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

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This chapter is an extra chapter!

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"Yukiko, why are you so late!"

"Great news!"

As soon as Shen Mo and Li Yitong entered the banquet hall, the sharp-eyed Jin Daxi rushed over and hugged Li Yitong tightly.

"Why didn't you come to the anniversary celebration this afternoon?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Daxi pouted and pinched Li Yitong's buttock hard with the hand he was holding.

Startled, Li Yitong nearly jumped up and slapped Jin Daxi hard on the shoulder several times, making her laugh strangely.

After she finished laughing, she said with a hint of envy.

"You think everyone's like you?!"

"I wasn't invited."

"I'm still just a nobody, unlike you, who's already won the Hundred Flowers Award."

"Supporting role, supporting role."

Li Yitong narrowed her crescent-shaped eyes and waved her hand.

Then he reached out and pinched her cheek, and gave her a big hug.

"You'll definitely get better in the future."

"I trust you."

Jin Daxi put away his exaggerated expression and said sincerely.

Before I came, I was wondering if I would ever see you.

"You've become arrogant, unapproachable, and disdainful of everyone. You've even forgotten about me, a nobody."

"Looking at it now, thankfully, you haven't changed."

She chuckled.

Li Yitong's expression changed immediately; she glared at her, her brows furrowed deeply.

"Is that how you see me, Kim Dae-hee?"

"Huh? You have to apologize to me, hurry up, or I'm not eating anymore, I'm leaving!"

Jin Daxi felt even more at ease when he saw her like this. He had seen her like this dozens of times at school.

I can always win him back by offering him the ice cream from the shop near the school gate.

Jin Daxi had Li Yitong completely under his control.

Strawberry ice cream!

Li Yitong's brows relaxed a little.

"two!"

Li Yitong's crescent-shaped eyes reappeared, revealing nothing.

"Hmph, I knew it."

Jin Daxi turned his gaze to Shen Mo, who was watching the commotion from the side, raised an eyebrow, and teased him.

"Oh, you two are still together."

"If I had known you were this amazing, I would have fought with Yukiko for you back in school."

"That way I can make good films too."

"He was putting on an act in front of me back then, sigh~ he was just my childhood friend, not my boyfriend."

"You're not my boyfriend, so you're eating your favorite strawberry ice cream? Do you think I'm blind? I'm just too lazy to expose your little flirting game."

As she spoke, she noticed Liu Haocun standing next to Shen Mo.

"Is this your daughter? She's so big!"

Li Yitong slapped her back on the butt.

"Get lost, you're just spouting nonsense."

Shen Mo smiled slightly and put his arm around Liu Haocun's shoulder as he introduced them.

"Liu Haocun, your future junior sister."

"Haocun, let's get acquainted. This is your senior from the class of 07, Jin Daxi, who is also a big star."

Liu Haocun obediently bowed.

"Hello, senior sister, my name is Liu Haocun."

Jin Daxi reached out and hooked her chin, looking like a lecherous old man.

"Wow, she's really good-looking."

"Now I believe you, you're not their daughter."

"You're much more well-behaved than them."

Li Yitong slapped away the hand that was harassing Liu Haocun and shielded her behind her.

"Jin Daxi, be careful, the young lady is shy and can't resist your teasing."

Jin Daxi laughed heartily and pulled her towards their dining table in the hall.

"I was just kidding, it's just that they're so cute, I couldn't help it."

However, the three of them had only sat down with Jin Daxi for a short time when Li Yitong was greeting her fellow alumni and friends.

Her teacher, Professor Gao, came over and patted Shen Mo and Li Yitong on the shoulder.

"Why are you sitting here?"

"We've reserved seats for you over there."

Shen Mo and Li Yitong exchanged a glance and followed Gao Du's finger to see the dining table in the first row, where three seats had been reserved for them.

Next to that seat were his teachers and the principal from the Beijing Film Academy; it seemed like a table that had been specially arranged.

Jin Daxi, who was next to Li Yitong, patted Li Yitong's arm.

Go!

Liu Shishi, who was on the other side of Jin Daxi, smiled and said, "Go ahead, we'll come over to have a drink with you later."

Li Yitong and Shen Mo had no choice but to get up, apologize to the remaining people at the table, and then follow Gao Du over.

"Teacher, Dean Zhang, what brings you here too?"

Before even sitting down, Shen Mo greeted the people at the table.

"I'm afraid if I don't come soon, our outstanding alumni from Beijing Film Academy will be chosen by Beijing Dance Academy."

No sooner had Zhang Huijun finished his teasing remark than a burst of laughter came from the table.

"That's impossible. I was born a member of Beijing Film Academy, and I will die a member of Beijing Film Academy."

After speaking, Shen Mo sat down next to his teacher Wang Chunzi, Li Yitong sat down next to Gao Du, and Liu Haocun sat between the two.

