Chapter 529

"Of course I hope you can make this film according to your own ideas, not the way Longyan wants you to do it—"

Chen Ziyan met up with Liu Bige and Miao Yue to talk about their next movie, the one they were looking to star Lu Yanhe in.

“Even commercially oriented spy movies haven’t really had any examples of particularly high box office returns, right?” Chen Ziyan said. “This genre has its limits. There are many classics, and they are popular with audiences, but it’s very difficult to achieve a breakthrough at the box office.”

Liu Bige smiled.

"Ziyan, do you want me to film it in an artsy style?"

“No, it’s neither art-house nor commercial.” Chen Ziyan shook her head. “I hope you can stick to your auteurship and make the film according to your true ideas, without being pretentious and making it all mysterious and convoluted, or like those spy dramas on the market, making this film according to so-called narrative logic and commercial logic.”

Liu Bige turned to look at Miao Yue.

Miao Yue: "Why are you looking at me? You're the director."

Liu Bige asked Chen Ziyan, "Ziyan, are you really that pessimistic about this movie's box office performance? Are you afraid I'll botch it?"

“No, it’s precisely in our collaboration that box office revenue is the least important thing to me.” Chen Ziyan shook her head. “I also hope you won’t be influenced by the people from Longyan Film Industry.”

Chen Ziyan knew that as an actor's agent, talking to Liu Bige about this was somewhat overstepping her boundaries.

Therefore, she could only try her best to make this exchange seem like it was between friends in private.

“I also hope that you won’t waste such a good start as ‘Late Spring’,” Chen Ziyan said. “There is no shortage of commercial film directors in China, and the market will support them. But directors like you who can win international awards—sorry, I’ll be blunt—are few and far between. This is not something that can be cultivated by the market. This is your greatest uniqueness.”

Chen Ziyan made no attempt to hide her thoughts when she said these things.

Many people might hesitate, thinking that speaking like this is too direct, too worldly, and too materialistic.

But in reality, it depends on who says it.

If an agent like Chen Ziyan talks to you about romance and highbrow topics, no one wants to listen.

Moreover, Liu Bige himself is not the cynical academic type.

There is a common impression that artists are out of step with the world.

However, a review of the life experiences of most outstanding artists reveals that this is not the case at all.

Chen Ziyan had interacted with Liu Bige many times and knew his personality well. Liu Bige wasn't the kind of artist who would never talk about fame or fortune.

He wasn't pretending.

As expected, Liu Bige simply nodded thoughtfully at what Chen Ziyan said.

Miao Yue asked, "Sister Ziyan, do you hope Yan He will act in this film? Is it an art film?"

“I did have that consideration,” Chen Ziyan said frankly. “I didn’t tell Yan He about this. If I had, he would have told me not to interfere with your creative process. Bi Ge, you know Yan He’s personality. He doesn’t realize that everyone’s creative work is subject to interference. No work is ever made exactly according to the creator’s intentions. My selfish reason is simple: none of the films Yan He is currently working on are particularly artistic, and his next film happens to be a collaboration with you. In particular, your combination is the perfect pairing to compete for awards. I think it would be a shame if you didn’t.”

“Sister Ziyan is right,” Liu Bige laughed. “Actually, I think the same way you do, but I haven’t been able to reach an agreement with Longyan. They want to make this spy film a big-budget film with an all-star cast. My own thoughts are, first of all, that I want to be able to decide the actors myself, instead of just stuffing a bunch of big stars in. I hate those demanding, critical big-name stars who always question the director’s ideas. Besides, I also want to make this film more down-to-earth. I even want to make it like a documentary, rather than something that’s obviously a movie. I want the style of this film to give the audience a sense of realism.”

Chen Ziyan nodded.

Liu Bige said, "It's even rougher and simpler than the photography style of 'Late Spring.' I wanted to use a lot of long shots here to give a panoramic presentation."

Chen Ziyan's heart immediately surged with excitement. Just hearing Liu Bige say that, Chen Ziyan almost had an idea. This style was indeed the way film festivals operated. Films that looked very refined were not really to the taste of the film festival judges.

