"The capital is not like Hengshi. Be careful in everything you do when you go there..."
"I understand, Grandma."
“I went to that place twice when I was young. A single raindrop can split into three pieces and soak two officials with official hats. Although Xiao Ji has made it, he can’t reach that end yet.”
"That's what President Ji said too."
"..."
While listening to the old lady's rambling, Shang Yechu fiddled with her little gadgets.
She could buy new daily necessities in Beijing, and her assistant would pack her clothes. But Shang Yechu insisted on packing her own personal belongings.
The invitation from CTS (China Television System) is for a public service advertisement themed "Hard Work and Perseverance." As for the title of public service ambassador, there are only rumors and nothing is confirmed yet.
Grandma Hu was still giving instructions on the other end of the line, and Shang Yechu readily agreed, but seemed somewhat absent-minded.
Whether it's a public service advertisement or a public service ambassador, there's one process that's absolutely indispensable: political vetting, which involves investigating the candidate's background.
As a public figure, one's immediate family members should at least be ordinary people with no criminal record. Take nonsense like "family members shouldn't be implicated" with a grain of salt; nobody wants to see the children of criminals grinning like role models on the big screen or in subway ads.
Shang Yechu doesn't need to worry about the Shang family having any criminal records for the time being. Although the Shang family's situation is complicated, they haven't yet reached the point of breaking the law or committing crimes.
But being honest and upright today doesn't guarantee being innocent and blameless tomorrow.
Having been away from home for two years, her memories of Shang Jiayu had become somewhat distorted. But Shang Yechu clearly remembered that her dear younger brother, Shang Jiayu, was no pushover when he grew up.
Going to nightclubs, juggling multiple relationships, and hooking up with minor celebrities—these things didn't have a significant impact on Shang Yechu in her previous life because she wasn't famous then, and few people cared. But things are different now. Shang Yechu's fame has multiplied, and the scrutiny she faces is naturally many times more intense. If Shang Jiayu causes trouble again like he did in her past life, Shang Yechu will definitely be dragged down by him.
From the very first day she left home two years ago, Shang Yechu has been thinking about how to sever ties with the business community. She still hasn't figured out a way.
The strict population census system in modern society makes this task extremely difficult.
This task cannot be entrusted to anyone else, because whoever falls into its hands will have a huge vulnerability. Shang Yechu dares not place such trust in anyone.
Shang Yechu's thoughts were in turmoil, and she didn't even notice when Grandma Hu hung up the video call. The thought that the official background check might extend to Shang Hongxuan and Ji Ya made her so agitated that she wanted to grind her teeth to dust.
The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I became, so I simply threw the whole bag of things down. I went to the study, opened the most hidden drawer, and took out a box.
Lifting the box reveals a small portion of ID cards. Each card shows a slightly different person than the next. Each ID card has a hole punched in it, indicating that the document is invalid.
Because of changes in appearance, Shang Yechu had to change her ID card frequently. Fortunately, times have changed, and cross-provincial document processing is now commonplace. If a citizen needs to renew their ID card due to minor changes in appearance, they only need to bring their original ID card to the public security bureau in their current place of residence for a new photo; a household registration booklet is not required.
A red string was threaded through the hole, stringing these expired cards together into a unique necklace.
Shang Yechu picked up the only ID card without a hole; the person on that card looked exactly like her.
The words "Wencheng" on her place of origin stung Shang Yechu's eyes. She took out her ID card, stuffed it into her handbag, and stopped looking at it.
----------
The capital city.
Of the three major film and television companies in China, Tianding Entertainment and Guanjun Century are both headquartered in Beijing. Only Meta Pictures is headquartered in Hengdian World Studios.
CTS's hospitality was impeccable. As soon as the plane landed, Shang Yechu saw the person who was there to meet her—it was Xiao Feng. During the filming of "Xiao Feng Que," Xiao Feng was one of director Yi Tianzhao's assistants. Unexpectedly, back in the capital, he was now working as an airport greeter.
Seeing a fully armed figure wearing a black mask, large sunglasses, and a baseball cap walk out of the CIP channel, Xiao Feng paused for a few seconds before realizing that it was Ye Chu, and quickly went to greet him.
In the VIP lounge, Shang Yechu finally dared to take off her mask and catch her breath. A few obsessive fans had somehow found her flight information and had been chasing her all the way to the airport. Fortunately, Shang Yechu was quick-witted; she stuffed herself with padding to make herself look bulky, wore a mushroom-shaped wig, and applied heavy makeup and false eyelashes, thus managing to evade the crazed fans.
With a beaming smile, Xiao Feng explained the situation and led Shang Yechu to the hotel. Having just gotten off the plane, she needed a day to rest.
"Sister Ye should still have my WeChat, right?" Xiao Feng said with a smile. "I'll come back tomorrow to show you the details."
"Of course I'll keep it." Shang Yechu covered her mouth and chuckled. "How happy were we in the crew back then? I still miss Director Yi."
"Director Yi often talks about you too." Xiao Feng winked, "He always complains that the actors in his new film don't have your talent. —Don't tell anyone else."
"What movie is Director Yi filming lately?" Shang Yechu asked with a hint of curiosity.
“The Iron-Blooded Hero: No Thieves Under Heaven,” Xiao Feng said. “Ever since Xiao Fengque, all the martial arts films at the station have been directed by Director Yi. Director Yi always complains to me that watching the actors flying around on wires every day is giving him floaters.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries and seeing Xiao Feng off, Shang Yechu lay down on the bed and turned on her phone.
Ji Juntao's message appeared horizontally on the screen: 【Has it arrived yet?】
Shang Yechu was too lazy to type, so she replied with a bowing and scraping emoji.
The next second, a video call came through, and Shang Yechu reluctantly answered. Fighting wits with stalkers was more exhausting than filming a movie; all Shang Yechu wanted now was some peace and quiet.
Ji Juntao's large face filled his vision, and Shang Yechu lazily asked, "What is it?"
"Good news, and even better news," Boss Ji said with a smile. "Which one would you like to hear?"
"Better news."
"Tch." Ji Juntao curled his lip. "What a boring person. The better news is that I've gotten in touch with an old classmate in the capital. You can ask him for help if you need anything. I'll send you his contact information in a bit."
"Oh~" Shang Yechu said meaningfully, "How much help can you provide?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
