Chapter 377
The next morning, inside a coffee shop in Beijing, the glass door opened, followed by the sound of a crisp bell.
Zhou Xiao, who had arrived early, instinctively looked up at the noise and saw a girl with neatly cropped hair standing at the door. However, somewhat inconsistent with her capable appearance, she seemed a little timid as she pushed the door open.
The café near the hotel was bustling with activity at this hour of the morning. The aroma of ground coffee beans permeated everyone's nostrils with unbridled abandon. Zhou Xiao sat next to a plant, creating a slightly quieter space for herself.
"Xue Xi" looked at the other person's lifeless eyes wandering around the coffee shop. Zhou Xiao leaned out from his seat and waved to today's interviewee Xue Xi.
Suddenly hearing his name being called, after confirming Zhou Xiao's location, Xue Xi subconsciously lowered the brim of his hat and trotted towards her.
For Xue Xi, this interview was the bravest thing she'd done in a while. The second bravest thing was... while she was alone at the magazine preparing props for the photoshoot yesterday afternoon, she secretly used the company's printer to print out a resume...
She had originally considered printing a few copies, but after some internal struggle, Xue Xi decided against adding one. Perhaps she thought Zhou Xiao might even give it back to her after reviewing it (…).
"Please sit down. What kind of coffee would you like?" Zhou Xiao saw the other person's awkwardness and didn't ask for details. Instead, he pushed the menu the waiter had brought across the table.
"Thank you, Teacher Zhou," Xue Xi said, her nose wrinkling. Working at XZC magazine, the scent of coffee was her constant companion almost all day.
She shook her head, straightened the menu on the table, and then continued, "I'll just ask the waiter for a glass of water later."
Seeing that the other person's condition was gradually improving, Zhou Xiao didn't beat around the bush. He remembered what he had seen last night: the other person had been posting promotional posters for the new issue of "XZC" on his WeChat Moments just a week ago.
She asked directly, "XZC is a long-established women's magazine in China. I want to know why you resigned, or rather," Zhou Xiao paused for a moment, "you haven't resigned yet, right?"
The promotional poster Xue Xi posted on WeChat Moments was from the magazine's May issue. If he had already resigned, he probably wouldn't have been liking XZC's video this morning.
Hearing Zhou Xiao's question, Xue Xi's initially uneasy mood actually recovered a lot. To Zhou Xiao, this might just be a simple question, but for her, it was a rare emotional response.
Since working at the magazine, Xue Xi had received almost all instructions in the form of commands. He hadn't heard a normal, inquiring tone like this for a long time.
Every newcomer to a top women's magazine has a dream in their heart. They dream of becoming a trendsetting magazine editor, or a magazine reporter interviewing celebrities and socialites, or perhaps...
But after entering this magazine that is envied by outsiders, the newcomers who come in through interviews one after another, they feel firsthand that it is an empty shell that has been eaten away by termites and is rotten and corrupted.
Xue Xi once thought that she could live like this because she was obedient and stronger than her male colleagues. She was often asked by the group to go along and help when they went out to shoot.
Xue Xi used to be a bit proud of this. At least in the magazine, she was still needed by many people. But after a long time, Xue Xi realized that everyone just thought she was easy to use.
The props and equipment were not heavy for her, because "XZC" initially chose background cloths and low-cost locations to save money, which were well-known in the industry. So she would not have the desire to carry a lot of equipment to "cross mountains and rivers" just to make a good film.
But after witnessing XZC get a chance to be reborn while the magazine still chose not to change, Xue Xi felt more clearly than ever that if she stayed in this magazine, she would be finished.
Xue Xi hadn't anticipated the opportunity for change coming so soon. After seeing Zhou Xiaofa's job posting on her WeChat Moments, she couldn't sleep that night. After repeatedly reading through the text, word for word, her submitted resume gradually took shape.
Then the next day, she sent her resume to Zhou Xiao and printed a paper copy at noon. If Xue Xi had commented on what she had done that day, she would have thought she was crazy.
But Xue Xi had no regrets. She took out her paper resume from her bag and her eyes fell on the A4 paper, which seemed to be still warm. At the entrance of the cafe, the resume, which she should have given to Zhou Xiao immediately, was returned to her bag before she opened the door.
"Teacher Zhou Xiao, I want to improve!" Xue Xi's words seemed to be saying nothing, but he said it all.
The current situation of XZC is largely transparent within the industry. Even though it received headquarters' approval thanks to a cover shot by Zhou Xiao, it still failed to renew its contract. Previous work wasn't outstanding, so the veil of disapproval from headquarters was easily torn off.
The reason XZC didn't renew the contract was that it already had enough influence in the Chinese fashion world. As a long-established, top-tier women's magazine, even if it didn't cooperate, domestic artists and fans would still buy in.
Although Zhou Xiao didn't know much about this, after learning that the applicant was Xue Xi, she briefly inquired with Zhang Hongyu. Although she had already read Xue Xi's electronic resume, Zhou Xiao still took it and read it carefully.
