Chapter 57
Hu Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief after finally explaining things to Jiang Chen.
Who knew this child could keep such a strong sense of self-control, enduring this opinion for so long before finally letting it out?
Thinking back on this, Hu Zhenzhen also has to thank that melodramatic TV series from ten years ago.
If her child hadn't clicked on this out of boredom, she might have continued to believe it for much longer.
Hu Zhenzhen doesn't want to raise a child for ten years only to end up in a psychiatric ward for treatment in her old age.
If it really comes to that, then it'll be utterly speechless, like a mother opening the door to speechlessness itself.
After explaining, Jiang Chen was clearly embarrassed.
He wanted to apologize to Hu Zhenzhen, but he didn't know how to bring it up.
Jiang Chen thought for a while, then suddenly ran back into the house and brought out his piggy bank.
"Here you go, Mom."
Jiang Chen stuffed the piggy bank into Hu Zhenzhen's arms.
There was a card in the pig's deposit box. Hu Zhenzhen recognized the card; it was the one she used to deposit money for Jiang Chen.
Once Chen Kai had saved enough money to buy a piglet, he would take the money to the bank.
As far as Hu Zhenzhen knew, she should have been there five or six times already, and there was quite a bit of money saved up on that card.
"Xiao Chen, Mom doesn't want your money. This money is your allowance, and you can use it however you want."
Jiang Chen stood with his hands behind his back, showing no intention of taking the piggy bank back.
"That money was originally meant for Mom."
Jiang Chen glanced at Hu Zhenzhen secretly, and seeing that she didn't seem angry, he continued speaking in a low voice.
"I'm saving up to pay for my mother's medical treatment."
What a filial son!
If Hu Zhenzhen were truly ill, she might be moved to tears.
But she was a perfectly healthy and normal person, and when she heard Jiang Chen's words, she felt both amused and exasperated.
"Mom is not sick, so she doesn't need Xiaochen's money."
Hu Zhenzhen returned the piglet to Jiang Chen, but seeing that he still refused to take it, she could only continue.
"Would Xiao Chen like to use the money in the piggy bank to buy Mom a gift?"
Upon hearing her say that, Jiang Chen immediately agreed to take the piggy bank back.
"Okay! I'll buy Mom a present!"
Today's blunder is finally over.
Watching the child excitedly run back to his room, Hu Zhenzhen took a sip of oolong tea, and her mood finally calmed down.
The days for staff interviews and actor interviews were interspersed.
Staff interviews are scheduled for the day before.
Hu Zhenzhen handed over the interview process entirely to Lu Ye and Lei Tao, and went to the headhunting company herself.
Jianghu Pictures is about to officially open, and it can't be that there isn't even a president, and Hu Zhenzhen has to review everything.
Such high-end talent is scarce everywhere.
Hu Zhenzhen didn't expect to find a job in a day, but after a day of interviews, she hadn't found a single one she liked, so she couldn't help but feel worried.
The recruitment of clerical staff and post-recruitment personnel has been almost completed.
The position of CEO has remained vacant, as no one is capable of leading the company.
Without someone to handle daily affairs, the company would be difficult to operate. If Hu Zhenzhen had to deal with these things herself, she would be overwhelmed.
It seems we can't rely solely on headhunting firms; we need to think of other ways to recruit someone capable of serving as president as soon as possible.
When you're sleepy, someone will hand you a pillow.
Hu Zhenzhen had only been thinking this for a short time when she received a call from an unknown number.
"Hello, is this Mr. Hu?"
She squinted and thought for a few seconds before recalling who the familiar voice belonged to.
"It's me. May I ask who you are?"
"Mr. Hu, this is Feng Yang. You should still remember me, right?"
Oh, it's that Chairman Feng.
Hu Zhenzhen felt a little strange.
She really didn't have much interaction with this Chairman Feng, and the charity auction ended somewhat unpleasantly.
Why would Chairman Feng call her on his own initiative?
"I remember, Chairman Feng, is there anything I can help you with?"
Mr. Feng, who was on the other end of the phone, choked and quickly looked at his grandfather beside him.
Why is it that all of them prefer to get straight to the point and don't like to exchange any pleasantries?
Chairman Feng mouthed the words.
'sincere'
Feng Yang understood and said, "It's like this, I own a headhunting company. I called today because I heard that Mr. Hu is here and wanted to ask you about the situation."
That headhunting firm actually belonged to him.
Hu Zhenzhen was slightly surprised.
"So that's your company, Mr. Feng. I'll have to ask for your help in the future."
