Chapter 432 Career Line
Graduation concert... Zhou Xiao sighed softly as he looked at the tickets on the table, feeling a sense of nostalgia. Although NINE STAR had held few public events this past year, its place in the hearts of its fans remained unchanged.
"The group will eventually disband," Zhou Xiao murmured. Just as he put the tickets into the drawer, the phone rang again.
Zhou Xiao was slightly surprised as he shifted his gaze from the ticket to the lit screen. Lin Qianxia? She's calling me now... so is it about the concert?
Zhou Xiao wasn't surprised to think so. She and Lin Qianxia didn't interact much, only exchanging a few greetings on weekdays and holidays. And just now, when the system had sent her the concert tickets, Lin Qianxia called. It was hard not to think of this.
In fact, Zhou Xiao's understanding was quite correct. Lin Qianxia had called Zhou Xiao specifically to ask her to shoot a set of official photos for the NINE STAR members, a set of graduation photos for their fans.
…
Huayao Star Entertainment Headquarters.
A production team that rented an office building two years ago now has its own private building. Inside, people bustle about, all busy preparing for the graduation concerts of the nine members of NINE STAR.
Time, time, and more time! What worries everyone is that even if they have made plans in advance, time cannot keep up with the changes.
Under the general policy of "free-range", the members were busy filming and recording variety shows, making it difficult to find time. After plans were repeatedly unable to keep up with the changes, Zong Zhengqian simply decided not to rush the concert to the date of the group's formation, but to schedule it at the end of the month when most people could make time.
As for whether the members' original agencies agree*, Huayao is being completely ruthless. Either they part ways amicably, or they tear their relationship apart and publicly announce that a member's original agency disagrees. Ultimately, even if fans are angry, they won't be against them.
And if they really can't make it up, they'd also like to have the members perform on the last day of their contracts! That way, not only will it be a good ending, but it'll also appeal to the nostalgia and sell more tickets.
The reactions of the members' original agencies to this shameless act were naturally different, but they reached a consensus in the end.
For New Town, after knowing that the schedule of its own artists was one of the reasons for the failure of this concert, it agreed to it without much hesitation.
Huayao used New Town's agreement as an example. Some agencies, critical of the postponement, had no choice but to agree. What else could they do? Their own artists would undoubtedly want to participate in the graduation concert, and their agencies were all focusing on developing talent in the domestic entertainment industry. If even a large company like New Town was willing to compromise, what about them? They couldn't afford to offend New Town.
Just like that, after two days of long discussions and the joint urging of fans, Huayao finally conveyed to fans under instructions that the concert will be held at the Jinling Olympiad Sports Center in Jiangsu Province at the end of the month.
The concert venue had been decided long ago, so Zhou Xiao received the tickets immediately after signing the contract. Although the graduation concert didn't coincide with the group's formation, it was the best outcome everyone had worked towards.
Now that the concert is done, the most urgent thing is to take the official photos of the members. Although we still can't get everyone together, it's very simple, just edit the photos in post-production.
But, here comes the problem...
Zhang Hongyu's contract with Huayao was only for two years. If he were still a free agent, it wouldn't be impossible for him to continue working with Huayao. However, he had already agreed with Zhou Xiao that he would join them as soon as his contract ended.
Mao Sifeng rolled his eyes when he heard about this from Zhang Hongyu. He cursed Zhang Hongyu for being so stubborn. Couldn't he wait until September to start? Besides, if he took on outside work at Zhou Xiao's studio, wouldn't he still have to take a cut?
Zhang Hongyu expressed his willingness, and given his relationship with Zhou Xiao, he was sure to receive more and more work. It wasn't like staying at Huayao, where he'd have to film other young artists every day, and even if he went out to earn some extra cash, he'd be rushed back.
Not only was his work like this, but he was also starting to feel deprived mentally. After two years at Huayao, he knew that the assistant who had recently joined Yan Shu was a relative forced in by Mao Sifeng.
Zhang Hongyu was in a hurry to report to Zhou Xiao, and Huayao wasn't unable to find another photographer. However, just as everyone started looking for a photographer, Lin Qianxia suddenly said in the meeting room, "Let's find Zhou Xiao!"
"Zhou Xiao?"
Because they were just discussing Zhang Hongyu's visit to Zhou Xiao's studio, some of the slower thinkers were confused. Go to Zhou Xiao and ask Zhang Hongyu to come? Is that even necessary? Besides, if Zhang Hongyu didn't stay at Huayao, there were other photographers willing to come.
Huayao is no longer the small company it used to be. Although the disbandment of NINE STAR will inevitably affect the company's status, finding a photographer is still relatively simpler.
Confused people were still a minority. Mao Sifeng, who was writing and drawing at the long table, already understood what Lin Qianxia meant. If Zhou Xiao were to be the one to take the official photos, then... well! It was a shame that the graduation album music video had already been filmed!
"I wonder if you still remember an event we held back then." Lin Qianxia looked at everyone in the conference room, all looking at her. She smiled slightly, "Star Path 101..."
