Huayu: You were supposed to be a top star, but you've become capital?

Chapter 89 Ruonan, going to take photos again?

Lin Shen smiled and picked up his teacup: "I would like to ask you two for a favor: to find out how to contact these two people."

If it's convenient, could you help me arrange a meeting?

Qu Fang looked down at the documents in his hand again, his gaze lingering on Wang Xinming's page for a moment before he suddenly smiled: "Wang Xinming—I've heard of him. He's the founder of Kennyswork, a streetwear designer, and he's quite well-known in the industry."

Lin Shen nodded.

Qu Fang flipped to the second document, his brows furrowing slightly: "Long Jiasheng—I need to spend some time looking for this one."

Lin Shen put down his teacup: "It's alright, no rush, we can search slowly."

After watching for a while, Mao Wenchao finally couldn't help but ask, "President Lin, are you looking for a designer for the trajectory?"

Lin Shen smiled and did not deny it.

That statement is only half true.

Wang Xinming, creator of Molly; Long Jiasheng, creator of Labubu.

These two individuals will become the soul of the Pop Mart empire in a few years, the top influencers in the trendy toy industry, and "money-printing machines" capable of selling a small toy for tens of billions of dollars.

But at this point, they are still in Hong Kong, not yet discovered by the capital market, and have not yet signed the authorization agreement that will change their fate.

In particular, Lung Ka-sing is currently in a creative slump and even considered giving up creating, making this a good time to buy at rock-bottom prices.

Of course, this can't be said outright; the information gap for time travelers is something they need to be aware of themselves.

Lin Shen knew all this.

"I suppose so." Lin Shen snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Qu Fang. "I'll leave it to you, Mr. Qu."

Qu Fang waved his hand and put away the two documents: "President Lin, you're too kind. It's nothing. I'll let you know as soon as I have news."

Lin Shen smiled and nodded, picked up his teacup, and finished the last sip of tea.

The bustling photography area was a completely different world from the quiet office of Xiaohongshu.

Zhang Ruonan's mood today can be summed up in two words: delighted.

When she received the invitation to shoot for Xiaohongshu, she was in her dormitory revising her graphic design assignment on her computer.

The other party gave her a number, and she was stunned on the spot.

It wasn't because Xiaohongshu was so famous; to be honest, she hadn't used the app much before. It was purely because she had a lot of money.

Five digits.

It only takes two days to film.

"Sure, sure! I'm free! Anytime is fine!"

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Ruonan remembered to ask what they were filming and who they were filming with, but the other party had already hung up.

Who cares, as long as the money is there.

Zhang Ruonan is a self-taught student at Hangzhou Dianzi University, majoring in graphic design. It sounds like a very respectable major, but her daily life is like this:

Attending classes, doing homework, taking on modeling jobs, and earning money.

The last item, in particular, is of utmost importance.

She's not the kind of person who can just relax and enjoy life.

She knew her family situation all too well; her parents' business had gone through ups and downs, and they had younger siblings to support.

Zhang Ruonan, as the eldest sister, never asked her family for money from the beginning; she earned it herself whenever possible.

She got the job of a print model by chance during her freshman year of college. A classmate saw a link to a campus beauty pageant and encouraged her to sign up. She posted a photo and somehow made it into the top 30.

Since then, businesses have been coming to our door.

Three hundred, five hundred, eight hundred — as she saved up the bills one by one, Zhang Ruonan watched the numbers in her bank card slowly rise. That sense of security was more powerful than anything else.

This job today is equivalent to what she usually does in a month.

So when Zhang Ruonan left home in the morning, she spent a long time primping in front of the small mirror in her dorm room before finally putting on her best outfit.

She wore a simple pinstripe jacket over a white top, paired with light blue jeans, her hair down, and light, natural makeup.

"Ruonan, going to take photos again?" Her roommate peeked out from under the covers.

"Okay!" she replied crisply, picked up her bag, and went out.

When she arrived at the location, Zhang Ruonan was a little confused. She knew that SOHO Fuxing Plaza was a prime location in Shanghai.

But the moment she stepped into Xiaohongshu's office, she realized that this shoot was on a completely different level from the jobs she usually took.

Three or four staff members were adjusting the lights around a backdrop. Reflectors, softboxes, and light meters were scattered all over the floor, and a man was muttering incantations while holding a light meter.

Several rows of clothes were piled up in the corner, hanging and being ironed, with someone specifically responsible for ironing and tidying them up.

When she used to shoot for Taobao stores, she would only have one photographer and one assistant, and they could start working in a coffee shop or on the street.

Zhang Ruonan stood at the door for a moment, stunned. Before she could take a closer look, a little girl wearing glasses pulled her away.

"You must be Teacher Zhang? This way, please. Let's get your makeup and hair done first."

Teacher Zhang.

Zhang Ruonan almost burst out laughing when she heard this title, but she still obediently followed.

The dressing room wasn't big, but the row of brushes in front of the mirror made her eyes widen.

When she did her previous photoshoots, the makeup artist would just bring a makeup bag and make do with what she had.

But today, the makeup artist applied three layers of foundation to her, using such gentle techniques that she almost fell asleep.

"Your skin is in good condition," the makeup artist said casually while applying her makeup. "It's just a little dry, so you should use face masks more often."

Zhang Ruonan nodded, "Mmm." The makeup and styling alone took more than an hour. As she watched herself gradually become more refined in the mirror, she felt a little dazed.

This makeup is more refined than any she has ever done in a photoshoot.

Before I could even catch my breath after finishing my makeup and styling, I was dragged off to try on clothes. We're shooting several outfits today, changing them to match Lin Shen's different looks.

