Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Two in one, please subscribe...
Chapter 265
As soon as these words were spoken, the narrow office fell silent. Director Hao did not speak, but at this moment, silence was the best answer.
Because what the guide said was even more unpleasant.
Let that woman Cong Xiuzhi stop being so arrogant. Does she really think that just because I made a hit movie, it’s all her credit?
Without Lu Guoping, who would know Cong Xiuzhi?
There's also a salary increase. Let Lu Guoping see that giving her a salary of 58 yuan is already too much!
Director Hao didn't say it, but Cong Xiuzhi could basically guess it because Lu Guoping had scolded her like that before.
Her ambition is as high as the sky, but her life is as fragile as paper. If she hadn't been lucky enough to meet Lu Guoping and shoot this hit movie, who would know her, Cong Xiuzhi?
Jiang Meishu could see that Cong Xiuzhi was trying her best to endure something. In the end, her face was calm. No, underneath that calmness was a kind of determination.
It's the kind of determination that comes after being twisted, hesitant, and forbearing for a long time.
It is better to die with honor than to live in disgrace.
"Then tell him."
"I don't want this month's salary of fifty-eight yuan."
She had always wanted to leave, but she just couldn't make up her mind. A monthly salary of fifty-eight yuan was considered a high salary for most people in the capital.
Of course, Cong Xiuzhi was no exception. After becoming famous, she wanted a higher salary. However, just because of this, she was scolded by Lu Guoping countless times.
The arrival of Jiang Meishu and others gave Cong Xiuzhi a glimpse of hope, and she might have the courage to leave.
Director Hao was a little embarrassed when he heard Cong Xiuzhi's words. "Xiuzhi, there's no point in telling me this. You should talk to Director Lu. But in my opinion, you don't need to do this. You work at a film studio, and your monthly salary of fifty-eight yuan is actually not low. It just so happens that you have accepted Boss Jiang's advertising. Isn't it good for you to have two shares of the salary this way?"
"She's not going to do that."
The person who answered Director Hao was not Cong Xiuzhi, but Lu Guoping. He had a square face and looked very majestic. When he walked in front of Cong Xiuzhi, he looked like a leader.
He looked Cong Xiuzhi up and down.
He said in a cold, condescending tone, "Cong Xiuzhi, you work for our film studio, and we, the people at our film studio, absolutely do not take on extra income. This behavior is shameful and is cutting off the tail of capitalism! I advise you to give up this idea as soon as possible if you still want to work at the film studio!"
This is a threat, a naked threat.
When Cong Xiuzhi heard this, she no longer felt ashamed and sad as before, but was calm. It was the first time she was so calm and looked her boss in the eye.
"What if I'm not?"
Lu Guoping asked subconsciously, "Not what?"
"If I wasn't from a film studio and I took on advertising, would you still be able to control me?"
With just one sentence, Lu Guoping's face drooped on the spot. He had two very deep nasolabial folds, like official lines, which gave people silent pressure at this moment.
"Cong Xiuzhi, I'm giving you face, right? Don't you think about it? Without the film studio and without me, Lu Guoping, how could you become a household name?"
"I, Lu Guoping, am putting this on notice today: if you leave the film studio, you will be worth nothing!"
Jiang Meishu couldn't bear to listen any longer. She walked up to Cong Xiuzhi and said in a calm voice, "Comrade, if Sister Cong really leaves the film studio and comes to me to advertise, I'll offer her a four-digit endorsement fee. If the film is good, maybe even a five-digit fee."
"As for what you said about it being worthless," she smiled, even with a hint of shared hatred. "I'm afraid you're the only one who thinks so."
Lu Guoping was shaking with anger. "What do you mean? You're a private enterprise, and you dare to challenge our film studio?"
Jiang Meishu said calmly, "You know best whether I'm challenging you or not, Director Lu. Leave some space for us so we can meet again in the future. Sister Cong is a household name, and that's a well-known fact. Her personal abilities and value are also there. Yes, you said she wouldn't have become a big star without you, so let me ask you, if Sister Cong hadn't starred in this movie, and you replaced her with someone else, would they have achieved the same level of fame as Sister Cong?"
"Can you guarantee that every actress who stars in your film will become a household name?"
