Chapter 76 More than 50,000 is fine.
Lu Xuan was supposed to rest for a few days before going to the next film crew introduced by Jiang Qi, but he received a call early in the morning that the schedules of the two lead actors had encountered some problems and the filming would be postponed until after the New Year.
So he had a completely free period before the Lunar New Year.
Because he had been filming day and night for many days, Qiao Wu wanted him to rest more today, so he didn't wake him up or have the maid come up.
But his biological clock had been sluggish for so long that he could no longer sleep.
Ultimately, for the sake of those cheap abs, I still got up and went for a morning workout, and then made an appointment with my acting teacher at the company.
Once downstairs, there was no one else in the house except for the maid.
This has been a common occurrence in the past. For the past ten years or so, he has eaten alone, but other people are like strangers to him. No one cares what he is doing, and he is no exception.
But this time it's different.
Seeing him come down, the servants prepared breakfast for him and said without him even asking, "The old gentleman hasn't returned from Jing Shui Villa yet. The second young master went to the company. The fourth young master and the young lady are going to school early during finals week. Butler Qiao will also go to the foundation after arranging things at home."
Lu Xuan paused in his breakfast.
He wasn't used to it.
The tone made it sound as if reporting the whereabouts of everyone in the family to him was a very ordinary thing.
He suddenly remembered what Qiao Wu had said: "You're not home often."
Indeed, due to work, he rarely stays at home. Before, when he was there, other people were also there, and they were noisy and boisterous all day long, so it didn't seem strange.
But when it was actually his turn to sit here alone, he felt a strange feeling.
It's as if there really is a thread pulling him along. Even if he goes far away, someone will tell others one morning: "The Third Young Master is filming and hasn't come back yet."
He snapped out of his thoughts and gave a soft "hmm."
After finishing breakfast, he went to the company for class, and as soon as he entered, Yu Xiu gave him a big hug.
He frowned and pulled the person off him: "What are you doing?!"
Yu Xiu patted him on the shoulder with great satisfaction: "These past six months have been really good."
The company didn't spend much money on countering his negative publicity.
Since Lu Xuan stopped attending those messy parties and stopped getting drunk and making a fool of himself, his reputation in the industry has improved considerably.
A document was handed to Lu Xuan. Yu Xiu said, "But there's something I need to tell you. Although Teacher Jiang Qi's film crew has been put on hold for the time being, there's a new job here. Would you like to take a look? It's for the lead male role."
Lu Xuan glanced at it; it was a complete script proposal.
He walked past Yu Xiu toward the performance classroom, saying lazily without turning his head, "I'm broke lately."
"What money?" Yu Xiu quickly caught up. "It's for you to act in."
Lu Xuan gave him a strange look: "Trying to harm me?"
The last time he played the lead male role was as a domineering CEO that Lu Ning and Lu Yingchi kept bringing up and relentlessly mocking in the anti-fan supertopic every day.
"How did I hurt you? You're not happy about playing the male lead?"
Lu Xuan didn't care and scoffed, "There probably isn't anyone who can play a lead role just based on their looks."
He knows his own limitations.
Don't waste months; some people can't even finish watching the first episode.
I've worked for nothing for the past six months.
Seeing his stubbornness, Yu Xiu found it strange and laughed, "It's not like you're the one who always puts on airs and says you only want to play the male lead anymore."
He then shoved the proposal into Lu Xuan's arms: "I'm not kidding you, it's a real male lead, but it's not a big production. It's just a web series produced by a new team. I'm not saying you have to act in it. I'm just letting you see. Anyway, your current work is temporarily postponed. You'll have to read the script and audition for other groups."
Hearing him say that, Lu Xuan stopped and took the proposal, opening it to the page.
Although he doesn't have many works, he is quite familiar with directors of all levels in the industry, and these people have often tried to get him drunk in exchange for investment.
However, the names of everyone on the project proposal, including the director and producer, were unfamiliar, suggesting it was a completely new team.
