Chapter 036

When it comes to actor contracts, the phrase Shen Xinghe hears most often is: "Sorry, Xiao Shen, we have someone more suitable for this role."

"We found xx to be more suitable, and he has hundreds of thousands of followers on Weibo!"

"Xiao Shen, all your shots were cut because you exceeded the time limit. The platform has some opinions..."

After hearing it so many times, Shen Xinghe got used to it.

This is the first time someone has said, “We want to invest, and you must be the male lead.”

Jiang Tao saw the meeting time and location sent by Xingyao on his phone and was unable to react for a long time. He asked Shen Xinghe, "What is your relationship with Zhou Qingyu?"

Shen Xinghe said truthfully: "We don't know each other, we just met each other before when we were extras."

Jiang Tao was even more confused: "Does Zhou Qingyu like you?"

Shen Xinghe smiled bitterly, "Isn't that possible?"

Even Shen Xinghe had heard that Zhou Qingyu liked Pei Yubai. The Second Young Master Pei was the second young master of the Pei family. How could Miss Zhou give up the Second Young Master Pei and fall in love with herself instead?

Shen Xinghe found it absurd the moment he thought about it.

Jiang Tao is going to Xingyao to hold a project meeting to introduce "Bottom Line" to several directors of Xingyao. This presentation will determine how much investment Xingyao will ultimately give to "Bottom Line".

Jiang Tao had submitted a script to Star Yaoi before, but it only had the first three episodes and character designs. Star Yaoi’s internal assessment was that it could invest 18 million, but if Jiang Tao explained the project well at the meeting, perhaps they could invest more.

Xingyao also mentioned that Shen Xinghe should go.

The three of them bought the nearest high-speed train that night and rushed to Haicheng without stopping. The typhoon passed through Hengcheng, and heavy rain hit the vegetation on both sides of the railroad tracks. The branches and leaves of the trees moved with the wind. Only the steel giant on the railroad tracks kept moving forward.

Late at night, the passengers in the carriage fell into a deep sleep.

Shen Xinghe held the script and recited the lines over and over again.

He was not sure which segment Xingyao would let him audition for during the narration, so he had to memorize as much as possible.

When Xiao Yu woke up, he saw Shen Xinghe sitting on a small chair in the aisle. The small lamp above his head cast a dim light, illuminating his angular profile.

At that moment, Xiao Yu seemed to see Xiang Fei.

Xiao Yu comforted Shen Xinghe, "Even if Xingyao decides the audition segment, they will give you time to memorize the lines, so don't worry too much."

Shen Xinghe smiled and said, "I can't sleep, so I might as well familiarize myself with the script."

Hengcheng is not far from Haicheng. When they arrived in Haicheng, it was still dark. The three of them found a hotel to stay in and rested for a few hours. At nine o'clock in the morning, they arrived at Xingyao Building on time.

As a subsidiary of Zhou Group, Xingyao has a very stylish decoration and its own office building, which is located in a relatively central area of ​​Haicheng.

Qiao Yan's assistant received the three people downstairs and led them to the conference room.

Investment is always a big move for an entertainment company. Not only Qiao Yan, Wu Liao, but also Fang Yue, director of the project department, will participate in this investment meeting.

This is different from the past, when such investment meetings were held, the focus of discussion was generally whether to invest, but this time the focus was on how much to invest.

Fang Yue is the head of the project department. She is not surprised at all that the young lady wants to invest in the project on a whim. At this time, she is still in the mood to read the project book of "Bottom Line" and chat with Qiao Yan, "Drama? Is the vampire Tianhui interested in drama recently?"

"Hush! Keep your voice down!" Qiao Yan covered Fang Yue's mouth. "The guy with a name from Tianhui is Mr. Pei! Don't call him like that in front of the young lady. She'll be angry!"

"Tsk——" Fang Yue was very disdainful.

Fang Yue didn't think that the title of "boss" who had to rely on the eldest lady's milk had any weight. She just thought that the eldest lady was blind.

As for the project "Bottom Line", she is not optimistic about it either.

The margin for error in a serious drama is very low, and excellent actors, excellent crew, excellent script, and excellent director are all essential. On the other hand, even if the production of an idol drama is a mess, as long as the male actor is good, it has the potential to become a hit.

