I became famous in the entertainment industry by burning incense

Sui Lingfang smiled slightly, "So, Director Zheng, what do you think of this plan?"

Zheng Chengxin thought for a while and said, "Your plan is so comprehensive, I have no reason not to agree, and it's not entirely without my benefits."

So many female celebrities have been rumored to be dating me; one more Jian Liting won't make a difference, and one less won't make a difference either.

He nodded: "Let's do it according to your plan. If you need my cooperation, just let me know."

Zheng Chengxin smiled and said, "After all, I am also a beneficiary. Although the film crew is busy with shooting, I still have a few minutes to make a phone call."

Sui Lingfang smiled and said, "With your cooperation, I believe that this matter will proceed smoothly without any unexpected problems."

Jian Liting stood at Director Zheng's door, pacing back and forth anxiously, occasionally tapping the ground with her toes, her heart filled with unease.

She thought Director Zheng wouldn't agree and was afraid he would fly into a rage.

Then he thought that Director Zheng was a shrewd businessman and would probably agree.

After all, creating scandals is a common tactic for celebrities. It's just that celebrities often create scandals with other celebrities, but rarely with directors, though it's not unheard of.

The door was opened quickly, and Sui Lingfang came out.

Jian Liting hurriedly went to greet her, but was stopped by a look from her.

She immediately shut her mouth and silently walked back to her room with Sister Fang.

Once the door was closed, Sui Lingfang's tense face relaxed, and she smiled casually, giving her an "OK" sign.

"Director Zheng has agreed. We can start tomorrow. I will stay on set for three days to guide you in completely resolving the contract issue with the company."

Jian Liting breathed a sigh of relief, but a complex mix of emotions welled up inside her, making her both laugh and cry at the same time.

"Thank you, Sister Fang, thank you for your guidance. I... I don't know what to say..."

Thank you Jinli, thank you Chenxi Entertainment, thank you for lending a helping hand when I was going through the toughest time!

Sui Lingfang couldn't help but say, "The role that Chenxi Entertainment and I can play is actually very small. You should be most grateful to Jinli. If Jinli hadn't recommended you to me, I might not have had the idea of ​​signing you."

Firstly, Jinli has high hopes for you, and that's why I have high hopes for you too.

She said it very bluntly, almost explicitly: if Jinli doesn't think highly of you, Chenxi Entertainment won't sign you.

The reason she was able to get into Chenxi Entertainment was entirely because of a single sentence from Jinli.

This statement is heartless, seemingly stripping Jian Liting of all her value, ignoring her abilities and focusing solely on whether she can win Jin Li's favor.

But that's just how it is.

There are too many talented and gifted people in the world, but resources are limited, and not every talented person can be discovered.

Jian Liting nodded heavily. Even so, she was very grateful to Jinli and Chenxi Entertainment.

Regardless of their intentions, their willingness to offer help in her time of need makes them her benefactors!
It was too late today, so Jian Liting didn't call her agent.

The next morning, accompanied by Sui Lingfang, she took the initiative to call her agent.

The moment the call was answered, her agent's arrogant yet impatient voice came through:
"Finally you've decided to call me? I sent you so many WeChat messages and made so many phone calls before, and you just ignored me!"
Now that your popularity has faded, you're starting to panic, trying to call and curry favor with me and the company? Jian Liting, let me tell you, it's too late!

Jian Liting took a deep breath and said, "Are you finished? If you are, then it's my turn to speak."

The agent choked on his words, then angrily retorted, "What do you mean by this? What kind of attitude is this! You've really gone too far!"

Do you really think you can stay on the set of "Counterattack in Desperate Situations" and finish filming?
Let me tell you, once you have a role in this movie, once it's released, the company will sue the production team for breach of contract, preventing the movie from being shown any further!

Do you think the company will be afraid of you just because you've hooked up with Director Zheng? Your contract is still with the company. Unless you pay an exorbitant penalty, don't even think about leaving the company and going solo!

Jian Liting: "Oh."

The agent stared wide-eyed in disbelief. That's it?
How could she be so calm?
This intensified the agent's anxiety.

Jian Liting remained silent for a while, and only after making sure her agent wouldn't speak again did she say:

“I was dating Director Zheng, which is why he let me join the cast of ‘Desperate Counterattack’ and give me the role of the fourth female lead. I remember that the contract I signed with the company did not restrict me from dating. You cannot stop me from having a relationship.”

