Chapter 879 New Year's Eve (7000-word update!)
Lin Yu took off her scarf and glasses, wiped the fogged-up lenses, and put them back on.
"Sister Linyu, we're all going to celebrate New Year's Eve together tonight. Would you like to join us?"
The editors at "Jump Up" asked with a smile.
Perhaps because it's New Year's Eve, the atmosphere in the office is more relaxed and casual than usual today.
However, the atmosphere in the editorial department of "Jump Up" has never been serious.
Lin Yu shook her head and said, "You guys go ahead and have your gathering. I already have plans for tonight."
Upon hearing this, his colleague's expression immediately became ambiguous.
"Are you and Qin going out for some alone time tonight?"
Lin Yu smiled but didn't deny it. She walked straight to the office, but halfway there, she suddenly remembered something and asked, "Has Siqi already left?"
"Yes, her flight was at noon. She came to the office once in the morning and then left," her colleague said.
Lin Yu nodded.
"If you don't have anything else to do today, you should all go home early," Lin Yu said with a smile.
"We'll celebrate the New Year here."
"Huh?" Lin Yu was taken aback and asked, "Why? I thought you were going to the city."
"There are too many people in the city, so we've decided to cook, play games, and ring in the New Year together tonight."
“That’s fine too.” Lin Yu nodded. “By the way, I have a few bottles of red wine and champagne in my office. I’ll take them out later. If you want to drink tonight, just open them.”
"Ahhh, that's awesome! Then we won't be polite!"
Lin Yu arrived at the office and sat down.
There are still several emails in my inbox that I need to reply to.
As the head of the film and television edition of "Jump Up" magazine, she has many client relationships to maintain.
The film and television edition of "Jump Up" magazine now has its own dedicated social media account, an independent media account that is updated daily. Besides the annual international film critics' festival, their workload is also considerable.
Basically, there's an in-depth interview with a filmmaker almost every week, often reaching tens of thousands of words. For filmmakers, such in-depth interviews have now become a very scarce resource.
In this fast-paced era, many media outlets have transformed their content. However, in the seemingly bustling and vibrant era of self-media, in-depth interviews like these are truly essential to leaving a lasting impression on the public. To gain a comprehensive, multifaceted, and rich understanding of an actor, interviews are often the simplest and most direct approach.
Lin Yu came over at this time because there was still a problem with an interview article that was scheduled to be released tomorrow, and she needed to communicate and confirm with the person's team.
After finally getting things sorted out, it was already 4:30 PM.
The sky was already overcast and it was about to get dark.
Lin Yu's neck got tired from sitting for so long, so she stood up and stretched her muscles.
Suddenly, at that moment, someone knocked on the door.
Lin Yu was a little surprised and said, "Come in."
It was Xu Xiaolu who knocked on the door.
Xu Xiaolu is the editor of the TV series "Jump Up". She has not been with "Jump Up" for long, but her work ability is outstanding.
Lin Yu was somewhat troubled by her sharp temper, but on the other hand, she recognized her work ability.
"Xiaolu, what do you need me for?" Linyu asked.
Xu Xiaolu nodded and said, "Sister Linyu, can I talk to you?"
Lin Yu glanced at the time and said, "I need to leave at five o'clock. Is twenty minutes okay?"
Xu Xiaolu nodded and said, "That's enough."
"Is it about work?" Lin Yu sat down again and gestured for Xu Xiaolu to sit down as well.
Xu Xiaolu sat down, nodded, and said, "I'd like to talk to you about whether I'll get a promotion and a raise next year."
Lin Yu was taken aback.
Xu Xiaolu said earnestly, "Since joining 'Jump Up,' I have been working hard. I believe my work has created great value for the film and television version of 'Jump Up,' but I am still just a mid-level editor at present."
Lin Yu said calmly, "You work very hard, and everyone has seen that. That's why you were promoted from junior editor to intermediate editor the fastest in the entire 'Jump Up' editorial department."
"Will I be able to get promoted to senior editor next year?" Xu Xiaolu asked.
Lin Yu shook her head and said, "This is not something I can answer for you right now. We haven't considered this matter yet."
Xu Xiaolu bit her lip.
