Chapter 868 Let Me Do It
"Wei Xue was actually signed by Chen Ziyan beforehand."
Zhang Yue was truly indignant and couldn't accept this.
Chen Pinhe asked, "When did they sign it?"
"It must have happened after the last Fei Hong Award," Zhang Yuezhen said. "At that time, Wei Xue's chances of winning the award were also unclear. It's really interesting that Chen Ziyan was willing to sign it."
At that time, Wei Xue's situation was indeed the least desirable among management companies.
In terms of industry standing, she is not a newcomer. Although she is actually a newcomer, in terms of representative works, she debuted as the female lead in director Yu Qin's film, and her acting skills were highly praised. She received a lot of praise at the Venice International Film Festival, which means that many agencies cannot sign her at the price of a newcomer. Given her background, they will definitely give her some generous treatment.
However, in terms of fame, Wei Xue is practically nonexistent, and in terms of commercial value, it goes without saying.
This forces agencies to sign her into a situation where they have to "spend money to gain publicity." Unfortunately, Wei Xue is already in her thirties and doesn't have a particularly beautiful or striking appearance that suggests she'll become famous, so her "future prospects" are extremely low.
Of course, Wei Xue is different now. She won the Lingyun Award for Best Actress. Even if her fame hasn't increased, having this award as a reference will generally make the audience look at her with more respect. In the publicity, she is an award-winning actress, which is her commercial value.
Zhang Yuezhen said, "We were too late. Originally, I wanted to sign her to our agency, as she could act in many dramas."
Chen Pinhe: "There are so many talented actors in the entertainment industry, why are you focusing on Wei Xue alone?"
Zhang Yuezhen said, "What else could it be? This way, I can also get along well with Yu Qin."
“Yu Qin has always directed films featuring women, and it’s usually the female characters who win awards. Male characters in her films are just tools. If I’m not on good terms with her, I’ll never get a role in one of her films,” Chen Pinhe said. “Do you expect me to play a supporting male lead in one of her films?”
Zhang Yuezhen shook her head.
“That’s not what I meant, but if we get along well with Yu Qin, wouldn’t some of the actresses in our company have the opportunity to participate in her films?” Zhang Yuezhen said. “Honey, you’re not the only actress in our company.”
Chen Pinhe remained silent.
Zhang Yuezhen smiled at Chen Pinhe.
"Are you happy to have won an award tonight?"
Chen Pinhe saw that Zhang Yuezhen's eyes were sparkling like stars.
"It's not like this is the first time I've won an award," Chen Pinhe said calmly. "But this time, winning the award really gave me a sense of satisfaction."
Zhang Yuezhen took a moment to realize that Chen Pinhe was still preoccupied with Zheng Ximo, "The Pianist," and the recent "drama tyrant" incident.
However, Zhang Yuezhen wasn't surprised that Chen Pinhe was preoccupied with this matter. Over the years, the negative impact of being labeled a "tyrant on set" had been the greatest. Chen Pinhe hadn't encountered such negative public opinion in far too long.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
That's what this statement means.
Zhang Yuezhen smiled.
"There's one more thing, honey. Actually, I ran into Ma Zhiyuan at the Lingyun Awards ceremony. Do you remember who he is?"
"Yes, I remember. What's wrong?"
“He came to greet me again today,” Zhang Yuezhen said. “Although he didn’t say it explicitly, I feel that he seems to want to befriend me. I don’t know if he wants to participate in our project or come to our company.”
Chen Pinhe was somewhat puzzled.
"Isn't he an artist under Zhou Ping'an? Is he dissatisfied with Zhou Ping'an?"
"It's possible. Ma Zhiyuan's reputation plummeted after he got Xu Qinyin pregnant but refused to take responsibility. Later, he was abandoned by Zhou Ping'an because of a lot of scandals. He switched to live streaming. I don't know why, but last year Zhou Ping'an gave him a job again. He got a web movie called 'Caught in Scandal,' which unexpectedly became a hit. It sold over 100 million yuan at the box office on video platforms, and its popularity even surpassed that of theatrical films released during the May Day holiday. Then he became popular again."
Chen Pinhe said, "It's best to avoid working with artists with such tarnished reputations."
“That’s what I thought too, but then I thought, why not collaborate?” Zhang Yuezhen said. “No matter what, he’s really popular. Every move he makes can trend on social media, including ‘Caught in Scandal,’ which is going to be made into a series of movies.”
Chen Pinhe: "If he really signs with our company, won't it affect our company's reputation?"