The agent shouted, "What? You said you're dating someone?"

Jian Liting gripped her phone tightly, glanced at the composed Sui Lingfang beside her, and said calmly:

“You heard me right. I’m dating director Zheng Chengxin. Otherwise, why would he help me out of the blue and let me, someone who hasn’t had a job in two years, join the crew to play the fourth female lead in a highly anticipated movie with a strong IP.”

Agent: "You, you, how could this be... This is impossible, why would he be interested in you, you, you..."

The agent was so shocked by the news that he was speechless.

She had considered many possibilities: why would Jian Liting suddenly join the production team this time, without being afraid that the company would sue her for breach of contract?

But I never imagined that the reason for dating Director Zheng would be so simple and unassuming!

Jian Liting scoffed, "Why can't I date Director Zheng? Am I that ugly?"

She then changed the subject: "Zheng Chengxin knows about my conflict with the company. He asked me to pass on a message to you that he will only give me a contract for this one film and will not interfere with my schedule afterward."

He wanted to promote me, but he knew his limits and would only do so after I completely terminated my contract with the company.

The reason I called to tell you about my relationship with him is that I hope the company can reconsider its relationship with me carefully.

After terminating my contract with the company, I will not completely leave the entertainment industry. I don't want things to get so tense with the company. You want to blacklist me, not let me take any film or television roles, and not let me participate in any commercial advertisements.

OK, I can accept all of this, no problem.

But you can't take away my opportunity to perform in plays. If you won't even give me this path to survival, then you're devastated.

She paused deliberately at this point, then added, "Heh, I don't even know what I'll do after terminating the contract!"

This is a blatant threat!

After she finished speaking, she hung up the phone.

This is the first time in nearly two years that she has been so confident in front of her agent and company.

She understood that this confidence came from Jinli.

After thinking about it all night, she finally understood.

Director Zheng has no connection with her; he simply admires her acting skills, which is why he was willing to give her this opportunity.

The reason Director Zheng agreed to create a scandal with her is probably because of Chenxi Entertainment. And isn't Jinli Chenxi Entertainment's biggest asset?
So Director Zheng was only willing to cooperate with Jinli in creating a scandal because of her.

Having figured this out, she felt immense gratitude towards Jinli and resolved to repay her properly in the future.
-
Jian Liting's company naturally wouldn't believe that she and Director Zheng were dating based on just her word.

Especially when the agent told the president the news, the president didn't believe it at all.

"Zheng Chengxin is such a proud person, how could he possibly be interested in Jian Liting, an actress who has almost lost her popularity and is about to fall out of the top tier?"

He's a big-name director; even if he were to choose a star, it would have to be a top-tier, currently popular actor. Why would he think of promoting a washed-up actor whose popularity has waned?

The agent hesitated, then said, "President, no matter what, Director Zheng is clearly determined to protect Jian Liting. Even if we cut off all her gigs, she won't leave the entertainment industry."

Chien Li-ting is a professional actress who rose to the top tier of celebrities through her numerous film and television works. Given her previous experience, she will soon return to the public eye as long as she gets roles.

Regardless of her relationship with Director Zheng, judging from Director Zheng's attitude alone, I think it's best not to offend Jian Liting too much. We can't suppress her any further.

She looked helpless as she spoke.

She made Chien Li-ting famous.

If the CEO hadn't been determined to give up on her, she wouldn't have wanted things to get so tense with her.

The agent continued, "Instead of provoking an enemy whose future is uncertain but who has great potential, it's better to shake hands and make peace now."

Even if she is destined to terminate her contract with the company after a year and not renew it, at least we won't have to make enemies with her.

If our company's artists want to enter the film industry in the future, they might be able to get in touch with Director Zheng. Otherwise, if Director Zheng announces that he will blacklist our company's actors, it will ruin their hopes of appearing in movies.

You know how profitable movies are. Unless the company decides to abandon the film business altogether, Zheng Chengxin is an obstacle we can't avoid.

The president's expression shifted several times before he finally said, "You can go now. I need to make a phone call and ask."

He found his contacts, intending to ask Director Zheng about his attitude towards Jian Liting through an intermediary.

