The Entertainment Industry in Turmoil: Young Actresses All Want to Rise to the Top

The following morning, the sky over the capital was a clear, bright blue.

Dilraba's heart involuntarily quickened, and her fingers quietly tightened their grip on the bag strap on her lap.

She checked last night and found out that the TV series "Gu Jian Qi Tan" that she's going to interview for today is a big investment by Huanrui, reportedly with an estimated investment of 50 million to 100 million yuan.

Starring Yang Mi, who is signed with Huanrui Entertainment, this almost guarantees that the drama will be a huge hit.

If I successfully land the role of the second female lead, the benefits will be foreseeable.

He turned to look at Shen Mo, his eyes filled with gratitude and trust.

Last night, her agent analyzed for her that Shen Mo didn't need to participate in such a small matter at all. If it were a role or film contract, Yang Tianzhen would be the one to handle it at most, and if it were an investment or production, Chen Zhixi would be the one to be in charge at most.

The fact that Shen Mo personally brought him here today can only mean that "President Shen values ​​you extremely, which is why he personally stepped in to help you secure this role."

Shen Mo glanced at her sideways. She was wearing a beige knitted dress today, and her long hair was draped smoothly over her shoulders.

Despite her efforts to appear mature and composed, her slightly widened, nervous eyes betrayed her naivety.

"nervous?"

Dilraba nodded honestly, her voice a little strained.

"Hmm... a little."

She knew this was a "snatching" of the role, because Huanrui's audition period had already passed, which meant the role was basically confirmed, and she couldn't help but feel nervous.

Shen Mo got out of the car, walked around to her side, and opened the car door for her.

"Don't worry, just follow me."

He gestured for her to get out of the car. "Remember, I brought you here."

"Be more confident."

"Um!"

Dilraba nodded and followed his departing steps, then occasionally looked up to secretly observe Shen Mo's expression before looking down again.

Shen Mo led her through the doors of Huanrui and explained their purpose to the receptionist.

Soon, a secretary came out to greet them and politely led them to the reception room.

The door to the reception room opened, and several people were already seated inside.

At the head of the table sat Jiang Lei, the leader of Huanrui, with the producer and casting director of "Gu Jian" sitting next to him.

Upon seeing Shen Mo, Jiang Lei immediately stood up with a smile to greet him.

"President Shen! Welcome, welcome! It's an honor for Huanrui to have you come in person despite your busy schedule!"

Jiang Lei warmly extended his hands to shake hands with Shen Mo, then his gaze fell on Dilraba behind him, quickly glancing at her without saying anything more.

"Mr. Jiang, you're too kind," Shen Mo replied with a handshake.

"Since Mr. Wang from Fiber Optics made the connection, I must take it seriously."

"I happened to be free today, so I brought her along to come and have a look around and learn something."

After exchanging pleasantries and taking their seats, Dilraba sat to Shen Mo's right, and the secretary promptly served hot tea.

Jiang Lei clearly knew that Shen Mo's purpose in coming was not just "studying," and after exchanging a few pleasantries, he took the initiative to get to the point.

"Mr. Shen, Mr. Wang mentioned to me that he hopes to invite Mohen to join the 'Gu Jian' project."

"Actually, Mr. Wang, you don't need to say anything; we've been wanting to invite your company."

"After all, we have witnessed the marketing prowess of 'My Love from the Star' and 'The Journey of Flower'."

"Moreover, it was the success of 'The Journey of Flower' that rekindled our idea for the 'Gu Jian' project."

"After all, in the past few years, quite a few fantasy dramas that followed the 'Chinese Paladin' series have failed to gain traction in the market."

Shen Mo smiled, picked up his teacup, and said, "President Jiang, you flatter me."

Jiang Lei also picked up his teacup. "However, to be honest, we've been preparing for the 'Swords of Legends' project for a long time, and we've basically reached an agreement on the actors."

"Li Yifeng is a promising newcomer at Huanrui, and we think he is very suitable for the male lead role."

"As for the female lead..." He glanced at Dilraba at this point.

"Yang Mi joined us in March of this year as part of a studio, and the lead role in this TV series was a promise we made to her at the time."

His meaning was clear: he wouldn't give up the male and female leads, even if Mohen wanted to invest in co-production.

However, in Shen Mo's opinion, he himself wasn't very interested in playing the male lead, and Li Yitong had gone to act in a movie to compete for awards.

