Chapter 29
Before Zhu Yu stood up to say those words, Shi Ru tried his best to stop him, but Zhu Yu said—
"When you talk about it as a topic of conversation, don't you also scoff at this kind of abuse of power for personal gain?"
How come when things involve oneself and one's relatives and friends, one's initial disdain turns into eager pursuit?
Shi Ru was speechless.
He always thought he had upheld the principle of fairness perfectly. Was it because of Zhu Yu?
Because her presence affected his fairness?
No, it's not.
Zhu Yu is a truly beautiful person, like a pearl or jade.
However, the fairness he always insisted on was nothing more than indifference and detachment from the issue.
When it came to him, he subconsciously followed the "it's always been this way" rule.
This is the arrogance of those in power, and the mockery of those who set the game.
As Shi Ru watched Zhu Yu walk step by step toward the spotlight on the stage, her silhouette blurred in his eyes.
At this moment, Zhu Yu was like a mirror, making him realize that he was no different from the kind of person he hated the most.
They are even more despicable.
Because he is a hypocrite who spouts empty words of benevolence and morality.
What grounds does he have to stop Zhu Yu from upholding true justice? Let's applaud her!
Zhu Yu then bowed deeply under the stage spotlight, and Shi Ru was the first to offer applause.
Power is intoxicating, but those who, despite having power, still earn applause through their own abilities are always more admirable.
Although Zhu Yu voluntarily gave up, the director eventually approached her again.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely let you play whenever there's an opportunity!"
And it wasn't just one person whose brilliance was reflected by the pearls and jade.
-
"You should go home first today."
After leaving the theater, Zhou Ye returned to his private suite in the beauty salon.
After opening a strangely decorated room and unlocking the chains on Tan Lingling's wrists and ankles, he thoughtfully placed a brand new set of clothes beside her.
"If this goes well, you won't need to come here again. But if you mess it up, you know what I'm capable of."
Zhou Ye forcefully pulled Tan Lingling halfway into his arms and affectionately helped her put on her clothes.
The rough handling caused Tan Lingling to tremble in pain as the fabric of her clothes scraped against the bruises on her body.
"I see."
She responded softly.
When she arrived, three different waiters escorted her in, but when she left, she was all alone.
Walking down the corridor, Tan Lingling clearly felt uneasy, as if someone was watching her from the shadows.
Following my memory, I found the elevator entrance, but the person who had been tormented in the elevator was no longer there.
Standing in the middle of the empty elevator, watching the digital panel tick by tick.
Tan Lingling finally woke up.
It was as if she had a terrible nightmare, having gone through a kind of purgatory, and in order to escape, she finally had to find a scapegoat.
Although I feel somewhat sorry for Zhu Yu, everyone has the right to pursue a better life, and even Zhu Yu cannot stop her.
Holding the address given to her by Zhou Ye, Tan Lingling waited at the entrance of Connor Company for Shi Ru, who had returned to work after participating in the competition.
"Hello, how do I get to the Artists Department?"
Shi Ru had never met Tan Lingling before, so when he saw a beautifully dressed girl approaching him with a business card from Connor's agent, he was quite surprised.
He naturally assumed that this was an amateur talent scout discovered by the company.
"Third floor, let me take you there."
Shi Ru nodded lightly and swiped the access card for Tan Lingling.
It wasn't out of kindness on his part. He had originally planned to convene a meeting at 3 PM with several of the lead actors from the TV series he was preparing to film, but it was postponed until now because the male lead's flight was delayed.
Screening people is the job of the gatekeeper; he just leads the way, and who knows, they might be a good prospect in the future.
These past two days, Shi Ru has been cramming on knowledge about talent agents and scouts. When dealing with her own artists, she can't help but try out the theories she's learned on specific individuals.
"Thank you. Are you Connor's artist?"
"no."
Indifference did not deter Tan Lingling from striking up a conversation. She deliberately changed into a tight-fitting, bodycon dress that could both cover her injury and accentuate her figure.
She moved a little closer to Shi Ru, tossed her long hair with her hand, and subtly revealed the little trick hidden in her hair.
A subtle peach scent filled the small elevator space, a fresh and unique aroma that brought a touch of lightness to the otherwise dull environment.
The smell was wonderful. As Shi Ru pondered the contents of the meeting, he unconsciously relaxed his brow and naturally failed to notice the social distance between himself and Tan Lingling that had become very close.
"Really not? You're so handsome, if you debuted, you'd definitely have a lot of fans!"
Upon hearing this, Shi Ru couldn't help but glance at him. When looking down from a high place, it's often impossible to see a person's entire appearance.
People in high positions are more likely to see the good in others.
"You're very good-looking too, you'd be famous as a star."
Unlike Tan Lingling, Shi Ru's words were purely a judgment based on his current knowledge of agent management.
"Thank you! Are you an employee of Connor?" Tan Lingling wore a delicate makeup, her glossy lips shining brightly under the harsh elevator lighting.
She smiled sweetly, and for a moment she felt as if she had rediscovered the feeling of being human.