Liu Bige said, "But Longyan doesn't want the movie to be made like that."

"Is there anything you need me to do?" Chen Ziyan asked.

Liu Bige: "You need to convince them that even if it's made into a star-studded blockbuster, the box office won't be very high."

Liu Bige is not the kind of director who makes big-budget films.

Chen Ziyan: "I'd like to meet Mrs. Huang."

-

The movie is called "Calming Wind No. 1".

After receiving the script, Chen Ziyan read it carefully.

The next day, she arranged to meet Mrs. Wong.

It was a beautiful, sunny day with a gentle breeze, and I felt very relaxed.

Upon hearing her purpose, Huang Taiyi smiled and asked, "What, is it Liu Bige who came to ask you to act as a mediator?"

Chen Ziyan smiled and said, "It wasn't Liu Bige who asked me to be his intermediary; it was I who wanted to persuade him not to make this film according to the formula of a commercial spy film."

Huang Tai narrowed his eyes slightly.

Chen Ziyan immediately said, "Mrs. Huang, please don't misunderstand. I have no intention of interfering in your company's projects at all. I am just making this suggestion from my perspective as Yan He's agent and the agent of the main character of this movie."

Huang Tai looked at Chen Ziyan and said, "If we follow Liu Bige's own ideas to make this movie, the box office will be at most another 100 million, 200 million? At most 300 million, you don't object to that, do you?"

“I don’t object,” Chen Ziyan said. “But, Mrs. Huang, if it’s filmed like this, it definitely won’t win any awards at international film festivals, let alone the copyright revenue that comes with winning awards. And even if it’s made into a blockbuster with an all-star cast, it has no special effects and it’s not a genre that’s currently a box office hit. Based on the market situation over the past five years, its ceiling isn’t high. Even with the combination of Liu Bige and Lu Yanhe, it would only reach around 600 to 700 million.”

"Isn't six or seven hundred million enough?" Mrs. Huang looked at Chen Ziyan with some surprise.

She had originally thought Chen Ziyan was going to speak even lower.

Chen Ziyan said, "Compared to the revenue that Liu Bige, Miao Yue, and Lu Yanhe, a trio of actors, can earn from winning international awards and then selling the copyrights, six or seven hundred million is not enough, whether in the short or long term. Many people think that art films don't make money, but that's because many domestic films can only earn money from theatrical releases. However, Mrs. Huang, you have the film 'Late Spring,' and it has been released for two or three years. It should still be earning you copyright fees, right?"

Mrs. Huang remained noncommittal, neither nodding nor shaking her head.

“Many films, after their initial release and the sale of their television and online rights, never sell again and end up sitting in warehouses. However, if a film wins an award, or if the director becomes increasingly successful, their work will continue to receive attention,” Chen Ziyan said. “This is the second reason I want to give. Liu Bige is not a director suited to making blockbuster films. I’ve talked to him many times, and he’s definitely cut out to be an auteur. If you don’t let a director like that fully express his ideas and instead force him to make films in a certain formula, it’s very likely to lead to the opposite of what you intended.”

Huang Tai looked at Chen Ziyan and said, "It sounds like you know Liu Bige better than I do."

“After all, I’m the agent, and you’re the owner of a film company.” Chen Ziyan didn’t back down because of this, remaining neither humble nor arrogant. “Mrs. Huang, Longyan is a large and powerful company, and it doesn’t really lack directors of commercial or genre films. The industry’s estimated box office for ‘Burning Fire’ is at least 1 billion. To be honest, ‘Dingfeng No. 1’ won’t make 1 billion no matter how it’s marketed. For directors and actors of Liu Bige and Lu Yanhe’s caliber, a commercial film that doesn’t make 1 billion is likely to be seen as a failure by the market, especially with an all-star cast. It might attract attention and be popular in the market, but a movie still has to be released.”

Chen Ziyan's implication was clear: even if a movie with an all-star cast, a commercial blockbuster (as advertised), grosses 700-800 million yuan, in the eyes of the market, such a film is not considered a success even with 700-800 million yuan. This will still affect the market's attitude towards Longyan, in other words, the stock market's attitude.

