Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 256 Another One

During the Qingming Festival, the Jiangnan water towns are shrouded in a light drizzle and a thin layer of mist.

Liu Shishi stood gracefully amidst the picturesque haze, wearing an elegant moon-white cheongsam.

The fabric was embroidered with pale blue orchid patterns, resembling a secluded orchid in a valley, making the outfit appear dignified yet elegant.

Her jet-black hair was styled into a low bun, adorned with an antique and lustrous white jade hairpin, and two small pearls dangled from her earlobes, giving her an air of gentle elegance.

Song Ci stood beside her, dressed in a dark gray suit, looking tall and composed.

The two walked side by side along the path paved with bluestone slabs dampened by the drizzle, following the elders of the Song family, slowly making their way towards the ancestral hall.

The Song Clan Ancestral Hall is situated in a spacious courtyard, with blue bricks and gray tiles, exuding a simple and dignified atmosphere.

The vermilion gate is inlaid with copper nails, and a plaque hangs above the lintel with four gilded characters that read "Song Family Ancestral Hall," written in a vigorous and majestic style.

Two majestic stone lions stand guard at the entrance, as if protecting this ancient building.

A large number of clansmen, men, women, and children, had already gathered in front of the ancestral hall, bustling about and making a great commotion.

Song Ci's family in his hometown of Suzhou is thriving, with four generations living together. Today's ancestral worship ceremony is especially lively, filled with the strong atmosphere of a large family.

Inside the ancestral hall, incense smoke curled and candlelight flickered. The ancestral tablets of the Song family were neatly arranged, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

As the future eldest daughter-in-law and matriarch, Liu Shishi held an extraordinary position, and her appearance immediately attracted the attention of many clansmen.

Several older women came forward to greet her, their words full of respect and affection.

Liu Shishi responded with a smile and soft voice, her demeanor was proper, gentle and elegant, showing the demeanor of a great lady, which made people feel good about her.

The ancestral worship ceremony began promptly at 9:00 a.m.

As the patriarch of the Song clan, Grandpa Song began by reciting the eulogy.

"On this auspicious day of Qingming, the descendants of the Song family respectfully offer simple wine and delicacies before the spirits of our ancestors:"

May the blessings of the Song family be long-lasting, and may their ancestral virtues be remembered forever.

The second ancestral rites commemorated the prosperity of the Song family, signifying their large and thriving household.

The Song family was renowned for its virtuous traditions and exemplary conduct.

After his grandparents, father, and mother offered incense, Song Ci, as the eldest son of the main branch, and his fiancée Liu Shishi followed closely behind, respectfully kneeling before the ancestral tablets, holding a stick of incense in both hands, and praying softly.

Liu Shishi followed closely beside Song Ci, her steps light and her posture dignified. She took the incense offered by the maid and, together with her fiancé, gently inserted it into the incense burner. Then she bowed deeply, silently expressing her respect and prayers to the Song family ancestors.

The ancestral worship ceremony in the Jiangnan region is elaborate and solemn. From offering incense and wine to kowtowing, every step must be carried out in strict accordance with ancient rituals.

After the eldest son's line, members of each branch of the clan took turns to pay their respects, creating a solemn and orderly atmosphere in the ancestral hall.

Standing beside Song Ci, Liu Shishi's gaze swept over every detail in the ancestral hall, paying particular attention to the actions of her grandmother and future mother-in-law, Liu Xiaoxian, and she was filled with emotion.

Soon she will, like her two elders, shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Song family, bear children for Mr. Song, carry on the family line, and become the mainstay of this large family.

After the ancestral worship ceremony, the sky was still overcast, typical of the Qingming Festival, and the air was filled with the damp smell of earth and the scent of burnt incense and paper money.

Liu Shishi and Song Ci returned to their temporary residence in their hometown, an elegant attic courtyard house. The pavilions, terraces, and waterside pavilions had a distinct charm of the Jiangnan water towns.

"Grandpa and Grandma will stay here for a while, and Mom and Dad will stay with us one more night. We'll go back tomorrow morning," Song Ci said as she went inside to pack her things.

The gifts were mainly local specialties from his elders. Although he had nothing to lack in Beiping, he couldn't refuse the heartfelt wishes of his clan elders.

"Shishi, what's wrong?"

Seeing that his fiancée had been absent-minded since returning from the ancestral hall, and that she had just sat quietly on the edge of the bed, unlike her usual lively and spirited self, Song Ci sat down beside her, took Liu's soft hand in his, and looked at her with concern.

Liu Shishi snapped out of her reverie and shook her head slightly. "I'm fine, I was just thinking about some things." However, her eyes were still somewhat unfocused, as if she was still lost in her own thoughts.

"What are you thinking about? Something on your mind?"

Miss Liu hesitated, but under her fiancé's probing gaze, she answered truthfully:
"Just now, several elders in the clan kept urging me to give you a son. They said that the eldest son of the main branch is now the only one to carry on the family line. If I don't give birth to a son, the Song family's main branch will die out."