“Sister Linyu, to be honest with you, someone outside is trying to poach me. They offered me an annual salary of 500,000 yuan to be the chief editor of their platform's film and television section,” Xu Xiaolu said. “Right now, my annual salary as a mid-level editor is only 280,000 yuan, and even if I'm promoted to senior editor, my annual salary will only reach 350,000 yuan. But I love the magazine ‘Jump Up,’ and I can learn a lot here. I have a deeper affection for this place. But, as the saying goes, ‘One must bow down for a meager salary.’ If I miss such an opportunity, I don’t know if I will ever encounter it again.”
When Lin Yu heard Xu Xiaolu say this, she suddenly understood, but she was not "moved" by it. She just thought for two seconds in silence before saying, "Xiaolu, I understand what you said, but what I can tell you now is that we haven't considered the senior editor position for next year yet. Of course, I'm very happy that you're willing to be so open with me about this. I'm glad you trust me so much."
Xu Xiaolu pursed her lips.
"Actually, I thought about it for a long time before I dared to knock on your door and come to see you."
“I understand.” Lin Yu nodded. “It’s like this, you don’t need to say more, you understand. I’ve always admired you, whether it’s your writing or your ability to handle things, they are both outstanding. I will consider what you told me today, and I will also discuss it with Editor-in-Chief Chen. I will give you a formal reply before the end of January, and you can make a decision then, how about that?”
Xu Xiaolu nodded, as if she had breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Sister Linyu."
"You're welcome." Lin Yu smiled slightly. "What I said earlier was from my perspective as a professional. Now, as your friend, I'd like to offer a few more words of advice, since you haven't been working for many years and lack experience. I won't ask what kind of company they're hiring you from, but I want to remind you of their qualifications, the platform they're using to recruit you, whether it can further your development, and, although they've offered you an annual salary of 500,000, Xiao Lu, I believe you understand without me saying it. As a young editor who has only been working for less than three years since graduation, while you certainly have top-notch talent and ability, this price is still rare in the market. You need to figure out whether they have the ability to deliver on this promise, or at least the long-term commitment, or if they're just making empty promises that you'll have to rely on KPIs to achieve."
Xu Xiaolu nodded.
"I understand, Sister Linyu. I will find out the details carefully."
"Okay." Lin Yu smiled again. "Have fun tonight. I'm off now. See you next year."
See you next year, Sister Linyu.
-
"There's been a lot of activity in the industry lately; many places are poaching talent."
While driving, Lin Yu couldn't reach Chen Siqi, so she called Xin Zixing.
"Almost all of my editors have been offered jobs. Sister Zixing, have you heard anything about it?"
Xin Zixing said, "At Yemai.com, many of our text editors are also being contacted by headhunting companies. I thought it was just me who was experiencing this, since Yemai.com has indeed had some people attracting attention recently."
"I don't know why, but in recent years, copy editors have become increasingly sought-after in the market," Lin Yu said, somewhat puzzled.
Xin Zixing said, "The main reason is that the entire entertainment industry has been on the rise in recent years. The position of copy editor is to the entertainment industry what mathematics is to other science disciplines. It is a basic and highly sought-after job, and it is easy to switch to any other field."
Lin Yu: "Why are they specifically targeting us to take advantage of us? Last year, the turnover rate of our copy editors even reached 25%, which is outrageous."
Xin Zixing said, "The market has been driven up."
Lin Yu: "The problem is that the output value of the entire industry has not actually increased. Our salaries for 'Jump Up' are already far above the market standard. However, the salaries offered by those poaching our talent are even more outrageous. How long can such bubble salaries last?"
“If there are investors willing to burn money for them, then what else is there to say?” Xin Zixing said helplessly. “We at Yemai.com have already limited the salaries of our editors. Before, we could offer two or three times the market price to poach an editor, but that’s absolutely not allowed now. Shijin has also adjusted its investment in Yemai.com.”
"Hmm?" Lin Yu was a little surprised. "Why? YeMai.com has been doing so well these past two years."
Xin Zixing said, "Because the profit model has never been integrated with Shijin's big entertainment layout, I guess Shijin wants to replace me. I have always insisted on maintaining Yemai.com's independence, including its reputation and image in the industry. This is actually Yemai.com's most important hidden asset now, but this small profit is probably not worth mentioning to Shijin and they don't care about it at all."
Lin Yu was extremely surprised.
"Will they really replace you?"
Xin Zixing: "Who knows? Anyway, my contract with them is about to expire, and whether it will be renewed depends on the specific circumstances."
Lin Yu fell silent.
