A writer has arrived in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Chapter 126 Schemes

At the train station exit, announcements, the rumble of suitcases sliding across the floor, and the clamor of voices mingled together, and waves of heat rushed towards you along with the bustling crowd.

Chen Yao and Meng Ziyi squeezed out of the turnstile, both with a fine layer of sweat on their foreheads.

"Yaoyao, I have a good friend in Shanghai. Let her take us there this time." Meng Ziyi fanned herself with one hand and spoke quickly.

"Really?" Chen Yao forced a polite smile.

All the way there, she kept thinking that she could have just gone by herself. She had only met Meng Ziyi a few times in large lectures and they weren't really friends. She had just subconsciously agreed yesterday, and now she didn't want to say anything more.

But now another "friend" is coming, and she sighed inwardly, feeling somewhat uneasy.

The two exited Hongqiao Station and arrived at the temporary drop-off area in the West Square. Meng Ziyi was holding her phone, talking happily to the other person, her toes tapping unconsciously on the ground as her eyes searched through the traffic.

"Yaoyao, hurry up!" She grabbed Chen Yao and pulled her toward a private car that had just stopped by the roadside.

Chen Yao was pulled along, stumbling and swaying, until the two squeezed through the car door, creating a blast of heat as they fell into the back seat.

"Mengmeng!"

The girl in the driver's seat turned her head. She looked young, with a round face that still had a touch of childishness. Her hair was all pulled back, revealing her smooth forehead.

"Xin Xin!" Meng Ziyi responded cheerfully, adopting a familiar tone, "Wow, it's really hot in Shanghai."

"This is my classmate, Chen Yao," Meng Ziyi said, pointing to the person beside him, introducing her very quickly.

"Oh." Yu Shuxin, in the driver's seat, glanced at Chen Yao through the rearview mirror, barely lifting her eyelids, and squeezed out a faint sound.

"Hello." Chen Yao politely curved the corners of her mouth, revealing a gentle smile.

The electronic display screen at the temporary drop-off area in the West Square was flashing a countdown; the time limit here was only ten minutes. Yu Shuxin's hands were on the steering wheel, and as soon as the two closed the car door, she stepped on the gas and drove off with the queuing traffic.

"Where are we going first?" Yu Shuxin asked.

"Which road is Tangren's headquarters on?" Meng Ziyi turned his head to look at Chen Yao next to him.

"...Longhua Middle Road, Xuhui District..."

"Oh, it's so far away," Yu Shuxin said, whether out of complaint or annoyance.

Chen Yao's gaze fell on the receding green belt outside the window, and the feeling of sitting on pins and needles grew stronger, as if someone was specially serving her because of her.

She moved her lips, wanting to say, "How about I get off at the subway station ahead?", but seeing Meng Ziyi chatting familiarly with the other person, she swallowed the words back down.

"Mengmeng, let me tell you something." Yu Shuxin tilted her head slightly and said with a regretful tone, "Lee Minho came to Hangzhou two months ago. I was in Singapore at the time and couldn't come back to see him. I was so angry."

"You're still chasing Lee Min-ho?" Meng Ziyi laughed out loud, her tone utterly absurd. "Didn't you always switch after a few months?"

"This time it's different, okay? This is my true love."

Meng Ziyi rolled her eyes speechlessly, then turned around and looked at Chen Yao, who was huddled to the side. "Yao Yao, do you have a favorite idol?"

"Me?" Chen Yao was taken aback when the topic suddenly shifted to her. "I... Brother Hu, right?"

"Huh?" Yu Shuxin raised an eyebrow, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. "You're not saying this on purpose because you want to sign with Tangren, are you?"

"...No," Chen Yao muttered in defense.

Outside the car window, the office buildings of Shanghai resembled a dense jungle, stretching into blurry shadows as they sped past.

Yu Shuxin gripped the steering wheel and glanced at her again through the rearview mirror. "Your movie audition is tomorrow, right?"

""

Chen Yao didn't know why she asked this, "Yes."

"Don't worry," she said, her tone suddenly becoming more forthright, "Mengmeng and I will back you up, and we definitely won't let anyone look down on you."

"Th...thank you." Chen Yao lowered her head, thinking to herself, there's really no need for this kind of support.

Half an hour later, the car stopped in the parking lot of Block A of the Central Green Space on Longhua Middle Road.

There are two glass-walled office buildings on either side, and Tangren's headquarters are located in one of them.

Chen Yao grabbed the slipping backpack strap with her other hand, pointed towards the lobby, and said in a weak voice, "How about... you wait for me downstairs? I'll be down soon."

"That won't do, we're already downstairs." Meng Ziyi didn't even think it through, casually taking Chen Yao's arm and leading her to the elevator lobby in a nonchalant manner, "We'll go up with you."

"Yeah, that's right," Yu Shuxin chimed in. "Let's go."

The three took the elevator to the floor of Tangren Media. The doors opened, revealing a corridor carpeted in light gray, making no sound as they stepped on it. A small metal sign was embedded in the corner—Shanghai Tangren Film Production Co., Ltd.

The reception area is small and simply designed, with a light wood countertop and a white upholstered sofa. Posters of TV series such as "Scarlet Heart" and "Chinese Paladin 3" are hanging on the wall of the waiting area next to it.

Chen Yao walked to the front desk and politely said in a soft voice, "Hello, I am a student at Beijing Film Academy, my name is Chen Yao."

"Oh, Chen Yao." The administrative girl behind the desk recognized her immediately upon hearing her name. "Sister K told me that you can go straight in and find her if you come."

She raised her hand and pointed to the side, "Go in from here and walk straight to the end, that's K's office."

"OK, thanks."

The young administrative assistant glanced at the two people behind her, her tone carrying a hint of professional hesitation: "But... who are these two people next to you?"

"They... are my classmates, they came with me."

"Oh, then you can all go in together." The young woman lowered her head, picked up the internal phone, and reported to her supervisor.

After passing through an open office area consisting of many cubicles and booths, Chen Yao and her two companions arrived at the general manager's office at the very end of the corridor.

She took a deep breath and gently knocked three times on the door.

"Come in." A crisp female voice came from inside.

Chen Yao carefully pressed down the doorknob, opened it a crack, and filed in with Meng Ziyi and Yu Shuxin behind her.

The office was spacious and bright, yet its decor was quite restrained. Behind a desk facing the large floor-to-ceiling window, a middle-aged woman with a round face sat with her hands folded. Her gaze subtly swept over the three people who entered, finally settling on Chen Yao's face at the front.

"Chen Yao, come, have a seat." Cai Yinong pointed to the leather armchair opposite her, then her gaze lingered briefly on Meng Ziyi and Yu Shuxin's faces. "Oh, you two sit down too."

Chen Yao sat down in the middle, with Meng Ziyi and Yu Shuxin flanking her on either side.

"President Cai..." Chen Yao stood up straight, her hands clasped on her knees, her voice still a little tense when she spoke.

"Just call me Sister K." Cai Yinong casually pulled a document from a stack of files on the table and pushed it in front of Chen Yao. "This is your contract. Take a look."

"Okay."

The office was filled with the soft rustling of pages turning. Chen Yao was looking down, carefully examining the contract terms.

"Hey, Yao Yao." Yu Shuxin suddenly leaned in, her tone urgent and matter-of-fact, "Tangren is such a big company, the contract definitely won't have any problems. This is a great opportunity, what are you hesitating for, sign it quickly."

Chen Yao's hand, which was turning the page, suddenly stopped.

She turned her head blankly, looking at that "for your own good" smile, thinking to herself, "Are we... really that close?"

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