After hearing this, Song Ci gently kissed his fiancée's beautiful cheek and comforted her softly, "What era are we living in? Now men and women are equal. I love both sons and daughters. Let fate decide about children; there's no need to force it."

Liu Shishi shook her head, her expression solemn, with a hint of anxiety: "Although gender equality is being promoted now, the older generation still favors sons over daughters."

"If I don't give you a son in the future, your clan will look down on me. Besides, you have hundreds of billions in assets; someone has to inherit them eventually. Daughters will eventually get married."

Song Ci really wanted to say that her daughter could also inherit the family business, but seeing that Miss Liu was stubborn and struggling with herself, she could only go along with her and say, "Poetry, then let's have two children in the future, a son and a daughter, and have a smooth and happy life."

Liu Shishi nodded earnestly with a charmingly naive expression: "A son and a daughter are fine, but we still need a son."

After saying this, she put her hands together, closed her eyes, and prayed sincerely, muttering, "May the ancestors of the Song family bless me, Liu Shishi, so that my first child will be a son for Song Ci, and that the Song family's eldest son lineage can be successfully passed down."

Song Ci sighed helplessly, wondering what kind of bewitching potion those ignorant women in the clan had given Xiao Qingmei.

The young couple is still young and not in a hurry to have children, so there's really no need for them to think about these things now.

He felt that his fiancée was a bit obsessed and he needed to help her get out of her chaotic thoughts.

"Shishi, what's the use of just praying? If you want to have a son, you have to take action."

"Ah!" With a startled cry, Liu Shishi was tackled to the bed by Song Ci. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she turned her face slightly to avoid her fiancé's burning gaze, responding softly:
"Yi-yi, I do want to have a son for you, but not now, can we postpone it for a few years?"

Song Ci chuckled softly and gently kissed Miss Liu's earlobe. Her warm breath sent a shiver through her: "If you're not having children now, then don't think about these things."

Laughter echoed in the room, breaking the previous dullness and successfully helping Liu Shishi to get rid of her anxiety.

At this moment, Tangren's top actress, who unfortunately missed the audition for "The Myth" due to attending the Qingming Festival ancestral worship ceremony, is now in full swing with the audition process for the lead role. The audition venue is set up at the headquarters of Dongying Yinghuang Film & Television Company, where almost half of the female stars in the entertainment industry have gathered.

Some wore glamorous gowns, while others opted for simple and elegant outfits. Everyone's eyes shone with a desire for the role, hoping to be noticed by the interviewer and soar to great heights.

Cheng Long, as the artistic director of the drama, sat on the judging panel with director Jiang Jiajun, producer Lü Chao, and executive producer Zhang Zhao.

In front of them were thick resumes and scripts, and on the table were several cups of coffee that had long since gone cold.

The atmosphere was incredibly intense from the start of the audition. The actresses took turns going on stage, each showcasing their unique talents and giving their all to impress the judges and secure the role within just a few minutes.

As time went on, fatigue gradually appeared on the judges' faces. The long hours of intense concentration and repeated judging had left a trace of weariness in their eyes.

Cheng Long rubbed his temples. The number of people who came to audition today was truly beyond his expectations: "The girls in front of me are all very good, but I still feel that they are not quite there yet."

Director Jiang Jiajun nodded hurriedly. He represented Emperor Entertainment, and artist director Huo Wenxi had already spoken to him before he came.

He wanted to do his best to help Bai Bing, who hadn't even had a chance to audition yet, land the lead role. Now Jackie Chan said that the actresses who had auditioned before were not quite up to par, which was exactly what he wanted.

"No rush, there will be good candidates later." Zhang Zhao's calm voice came out. He had a lot of ideas about this audition, and the person he supported had not yet appeared.

The audition lasted from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and several hours passed. The judges kept watching and commenting, and their eyes began to glaze over, and their pens unconsciously scribbled on the resumes.

Just then, the audition room door was pushed open again, and a tall figure appeared in the doorway. The auditionee was wearing a simple black dress, with long hair flowing down her shoulders, and a confident and composed smile on her face.

Cheng Long sat up slightly, glanced at the resume, and softly read out the girl's name: "Bai Bing".

The four interviewers understood that this was the leading lady strongly recommended by Emperor Entertainment Group, and a hint of interest flashed in their eyes as they wanted to see how capable this girl was.

Bai Bing stepped forward, bowed slightly to the judges, and then began his performance as required.

She has a solid foundation in dialogue delivery, with clear and powerful enunciation and delicate and subtle emotional expression. In particular, in a fight scene, her movements are clean and crisp, which is outstanding and shows that she has done a lot of preparation.

After the performance, the room was silent. Cheng Long and the other three judges exchanged glances, all of them seeing satisfaction in each other's eyes.