"However, this investment has nothing to do with Tianhui," Qiao Yan whispered to Fang Yue, "It seems to be for that little actor."

Following Qiao Yan's gaze, Fang Yue saw Shen Xinghe.

Fang Yue narrowed his eyes slightly.

Shen Xinghe was sitting at the back. The incandescent light above his head was not on, and the surrounding light was dim. A ray of morning light shone through the blinds that were not completely closed, and fell on his handsome forehead. His hair fell randomly, and his clear pupils were like stars.

Fang Yue looked at it for two seconds, then slowly said, "Miss... your beauty is finally normal for once."

A few minutes later, Zhou Qingyu pushed the door open and came to the main seat at the conference table.

With her appearance, the project will officially begin.

Jiang Tao had previously submitted project proposals to several platforms and entertainment companies in order to attract investment, but this was the first time he formally introduced a project.

He didn't start his statement, but bowed deeply to Zhou Qingyu.

Zhou Qingyu raised her eyebrows, not expecting Jiang Tao to do this.

"Miss," Jiang Tao said solemnly, "No matter how much investment I can get this time, thank you anyway."

"Xiaoyu always says that I have low emotional intelligence and that I don't know the situation when I speak. Also, I always complain about you on variety shows, and we have had some unpleasant experiences."

"After I got into trouble, I didn't want to bother you because I thought you wouldn't help me."

"But I didn't expect that the person who was willing to help me in the end was you."

Jiang Tao initially had no good feelings towards Zhou Qingyu.

There is a lot of negative information about her on the Internet, and many directors in the industry have complained about her.

But after actually appearing on the variety show, Jiang Tao discovered that it was not the case.

Although the eldest daughter is domineering, she has a good heart.

Zhou Qingyu held her chin and looked at Jiang Tao with sharp eyes.

She never expected Jiang Tao to have a good impression of her, they were just partners. But she also didn't expect Jiang Tao to do this.

Zhou Qingyu raised her eyebrows. "Jiang Tao, don't think I will invest more in you if you show weakness like this. We have professionals in the evaluation and review area. It's useless for you to please me."

Jiang Tao grinned, "No, no, I know. I am already very grateful that you are willing to invest. How much investment can I get is my ability!"

After this investment fraud, Jiang Tao has lost a lot of his edge.

After the thanks, the project description officially began.

Jiang Tao was nervous. No matter how much experience he had, he was still unsure when facing the investors again.

However, in the process of explaining the project, the embarrassment and nervousness disappeared. Jiang Tao seemed to have become a different person and devoted himself to the introduction. This was the result of his hard work for a year. He and Xiao Yu kept polishing the script over and over again. The words that only existed in the script were vivid in his eyes. He knew every role and every plot of "Bottom Line" by heart.

When he finished introducing the project, there was a long silence in the conference room.

Jiang Tao also came back to his senses from his impassioned speech.

No response...

Why is there no response?

Is Zhou Qingyu dissatisfied?

You won’t suddenly stop investing, right?

"Fang Yue," Zhou Qingyu called Fang Yue's name first. Fang Yue has always been in charge of investing in film and television projects, and she has the final say. "What do you think is the best investment for this project?"

Fang Yue has a form in her hand, which contains a comprehensive and professional evaluation of the project. She will score according to the form at every project meeting. When the project introduction is over, the score will also come out.

"Twenty million." Fang Yue said the best investment number after scoring.

This figure is consistent with the amount that Strawberry Network is willing to invest, and is slightly higher than the investment amount that Xingyao initially planned after reading the script.

In fact, Fang Yue likes "Bottom Line" very much. She thinks this drama has the potential to become a hit.

But in the entertainment industry, whether a project becomes a hit depends on luck. Fang Yue is a professional film and television drama investor. She does not judge her expertise based on emotion, nor does she make a decision based on whether a drama will become a hit.

Twenty million. Even if "Bottom Line" fails, this is a number that Xingyao can afford.

Qiao Yan and Wu Liao also gave the same price, and 20 million was the most stable.

