2001 Media Godfather

Chapter 46: Full of Emotional Value

Just to clarify, there were a lot of tourists during the May Day holiday, and the shop was too busy to keep up. I could only write a little bit hastily when I got back in the evening.

So updates have been slow. Tomorrow I'll stay home and focus on writing; I won't go out. I'll catch up on the missed updates as soon as possible; there's no need to wait for it to be published.

------------

(text)
Lin Wanchen was aggressive, her target Lu Mingze.

"Doesn't Director Lu owe Wanxing an explanation?"

Lu Mingze's old face was now practically dripping with bitterness.

Thinking to myself, "The person who used Lin Wanxing to put pressure on Tiandu and thus protect Xu Shu, the female lead, was Chu An. What does that have to do with me?!"

He forced himself to step forward and said, "President Lin, there must be some misunderstanding here, right? Let's talk this out!"

Lin Wanchen was not about to be fooled by his few words; she went all out and raised her voice to the maximum.

Present the facts to Director Lu, reason with him, and even lose your temper.

In short, the meaning is very clear: what you're doing is extremely unfair!
Using our Wanxing as a stepping stone has caused immense psychological harm to Lin Wanxing and damaged her reputation. We Wanxing finally managed to free up her schedule, only to have you decide not to use it – how much loss have we suffered?
How are we, as late-blooming stars, supposed to survive in the industry in the future? Will we always be overshadowed by Xu Shu?

A barrage of questions came at them, as if the matter wouldn't be over until they got an explanation today.

Lu Mingze could only listen, letting Lin Wanchen spit as much as she wanted.

There was nothing he could do; after all, he was the director. He couldn't very well betray Chu An, so he could only put on a smiling face and endure it.

In her heart, she cursed Chu An a thousand times over. Damn it! He's the one showing off, and I'm the one suffering. Is there no justice in this world?
But then again, Chu An is right here.

As a man who believes in "living or dying as he pleases" and dares to challenge anyone, would he just stand by and watch Director Lu take the blame for him?

Haha, yes!

In the realm of inhumanity, President Chu has also made significant achievements.

With Lu Mingze standing in front, Chu Anping moved to the side of another uninvited guest.

With an air of schadenfreude, they asked, "What's going on? Your manager's pretty impressive! Came all this way to stand up for you?"

Lin Wanxing was striking a cool pose while watching her brother vent his anger for her, when Chu An suddenly appeared.

Based on the principle of not hitting a smiling face, besides, Lu Mingze's indifference to others has nothing to do with anyone else.

She glanced at Chu An, a hint of pride in her voice: "That's my brother, of course he's awesome!" (Inner monologue: Actually, I'm quite timid; this is very unusual of me today.)
Chu An suddenly realized, "Your brother is awesome! My sister always hides behind me when something happens." (Inner monologue: Actually, he's incredibly fierce, completely untouchable.)
Having finally found common ground, Chu An immediately switched to flattery mode, "So you're not photogenic?"

Lin Wanxing frowned. "What do you mean?"

Chu An: "She's so much prettier in person than on camera!"

Lin Wanxing, "No, I don't think so..."

Chu An exclaimed, "His acting is so good, it's simply outrageous!"

Lin Wanxing remained composed, saying, "You acted quite well too."

Chu An was surprised, "You saw it?"

Lin Wanxing responded candidly, "Look how funny it is!"

The flattery immediately followed, giving a thumbs up, "Everyone says you and Xu Shu don't get along, yet you still watch her drama; your magnanimity is extraordinary!"

Lin Wanxing remained serious, though she couldn't suppress the urge to smile.

"Stop praising them, show some respect for your opponent!"

Chu An pressed on, "But I think Director Lu made the wrong choice. If he had cast you as Geng Geng, it would have been much more outstanding."

"Ahem!" Miss Wanxing finally couldn't hold back any longer, clearing her throat, her pride evident in her words.

Sometimes...

Even though you know it's flattery, what can you do if someone just accepts it?
What is emotional value?
Emotional value is simply the ability to make people happy and provide them with emotional satisfaction; even if it's not real, it still has value.

This barrage of flattery is so effective that, as long as you don't feel embarrassed, ten out of ten people would be unable to resist it.

Lin Wanxing proactively extended her delicate white hand to shake hands with Chu An, saying, "Lin Wanxing! It's a pleasure to meet you."

Chu An lightly touched his fingertips and squeezed them slightly. "Chu An! Please give me your guidance, senior."

So, one was nineteen and the other was seventeen...

One is already a well-established and wildly popular star, while the other is a newcomer with a belly full of bad intentions...

They stood side by side, arms crossed, watching Director Lu and Lin Wanchen argue.

Then they chatted comfortably about topics familiar to their peers.

Lin Wanxing: "This show is all thanks to you; Xu Shu is just a pretty face!"

Chu An: "Sigh! I guess I'll just have to understand! But I do think that if you were to play the role of Geng Geng, I wouldn't have much room to develop my own character."

It means that if you play Geng Geng, I'll just become a decorative vase.

All I can say is that this is the art of language.

Miss Wanxing got cocky again, "It's alright, I just feel that Geng Geng's personality is more like mine."

Chu An immediately became serious, "Then it won't be you playing Geng Geng."

"What do you mean?"

Chu An, "So you're Geng Geng!"

