Chapter 51 Official Announcement [VIP]
Chapter Summary: News of a new film, contract termination, and signing with a new company has surfaced.
The day after the audition.
Mu Zhi received a phone call from director Xu Kuan.
She was formally invited to play the lead role in "Back to 17".
The audition was a success.
Xu Kuan remembered what Mu Zhi had said during her audition, and said on the phone, "I decided to film this story after reading the script for 'Back to 17,' and I believe you'll like it too. I'll wait for your contact so we can meet and discuss it further..."
After exchanging contact information, he immediately sent over the electronic version of the script.
After Mu Zhi received the script document.
I nestled on the sofa in the living room and started watching.
It took me more than an hour to watch the story of "Back to 17".
The script is solid, the logic is sound, and the story is not far-fetched. Not only is the female lead well-developed, but the supporting characters, though with limited screen time, are also carefully portrayed as rich and three-dimensional. The foreshadowing is subtly revealed later, giving the reader a delightful and surprising sense of enlightenment.
As long as the director can tell the story well.
This cake is acceptable to Mu Zhi.
He went to Lanxing Media and told his agent about his decision.
"Sister Ji, I've finished reading the script and decided to star in 'Back to 17'."
Ji Binghe was familiar with the basic information about the film project. Since Mu Zhi had read the script and said it was acceptable, she didn't need to review it further.
I support Mu Zhi's decision.
"Director Xu wants to meet you. Do you need me to go with you?"
Including Mu Zhi, there are currently 16 artists under Lanxing Media.
The vast majority of the artists signed are established professionals who come to Lanxing Media with their own teams.
Therefore, Ji Binghe, the agency director, personally manages a total of four artists: veteran artist Feng Chongxian, newly crowned TV King Yin Xiuran, popular idol Xia Xinyan, and newcomer Mu Zhi.
In a couple of days, TV King Yin Xiuran's new drama will start filming in Qionghai, and Ji Binghe will accompany him to attend the opening ceremony.
"No need, Minmin can come with me."
There's no need for an agent to accompany you when discussing a play with director Xu Kuan.
Mu Zhi can handle it all by herself.
Ji Binghe has been very busy lately, but Mu Zhi has been quite easy on her.
Before going to Qionghai, Ji Binghe discussed the itinerary with Mu Zhi before the Lunar New Year.
“You were in seclusion for almost three months while filming ‘The Bell Ringer’, and you haven’t had a single public appearance since filming wrapped up more than half a month ago. As a newcomer, your exposure is too low.”
"The New Year's Eve party is in a few days, I won't have time to attend."
Mu Zhi originally received an invitation from Blueberry TV's New Year's Eve Gala to collaborate on a dance song with an artist. Fans were looking forward to her appearance and she was considering accepting the invitation. However, she had a falling out with Shang Jian and was subsequently sidelined, and that was the end of her career.
The performance list needs to be submitted in advance, and there's no time for rehearsals.
Ji Binghe took the top blue-covered document from the pile of documents on the coffee table and handed it to Mu Zhi.
"With a plethora of major events and celebrations happening at the end of the year, here are three: one from the Green Apple platform, one from a magazine's fashion event, and one from the Owl platform..."
It was also made clear that given Mu Zhi's current status, the treatment she would receive in various aspects would not be very good.
The entertainment industry is a place of fame and fortune, which is especially evident at these grand events.
Mu Zhi knew exactly what the less-than-ideal treatment her agent mentioned would mean. For example, the red carpet event started at 6 p.m. and ended around 8 p.m., and the organizers would arrange for her to appear very early in the event.
The dresses she could borrow were among the best available to female celebrities.
The seats inside were in the very back row, out of the camera's view.
They didn't even win the pork prize.
She might only get a one-minute appearance on the red carpet during the live broadcast.
But for a relatively unknown idol, even a small amount of attention is still valuable. Artists need popularity and exposure, and it's better to have some than nothing.
In her original world, Mu Zhi worked hard for several years and became a second-tier actress.
She has participated in many grand events, and when walking the red carpet, the host will introduce her: what are her representative works or what movies she has recently released, mentioning how well they were received at the box office and in terms of reviews, etc.
