Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune, I became a legend in the entertainment industry by avo

Chapter 109 Nobody asked me anything.

"Although our company can't compare to established companies like Huayi Brothers and Hairun," President Chang said sincerely, "large companies also have their difficulties. They have to take care of many people, so the resources allocated to each person are naturally limited."

"Our company is different. The only middle-aged people in the company are Sister Wenli and Liu Ye. Once you come, you will be the young generation that we focus on cultivating, and all the resources will be poured into you."

Zhang Qilin listened with a smile, without interrupting President Chang.

Mr. Chang continued, "Once you sign the contract, we can get Sister Wenli to work with you on a few films. With Sister Wenli's status as a film queen, I believe a few films will be enough to elevate you to the status of a leading man. That's something those two companies can't offer."

"I've seen many of Wenli's dramas, and I admire her acting skills very much," he said sincerely. Then, he changed the subject, "But Mr. Chang, I have a small question."

Mr. Chang picked up his coffee, smiled with a relaxed expression, and said, "Go ahead."

"What you just said, that Sister Wenli would take me under her wing," he said, his tone tinged with confusion, "is she playing my elder?"

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Upon hearing Zhang Qilin's words, President Chang nearly spat out the coffee he had just brought to his lips.

Mr. Chang quickly put down his coffee cup, took out a tissue, and wiped his mouth.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across her face, but it was quickly covered by a professional smile.

"Xiao Zhang, what kind of question is that—" she said with a hint of helplessness. "Since you're paired with Sister Wenli, of course she'll be playing the male and female leads. Although Sister Wenli is very experienced, she's well-maintained and in great shape. She can play any age group of characters without any problem."

Zhang Qilin nodded thoughtfully, without immediately responding.

Seeing this, President Chang said earnestly, "You have a very good foundation. What you lack is a worthy partner and a strong project. As long as you act in a few dramas with Sister Wenli, your rise will be very rapid."

Zhang Qilin asked with a hint of hesitation, "Can I only play the male or female lead?"

"What do you mean?" President Chang looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Zhang Qilin smiled and said, "I mean, wouldn't it be better if I could play Wenli's son or brother?"

The air was silent for two seconds.

President Chang's expression subtly changed, then he laughed and said, "Little Zhang, you silly boy, why are you being so picky? So many people want to play a couple with Sister Wenli but don't have the chance."

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"I'm not being picky," Zhang Qilin said seriously, "I just think the audience isn't stupid."

He carefully considered his words before saying, "No matter how well Wenli takes care of herself, if I stand next to her, the audience's first reaction will be, 'What's the relationship between these two?' rather than, 'They're a good match.' If the audience doesn't believe it, how can we expect them to watch the show?"

Mr. Chang put the coffee cup back on the table and changed to a more serious tone: "Xiao Zhang, let's be frank. You're a smart man and you should understand the rules of this industry. You need a powerful partner to help you quickly establish yourself, and Sister Wenli is the most suitable person."

Zhang Qilin nodded without saying anything.

After waiting a few seconds and seeing that he didn't respond, President Chang had no choice but to continue: "Of course, if you feel it's not suitable, we can discuss other solutions, but you have to understand that what newcomers lack most is opportunities and buzz. By cooperating with Sister Wenli, you'll have both of those."

Zhang Qilin politely replied, "President Chang, Sister Wenli is an idol to many people, and it is an honor to work with her."

President Chang's expression softened slightly: "Don't worry about that. Liu Ye has several projects in preparation, and there are quite a few roles suitable for young actors. If you sign with him, they can all be given priority consideration."

After the two talked for a while, Zhang Qilin got up to say goodbye, saying he would think it over carefully when he got back.

After saying goodbye to President Chang, Zhang Qilin, led by Yang Yu, had a brief exchange with representatives from Huanrui and Bona.

Both companies offered Zhang Qilin favorable terms and agreed to discuss the matter again when they had more time.

The next morning.

A report with an eye-catching headline appeared on major entertainment forums and social media.

Who will be chosen as the new talent at Beijing People's Art Theatre? Huanrui and Bona Film Group join the competition, and a fierce battle for talent is about to begin.