Huang Tai said, "If the market positions Liu Bige as an art film director, then it will truly be a loss for us in Longyan."

“The market should see Liu Bige as an art film director with great box office results, such as ‘Late Spring,’ which sold more than 500 million yuan at the box office, with a very low production cost,” Chen Ziyan said. “I believe that ‘Even Faking Death Is Not an Option’ will follow the same path.”

"Your insistence on bringing 'Dingfeng No. 1' back to Liu Bige's ideas is for Lu Yanhe's sake?"

“Yes.” Chen Ziyan still spoke frankly, “Liu Bige is not a director I signed. To be honest, what kind of director he wants to be is not my concern. But this is a very good script. I listened to Liu Bige’s ideas and I also think that this film will not be worse than ‘Late Spring’. Regardless of whether it wins awards or not, with the achievements of ‘Late Spring’ and the presence of Yan He as the lead actor, it should be no problem to submit it to an international film festival.”

"International film festivals..." Huang Tai smiled, "Are you really determined to win a Best Actor award for Lu Yanhe?"

Chen Ziyan smiled and said, "Whether or not he is a movie star, if Yan He's international fame grows, it will definitely be beneficial to the 'Burning Fire' series."

Mrs. Huang's eyes flickered slightly.

-

After Lu Yanhe and everyone else finished preparing the barbecue for over a hundred people, watched them enjoy their meal, and then saw them off, leaving only scraps, they still had to clean up, pack up, and throw away the trash. By the time they finished, it was already past 11 p.m.

“We haven’t eaten anything yet,” Peng Zhixing said with a smile. “I’ll book a place, let’s get something to eat, this is our last meal together.”

At this moment, Li Zhenzhen said, "Thank you all for your hard work. Congratulations on completing our last task. Our production team has prepared a late-night snack for you."

"Wow, did the production team suddenly have a change of heart?" Li Zhibai was the first to express his shock.

Others followed suit, expressing their surprise.

Li Zhenzhen's face darkened, and she joked, "Then forget it, let's not record anymore, let's just end this season like this."

Everyone moved on to the next scene, laughing and joking.

Surprisingly, the production team even hired a chef to make these barbecues on the spot, instead of having them pre-made, packaged, and then heated on the charcoal fire.

The two taste completely different.

This also shows the production team's fondness for and care of these celebrities.

Otherwise, they could simply do something perfunctory and just get by.

In this final segment, Li Zhenzhen said, "At the end of this season, let's play all the games one more time. Many of the games that appeared on our show have now become popular games for friends to play at gatherings. Many viewers have been calling for us to do more of these kinds of game segments."

"Shall we play games first?"

"Let's eat and play at the same time," Li Zhenzhen said. "The first game is turtle soup. After you finish eating, we'll start playing other games."

"Sure, sure." Li Zhibai nodded. "Was it you who set the questions?"

“Yes, we’ll set the questions.” Li Zhenzhen nodded with a smile.

Su Xiao asked, "Is it going to be very scary again?"

"Ours isn't that scary; it's more like a brain teaser."

"That's good."

"Give me a question," Yan Liang said with a smile, then picked up a skewer of pork belly and started eating.

Li Zhenzhen poses the question: "The soup noodles are like this: My pants are torn, and I know I'm about to die."

Xiao Yun remained the most proactive one.

"Did someone stab me in the thigh with a knife?"

"No." Li Zhenzhen shook her head.

Xiao Yun then asked, "Was I murdered?"

Li Zhenzhen shook her head: "No."

"Huh?" Xiao Yun was taken aback. "There are actually people in the sea turtle soup who weren't killed?"

Su Xiao immediately followed up with, "Did I commit suicide?"

Li Zhenzhen shook her head: "No."

Yan Liang pressed further, "Was my death accidental?"

Li Zhenzhen hesitated for a moment, then said, "Yes and no."

Everyone was puzzled.

Lu Yanhe, munching on roasted corn, also frowned.

