A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

Chapter 179 Koi

"Brother Bie, I just received a call from Huang Feng, the agent from Rong Xinda."

"What did he say?"

"He said you gave him the phone number, and then he wanted to bring Zhou Xun to thank you in person."

"Ha~"

A burst of laughter came from Bieyan's side.

"How are you feeling?"

"...I was shocked. To be honest, I never expected Zhou Xun to drive two or three hours to visit me in our village."

"Hahaha... So guess why they called you on the eve of the Lunar New Year?"

"Well……"

Li Mu suddenly paused, stunned.

"How about that? Aren't the people at Rongxinda slippery?"

"...Oh, I see."

"Well, calling her cunning isn't entirely accurate. If you were in Guangzhou, Zhou Xun would definitely come. That's for sure. After all... to be honest, I didn't expect your article to have such a huge impact. It's more like a stroke of luck. The post-95 generation started to explode after the millennium, and even before the rankings, everyone was already competing. And your article... is equivalent to riding this wave to give this generation a ranking. Their careers were already recognized, and now you're the one riding that wave, you know?"

"Actually... Fan Bingbing also talked to me about this. The gist of it was that once this article is published, I will have the right to name it."

"Yes, that's true. Didn't you mention in your article that there might be another evaluation in two or three years? And this evaluation... unless you personally endorse it to someone else, whether it's this newspaper or that newspaper... as long as it wasn't written by you, it will always be somewhat lacking. Only your involvement has authority. Because you were the one who chose this first generation. In the entertainment industry, it's all about fame and fortune. Now that you have this influence, who else would they fawn over if not you?"

"That's too much! Zhou Xun personally visiting me? What if I actually agreed?"

"If you really agree, regardless of whether Zhou Xun is willing or not, Rong Xinda's people will take her to your place."

"...Tsk."

"This is the price they pay for their fame."

Bie Yan chuckled and said:

"And it's not just Rong Xinda. Just you wait, Zhao Wei, Zhang Ziyi, and Xu Jinglei will definitely be looking for you these next few days. It's only because it's close to the New Year. If it were any other time... Xiao Li, have you never experienced the feeling of being surrounded by flowers and decorations? Haha, wait until next year when you start the new year, and I'll let you experience it properly."

"Brother, I get the feeling you're gloating."

"Haha, no, I'm just happy... I was worried about how to transfer these resources to you. Now it's all settled~ Have a peaceful New Year, and after the New Year... putting aside everything else, in the future entertainment industry, everyone, good or bad, will have to give you some face."

"...Is it really that exaggerated?"

"What do you think? In the entertainment industry, some people become famous overnight with just one movie. It's pretty much the same in our line of work. To put it bluntly, our 1.2 million circulation is a golden brand. They were already trying to curry favor with us, and now, this golden brand has produced an authoritative selection that is crucial for the new generation of actresses... It's not just them who want to curry favor with you, Xiao Li, the newspaper will definitely be happy too. Do you know why? Because your voice is the organization's voice. These two things complement each other."

"I understand. Then... Brother Bie, what should I do now?"

"There's not much to do. Just stay home and have a happy Lunar New Year. We can postpone everything until after the New Year. Besides, if you're on holiday, these people will be on holiday too. To be frank, expressing gratitude as soon as the news breaks is polite, but how to cooperate afterwards is a business matter. We'll talk about it after the New Year."

"Understood."

"Okay, if there's nothing else, I'm going to play cards."

"……what?"

"Uh, it's nothing, I'm hanging up."

Doodle.

The older brother was incredibly decisive in hanging himself.

Li Mu was speechless.

After thinking for a moment, I quickly sent a message:

"Brother, don't stay up too late. Just play for a little while. Otherwise... I'm calling my older sister."

There was no reply.

I guess they didn't see it.

And as it turns out, the older brother was absolutely right.

During lunch, he received a phone call from someone speaking fluent Taiwanese.

The other party claimed to be the manager of the brokerage department of "Yi Ren Communication Co., Ltd."

That is, the company under Qiong Yao's control.

It was on behalf of Zhao Wei to express her gratitude, and she also arranged to visit Zhao Wei after the New Year.

Then there's Zhang Ziyi's Hong Kong CTS International Entertainment Media.

In Li Mu's view, it was as if the three of them had made a pact to call and express their gratitude on the day before the Lunar New Year, and all the "appointments" were postponed by Li Mu until after the New Year.

And the last one, Xu Jinglei...

"Hello, Ms. Li, this is Xu Jinglei. Happy New Year!"

"...?"

At the dinner table, Li Mu paused in his act of picking up food.

Then, he put down his chopsticks, stood up, and smiled:

"Hello, Teacher Xu, I am Li Mu."

This is the first "young actress" to personally call Li Mu.

Once inside the courtyard, he smiled and offered his blessings:

Happy Lunar New Year! I'm sending you my early New Year greetings.

"Haha, Mr. Li, you're too kind. I'm sorry, I just got back from the United States and received the news quite late, so I'm only calling you now."

"Teacher Xu, you're too kind. It's my honor that you called me."

Li Mu's attitude was extremely polite.

Xu Jinglei is clearly also well-versed in interpersonal skills:

"Mr. Li, you're being too polite. But ultimately, it was my fault. Mr. Li, are you in Guangzhou right now?"