It's a lighthearted martial arts comedy about a small-time character's growth. Judging from its theme and character outline, it does have more depth than urban domineering CEOs, and it's also in line with the mainstream market.
Having been by Jiang Qi's side for a long time, Lu Xuan had a general understanding of some project procedures.
Smaller groups without a strong background have a harder time succeeding because they can't attract investment.
He leaned against the door without looking up: "I have no money, but I have some dignity. I'll sell my art, not my body."
"..."
Lu Xuan was unwilling to use Lu Jinzhi's money to invest in others to buy a role for himself, only to be ridiculed in the end: "I just gave my family's kids red envelopes with the only pay I earned yesterday."
Yu Xiu: "Outrageous."
Is your family's property made from a gold mine?
Sending out red envelopes will use up all your earnings?!
He teased, "Aren't you saving up to buy jewelry for your housekeeper?"
Suddenly struck by a sore spot, Lu Xuan gave him a cold look.
Oh.
Buying jewelry?
He wanted to, but his housekeeper was more generous than him and had already bought jewelry for other celebrities.
He said, "Get lost."
"Why are you still so grumpy?" Knowing that he was strictly controlled, Yu Xiu stopped teasing him and said seriously, "I'm not asking you to invest, I'm just letting you see if you want to go. If you do, go for an audition, but you might not even get the part."
Her lips are as sweet as honey, and her words are just as annoying as Lu Jinzhi's.
Lu Xuan was about to say something in response when he suddenly realized something was amiss.
He finally raised an eyebrow: "Let me see?"
During this period, every job he took on was prepared by Yu Xiu and sent to Qiao Wu. Qiao Wu would then select the suitable ones for him, and he would only need to carry them out. From variety shows to Jiang Qi, even for new projects, Qiao Wu would review them first.
Why is it his turn to look now?
"President Qiao didn't tell you." Ever since he learned that Qiao Wu had a new company, Yu Xiu changed how he addressed her. After all, she had suddenly become several levels higher than him in status. She was truly a woman who quietly accomplished great things and dared to try anything.
"She said that in the future, you can look at and screen the jobs first, and she will be responsible for assisting you."
Lu Xuan remained silent for several seconds before repeating, seemingly with some doubt, "Support?"
Wasn't she only assisting the top leader of the Lu family?
But Yu Xiu didn't know what he was thinking, and worried that he might mind, so he explained, "Actually, that makes sense. She has so many things to do every day, she can't pave the way for you in everything."
Lu Xuan smiled.
He lowered his head and flipped through the script again, and after a long while he denied it: "No."
She took his words to heart that day.
It's not about ignoring him, but about letting him try to be his own boss and decide the path he wants to take.
They left him an escape route, standing behind him.
Just as she said, even if she weren't there, someone else would do the work.
In fact, Lu Xuan felt that some of the things she said were wrong.
Even if there is another housekeeper, not everyone will be as thoughtful as she is, able to grasp everyone's weaknesses.
"I'll read it." He closed the proposal. "I'll give you an answer before I leave work."
"OK."
Seeing the person open the door and enter the classroom, Yu Xiu smiled for no apparent reason.
This CEO Qiao is truly a genius. He managed to train Lu Xuan, this little rascal, to be like this. If Lu Xuan had been more obedient earlier, he wouldn't have had to take so many detours.
After finishing class, Lu Xuan didn't go to eat immediately. Instead, he sat in the classroom and read through the entire proposal. He didn't see the script in detail, but the proposal outlined the whole story.
He is trying his best to independently judge whether a play is good or bad from his own perspective.
Qiao Wu had no experience in this industry, yet she could recognize and discern the truth; why couldn't he?
It's not just about the plot; it's also about whether the team is professional and responsible, how detailed the proposal is, and whether it covers all aspects. No detail can be overlooked.
Aside from scripts, he hadn't taken written documents this seriously in a very long time.
After finishing, he let out a long sigh of relief, thinking to himself that he was indeed not cut out for studying. This was obviously much more difficult than reading a script, and reading a single proposal made his head spin.