Right now, all they can do is announce their names. Whether they're idols or new actors, they don't have any works to their name.
Mu Zhi thought for a moment and felt embarrassed for the host, unable to think of any words to describe it.
She's quite a proud person, and she's thinking of waiting until she has a representative work before considering participating in these grand events. She won't join in the fun this year.
Ji Binghe: "I have good news for you. The cast of 'The Bell Ringer' will be officially announced on the 1st with a new poster."
This means that Mu Zhi will be officially announced as the female lead.
Mu Zhi just debuted this year and is pursuing an acting career. Her next project is already a movie, so whether or not she gets exposure by walking the red carpet is not important.
"But you've been filming for almost three months, and haven't participated in any public events since you wrapped up. When you join the film crew for another few months of seclusion, your fans will probably be making a scene at your studio every day."
When you signed the contract, you didn't mention any requirements regarding endorsements. I helped you negotiate with the brand ambassador for YANEL cosmetics, and a certain level of exposure and buzz is required during the brand evaluation period.
"The Bell Ringer" is a commissioned drama series for the Green Apple platform, originally scheduled for next summer. However, it was delayed for more than three months due to reshoots. The official announcement from the production team was probably to reassure the early investors.
Mu Zhi understood what her agent meant.
The official announcement for "The Bell Ringer" is coming soon. To be involved in the drama, she at least needs to attend the Green Apple platform's grand event.
They then finalized their plans to attend the Green Apple platform's grand event.
Two days later.
Mu Zhi took Minmin to a restaurant for a meal with director Xu Kuan, producer Wang, and Song Yuanliang, who played the male lead.
During the meeting, Director Xu Kuan and Mu Zhi finished discussing the role.
The article revealed the current preparation progress of the film "Back to 17".
It is expected to start production in April.
January is just around the corner, and there are still 3 months until the machine is turned on.
The dinner party ended.
On the way back, Minmin talked about her impression of Song Yuanliang.
"Sister Zhizhi, I met Teacher Song Yuanliang today and found him to be a pretty nice person."
I had previously seen a post online from Song Yuanliang's classmates, who claimed that Song Yuanliang was selective in his friendships and only hung out with classmates who had good grades and came from wealthy families.
At tonight's gathering, he was quite friendly to Mu Zhi, unlike when he first joined the cast of "The Bell Ringer," when the actors playing the second male and female leads were very indifferent to Mu Zhi because she was a newcomer.
Mu Zhi: "..."
Minmin was unaware that Song Yuanliang had "stopped at the point" when acting with Muzhi on the day of the audition.
"You can't simply judge a person; sometimes you only see one side of them."
Especially in the complex entertainment industry, many people change their stance for profit, possessing a shrewd and calculating mind.
Minmin nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
"Sister Zhizhi, can I come over to watch the New Year's Eve party with you tomorrow?"
"good."
Two weeks ago, Mu Zhi saw a message from Zhou Jingzhu in the group "Beautiful Girls in the Botanical Garden" that the Five Flowers girl group was going to participate in the New Year's Eve Gala hosted by Golden Mango TV.
These past two days, Zhou Jingzhu was jokingly tagging Muzhi in the group chat, reminding her to support him when the time comes.
I'll catch up on Zhou Jingzhu and Liu Cai's New Year's Eve performance.
On the day of the New Year's Eve party.
Minmin brought a cake to Muzhi.
"Sister Zhizhi, this is to celebrate your successful movie audition, and also tonight is New Year's Eve, so I prepared a small cake. Let's celebrate the arrival of the New Year together~"
I placed the cake on the coffee table in the living room and found a lot of snacks on the table, all of which were my favorites.
Minmin and Muzhi lived together in the Hengcheng film crew for more than two months, and Minmin knew that Muzhi didn't like to eat snacks.
With a look of surprise, she asked, "Is this for me?"
Mu Zhi smiled and said, "Let's eat while watching the show."
Minmin happily stepped forward and gave Muzhi a hug. The reason she was determined to stay and work by Muzhi's side was that Muzhi was only cold on the outside, but very warm inside.
The New Year's Eve party starts at 7:40.
The Five Flowers girl group will appear around 8:30.