Jiang Tao felt lost for a moment. He had estimated that if he wanted to achieve the best results, 30 million would be the best. 30 million is not a lot in film and television investment, but "The Bottom Line" originally only had 12 episodes, so this investment was not small.

If we can’t attract investment, we can only save money in certain scenarios.

"Okay, then 20 million!"

Zhou Qingyu made the final decision, "As for the male lead..."

Jiang Tao quickly pulled Shen Xinghe over, "This, this! This is Shen Xinghe! You've seen his audition, he's the best male lead! If you don't believe me, you can ask him to perform a scene! Any scene will do!"

Zhou Qingyu glanced at Shen Xinghe and said, "Then let's do it!"

She picked up a script at random, flipped through it, and pointed to a longer scene. "This is it."

Zhou Qingyu has not read the script of "The Bottom Line", but she has acted in a play. The script divides the plot by scenes. A good screenwriter will enrich the main scenes and simplify the transition scenes. So when you see a play with a long plot, it is most likely the main scene. This kind of play is emotionally rich and has many dramatic conflicts. It is a good choice to audition for this kind of role.

However, when Jiang Tao saw the scene chosen by Zhou Qingyu, his face turned pale for a moment.

How should I put it, Zhou Qingyu is really good at choosing.

This is a scene where the protagonist Xiang Fei's identity is almost exposed. There is pressure from the external crisis, as well as the character's inner conflicts, making the interpretation very difficult.

Moreover, this scene was relatively late, in the plot of episode 8. In order to keep the project confidential, the script after episode 3 was only in the hands of Jiang Tao and Xiao Yu. It was only after Xingyao confirmed the investment that Jiang Tao took out the script for the later episodes. Shen Xinghe definitely had not seen this scene.

This is a headache.

Shen Xinghe didn't say anything, but immediately looked through the script and wrote down the lines.

Xingyao only gave five minutes, and did not give Jiang Tao time to narrate the play. After five minutes, Shen Xinghe had to go on stage and start performing.

Jiang Tao's breathing was choked. Five minutes! It was good enough that Shen Xinghe could memorize the lines. How much could he be expected to understand the characters' psychology? He shouldn't have been so arrogant just now. He should have been allowed to designate the audition plot!

With Zhou Qingyu's word "action", the performance began.

The camera lens aimed at Shen Xinghe glowed red, and Shen Xinghe opened his eyes.

Acting opposite Shen Xinghe is Wu Liao, who plays a gangster who discovers Xiang Fei's identity. The gangster has seen Xiang Fei's previous photos in the police academy and uses this as an excuse to blackmail Xiang Fei.

Wu Liao can't act, he can only recite the lines from the script in a dry voice. When the camera focuses on him, no one can relate to the situation at all.

But when the camera turned to Shen Xinghe, the style changed.

Shen Xinghe walked towards the gangster. With every step he took, he gave off a chilling feeling, like walking in a dark and damp alley, eerie.

His face was sickly pale, like a drug addict or a poisonous snake fiddling with its tongue.

The gangster was startled for a moment.

This is the content of the script, and it is also Wu Liao's instinctive reaction after seeing Shen Xinghe's condition.

Then, Shen Xinghe picked up a wine bottle and smashed it on his head!

“——!”

The bottle shattered with a loud bang, and sticky liquid flowed down from Shen Xinghe's forehead. The broken beer bottle glowed with a strange green light, and its sharp direction pointed at the tip of the gangster's nose.

"Who did you say I looked like just now?"

Weird, sticky, morbid emotions are growing wildly.

Wu Liao forgot the script, his legs went weak and he fell to the ground.

…

“Crack!”

Five minutes later, a scene ended. Jiang Tao came to his senses and quickly called for cut.

Shen Xinghe woke up from his pathological "drug addiction", smiled warmly, walked forward and stretched out his hand to pull Wu Liao up.

Wu Liao hadn't yet recovered from that terrifying look. When he saw Shen Xinghe reaching out to him, he took two steps back in fright.

"Director Wu," Shen Xinghe smiled bitterly, "it's over."

"It's over?"

Wu Liao could still recall the look in Shen Xinghe's eyes as if he would stab him to death with the broken beer bottle in the next second!

Everyone at the scene got goosebumps all over the floor.

