Chapter 11 – The Devil's Contract
The harsh, utilitarian glow of the studio lights had dimmed to the standby wattage, casting long, dramatic shadows across the abandoned set.
The reality show crew had dispersed into the late evening, exhausted after another grueling seventeen-hour shoot.
Xiao Xi remained seated in a forgotten corner, her cheap phone clutched in her hand, scrolling through the dizzying, constantly updating comment section.
The transformation in public perception was staggering, almost unbelievable.
Her name now trended with jubilant, positive hashtags:
#XiaoXiQueenOfComebacks#
#TheLazyActressWhoWonHearts#
#SheCanCookAndSheCanSaveLives#
Her lips twitched with a mixture of dark amusement and satisfaction.
"So the 'lazy' cannon fodder is trending again," she muttered, checking her system.
Her Luck was stable, holding above 1,000 points—a solid buffer against the plot's malice.
Just then, a dramatic, authoritative chime resonated in her mind, accompanied by a pulsing red overlay on her vision.
[Main Quest Unlocked — The Devil's Contract]
[Description: Solidify alliance with Prime Variable Gu Yanzhou through binding agreement. Risk of emotional exposure: High.]
[Reward: +500 Luck Points + Hidden Skill.]
She frowned, the amusement dissolving into caution.
"Devil's Contract? Sounds ominous.
Why is the system pushing me toward an entanglement with the male lead?" It suggested that aligning with Gu Yanzhou was not just strategically sound, but vital to rewriting the fate of the entire world-line.
Minutes later, her phone buzzed—not with a social media alert, but a direct, encrypted message.
Gu Yanzhou: Come to my office.
Now.
The top floor suite at the Dynasty Tower.
The sheer demand in the message was vintage Gu Yanzhou, the corporate emperor who expected instant compliance.
Xiao Xi stood up, a slow, predatory smile spreading across her face. He's not asking for a casual meeting.
He's establishing dominance.
Good.
The Dynasty Tower was a monument to wealth and power.
In his private, minimalist top-floor suite, all polished marble and floor-to-ceiling city views, Gu Yanzhou was waiting.
He looked less like a corporate CEO and more like a king receiving tribute.
He didn't bother with pleasantries.
He merely gestured toward the expensive leather armchair and slid a document—thick, heavy, and bound in black leather—across the vast, mahogany table.
"Read it," he ordered, his voice devoid of emotion.
The contract was a masterpiece of legal ruthlessness.
Xiao Xi quickly skimmed the corporate jargon, her former CEO brain easily dissecting the intent.
"A three-month exclusive contract," she summarized, placing the document back down.
"I agree to only accept projects and endorsements greenlit by your appointed team.
I follow your public guidance and narrative.
And in exchange, you pour significant investment into my career, effectively turning me into a national A-lister in ninety days.
Your benefit is the publicity, the media distraction, and the goodwill generated by 'rescuing' the fallen star."
Gu Yanzhou nodded once.
"Correct. You become a highly marketable brand, and I regain public visibility that distracts from the ongoing restructuring of my empire.
It's clean."
Her gaze met his—a challenging, prolonged stare over the black leather binder.
"You're treating me like a product.
A controlled brand asset, Mr. Gu."
"Business is business, Xiao Xi," he replied smoothly, the harsh, cynical truth hanging in the air.
"We both know you need this capital and strategic control to achieve your objective—survival.
I provide the leash and the resources."
She laughed, a low, throaty sound that surprised even him.
"Fine. Business is business.
But devils don't come cheap."
"What are your terms?"
"Fifty-fifty creative control over my public image.
I am the face of the brand;
I decide the expression.
And when this three months is over, any career assets you've built for me—contracts, endorsements, name value—are non-revocable and remain mine.
No clawback."
He looked at her, a hint of admiration finally entering his eyes.
"You drive a harder bargain than some of my rivals.
Agreed."
Xiao Xi took the pen he offered, its weight heavy and balanced.
She signed her name with a flourish, the signature steady and confident—the mark of a CEO, not a cannon fodder actress.
The second the ink dried, the System pulsed with a massive, celebratory chime.
[System Notice: Contract Complete — Luck +500.]
[Current Luck: 1500.]
[Hidden Skill Unlocked: 'Charm of Persuasion.' (A temporary skill enhancing rhetoric and public influence during emotional high-stakes situations.)]
Xiao Xi looked up, a triumphant glint in her eyes.
She had negotiated her way to a massive increase in power, tied herself to the safest, most resource-rich variable in the world, and gained a new strategic skill.
The Devil's Contract was signed, and she was already winning.
"Welcome aboard, Mr. Gu," she said, rising to her feet.
"Welcome to the new reality, Miss Xiao Xi," he returned, a challenge in his voice.
"Let's see if you can manage the fame I'm about to give you."