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

"Cut! Perfect! Yitong, congratulations, you've wrapped up filming!" the director's voice rang out.

The staff presented Li Yitong with a small bouquet of flowers.

Yang Mi smiled and opened her arms, giving her a firm hug.

"Happy wrap-up, Xiaoyue! Let's keep in touch, don't lose contact after filming ends!"

"Of course, Sister Mi!" Li Yitong hugged her back, smiling so hard her eyes disappeared.

"Maybe I'll come back to visit you on set in a couple of days."

Just then, she caught a glimpse of Shen Mo in the corner of her eye.

She was stunned for a moment, then her smile seemed to be infused with new radiance, becoming even more radiant.

She waved vigorously in his direction without any hesitation.

Then she whispered something to Yang Mi, and carrying the flowers, she ran towards him through the crowd like a happy little bird.

"Why are you here?"

She ran up to him, slightly out of breath, and looked up at him, her crescent-shaped eyes filled with surprise.

Shen Mo looked at her flushed cheeks and her incredibly bright eyes, and naturally reached out to take the bouquet of flowers that was getting in her way.

Although his tone was as calm as ever, it carried a subtle gentleness.

"He came to pick up our big star, Li, after filming wrapped up."

His gaze swept over Yang Mi, who was smiling and looking over from a distance, and he nodded slightly to her before turning back to the bright-smiling girl in front of him.

"It seems that Mr. Li not only went to invest this time, but also 'brought' someone back with him?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yitong's crescent-shaped eyes curved even deeper, with a hint of smugness, and she turned around to wave at Yang Mi.

"Honey! Come quick!"

Yang Mi walked over with a smile, her steps light and quick, her eyes darting between Li Yitong and Shen Mo.

He raised an eyebrow slightly at Li Yitong, his expression a mixture of understanding and amusement at the spectacle.

Let me give you a formal introduction.

Li Yitong grabbed Yang Mi's arm and leaned close to her, pointing at Shen Mo with her other hand, her tone tinged with a hint of smugness.

"This is Shen Mo, the big boss of our Mohen Capital, our... direct superior."

Her subtle pause was almost negligible.

Then she shook Yang Mi's arm and said to Shen Mo.

"I don't need to introduce her, right? She's the big star Yang Mi, and now... she's my best friend!"

The word "sister" was spoken particularly loudly, carrying a warm, almost江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) feel to it.

Yang Mi extended her hand to Shen Mo again in a generous and natural manner, her smile less formal than before and more natural because of Li Yitong.

"Mr. Shen, it's an honor to meet you. We really have to thank you and Tongtong for helping us out of our predicament this time."

Her words clearly distinguished between her gratitude to Shen Mo and her closeness to Li Yitong.

Shen Mo gently shook her hand and then released it, his tone calm.

"Ms. Yang, you're too kind. It's the project itself that's worthwhile."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Li Yitong's lively raised eyebrow expression, and added a sentence.

"Furthermore, we must thank Sister Mi for taking care of our 'General Manager Li'."

Li Yitong immediately nudged Yang Mi lightly with her elbow.

Yang Mi was amused by her antics and relaxed, then started to "disrupt" her.

"Tongtong, your boss is here. I'm going to have to complain about this."

"Mr. Shen, you have no idea, your Mr. Li is practically a 'human accessory' on set. He's always holding my arm wherever we go. My arm is practically not my own anymore."

She was saying "complaining," but her eyes were full of laughter, clearly teasing.

Li Yitong immediately wrinkled her nose and pouted.

"Honey! You're kicking me while I'm down! Who ate my cookies just now?"

"You think you can bribe me with just a bag of cookies?"

Yang Mi raised an eyebrow, then turned to look at Shen Mo, maintaining just the right balance.

"President Shen, you really need to do something about this. The cost of 'bribery' by your General Manager Li is far too low."

Shen Mo looked at the two girls in front of him who were suddenly "fighting" together.

Especially when Li Yitong looked so shy and annoyed, trying to cover Yang Mi's mouth, a faint smile flickered in her eyes.

He nodded slightly in agreement, his tone serious.

"Okay, feedback received. We'll deduct it from her bonus and get you a better 'bribe'."

"Shen Mo!"

Li Yitong was really enraged. Ignoring Yang Mi's presence, she instinctively reached out to pinch Shen Mo's arm, her movements as practiced as if she had rehearsed them a thousand times.

Yang Mi watched their incredibly natural interaction, which completely transcended the typical superior-subordinate dynamic.

The last bit of restraint in her heart caused by Shen Mo's identity also vanished.

She finally understood that this powerful CEO Shen had a very flexible bottom line when it came to this "CEO Li".

She smiled and took Li Yitong's arm.