She only intended to talk to Xin Zixing about her editor being poached, but unexpectedly, she suddenly heard about Xin Zixing's new developments.
After hanging up the phone, Lin Yu hesitated for a moment, then left a message for Chen Siqi, telling her about it.
-
After finishing his work, Lu Yanhe went to the supermarket with Zou Dong and Wang Biao and bought a lot of things. Chen Siqi would be coming over in the next few days to stay with him.
New Year.
The US has also entered holiday mode.
Lu Yanhe received several party invitations, including one from Hua Ruzhen who invited him and Chen Siqi to spend New Year's Day in Germany.
Lu Yanhe politely declined them all.
For this place, it's a holiday worth celebrating. But for Lu Yanhe, it's just a vacation. After being so busy for so long, he finally had a chance to catch his breath. Lu Yanhe had planned to rent a vacation villa in a less crowded area so everyone could rest together.
However, they eventually realized that it would be better to continue living in the house in the city. It had two floors and a small yard. There were seven members in total, including Lu Yanhe's team, and there were plenty of rooms for everyone.
However, this time they wouldn't stay here. Lu Yanhe gave them a holiday and a vacation allowance, allowing them to go and explore the surrounding area on their own; several of them went.
Only Zou Dong stayed.
He wasn't interested in going out, and he always felt that if something happened, it would be better to have him around.
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated. Zou Dong was always worried that someone might break in at gunpoint and rob them—
The problem is, Zou Dong himself didn't have a gun.
Zou Dong said, "Darren has assigned you security personnel who are nearby. They can arrive within three minutes as long as you send a signal."
Lu Yanhe asked in surprise, "Are they available now?"
He had always thought that these security personnel were only present when he had public appearances.
Zou Dong said, "From the moment you set foot on this land, you've had a constant stream of security personnel around you. Before, it was just me and Wang Biao who were in contact with them. You probably only know a few of us who are close to you. Even Darren said that the security situation is very chaotic now, and since others know that you are very wealthy, it wouldn't be surprising if some vicious people suddenly appeared and kidnapped you."
Lu Yanhe: "..."
He remembered what Chen Siqi had said before.
Every time Chen Siqi came, Hua Ruzhen would have to find a local "big shot" to put in a good word for her.
Does Darren Wilson have to do this every time he comes over?
Perhaps Schmidt Laurie did it all.
To them, he is now a golden goose.
Lu Yanhe said, "Siqi will land in five hours. Shall we go to the airport together to pick her up? I already told her I would pick her up."
Zou Dong agreed.
"Brother Dong, is Xiaoyu about to take the high school entrance exam?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Zou Dong nodded.
Which exam are you preparing for?
Zou Dong said, "He still wants to try his best to get into the senior high school of No. 13 Middle School. He has always said that he wants to get into the senior high school, but his grades are a bit risky and we don't know if he can get in."
Now, if you fail the exam, you can't buy your way into the top score. Of course, there is another way: register your student status at another school and then pay to attend No. 13 Middle School to enjoy its teaching resources. Although this is a bit complicated, there are still ways to do it.
Lu Yanhe asked, "If the senior high school of No. 13 Middle School is a little weak, I have a senior from Zhenhua who is in charge of admissions for a private high school in Yuming, Yuming International Private High School. The teachers are also very good, and the results are even better than No. 13 Middle School. If you need it, I will contact them."
Zou Dong nodded and said thank you.
Lu Yanhe had known Zou Dong for many years and was quite familiar with him. Zou Dong himself had very few needs; what he valued and cared about most was his son.
Lu Yanhe even wondered why Zou Dong, who was still quite young, hadn't considered finding another partner. Of course, such a question was rather presumptuous, so he never asked it aloud.
He watched as Zou Dong spent almost all his time on this job over the years, and the rest of the time he either spent with Zou Yu or stayed at home alone.
Of course, Lu Yanhe genuinely admired Zou Dong. His care and responsibility towards his son were complete. Parents' love for their children is natural and unconditional; however, in reality, not every parent's love for their child is complete.
Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "Is Xiaoyu going through her rebellious phase now?"
Zou Dong's face indeed showed a helpless expression.
“Every time I call him, he gets impatient after only a couple of sentences, and he always feels like I’m lecturing him,” Zou Dong sighed.
“That’s perfectly normal,” Lu Yanhe said. “Everyone’s like this at this age. Dong-ge, you weren’t exactly a model student when you were a teenager, were you?”