The requirements for being a photography assistant aren't high, or even very low. A little training is all it takes to become a decent photographer. Of course, if the skills are well-honed during post-production, the photographer will undoubtedly experience a smoother and more enjoyable shoot.
For Zhou Xiao, who has always shot solo, the latter option was something she hadn't experienced before. Her primary goal in hiring a photography assistant was to help her adjust the lighting while she was filming.
Seeing that the other party had already looked through the resume, Xue Xi looked into Zhou Xiao's eyes and mustered up the courage to say, "I can do anything. I'm very strong and can do the work of two people. Not only can I be a photography assistant, I can even do the work of a life assistant..."
Zhou Xiao was listening carefully at first, but when she heard how many fields the other party involved, and how none of them had anything to do with the magazine's serious work (text and visual), her expression gradually became silent.
No wonder Xue Xi said she wanted to improve herself. Her job at the magazine was basically logistics, porter, and driver. As for whether what the other party said was completely true, it would be easy to tell in the subsequent interactions.
"How long have you been away?" Zhou Xiao asked after a moment's thought. She had received the commercial script from Lizi this morning, and the shoot was scheduled for tomorrow morning.
The reason she asked this question was because after this brief interview, Zhou Xiao felt that Xue Xi should have no problem taking on the photography assistant position. Since it was possible, she also wanted to take him on a field trip to get acquainted with him.
Although Lizi said Zhou Xiao could go alone, it was okay for her to bring someone else to film. As long as they signed a confidentiality agreement and it didn't affect the filming, it would be fine.
Xue Xi was a little confused, but still answered honestly, "I took a 5-day leave." But after he said this, his face began to redden.
These five days were her annual leave for the year. Xue Xi had decided she didn't want to work at XZC anymore. If Zhou Xiao didn't make the interview, she planned to muster up the courage to apply to other magazines.
Xue Xi would most likely not invest in a top-tier magazine like Modern Fashion. After all, in the industry's invisible contempt chain, even before XZC separated from its parent company, it was already at the bottom of the domestic top-tier women's magazines.
Therefore, her work experience at XZC might be immediately rejected by top magazines. As for other magazines, at least they would give her an interview opportunity because of her valuable work experience at an established magazine.
But at this moment, Xue Xi no longer needed these opportunities. Looking at the fruit tea and small cakes on the table, and the empty seat opposite, she couldn't help but narrow her eyes and quietly celebrate her successful interview!
Also, the drinks and cake that Teacher Zhou Xiao treated me to were so delicious! They were the best she had ever tasted!
…
After meeting Xue Xi, Zhou Xiao informed the staff at Lizi who had contacted her. When the company learned that she would be bringing an assistant with her for the shoot, they were practically envious of her.
When Zhou Xiao asked Xue Xi if he was willing to go with her for the shoot, his eyes lit up almost immediately. Without even a second thought, he agreed. Zhou Xiao even had the illusion that he looked regretful that tomorrow was not today.
Just as the first employee was almost confirmed, the second one lined up and came in. However, this one was so influential that Zhou Xiao didn't know if he was joking or really coming.
The second one is naturally Zhou Xiao’s good friend and half-disciple——Zhang Hongyu
What Zhou Xiao didn't know was that after she and Zhang Hongyu had gotten the inside scoop on "XZC," they had already unknowingly hooked him. Although Zhou Xiao was still in the process of preparation and might not even need a photographer to share the pressure in the early stages (because the early business would definitely be directed at Zhou Xiao), the temptation was still immense.
For Zhang Hongyu, his contract with Huayao expired along with the disbandment of NINE STAR. As for his initial goal, it can now be considered achieved.
As the official photographer for the members, although he also occasionally shoots for the other two groups, Zhang Hongyu has also made a name for himself in the industry. Apart from anything else, when it comes to the price of a photographer, he is also among the top in the industry.
Initially, Zhang Hongyu had two options. One was to start his own independent studio and leverage his fame as a photographer for NINE STAR to develop clients. The other was to renew his contract with Huayao and photograph new talent.
Knowing he still had room for improvement, Zhang Hongyu actively passed on the first option. As for the second, being a photographer is a high-risk profession in the entertainment industry; a single botched shoot can result in a flurry of abuse from the entire family. If it involves a group, the criticism would be multiplied by the number of members involved.
Zhang Hongyu hadn't thought of him when Zhou Xiao initially posted a job posting. However, thanks to his extensive gossip network, he was able to help Zhou Xiao find several makeup artists, photographers, and transportation managers who seemed to be leaving their jobs, offering them as backup positions.
When Zhang Hongyu was helping Zhou Xiao inquire about the current status of "XZC", he suddenly thought of a third solution that he had ready.
On the way back to the hotel, Zhou Xiao received a call from Zhang Hongyu. At first, she thought that he was just like before, and that he had heard some new news and was eager to share it with her.
But when Zhou Xiao heard that Zhang Hongyu planned to bring his assistant Liu Jia and come to him after the contract with Huayao expired, he was a little amused.
By the way, do I have some kind of physical condition? Why do the people who come to me this time all seem like they are "in Cao's camp but their hearts are with Han"?
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