Lin Wanxing, "..."

I'm considering whether to ask my brother to sign Chu An. He doesn't need to do anything else, just flatter him all day long. How come every word he says is so accurate?

After going around in circles, Chu An finally focused his attention on Director Lu and Lin Wanchen.

"Your brother isn't really going to have a falling out with Director Lu, is he? There's no need; you'll be the one who suffers!"

Lin Wanxing didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

Chu An deliberately lowered his voice, "Don't I know him? He's gone mad. What wouldn't he do for this film?" Lin Wanxing, "..."

Chu An: "If you cause trouble for him, he'll be more than happy to! The movie is currently showing, so this is a perfect opportunity to generate publicity."

Lin Wanxing frowned immediately. Had her brother miscalculated? He shouldn't have come to Ningyuan.

She knows all too well how shameless some people in this circle can be when they want to ride the wave of trending topics.

Thinking about whether to pull Lin Wanchen back, he turned around and left, not giving Lu Mingze a chance to act shamelessly.

Chu An seemed to have mind-reading abilities, "It's no use leaving! Believe it or not, he'll have the camera crew act as paparazzi and follow you all the way until you leave Ningyuan."

"If you sell it to the media later, you won't be able to explain yourself."

Lin Wanxing: "Then what should we do?"

Chu An, "Why don't you play a cameo role?"

Lin Wanxing's expression immediately changed upon hearing this, and she suddenly became alert, thinking to herself, "What do you mean by this? Are you Lu Mingze's shill?"
You won't let me cause trouble, but I still have to play a supporting role for you guys?

Chu An said sincerely, "Don't rush! Let me finish."

"First!" Chu An began to present the facts and reason.

"I don't need to tell you how popular and trending 'With You' is right now. You won't regret it if you make a cameo appearance."

Lin Wanxing scoffed, "Who cares!"

Chu An: "There's a second one!"

"That shameless Lu Mingze will definitely use you as a publicity stunt, and who knows how it will spread!"

"He's also a director with connections in the industry. Going against him won't do you any good. You might as well go with the flow, take the initiative to make a cameo appearance, and turn a bad thing into a good thing!"

Lin Wanxing was even more furious. In the end, she just wanted to suffer this injustice in silence!

"Is there a third one? If not, shut up!"

Chu An: "Then third place!"

"Xu Shu stole your leading role, so let's outdo her in the drama!"

"Hmm?" Lin Wanxing became interested. Nothing else mattered, this was the most practical thing to say.

As mentioned before, Xu Shu and Lin Wanxing are pure competitors, and they have been vying for each other's resources more than once.

The media also enjoys using comparisons between the two up-and-coming actresses to grab attention.

Over time, even without personal grudges, they gradually transform from secret rivals into sworn enemies.

But only then did Chu An unleash his ultimate weapon: "Don't forget, I'm also a screenwriter!"

“I’ll write you a cameo role that can outshine Xu Shu. It’s just a matter of lifting a finger.”
Lin Wanxing raised an eyebrow and fell into deep thought.

I almost forgot this crucial factor...

He was hesitating whether to agree to Chu An's suggestion and change his confrontational stance to trying to secure a cameo role.

Chu An suddenly shouted, "Stop arguing!" This startled Lu Mingze and Lin Wanchen, who both turned to look at him.

Chu An said, "Miss Lin Wanxing has agreed to play a cameo role. Let's put aside our differences and make peace!"

Everyone, "..."

Their expressions varied, yet none of them seemed to understand the situation.

Lin Wanxing stared wide-eyed, "I haven't agreed yet!"

Lin Wanchen was dumbfounded. "Who the hell is this?"

As for Lu Mingze...

I was instantly relieved and almost cried. President Chu saved my life!

……

"What happened?" Lin Wanchen stopped arguing with Lu Mingze and turned back to Lin Wanxing's side. How come, without even glancing at her, she'd been tricked into sending out a cameo role?
With a gloomy expression, he said, "Our Wanxing will never give Xu Shu a cameo role!"

Before Chu An could even explain, Lin Wanxing whispered in Lin Wanchen's ear, "He promised to give me a cameo role where I can overpower Xu Shu!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Wanchen frowned again. He hadn't come here for a cameo role.

He looked Chu An up and down, and after a long while said, "You're just a screenwriter, your words don't count!"

Chu An grinned and looked at Lu Mingze.

Director Lu composed himself. "Well, let me correct that."

Pointing at Chu An, "He really does call the shots!"

"Huh?" This surprised the Lin siblings. Aside from the domineering Mingze, who was known for his arrogant demeanor, he actually said something like that? That's a bit surprising!
Director Lu continued, "He is the screenwriter and lead actor; everyone should know that."

"But what the outside world doesn't know is that he is also a shareholder of my personal studio."

"The initiator of the publicity and distribution strategy for 'The Best of Us'".

Lin Wanchen: "???"

Lin Wanchen was stunned for a long time, unable to believe Lu Mingze's words.

However, upon regaining his composure, he suddenly changed his previous seriousness, smiled smugly, but his eyes remained sharp, like a wolf that had finally found its prey.

He proactively extended his hand to Chu An, "Lin Wanchen! Chairman of Qunxing Entertainment."

"Let's talk about the details of the cameo appearance!"

……

.

(End of this chapter)