Zou Dong smiled sheepishly.
"I'm basically never home; I'm out and about every day."
Lu Yanhe also smiled.
Zou Dong said, "He is indeed much more well-behaved than I was when I was a child. At most, he just plays video games a lot more."
-
Although Lu Yanhe wasn't exactly a master chef, his cooking was still edible.
He specially made a chicken soup—of course, also because it's easy to make.
If we cook it in advance, Chen Siqi can drink it directly when she arrives.
After Lu Yanhe turned on the stove, he checked the flight information to confirm the latest arrival time, making sure it wasn't delayed.
Fortunately, things are going smoothly so far, and there has been no delay in the landing time.
The doorbell suddenly rang.
Zou Dong got up to open the door.
It was Lu Yanhe who ordered the pizza delivery.
"How come it arrived so quickly?" Lu Yanhe asked in surprise. "Didn't I set the delivery time to four hours later?"
The delivery person said the store was about to close down, so they delivered it ahead of schedule.
Lu Yanhe: "..."
Okay, I'll just heat it up in the microwave later.
Lu Yanhe said, "Brother Dong, are you hungry? Do you want to eat something first?"
Zou Dong shook his head and said, "I'm not hungry."
Lu Yanhe: "It's a bit of a shame to send it out so early. If it gets cold and we reheat it, it won't taste as good as it does now."
Zou Dong said, "How about I digest two pieces now?"
"Don't force yourself to eat if you can't."
"You can eat it if you want to," Zou Dong said.
Lu Yanhe laughed, "Then you eat. I want to eat but I don't dare to eat too much. I have to eat with Siqi later. If I eat too much, I won't be able to appear on camera."
Zou Dong nodded.
-
The snow was falling heavily.
Zhou Ping'an couldn't rest on New Year's Eve.
His three artists, Meng Li, Cheng Hai, and Ma Zhiyuan, will participate in three different New Year's Eve gala live broadcasts.
As the company's artist director, he doesn't need to be on-site to oversee things at this time, but this is a crucial period for KPIs.
In particular, these three artists were brought to Shijin by Zhou Ping'an from outside.
Shi Jin's artists haven't made any progress or emerged in the past two years, while Ma Zhiyuan has become popular again, which makes Shi Jin not particularly satisfied. However, Zhou Ping'an is not in a hurry.
If an artist could be trained in just one or two years, that would be far too "fast-tracked." There are no artists who can be trained that quickly, unless they become "instantly famous." And that relies on luck and chance; what can you do if you simply don't encounter such an artist?
Zhou Ping'an still focused his attention on Mengli and Chenghai.
Both of them are now top-tier in the industry. After two years of honing their skills, Cheng Hai has also established himself as a leading man. Zhou Ping'an felt that since that was the case, why not focus on those who had already made it big?
We should at least cultivate a truly top-tier artist before considering building a talent pool, right?
Otherwise, without a truly top-tier artist to "negotiate," artists like Meng Li and Cheng Hai wouldn't have enough leverage in negotiations with the platform.
Training more new people would be a waste of time.
The environment of the entire film and television industry has changed. Projects that can break out of their niche and achieve instant fame are becoming increasingly rare. In the past, many dramas could achieve the effect of "nationwide viewing" every year, but now there are fewer and fewer, which also means that there are fewer and fewer projects that can launch actors' careers.
Instead, it has now truly become a situation where only projects led by top-tier stars can somewhat guarantee a basic level of success. Otherwise, a project with a large cast of well-known celebrities can still flop spectacularly. This has made projects increasingly reliant on top-tier stars; even A-list stars aren't enough.
Zhou Ping'an learned that Zhang Lan, a top-tier actress who used to be fiercely competitive with Jiang Yuqian, had a drama that failed to pass approval two months ago. In the platform's eyes, she was no longer a leading actress who could carry a drama on her own.
He used to be a big star who could support an entire film crew with just his name, but now he's fallen into this state along with the industry.
Zhou Ping'an waited until all the artists' shows were over and confirmed that there were no negative public opinions online before preparing to leave the company.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
Zhou Ping'an frowned instantly.
He instinctively felt that someone must have caused some kind of public opinion crisis, otherwise why would someone call him at this time?
However, the person who called was someone he didn't expect.
"Hero Lang?" Zhou Ping'an was somewhat surprised.