Qiao Yan had never seen Shen Xinghe's audition clip, only this live version. At the moment the scene ended, Qiao Yan suddenly understood Jiang Tao and why he had to choose Shen Xinghe.

On the set of "L.A. Showdown", Qiao Yan watched Shen Xinghe act. At that time, she just thought that Shen Xinghe acted well and was an actor with good acting skills.

But the role has a limit, just like playing a dead body and a living person, the acting skills required are definitely different. Qiao Yan had not seen more potential in Shen Xinghe before, because the role of the soldier in "Los Angeles Decision" was the upper limit of his role, and Shen Xinghe had already played his best.

The role of Xiang Fei has a higher ceiling and requires the actor to have richer emotions and acting skills.

Shen Xinghe did it.

Qiao Yan discussed with Zhou Qingyu quietly, "I've seen Qin Li's plays, they're just average, far worse than Shen Xinghe's."

"Just based on this scene," Qiao Yan lowered her voice, "I think we can at least add another two million to "Bottom Line"."

Fang Yue heard the conversation between the two and nodded, "Miss! I also think "Bottom Line" is good! Just based on the male lead's acting skills, the future is promising!"

Fang Yue's professional qualities prevent him from easily investing money to bet on whether "Bottom Line" will have a bright future.

But Shen Xinghe's acting skills just now made her want to take the gamble again.

In fact, the moment Fang Yue saw Shen Xinghe finish his performance, she had already contacted the photographer privately and asked him to send her the audition clip.

She quickly sent the video to the project department’s small group: [The eldest lady may want to invest in this young actor! See if there is a role suitable for him! This guy will definitely be famous! ]

The group was full of members from the Starlight Project Department, and their eyes lit up when they saw the audition clips——

[The little brother is so handsome! 喬喬喬~]

[Is this the actor that President Qiao has just signed? President Qiao’s taste has finally improved! ]

[Help! The look in his eyes when he looked at the camera! It's too cruel! I'm dead!]

[How could such a handsome boy not be popular? The entertainment industry is so unfair! ]

Qiao Yan and Fang Yue have been in the entertainment industry for many years and have seen many handsome men. They are not tempted by just looking at their faces. In the scene just now, with the addition of his acting skills, Shen Xinghe's charm value in their hearts has increased by 100%.

The yandere and stubborn villain now has the face!

No wonder the eldest lady chose him as the male lead. The eldest lady has good taste!

Fang Yue thought for a moment that it would be better to send Shen Xinghe to play the role of the Demon Lord in a fairy tale drama.

This face would be wasted if it were put in a serious drama!

Zhou Qingyu looked at Shen Xinghe.

Based on Jiang Tao's description of the project and Shen Xinghe's performance, it was Xingyao's decision to invest 20 million yuan, but she had other ideas in her mind.

As for looks... I'd give it a 9.

The hair is...very thick and doesn't look bald, which is good.

Height... It says 185cm on my resume, and I look that tall too.

"Have you put on makeup?" Zhou Qingyu asked Shen Xinghe.

Shen Xinghe was stunned, "No."

I rushed to Haicheng last night, and I washed my face after waking up this morning without applying any skin care products, so I had no time to put on makeup.

Zhou Qingyu nodded with satisfaction, "Then turn around."

Shen Xinghe's mind was full of questions, but he still turned around on the spot as Zhou Qingyu requested.

Zhou Qingyu became even more aggressive, "Take off your shirt and try doing a few push-ups."

Shen Xinghe:?

Everyone at the scene:? ? ? ? ? ?

Shen Xinghe's Adam's apple rolled.

He had an inexplicable bad feeling, but the person in front of him was his financial sponsor's mother, and it involved Jiang Tao's 20 million investment, so he couldn't say anything. He could only take off his shirt and lie down to do push-ups.

Shen Xinghe has a habit of working out, and a few push-ups are no problem for him. But exercise inevitably leads to muscle congestion, and the muscles in his arms are becoming more and more prominent, with distinct six-pack abs.

Zhou Qingyu didn't call for a stop. Sweat rolled down Shen Xinghe's forehead to his Adam's apple, and finally dripped onto the floor.

