabricate Rumors for Their Idols" — Daily Law Digest

"The Human Paradox Reflected in Virtual Society: Tang Fei, the Victimized Celebrity" — Great Wall Magazine

Equipped with the Superstar Card produced by the system, Tang Fei was confident in her victory and wanted to investigate who was questioning her appearance and temperament. She intended to invite that person to her signing ceremony and complete her mission right before their eyes. If only the system could produce a Stone-hearted Card, she would use it on that villain, making them praise her 360 degrees every day. After waking up from the delusion, they would surely be miserable!

Hehehaha!

Tang Fei immersed herself in an amusing mental fantasy.

It wasn't until He Zhou dialed Zhou Weichuan's phone that Tang Fei tore herself away from the pleasant fantasy.

"After becoming an actress, it seems my imagination has improved," Tang Fei wiped her eyes.

"Hello, He Zhou?"

"It's me, Boss Zhou."

"Tang Fei, why are you calling me?" Zhou Weichuan sat on the hotel desk, his long legs crossed and resting firmly on the carpet. Upon hearing Tang Fei's voice, he stood up and resettled back into his seat.

"I came to discuss business. Which brand did you talk to?"

"I've secured Du Mei Women's Wear. I'll head to their headquarters tomorrow to choose the new collection for the upcoming season. Would you like to pick yourself? I can send you model photos."

"Did everything go smoothly?"

"Smoothly."

"I don't believe it for a second. I predicted it today – someone must be talking behind my back! Spill, who is it?"

"Did Hai Sheng mention it to you?"

"…Yes!" Tang Fei muttered. Hai Sheng had apologized in advance for throwing her under the bus, promising to make it up later.

"The Business Director of Belan. They have a collaboration with Yao Hui."

"Boss, I have a small request."

"Go on."

"Let the Belan Business Director attend the signing ceremony and sit in the front row, right in the center! The most prominent spot."

"Great minds think alike."

"You agree with me?"

"Yes, I do."

...

The line fell silent, as if both of them had run out of things to say. To break the awkwardness, Zhou Weichuan and Tang Fei spoke in unison, "I..."

"Go ahead, you first," Zhou Weichuan offered politely.

"I'll hang up then," Tang Fei felt a tingle on her cheeks.

"Me too."

Beep-beep...

Tang Fei hung up first. Zhou Weichuan exhaled deeply, listening to the fading beeps before he slowly put down the phone. Gazing at the towering neon lights outside the hotel window, he murmured, "A perfect masterpiece – would the creator's excessive proximity ruin it?"

If a female celebrity were involved in a scandal with her boss, wouldn't her career suffer? He needed to restrain himself.