"Alright, alright, stop bullying your CEO Shen. Let's go, big star."

He smiled at Shen Mo.

"Mr. Shen, I'll borrow him for a bit to take a wrap-up photo. I promise he'll be returned intact, or perhaps, exactly as he was?"

Her last sentence, tinged with a hint of teasing, successfully made Li Yitong blush slightly. She glared at her reproachfully and suddenly pointed to her elbow.

"Sigh! Shen Mo, look, now it's not me hanging on her, it's her hanging on me!"

Shen Mo smiled and nodded, watching as Yang Mi pulled Li Yitong away with a smile.

That vibrant, lively appearance was different from when he sat upright in the financial office or danced alone under the moon in the "Snow Pavilion".

It's another state of complete relaxation, immersed in the dual joys of friendship and work.

He stood there, watching their backs as they walked away, a barely perceptible smile lingering on his lips for a long time.

Li Yitong was just pulled away by Yang Mi with a smile to touch up her makeup, preparing for the final group photo to wrap up filming.

On the other side, Chen Sicheng, who had been keeping an eye on the commotion from a short distance away, hesitated for a moment.

He straightened his collar, put on just the right amount of enthusiasm and respect, and walked over quickly.

"Hello, Mr. Shen!"

Chen Sicheng bowed slightly, extending his hands, his attitude showing a marked increase in obvious restraint and reverence compared to when he had treated Li Yitong earlier.

When he shook hands with Shen Mo, he carefully controlled the strength of his grip.

"I am Chen Sicheng, the director of this drama. I have never had the opportunity to formally thank you. This time, I am truly grateful for the support of Mohen Capital."

His tone was sincere, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible nervousness.

This extraordinary respect did not stem solely from Shen Mo being the savior investor of "Beijing Love Story".

In fact, after Mohen's investment, he subconsciously paid more attention to this mysterious company.

Just two days ago, he happened to see some news on the financial section and online.

It is said that Mohen Capital made precise moves during the recent global financial market turmoil, and with astonishing efficiency and methods, it reaped profits of over 100 million yuan.

This news had a huge impact on Chen Sicheng.

These creative people work hard to attract investment, build teams, and film day and night for half a year before they can finally earn profits.

In his view, as a layman in finance, the other party only needed "a few minutes".

This is a cognitive advantage.

When he faced Shen Mo, he couldn't help but feel a mixture of admiration, envy, and even a little fear.

The power of capital is terrifying!

"Director Chen, you're too kind. The key is that the project is good."

Shen Mo gently shook his hand and then released it, his tone flat, revealing no emotion.

He neither took pride in the other party's awe nor acted with deliberate humility, as if the astonishing figure of wealth had nothing to do with him.

Chen Sicheng quickly nodded in agreement, and then extended an invitation, adopting an even more humble attitude.

"Mr. Shen, it just so happens that Mr. Li finished filming today, and the crew is planning to take a group photo to commemorate the occasion."

"Would it be convenient for you to come up and take a group photo with us? It would be a more meaningful memento for our 'Beijing Love Story' project."

His words were well-chosen, both praising Shen Mo and highlighting the project, while also implying a desire to establish a better personal relationship with this financial tycoon.

In his mind, being able to appear in the same frame as Shen Mo was itself an intangible asset and a signal.

Shen Mo's gaze passed over Chen Sicheng and fell on Li Yitong, who was being touched up by the makeup artist and was still secretly glancing in his direction.

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly under Chen Sicheng's expectant gaze.

"it is good."

It was just a simple word, but it made Chen Sicheng feel relieved. His face instantly lit up with an even warmer smile, and he quickly stepped aside to lead the way.

"Mr. Shen, this way, please!"

When Shen Mo appeared in the group photo area, the previously noisy scene fell silent for a moment.

Whether it was the actors or the staff, everyone's attention was drawn to this outstanding young man, and they all began to speculate about his identity.

When Li Yitong saw Shen Mo walking over, she blinked in surprise, then her crescent-shaped eyes curved into crescents as she naturally moved closer to Yang Mi, making room for him.

"You're smart enough to come and support me."

Shen Mo calmly stood beside Li Yitong. He did not deliberately occupy the center position, but his natural aura made him one of the focal points of the scene no matter what.

"Come on, everyone, look at the camera! Three, two, one!"

Click!

In the photo, Li Yitong is smiling brightly, holding flowers in one hand and making a small "V" sign with the other hand beside her, her shoulder casually touching Shen Mo's.

Yang Mi was on her other side, smiling brightly. Shen Mo's expression remained as calm as ever, but the lines at the corners of his mouth seemed slightly softer than usual.

Director Chen Sicheng stood slightly to the side, a smile on his face as if he had successfully completed his mission.