Hu Zhenzhen said politely, not expecting Feng Yang to actually help her.
The two weren't exactly friends; they'd only met twice and barely exchanged a few words. So why would he offer to help?
Hu Zhenzhen was just thinking about this when she heard Chairman Feng say something.
"Mr. Hu, you're looking to hire a CEO, right? Talented people in the entertainment industry are hard to find these days. If you don't mind, I can recommend someone to you. What do you think?"
I really should introduce her to someone.
Hu Zhenzhen raised an eyebrow slightly, wondering what Feng Yang was up to.
"If Chairman Feng knows anyone, of course he can."
Hu Zhenzhen had concerns; she wasn't sure if the person introduced by General Manager Feng would be suitable.
After all, she was hiring the company's president; she would feel uneasy if such a high-ranking official were sent in by someone else.
"Mr. Hu, you've misunderstood. I don't know this person either. I just thought he was suitable and recommended him to you."
Feng Yang's words immediately piqued Hu Zhenzhen's curiosity.
He didn't even know that person, so why would he recommend her? Was he really that trusting of that person's character?
Hu Zhenzhen doesn't usually recommend talent to others casually.
Whether it will succeed or not is not the problem; the real problem is that people are difficult to control and understand.
If she recommends a talented but morally corrupt person to another company, she will be implicated if something goes wrong.
Because of this, Hu Zhenzhen did not contact General Manager Gao or ask her friends for recommendations.
Unaware of the complex emotions in her heart, Feng Yang glanced at his grandfather's expression and continued his introduction.
"Mr. Hu should have heard of this person; he is Qiu Shaotian, the former CEO of Sunrain."
Hu Zhenzhen had indeed heard of this person.
When researching entertainment companies, she did a quick scan of the companies currently operating in the film and television industry.
Sunrain Company is one of them.
It was once glorious five years ago, producing only high-quality works, each of which was a hit drama. It relied solely on its own strength to make fans go from being fans of the dramas to being fans of the company.
Unfortunately, this company went bankrupt two years ago.
When Hu Zhenzhen saw it, she sighed twice, feeling regretful about it.
“I have indeed heard of this name, but it seems he no longer works in S City.”
When Hu Zhenzhen was preparing to establish Jianghu Film and Television Company, she also compiled a list of talents who had left large companies, including Qiu Shaotian.
However, after Sunrain Company went bankrupt, he disappeared and seems to have left the film and television industry.
Upon hearing Hu Zhenzhen's words, Feng Yang said "no" three times in a row.
"No, no, he's still in S City, but he's changed jobs recently, to jobs unrelated to film and television."
His words made Hu Zhenzhen hesitate again.
Even if this person is talented, since they have chosen to leave the film and television industry, they probably won't come back. There's no point in Feng Yang introducing them to her.
Just like being able to guess Hu Zhenzhen's thoughts.
Before she could speak, Feng Yang across from her said, "President Hu, this former CEO of Sunrain is indeed a talent. Over the years, many people have tried to poach him, but they were all deterred by his eccentric demands."
"A strange request?"
“That’s right,” Chairman Feng glanced at his grandfather’s face and saw him nod, then said, “The reason for Sunrain’s bankruptcy was not a business problem.”
Hu Zhenzhen hadn't really investigated this carefully, so she couldn't help but prick up her ears.
"The reason why Sunrain Film and Television Company went bankrupt was due to problems with the contract and the board of directors."
“After this company was established, many investors came to it and bought shares, helping Sunrain to grow stronger and stronger. But Mr. Hu, you and I are both businessmen and understand the advantages and disadvantages of equity.”
"After the intervention of capital, even if Qiu Shaotian is the current CEO, he will be constrained in his management, and many issues will be decided directly by the board of directors without his approval."
"The problem became increasingly serious in the later stages, until it crossed the line into legal matters."
Only after he said this did Hu Zhenzhen understand why the company had gone bankrupt so quickly.
The news she found only mentioned tax evasion, but in reality, Sunrain Films is involved in much deeper and more complex issues.
No wonder Qiu Shaotian has now switched careers and is no longer in the film and television industry.
"No wonder it went bankrupt."
Hu Zhenzhen summed it up in a nonchalant tone, leaving Feng Yang unsure how to respond.
He coughed softly, and seeing that Hu Zhenzhen had no other reaction, he continued, "So Qiu Shaotian has strict requirements now. If you want to poach his company, you need to meet his three major requirements before he will agree to go for an interview."