The accompanying photos documented Zhang Qilin's meetings with representatives from several well-known domestic brokerage companies over two days.

In an instant, the enthusiasm of the onlookers was completely ignited.

However, in stark contrast to the clamor outside, there is an unusual silence within the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

Faced with a barrage of inquiries from the media, the Beijing People's Art Theatre's publicity department cautiously deflected all questions, citing the need to consult with superiors.

This silence, on the contrary, fueled the speculation and rumors from the outside world.

All sorts of news are flying around.

Some media outlets claimed to have interviewed a veteran actor from the Beijing People's Art Theatre who wished to remain anonymous.

The actor declared, "The child is a good prospect. The Beijing People's Art Theatre respects his personal development. The outside world is wonderful, but also complicated."

Media outlets have also reported that sources familiar with the matter have revealed that Zhang Qilin is currently rehearsing a new play intensively at the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

Those close to him remained tight-lipped about the status of his management contract, but said, "Several groups of people have indeed come looking for him in the past few days. He himself is a bit bewildered and didn't expect it to cause such a big commotion."

Online discussions about Zhang Qilin's future development have devolved into clearly divided camps taking sides.

Some people support him signing with a large company to capitalize on the momentum and maximize his resources.

Some people advised him to stay at the Beijing People's Art Theatre to further his studies and not to be blinded by fame and fortune.

Zhang Qilin, at the center of the storm, went to class as if nothing had happened.

The interns in the rehearsal hall watched Zhang Qilin interact with them, seemingly unaffected by the outside world.

This will inspire feelings of both admiration and envy in them.

Afternoon, 15:00 PM.

The dressing room backstage at the Grand Theater.

The people who participated in the publicity campaign have returned.

Zhou Baocheng surrounded Chen Mo and asked about the live broadcast on Sina today.

Chen Mo glanced at Zhang Qilin before saying, "Although there were some issues, the interview was still completed."

Zhou Baocheng and the others knew what it meant.

In the past two days, news of Zhang Qilin's meeting with his agency has attracted most people's attention, causing the promotional variety show for "Camel Xiangzi" to make no splash at all.

The hospital will definitely not let him off the hook for doing this during the publicity period.

The way the group looked at Zhang Qilin was unanimously tinged with schadenfreude.

Zhou Baocheng deliberately raised his voice: "Doesn't that mean that the good publicity was ruined by the actions of certain individuals?"

Chen Mo smiled and said, "It's okay. There's an even more important stage in a few days. It will be broadcast on May Day, and a lot of people will watch it. I will also sing on it."

Upon hearing this, the group intensified their efforts to create a lively atmosphere.

Zhang Qilin focused on his own work, ignoring the noise from the outside world.

Two days passed like this.

Rumors about Zhang Qilin signing a contract have not subsided; on the contrary, they have intensified.

Xinghuo Media was also stirring up trouble.

They started leaking information to the media, implying that Zhang Qilin was untrustworthy.

They say they invested resources in nurturing newcomers, but now that they've become famous, they've turned around and sought better opportunities elsewhere.

There were even more media outlets waiting outside the Beijing People's Art Theatre than in the previous two days.

Long lenses and short lenses were set up across the street, just waiting for the protagonist of the news to appear.

Pu Cunxin's office.

Feng Yuanzheng sat opposite him, slowly sipping his tea.

Pu Cunxin leaned back in his chair, flipping through a book, looking relaxed.

Outside the window, the Beijing People's Art Theatre compound remained calm and peaceful, as if the storm outside had nothing to do with it.

"It's all so noisy outside," Feng Yuanzheng put down his teacup, glanced at him, "Aren't you really going to go out and say a few words?"

Pu Cunxin turned a page of his book without looking up: "Nobody's asking me anyway."

Feng Yuanzheng was amused by his posture: "Aren't you afraid of something unexpected happening?"

Pu Cunxin closed the book and casually placed it on the table: "The Beijing People's Art Theatre is open to everyone, and people are free to come and go. No matter how talented an actor is, if they want to leave, we will not make things difficult for them."

