Chapter 30 Explanation [VIP]
Chapter Summary: Underestimating the level of disgust.
Just as Lin Xuan was about to make a scene, Shang Jian said, barely containing his anger, "Xiao Xuan, go out for a bit. I have something to discuss with Mu Zhi."
They held her down.
Yes, judging from Jian Ge's reaction just now, he was obviously unaware of this matter and learned about it from the boss.
Mu Zhi actually dared to accept an outside role without the company's knowledge. Lin Xuan knew that her agent, Shang Jian, was most afraid of his artists getting out of control.
I don't think Mu Zhi will get away with this.
After calming down a bit, he snorted and went out.
Mu Zhi was completely unaware that a storm was about to hit her, and calmly sat back down on the sofa.
Shang Jian also sat down opposite him.
Looking at Mu Zhi, he said sarcastically, "You auditioned for 'The Legend of the Flying Immortal' and then landed the lead role in 'The Bell Ringer'. Well done, Mu Zhi! You've really impressed me!"
Mu Zhi's face paled, and she promptly showed some fear, saying, "I was just lucky."
She explained that director Xu Tao was also present when she auditioned for "The Legend of the Flying Fairy": "I didn't know who director Xu Tao was at the time. I only found out after the audition by going online. Senior Sister Lin was also there that day."
This implies that Lin Xuan could testify.
She then explained: "The day before yesterday, I received a call from director Xu Tao asking me to meet. I went, and after we met, he said he wanted to invite me to play the female lead in 'The Bell Ringer.' I was skeptical."
On my way to the company to report to you, Mr. Shang, I received another call from Director Xu Tao saying that the investment had been secured and filming could begin in a month. Director Xu Tao is a famous director, and I've met and worked with the male lead, Ning Yao, on stage before. He even cast me as the female lead, and I was afraid they would change their minds, so I immediately agreed.
She gave a sheepish laugh at this point, then belatedly admitted her mistake, "I should have discussed this with you, Mr. Shang, right away. I got too excited and was afraid of being disappointed... I'm new here and don't know many of the rules, so I hope you won't hold it against me."
Shang Jian kept a close eye on Mu Zhi's expression, and after hearing her explanation, he was almost convinced.
Mu Zhi, this newcomer, doesn't seem like someone who would dare to have any disloyalty to the company. It's just that time and time again, he's been slandered by people he's heard about from others.
He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled smoke rings. "Why should I argue with you? If all the artists I manage were like you, taking on their own jobs and planning their individual development, it wouldn't matter whether I'm their manager or not. I could finally take a break."
The implication is that it doesn't matter whether you have me as your agent or not.
Mu Zhi thought to herself: Ha, whether you're here or not, it really makes no difference.
They have little professional ability, but they're quite adept at suppressing artists.
If I had the money to pay the penalty for breach of contract, I wouldn't be here putting on this act with you.
Mu Zhi then displayed a bit of a girl's self-righteousness, "President Shang, which artist in the entertainment industry doesn't want to be famous? If I become famous, the company will also make money, it's a win-win situation for everyone!"
Opportunities like this are rare! For a newcomer like me to be cast as the lead actress in director Xu Tao's film will only make people think that Xinghe Culture is amazing, and will also acknowledge your professional abilities as my agent, Mr. Shang.
He paused when he saw Shang Jian smoking.
Mu Zhi said confidently, "President Shang, I have confidence in the drama 'The Bell Ringer.' I will make the audience see me. If I become famous with this drama, the company will have another female artist promoted after Senior Sister Lin, and you will also become famous in the industry."
The company plans to cultivate its artists for film and television development; isn't the most important thing to choose the right people?
Shang Jian was somewhat moved by Mu Zhi's words and stubbed out his cigarette.
Especially the last sentence, which was exactly what the boss Zhong Xuan called him over for a talk, implying and giving him advice.
He's been focusing his attention on the boy group he's about to send to the Green Apple platform for a talent show, and on Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan is a flagship product of Xinghe Culture. Three years have passed, and it has inevitably begun to decline. Therefore, there is an intention to have Lin Xuan transition into acting.
Two months were specially allocated for Lin Xuan to study acting.
As a result of the audition feedback, director Wu Ce clearly stated that Lin Xuan's acting skills were not up to par for the lead role. In the end, she was only able to secure the role of the second female lead because Xinghe Culture was one of the investors.
Shang Jian also had his doubts: Is Lin Xuan really suitable to be an actress? Can he be promoted?
He also underestimated Mu Zhi...
Lin Xuan, who was waiting outside, saw Mu Zhi come out with a normal expression. She thought to herself, "She's really good with words; she managed to fool everyone."
The fire in his heart reignited, and he walked past her menacingly, intending to bump into her shoulder.
Unexpectedly, Mu Zhi easily dodged her, and Lin Xuan almost twisted her ankle in her high heels. Lin Xuan slammed the door shut in anger.
Shang Jian, who was sitting on the sofa deep in thought, was startled.
As soon as Lin Xuan sat down, she launched into a tirade against Mu Zhi, criticizing her for being scheming and full of petty thoughts.
"Mu Zhi dares to take on outside roles behind the company's back. Once she's more independent, she'll fly away without hesitation..."
In the entertainment industry, having a bit of cunning isn't a bad thing.
As for Lin Xuan's questioning of Mu Zhi's decision to switch jobs after giving him eye drops.