"Yi Tong, Shen Mo, let me introduce you."

"This is Guo Lei, the dean of the Beijing Dance Academy, and his vice deans are Deng Youling and Wang Wei. The other two are Zhang Huijun, the dean of your Beijing Film Academy, and your teacher, Wang Chunzi. I believe I don't need to introduce them to you."

Shen Mo and Li Yitong smiled and nodded as Gao Du introduced them one by one.

"Then let me introduce myself."

"Good morning, leaders. I am Shen Mo, a graduate of the 07 class of Beijing Film Academy."

"And this lady next to me is Li Yitong, a graduate of the 07 class of Beijing Dance Academy."

"The person in the middle is Liu Haocun, the top student currently studying in the Folk Dance Department of the Affiliated High School of Beijing Dance Academy."

"She's a promising young girl, and we brought her here today to broaden her horizons, taking advantage of the 60th anniversary of the Beijing Dance Academy."

Gao, acting as the middleman, waited until everyone had introduced themselves before inviting them to start eating.

The leaders who gave speeches at the daytime celebrations will not be attending the dinner tonight.

So, while ostensibly a gathering for alumni, the focus was actually on a few individuals who sponsored the Beijing Dance Academy Foundation.

Among these people, Li Yitong and Shen Mo are the most important.

On the one hand, Li Yitong is an outstanding graduate of the Beijing Dance Academy, and on the other hand, Shen Mo, as an outstanding graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, just donated a large sum of money to the Beijing Film Academy last year.

The students from Beijing Film Academy and Beijing Dance Academy are like brothers, sharing the same pants, so it's not an exaggeration to say they're family.

Moreover, among all the donors today, they donated the most.

The offer was 5000 million right off the bat. When Gao Du heard the news, he was genuinely shocked.

Although I know that my student is doing quite well in the entertainment industry after graduation.

But I didn't expect him to do so well, so I contacted the dean immediately.

Dean Guo Lei only officially took office in July of this year.

It can be said that Li Yitong and Shen Mo's donation brought him real, intangible benefits.

Therefore, it was perfectly normal for him to bring two vice deans to entertain them, while other donating guests were handled by other vice deans.

As for Zhang Huijun, he was originally a guest at today's celebration, while Wang Chunzi was invited by Guo Lei after he learned of Shen Mo's identity.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Guo Lei raised his glass.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let me start with a high-sounding statement."

"First of all, thank you Yitong and Shen Mo for your generous donation. Beijing Dance Academy appreciates your kindness and I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of the students who will receive the funding in the future."

Everyone raised their glasses.

Li Yitong gave a polite smile.

"Dean, you flatter me. My alma mater nurtured me, and it is only right that I give back to it."

Shen Mo calmly responded.

"Dean Guo, just like my sponsorship of the Beijing Film Academy, Yi Tong's sponsorship of the Beijing Dance Academy is both about adding fuel to the fire of art."

"Whether it's dance or film and television, both need good talents and good environment."

As she spoke, her gaze turned to Liu Haocun, who was standing beside her, looking somewhat reserved.

"Especially when we see talented and hardworking kids like Haocun, we feel that this investment is worthwhile."

Following Shen Mo's words, the leaders' gazes also fell on the girl sitting quietly.

Liu Haocun immediately straightened his back, his face slightly flushed, and tried his best to remain calm.

Vice Dean Deng Youling, who graduated from the Department of Ethnic Dance, looked at the young girl and asked her gently.

"Is Haocun in the folk dance department of the affiliated high school? Who are his teachers?"

"Hello Dean, I am a second-year student at the affiliated high school, and my teacher is Li Guixia."

Liu Haocun spoke softly, trying to hide his shyness as he spoke.

"Professor Li, she's very strict."

Vice President Wang Wei responded with a smile.

"So it seems that you're quite impressive to be ranked number one by her."

Upon hearing the praise, Liu Haocun's eyes lit up instantly, and he lowered his head excitedly and shyly.

"Thank you, Dean."

Guo Lei nodded, and his tone toward Liu Haocun became much more amiable.

"Keep going, study hard. The doors of Beijing Dance Academy are always open for children like you who love dance."

"Um!"

Liu Haocun nodded heavily, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Zhang Huijun suddenly smiled and asked, "Little girl, do you like acting?"

"Would you like to come to the Beijing Film Academy and study acting like your brother Shen Mo?"

This question startled Liu Haocun, and she subconsciously looked at Li Yitong and Shen Mo.

Guo Lei reacted instantly and laughed and scolded.

"You old bastard!"

"How can you snatch someone away right in front of them?"

"This is our top student from the Affiliated High School of Beijing Dance Academy. You can't just snatch it away like that."

"You didn't even bother to find out how good someone else's acting skills are before you started stealing their talent!"

Zhang Huijun straightened his back and raised his chin.

"Hey, I actually did ask around."