Since the end of the "Chasing the Light Girl" talent show.
Mu Zhi was busy with her acting career and occasionally saw clips of Five Flowers' performances on the trending topics list, but tonight was the first time she had sat down and watched their stage performance seriously and completely.
Five Flowers released a single a month ago.
The new song performed on the New Year's Eve stage tonight was pretty good, in my opinion, but the dance moves weren't very synchronized when the stage panned out.
Lü E missed two stage movements.
A person's time and energy are limited, so it seems that it's not so easy to have both an acting career and an idol career.
Of all the performances on stage, Xia Xinyan and Liu Cai's were the most eye-catching.
The enthusiastic cheers of the fans in the audience could be heard even through the TV screen when the Five Flowers girl group appeared, danced energetically, and finished their performance.
Minmin stuffed snacks into her mouth and exclaimed, "Sister Zhizhi, I saw that the fans in the super topic are really looking forward to your singing and dancing performance. I'm a fan of your stage performances too."
Back during the talent show, your performances in the second and third rounds were absolutely stunning...
Mu Zhi felt that she owed the fans who had given her likes and support throughout the competition a stage.
I watched tonight's New Year's Eve gala.
She felt there was no need to rush to return the stage.
Once I've made a name for myself in the industry and have the ability to provide a good stage for my fans, then I can put a period to this journey of talent shows.
It was almost midnight.
The host invited the celebrities to come on stage to countdown and celebrate the arrival of the New Year together.
Five Flowers' performance was scheduled earlier in the program and wasn't left until the end.
Zhou Jingzhu and Liu Cai, who had already returned to the hotel to rest, popped up in the three-person group chat.
[Zhuzhu] Happy New Year! (Zhizhi Caige)
A whole bunch of festive emojis flooded the screen.
[Liu Cai] As we bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new, let's embark on a new chapter in our careers!
Zhou Jingzhu criticized it as sounding like a leader giving a speech.
Mu Zhi also sent four words in the group: Happy New Year.
Perhaps it was the arrival of the New Year that made Zhou Jingzhu and Liu Cai very excited, and they started chatting in the group.
Zhang Mengyu revealed that she plans to film a movie in the new year.
Mu Zhi was surprised to hear this. Zhang Mengyu had been in a group before and was now participating in the "Chasing the Light Girl" talent show as a trainee.
Everyone can see Zhang Mengyu's longing for the stage and music. Who would have thought that after forming a group for the second time, she would go off to film a movie? It's a bit of a sad story.
The conversation turned to filming.
Zhou Jingzhu and Liu Cai were also concerned about whether Mu Zhi's next project had been decided.
Mu Zhi didn't hide anything and said it was settled.
Immediately, she received congratulations from Zhou Jingzhu and Liu Cai in the group, but neither of them asked what Mu Zhi's next project was. Unannounced resources should be kept secret, and everyone tacitly understood that some things don't need to be known so clearly.
At the end of the conversation, Zhou Jingzhu and Liu Cai said that they would be returning to Beicheng tomorrow, and that they would find some time to get together.
[CaiCai] By the way, ZhiZhi, you and XinYan are in the same company, you're going to meet up, right?
After Liu Cai reminded her, Mu Zhi realized, um... the entertainment industry is quite small.
January 1st marks the arrival of the new year.
Many official Weibo accounts for TV series and movies tend to "get active" during important holidays, releasing promotional materials.
At 11 a.m., the official Weibo account of the large-scale fantasy web series "The Legend of the Bell Ringer" posted a Weibo post with a poster of the male and female protagonists releasing lanterns by the river to welcome the New Year.
In the poster, Mu Zhi holds a lotus lantern in her hands, bows her head and smiles gently, her brows revealing the shyness and tenderness of a young girl.
This gentle lowering of the head is like a cool breeze on a hot summer day, or a sweet treat.
Ning Yao was tall and dressed in a cool black outfit, holding a long sword in his hand, but his eyes were only on the beautiful woman beside him.
The male and female leads were both immersed in the scene in the play, and they looked like a perfect match and were pleasing to the eye.
Since the completion of filming for his new drama, the idol has not engaged in any promotional activities.
This has left Mu Zhi's fans feeling incredibly down, especially after seeing the poster:
Aa ...
