I became famous in the entertainment industry by burning incense

Chapter 619 Jian Liting's Ordeal*
Time flies, and August is here in the blink of an eye.

Celebrities are still very busy, vying for the opportunity to meet their annual KPIs. There's still time in September and October, the peak sales season. Even if they can't get the cover of the four major magazines, getting an inside cover is still pretty good.

Even if it's the worst case scenario, shooting a cover for a second-tier magazine can at least get by; after all, it's a cover.

But the competition for the peak sales season of September and October is particularly fierce this year, because two major magazines have already booked their September and October covers, and the choice of models...

Other celebrities would not dare to compete with her once they see her.

How can Jinli and Gu Cheng compete for this?
Why don't they announce to the public that they will be taking the college entrance examination next year?
After working hard for several years, they have long forgotten the knowledge they learned in school. Making them learn it all again is like taking their lives away.

Most importantly, repeating a lesson doesn't guarantee a good exam result!
Many celebrities never took the full college entrance exam; they only took the arts entrance exam. If they were to take the regular college entrance exam again, the result would be...

I don't know what the agent is thinking, but at least the celebrity lacks confidence.

If you'll be ridiculed for doing poorly on a test, you might as well not take it in the first place.

Currently, only Jin Li and Gu Cheng have managed to break into this field of study; no one can replace them.

While Jinli and Gu Cheng's careers were booming, other stars were also steadily developing, such as Li Xunfang and Lian Baozhi.

Li Xunfang successfully landed a role in the new drama "My Wife Wanwan", and even Baozhi's drama "Flowers Bloom on the Road" is being filmed steadily.

In their spare time, the two would participate in variety shows, so they never disappeared from the public eye and neither of them fell behind.

However, even with Jinli's brilliance shining through, neither of them stood out.

Li Xunfang was somewhat anxious.

The filming of "My Wife Wanwan" was not smooth sailing; in fact, it was extremely difficult from the very beginning.

She felt that the director was a bit arrogant because he had directed a minor hit drama three years ago, and always stood on the sidelines in a condescending manner, instructing her on her acting skills.

He reprimanded her in front of many newcomers, causing her to lose face.

However, she couldn't get angry about it, because apart from "My Wife Wanwan", she hadn't received any new roles as the female lead.

Unless she really doesn't intend to pursue her acting career and lowers her status to take on supporting roles, she'll have to put up with it.

Li Xunfang felt that her temper had improved a lot in this drama; at least she didn't lose her temper in person, and she endured whatever the director said.

Several times, even the director felt that he had gone a bit too far, but Li Xunfang would grit her teeth secretly, smile, and say, "I will definitely pay attention next time."

This attitude even made the director mutter to his friends in private, "Li Xunfang doesn't seem as difficult to deal with as I thought!"

Friends all asked, "What do you mean?"

Director: "In my crew, she has a good attitude. Although her acting skills are indeed a bit lacking, she is humble, willing to listen to what I say, and will correct it next time."

My friend said incredulously, "Is this Li Xunfang you're talking about really the same Li Xunfang I know? She seems like a completely different person!"

Director: "Hey, it's her! I think with my guidance, she can make a big breakthrough in this drama, and with her popularity, she might just become a hit!"

Friend: "You guys are going to be competing with the drama 'Flowers Bloom on the Road' at the same time, right? Even Baozhi's popularity is very high, so don't underestimate her."

The director said bitterly, "Don't mention Lian Baozhi to me. If it weren't for her keeping the crew hanging, I wouldn't have needed to rush to find the lead actress right before filming started!"

He had a better choice for the leading lady, but unfortunately she was unavailable, time was too tight, and it was too late for anything.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen Li Xunfang, who had a bad reputation in the industry. Fortunately, Li Xunfang was not arrogant or domineering during the collaboration, but rather humbly sought his advice.

This relieved the director, who then devoted himself to teaching her.

The director may not be a good actor, but the aesthetics in front of the camera make photography and acting somewhat interconnected.

If the camera lens creates a beautiful image, then the resulting film or television production is likely to be good.

Laughter is a kind of beauty, crying is a kind of beauty, and extreme joy and sorrow are also a kind of beauty with great tension. This kind of beauty is different from the beauty of a model's photoshoot.

Lian Baozhi, who was envied by "My Wife Wanwan", is more at ease in the new drama crew than Li Xunfang.