"Then what could this be?" Liu Zhiyin asked in surprise. "It's not murder, it's not suicide, and it's not an accidental death."

“What she said is both right and wrong,” Lu Yanhe corrected. “It’s similar to an accidental death, but the description isn’t quite accurate.”

"An accident?" Peng Zhixing asked immediately, "Did someone die in an accident?"

Li Zhenzhen smiled and nodded: "Yes."

Lu Yanhe hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Do I know I'm about to die because I'm injured?"

"No." Li Zhenzhen shook her head.

"Not injured either?" Xiao Yun chewed on beef, his cheeks puffing out. "Then what could it be? An accident, but not injured. Did I die from injuries?"

Li Zhenzhen shook her head, "No."

Everyone was stunned.

"This is an accident, yet there are no injuries, and he knows he's going to die. What's going on?" Peng Zhixing was also very surprised.

Lu Yanhe thought for a long time, "I know I'm going to die, is it related to my torn pants?"

"yes."

“My pants were torn, but I wasn’t injured—and I knew I was going to die—” Li Zhi asked, “Was he wearing fireproof or waterproof pants, and he happened to be in a very dangerous environment? Were the pants his protective gear?”

The others suddenly realized.

"That's right."

"You can do it this way too."

"Is it a diving suit?" Xiao Yun's eyes lit up, and he instantly realized, "He's a diver? His pants are torn and leaking!"

"Wow, Xiao Yun, you've gotten smarter!"

"What do you mean by getting smarter? I've always been smarter than you!"

Just when everyone thought Xiao Yun had already guessed it, Li Zhenzhen shook her head.

"no."

The group of people were stunned. "Huh?"

"It's not this one?"

"Holy crap, what else could it be?"

The group of people looked at each other in bewilderment.

Seeing this, Li Zhenzhen offered a suggestion, saying, "But Xiao Yun's line of thinking is correct."

Yan Liang immediately said, "Am I a firefighter? Am I in a fire?"

“No.” Li Zhenzhen also shook her head.

"What else could be the case?" Everyone fell into deep thought.

Lu Yanhe raised his hand.

"Am I an astronaut? I was walking in outer space and found my pants were torn? So, my spacesuit lost pressure and I ran out of oxygen?"

Li Zhenzhen smiled and nodded: "Yes."

"Ugh—" Xiao Yun immediately expressed his disgust, "This turtle soup is so boring."

“Even a turtle soup that’s not scary isn’t very fun,” Liu Zhiyin said.

"Didn't you always complain that horror games are too scary and you're afraid to play them?" Li Zhibai looked at them with disdain.

"Who wouldn't dare!" Xiao Yun said. "Then you make an offer now!"

Li Zhibai immediately looked at Li Zhenzhen.

"Sister Zhenzhen, bring me the scariest one!"

Li Zhenzhen said, "We can't bring the scariest content; we have to be careful about the scale when the show airs."

Lu Yanhe suddenly remembered a turtle soup he had seen before, so he said, "Then I'll make a noodle soup, and you guys guess what it is."

"Come, come, come."

Lu Yanhe said, “A girl checked into a cheap hotel. The room was very simple, with only a portrait, a bed, and a table. There was no light or window in the room, only a candle for illumination. She was very tired, but she slept very restlessly. When she woke up the next day, she looked at the room and ran out in fear.”

"Such a long bowl of soup noodles."

"Mm." Lu Yanhe nodded.

"Did the girl discover the body?" This was the first time Xiao Yun had asked such a question.

Lu Yanhe shook his head. "No."

"Are there any dead people in this story?" Peng Zhixing asked.

"no."

"Is the girl afraid because of another person?" Yan Liang asked.

"yes."

Liu Zhiyin had already started to hug her own arms with both hands.

"Is there another person in the room?" she asked.

“No.” Lu Yanhe shook his head.

"Huh? She's scared because of someone else, but there's no one else in the room?" Xiao Yun frowned, then suddenly realized something, and the hairs on his body stood on end. "Could it be that she discovered someone was spying on her?"