Feng Yuanzheng picked up his teacup and took another sip, his gaze falling on the trees in the courtyard outside the window.

"That's true," he nodded, "We didn't go through the same thing back then."

Pu Cunxin smiled but didn't reply.

Just then, the phone on the desk rang.

Pu Cunxin answered the phone and hummed in response.

After hanging up the phone, I stood up and stretched.

Feng Yuanzheng looked at him: "What's going on?"

"They couldn't hold back any longer and wanted to hold a meeting to discuss it. I'm going," Pu Cunxin said as he walked out.

In the conference room of Beijing People's Art Theatre.

The long table was filled with people on both sides, all of whom were from the theater's management. Director Zhang Heping, sitting at the head of the table, began, "Regarding this matter, who would like to speak first?"

After he finished speaking, there was a two-second silence in the conference room.

Pu Cunxin's face was calm, his eyelids were slightly lowered, and his emotions were unreadable.

Yang Lixin, the captain of the acting troupe sitting to his left, stared intently at the teacup in front of him, his gaze as focused as if he were appraising a rare piece of porcelain.

Vice President Wang, sitting opposite, glanced at Yi Yangbo.

Yi Yangbo coughed lightly and said, "Due to the recent news about Zhang Qilin, the publicity for our new play has been very poor. Many of our partners have strongly requested Zhang Qilin's participation, but the actors' team just won't let him go."

Dean Zhang Heping's face remained expressionless as he turned his gaze to Pu Cunxin: "What's the situation with the actors' team?"

Pu Cunxin raised his head, his face still calm: "Camel Xiangzi is a key production of the theater. The actors are all working hard to prepare for the premiere. The rehearsal schedule is tight. As a newcomer, Zhang Qilin has to both rehearse the play and learn the basics. In order not to delay his studies, he can only give up publicity."

At this moment, Vice President Wang interjected, "Vice President Pu, publicity is for the theater's box office and influence. The audience all know Zhang Qilin. If we don't let him perform now and instead let him cause trouble outside, isn't that just holding us back?"

Pu Cunxin said, "The actors' troupe's responsibility is to rehearse and perform the play well. Zhang Qilin's rehearsal and studies are equally important. If publicity takes up a lot of rehearsal time, it will affect his studies."

"As for external matters, they are not something the actors' troupe needs to consider. The actors' primary task in the theater is to act."

Vice Dean Wang began to argue.

The two argued for a long time in the meeting, but neither could convince the other.

At this point, Zhang Heping spoke up: "Let me ask, what are the demands of the publicity department?"

Yi Yangbo first looked at Vice Dean Wang, and seeing him nod, he said, "Because the previous publicity wasn't effective, this time we contacted CCTV-1, and they gave us a program to promote during the May Day holiday. However, their requirement is that Zhang Qilin must be on the program, but—"

"If it's just this one, I agree," Pu Cunxin said before Yi Yangbo could finish speaking.

Yi Yangbo was taken aback.

Vice President Wang, who was about to retort, was also stunned.

He wondered if he had misheard.

He asked somewhat uncertainly, "Old Pu, what did you just say?"

Pu Cunxin calmly repeated, "If it's just this one show, I agree."

Vice President Wang heard it clearly; Pu Cunxin had actually agreed.

This should have been a happy occasion, but at that moment he felt a strange tightness in his chest.

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

Vice Dean Wang opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.

Dean Zhang Heping glanced at Pu Cunxin, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.

After a moment, Vice Dean Wang, controlling his emotions, asked, "Since you agreed, why didn't you say so earlier?"

Pu Cunxin calmly replied, "Nobody asked me."

A subtle silence fell over the meeting room.

Looking at Pu Cunxin's calm and expressionless face, Vice Dean Wang suddenly realized that he might have stepped into a trap.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to salvage the situation, but he didn't know where to begin.

Dean Zhang Heping, sitting in the main seat, coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention back: "Since the actors' team has agreed to cooperate, then it's settled. The publicity department will coordinate with the actors' team, and the publicity department should deal with the reporters outside as soon as possible."

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