Zhang Yuezhen said, "It's not like it's a matter of principle. These days, as long as you're not blacklisted, you can clear your name. Our company's biggest problem right now is that we have too few artists with commercial value and bargaining power. Ma Zhiyuan is controversial, but every platform needs traffic. I plan to talk to Zhou Ping'an and see if he's willing to let him go."
"According to what you've said, Ma Zhiyuan is so valuable, how could Zhou Ping'an easily let him go?" Chen Pinhe asked.
Zhang Yuezhen laughed.
“Of course it’s a resource exchange,” Zhang Yuezhen said. “He is now the head of Shijin Artist Management, which happens to overlap with our company’s business segments. We both mainly focus on film and television production and artist management. The last time I met with him, he mentioned to me that Shijin has several projects in preparation that they want to invite you to join them.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Pinhe immediately said, "You're not thinking of using my promise to help them with a project in exchange for Ma Zhiyuan, are you?"
Zhang Yuezhen: "Is that not allowed? Of course, the premise is that the project is good enough for you to act in. I won't let you act in a garbage project."
Chen Pinhe: "This is alright."
Zhang Yuezhen laughed.
"Of course I will always put your interests first, don't worry." Zhang Yuezhen hugged Chen Pinhe's arm and pressed against him. "You are my husband, not them."
-
At 11 p.m., Lu Yanhe finished drinking with Li Zhibai and Jiang Yuqian and prepared to leave.
Li Zhibai's phone suddenly rang.
Lu Yanhe caught a glimpse of Ji Miao's name on his phone screen.
"..."
Li Zhibai hung up immediately without answering.
The three of them got into the cars that had come to pick them up. Li Zhibai then sent Ji Miao a message: What are you doing so late?
Ji Miao: Hmph.
Ji Miao: My agent just received a call from a paparazzi asking if you and I are dating, saying they took some photos and want to publish them in the news.
Upon seeing this message, Li Zhibai's expression immediately changed, and he made the call.
However, Ji Miao refused to accept it.
Li Zhibai: "..."
Ji Miao: Now you know to call me? Dream on. Let me tell you, my agent has already denied it. Although I don't know what they photographed, I guess they mistook some woman for me. You better not be caught having an affair.
Li Zhibai: Go to hell.
Ji Miao: Hehe, do you think I really don't know? I've acted with you before.
Li Zhibai: You're just talking nonsense all day long.
Ji Miao: Whether you admit it or not, I've told you the news. I'm not talking to you anymore. I'm going to sleep.
Ji Miao: Don't call me!
Li Zhibai remained silent.
After hesitating for a moment, he took a screenshot and sent it to Lin Suyang.
Lin Suyang was also awake and replied instantly: I'll contact Ji Miao's agent to see which paparazzi it is. Damn it, they've already asked Ji Miao, but no one has come to ask me.
Li Zhibai: Maybe they're just bluffing.
Lin Suyang: That's also possible. They weren't sure who the woman was, so they were testing potential candidates in this way.
Li Zhibai: Let's try to delay this until after "Love is Not Blind" is released so that it won't be exposed. We don't want it to affect the movie's release. We don't care about anything else. Qianqian and I discussed it, and we decided that after the movie is released, if the media or paparazzi really photograph or say something, we will both remain silent, neither admitting nor denying it. Let everyone talk. What do you think?
Lin Suyang: Actually, this is the best. Once the news of your relationship is exposed, it will definitely cause a huge uproar. It will attract attention not only in China but also all over the world, given your fame and fan base.
Li Zhibai: Yes, Yan He once reminded us that neither of us is the type to completely disregard the fans' attitudes. If we were to admit it or go public as a couple, it might escalate things. So, it's better to remain silent and let everyone gradually accept the fact.
Lin Suyang: In any case, this matter cannot be smoothly resolved. You two will both be attacked by each other's fans. This is absolutely going to happen. You both need to be mentally prepared. It will be two or three years later, when the die is cast, and as you said, people will gradually accept this matter and have no choice but to accept it.
Li Zhibai: If fans boycott and oppose us on a large scale, will it affect our career?
Lin Suyang: You mean Jiang Yuqian's career, right? You may not care, but she can't possibly not care. She's worked so hard for so many years to achieve her current status. But don't worry, she's not an idol actress anymore. To some extent, even if she's getting a lot of criticism, it won't affect her career's foundation. You're the one with the most female fans, but I guess you don't really care about her personality, especially now that you've started producing yourself.