Lu Yanhe hesitated for a moment before answering, "Yes and no."

"Yes and no?" Li Zhibai asked immediately, "So this person is outside the room?"

"yes."

"Whether peeping is right or wrong..." Peng Zhixing suddenly realized something, "Oh my god!"

"You guessed it?" Xiao Yun was startled by his exclamation, "Wow!" and asked.

Peng Zhixing asked, "Did the girl discover a hole in the wall, and someone was watching her from the other side?"

Several girls gasped in surprise at the same time.

"No." Lu Yanhe shook his head.

"No, I'm really scared." Su Xiao hugged Xiao Yun's arm. "Why do you have to be so stubborn with Li Zhibai?"

Xiao Yun, with her neck stiff, said, "I'm not afraid."

Li Zhibai: "..."

Anyone could see that Xiao Yun was actually a little scared.

"Just a friendly reminder, don't forget, all the clues about the turtle soup will appear on the surface of the soup," Lu Yanhe said. "Like, if there's a hole in the wall, and it really is the reason for her fear, it will definitely be reflected on the surface of the soup."

"Soup noodles?" Peng Zhixing was the one who had played with the turtle soup the longest among them, and he immediately began to recall the soup noodles.

Hotel, room, portrait, bed, table...

Candles, no windows...

I only realized it when I woke up the next day...

"Holy crap..." Peng Zhixing's face turned pale.

"What have you thought of this time?" Xiao Yun asked.

Peng Zhixing hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"I think if that's the answer, nobody will get a good night's sleep tonight."

Liu Zhiyin immediately moved even closer to Song Linxin.

Lu Yanhe maintained his smile.

Yan Liang was also startled.

"I thought of that too."

"Who wants to speak first?" Lu Yanhe asked.

Yan Liang: "Brother Zhixing, you go first."

Peng Zhixing took a deep breath and said, "The portrait in the room is not actually a portrait, but a person standing outside the window. The window frame was decorated to look like a picture frame, so on a night with only candlelight, the girl mistook it for a picture frame. When she woke up the next day, she found that the room had a window and realized that someone had stood outside the window and watched her all night."

"Ahhhhhhh!" Su Xiao couldn't take it anymore. She covered her ears and started stomping her feet.

Let alone the girl, Qin Zhibai's face turned pale.

He wasn't very brave to begin with.

Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "Yes."

"Holy crap!" Li Zhibai touched his right arm with his left hand. "Old Lu, where did you get this hellish turtle soup? It's terrifying!"

Lu Yanhe laughed and said, "I saw it somewhere else, the kind that's terrifying when you think about it."

"That's it, the turtle soup is over." Liu Zhiyin made an X with her hands. "My heart can't take it anymore. We'll talk about it next season. I'm not playing this season."

Everyone nodded in unison.

-

Two hours later.

Chen Ziyan stopped her car and drove to the back of the film crew. She glanced at the celebrities eating and chatting in front of her and whispered to the person next to her, "Is the filming still not over?"

It's already past midnight.

"Not yet." The staff member recognized Chen Ziyan and said, "Everyone had a blast playing games, and they just finished. There's one last activity left."

What step?

"Everyone has written a letter to each other, and they will soon begin reading their letters to one another."

Chen Ziyan instantly understood the design.

Li Zhenzhen has indeed become a veteran. At the end of the fifth season, she pulled off a tearjerker that moved all the longtime fans and deepened their feelings for the show through this emotional connection.

Even though they knew the segment was meant to be touching, Chen Ziyan noticed that many members of the production crew still had tears in their eyes when it started.

Many of them have been with the show since the first or second season, growing up alongside the celebrities. Their close relationship, built over four or five years, makes it impossible for them not to be moved at this moment.

One after another, the artists' eyes welled up with tears.

Lu Yanhe is the same.

It wasn't until the very end that Lu Yanhe read the letter.

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath and picked up the letter he had written.

"I'm starting to read now."

Everyone was looking at him.

"Li Zhibai, you really are an idiot."