"Brother Ping An, I hope I haven't bothered you? It's New Year's Eve tonight, I don't know if it's convenient for you," Lang Xia said in a clear voice.
However, no matter how clear the voice was, it couldn't stop Zhou Ping'an from complaining in his heart.
Even though you didn't know if it was convenient for you, you still called me.
"Sure, what's up with calling so late?" Zhou Ping'an asked.
Lang Xia said, "Are you free in the next few days? I'd like to meet with you and talk. My contract is about to expire."
Zhou Ping'an was taken aback.
Huh?!
-
Chen Ziyan got out of the car and saw He Yingzi sitting in the 24-hour self-service late-night bookstore through the floor-to-ceiling window, with a cup of hot milk on the table.
She raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
Chen Ziyan walked into this late-night bookstore.
"Why did you ask me to meet you here at this hour?"
The bookstore was small, and surprisingly, there was no one else there, just the two of them.
When He Yingzi saw Chen Ziyan arrive, she gave her a rare smile.
Seeing this, Chen Ziyan felt even more uneasy.
She and He Yingzi had been rivals for many years. Especially when they first entered the industry, their rivalry was incredibly fierce. Chen Ziyan never expected that one day, He Yingzi would take the initiative to ask her out privately.
He Yingzi said, "We've known each other for so many years, but we've never been able to sit down and have a proper chat in a calm and peaceful manner."
Chen Ziyan: "So, while everyone else is celebrating the New Year, you asked me to meet you here just to reminisce about the past?"
He Yingzi was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "I went for a physical examination a while ago, and the results showed that I had some health problems."
Chen Ziyan was taken aback.
She, who had been tense and defensive, suddenly felt a little softer somewhere in her heart.
What went wrong?
“It’s not like I’m going to die right now, so don’t look at me with that sad face like I have cancer,” He Yingzi said calmly. “However, I can’t continue working at this high intensity like this anymore.”
"Are you leaving?"
"I'm resigning," He Yingzi said.
Chen Ziyan looked at He Yingzi in silence for a long time without saying a word.
He Yingzi looked at her intently and said, "Many years ago, I regarded you as my only competitor. Even though you have left us all behind in the past few years, I still believe that fortunes change, and we'll see who has the last laugh. However, now, unfortunately, I am willing but unable to do so, and I have to withdraw first."
Chen Ziyan stared at He Yingzi, remaining silent.
"I asked you to come out today because I want to ask you for a favor."
Chen Ziyan frowned slightly.
"What kind of help?"
“I want Lang Xia to work under you,” He Yingzi said. “I’ll feel more at ease if you take charge.”
Chen Ziyan should have refused immediately, but looking at He Yingzi's face, she didn't say anything for a moment.
He Yingzi: "I know that Lang Xia and I had a lot of competition with you and Lu Yanhe before, which led to a lot of conflicts. However, in this circle, it is a life-or-death competition, especially for those of us from that generation. You know better than anyone that there is such a thing as the current trend of a hundred flowers blooming. Fighting is an inevitable path."
“Lang Xia is Lang Kequn’s son. He naturally has extensive connections to pave the way for his son. Apart from you, he may not trust me as much.”
“But I trust you more,” He Yingzi said. “Lang Xia’s career has stagnated in recent years, and he needs you to take it to the next level.”
Chen Ziyan looked at her with suspicion and asked, "He Yingzi, you've been mentoring Lang Xia for the past few years, making him a top star. You've already done more than enough. Why are you still thinking about paving the way for him at this time?"
He Yingzi smiled but remained silent.
Chen Ziyan seemed to suddenly remember something, "Did Lang Kequn ask you to do this?"
He Yingzi lowered her eyes. "This is the first time in my life I've ever asked you for help."
"It seems that the news about you and Langkqun back then was true."
"I feel sorry for him, and the only way I can make it up to him is through his son," He Yingzi said calmly.
Chen Ziyan asked, "Does Lang Xia know?"
“I’ve heard some rumors, but there are no real secrets in this industry,” He Yingzi said. “However, he has never shown it to me. He’s a smart man.”
"I can't help you with this." Chen Ziyan shook her head and refused. After looking at He Yingzi, Chen Ziyan was silent for two seconds. So many years of entanglement, tonight, at this moment, how much reluctance did it turn into? "Zhou Ping'an is more suitable to lead Lang Xia than I am."
(End of this chapter)
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