They all came to life at once!
The idol's drama has finally been officially announced, and a poster with stills has been released. Judging from the poster, the idol seems to be playing the role quite well, which has raised fans' expectations for the drama.
Mu Zhi forwarded the latest Weibo post from the official account, and fans happily and enthusiastically forwarded, liked, and commented on it.
The official announcement of "The Bell Ringer" quickly became a trending topic.
Mu Zhi made it onto two related trending topics.
#Tu Qingqing replaced in reshoot of "Ringing Recording"# trending at number 9.
#Shaking the Bell Records of Mu Zhi# is trending at number 36.
The first topic was clearly arranged by the production team. Including Tu Qingqing's name did indeed help to attract attention. Many marketing accounts posted Weibo posts that included the posters released by the official Weibo account and also mentioned Mu Zhi's name.
Mu Zhi will inevitably be placed alongside Tu Qingqing and compared.
Although Tu Qingqing has deleted all her Weibo posts and temporarily left the entertainment industry, some fans still remain, believing that Tu Qingqing has only made a mistake that all men in the world would make.
Seeing the trending topic, I felt that Mu Zhi was maliciously exploiting and disparaging Tu Qingqing. Tu Qingqing's fans were making all sorts of veiled attacks under the trending topic, and a fight broke out between them and Mu Zhi's fans...
The day the new drama was officially announced was the day with the highest popularity since Mu Zhi withdrew from the competition "Chasing the Light Girl".
This isn't over yet.
That evening, former agent Shang Jian posted a cryptic message on Weibo.
Shang Jian V: Half a year ago, I adopted a little white cat and took good care of it. But it was a picky eater, refusing to eat this and that, and we didn't get along very well. A few days ago, it scratched me and then left. Oh well, an untamable little thing. No luck.
Initially, no one interpreted this Weibo post in any other way.
However, subsequently, a marketing account posted a revelation using the trending hashtag #ShakingTheBellRecordsMuzhi#:
Muzhi has terminated her contract with Xinghe Culture.
Then, looking at the agent Shang Jian's Weibo posts, things become interesting.
"Got some gossip? Let's tear it apart!"
"Is Shang Jianfa's Weibo post implying that Mu Zhi is an ungrateful wretch who left because she thinks the company's resources are bad?"
"I just saw on social media today that Mu Zhi replaced Tu Qingqing as the female lead in the remake of 'The Bell Ringer.' Did she get this role through her new company? Which company did she sign with?"
"She was guaranteed a spot in the debut lineup during the talent show but then withdrew from the competition, terminated her contract in less than six months, and quickly signed with a new company. She also replaced Tu Qingqing in the remake of 'The Bell Ringer.' She's an S-level ancient costume drama on the Green Apple platform! Who is this Mu Zhi? How can she get such good resources?"
......
Soon, two more new topics made it onto the trending topics list.
#ShangJianPosts#
#Muzhi reportedly terminates contract with former company#
Mu Zhi saw a trending topic: ? ? Her contract termination with Xinghe Culture was agreed upon by both parties, with the official announcement of the termination to be made in February.
Xinghe Culture also doesn't want news of its artists terminating their contracts so soon after signing, as that would be bad for the company.
The news was leaked on the very day that Mu Zhi's new drama was officially announced.
Judging from the timeline, the Weibo post by former agent Shang Jian seemed to be part of a coordinated effort, and this matter is likely related to Shang Jian, with a hint of deliberate malicious intent.
Agent Ji Binghe called.
"Now that the news of your contract termination has already been leaked, I just discussed it with President He. There's no time like the present; let's officially announce your signing with Lanxing Media today..."
Since Mu Zhi and Xinghe Culture have not officially announced the termination of their contract, it is not appropriate for Lanxing Media's official Weibo account to post a high-profile announcement that Mu Zhi is a newly signed artist, as this would overshadow the buzz surrounding the announcement of today's new drama.
The official announcement is scheduled for tomorrow morning.
The "official announcement" that Ji Binghe mentioned today refers to a poster that Lanxing Media's official Weibo account will release shortly, featuring a poster of one of its artists wishing everyone a Happy New Year. The poster will include a personal image of Mu Zhi.