Unfortunately, being too popular can also be a problem.

"Sister Baozhi, have some water. The director specially asked me to buy this for you."

An assistant came over and fawned over him.

Lian Baozhi glanced at her assistant, who stepped forward to take the item. Lian Baozhi smiled and said, "Thank you, but you don't need to buy me anything next time, not even if the director asked you to."

The assistant chuckled and said, "It's nothing, just some water and snacks, it's fine."

After the person left, Lian Baozhi's assistant spoke up, "This is the umpteenth time this has happened, Baozhi. You always refuse her, but she never takes it seriously. She didn't even knock when she came in just now."

Lian Baozhi sighed, "I don't know why, but I'm unusually popular in this film crew. It makes me feel like I'm the hottest female star right now."

The assistant had been keeping something to herself for a long time. Hearing Lian Baozhi mention it, a hint of hesitation flashed across her face, but she finally made up her mind and cautiously said:

“Sister Baozhi, do you think the director wants to pursue you? I see he often praises you in front of others, but he never mentions it to you.”

Lian Baozhi was taken aback. "Huh? He wants to pursue me, but I don't feel anything. Besides, does he often praise me in front of others? I don't know anything about him."

The assistant shook the water in his hand and said helplessly, "The person who delivered the water is a production assistant hired by the crew. He has so many things to do every day, why would he personally deliver water to you?"

And they send it to you almost every day, saying it's the director treating you to drinks. I think their intentions are pretty obvious.

Even Baozhi was truly stunned. This was the first time she had ever faced a director's advances. Was everyone going to be so reserved?

It's so subtle, you can't refuse, and you can't not refuse, it's too difficult!
Besides Li Xunfang and Lian Baozhi, other celebrities also made a splash during this period, with Jian Liting being one of them.

During her recovery, she wrote many letters. Some were meant for her fans, but others were only meant for herself.

These letters record her feelings during her treatment for depression.

The treatment has now passed the most difficult stage. She can now stand in a crowd like a normal person without feeling scared, trembling, experiencing palpitations, or chest pain.

To celebrate her successful battle against the disease and to say goodbye to her past self, Chien Li-ting wrote a letter reflecting her past feelings and wanted to post it on her blog.

However, the company stopped this behavior in time.

She had already written the article and scheduled to publish it at midnight on her birthday the next day.

However, the company had the passwords to all her public accounts. During one of their checks, they discovered her regularly scheduled posts and deleted them all without her consent, replacing them with a simple blog post wishing herself a happy birthday.

Jian Liting checked her blog the next day and found that the scheduled post had not been published on time. She then realized that the company had tampered with it, so she went to find her agent.

The agent seemed to have known her purpose all along, saying, "Liting, you've been with the company for many years, haven't you?" Jian Liting frowned, then nodded.

Agent: "How do you feel about how the company treats you?"

Chien Li-ting: "It's fine."

Agent: "That's why I had that blog post deleted. Do you know what kind of public opinion it would cause once it was published?"

Jian Liting asked in confusion, "What does that have to do with the company? That happened when I was a minor, and I wasn't a member of the company at that time."

She experienced severe bullying during her school years, which caused her to have a stress response to the plot of "Assassination," leading to a relapse of her condition, which had finally stabilized.

To the point that filming became impossible, "Assassination" had to urgently replace the actor.

To be honest, she doesn't blame the production team for replacing her.

After receiving the script, she held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that she could take on the challenge of the storyline and overcome the illness she had been battling.

She thought too highly of herself and too fragile about depression.

After the incident came to light, the production team could have pursued her for breach of contract because she did not tell the production team the truth before filming began.

But the production team simply replaced her; they didn't pursue the matter further or ask her for compensation.

This relieved her.

But clearly, the company wasn't as optimistic as she had imagined.

It's normal to reduce her workload during her recovery, and she's grateful to the company for giving her some time to rest.

But after she recovered and returned to the company, her appearances were still as few as ever. Jian Liting realized that the company wanted to sideline her.

She only had one year left on her contract with the company, and Jian Liting knew that the company probably wouldn't renew it.

As she pondered, her agent's voice rang out: "Liting, we all know this happened a long time ago, but your illness last year and long hospital stay have already caused dissatisfaction among many fans."

If you post this message, fans will only criticize the company for not taking care of your mental state. The company recently signed a veteran A-list artist and doesn't want to cause trouble at this crucial time.