Of course, Lu Guoping could not guarantee that Cong Xiuzhi's sudden popularity was due to the right time, place and people.
He also knew that Cong Xiuzhi's path was difficult to replicate.
"Look, you can't answer that." Jiang Meishu changed her gentle demeanor and even became a little sharp. "Even you can't do it yourself. You have to admit that Sister Cong's sudden popularity has a lot to do with herself. No one else might be able to achieve her results."
"Under such circumstances, if you still want to suppress her and say she is worthless, then I think your guidance is blind."
blindness.
This was the first time someone dared to say the word "blind" to the famous Lu Guoping.
This made Lu Guoping's breathing difficult. No, to be more precise, his face instantly looked like an overturned color palette.
"Your little private unit."
He pointed at Jiang Meishu, about to suppress her the same way he had suppressed Cong Xiuzhi, but Liang Qiurun accurately stopped him. "Director Lu, huh? After the reform and opening up, even the top leaders encouraged the development of private enterprises and the private economy. How come you're talking about a small private unit? Do you dare say that to the top leaders?"
Liang Qiurun's words were well said, like a huge hat being put on him. Even Lu Guoping was stunned for a moment, "Who are you?"
Halfway through the question, he felt that Liang Qiurun looked familiar. After reminiscing for a while, he finally remembered, "Are you Director Liang from the former Meat Processing Plant?"
The Capital Meat Processing Plant is the most profitable unit in the entire capital, and Liang Qiurun has created many miracles in just three years as the head of the meat processing plant.
So much so that after he left, the employees of the meat processing plant still missed him. After he left, Director Li took over the meat processing plant. In the years since he took office, not only did he fail to complete the task targets assigned by his superiors, but the benefits of the workers below were also gradually reduced.
As a result, Director Li was dragged into trouble after only two and a half years in office. After he left, the meat processing plant changed its director every year.
But it couldn’t reach the previous performance.
Because of this, the senior leaders above have been scolding the subordinates, saying that they are a bunch of good-for-nothings.
The presence of these people further reflects Liang Qiurun's ability in his position at the time. He was a factory director who worked diligently to make the factory better and to provide better benefits for the workers.
As soon as he left, he became a legend.
Therefore, Lu Guoping also knew him. In fact, judging from the positions of both parties, Liang Qiurun, who was the director of the meat processing plant at the time, was three levels higher than him.
But, so what?
Liang Qiurun was at the peak of his career in the past, but now he is no longer a cadre in the system, but an ordinary citizen.
Thinking of this, Lu Guoping smiled, "I know you. You are the former director of the meat processing plant. However, you can't even protect yourself, and you still want to meddle in the internal affairs of our Capital Film Studio?"
Liang Qiurun was not angry at all, but rather very calm. "I won't interfere in your internal affairs. I'm just an outsider speaking up for Comrade Cong Xiuzhi."
Lu Guoping glanced at Cong Xiuzhi. He naturally knew that Cong Xiuzhi had found a way out and wanted to leave.
But it's not that easy.
Lu Guoping said, "Cong Xiuzhi is an internal employee of our film studio. If she wants to leave, our internal leaders need to hold a meeting and go through layers of approval. Only after the approval is passed can she leave."
This is the ultimate way to procrastinate.
He planned to drag Cong Xiuzhi to death!
Cong Xiuzhi also noticed it, and tears suddenly flowed down her face. However, she quickly wiped them away, walked around the table and stood in front of Lu Guoping. She was a little angry, "Lu, how have I, Cong Xiuzhi, ever offended you that you are so stubborn and want to waste my time like this?"
"yes."
Cong Xiuzhi couldn't stand it any longer. She was ready to rip her face off. "I know. Is it because of that script at the bottom of the mountain that I stole your sweetheart's position? That's why you're targeting me like this, right?"
As soon as these words fell, Lu Guoping's face changed, "Cong Xiuzhi, I don't know what you are talking about."
"Also," he warned, "I'm married and have a family. Stop spreading rumors about me, or I'll definitely come after you."
Cong Xiuzhi sneered, "Do you dare to call your sweetheart Luo Yulan to confront us?"
"Of course, it would be best to call your first wife over as well, so we can all see whether the reason you, Lu Guoping, have been repeatedly harassing me, Cong Xiuzhi, is because of Luo Yulan."