Lanxing Media is trying to convey its support for Muzhi.
"Okay, thank you, Director Ji."
During the New Year's Day holiday, Ji Binghe was able to go online in time to handle Mu Zhi's affairs, which is very competent and responsible for her role as an agent.
Mu Zhi's fans were ecstatic today. First, they were overjoyed to see the news of their idol's new drama.
Then came the news of his contract termination, which was the second piece of great news for fans, who were ecstatic.
I wasn't sure if the leak was true.
As a result, not long after #ShangJianPosts# became a trending topic, Lanxing Media's official Weibo account posted a poster of one of its artists, directly confirming the news.
Fans interpreted this as a sign that neither Lanxing Media nor their idol intended to make an official announcement today.
They cleverly focused on promoting their new drama and on Shang Jian's side, since Shang Jian, their former manager, posted something that subtly criticized their idol, and they had to get back at him.
During the period when Mu Zhi was in seclusion filming and had no public appearances after filming wrapped, fans would routinely criticize her manager, Shang Jian, and the studio, hoping that the manager would pay more attention to their idol and arrange some resources for her. However, their criticism was still restrained.
Now that the contract has been terminated, I can finally vent my emotions:
"Congratulations Mu Zhi, you're finally free from suffering!!! Shang Jian, eat lemons (mb)."
"She was assigned to be the guest assistant for the top female star on 'Celebrity Kitchen,' and Mu Zhi was criticized for not defending her on the dating show 'Heartbeat Lovers.' Plus a lipstick endorsement, that's it. Her resources are even worse than those of the sixth-ranked contestant who hasn't debuted yet. Do you have any shame? What are you implying?"
"The artist has been repeatedly trending on social media for negative reasons, and Shang Jian, as the agent, has done nothing. Now he can finally say goodbye to the garbage company and garbage agent. I wish Xinghe Culture will go bankrupt soon."
"You're such a useless agent! A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on. If you don't provide resources for your artists, why should they hang themselves on your crooked tree? You should reflect on yourself more."
......
In just one hour.
Shang Jian's latest Weibo post received over 20,000 abusive comments.
Probably not expecting Mu Zhi's fans to be so aggressive, Shang Jian was a bit overwhelmed. He deleted the Weibo post and reposted it to explain that he didn't mean anything negative about anyone and was just talking about cats.
The comments section was still filled with insults.
Mu Zhi called Shang Jian and asked him to officially announce the termination of the contract with Xinghe Culture in advance.
Perhaps seeing that Lanxing Media was defending Muzhi, and that the fans were very powerful, and that the trending topics didn't achieve the goal of netizens criticizing Muzhi as an ingrate, they decided to maintain a facade of harmony and agreed.
The following morning.
Xinghe Culture's official Weibo account announced: The contract with Muzhi has been terminated amicably.
To demonstrate his professionalism as an agent, Shang Jian retweeted the Weibo post, offering Mu Zhi official blessings and wishing her a bright future in the entertainment industry.
Mu Zhi reposted Shang Jian's Weibo post with only four words: "See you in the martial arts world."
This goodbye can be interpreted as a future meeting, but Mu Zhi expresses that the two sides will have no further connection from now on.
Xinghe Culture terminated its contract with Mu Zhi, and Lanxing Media then officially announced on Weibo that Mu Zhi had become one of its artists.
#Muzhi terminates contract with Xinghe Culture#
#Muzhi Signs with Lanxing Media#
The two topics trended on social media one after the other.
Logically, the contract termination and the official announcement should not be on the same day.
This series of actions has undoubtedly ignited an invisible battle between the two companies.
As a figure caught in the storm, Mu Zhi's name has been remembered by many netizens through various topics, including the official announcement of her new drama yesterday, her contract termination today, and her signing with a new company.
In fact, we should thank Shang Jian and Xinghe Culture for this whole thing, which has given Mu Zhi a lot of attention and made her a hot topic.
At the height of its popularity, Green Apple platform's grand event is coming soon.
Mu Zhi was notified by her agent to come to the company to try on dresses.
He ran into Xia Xinyan.
This marks their second meeting since appearing together on the variety show "Celebrity Kitchen".