Even though Shi Ru was still standing beside her, she was somewhat lost in thought. She couldn't remember the last time she had spoken to someone so freely, peacefully, and comfortably, standing up as an equal.
So, although she had come with the intention of getting close to Shi Ru, Tan Lingling was moved when Shi Ru actually looked at her.
"Can you tell me secretly if there are any unspoken rules in our company? Like who the top female and male employees are, and are there any taboos or anything like that?"
"Connor has signed very few artists, so there's no such thing as a top male or female artist."
Seeing that people treated him like an ordinary employee, Shi Ru had no intention of correcting them.
She'll know who she is once she gets the job; if she doesn't get the job, there's no need for her to know.
"Huh? But the person who gave me the business card clearly said..." Actually, Tan Lingling hadn't decided what to say yet, but that didn't stop her from putting on an act.
Today, she portrays herself as an innocent, beautiful, and naive college student.
Fortunately, the sound of the elevator doors opening helped Tan Lingling cover up the second half of her unspoken sentence.
"We've arrived." Shi Ru stepped aside to let Tan Lingling go first.
"Thank you, how do I get there?"
"The third office on the left is it." Shi Ru glanced at the name on the business card in her hand.
"He should be in his office right now; you can just knock on the door."
After saying that, Shi Ru didn't linger and turned to walk towards his office.
Tan Lingling watched his departing figure until she was sure which direction he turned and went before she pouted and went to the office that Shi Ru had pointed out earlier.
"Please come in."
"Hello, I called you before. My name is Tan Lingling."
Beneath the veneer lies an even deeper veneer.
To avoid exposing Zhou Ye's presence in the company, Tan Lingling had actually obtained the business card after it had changed hands several times.
"Tan Lingling?" Wang Gang looked up from the messy table, adjusted his glasses, and only changed his indifferent attitude after seeing Tan Lingling's appearance clearly.
"So Zhao Shilong recommended you to come here, right? Please have a seat."
Wang Gang picked and chose a packet of flower tea from his treasured tea cabinet.
Then I walked to the glass display case by the door and took out a tea set.
"You're in luck! This is a flower tea that someone brought back for me from Yunnan a few days ago. It's perfect for you girls."
Tan Lingling looked at the office, which could be described as "dirty and messy," with a hint of disdain in her eyes.
The only sanctuary here is probably the tea table where the man is sitting right now.
"Here, have a taste." With a series of fluid movements, the crimson tea was placed in front of Tan Lingling, its reflection shimmering in the water.
"I've reviewed your qualifications, and they are indeed quite good. Our company happens to have a project in the planning stages, and I can offer you an interview opportunity."
Although Tan Lingling's task was to seduce Shi Ru, she wasn't stupid enough to seize the opportunity to gain more benefits for herself.
Connor's status in the entertainment industry is not much lower than that of the Zhou family. Now that she's in, she has to try and see if she can break free of the chains around her neck.
Why would an eagle that can fly freely want to stay in someone else's palm and be played with?
"Is there anything I can do?" When talking about serious matters, Tan Lingling no longer had the charming and innocent demeanor she had in front of Shi Ru.
Calm, rational, and clear-headed—perhaps this is her true nature.
Wang Gang was very satisfied with Tan Lingling's condition.
An actor must know what they rely on and be clear about the path they want to take.
Most importantly, you must not confuse your persona in front of the camera with your persona when the camera is off.
Truly innocent people don't go far in the entertainment industry, and Wang Gang doesn't have a penchant for taking care of children or shielding people from the storms of life.
"Come over at 9 a.m. tomorrow. I'll invite the company's acting coach along to see how well you understand the character."
Wang Gang took out a stack of papers from the drawer, then pulled out one and handed it to Tan Lingling.
"This is the scene from the story that will be tested on you tomorrow. Go back and study it carefully."
"OK."
It was very efficient. When Tan Lingling came out of the building, less than half an hour had passed since she met Shi Ru.
But she got a good result. Looking at the plot clips that Wang Gang had given her, Tan Lingling was quite satisfied.
Even a tiny fragment is far better than the resources she painstakingly extracted from Zhou Ye.
She filmed five or six web series with Zhou Ye, but they all flopped without making a splash.
To this day, he remains completely unknown in the entertainment industry.
But as long as Zhou Ye and the Zhou family behind him exist, she, who is already labeled as "Zhou Ye," will have no way to break away from him and get any other work.
"Oh, you're back so late today?"
Since Zhu Yu and Tan Lingling gradually became friends, Tan Lingling rarely returned to the dormitory later than Zhu Yu.
If Zhu Yu occasionally comes back to talk about Lingling not being there, then she usually won't come back.
That's why Zhu Yu found it a bit strange when she saw Tan Lingling return today.
"Hmm, a good day!"
Tan Lingling waved the piece of paper in her hand in a good mood.
She couldn't bear to fold it, so she held onto the paper like that all the way back to her dorm from the company.
The more I watch, the more I like the storyline.
"What kind of play is it?" Zhu Yu asked curiously, peeking her head out from behind the bed curtains.
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