Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 191 Repeating the same trick
As April arrived, the weather in Beiping (Beijing) became unpredictable and changeable.

Throughout the entire Qingming Festival holiday, the sky was shrouded in thick clouds, with continuous rain.

Because of the weather, Yang Mi didn't go anywhere. After visiting the graves according to custom, she stayed obediently in her dormitory.

Outside the window, the rain was still drizzling. Yuan Shanshan lay listlessly on the bed, staring blankly at Yang Mi, who was sitting at the desk surfing the internet, seemingly lost in thought.

Jiao Junyan, in the next bed, closed her novel, yawned, and said lazily, "Ugh, this awful weather, I can't go anywhere, so boring."

Zhang Xiaofei, who was reading the script on the balcony and pondering the characters' feelings, glanced at her roommate upon hearing this and asked, "Have you finished reading Song Ci's new novel, 'So Many Years'?"

Jiao Junyan shrugged, looking listless: "I've finished reading it! It still follows the same style, telling the story of Zhenhua Middle School!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shanshan suddenly sat up in bed and half-reclined on the headboard, asking, "Do you think this movie, 'So Many Years,' will be made into a TV series?"

"Of course! The Zhenhua series is so popular, the fourth installment will definitely get great ratings!"

Jiao Junyan looked completely at ease, thinking that Yuan Shanshan's question was a bit unnecessary.

Yuan Shanshan was filled with anticipation: "I wonder if we'll have the chance to act in this drama?"

Zhang Xiaofei curled her lip, a hint of disdain in her voice: "You wish! Do you think you're Liu Shishi?"

She looked down on her roommates for being so naive. During their years at school, the girls in her dorm had submitted numerous resumes to various film and television productions, but they hadn't landed a single decent role.

Hearing her roommate mention Liu Shishi's name, Yuan Shanshan felt annoyed: "Ugh, so annoying! These people with connections are so irritating!"

"Honey, what are you looking at so intently? Why aren't you saying a word?"

Jiao Junyan noticed that her usually lively dormitory leader was acting strangely, tiptoeing up behind her and curiously peering inside to take a closer look.

Yang Mi was staring blankly at the webpage that was open on the screen, her eyes vacant and unfocused.

Jiao Junyan craned her neck and squinted to take a closer look. The person in the photo on the webpage was none other than Liu Shishi, whom they had just mentioned.

Liu Shishi, dressed in an elegant white dress, stood on the stage with a pure and gentle smile, radiant and captivating.

The press conference venue was decorated in a dreamlike style, with pink and white balloons complementing each other, creating a romantic and warm atmosphere.

At the center of the stage, Liu Shishi held a beautiful box of Dove chocolates, looking like a princess who had stepped out of a fairy tale, exuding endless gentleness and sweetness.

A huge electronic screen is playing an advertisement featuring Liu Shishi, whose gentle smile and elegant demeanor perfectly match the silky sweetness conveyed by Dove chocolate.

"Ah!" Jiao Junyan couldn't help but exclaim, staring at the person in the photo in disbelief, and stammered, "She...she...she can actually be the spokesperson for Dove!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaofei and Yuan Shanshan also gathered around in surprise and checked the news together.

The webpage prominently displays the headline: "On the morning of April 6, the renowned multinational corporation Mars officially announced Liu Shishi as the new spokesperson for the Dove brand."

Everyone was stunned after reading the news. As students of the Beijing Film Academy who were preparing to make their mark in the entertainment industry, how could they not understand the value of this endorsement?

A successful brand endorsement, especially with a major international brand like Dove, is the most direct reflection of an artist's status and commercial value.

Yuan Shanshan's pretty face was full of jealousy and resentment. She said indignantly, "We're all the same age, is there really such a big difference between us?"

"It's outrageous! A half-baked graduate of the Beijing Dance Academy is thriving in the entertainment industry just because he found a good man. Meanwhile, we legitimate students from the Beijing Film Academy are left with no acting opportunities."

Jiao Junyan also looked at Liu Shishi with envy, feeling sullen and her eyes filled with disappointment and helplessness.

"Shanshan, it's just you and me who don't have any roles to play! Xiaofei is about to join the cast of the movie 'Big Pancake's Shakespeare,' and Mimi is even more so, she's about to go and film 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' which is a remake of one of the Four Great Classical Novels, a super big production."

Her roommates' chatter pulled Yang Mi back from her wandering thoughts. Hearing Jiao Junyan's words, she gave a bitter laugh, her heart filled with unspeakable sorrow.

To outsiders, after Zhou Xun terminated her contract with Rongxingda, she became Rongxingda's top star, and with her godmother being the renowned director Li Shaohong, she was bound to get an important role in "Dream of the Red Chamber".

But reality slapped her hard in the face. The company only gave her a maid named Qingwen and dismissed her. She didn't even get to play Shi Xiangyun. They didn't treat her like one of their own at all.