But when the time came, he made a snap decision: rather than having a middleman relay the wrong message, he decided to ask Zheng Chengxin directly.

Whether it's true or false, you'll know as soon as you ask!
Judging from Zheng Chengxin's temperament, he's not the kind of person who would hide his relationship with an artist.

So he dialed Zheng Chengxin's number.

It's still noon, during the film crew's lunch break.

Zheng Chengxin answered quickly: "Hello?"

The president quickly forced a smile and asked, "Director Zheng, I'm the president of Jian Liting's company. I have something I'd like to ask you. I heard from Jian Liting that you're dating him."

Zheng Chengxin agreed without hesitation: "Yes, what's wrong? Don't your company's artists allow dating?"

"No, no, that's not true," the president hurriedly said.

Zheng Chengxin said, "I'm filming in the movie crew and don't have time to come. Otherwise, I would have acted as a go-between and arranged for Liting to have a meal with you, and all past grievances would be wiped clean."

You've blacklisted her for two years now. For an artist on the rise, two years of zero exposure is a terrible price to pay; you know that very well. You're not young anymore; don't make things difficult for a young girl."

The CEO's smile froze. "This, this..."

Zheng Chengxin: "How about this, as long as you don't make things difficult for Liting, I still have a few child actor slots I can give you in the next film."

The president immediately said, "Okay, Director Zheng, it's a deal!"
-
Jian Liting's matter was resolved completely, and the resolution was even better than expected.

Director Zheng's promises are like castles in the air. "Counterattack in Desperate Situations" hasn't even finished filming yet, so who knows what his next film will be, or whether it can be prepared for next year?

Anyone can make empty promises.

However, after Director Zheng made this promise, Jian Liting's company completely changed its attitude towards her.

Not only did they fully restore her stage play work, but they were also willing to give her audition invitations for some small film and television dramas, and they also opened up her commercial endorsements.

Unfortunately, after two years of silence, her popularity has long since faded.

The gigs I get now are all small, obscure commercial performances, and I've long since moved from leading lady roles to supporting roles in movies and TV dramas.

The entertainment industry is just that cruel.

If you fall behind even for a moment, you'll almost always fall behind, unless you can keep yourself at the forefront.

After leaving the film crew, Sui Lingfang did not fly back to Nancheng, but instead went to the capital to see Jinli.

Before Jinli became famous, whenever she had time each month, she would bring a lot of food to visit Jinli at her apartment to check on her health.

Jinli is very popular now, and she is busy with work, but she still maintains the habit of meeting once a month.

Sui Lingfang always felt uneasy if they didn't see each other for a month.

I can't feel at ease until I see her in person and know that she's living a good life.

"...That's how it is. Her conflict with the company has been completely resolved. Originally, she didn't want to accept any gigs, but I persuaded her to.

At this stage, she can only dispel the company's doubts and confirm that she truly doesn't mind being sidelined for two years, thus preventing future trouble.

Sui Lingfang visited Jinli's apartment near the school and chatted with her about what she had gained from her trip to the film set.

A hint of interest flashed in Jinli's eyes: "I didn't expect that your trip to the film set would be so interesting, besides signing her contract of intent, you also helped her resolve the conflict with her original company."

Sui Lingfang helplessly spread her hands: "I didn't want to either, but what can I do? Otherwise, if this continues, I'm afraid she won't last until next year, and she'll be completely blacklisted this year."

Jinli thought for a moment and asked, "I haven't had much contact with Jian Liting, and we haven't discussed things in such depth."

Although you haven't had much contact with her, you completely exposed her true nature the moment you met her. What kind of person do you think she is?

Sui Lingfang smiled and said, "I wasn't sure why you thought so highly of Jian Liting before, but now I'm sure. She fits the company atmosphere of Chenxi Entertainment very well."

She's the same kind of person as the members of your Pink Girl group—determined in her goals, with her own attitude, doesn't follow the crowd, and won't let the company boss her around.

She paused for a moment, then stated the most crucial factor: "Moreover, she has a strong sense of self-motivation. I believe that without me assigning her work, she will fill her schedule to the brim, which is also the difference between her and you."

Jinli coughed and looked into the distance.

She is very diligent...

Yes, she's actually very hardworking, but she has to go to school, which is why she doesn't get many gigs. (End of Chapter)