…
"Xingtu 101 fans' support?"
When Zhou Xiao heard these words from Lin Qianxia, her memories had already brought her back to that midsummer. Zhou Xiao still remembered that this was a promotional campaign launched by the Huayao production team when she was slandered by rumormongers as a cosmetics woman.
To a certain extent, this publicity campaign played a positive role in helping Zhou Xiao shed her image as a womanizer. However, she later stopped paying much attention to it, and it seemed that the campaign's popularity was gradually fading.
Listening to this plan again, and Lin Qianxia's gentle persuasive words, Zhou Xiao was amused but also lost in thought. Should this plan be brought to a successful conclusion? It seemed quite interesting...
Lin Qianxia, who was sitting opposite her, didn't notice her silence and continued to offer one condition after another. Finally, she even lightly dissed Zhang Hongyu, whose heart had drifted away from her.
Zhou Xiao raised an eyebrow and waited until Lin Qianxia finished speaking before speaking, "Brother Zhang is a man of his word. I'm sure you all know his character after working with him for so long. I'm really sorry this time, but we both made a verbal agreement a long time ago."
"Hahaha, I understand!" Lin Qianxia licked her lips, which were dry from nervousness, and smiled, "What do you think, Teacher Zhou?"
She dared to approach Zhou Xiao because of Ji Shao's support. Apart from anything else, the official announcement of the cover of "Graceful Her" today, with its September cover, sent a reassuring signal to those in the industry: Zhou Xiao truly has the right to choose the magazines she shoots for.
September is the most important month for top magazines. Those who can be photographed in the September issue are all veterans of the magazines. This "shoot" refers to both the artist being photographed and the photographer taking the shot.
If this is the case in the fashion industry, what about other industries? As we all know, the fashion industry has always been more "noble" than the domestic entertainment industry.
Although Lin Qianxia carried such a high profile, she also had a backup plan that didn't involve Zhou Xiao. However, the backup plan ultimately didn't suit her as well as Zhou Xiao, so it was inevitable that she was nervous at this moment.
Fortunately, Zhou Xiao didn't disappoint her. After some consideration, he accepted the photoshoot. At that moment, Lin Qianxia's mind suddenly exploded with endless trending search terms and the active participation of marketing accounts and KOLs.
It begins in midsummer and ends brilliantly in midsummer.
Lin Qianxia thought that this was the best farewell she could get for NINE STAR.
…
After finishing his conversation with Lin Qianxia, it was Zhou Xiao's turn to make a phone call. The phone beeped only once before someone picked up the phone.
"Ah! Why did Boss Zhou think of calling me now?" Zhang Hongyu continued his usual chatty style, then suddenly changed the subject and addressed Zhou Xiao by his new nickname, "Boss, did Manager Lin call you just now?"
Zhang Hongyu's workstation was located so that he could clearly see Lin Qianxia's office on the third floor. After watching the girl excitedly perform a set of military boxing inside after hanging up the phone, he began to understand something.
What had Lin Qianxia been busy with recently? How could he, the person involved, not know? And there were only a few people on his list who could have excited Lin Qianxia, who was always sullen because of her young age and fear of not being able to handle the situation.
Plus, Zhou Xiao was calling him right now. Needless to say, the reason he and Zhou Xiao had such a good relationship was because they could occasionally see eye to eye! Relying on some external information, Zhang Hongyu had largely recovered Lin Qianxia's mindset.
"Yes, Manager Lin also told me to treat you well in the future," Zhou Xiao said calmly, "He said that you didn't make any contributions to Huayao, but you did have a lot of hard work!"
"Ah! Doesn't it mean that even if there is no credit, there is still hard work?" Zhang Hongyu was unhappy. He knew that Zhou Xiao was just joking, but that hard work... What Zhou Xiao didn't know was that it was really the pain in his heart!
Can't even earn the last photography fee from NINE STAR? Is that something a person can say? But Zhang Hongyu is really scared. The agent of SHINE STAR group is really trying every way to make him work!
Zhang Hongyu saw it all!
Some Nine Star fans have already tagged the company, demanding that Huayao replace the members with a new photographer. Otherwise, people are constantly posting mock photos on forums to capitalize on Nine Star's popularity. Seeing these posts on his own Daming Square hastened Zhang Hongyu's desire to flee.
"Okay, I just called you for something. When I'm filming NINE STAR, you can come and help me." Zhou Xiao smiled. She has known Zhang Hongyu for so many years, how could she not know his character?
What Zhou Xiao said to Lin Qianxia was, of course, true. She believed Zhang Hongyu must be hoping to take the official graduation photos for NINE STAR.
But because of the previous agreement, and he presumably had other reasons, he didn't choose to renegotiate the contract signing date. The contract between the two of them had already been drafted last month, and they were just waiting for Zhang Hongyu to sign it after he finished his contract with Huayao.
"Hey..." Zhang Hongyu opened his mouth, and suddenly felt a little embarrassed. "Then I really... that's what!"
“Yeah!”
“…”
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