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

"Little Mozi, what brings you to suddenly invite us to dinner?"

In a small alley near Andingmen in Beijing, Bao Jingjing, with her curly hair styled in a ponytail, had just finished eating a skewer of barbecue and asked a question as she chewed.

"What, can't I treat you guys to a meal just because there's nothing wrong?"

"I finally found a good restaurant and wanted to invite you guys to try it, but you actually made such assumptions about your junior. I'm heartbroken."

After saying that, Shen Mo didn't even look up, and started slurping the noodles in his bowl.

Sitting next to Bao Jingjing, her boyfriend Wang Ran smacked Shen Mo on the head, saying, "If you had even a little bit of emotion in your speech, you wouldn't be so emotionless."

"But the taste is really good, Jingjing, we can come here more often in the future."

Shen Mo looked up, raising an eyebrow smugly, "Right? I can't have made a bad choice."

"Alright, let's get down to business. Last time you treated me to drinks, you also took a set of figurines from our house. You don't come here unless you have something to say, so just get to the point."

Wang Ran raised her hand to look at her watch, looking slightly flustered.

"Oh? Something's up?" Shen Mo put down the skewers in his hand and asked.

"If you're in trouble, we're fine; if you're fine, then we're in trouble."

Bao Jingjing took two movie tickets out of her bag and shook them.

Shen Mo smiled wryly and picked up a tissue to wipe his mouth.

"Alright, then I'll just say it directly and won't disturb your sweet time together."

"Dahlia, I've taken over your 33-day stint as Wang Xiaojian!"

Bao Jingjing's eyebrows furrowed instantly, and she slapped Shen Mo across the table, but missed. She felt very uncomfortable looking at Shen Mo, who was laughing heartily across the table.

"Dahlia" is her pen name, but no one wants to be called that to her face.

"Didn't you say you wouldn't play such effeminate characters? Didn't you look down on me before?"

"Oh, I'm just being a little arrogant. I'm a professional actor, why can't I be effeminate?"

Shen Mo raised his chin, pouted dramatically, blinked, and lightly punched Bao Jingjing's shoulder with his left fist.

"Ugh~"

Seeing the two people across the table eating barbecue almost vomit from disgust, Shen Mo laughed heartily, which earned him a beating from the two of them.

"Are you sure you want to act?" Bao Jingjing asked again to confirm. "Then I can recommend you to Director Teng."

"I asked you last month, thinking that if you didn't agree, we would talk to Director Teng about other candidates."

Although he did refuse in his previous life, he still got a supporting role thanks to Bao Jingjing's help.

But this time, we're determined to win!

"Yes." Shen Mo nodded and said seriously.

"I'm sure! I'm a newcomer, I'm already grateful to have any acting opportunities. I'm so grateful to Sister Jing, how could I possibly refuse?"

"Also, Sister Jing, what's the estimated total investment for 33 days? Has Director Teng found investors yet? When will filming start?"

Bao Jingjing picked up a peanut with her chopsticks.

"Not yet. Last month he said that it was hard to attract investment. Many investors said that my novel was just a diary with nothing new or interesting. It was just an ordinary diary written by an ordinary person."

"Director Teng estimates the total investment to be under ten million. The timing is still uncertain, but we can start filming anytime as long as the funds are in place. The filming period is expected to be two months."

"By the way, I'll arrange a time in a few days to take you to see Director Teng."

Exactly!

"How about this, Sister Jing, if you trust me, leave the investment to me. I'll handle the ten million in two months."

As the only film he acted in in his previous life, he knew the outcome of this film: an investment of 890 million that yielded a box office of 3 million. Such a high return on investment with a small investment was almost impossible to find in this era.

"Where did you get so much money?"

Bao Jingjing was startled. Just as she opened her mouth, Wang Ran tapped her leg from under the table.

Bao Jingjing exchanged a glance with Wang Ran and pursed her lips.

"Well, I didn't expect our little Mozi to be so secretive; he's actually a rich second-generation!"

Shen Mo chuckled but didn't explain.

"If that's the case, then I'll have even more confidence in recommending you for the role."