"Help!" Fang Yue hugged Qiao Yan's arm and whispered, "Hurry up and sign him! Six-pack abs! If you miss this opportunity, you will never see it again!"

"Pay attention..." Qiao Yan whispered, her face flushed, "It's still a project meeting!"

Zhou Qingyu remained calm as she watched Shen Xinghe doing push-ups. She even took out her cell phone and recorded him exercising.

Shen Xinghe: “…”

"Get up."

Feeling that it was almost time, Zhou Qingyu finally called a halt.

At this time, Shen Xinghe's face was covered with sweat and his cheeks were red. He put his T-shirt back on uncomfortably.

Zhou Qingyu glanced at Shen Xinghe's resume again and saw that there was only his mother in the family column.

"What's going on at home?"

Shen Xinghe's Adam's apple rolled, "My parents divorced when I was young, and I lived with my mother. She is in poor health, and I want to take her to Haicheng for treatment. But don't worry, it won't delay the filming, I will hire a nurse to take care of her."

"Oh," Zhou Qingyu thought thoughtfully, "It's no big deal. Zhou Corporation has a private hospital. You can send her there for treatment. We'll cover all the medical expenses."

She changed the subject, "Is your mother easy to get along with? Will she make things difficult for your daughter-in-law?"

"……?"

Shen Xinghe: "Very good, my mother is a very good person."

Zhou Qingyu nodded. "Well, I feel relieved now. She's just 29 years old, a little old, but there's nothing wrong with her otherwise..."

Crowd: !!!

This topic is becoming increasingly inappropriate!

Is this a project meeting? Is this an audition for actors? Is this a young lady looking for a husband?

Is the young lady finally going to fall in love with someone else? !

After asking all the questions, Zhou Qingyu already had an idea in her mind.

She has excellent external conditions and good character, but her family is poor and she is old. She can't help it because she is old, but being poor is not easy. It is not easy for Zhou Qingyu to make someone famous!

The point is that Shen Xinghe has a humble attitude and looks like a caring person. He will take good care of Yanxi. Even though he is old, he can still be accepted.

Zhou Qingyu made the final decision, "Xingyao will invest 20 million, and I will add another 10 million in my personal name."

Jiang Tao was ecstatic. Could he have heard wrongly? Thirty million, what a heaven-dropping gift!

——

On the other side——

Star Entertainment Human Resources Department

The red official seal was stamped on Yan Xi's employment contract, and Yan Xi officially became an intern at Xingyao.

She did not go to the project meeting in the morning, but participated in the interview of the Xingyao Project Department.

The fact that Zhou Yanci asked her to intern at Zhou's company gave Yan Xi an idea. The plot about Zhou Qingyu in the novel was concentrated in this year. Therefore, as long as she could ensure that nothing happened to Zhou Qingyu in this year, she could avoid the predetermined fate of the novel.

There are no courses for the second year of graduate studies at Ocean University of China. Students either have to work on projects with their supervisors or find internships in companies. In this case, internship at Xingyao is a good choice.

After completing the onboarding procedures, Yan Xi received a reminder from the system:

[Ding! Invest in the future blockbuster project "Bottom Line", Zhou Qingyu gains 1 luck point]

[For making the male supporting actor Qin Li lose the chance to become TV King, Zhou Qingyu gains 1 luck point, and the current luck point is 21.1 points]

Yan Xi followed the staff to the office area. Through the transparent glass wall, she could see Jiang Tao and Zhou Qingyu completing the contract signing of "Bottom Line" in the conference room.

Jiang Tao was so happy that he danced with joy. Xingyao was very happy. When the contract was signed, the first investment was transferred into his account.

Yan Xi was not surprised by this. Since Zhou Qingyu had promised to invest, she would definitely invest. Gaining luck points was expected.

What surprised Yan Xi was why the luck value did not change Shen Xinghe's fate?

Clearly, she received Zhou Qingyu's gift, and Zhou Qingyu was able to get a luck value reward, so why couldn't Shen Xinghe?

The system was also puzzled: [I don't know. Theoretically, Zhou Qingyu helped Shen Xinghe last week, so Shen Xinghe is naturally on Zhou Qingyu's side. Xiang Fei was able to win the role of TV King, so Zhou Qingyu's luck should have changed as well!]