She and Luo Yulan were competitors. At that time, they were both competing for the script of "The Woman Under the Mountain", but because her image was more suitable, she won the competition.
Luo Yulan was not selected, but after the script of "The Woman Under the Mountain" was broadcast, she became an instant hit. Luo Yulan has always been jealous, thinking that this script should have been hers and she should be the one to become an instant hit.
It was Cong Xiuzhi who stole his script and his chance to become famous.
As Luo Yulan's lover, Lu Guoping had naturally heard a lot of negative news from Luo Yulan.
After all this, it would be strange if Lu Guoping did not suppress Cong Xiuzhi.
Jiang Meishu didn't expect that when she came to ask for a spokesperson, she also got to know the gossip inside the film studio. She thought to herself, it turns out that the chaos in the entertainment industry had already been foreshadowed.
Wherever there are interests, there will be disputes.
"Stop talking nonsense."
Lu Guoping refused to admit it. “If you want to go through with it, then go through the formal approval process.”
Cong Xiuzhi was also pushed into a corner. Of course, she also had a way out. She sneered, "Okay, if you block my process, I'll report you and Luo Yulan for having an improper relationship. I don't believe it. God sees everything. You and Luo Yulan have slept together so many times, how could she not have a single hair of yours or a pair of socks in her bed?"
The atmosphere became tense.
Lu Guoping was shaking with anger. His most private matters were revealed by this bitch.
Liang Qiurun glanced at Hao Ruyi, who understood immediately and stepped forward to smooth things over. "Director Lu, you know Xiuzhi's personality. She's the type to stick with it until she hits a wall. Otherwise, she would have been so famous in the past few years. Since she wants to leave, why don't you just let her go? Wouldn't that be good for all of us?"
Lu Guoping remained silent, and Hao Ruyi continued, "And I remember Xiuzhi is now the top actress in our film studio, completely suppressing Luo Yulan. Only when Cong Xiuzhi leaves can Luo Yulan come to the fore."
"You really let Cong Xiuzhi go. Luo Yulan doesn't know how to thank you enough."
Hao Ruyi winked and made faces for Lu Guoping. Lu Guoping had no idea that so many people in the factory knew about his affair with Luo Yulan.
He stared at Cong Xiuzhi for a while and said, "Come here and submit your resignation now."
Cong Xiuzhi breathed a sigh of relief and immediately followed him, writing a resignation form on the spot. Lu Guoping took the red seal and stamped it on it before handing it to her. He sneered, "After you leave the film studio, if you want to come back, it's impossible!"
Cong Xiuzhi held the approved resignation form in her hand and retorted sharply, "Don't worry, I won't come back even if I have to beg for food."
"I will not be an actor under your name, Lu Guoping. Not only will I be in trouble, but I will also be suppressed by your sweetheart."
"Lu Guoping, I'm going to say this too. With Luo Yulan's lousy acting, it's a pipe dream for her to become an overnight sensation in your movie!"
After saying that, Cong Xiuzhi didn't even bother to look at Lu Guoping's expression. She turned to Jiang Meishu and said, "Let's go."
God.
Jiang Meishu was still confused. She came to Cong Xiuzhi to shoot an advertisement, but Cong Xiuzhi quit her stable job.
When they left the film studio, Jiang Meishu was confused, "Sister Cong, you're not going back?"
Cong Xiuzhi took out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket, took out one and handed it to Jiang Meishu. Jiang Meishu shook her head and said no. She struck a match, lit the cigarette, took a puff, and spit the cigarette out without even passing through her lungs.
Then he slowly said, "I'm not going back."
"I haven't wanted to stay here for a long time. It's good to be able to leave now." She leaned against the telephone pole, her face as round as the moon, but she was thin and her eyes were lonely. "When are you going to shoot the commercial here?"
"I am single and unemployed now, and I can cooperate with you at any time."
Jiang Meishu thought for a moment and said, "If we're going to shoot, we'll go to Pengcheng. We might need you to wait for us in the capital for a few days. Sister Cong, do you have a place to stay?"
Cong Xiuzhi nodded, holding the cigarette between her fingers very skillfully, and said in a cold voice, "Yes, I live with my mother, in the Guangwai area."