But finally, I finished watching it.
This realization gave him an unprecedented sense of accomplishment.
After calming down in the classroom for a while, he slowly got up and went to Yu Xiu's office. He pushed open the door and went straight to his desk: "Where's the complete script?"
Yu Xiu looked up: "Have you figured it out?"
Lu Xuan casually agreed.
As Yu Xiu rummaged through the drawers, he said, "There's one more thing I need to remind you. Did you look at the pay in the proposal?"
To be honest, Lu Xuan didn't care much.
He's never been particularly sensitive to money matters, so after seeing the other details, he stopped looking at the money.
Only after Yu Xiu reminded him did he glance at it.
Her eyebrows lifted slightly.
"See?" Yu Xiu put the script on the table. "This kind of small, new production team doesn't have much money. It's probably a poor production crew. All the money they get goes into set design and production, and the actors' salaries are very low. This kind of hardship is completely different from what you experienced in Teacher Jiang Qi's team."
Jiang Qi's lifestyle involves strict requirements and a pursuit of perfection, but he has ample funds for living expenses. While it may not match the spending habits of the Lu family, it's enough to ensure you can sleep comfortably.
However, these low-budget dramas may involve pressure in both life and work.
This is especially true for someone like Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan looked down at the script on the table, remaining motionless.
Seeing this, Yu Xiu wasn't surprised, after all, the person was buying jewelry for the housekeeper: "No rush, there's more..."
Before he could finish speaking, his slender hand took the script from him.
Lu Xuan leaned against the table, looking as if he were laughing, or perhaps mocking himself.
"A little over 50,000 will do."
He's not even worth 50,000 now.
This payment is probably what he's worth now.
Watching Lu Xuan leave, it took Yu Xiu a long time to suppress his surprise before he picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"President Qiao."
"Um?"
“He read the proposal,” Yu Xiu said. “He also took the script. He seems quite interested in this production and looks like he’s going to give it a try. But he just finished filming Jiang Qi’s drama. Is it really appropriate for him to go to such an obscure small production team now?”
Qiao Wu, on the other end of the phone, chuckled and said, "It's up to him to choose. If he chooses, then we don't need to worry about it."
"OK."
Yu Xiu paused, then asked jokingly, "President Qiao, you've quietly started an entertainment company, it can't be that it has nothing to do with Lu Xuan, can it?"
Qiao Wu was also quite frank: "A little bit."
"He still has a contract with me."
Yu Xiu no longer expects Lu Xuan to bring any benefits to the company, since no one can make decisions for this guy. But since he's already here and has made some waves, he won't let him go so easily.
"We'll talk about it when the contract is finalized," Qiao Wu said.
"That's still a long time."
Yu Xiu was stunned. "Are you paving the way for him?"
Qiao Wu chuckled: "A road is paved, and anyone can walk on it. There's no such thing as paving it for anyone in particular, but who would want to take a detour?"
He added, "The contract clearly states that they won't try to take your person away from you, so don't tell him about this."
Yu Xiu thought to himself, "Of course I won't tell."
Given Lu Xuan's personality, if he says it now, he'll pack his bags and move directly to Qiao Wu's place tomorrow.
But after hearing Qiao Wu say that, he suddenly understood why Lu Xuan was always so proud and protective of Qiao Wu, and he also understood why she was valued so much by the Lu family and had such a high annual salary.
After all, no butler can do this much, paving the way for everyone's future long, long in advance.
He remarked, "The requirements for being a housekeeper are really high."
After receiving their wages, they not only have to send people in, but also spend money to get in.
"Not the butler."
Qiao Wu thought for a moment and smiled, "This is a way of giving back to my family. After all, he said he's my brother."
People always have to give up one thing for another.
It's only right that she gave up some unimportant material things for these hard-won feelings.
After hanging up the phone, Qiao Wu slowed down his movements as he looked at the documents.