Yan Xi didn’t understand, but she had already obtained the luck points. After “Bottom Line” was launched in the future, Xingyao could make more money, so it was not a loss at all.

Zhou Qingyu walked out of the conference room and saw Yan Xi waiting outside.

"You actually came to Xingyao for an internship!" Zhou Qingyu happily took Yan Xi's arm, "Why didn't you say so earlier? Why do you need an interview here~"

Yan Xi bought some internet-famous milk tea from a nearby store and shared it with Zhou Qingyu. “It’s not difficult to apply for a job. There’s no need to go through the back door for such a small matter.”

Wu Liao and Qiao Yan came out of the conference room one after another. "Yan Xi? You want to come to Xingyao for an internship? Which department? If you are undecided, come to our public relations department!"

Wu Liao rubbed his hands excitedly. If they could recruit Yan Xi to the PR department, their PR department would be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort in the future!

"You wish!" Qiao Yan held Yan Xi's other hand, "Yan Xi must be coming to our Ministry of Economic Affairs!"

Qiao Yan watched the entire "Travel" live broadcast. She knew very well that without Yan Xi's secretive actions, Zhou Qingyu would not have been able to get the endorsement from M company.

She brings in 30 million for the company in just a few minutes. Of course, a talent like her should come to the Ministry of Economic Affairs!

"No, no, no! Yan Xi should come to our PR department! She's suitable!"

"She is suitable for the Ministry of Economic Affairs! She must come to the Ministry of Economic Affairs!"

Wu Liao and Qiao Yan each grabbed one of Yan Xi's hands, neither willing to let go.

Fang Yue flipped through her own documents and asked, "Wait a minute, the one who posted the job opening this time is... our project department, right?"

Wu Liao: "Shut up!"

Qiao Yan: "You have no part in this!"

Fang Yue: “……?”

While the three were arguing, Shen Xinghe was also looking at Yan Xi.

When he saw Yan Xi was also in Xingyao, he was surprised for a moment, but then he remembered the Xingyao work badge she showed yesterday, and it seemed that she was indeed a Xingyao employee.

That’s great. I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.

Moreover, she seemed to be very powerful. Miss Zhou had a good relationship with her, and several directors of Xingyao were also vying for her.

Although there was no evidence, Shen Xinghe intuitively felt that his continued role as the male lead in "Bottom Line" was also related to her.

Yan Xi also saw Shen Xinghe and blinked at him.

“Alright, alright!”

Seeing that the two were arguing, Zhou Qingyu quickly rescued Yan Xi.

She glanced at Yan Xi, then at Shen Xinghe, and whispered to Yan Xi: "You came to Xingyao for Shen Xinghe, right?"

Yan Xi was stunned, "Of course not!"

Zhou Qingyu smiled like an auntie. "Why are you hiding this from me? I just checked him out for you. He's not bad, just a little old. Let him exercise more so that he can maintain his physical fitness! There's still a long way to go for a happy life in the future!"

Yan Xi:?

Why is this topic a bit strange?

She felt that Zhou Qingyu's face changed!

"It's really not..." Yan Xi was speechless.

Zhou Qingyu looked as if she understood what was going on, and turned to look at Fang Yue, "The project department is recruiting for the "bottom line" at this time, right?"

Fang Yue answered in a businesslike manner, "Yes, we drafted a recruitment promotion after you confirmed your intention to invest last night. Xingyao has other projects, and we are not hiring for those projects. We are currently in need of a supervisor to coordinate the investment in Bottom Line."

The core of this recruitment is the producer, and they also want to find an intern to serve as the producer's assistant. In Fang Yue's opinion, the role of Yan Xi is dispensable.

Zhou Qingyu: "If I become a supervisor...I can always keep an eye on Shen Xinghe in the crew?"

Fang Yue was silent. Isn't the job of a supervisor to keep an eye on the director to prevent him from wasting money recklessly?

She thought Zhou Qingyu was probably wrong, so she didn't correct her but nodded.

Zhou Qingyu's eyes lit up, "This is a good job, let Yan Xi be the supervisor!"