Chien Li-ting frowned and said, "I have always believed that this is just my business and has nothing to do with the company. If the fans really criticize you, I will speak out publicly for the company."

The agent shrugged and said helplessly, "Netizens only believe what they believe. Your explanation can't keep up with the speed at which their speculations spread."

Jian Liting twitched the corners of her mouth. "What can I do now? I can't even send out the simplest idea, and I haven't had any announcements for two months."

As a top-tier celebrity, it's quite unusual that I don't have any gigs during the peak summer season. Don't you think that's very unusual?

Agent Yang Li paused, silently looking at Jian Liting with a helpless expression.

“Liting, this is the company’s decision, and it’s not something I can interfere with. Believe me, I’m even more heartbroken than you are that you didn’t get the announcement, but there’s nothing I can do to change their decision.”

As a top-tier celebrity, she has a large fan base. As long as she goes out and tries to get gigs, she can make a fortune every day.

The problem is that many of the company's senior executives believe that Jiang Liting's illness is a time bomb that could easily explode, posing a great risk to the company.

The company doesn't only have Chien Li-ting as an artist to promote, so the higher-ups have given resources to younger and "healthier" stars.

Jian Liting was silent for a while, then said, "Since the company has already abandoned me, can I terminate the contract in advance? If I terminate the contract now, I can still maintain some popularity. If I wait until this time next year to terminate the contract, I'm afraid I will have to fall back to the second or third tier."

Yang Li also fell silent, then said in a low voice, "Liting, you shouldn't be asking me this question. You already know the answer in your heart, don't you?"

Companies don't act without a profit motive. If we terminate Jian Liting's contract and release her now, what if she holds a grudge and takes advantage of her remaining popularity to write long posts online?
If they wait until this time next year to terminate her contract, her popularity and buzz will have completely disappeared, and only then can the company feel comfortable releasing her.

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Jian Liting's lips. "When I was recovering, I never imagined that the company would treat me like this. I thought too highly of myself."

Yang Li didn't say anything; after all, she was a company employee.

Jian Liting thought for a moment and said, "Then I won't publish that article, but just share some interesting things that happen in my life, is that okay?"

Yang Li immediately replied, "Of course."

She paused, then added cryptically, "But try to avoid posting on public platforms like blogs. The company reviews every single post, and they might not be approved."

Jian Liting understood; Yang Li had specifically warned her that it definitely wouldn't pass.

The company really wants to completely sideline her and not give her any chance to make a comeback!
Jian Liting thought of something and said, "If I don't post on my blog, I can't take on commercials, and I don't have any variety show appearances, then I won't have the money to cover my current expenses."

The company can't really let me starve, can they? If I'm short of money, then I can't care about the future; we might as well go down together and both sides suffer.

She spoke calmly, and her words seemed unconvincing.

However, Yang Li knew that Jian Liting was telling the truth; she understood the artists she managed.

Yang Li said, "I can participate in some small announcements and stage plays."

Jian Liting: "Will you help me make the contact, or will I do it myself?"

Yang Li hesitated for a moment before telling the truth: "Tomorrow I'll be assigned to manage other top-tier artists, so I might not be able to take care of you."

Jian Liting said decisively, "Okay, I'll find my own work. But who will I be working with from now on?"

The company can't let the artists take on jobs on their own. It's not easy to get a cut that way. Who knows if the artists will secretly take on jobs without telling the company, and then it won't be accounted for in the company's books.

Since things had come to this point, Yang Li didn't hide anything anymore, since she was going to make the announcement today anyway.

"Starting tomorrow, you will have a new agent to work with you."

Jian Liting: "Just started working here?"

Yang Li: "Yes, I just started working here."

A mocking smile once again appeared on Jian Liting's lips. "Oh, assigning me a complete newbie? Is the company so afraid I'll become popular again?"

Yang Li didn't say anything more, she just remained silent.

Actually, she also felt that the company's arrangement was a bit excessive. Jian Liting was, after all, a first-tier artist that the company had once heavily promoted. She was just a little bit short of popularity and could have become a popular leading lady.

But the company just gave up like that, and restricted all of his opportunities. It felt like they wanted to crush him.

The reason they didn't completely crush her was because of Jiang Liting's illness; the company was afraid it would relapse.

If Chien Li-ting's illness relapses and she goes on a rampage, leaking information wildly, it would be a very serious public relations crisis.