Recalling when Li Shaohong told her she could play Qingwen, Yang Mi felt a chill run down her spine. From that moment on, her desire to leave Rongxingda grew stronger; she couldn't tolerate this feeling of being ignored.

Today, upon seeing the news that Liu Shishi was endorsing Dove chocolate, she felt incredibly frustrated. If things continued like this, how could she possibly realize her dream of competing with Liu Shishi, a woman with abundant resources, which she had fantasized about countless times?

"No, I can't just sit here and wait to die. Opportunities are earned!" Yang Mi slammed her hand on the table and stood up, startling her three roommates.

Seeing Yang Mi's gloomy expression, Yuan Shanshan, who was closest to her, asked with concern, "Mi Mi, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I'm going to make a call!" Yang Mi calmed her chaotic emotions, picked up her phone from the table, and walked out of the dormitory in a few steps.

Upon reaching the corridor and finding no one around, I dialed a familiar number.

"Honey, what brings you to contact me today!"

Hearing the slightly playful words, Yang Mi chuckled, "Sister Jia! Can't I contact you for no reason?"

"Speak, you clever little fox, what do you want from me?"

Upon hearing this, Zeng Jia chuckled. She knew Yang Mi's personality; the other party would only come to her for a reason.

Yang Mi gave an awkward smile, chuckled, and after exchanging a few pleasantries, finally got to the point: "Sister Jia, I heard that Tengda Culture is preparing to film 'So Many Years,' do I have a chance to be the female lead in this drama?"

Zeng Jia was slightly taken aback. The company had just launched the "So Many Years" project two days ago. The entire project had not yet been announced to the public and was still in the confidential stage. He did not expect that Yang Mi would know about it.

"Honey, you're really well-informed!"

Yang Mi gave a wry smile. She wasn't exactly well-informed, but based on the first three installments of the Zhenhua series, she deduced that Tengda would continue filming a fourth, and was just testing Zeng Jia's waters. She then pressed further, "Sister Jia, do I have a chance for the female lead?"

Zeng Jia didn't answer directly, but instead teased, "Aren't you going to star in your godmother's 'Dream of the Red Chamber'? Is your schedule okay? Director Li values ​​'Dream of the Red Chamber' so much, would he let you go out and film multiple projects at once?"

Yang Mi understood that Zeng Jia was joking, and replied helplessly, "Sister Jia, please don't laugh at me. I'm just a minor supporting character in the drama. How many scenes can I have? Going out to take on work won't interfere with my godmother's important matter at all."

Zeng Jia has been following news about his former employer, Rongxingda, and knows a little about the inside story of the casting for "Dream of the Red Chamber." Moreover, the casting for "Dream of the Red Chamber" was a huge affair, known to everyone online, and it would be hard for anyone in the industry not to know about it.

Speaking of "Dream of the Red Chamber", Zeng Jia looked down on her former employer even more and felt contempt for the two Lis. How could the company's top female star play a little maid?

Although Tengda's boss, Song, is biased, at least his two leading actresses, Wang Luodan and Lü Yi, haven't lacked quality resources; they've always had leading roles in their projects. Unlike Rongxingda, which is so corrupt, no wonder its artists keep leaving after becoming famous, leading to disaffection.

She and Yang Mi had an agreement that she would sign Yang Mi to Tengda Culture next year.

After a joke, he laid his cards on the table: "Honey, don't even think about getting the lead role in this drama. Someone's brought their own funding to the production. A big spender invested 2000 million to cover all the filming costs, and all they want is 30% of the profits. Their only requirement is that the lead role be reserved for her."

The female lead already had her solo audition at the company yesterday. She's the most beautiful girl from your Beijing Film Academy's 07 class; she's very sweet-looking, and Zhang Zhao is very satisfied with her, having already agreed to let her play the lead role. So don't get your hopes up for "So Many Years."

Yang Mi was extremely disappointed, her disappointment evident in her words. She complained, "These people with connections are going too far. Why would someone with so much money bother getting involved in the murky waters of the entertainment industry? It's truly speechless."

Zeng Jia also sighed slightly: "That's how the entertainment industry is, full of unspoken rules and exchanges of interests! Okay, Mimi, don't be too discouraged, let me give you some advice."

A glimmer of hope rekindled in Yang Mi's heart: "Does Tengda Culture have other projects?"

Zeng Jia shook his head: "It's not a project from Tengda, it's from Tangren Media!"

Excluding the films and television dramas invested in by the company, Tengda Culture currently has five projects in production or about to be produced: "Painted Skin", "So Many Years", "Lurking", "The Bourne Identity" and "Living with an Air Hostess".

Production capacity is already at full capacity, and the lead roles for these five dramas have all been arranged, so there are no suitable roles for Yang Mi.

