The most important things now are to repay the debts and to cover the medical expenses for the original host's parents.
In addition, the penalty for breaching the contract of being kept must also be paid.
These sums of money were astronomical. While they wouldn't have been a huge amount for her in her past life, for the original host, they were an unimaginable fortune.
Lin Yan walked back from the window to the sofa, sat down, and took out the original host's phone. She began to browse for information online.
As Lin Yan was searching for recent entertainment news on her phone, someone opened the apartment door and entered.
"Hello, Miss Lin. I am Fang Zhou, the boss's assistant." A long-haired woman in a sharp, tailored skirt approached Lin Yan.
"Hello," Lin Yan replied, mimicking the original host's personality and tone.
"I have a meeting soon, so let's make this quick!" Fang Zhou took a USB drive and a file bag from a tote bag she was carrying.
"Here are photos and some videos of Miss Yang Meng. The boss instructed that you must study them thoroughly. After all, you are earning a very high salary!"
Fang Zhou's voice carried a hint of disdain, and her gaze towards Lin Yan was dismissive.
She made no attempt to hide her contempt for Lin Yan. After all, this woman merely possessed a face that bore some resemblance to Miss Yang Meng; in every other aspect, she was worthless. She couldn't even compare to Miss Yang Meng's little finger. Moreover, signing such a contract with the boss meant she was someone willing to sell everything for money.
It was truly contemptible! As a woman herself, while she respected different lifestyles, people like this were simply not her kind!
"Miss Fang, have my father's medical fees been paid?" Lin Yan ignored the disdainful look.
"Please rest assured, Miss Lin. Your father has been moved to an independent ward, and the best specialists in the city are consulting on his case. So you can be at ease."
She had forgotten; this woman had signed the contract for her ailing father. It wasn't as awful as she had initially thought. Still, she couldn't quite understand why this woman, with a high level of education, didn't find other work but chose to sell herself!
"Then please thank Manager Zhao for me. I will study diligently." Only then did Lin Yan take the USB drive and file bag from Fang Zhou.
"Well, Miss Lin, I'll leave you to it," Fang Zhou said and turned to leave without waiting for Lin Yan's reply.
"Host, she was incredibly rude!" The system was infuriated by Fang Zhou's behavior, feeling it was a complete disregard for its host.
"That's normal. People who earn money through their own abilities don't think highly of someone like the original host who is being kept." Lin Yan said calmly, as if she weren't talking about herself. She didn't care about others' opinions; the deed was done, and there was no point in dwelling on it.
"Let's go. We should see what kind of person this Miss Yang Meng is." Lin Yan picked up the USB drive and the materials and entered the study in the apartment.
The USB drive contained a lot of content: videos of Yang Meng attending various events, clips of her various roles, and her performances on variety shows. Lin Yan said nothing, merely watching intently. The system, however, watching alongside her, let out a gasp of surprise.
"Host, is she trying to imitate you?"
The person in the videos, though striving to project an air of effortless grace and composure, showed very obvious signs of acting. This was especially true in the earlier videos. Furthermore, the female lead wasn't born into a wealthy family. Yet, she desperately tried to appear as if she had deep roots and a sophisticated background. Unbeknownst to her, such behavior was extremely clumsy to those with discerning eyes. The system, having been with its host for a long time, understood her expressions and actions intimately. It saw many imitative traces in Yang Meng.
"It's not so much that she's imitating me; she's imitating the original host as she perceives her to be." The transmigration protagonist had read the original novel and undoubtedly formed an image of the original host in her mind. Therefore, she was acting out that imagined version of the original host. However, she wasn't really suited for this style. Her early performances should have leaned towards a more sweet and charming persona, while her later ones could have adopted a more passionate and straightforward approach. She was naturally more outgoing and lively than the original host, which would have allowed her to express her true nature without suppression. Moreover, the original host was an artist and had received etiquette training. Over time, that poise had become ingrained in her very being. This was also why she was intent on suppressing the original host. After all, no matter how much one imitated, when standing side-by-side with the original host, any discerning person could instantly see the difference in quality. Did she not orchestrate Manager Zheng's arrangement to keep the original host precisely because she feared the original host appearing in the public eye?
"In this state, she can only fool ordinary people. True aristocratic families wouldn't be interested in someone like her," Lin Yan said, shaking her head. It seemed she wouldn't need to learn Yang Meng's behavior patterns much; all she needed to do was reveal her true self. With this thought, she closed the videos and began to research the technological level of this world online. It was comparable to her original world, but perhaps because of the transmigration protagonist, the entertainment industry's development might not be as rapid as in her own world. The development of this entertainment industry seemed to be at a level lower than in her previous worlds. The transmigration protagonist, in her quest to shine brightly in the entertainment industry, had usurped many opportunities that rightfully belonged to others in the original novel. This had caused many people's careers to stall, and numerous celebrities from the original novel were shelved or suppressed due to resource conflicts with the protagonist. The transmigration protagonist had changed the destinies of many, but she clearly didn't care, as long as she herself was happy. The once flourishing cultural and entertainment industry had become monotonous because of the protagonist. The appreciation for diverse body types, once prevalent, had become somewhat distorted due to her influence.
Lin Yan seemed to have an idea of what she needed to do. Setting aside any high-minded reasons, she would be happy just to see a look of frustration appear on the protagonist's face. However, she needed to plan carefully; she was still a novice and would gradually learn the rules of this market. Everything was new, and that meant it was full of challenges!
"Manager Zheng, the items have been delivered to Miss Lin." Fang Zhou reported back to her boss after returning to the company.
"Good. Also, find her a posture teacher. If she tries to learn on her own, who knows how long it will take!" Manager Zheng said casually, looking at a photo of his goddess on his desk.
"Understood, Manager Zheng. Besides a posture teacher, should I also find a performance coach?" Fang Zhou asked thoughtfully.
"Then find one for both. Get a good teacher, so she doesn't end up looking like a mess!" Manager Zheng also held a dismissive opinion of Lin Yan, but her face truly resembled Yang Meng's. If Yang Meng weren't so difficult to approach, he wouldn't have sought a substitute to keep by his side.