Chapter 48: A Flourishing of Both Literary and Physical Pursuits

On the first day of the university sports meet, the School of Media and Communication soared to the top of the leaderboard with a total of fourteen points, claiming first place in both the javelin and discus events. Mr. Li from "Media-91" displayed extraordinary talent, stirring up a bit of buzz online.

That very day, the school swiftly registered Li Jie as a decathlete, and as long as he performed as expected at the provincial games, he was essentially guaranteed a spot at next year’s World Athletics Championships. The provincial sports bureau even sent representatives to verify his results, reviewed the video replay, and measured the data on site with their own equipment. In the end, they extended an invitation for him to join the trial training.

Li Jie declined that very evening.

Guo Rong was so anxious he paced in circles, firing off several voice messages in succession, so hurried they sounded almost like rap.

“Come on, Brother Rong, with my ability, do I really need a trial?”

“Old Li, listen to your brother’s advice: If you accept the trial and pass, you might have the chance to join the national team’s training camp. If you shine at the championships, and then, who knows, maybe even win an Olympic gold—think of those big fat bonuses!”

“Brother Rong, what if I compete as an individual and take our school’s flag with me? What do you think?”

“That actually sounds pretty good!”

Guo Rong mused that since his name included the character for “glory,” it must mean that he was destined for wealth and honor in this lifetime.

He decided to go all in.

That night, Guo Rong took his father, Guo Wei, out for a late-night snack and brought up the matter.

“Are you out of your mind? Only by joining the training camp can you get a professional team and the best training equipment. Otherwise, how do athletes achieve results? By relying on miracles, not science? You just don’t understand the basic principles of modern sports development!”

Old Guo Wei scolded his son as if he were disciplining a grandchild, leaving Guo Rong quite dejected.

But Guo Rong had his reasons: “Dad, we have to respect Li Jie’s personal wishes. Besides, he’s thriving both in the arts and in sports—there’s no need to tie himself down to just one path. Excelling in both areas is the absolute best choice for his personal growth.”

“You can’t only think about personal development. You also have to consider the honor of the school, the country, right? And…”

“He already told me—he made several million from filming.”

“Well, we really can’t morally coerce others, especially a student, especially a student from our own school. As educators, it’s our duty to create a good learning environment for students. That’s our contribution to society, the country, and the people.”

Dean Guo promptly grabbed a beer bottle and filled his son’s plastic cup. “Didn’t you say he only made eight thousand? What’s this about millions?”

“Oh, here’s the thing: eight thousand was the price for the broadcast rights of one episode. Local TV stations only pay that much. But Li Jie is diligent and capable—he sold to dozens of stations, so those millions just rolled in.”

Hearing this, Dean Guo’s eyes lit up: if only his own son could be like Li!

“I heard he grew up in an orphanage? He must be lacking in fatherly love, right?” Dean Guo was considering volunteering himself.

Guo Rong stared speechlessly at his father, then said, “Dad, stop drinking and have some peanuts.”

Two glasses of “horse urine” later, the old man seemed to be hallucinating.

After chatting for a while, Dean Guo felt that the Guo family’s opportunity had arrived. From his son’s description, Li was truly flourishing in the arts. No wonder he wore a mask throughout the competition, looking like a bank robber at first glance—it turned out he was advertising his own works and products.

Such professionalism, such business acumen—if only his son could be like Li! And he’s missing a father!

However, before Guo Wei could step in as Li’s father, the famous director Ai Shoujin had already claimed the role.

In Guangling, Ai Shoujin had originally called Li Jie to tell him that “Grand Enterprise Films” there was playing dirty, hiring internet trolls to attack him. But the spike in online traffic actually pushed Li Jie onto the trending lists of mainstream media. Even though it only lasted a few hours, it was still a big win.

Previously, Chen Pi had asked Ding Wei’s agent’s assistant, Xiao Dong, to come over, but she’d been hesitant. Today, seeing a muscular man in a mask trending online and even making it onto the provincial education channel, Xiao Dong immediately quit her old job. She joined “Creative Capacity” on the spot, ready to become Ding Wei’s manager as soon as he arrived.

Since Ding Wei hadn’t arrived yet, she started getting familiar with “Creative Capacity’s” operations, which mainly involved organizing various offline events. Shopping malls and retailers in the three districts and one county of Jianye weren’t interested in “The Vast Heavens” or its creator Li Jie, but they were very interested in “Masked Calabash Hero” and “Power Red.”

So, it didn’t matter if Li Jie’s face wasn’t there. The muscle and “Power Red” costume were all they needed.

The rates were negotiable—five thousand, eight thousand, even ten thousand per appearance—all urgent bookings, with everyone afraid of delays past New Year’s.

Why the rush?

Because once the New Year arrived, “Masked Calabash Hero: Power Red” would be released in theaters and online, and after that, booking “Power Red” for events would start at fifteen or even twenty thousand per appearance.

But since the demand was urgent and “Creative Capacity” didn’t have many muscular men, they had to negotiate with gyms one by one.

Some gym owners, thinking themselves clever, wanted to exploit the “Masked Calabash Hero” image directly, but Chen Pi shot them down.

So now, the main recruitment ground was still among university fitness enthusiasts: low cost, and college students’ eyes shone with innocence.

On the second day of the Jianye Academy of Arts’ sports meet, Chen Pi and Xiao Dong visited the office of the vice dean of the School of Industrial Design, Guo Wei.

“Hello, Dean Guo. I’m Chen Pi, assistant to President Li; this is Dong Sharen.”

“Hello, Dean Guo.”

“Good, good, please, have a seat…”

Guo Wei eagerly invited them in—today was full of good news.

First, a third-year student who loved working out in the gym had just signed an artist contract with “Creative Capacity.” Even if a future in design didn’t work out, he could always become a live-action stunt double.

Second, for this year’s social practice, “Creative Capacity” was willing to provide platforms and projects—whether it was factory drafting or organizing activities with children at Niutou Mountain’s “Hengqiang Loving Kindergarten,” these were all meaningful experiences.

Third, his son Guo Rong had received praise from the university leadership, as Li Jie’s record-breaking feats were in part due to Counselor Guo Rong’s perceptive eye for talent.

Lastly, all of “Creative Capacity’s” “Rocking Arts and Crafts Factory” planned to entrust the design of the “Calabash Wonderland” series of water cups to Vice Dean Guo Wei of the School of Industrial Design at Jianye Academy of Arts.

Dean Guo, always disinterested in fame and fortune, wasn’t swayed by the two hundred thousand design fee. He simply wanted to do his part for the career development of his students.

So he didn’t rush Chen Pi to sign the contract but merely asked if there would be more such opportunities in the future. If there were, Dean Guo would be more than willing to help his students—no questions asked.