"However, as your senior, I don't want to screw you over. I have to tell you the truth. On the one hand, no one can guarantee the success of a ten million investment in a movie. If it goes down the drain, I'm afraid I'll never be able to face you again."

"On the other hand, I think we still need to find some big companies and leverage their networks for promotion and distribution. Otherwise, with a novice screenwriter like me and a novice actor like you, no one will buy the film after it's made."

Shen Mo nodded, agreeing with the idea.

"How about this, I'll offer eight million, but I can take a smaller share, and use the rest to attract companies that handle advertising and distribution."

"The remaining funding gap and share should be covered by the publicity and distribution companies, so it shouldn't be too difficult. However, even if we can't attract other investments, eight million should be enough to ensure the film can be completed."

When the film is released, I will have enough funds, even without a publicity or distribution company, I can use money to promote it, but I will not choose this method unless absolutely necessary.

Bao Jingjing nodded, but remained noncommittal. "I'll take you to talk to Director Teng in a couple of days. I can't make the decision on this."

After finishing their business and the barbecue, they chatted for a while and then parted ways. Shen Mo didn't want to disturb their movie theater trip any further.

A few days later, in a private room of an elegant teahouse.

Director Teng Huatao rubbed his hands together, looking embarrassed, and began to speak.

"Xiao Shen, Jingjing should have told you. The script is good, but... many bosses say it's too literary, just a stream of consciousness, and they don't dare to submit it."

Shen Mo did not respond immediately, but instead elegantly picked up the purple clay teapot and slowly poured hot tea for Director Teng and Bao Jingjing, who was accompanying him.

The sound of tea being poured into the cup was crisp and calm, as if he were the master of the place.

"Director Teng." Shen Mo put down the teapot.

"I've studied the market. What we lack now isn't money, but good stories that can accurately resonate with the emotions of young people."

"Sister Jing's script is that bullet. And I not only want to act in it, but I also want to turn it into a bombshell that can ignite the market."

Bao Jingjing pressed her advantage: "Director Teng, Xiao Mo is serious. He's willing to vote, and he can vote."

"Oh?" Teng Huatao looked at Shen Mo with a scrutinizing gaze. "Little Shen, how much can you invest? This whole thing is worth at least ten million."

Shen Mo leaned forward slightly. "An investment of eight million. In addition, I can forgo my acting fee, which can also be considered as an investment to ease your financial burden."

Shen Mo didn't allow him to process the information and continued to offer precise conditions.

"But I have two conditions. First, regarding the share, I want 55 percent."

"Fifty-five percent?!" Teng Huatao's voice rose. He had given eight million out of a ten million budget, and he thought he would at least ask for seventy or eighty percent of the share, but he didn't expect this.

"Director Teng, I hope you'll listen to me." Shen Mo raised his hand and pressed it down slightly, his aura calm and composed.

"Eight million is 50% of my investment, and my salary is 5%. It's not that I'm not greedy; the rest is for the publicity and distribution companies."

"I hope you use this share to secure some strong partnerships, to ensure that the film doesn't just end up in storage after filming."

"Only by doing a good job in publicity and distribution, and providing sufficient benefits to our partners, can we truly help this film achieve success, wouldn't you agree?"

Upon hearing this, Teng Huatao was stunned. He hadn't expected Shen Mo to be considering the overall picture of the film.

This vision, which transcends short-sighted gains, instantly moved him.

"Then... what about second?" Teng Huatao's tone had softened.

"Secondly, it's to reassure you."

Shen Mo's voice carried a convincing power.

"Let's sign a letter of intent today, and then sign a formal contract within a month."

"The funds will be injected in three batches: 30% down payment upon signing the contract, 30% upon starting filming, and the remaining balance after filming is halfway through, ensuring that the production team will not have to worry about money."

"At the same time, I promise that I will never interfere with your creative process. You are the director, and you are in charge on set."

Teng Huatao fell silent, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

Shen Mo's plan resolved all his concerns: funding, publicity, and creative freedom.

Then he suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a burning light, and reached out his hand.

"Okay! Shen Mo, no, President Shen! Let's do it your way! Together, we'll make this film a success!"

On the way back after the negotiations.