"The girls in Xiao Mo's company are all excellent in terms of acting skills, looks, and temperament."

"As far as I know, the others all have ideas about coming to Beijing Film Academy, but this little girl wants to come to Beijing Dance Academy to study dance."

"How could I not be curious and want to ask?"

Upon hearing this, Guo Lei immediately became interested.

"She's acted in TV dramas?"

Liu Hao blushed even more under his gaze, and nodded shyly, looking as if he had been caught sneaking online instead of studying.

"You watched 'A Little Reunion,' which was quite popular at the beginning of this year, right?"

Hearing Zhang Huijun's explanation, Guo Lei suddenly understood.

"I've actually watched this TV series. My granddaughter kept asking to watch it every day during the Chinese New Year when she was at my house."

Hearing Zhang Huijun's explanation, Guo Lei suddenly understood.

"I've actually watched this TV series. My granddaughter kept asking to watch it every day during the Chinese New Year when she was at my house."

"So you were in it too."

"Good boy, you didn't give in to the slightest temptation to learn acting, and you persisted in dancing. Well done."

Liu Haocun was so flattered by the praise that he almost grinned from ear to ear, but he managed to control his expression.

"Thank you, Dean Zhang, but I still prefer dancing to performing."

"Dancing makes me feel free and happy."

"Sister Yitong told me that dance and acting complement each other. A solid foundation in dance helps with physical expression, rhythm, and emotional expression in acting."

"So, I want to learn to dance well first, and if I have the opportunity in the future, I will also try performing."

Although the young girl's words were slightly immature, everyone present could tell what she really thought.

"Then I'll have to keep a close eye on you."

Gao Du smiled slightly at Liu Haocun.

"If nothing unexpected happens, you should be my student when you enter the Beijing Dance Academy the year after next."

As he spoke, he raised his glass and looked at the others.

"Besides, Beijing Dance Academy and Beijing Film Academy are like one big family. Look at Yitong and Shen Mo, after their success they both gave back to their alma mater, and they also helped both schools cultivate outstanding talents. Isn't that a good virtuous cycle?"

"In order to cultivate more talents like this in the future, I think we should have another drink."

Zhang Huijun pointed at Gao Du with his index finger, but also raised his wine glass with a smile.

"You, Ren Haocun hasn't even joined as your student yet, and you're already protecting your own."

Gao downed the wine in his glass in one gulp and squinted his eyes comfortably.

"Isn't it just a matter of time?"

"I must hurry up and secure such an outstanding student."

"Right, Haocun? I'll be waiting for you!"

Liu Haocun held up his drink cup and nodded vigorously at Gao Du.

"Yes. Thank you, Professor Gao. I will work hard and strive to become your student as soon as possible."

Gao patted her head happily.

"Haha, good boy."

The conversation then began to wander.

Shen Mo and several deans discussed industry trends and explored ways to deepen cooperation.

Li Yitong and her teacher Gao Du caught up on old times, and also took the opportunity to chat about the future with Liu Haocun, her future junior.

Liu Haocun listened quietly most of the time, occasionally answering Gao Du's questions about the affiliated high school's dance program.

These seemingly unattainable figures on the table were so encouraging and kind to her.

This feeling warmed her heart.

The starlight in her eyes, which she subconsciously looked at, seemed to grow even brighter.

Halfway through the banquet, Jin Daxi indeed strolled over with Liu Shishi, holding a wine glass.

Both of them had smiles on their faces and first toasted the teachers at the table, their posture respectful yet lively.

After a brief encounter with Shen Mo and Li Yitong, they left.

As the banquet drew to a close, Guo Lei once again expressed his sincere gratitude to Li Yitong and Shen Mo, and invited them to visit their alma mater often in the future.

Shen Mo and Li Yitong readily agreed.

As they walked out of the banquet hall, Liu Haocun followed behind the two, carrying the anniversary commemorative gift boxes for the three of them.

Are you nervous?

Shen Mo turned around and asked.

Liu Haocun shook his head, then nodded.

"I was a little nervous at first, but then I felt that the teachers were all very kind, so I wasn't nervous anymore."

"Brother Mo, Sister Tongtong, thank you."

She knew what this occasion meant for her.

He knew even more that his seat was the seat that so many people dreamed of sitting in, but could never get to sit in.

Brother Mo, you didn't have to bring yourself; it seems more appropriate for you to come with Sister Yitong.

Now, it seems I owe Brother Mo even more.

Shen Mo smiled and patted her head, while Li Yitong immediately followed suit, putting her arm around Shen Mo's shoulder.

"It's because you are good enough."

"If you hadn't come in first place, you wouldn't have been able to participate in the flower-presenting ceremony this afternoon, and the teachers wouldn't have looked at you with any respect tonight, right?"

"So don't put too much pressure on yourself, just keep going."

"Yes!" Liu Haocun nodded vigorously.