Since there are requirements, I still want to return to the film and television industry.
Hu Zhenzhen understood perfectly well why Chairman Feng had recommended this person to her; it seemed that her Jianghu Film and Television Company had met these requirements.
"First, the board of directors should be small, with no more than three members, and it is best if it is a sole proprietorship."
"Second, he must be involved in the decision-making process; the board of directors cannot bypass him in making decisions."
"Third, the company's main focus must be on high-quality dramas, and the number of poorly made online dramas produced each year must not exceed half of the total number of dramas produced."
These requirements sound simple, but upon closer inspection, each one is not so easy to achieve.
Take the first point as an example: without enough investors to share the risk, it is highly likely that an individual who invests solely in a TV series will lose all their money.
Not many wealthy people would do that.
The second point is also very straightforward.
Qiu Shaotian had been harmed by the board of directors who used dual contracts and evaded taxes, and he harbored resentment towards them. This clause was designed to prevent such things from happening again.
He almost went to jail for this last time.
Fortunately, the investigation confirmed that he was not involved in any illegal business operations; he was only fined and not arrested.
But this was enough to make Qiu Shaotian wary.
If he really goes to prison, forget about money and dreams; he'll probably ruin the rest of his life.
When Feng Yang mentioned the requirements, he couldn't help but click his tongue and sigh.
"It's only because he met you, Mr. Hu, otherwise, with his demands, he would have spent his whole life washing dishes in a restaurant."
After talking for a while, Chairman Feng unconsciously relaxed.
When Mr. Feng, who was sitting next to him, heard him say that, he couldn't help but pat him on the back to remind him.
Realizing he had misspoke, Feng Yang quickly tried to make amends.
"Mr. Hu, that's all I know. This is just a recommendation. If you want to contact him, I can send you his contact information."
"Of course, if you're not interested in him, just pretend I didn't say that today."
Hu Zhenzhen heard the muffled sound on the other end of the phone and smiled slightly.
No wonder Chairman Feng was so polite today; it seems he had some expert advice and wanted to curry favor with her and build a closer relationship.
After realizing this, Hu Zhenzhen felt relieved.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Feng. Please send me his contact information. As for whether or not to hire him, I need to consider it further."
Feng Yang was delighted to hear this and breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Alright, Mr. Hu, I'll hang up now."
After hanging up the phone, he couldn't help but show off to his grandfather.
"See? I told you I could make this call without any problem, but you didn't believe me."
I don't know where he inherited that smug look from, but even Old Feng gets a headache just looking at him.
"If Hu Zhenzhen hadn't seen through your motives, do you think things would have gone so smoothly?"
Old Chairman Feng took a sip of tea. "Silly boy, they know you're trying to get close to them, they're just giving you face."
Feng Yang hadn't really noticed. Hearing his grandfather's confident conclusion, he chuckled twice, "As long as the goal is achieved, that's fine. Anyway, you just wanted me to get closer to her."
Chairman Feng didn't refute that statement, but just smiled and glanced at him.
Children and grandchildren have their own blessings; sometimes being a little silly isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Others try to get in touch with Hu Zhenzhen but can't, while this silly boy of theirs has been secretly working against her before, yet he managed to get close to her so easily. Who would have thought?
Feng Yang didn't understand the meaning behind that glance, assuming that his grandfather had nothing to say in rebuttal, and smiled smugly.
"Don't worry, I know what's important now, and I'll definitely try to build a good relationship with President Hu."
Old Chairman Feng didn't believe this at all, but he didn't contradict him.
"It's good that you know."
After hanging up the phone, Hu Zhenzhen's WeChat message rang quickly.
She glanced at it and saw that it was the contact information sent by Chairman Feng.
In addition to the phone number, he also sent Qiu Shaotian's basic information, clearly intending to curry favor with Hu Zhenzhen.
It's hard for people to dislike the feeling of being flattered.
This pleased Hu Zhenzhen and improved Feng Yang's impression of her.
She dialed the number Feng Yang had given her, and after a while, someone answered.
Hello.
The moment the call connected, a noisy background sound came through. Hu Zhenzhen frowned slightly, remembering what Chairman Feng had just mentioned about washing dishes.
Could it be that Qiu Shaotian really went to wash dishes after leaving the film and television industry?
He was a CEO once, surely he wouldn't go that far?
With that question in mind, Hu Zhenzhen asked, "Excuse me, are you Qiu Shaotian?"
Upon hearing her voice, Qiu Shaotian realized something and moved to a quieter place.
"Yes, that's me. May I ask who you are?"