Li Zhibai: As long as it doesn't affect Jiang Yuqian's career too much, it's fine.
Lin Suyang said: "But if your fans boycott her too fiercely, it may affect her public image. Film and television projects will be less affected, but business deals will be more affected. Public image is very important for brand endorsements. No big brand is willing to cooperate with an artist with a lot of controversy, even if she is now an international star."
Li Zhibai: My fans... might actually do something that crazy.
Lin Suyang: This is something you have to bear, there's no way around it, but it's relatively okay, because your past celebrity persona has never been that of a boyfriend who tries to please fans. Your fans have never expected you to stay single. For this, we should thank you for never saying that you don't date. In every interview, when it comes to your ideal type or similar topics, you never avoid them.
Li Zhibai: That's what they say, but I've never publicly acknowledged a girlfriend before, so nobody knows what might happen.
Lin Suyang: Don't worry, the quality of your work speaks for itself. Even if you lose some female fans, your base is still large enough.
Li Zhibai: I'm not worried about myself. When would I worry about my popularity dropping? I wish my popularity would drop a little, so that every time I go out, it's like being besieged by zombies and completely blocked off.
Lin Suyang: Pshaw, pshaw, pshaw.
Li Zhibai: Sigh, we just can't see eye to eye.
Lin Suyang: There's no agent in the world who can understand you.
-
The next day, Lu Yanhe returned to the Friends film crew, with only one week left before filming wrapped.
And this season of Friends will premiere this Friday.
To generate buzz for the premiere, nearly seven or eight teams, including Maxine, Yuehu TV, Aurora Video, and Icefield Video, came to the set to record promotional materials, including interviews and some mini-games, during breaks in filming.
This show is incredibly popular in China.
It's not just destined to become a memory for a generation, but also allows these lead actors to merge with the characters in the drama into the public's memory. Apart from Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang, the public's impression of the other four is mainly based on their roles rather than on the actors themselves.
In his spare time, Lu Yanhe also privately messaged Chen Ziyan, saying: Sister Ziyan, I've figured out what to do.
Chen Ziyan: What do you want to do?
Chen Ziyan knew what Lu Yanhe was talking about without even asking him what he wanted to do.
Yan Liang's departure from the group unexpectedly led them to catch a "mole" who was connected to Zhang Yuezhen's side. Lu Yanhe then instructed Hu Siwei to remain still, in order to one day use this "mole" to do something.
Lu Yanhe said: I want to pass on a message through that "mole".
Chen Ziyan asked: What news?
Lu Yanhe: I want to buy a prize, I want to buy the Galaxy Prize.
Chen Ziyan: Huh?
Lu Yanhe: I was very unhappy to see Chen Pinhe win the Lingyun Award. I had to beat him in the three major awards. So, in order to be sure of victory, you decided to help me bribe the judges of the Galaxy Awards so that I could win Best Actor again at the Galaxy Awards.
Chen Ziyan: You want Zhang Yuezhen and Chen Pinhe to hear this news, and then what?
Lu Yanhe: I think they wouldn't remain indifferent, would they? They might even see this as a good opportunity to attack me.
Chen Ziyan: From their perspective, that's definitely the case. However, they certainly won't act rashly without finding any evidence against them.
Lu Yanhe: What if I hand them something incriminating? Do you think they would accept it?
Chen Ziyan: Yes, even if they find a "tool" to attack you, even if it's just a cover, they won't suffer any loss.
Lu Yanhe: Yes.
Chen Ziyan: I don't understand, what's the point of doing this?
Lu Yanhe: I want to turn the tables on them.
Chen Ziyan: How can we turn the tables on them? They can do this through "glove tools," and unless we find out they authorized the "glove tools," it will be useless.
Lu Yanhe: Can't we catch them?
Chen Ziyan: We're not filming a movie or TV series, where you can easily turn someone to your side.
Lu Yanhe: Ah... I thought about this idea for a long time before I came up with it.
Chen Ziyan: I was wrong. You never even thought of any way to harm people. How could I expect you to come up with a clever scheme?
Lu Yanhe: I think you're mocking my intelligence.
Chen Ziyan: People shouldn't run on a track that isn't suitable for them.
Lu Yanhe: ...
Lu Yanhe: What should we do then? We've already discovered this mole; it would be such a waste not to take advantage of him.
Chen Ziyan: Sigh, I'll do it.
The old book on entertainment, "I Became the Scandalous Female Lead Overnight," went from 7 initial subscriptions to over 1,000 average subscriptions per day.
(End of this chapter)
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