Jiang Meishu said, "That's fine. My wife and I will probably stay in the capital for about three days. You can follow us to Pengcheng in three days. By the way, please give me your ID in advance and I will buy you a plane ticket."
"Tickets?"
Cong Xiuzhi moved her fingers, and the cigarette ash fell and burned her fingertips, but she seemed not to notice.
"Yes." Jiang Meishu blew away the ash for her and then explained, "The train takes three days and four nights, which is too slow. The plane ticket will take you to Yangcheng in four and a half hours. Then we can transfer from Yangcheng to Pengcheng. Don't worry, you can follow us to shoot the commercial. Food, clothing, housing and transportation will definitely be covered by us."
At this point, Jiang Meishu finally remembered the important matter. She patted her forehead and said, "Look at me. I was so busy talking about this that I forgot to sign the contract with you."
She looked around and said, "Is there a teahouse nearby? Let's go to the teahouse and discuss your endorsement fee in detail."
Cong Xiuzhi put out her cigarette, thought for a moment, and looked around. "Let's go to the front. There's a teahouse at the intersection. I used to go there occasionally."
Of course, I went with Lu Guoping and the others.
Jiang Meishu hummed, and when she arrived at the teahouse, she took out the contract she had prepared in advance and said, "Sister Cong, take a look."
"We're shooting indoor commercials at Xiaodongmen, and the total duration is about thirty seconds to one minute. As for how many times we need to shoot, it depends entirely on the situation on site, Sister Cong. If we're fast, we might be able to finish it in an hour or half a day. If we're slow, it might take several days."
"As for the endorsement fee," Jiang Meishu pulled out a stack of one hundred Great Unity tickets from her bag. "This is the initial down payment for the endorsement fee, a total of one thousand yuan. After all the commercials are filmed and aired on CCTV, we'll pay the balance of two thousand yuan."
Cong Xiuzhi was stunned for a moment. "So, I might only shoot a commercial for a day or two, and you'll give me 3,000 yuan as an endorsement fee?"
This is her salary for five or six years.
Jiang Meishu, "Yes."
"Sister Cong, you quit your stable job just to film our commercial, so naturally I have to guarantee you a few years of worry-free after-sales service."
The advertising fee she paid to the other party could support her life for at least three years. If she failed to make a name for herself within these three years, it would not be Jiang Meishu's fault, but Cong Xiuzhi's.
Of course, in Jiang Meishu's view, Cong Xiuzhi already has the ability and courage of those great actors in later generations. She has a good start now. As long as she doesn't make trouble in the future, she will probably have a good career.
I may not become famous, but at least I will have enough food and clothing for the rest of my life.
After Cong Xiuzhi heard this, she suddenly grabbed the contract and signed her name without saying a word. As she pushed it over, she whispered, "Thank you."
Jiang Meishu shook her head and smiled, "Sister Cong, I should be the one thanking you. You are such a famous actor, but you chose to cooperate with a small company like us. It is my honor to work with you."
Cong Xiuzhi whispered, "No, my fame is useless in the film studio. It's even a tool for others to suppress me. You are the only one who recognizes me."
Cong Xiuzhi has also experienced the warmth and coldness of human nature, but only Jiang Meishu has done this.
She took a deep breath and said, "Don't worry, Boss Jiang, I will definitely shoot the commercial well and live up to your trust in me."
When leaving the teahouse, Jiang Meishu asked Cong Xiuzhi to go back and prepare, and when they confirmed the time, she would take Cong Xiuzhi to Guangzhou.
Jiang Meishu hadn't expected that she would be able to find the right spokesperson so easily this time. She didn't rush back to Pengcheng because things here weren't finished yet.
I can only talk about one thing at a time.
She first went to CCTV and found Comrade Zhao, who was familiar to her. She was the same person she had contacted when they were shooting the Hongtai advertisement last time.
So we are old acquaintances.
After Jiang Meishu came over, she went straight to the point, "Comrade Zhao, I'm really sorry to trouble you again."
"I own a Xiaodongmen project in Pengcheng and want to place an ad on CCTV. I wonder when I'll have free time here?"