Li Zhi was stunned, and the previous emotional atmosphere vanished instantly.

"Yan Liang, don't follow Li Zhi and learn all sorts of bad things."

Yan Liang looked at Lu Yanhe in disbelief.

"Sister Zhiyin, you don't look good even if you're as skinny as a skeleton."

Liu Zhiyin, with tears still in her eyes, laughed in anger at this moment, and tears fell directly from her eyes because of this laugh.

"Lin Xin, you rarely sing your own songs anymore, your fans will be disappointed."

Song Linxin stared wide-eyed in shock.

"Su Xiao, you'll be happier if you learn even a third of Xiao Yun's shamelessness."

Su Xiao was taken aback, while Xiao Yun glared at her angrily.

"You can talk to Su Xiao about it, but why did you have to resort to personal attacks against me?"

Lu Yanhe laughed and continued, "Xiao Yun, don't keep fighting with yourself."

Xiao Yun rolled her eyes, then lowered her head and laughed.

"Brother Zhixing, there's always work to be done and events to be hosted, but life is just as important."

Peng Zhixing laughed: "You're someone who only makes three or four movies a year, what right do you have to say this to me!"

Lu Yanhe smiled, "Let's encourage each other. I will take what I'm telling you to heart."

He looked at Qin Zhibai and said, "Finally, Zhibai, what I want to say is, don't forget, you are a second-generation rich kid. You could have lived your life truly and freely, but you chose to be a singer. Your original intention is more important than anything else, because you are the one who least needs to force yourself."

Everyone was taken aback, realizing that Lu Yanhe's words to Qin Zhibai seemed to be the only one that was truly targeted. However, no one knew what Lu Yanhe was targeting. Qin Zhibai, on the other hand, knew; he smiled, nodded, and gave an OK sign.

Li Zhenzhen stood up with a smile, ready to call it a wrap.

Lu Yanhe suddenly said, "Wait a minute."

Li Zhenzhen was stunned for a moment, looking at Lu Yanhe with confusion.

Lu Yanhe said, "Knowing that there would be such a segment at the end of this season, we discussed it together. On behalf of all the artists, I would like to say a few words to the production team who have been with us all along."

The film crew looked at them in surprise.

"Actually, we wrote these words together; they are the words in each of our hearts."

"Producing a TV program is no easier than producing a film or television drama, especially for the production team."

"In everyone's mind, a program is not art. So even though we are all putting 100% of our focus and energy into making this program, and even though you are working very hard, much harder than us, this program cannot give you the honor and fame that you would have in your different positions, just like a film or television drama."

"Film and television dramas have awards for best cinematography, best screenplay, best costume, best editing... It's a pity that variety shows don't divide the awards into such detailed categories. Otherwise, we believe that each of you would definitely have received the award that belongs to you."

"But in our hearts, you are all the best cinematographers, best producers, and best directors," Lu Yanhe said. "So, please allow us to now present you with the Best Production Team Award—"

The crew members all showed expressions of unbelievable surprise.

Just then, the film crew noticed that the agents who had come to pick up the artists, who had been standing behind them, suddenly walked up to the artists and handed them the bags they were carrying.

It was only then that they realized that the bags the agents were carrying were all identical.

"We have a total of 82 crew members, so we have commissioned 82 gold medals to thank everyone for their contributions and for leading us from four years ago to now. The fifth year has begun."

The artists took the bag and took the gold medals out of it.

Someone asked in surprise, "Is this pure gold?"

“Of course.” Lu Yanhe nodded.

The film crew cheered and applauded.

For a moment, the studio was filled with laughter and cheers, like the steam billowing from a steam train.

Seeing everyone so happy, Lu Yanhe and his group were also very happy.

Li Zhenzhen excitedly covered her mouth.

She wasn't happy about the gold medal; she hadn't expected the artists to be so thoughtful and prepare such a surprise for them.

-

It was past 2 a.m. when we finished.

"It's so late again." Lu Yanhe yawned and asked, "Sister Ziyan, why don't you stay here for the night before you leave?"