"I am Hu Zhenzhen."
After the rescue of H City, Hu Zhenzhen became very famous among the citizens, with only a very few people who had not yet heard of her name.
Clearly, Qiu Shaotian was no ordinary person. He knew who Hu Zhenzhen was, but he didn't understand why this big boss wanted to see him.
However, his doubts were resolved as soon as Hu Zhenzhen spoke.
"I'm contacting you today to ask if you're still interested in returning to work in the entertainment industry?"
Qiu Shaotian was certainly interested; otherwise, he wouldn't have left out such harsh conditions and waited for someone to come to him.
"Mr. Hu, you must have heard about my terms, right?"
His experiences in recent years have made him more cautious.
"I've heard of it. It just so happens that I meet all three of these criteria, which is why I'm calling to contact you."
Qiu Shaotian's feelings were extremely complicated in an instant.
Are all the conditions met?
To be honest, when Qiu Shaotian wrote down these three conditions, he thought that he would be willing to consider any company that met two of them.
He understands that there is no perfect company in the world, and he doesn't expect to find a boss who will cooperate with him 100%.
When a company actually appeared in reality that could meet all his conditions, Qiu Shaotian was actually quite skeptical.
Many companies had tried to poach him before, initially promising to meet his conditions, but when they actually sat down to talk, Qiu Shaotian realized they had no sincerity at all.
His three conditions were demanding, but what lies behind them is actually just two words: conscience.
He wants to find a film and television company with a conscience.
TV dramas need to make money; they need buzz and high viewership. Capital invests in TV dramas for money.
Unfortunately, conscience is superfluous here.
The original Sunrain Company was built up by Qiu Shaotian. He had a lot of say in the early stages, which enabled him to withstand the pressure and focus on making high-quality products.
A high-quality product does not necessarily mean it will become popular.
Reality is cruel; no matter how good a TV series is, it may not be able to beat those with overly hyped marketing in terms of viewership ratings.
When Qiu Shaotian held sway, he was able to suppress dissent and focus on creating high-quality products.
However, in the later stages of the Sun Shower series, he was no longer making decisions alone. Resources were allocated to many random web series, and consequently, there were fewer resources allocated to high-quality scripts.
That year was the most productive year for Sunrain Company.
It was also a year that ruined our reputation.
Qiu Shaotian resigned at that time, and it was precisely because he resigned early that he avoided many of the company's later underhanded tactics and was able to escape unscathed from the police investigation.
He was initially happy when Hu Zhenzhen came to see him, but he couldn't help but feel suspicious.
"Mr. Hu, if I remember correctly, your main business should be related to food, right? Why did you get into the entertainment industry?"
This matter cannot be explained in just a few words.
Hu Zhenzhen took the initiative to suggest, "Can we meet and talk in detail?"
Qiu Shaotian hesitated for a long time on the other end of the phone, "But I still have work to do and can't leave."
"As you know, Mr. Hu, I'm no longer in the film and television industry; I work in a restaurant."
She actually went to wash the dishes!
Hu Zhenzhen stared wide-eyed in surprise and asked, "Can I take leave? I can pay for your lost wages."
Contrary to Hu Zhenzhen's expectations, Qiu Shaotian wasn't doing cleaning work; he was delivering takeout.
Simply put, he's now a pizza delivery driver.
After leaving Sunrain Company, Qiu Shaotian discovered that his physical condition was not good, so he wanted to try out some physical work.
His original plan was to find a suitable company, then resign and leave, only working there for a few months to get some exercise.
But I never expected that this would last for three years.
For the past three years, Qiu Shaotian has been climbing stairs and walking every day, taking tens of thousands of steps. Not to mention anything else, he has gotten rid of his former skinny, bony physique and now has muscles all over his arms.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Hu, my work is about to get busy, and I don't know how to explain taking leave to the store manager."
Hu Zhenzhen never expected to be rejected by him.
Can I ask what you're doing right now?
After all, the job of a dishwasher is very easily replaceable, and it's not difficult to explain the situation.
Since she asked, Qiu Shaotian answered frankly.
"I work as a delivery driver for Aiwa Pizza."
Upon hearing this, Hu Zhenzhen's lips curled up slightly.
If it's a delivery driver, then it will be much easier to call Qiu Shaotian over.
"Okay, then I hope that when we meet, I can chat with you for a while longer."
After saying that, Hu Zhenzhen hung up the phone.
Qiu Shaotian only had time to say goodbye before he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
Hu Zhenzhen didn't set aside time for a detailed meeting, does that mean she doesn't plan to see him?