"Uh...no, my workplace has already given us a holiday, and I went back to my hometown."

"Hometown? Where is Reporter Li's hometown?"

"From Kaifeng."

"Kaifeng? I've been there before. Are you from Kaifeng city itself?"

"No, it's a county town down below."

"What's your name?"

"Tongxu, has Teacher Xu heard of him?"

"Hmm, no. Which one is 'Tong'? The 'Tong' of 'Tonglu' (通通, meaning 'passage')? The 'Xu' of 'Xu Xian' (许仙, meaning 'Xu Xian')?"

Although Li Mu found it strange that she asked such detailed questions, he still replied:

"Yes."

"Oh, I see. So, Reporter Li, what day do you start work?"

"I'll be going back to work on the third day of the Lunar New Year."

"Guangzhou?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I see. I should stay at home until around the sixth or eighth day of the Lunar New Year, and then I'll fly to the United States again. I might stay there until... February. Reporter Li, when I get back, let's meet up and get together, shall we? I'm really looking forward to meeting new friends."

Li Muxin said... This person's interpersonal style is really quite peculiar.

There's a kind of... indescribable assertiveness and politeness about him.

It's quite contradictory.

But since they had extended an invitation, he naturally accepted, smiling as he said:

"Great! I've always been a fan of Teacher Xu's movies."

"Ha, it's settled then. I'd like to ask Reporter Li for her opinion on my script."

"Me and My Dad?"

"Yes, the script is almost ready. Shall we meet and discuss it in detail later?"

"That's fine."

"Then I won't bother you any longer, Reporter Li. Happy New Year."

"Haha, I also wish Teacher Xu a happy new year and a booming career in the coming year."

"Ha ha……"

The call ended amidst laughter and conversation.

Li Mu then returned to the living room.

"...Third brother, who is that?"

Hearing his mother's words, Li Mu shrugged:

"Xu Jinglei, have you seen the TV series 'Eternal Love'?"

Zhang Xiuqin thought for a moment and nodded:

"I've seen it."

"That female lead, Wen Hui."

"Oh? Wenhui?"

"Yeah. Let's meet after the New Year. She's currently preparing for a movie, and I might be able to get some firsthand information."

Li Mu didn't say much, because even if he did, his mother probably wouldn't understand.

But as soon as he finished speaking, the elderly couple looked at each other...

The third child has really grown up.

At first, the two didn't believe their son when he said he had found Jin Suo as his girlfriend. But now, seeing their third son calling so frequently...

The couple suddenly realized that after graduating from university, their child seemed to have embarked on a path that neither of them understood at all.

……

The busy phone calls of the four young actresses kept Li Mu company during the Lunar New Year.

After the Little New Year, the Lunar New Year is truly not far away.

Li Mu's childhood friends from the village also returned one after another. The childhood friends getting together was enough to offset the boredom of rural life.

The feedback from Li Mu's childhood friends regarding his "success" varied. Some couldn't believe that someone they had played with since childhood had actually been to the United States, while others couldn't believe that Li Mu had actually met the crew of "Young Justice Bao 2"...

In short, there's a general disbelief.

But there's one thing everyone agrees on: Li Laosan wrote a lot of articles...

Li Laosan has always been a good student, so isn't it normal for him to write well too?

So, he would set off firecrackers with his childhood friends, chat, and even visit friends in the next village.

Before we knew it, it was the 27th day of the Lunar New Year.

The festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year is getting stronger and stronger.

Just before noon that day, Li Mu suddenly received a call from an unknown number.

At the time, he was with his mother, chatting with several elderly women from the neighborhood while warming themselves by a coal fire.

"Feed?"

"Hello, Ms. Li, this is Jin Wen, Ms. Xu Jinglei's assistant. I have now arrived in Tongxu County, KF City. May I ask how to get to your home? I brought Ms. Xu a thank-you gift. Ms. Xu repeatedly told me to personally deliver it to your door."

"……what?"

Li Mu was stunned.

So, when Li Mu received another phone call at lunchtime, he stepped out of his house and immediately spotted a Mercedes-Benz, weathered by its journey. Perhaps the Mercedes-Benz's allure was too "astounding," for some people, whether they had finished eating or not, were already standing in front of their homes, peering in his direction.

Two people were standing next to the car.

Upon seeing Li Mu, he immediately walked over:

"Is this Teacher Li?"

"...It's me, Assistant Kim?"

"Hello teacher, I am Jin Wen."

"Well... thank you for making this trip."

"No trouble at all, Teacher Li, let us move it to your home."

As Jin Wen spoke, another man opened the back door, and Li Mu immediately saw a... wooden base.

And a koi fish figurine wrapped in a transparent plastic bag.

Green and white stripes.

It seems... to be jade?

As Li Mu was pondering this, he heard Jin Wen say:

"Teacher Li, this is a piece of jade carved into the shape of a carp leaping over the dragon gate, symbolizing wealth and abundance. At the same time, the carp leaping over the dragon gate also symbolizes soaring to great heights. I hope you will accept this as a token of my appreciation."

His voice wasn't loud... but it wasn't quiet either.

Those who are nearby can hear it.

Just right.

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