"Tangren! Is it 'Chinese Paladin 3'?" Yang Mi naturally knew about the online poll for the female lead Xuejian that Tangren Media held a while ago, and she was currently in second place with the most votes.

“But I’m not sure I can compete with Liu Yifei and Lü Yi!” Yang Mi said with a worried look. It wasn’t that she was underestimating herself, but that it was the truth.

Liu Yifei goes without saying; she's the number one actress among female stars, second only to a few top actresses, and is known as "Fairy Liu"!
Lü Yi also has several representative works, and he gained a lot of popularity recently due to his role in "My Love from the Star." Crucially, he's backed by a major company. Compared to these two, he has no chance of winning.

"You don't need to worry about the two of them. Lü Yi is going to film 'The Bourne Identity' and wants to develop her career in serious dramas in the future, so she won't compete with you. As for Liu Yifei, it's even more impossible. You should have heard about her feud with Cai Yinong. As long as you can persuade Cai Yinong, the female lead of 'Chinese Paladin 3' will be yours for the taking."

After Zeng Jia's in-depth analysis, Yang Mi's eyes lit up, and she felt a sense of sudden enlightenment. Then she frowned again; a problem lay before her: she and Cai Yinong were complete strangers.

Seemingly sensing Yang Mi's predicament, Zeng Jia chuckled and offered her advice: "If you don't know her, you can recommend yourself! Then learn from Liu Yifei, use the same old tricks. It doesn't matter if the tricks are old, as long as they work."

Yang Mi understood Zeng Jia's meaning and was instantly tempted, but she still had some concerns. Although it was fun to get the female lead for free by making empty promises, she was also afraid of offending Cai Yinong and being retaliated against later.

"Sister Jia, what if Cai Yinong retaliates against me later if I do this?"

Zeng Jia looked indifferent, completely disregarding Cai Yinong: "So what if I offended him! Next year you'll be one of Tengda's people, what can she do to you? Back then, Liu Yifei could only hire some online trolls to do some ridiculous little tricks, she can't do anything to us at Tengda."

Yang Mi breathed a sigh of relief. Zeng Jia's statement put her at ease, and her worries lessened somewhat. If Tengda was willing to support her, everything would be fine.

Having already made up her mind, she decided to contact Cai Yi-nong first and try to get the lead role.

In "Chinese Paladin 3", Xuejian is the female lead, while Liu Shishi, who plays Longkui, is only the second female lead. She couldn't resist the temptation of Liu Shishi, the actress with the most resources whom she admired, playing a supporting role for her.

"Thank you, Sister Jia, I know what to do now!"

Around 2 PM, Liu Shishi attended a cocktail party hosted by the brand Dove.

With the help of Jiang Yuanyuan and Lin Xia, they stepped into the van together with Cai Yinong.

As soon as she entered the carriage, Liu Shishi's eyes cleared instantly, and she became radiant, showing no trace of drunkenness.

She raised her hand to smooth her slightly disheveled hair, exhaled softly, and her expression returned to its usual calm and composed state.

"Shishi, you're not drunk?" Lin Xia asked in surprise. She had thought Liu Shishi was drunk because she couldn't hold her liquor.

"It's all an act!" Liu Shishi gently patted her delicate cheeks. She had maintained a professional fake smile since the press conference began, and her facial muscles felt somewhat stiff.

Cai Yinong sat next to Liu Shishi, seemingly used to her reaction: "It's normal to be a spokesperson these days. In the entertainment industry, attending brand parties and celebration banquets is unavoidable. You'll get used to these kinds of social events as you experience them more."

Liu Shishi relaxed slightly, nestled in her chair, and gently rubbed her temples. She glanced up at the battle-hardened Cai Yinong, a helpless smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She still needed time to adapt to what Sister K had described as the norm.

Cai Yinong patted Liu's fair and delicate hand, "I don't have anything to do this afternoon, I'll take you home and get some rest."

Liu Shishi shook her head slightly and instructed the driver, "Driver, go to Building 7, Jingyuan, North Fourth Ring Road."

The driver was slightly taken aback. He usually drove in Beiping and had naturally heard of Jingyuan.

That place is one of the few super luxury residences in the capital city. With its low plot ratio and abundant green space, it creates a natural miracle in the city. The people who live in Jingyuan are all rich and noble.

He nodded in response and focused on driving, thinking to himself that it was a good opportunity to broaden his horizons.

Liu Shishi closed her eyes to rest, then suddenly said, "Sister K, my husband knows you're in Beiping. He happens to be off today and wants to see you."

Cai Yinong was surprised and thought to himself: "Isn't Sister Yi always keeping her mysterious boyfriend a secret? Why is she suddenly going to reveal it today?"

But that's fine, it's just what I wanted to show her.

(End of this chapter)