Internet moguls are being held hostage by the entertainment system!

Chapter 16 The Remaining Layer of Truth

"You really went and became an actor??"

Hearing Cheng Wei's excited voice on the phone, Chen Xiu, who had just finished filming and was about to leave work, almost threw her phone away.

"I'm a student at the Beijing Film Academy. What's so strange about me making a movie?"

"No, you didn't have this hobby before. Wasn't your dream always to sell your stock options and live a carefree life? How come you're becoming an actor now?"

Do you think I wanted this? I had no choice in the matter!
Chen Xiu felt a wave of frustration towards the system, but faced with Cheng Wei's doubts, he still needed to think of a more appropriate explanation.

"I thought about it carefully, and I felt that retiring so early would be a bit boring, so I wanted to try something different. Acting is something I'm quite familiar with, and that's how it ended up like this."

"His~~"

Even though they were separated by a great distance, Chen Xiu could still imagine from the gasp that Cheng Wei was making how exaggerated and surprised his expression must be.

After about ten seconds, Cheng Wei, who had barely processed the unexpected information, also expressed his concerns about the matter.

"Our company is currently in a period of rapid growth. As the founder, have you considered the impact this will have on the company's public image by going into acting?"

"I'm just acting, I'm not messing around with female celebrities, and I'm not getting a divorce, so what impact could it have?"

Chen Xiu said with a dismissive expression.

Acting is a natural fit for him, and if word gets out, the worst that might happen is a few sarcastic comments from the media like "a billionaire going into the entertainment industry for fun," which certainly won't be associated with scandal.

Then, before Cheng Wei could continue questioning her, Chen Xiu revealed the countermeasures she had devised over the past month.

"The internet is not the entertainment industry. The media doesn't pay that much attention to company founders. Unless someone deliberately investigates, no one would think I'm out acting."

"Once the TV series airs, the media will still be able to find out about your relationship with the company!"

"That's next year's problem. By then, I'll be leaving the company, so it won't matter if they find out, right? If you're really worried, just have the PR department prepare a statement saying that I'm leaving the company to pursue my acting dreams..."

"I don't believe you even say that. You said it yourself back then that you had no ambition for acting at all!"

"It's just a story, why are you taking it so seriously? It's like the story of Liu Chuanzhi never being late, whether it's true or not doesn't matter, there will always be people who believe it anyway."

"That's true."

Seeing that Cheng Wei had been calmed down, Chen Xiu quickly changed the subject.

"I've already considered all the things you're worried about. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now."

"Wait a minute! There's something else. The funds we raised at the beginning of the year are almost gone. Our current funds can only maintain the existing scale. I plan to raise funds again at the end of the year, and we plan to launch it in August. Tencent specifically requested that you be in charge of the coordination."

"Okay, I understand. I'll make time."

After saying that, Chen Xiu hung up the phone.

He personally negotiated the financing channels with Tencent. They had already agreed to co-invest in the next round of financing during the Series C round at the beginning of the year.

The issues we need to discuss with them are the size of the financing and the division of shares in the Series D round, which is not complicated.

Chen Xiu added the Series D financing plan to her August work schedule.

When filming, he was a newcomer who hadn't graduated from university.

After filming, he returned to being an internet upstart.

Two lives, seamlessly switched—Chen Xiu felt this was more interesting than any movie or TV script.

Oh, and the meaning of the character "孟"...

Thinking of her dear Sister Meng, Chen Xiu opened WeChat and looked at the dozen or so messages she had received, a smile involuntarily appearing in her eyes.

"I'm about to head back to the hotel. Do you want to make a voice call?"

After sending the edited message, Chen Xiu didn't have to wait long before Meng Ziyi called her via WeChat.

"Sister Meng, have you missed me?" "Tch, why have you suddenly become so greasy?"

"Hehe, I just finished a call with a greasy guy, I haven't switched modes yet, wait a minute."

Chen Xiu put her phone away and coughed twice deliberately so that Meng Ziyi could hear her.

"The meaning of the words, let me tell you, today during filming, the director specifically asked me and my female co-star how we were going to film the next kissing scene..."

"Then what did you say?"

"As a professional actor, when filming kissing scenes, of course you have to be completely free of personal emotions and only serve the role!"

"Tsk tsk, well said. Was that actress you filmed a kissing scene with pretty?"

Although Meng Ziyi tried his best to make his tone sound normal, Chen Xiu could still hear the emphasis and clenching in his words about "kissing scene" and "actress".

"Not as pretty as you, but still quite cute."

"Heh, do you really have to say the second half of the sentence?"

"Yes! She's really cute. She even told the director that she had no experience filming kissing scenes and that it would be better to use camera tricks. When I heard that, I immediately told the director that I also wanted to use camera tricks so that no one would feel awkward."

"Oh dear, you big pervert got rejected! That person was smart enough to see right through you, unlike me who fell for your tricks..."

At this point, Meng Ziyi suddenly shut down his microphone.

She has a straightforward personality; as soon as a sentence pops into her head, she blurts it out without thinking it through.

He stopped talking halfway through, realizing something was wrong.

Based on most of what she said, Chen Xiu deliberately asked, "What did you do to me?"

"It's nothing! You have filming tomorrow, so get some rest!"

After I said that, there was no response on the phone.

Chen Xiu took her phone away from her ear, looked at the funny emojis Meng Ziyi sent, and replied with a smile and a gentle pat on the head.

Although Sister Meng was shy and didn't say the second half of her sentence, her attitude had already given a clear answer.

If Chen Xiu wanted to speed things up, she could easily arrange another date between the two and then forcefully break through that barrier.

However, he felt that this ambiguous period was more interesting, and it was better to slowly advance the remaining 10% or so of the progress bar.

……

At the same time, inside the girls' dormitory at Beijing Film Academy.

Already lying in bed, Meng Ziyi put down her phone, her face flushed, turned over, buried her head in the pillow, and covered her ears with her hands.

Like an ostrich, she tried to bury her head in the sand to avoid certain things, but the thoughts in her mind still kept popping up.

"Why do I feel like I'm getting more and more engrossed in talking to Chen Xiu?"

"I've fallen for him? I was careless, I fell for him so quickly..."

"Does he like me? I feel like he likes me quite a bit..."

"If you like me, why don't you confess? You had such a good opportunity last time, were you waiting for me to make the first move?"

"No way! I've always been the one being pursued since I was little, I can't confess my feelings to him first!"

Having made up his mind, Meng Ziyi threw off his pillow and sent Chen Xiu another message.

"You big pervert, don't attract unwanted attention while filming outside."

"Orchid finger" (orchid finger gesture).

(End of this chapter)