There are no secrets in the industry. If Mu Zhi has contact with other companies, he will receive the news. A newcomer won't dare to mention terminating their contract until they have established themselves for three to five years.
He wasn't worried.
Shang Jian was actually a bit annoyed by Lin Xuan: "You should act like a senior sister. Stop teasing a newbie. Tune your temper."
Lin Xuan was signed by Xinghe Culture and sent to participate in a talent show. She became an instant hit and debuted smoothly. She was protected by many fans all the way. Her manager and the company both pampered this cash cow and spoiled her, which made her very temperamental.
He never said a good word about any of the other artists in the company.
Lin Xuan's expression hardened. Shang Jian had never spoken to her like this before. While she was spoiled and pampered, she was also good at reading people's expressions. Last year, she had more than a dozen endorsements and promotions, but this year several of them were not renewed, and she had fewer program appearances.
The emergence of the Five Flowers girl group will have a significant impact on her career.
Thinking about this, Lin Xuan was still quite afraid of Shang Jian, her agent.
But a newcomer made her unhappy.
Can't she cause trouble for others, and can't she even handle a newcomer?
Lin Xuan sat down next to Shang Jian, took his arm, and said coquettishly, "Brother Jian, I'm the top actress at Xinghe Culture. I listened to you and wanted to gain acting experience first. Playing a supporting role to Lu E, that perennial second female lead, is already bad enough. But then a newcomer in the company got the lead role in her very first drama, and she's overshadowed me!"
If word gets out, not only will netizens ridicule me, but my fans will also think my resources are too low-quality and might stop supporting me. Brother Jian, you absolutely have to find a way to help me!
Shang Jian, not wanting to take advantage of someone close to him, withdrew his arm.
Artists fight tooth and nail for top billing, not wanting the industry to think they're less famous than others.
Shang Jian had already planned for Lin Xuan to play the second female lead to Lü E. "I've already told you not to worry about the billing order. I'll handle it for you later. The contract hasn't been signed yet..."
Lin Xuan was delighted upon hearing this and readily accepted the offer. She then offered a self-criticism and generously stated, "We've been invited to that cooking show where celebrities compete in cooking. Each guest can bring an assistant. Brother Jian, why don't you let Mu Zhi come with me to the recording? You're right, we're all artists from the company, we should get along well."
Shang Jian saw right through Lin Xuan's little scheme. The episode of "Celebrity Kitchen" that invited Lin Xuan to participate in was also hosted by Xia Xinyan, who was also a celebrity guest like Lin Xuan.
Mu Zhi, as Lin Xuan's assistant, was there to help out.
This program made the difference between celebrity status and treatment immediately apparent.
However, Shang Jian didn't care. What he saw was that Mu Zhi and Xia Xinyan came from the same talent show. As the sister duo of Xinghe Culture, Mu Zhi and Lin Xuan were bound to be compared when they recorded the show together...
These are all topics and topics of discussion.
Mu Zhi received a notification from her agent, Shang Jian: "You will be recording 'Celebrity Kitchen' with Lin Xuan the day after tomorrow."
Judging from the name of the program, it should be related to cooking.
After reading the program introduction sent by the agent, it turned out that Mu Zhi's role was equivalent to a kitchen helper, assisting the chef in washing and chopping vegetables, preparing ingredients, etc., essentially acting as Lin Xuan's cooking assistant.
In her previous life, in order to maintain the mystery of the actress, Mu Zhi never participated in variety shows except for promoting her works.
This month, right after the draft ended.
While Mu Zhi's talent show popularity was still going strong, agent Shang Jian filled her schedule with all sorts of announcements, big and small, including e-magazines, live-streaming sales, commercial performances, and product promotions.
Mu Zhi felt that shooting for a digital magazine was beneath her dignity and disliked the trend of fans manipulating digital magazine sales, so she declined.
She declined commercial performance offers even though her foot wasn't fully healed.
When promoting the products, she and her assistant Minmin personally tested and selected the products, and only kept one affordable lipstick.
Mu Zhi turned down so many collaborations, citing reasons such as "needing time to study the role" and "needing to recover from a foot injury," which made her agent's expression extremely unpleasant.
So when Shang Jian asked her to record a variety show, she couldn't refuse anymore, so she accepted.
"Celebrity Kitchen" is a new variety show launched by the Green Apple platform, and four episodes have already aired. Among the many variety shows in the same time slot, it has a decent number of views and popularity, and it features big-name and popular celebrities.
Mu Zhi was going with Lin Xuan to record episode 6.
The program was recorded and broadcast simultaneously, making its broadcast efficiency very fast.
If we finish recording this week, it will be edited and broadcast next week.
The recording involves each invited celebrity guest preparing a dish they often cook at home during their leisure time and sharing it with the audience.
Before setting off for the recording, Mu Zhi had no idea what dish Lin Xuan was going to cook.
When I asked the agent, Shang Jian said he didn't know either.
"Xiaoxuan said it's for the sake of the show and can't be revealed in advance. Anyway, you're just chopping vegetables for her, so just follow her instructions during the recording."
Mu Zhi: ? ? ? After watching the first few episodes of "Celebrity Kitchen", most of the celebrity guests and their assistants worked together very well.
The guests and their assistants should have communicated in advance about what dishes to make, and may have even practiced together.
Could Lin Xuan be trying to smear me on purpose, blurring the lines between public and private matters?
On the day of the recording, Mu Zhi realized that she had underestimated how disgusting Lin Xuan was.
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