Chen Ziyan nodded, "Of course, I drove here. It's too late for me to drive at night."

Have you booked a room?

"Qingqing booked it for me," Chen Ziyan said. "You can ride back in my car tomorrow. I have something to tell you."

"good."

Lu Yanhe returned to the hotel and slept soundly until dawn. At ten o'clock, the alarm clock rang on time.

He rolled over in bed a couple of times, then sat up, feeling dizzy.

Staying up late is still uncomfortable.

Ten minutes later, Wang Biao knocked on the door.

"Brother Lu, are you awake yet?"

"I'm awake," Lu Yanhe said in the bathroom.

Wang Biao swiped his room card and came in.

"I've put the coffee on the table for you," Wang Biao said. "I've already tidied up your things."

"Hmm, thank you for your help." Lu Yanhe brushed his teeth with sleepy eyes, his voice muffled.

"Brother Lu, will Wan Qingqing and Song Jiang stop being your assistants later?" Wang Biao asked.

"Huh? Really?" Lu Yanhe rinsed his mouth and spat out the toothpaste foam before saying, "I don't know. Sister Ziyan hasn't told me yet. But when Sister Ziyan put them next to me, she wanted to train them. She had other plans."

Wang Biao: "I see."

Lu Yanhe seemed to have thought of something and asked, "Do you have any ideas?"

“I heard from Wan Qingqing that she might be leaving in a month. At first, I thought she was resigning, but later I found out that she had other plans,” Wang Biao said. “Brother Lu, I also want a promotion.”

Lu Yanhe laughed.

What promotion do you want?

Wang Biao said, "I'm open to any promotion. Everyone else is making progress, and I don't want to stay stagnant."

Wang Biao's voice sounded a little muffled.

Lu Yanhe came out of the washroom and asked, "So, my executive agent, are you satisfied with this promotion?"

Wang Biao turned around in disbelief, looked at Lu Yanhe incredulously, and then, raising his voice in disbelief, exclaimed, "Really?"

Lu Yanhe said, "Actually, Sister Ziyan mentioned this to me a long time ago. So, haven't you noticed that for the past six months or so, Sister Ziyan has been consciously letting you take over some of my agency business?"

Wang Biao blushed and said embarrassedly, "I thought she was just too busy."

Lu Yanhe: "...From now on, you will be the person in charge of my management work. Do a good job, because half of my career will be in your hands."

Wang Biao, as if he'd been injected with adrenaline, excitedly exclaimed, "I will!"

Lu Yanhe couldn't quite remember when he had met Wang Biao.

When he first met Wang Biao, he was not even an adult yet, only sixteen years old.

"Brother Lu, thank you." After his initial excitement, Wang Biao became a little embarrassed and suppressed his enthusiasm.

“You work very hard and are very dedicated. I’m very confident in having you in charge of this job,” Lu Yanhe said. “In addition, you’ve done a great job leading Wan Qingqing and Song Jiang. You will be in charge of leading the next group as well.”

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of him!" Wang Biao said, patting his chest.

-

Two hours later, after having brunch, they set off on their way back to Yuming.

Zou Dong drove ahead with Wang Biao and the others, while Lu Yanhe followed behind in Chen Ziyan's car.

After learning that Lu Yanhe had told Wang Biao about the executive agent, Chen Ziyan smiled slightly and asked, "Is he overjoyed?"

"Yes, I'm very excited."

"For someone under twenty years old to become the executive agent of a top-tier star in China is something that people in the agent circle would never even dare to dream of."

“Wang Biao is now fully capable of handling this position,” Lu Yanhe said. “Besides, Sister Ziyan, you also approve of him, don’t you?”

"Mmm." Chen Ziyan nodded. "Do you know what I like most about him?"

"I don't know which aspect you value most: your willingness to endure hardship, or your eagerness to learn?"

“None of those,” Chen Ziyan said. “What I like most about him is his big heart.”

Lu Yanhe was stunned and didn't react.

"Big heart?"

Chen Ziyan: "He's been by your side through so many people and things. Have you ever seen him feel scared?"

(End of this chapter)