As for Dilraba, she doesn't expect to help her get the lead role, after all, that's Yang Mi and Xuezi's good "best friend", and the popularity of this TV series still depends on her.

"As for the second female lead..."

Before Jiang Lei could finish speaking, the casting director interrupted.

"We've almost reached an agreement with Zheng Shuang from Tianyu Media regarding the second female lead..."

Jiang Lei suddenly turned his head, looked at him with a cold eye and a slanted eyebrow, and spoke in an extremely cold tone.

"Shut up! Who gave you the right to interrupt?"

Shen Mo put down his teacup and listened quietly without interrupting their performance.

He believed that Jiang Lei could understand why he had brought Dilraba here today.

As for this performance show, it was merely a bargaining chip in the negotiations.

Anyone who believes that is naive.

Dilraba noticed that the water level in Shen Mo's teacup had dropped, so she got up and picked up the teapot to refill it for him.

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow slightly, looking somewhat surprised and astonished. Only after Dilraba sat down did he look at Jiang Lei.

Regarding the cast, we fully respect Huanrui's existing arrangements.

"Li Yifeng and Yang Mi are both very excellent actors, and we are very reassured that they are playing the leading roles."

Jiang Lei was immediately relieved when Shen Mo finished expressing his opinion that he would not interfere with the male and female leads. Although Shen Mo and Li Yitong are both actors with extremely high popularity at the moment, who would want to use someone else's actor if they could promote their own?

"but."

Jiang Lei was not surprised at all; it would be abnormal if there were no "however".

"Our Dilraba is also an extremely talented actress. She played the second female lead in 'My Love from the Star' and the female lead in the upcoming CCTV drama 'Anarhan'."

Jiang Lei nodded. "Of course, we welcome such an excellent actress as Ms. Dilraba to join our production team."

He turned to look at the casting director, but his words weren't as cold as before.

"Are there any other suitable roles for Dilraba Dilmurat in 'Swords of Legends'?"

"Yes!" The casting director quickly took out the script and character design documents, pointing to a female portrait on the second page.

"Fuqu, the daughter of the Tianyong Sect Leader, and the junior sister of the male protagonist Tu Su."

Jiang Lei handed the document to Shen Mo with a slight smile. "What does Mr. Shen think?"

Shen Mo reached out and took the document, a slight smile playing on his lips, before turning back to the first page.

"I think the character Xiangling is good."

"But..." The casting director hurriedly stood up.

"Sit down!" Jiang Lei turned his head slightly, but his tone was extremely cold.

"President Shen, please don't mind. Director Wu Le was indeed a bit rash."

Jiang Lei turned to look at Shen Mo, and his expression instantly returned to a smile.

"However, what he said does make sense."

"We've almost reached a conclusion with Zheng Shuang from Tianyu Media."

"Offending Tianyu so abruptly is probably not a good idea."

Shen Mo interlaced his fingers and rested his elbows on the table.

"So, Mr. Jiang, how much investment do you think is appropriate for Inkmark?"

Shen Mo didn't want to beat around the bush with him and went straight to his ultimate goal.

Jiang Lei raised an eyebrow, not expecting Shen Mo to be so direct.

"How about 10% for 1000 million?"

Shen Mo chuckled, almost unable to control his expression.

When Wang Changtian recommended this project to Shen Mo, he revealed that he had spent 1200 million yuan, accounting for 20%.

So, Jiang Lei is trying to take advantage of Shen Mo and make him a sucker.

Dilraba stared wide-eyed at the side, wondering if this number really meant an investment of 100 million.

Is Shen Mo going to spend 1000 million just to get the second female lead role?

She couldn't help but tilt her head slightly, her eyes yearning to imprint Shen Mo's image into her own.

Shen Mo looked calmly at Jiang Lei and said a few words in a low voice.

"Mr. Wang, the fiber optic CEO, invested 70 million in our Inkmark Fund, so we have a pretty good relationship."

Jiang Lei smiled slightly, not surprised. He picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

"800 million, 10%."

When he said that, he also turned his head and glanced at Dilraba.

The meaning is clear: even if you know Wang Changtian's bottom line, you still have to pay a premium for the role.

Shen Mo shook his head. "Zheng Shuang is planning to set up her own studio and has been causing trouble at Tianyu Media for quite some time."

"Her importance to Tianyu Media isn't as great now."

"You can find out about this by asking anyone."

Jiang Lei turned his head and looked at casting director Wu Le, who nodded.

"That 700 million."