Qiu Shaotian felt extremely uneasy at the thought of this possibility.
Regardless of whether the conditions Ms. Hu mentioned are true or false, the fact that she called in person is a rare gesture compared to other companies.
If she really is planning to open an entertainment company and is sincerely inviting him, but he misses the opportunity because of this refusal, he will definitely regret it for a long time.
It was rare for Qiu Shaotian to have such an idea.
Time has worn away his former pride and made him realize that he is not irreplaceable.
Qiu Shaotian was different from before. He was no longer the arrogant young man who was certain of his success. Just a few minutes after hanging up on Hu Zhenzhen, he even regretted it.
I haven't worked in the entertainment industry for several years.
Perhaps in other people's eyes, he has long since gone from being someone who abandoned the entertainment industry to being someone abandoned by the entertainment industry.
Can he still lead a company to glory now?
Qiu Shaotian had secretly thought about this question before, but he himself had no answer.
It was precisely this lack of self-confidence that prevented Qiu Shaotian from seeing Hu Zhenzhen immediately.
He looked up at the glass and at his reflection, barely able to recall what he looked like three years ago.
The fact that he sets such demanding conditions suggests that time has worn away his talent, and he is no longer as capable as before.
Qiu Shaotian realized that he should probably do some work related to the entertainment industry. Only by regaining his confidence could he regain his ability to be critical of companies.
"Xiao Qiu, don't be silly, there's a big order!"
The receptionist called him, and Qiu Shaotian finally came to his senses.
"They're here!"
"The guest at Villa No. 23 in Woshan gave a tip of 500. You and I will split it in half."
If the customer hadn't specifically requested Qiu Shaotian to deliver the goods, the receptionist wouldn't have wanted to share the tip with him. After all, it's rare to encounter such a generous customer; you might not see one for more than once every month or two.
Qiu Shaotian was preoccupied with his own thoughts and didn't notice the strange look he was getting from the receptionist.
After he left, the receptionist gossiped to her colleague, "Do you think Qiu Shaotian is some rich kid who's just trying out a job? Why are there orders specifically asking him to deliver them?"
"No way," the colleague said, unsure. "Are there any rich kids who get to work for three years as a trial period?"
"That's true."
The receptionist immediately looked away, losing interest.
"That's probably because some rich person has taken a liking to him, which is why they want him to deliver it in person."
My colleague burst out laughing. "Come on, do you think this is a comic book? You can't believe there's a rich woman falling for a delivery guy."
Qiu Shaotian, who had already walked far away, did not hear what they were saying.
If he heard it, he could probably guess that something was wrong.
Unfortunately, he didn't hear it. Frustrated, he rode his electric scooter for a long time under the blazing sun until he finally saw the silhouette of the Woshan Villa.
The moment Qiu Shaotian rang the doorbell, he finally understood and decided to resign from the shop after today's business.
The heavy door opened, revealing a very familiar face.
"You've finally arrived, Qiu Shaotian. Can we talk now?"
"Mr. Hu?"
Qiu Shaotian was extremely surprised and it took him a few seconds to understand everything.
Hu Zhenzhen smiled slightly and handed over a stack of red bills.
"I heard that your store has a rule that if you return an item and ask the delivery person to deliver it again, you have to give them a tip."
She stuffed the money into Qiu Shaotian's breast pocket.
"This should be enough for you to make another round trip. Give me the time it would take to go back and forth. Come in and let's talk."
Qiu Shaotian, carrying a pizza, entered the reception room under the guidance of Hu Zhenzhen.
He didn't say anything polite, nor did he return the money on his chest to Hu Zhenzhen.
When Qiu Shaotian was the president of Sunrain Company, he made a lot of money. His resignation to become a food delivery driver was purely out of confusion in life, and he did not have any financial pressure.
These banknotes were less like money and more like an invitation from Hu Zhenzhen in Qiu Shaotian's eyes.
"I can meet all three of your requirements. Is there anything else you'd like to ask for, future president of Jianghu Film and Television Company?"
He sat down and immediately laughed when he heard those words.
I don't know why, but Hu Zhenzhen has this kind of magic.
In just a few words, Qiu Shaotian's confusion, hesitation, and lack of confidence were dispelled.
All my words can be summed up in one sentence: "I am deeply honored by President Hu's kindness."
Dark hands and slender, pale hands clasped together.
This represents not only the beginning of a friendship, but also the beginning of the rise of a future entertainment empire.
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