She wouldn't compete with GS for resources that were already secured. That proposal was given to her by a young girl when she went to a banquet with Lu Xuan a long time ago. Among all the resources, this proposal was the least noticeable. Although the script had some highlights, it was of no use to Lu Xuan at the time. Without fame or publicity, it was questionable whether she could even finish filming it. Even if someone invested, Lu Xuan's acting skills at the time were simply not enough to support the script, and it would eventually flop. So she just kept it for the time being.
Although Lu Xuan has made progress, she is not sure if Lu Xuan will take the job.
Strength is one thing, endurance is another.
After Lu Xuan told her "Don't worry about me," she thought about it for a long time and decided to respect Lu Xuan's choice, so she asked Yu Xiu to give him the script.
If Lu Xuan chooses this script, he not only needs to have a good understanding of his acting skills, but also needs to be aware of the difficulties he will face. If he can assess these factors and accept the role, she will not stop him.
If he's only trying to prove he doesn't need her help, then he's taken the wrong step.
Therefore, Qiao Wu really didn't quite understand what Lu Xuan was thinking, and planned to ask him again when he got back.
She composed herself, refocused on her work, and after finishing all her tasks, went downstairs to leave work.
Looking at his phone, Lu Jinzhi realized he would finally be working overtime today and wouldn't be standing guard at the door.
She was on the phone with her driver when she was startled by a loud thud as she passed an office.
Guo Liyan's office.
She stopped and turned to look. Through the gap in the glass, which was covered by blinds, she could see four people standing inside.
One of them was Guo Liyan, whose face was cut by glass. The other three stood opposite him, dressed smartly and arrogantly, and their features bore a resemblance to Guo Liyan.
She had a general understanding of Guo Liyan's family situation, but she never expected that this family would dare to come here.
Qiao Wu took two steps forward, gently turned the doorknob, and heard the conversation inside.
The person speaking now must be Guo Liyan's father. His voice was trembling with anger: "You think you're all grown up now? What did we ask you to do? We asked you to introduce your brother to Chairman Qiao! And what have you done? You don't even come home now. If we hadn't found you here, would you have disowned me as your father? How could the Guo family have given birth to such an ingrate!"
Qiao Wu smiled silently.
So that's how it is.
She knew exactly what these people were up to, and guessed that they had suffered a lot from Guo Liyan before turning to the foundation.
Mr. Guo: "Didn't you say that Chairwoman Qiao doesn't come to the company foundation often? We'll stay here today and leave whenever she comes!"
Guo Liyan inside didn't even glance at the mess on the ground. He had worked so hard to get to where he was today, and he was able to secure a stable place by Qiao Wu's side. How could he let these people ruin him?
We also can't let them see Qiao Wu.
He blocked all the windows and stood in front of the door, calculating when Qiao Wu should leave work, not letting these people step out of his office.
But I was a bit loud just now, I wonder if she heard me.
Guo Liyan frowned slightly.
Guo Yangzhou was furious to see him still blocking the way after being hit in the face: "Get out of the way."
Guo Liyan hardened his heart and raised his head: "No."
He glanced at his so-called parents and family members and said coldly, "You've made a scene here today, not only will you not be able to see her, but you'll also affect me. If this matter reaches her, I will hand in my resignation tomorrow."
"Are you crazy!" Guo Yangzhou grabbed his collar. "Do you even remember your own surname? What good will this do you!"
Guo Liyan laughed: "Guo Yangzhou, you don't actually think that having the surname Guo is a favor you've bestowed upon me, do you?"
"I think you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin!"
The door, which had been opened a crack, was slammed shut again.
Guo Liyan's voice came through the door, and the people inside immediately fell silent.
Guo Liyan was stunned for a moment. He remembered that the door was closed, so how could there be such a sound?
As if confirming his thoughts, a slow and gentle knocking sound came from outside, and Qiao Wu's calm and gentle voice came from the other side of the door.
"Guo Zhu, open the door."
The other three immediately showed delight.
Only Guo Liyan's face suddenly turned ashen.
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