"Although Zheng Shuang's importance may have decreased, he is still likely to offend Tianyu Media in the first place."

This time, Jiang Lei's tone softened considerably, and he even offered Shen Mo an explanation.

But Shen Mo still shook his head.

"Besides the investment funds themselves, Mr. Jiang has underestimated the value of Mohen's publicity and marketing capabilities."

He leaned forward slightly. "How about I give you a number?"

Jiang Lei shrugged and gestured, "Please go ahead!"

Shen Mo tapped his hand lightly on the table. "1200 million, 20%."

"Just like Mr. Wang."

Shen Mo reached out and interrupted Jiang Lei's attempt to interject.

"Besides marketing, Mr. Jiang should also be aware of the relationship between our ink stains, penguins, and kiwis."

"At that time, I can help communicate with both platforms to allow 'Gu Jian' to be broadcast online simultaneously on both platforms."

Jiang Lei's expression froze slightly, and his eyes behind his glasses flickered rapidly.

A moment later, he looked up at Dilraba.

"I wonder what Ms. Dilraba's fee is?"

Just as Dilraba was about to open her mouth, Shen Mo spoke first.

"Mr. Jiang, would you mind telling me about Yang Mi's salary?"

Jiang Lei turned his gaze back to Shen Mo, and after a long while, said, "16 per episode."

Shen Mo's lips slowly curled up, "Then let's just go with the last digit of Dilraba's name, 6 per episode."

"President Jiang, this price is not high for the second female lead in the hit drama 'My Love from the Star' and the female lead in a CCTV drama."

Weighing the pros and cons happens almost instantly.

Jiang Lei smiled again, but this time there was something deeper in his smile.

"President Shen is straightforward and sincere. It is an honor for us to have Mohen join us."

He looked at Dilraba, who was trying her best to remain calm and sit upright, and his tone became kind.

"Miss Reba's image is indeed very fitting for Xiangling, full of charm. I believe your performance will definitely add a lot of brilliance to this TV series."

Shen Mo nodded to Jiang Lei, "It's a pleasure working with you, Mr. Jiang."

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Shen!"

With their hands clasped together, a deal that satisfied both parties was finalized.

Back in the car, Dilraba was still a little dazed.

That's it...? She got it? The second female lead in "Gu Jian Qi Tan"?

I didn't even have an interview!

Is this what it feels like to have someone backing you up?

"Brother Mo..."

She turned to look at Shen Mo, her eyes shining brightly with excitement and gratitude.

"Thanks!"

Shen Mo glanced at her with a smile. "What's wrong, are you touched?"

"That's just how realistic this industry is; most so-called cooperation is just an exchange of interests."

"Did you look at the cast list in that document just now? Most of them are people from Huanrui, and there are even five or six people signed by Yang Mi's studio."

"So, relax, the ink marks are your support."

"Besides, you are a very talented actor, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that."

"Jiang Lei is indeed a shrewd businessman, but he's not blind either. You're much better than many so-called celebrities."

"Besides, she's just a supporting actress, it's not a big deal."

"After this drama ends, you'll join our own production team, 'Twenty Your Life On,' so you can truly experience what it's like to be a leading lady."

Dilraba nodded vigorously, her excitement gradually settling into a heavy sense of responsibility and fighting spirit.

"I will work hard, Brother Mo! I will definitely not let you down, nor will I embarrass Mohen!"

"Mmm." Shen Mo responded, and couldn't help but pat her little head as it leaned close to him.

Dilraba's smile froze instantly. She slowly raised her eyes and glanced quickly at Shen Mo, then her cheeks flushed red.

"Brother Mo..."

"Um?"

"My total salary for 'Anarhan' was only 20 yuan."

"You're going to ask me for 6 per episode, right...?"

"CCTV's serious dramas and fantasy dramas are not the same thing."

"Besides, you represent Inkmark, so asking for a low price won't just be a loss of face for you."

"Besides, isn't making money good? Just keep it. If you feel bad about it, just treat me to something nice after you get your paycheck."

"Um!"

Sunlight streamed in through the car windows, making it feel warm and cozy.

As Dilraba looked at the rapidly receding street scene outside the window, she secretly glanced at Shen Mo beside her, her heart filled with an unprecedented sense of fulfillment and warmth.

My future seems to be becoming clearer and broader because of him.

It seems that all she needs to do is run forward, live up to the opportunity he gave her, and also live up to... the complex and secret expectation that is quietly growing in her heart.