To place advertisements on a TV station like this, you need to apply in advance. Otherwise, Jiang Meishu wouldn't have the nerve to do it directly.
"Comrade Jiang, are you going to run another ad?" Comrade Zhao was a little surprised. "Are you still running the Hongtai ad?"
As of now, Hongtai advertisements have been on the air for three and a half years, and Hongtai bicycles have almost become a household name.
Jiang Meishu hesitated for a moment, then went to see Liang Qiurun. Liang Qiurun said, "Keep investing."
"It's just that we can replace the prime time slot of our Hongtai Advertising with other time slots."
Now that Hongtai has become a household name, it no longer needs prime-time advertising.
Comrade Zhao thought for a moment and said, "Then let's do it until the end of this month. It happens to be nine o'clock in the morning, and there's still a vacant spot."
Liang Qiurun nodded. "Now that my original prime time slot has been adjusted, can I give this advertising space to my wife's company?"
Comrade Zhao hesitated. "I need to discuss this as well. You know, CCTV used to have a lot of advertising space, and it wasn't worth much. But things are different now. Ever since Hongtai Advertising became famous, many businessmen have been eyeing our CCTV advertising space."
"Among them, prime time slots are the most popular."
Liang Qiurun, "If I can get my wife to compete for this position, everything will be fine."
The two sides looked at each other, and there was a feeling of understanding.
Comrade Zhao understood immediately and said, "I'll go ask my colleagues."
Ten minutes later, while Jiang Meishu was feeling anxious, Comrade Zhao came over again with a new piece of news. "After Hongtai Advertising withdrew at the end of the month, there was no other advertising competition, so they gave this position to Boss Jiang."
"However, the price remains the same as before, but there is a condition."
Jiang Meishu, "You say."
"Your 30-second video for the commercial should be submitted around the middle of the month, or by the 20th at the latest. Our internal staff will also need to review the content of your video to see if it's acceptable."
Jiang Meishu calculated the days, "Today is the 7th. It will be sent around the middle of the month, or the 20th at the latest. We have about 13 days to prepare."
"Comrade Zhao, don't worry, we will definitely send the advertising video over before that."
"That's fine."
Comrade Zhao nodded and said, "I'll wait for your good news."
Before leaving, Liang Qiurun said to Comrade Zhao, "Comrade Zhao, your file bag is left here. Remember to bring it back to the office."
This is a reminder.
Comrade Zhao understood immediately. He slapped his forehead and said, "Look at my head. I'm really old and forgetful. I ran around and even forgot about the food I had for dinner."
"Fortunately, Comrade Liang, you reminded me."
Looking at the other person's smile, Jiang Meishu had an indescribable feeling. After she and Liang Qiurun went out, she whispered, "Lao Liang, how much did you put in there?"
Liang Qiurun said calmly, "One thousand."
"Jiang Jiang." He raised his hand and touched his head. "I know you feel uncomfortable, but Jiang Jiang, this is the default rule for interactions between adults."
"It's like you asked Cong Xiuzhi to shoot a commercial, why did you pay her advertising fees?"
Jiang Meishu said subconsciously, "That's because I asked her for help. She worked for me, and I paid her for her labor."
"Yes." Liang Qiurun was as calm as a machine at this moment. He stood from an outsider's perspective to help Jiang Meishu analyze the situation. "Look, Cong Xiuzhi helped you, so you should pay her for her labor."
"Then, similarly, Comrade Zhao also helped us. Without him, Xiaodongmen's advertisement wouldn't have gotten prime time. So why did you feel uncomfortable when you paid him?"
Jiang Meishu pursed her lips and whispered, "Lao Liang, what makes me uncomfortable is the gift giving."
In her opinion, gift-giving is not a good word.
Liang Qiurun covered her eyes, then opened them again. "See? This world isn't just black and white. There's also the gray of the setting sun and the golden light of the rising sun."
"Jiang Jiang, as long as the other party can be used by me and bring me benefits, it is normal for you to pay compensation."
"Don't overthink it."
Jiang Meishu hummed softly.
Seeing her like this, Liang Qiurun couldn't help but touch his head again, "I'll take care of things like gift giving, you just need to follow me."
He takes care of the dark things, and his Jiang Jiang can always be so clear and black and white.
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