Xia Xinyan greeted him with a smile: "Mu Zhi, congratulations on joining Lanxing Media."
A couple of days ago, I saw on the trending topics online that Mu Zhi had also signed with Lanxing Media, and was being managed by Ji Binghe.
The company's confidentiality measures are excellent.
She was also surprised to find that she and Mu Zhi were from the same company and had the same agent, which seemed like a strange coincidence.
Mu Zhi smiled and responded to Xia Xinyan's greeting: "Thank you, it's been a long time."
During the talent show, the two did not perform together on stage and had very little contact in private.
We weren't very familiar with each other.
After exchanging brief greetings, they went about their own business.
Dressing room.
Four borrowed dresses were hanging on a sliding coat rack.
Mu Zhi wanted to choose one of them to wear to Green Apple's boisterous night.
Ji Binghe introduced the four borrowed dresses to Mu Zhi one by one, mainly explaining which brand they were from and which year they were for the season.
One item is a new autumn item this year, while the other three are classic styles.
Meanwhile, top celebrities wore the new spring/summer collections for the new year on the red carpet.
Given Mu Zhi's current status, it's already quite impressive that Ji Binghe was able to lend her these few pieces of clothing.
Mu Zhi tried on the four pieces of clothing one by one to see how they looked on her.
Every time I finish a test, it comes out.
Minmin clapped enthusiastically, her eyes filled with amazement: "So beautiful!"
"This one is gorgeous too!"
"This one is absolutely gorgeous too!"
This is not flattery, but a heartfelt and genuine expression of emotion.
Ji Binghe nodded in agreement each time.
Mu Zhi's figure and aura allowed her to easily carry off these dresses.
The clothes looked very high-quality on Mu Zhi.
Ji Binghe even felt that these clothes were too "youthful" and didn't quite suit Mu Zhi's temperament.
After trying on the dress.
Mu Zhi asked the staff present for their opinions: "Which one do you think is better?"
The staff replied, "Everything is fine."
Ji Binghe let Mu Zhi make her own decision.
Mu Zhi chose the last one, a pale yellow dress.
Three days later, the night of excitement arrived on the Green Apple platform.
The red carpet event began at 6 p.m.
In January, the temperature in the northern part of the city was close to 0 degrees Celsius. Male celebrities were dressed in suits, while female celebrities wore thin dresses, looking beautiful but freezing, all in an effort to shine on the red carpet.
Although the artists only have a short time on the red carpet to attend this gala, they have a lot of work to do beforehand.
This is the first time that newcomer Mu Zhi has participated in a grand event. She has received a lot of attention recently due to the official announcement of "The Bell Ringer".
"We can't let people laugh at us."
Ji Binghe took it very seriously. She booked a room at the hotel for an hour and specially hired a styling team to do Mu Zhi's makeup and hair. She also borrowed a pair of earrings to match the overall look.
After Mu Zhi finished her makeup and changed into her dress, a photographer was arranged to take pictures.
Before heading to the event, Muzhi Studio released photos of Muzhi's look for the day.
It was almost time, so the team left the hotel and headed to the red carpet event location.
The event starts at 6:00, and Mu Zhi is scheduled to walk the red carpet around 6:50.
I arrived at the scene 15 minutes early.
Ji Binghe thoughtfully prepared a thick white shawl for Mu Zhi.
Mu Zhi cleverly stuck hand warmers inside her skirt, which wasn't visible, so she didn't feel cold while waiting to go on stage. Thankfully, that was alright.
After the two celebrities left, it would be her turn.
To allow Mu Zhi to get used to the temperature, the agent removed the shawl.
Just then, a cold wind blew by, and Mu Zhi instantly shivered from the cold.
Ji Binghe reminded her, "Hang in there! It'll be your turn soon."
"You'll be walking the red carpet soon, so even if it's cold, you have to tough it out. Remember to control your facial expressions, the cameras are filming you."
Mu Zhi nodded and gave Ji Binghe a reassuring smile.
"Next, please welcome Mu Zhi."
Upon hearing the host's announcement.
Mu Zhi lifted her skirt and walked gracefully toward the red carpet illuminated by the spotlights.
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