Bao Jingjing let out a long sigh of relief and patted Shen Mo hard.

"You're something else! That aura you exuded just now completely intimidated me! When did you become so... formidable? You're like a cunning old fox who's been in the business world for over a decade!"

Shen Mo looked at the fleeting street scene outside the window, smiled, and did not answer.

This is more than just investing in a movie.

This is an excellent springboard for him to enter the cultural and entertainment industry chain with minimal cost, and it is also the first shot fired by his "Ink Trace Capital" in the entertainment industry.

It must succeed, even at the cost of sacrificing some profits, to provide the perfect credit endorsement and case study for all subsequent arrangements.

After deciding on "Love is Not Blind," the first thing Shen Mo did was to find Zhang Songwen, the then-unknown "hidden master" at the Beijing Film Academy, and enroll in his acting training class.

It is estimated that it will be nearly two months before the project starts operating once the funds are in place.

As the only film I ever acted in in my past life, almost every scene from the original movie is deeply etched in my mind.

However, in order to prevent the film from being affected by his acting skills, Shen Mo still plans to use this time to study hard and try to regain the state of mind he had when he was studying acting in college.

But after studying for a while, he was shocked to discover that his rebirth was not as simple as it seemed.

His mental state seemed to have been greatly enhanced; his memory, comprehension, and analytical abilities far surpassed those of his previous life, as if the fusion of two souls had produced a wondrous chemical reaction.

His body is also undergoing visible changes every day. His strength, endurance, and flexibility have improved by at least half a percent compared to his previous life, which is about 1.5 times that of Shen Mo in the past.

It has also achieved results such as repairing old injuries, correcting body shape, and even adjusting appearance towards a more perfect state.

If my looks were an 8.5 in my past life, then now I'm at least a 9 or higher without makeup, and with a little makeup, I could even be called a top-tier 9.5.

In Zhang Songwen's small training room, the air was filled with the smell of old books and dust.

A rehearsal of a "panel performance - waiting for a terminal illness diagnosis in a hospital" has just ended.

Zhang Songwen didn't speak immediately. He first scanned the students around him, and then looked at Shen Mo, who had just pulled himself out of his emotions, with an almost scrutinizing gaze.

"You..." Zhang Songwen paused, seemingly searching for the right words.

"Your performance last week still had the air of a professionally trained artist. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that you were 'acting' a certain emotion."

He stood up, walked around Shen Mo, his eyes filled with incredulous inquiry.

"But what I just saw was not a 'performance'."

His voice carried a hint of suppressed excitement.

"What I see is a person. Your fingertips are trembling unconsciously, your pupils are unfocused, and even the rhythm of your swallowing carries a desperate restraint."

"The most precious thing is your subconscious action: you pinched the web between your left thumb and index finger with your right thumb until it turned white."

"This isn't a technique I taught; it's the body's most authentic reaction when a person is under extreme stress!"

Zhang Songwen stopped and clapped his hands sharply, making a crisp sound.

"Incredible! In just over ten days, your progress isn't like climbing stairs, it's like riding a rocket!"

"Logically speaking, it's impossible to master something in a short period of time if you didn't learn it in four years of formal training."

"All I can say is, it's like you've suddenly had a breakthrough, like you've unlocked your full potential!"

His tone was filled with the ecstasy of discovering a treasure.

"Your understanding of the character, your attention to detail, and your control over emotions completely surpass those of a recent graduate, and are even more seasoned and accurate than many actors who have been in the industry for years!"

Shen Mo was slightly out of breath, feeling his heart pounding so hard from his performance that it hadn't calmed down yet.

He himself clearly felt this transformation.

The experiences and insights gained from over a decade of ups and downs in the business world in his previous life have perfectly merged with this young body in this life, producing an amazing chemical reaction.

Those performance levels that once required painstaking study to reach are now almost effortless to master.

He looked at the excited Zhang Songwen and smiled modestly.

Is this one of the gifts of rebirth?

Not only memories, but even the perception of the soul was completely reshaped.

He was filled with unprecedented anticipation for his trip to the Beijing Dance Academy six days later.

Yukiko, how have you changed now?