Jiang Jiajun led the applause, praising Bai Bing highly, hoping to take advantage of the situation to persuade the three to cast Bai Bing as the female lead.

Zhang Zhao and Lü Chao listened quietly without expressing their opinions. They were satisfied, but whether or not to use enemy troops was another matter.

Cheng Long was a shrewd old fox. He knew that the final decision rested with the investors, and that he was just there to make a show of things, so he never made any pronouncements.

After waiting for a while without receiving a positive response from the other judges, Jiang Jiajun waved helplessly, signaling Bai Bing to leave and wait for news: "Next one."

As the staff continued to call out numbers, another pure and beautiful young woman gracefully walked into the audition room.

The little girl was very polite, had a sweet smile, and a clear, melodious voice: "Hello, teachers, my name is Jing Tian."

Before Jiang Jiajun and Zhang Zhao could speak, it was the usually taciturn Lü Chao who spoke first: "Jing Tian, ​​right? Talk about your understanding of the female lead, Princess Yu Shu."

Jing Tian was not intimidated at all, as if he had a plan in mind. He spoke eloquently, analyzing Princess Yu Shu's personality traits, upbringing, and so on in a very logical and detailed manner.

"Well said!" Lu Chao nodded in praise with a straight face, then turned his gaze to Zhang Zhao, his eyes meaningful: "Mr. Zhang, what do you think of Jing Tian?"

Zhang Zhao was slightly surprised, but then he realized that the person behind Jing Tian had not only spent a lot of money to deal with Tengda Culture, but also settled things with Dongying at the same time.

That's why producer Lü Chao kept talking to her and giving her hints.

Recalling three days ago, Jing Tian's agent, Sister Zhao, contacted him, hoping that Tengda Culture could help Jing Tian get the female lead role in "The Myth" and offered him a condition that he could not refuse.

The other party, Starlight Brilliant Company, directly acquired Tengda Culture's investment share in this drama at a 30% premium, and will also split the future profits of this drama 50/50, which shows how wealthy and powerful they are.

It was a sure-fire deal, and since Tengda Culture didn't need any roles in the drama, Zhang Zhao naturally agreed.

However, he also cautiously told Sister Zhao in advance that if the other two producers, Emperor Entertainment and Dongying, both rejected Jing Tian, ​​there was nothing he could do.

Sister Zhao said at the time that as long as Zhang Zhao did his best, that would be fine. Now it seems that the other party had obviously made two preparations, contacting Tengda Culture while also reaching an agreement with Dongying.

Zhang Zhao cleared his throat and stated his position clearly: "Jing Tian has an excellent image and temperament, and her understanding of the role is also very accurate. I think she is perfectly suited for the role of the female lead."

Jiang Jiajun was dumbfounded. He never expected things to take such a sudden turn. He, the director, hadn't even said a word, and suddenly the two of them were putting on a show.

Zhang Zhao and Lü Chao worked in perfect harmony, and it was obvious to anyone with eyes that they were trying to push Jing Tian forward.

Jiang Jiajun was unwilling to compromise so easily, and looked at Cheng Long with pleading eyes: "Talking on paper won't work, we still need to see how well they act. Teacher Cheng Long, don't you think so?"

Seeing that Tengda Culture and Dongying had reached an agreement, and that the young girl in front of him could be supported by two giants in the Beijing and Shanghai film circles at the same time, she must have a powerful background. Cheng Long would not be foolish enough to wade into this mess and offend people for no reason.

So he tried to evade the question, saying ambiguously, "Acting skills are easy to talk about; young people can hone their skills more."

Seizing the opportunity, Lü Chao forcefully declared, "Alright, since Professor Cheng Long doesn't object, Mr. Zhang, Director Jiang, let's settle on this choice."

Zhang Zhao readily agreed, saying, "I think it's a good idea! Director Jiang, most of the day has passed, and there's only one suitable candidate. There's no need to hesitate any longer. Let's settle this matter sooner rather than later."

"Alright, since both President Lü and President Zhang think she's suitable, then let's cast her as the lead actress, Yu Shu."

Jiang Jiajun smiled bitterly. The other two production companies were working together, while Cheng Long stood by and watched. He couldn't support the company on his own, so it was difficult for him to bring up Stormtroopers again.

Most importantly, Emperor Entertainment's support for the White Soldiers was not firm enough, otherwise they wouldn't have held this audition.

Upon hearing this, Jing Tian beamed with joy: "Thank you, teachers."

Looking at the delighted little girl, Zhang Zhao felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he had seen his own chairman's wife doing the same thing back then.

Under the spotlight, she easily secured important roles with the help of powerful backers, making half of the female celebrities in the entertainment industry mere supporting characters.

Thinking about this, I can't help but feel sorry for all the female stars. The Chinese entertainment industry already has one resource-rich star, Shi Shi, and now there's another one with a similarly powerful background, Tian Tian. It's really tough on those female artists who prepared diligently and were full of expectations.

(End of this chapter)