The staff brought a bunch of clothes to her and held them up, then she changed into them one by one, took photos, confirmed them, and then changed into the next outfit.

Zhang Ruonan felt like a dress-up doll, completely disoriented from all the changes.

When we tried the third set, there was a sudden commotion outside.

She heard someone shout, "President Lin is here," and then footsteps went towards the office.

Mr. Lin?

Zhang Ruonan paused for a moment, but didn't pay much attention and continued changing her clothes.

When she finally finished trying on the last outfit and came out of the dressing room, she noticed that the atmosphere in the photography area had changed.

The staff who were quite casual before are now all tense and walking with a brisk pace.

The previously stern Teacher Zhou was now talking to a little girl who looked even younger than herself, her face beaming with smiles and nodding repeatedly.

The girl looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed simply, but the way Teacher Zhou spoke to her...

Zhang Ruonan has been in the modeling industry for quite a while. She may not have learned much else, but she does know how to read people's expressions.

This girl is definitely not an ordinary person.

As she was thinking, Teacher Zhou saw her and waved to her, "Ruonan, come here!"

Zhang Ruonan quickly ran over, her face beaming with the standard, energetic smile for business.

"This is Assistant Yang," Teacher Zhou introduced her.

Assistant Yang?

Zhang Ruonan was stunned for a moment, then realized that this must be President Lin's assistant.

She quickly greeted him with a smile, "Hello, Assistant Yang."

Yang Chaoyue's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, scanning her from head to toe, before turning to Teacher Zhou: "Teacher Zhou, is this the model who was shooting with Brother Shen?"

"Yes, yes, yes." Teacher Zhou nodded repeatedly, his attitude very attentive. "This girl is called Zhang Ruonan. We have seen some of her previous works. Her image and temperament are very suitable. She should be quite effective paired with President Lin."

Ruonan, Assistant Yang has some filming details to explain to you. Listen carefully and cooperate fully!

After saying that, Teacher Zhou smiled at Yang Chaoyue and then hurried off to attend to other matters.

Zhang Ruonan stood there, looking at the girl in front of her who was even younger than herself with some nervousness.

Yang Chaoyue seemed quite natural. He picked up something from the side, flipped through it, and then began to say, "During the filming later, it will mainly be you and Brother Shen working together. There will be a dedicated camera angle for Brother Shen to shoot close-ups, so you'll have fewer shots. It will mainly be wide shots and side profile shots during interactions. So don't be nervous, just follow Brother Shen's rhythm."

Zhang Ruonan listened attentively, nodding repeatedly.

"You've done still photography before, so you should know where the camera is, right?" Yang Chaoyue glanced at her. "Teacher Zhou will guide you through the positioning. Just do as he says. Brother Shen is a very nice guy; he won't make things difficult for you."

Zhang Ruonan nodded quickly again.

Yang Chaoyue continued, "There will be some small interactions with a few outfits, such as helping Brother Shen straighten his collar or handing him something. Just follow the instructions on site; you don't need to think of your own actions."

"Okay, okay."

"And also—" Yang Chaoyue paused, "Xiaohongshu needs the photos and videos we took today, so you can't post them yourself beforehand. Wait until the official account posts them before you repost them, okay?"

Zhang Ruonan was stunned for a moment, then realized: "I understand, I understand, I definitely won't send it."

Yang Chaoyue nodded, closed the package, and smiled, "Okay, that's about it. Relax and just treat it as normal filming."

Zhang Ruonan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Thank you, Assistant Yang."

"Don't call me Assistant Yang anymore, it sounds weird." Yang Chaoyue waved his hand, "Just call me Chaoyue."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Zhang Ruonan found that this little girl was actually quite easy to talk to and not as scary as she seemed.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the photography area.

"President Lin is here! Get ready!"

Someone shouted, and the entire photography area seemed to be switched on, with everyone instantly moving.

The lighting technician confirmed the angle, the photographer started focusing, and the production crew gathered all the cables on the ground to one side.

Zhang Ruonan subconsciously looked in that direction.

Then she froze.

A man walked over from the other side of the passage.

He was tall and slender, wearing a simple dark coat, and walked casually, yet he gave the impression that he was the center of attention in this place.

But when Zhang Ruonan saw that face clearly, her mind went blank.

The forest is deep.

Isn't this Lin Shen?

Lin Shen, who bought a house and moved in, was trending on social media.

"That?" Zhang Ruonan stood there, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

She knew from the moment she accepted the job that it involved shooting with a male celebrity, but Xiaohongshu didn't say who it was, and she didn't dare to ask.

I figured it was just work anyway, so it didn't matter who I filmed with.

But now, looking at that figure, Zhang Ruonan suddenly felt that her trip today was—well worth it?

No, that's too unrealistic.

How could a small-time model earning a three-figure daily wage pose for photos with a top celebrity of this caliber?

Seeing her expression, Yang Chaoyue couldn't help but laugh: "What's wrong, scared?"

Zhang Ruonan snapped out of her daze and subconsciously swallowed: "Super...super leap, that's—"

"Brother Shen," Yang Chaoyue said matter-of-factly.

Yang Chaoyue didn't notice her odd behavior and was still giving her instructions: "By the way, if you have any thoughts or feel uncomfortable during filming, just let me know. Don't keep it to yourself. I'll handle things with Brother Shen."

Zhang Ruonan opened her mouth as if to say something, but swallowed the words back.

What could she say?

She said her legs are a little weak right now?

She said she didn't expect to be filming with Lin Shen?

Is she saying her mind is filled with "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit" right now?

Seeing that she wasn't speaking, Yang Chaoyue assumed she was nervous and smiled, "It's okay, there's really no need to be nervous. I was nervous when I first met Brother Shen, but I found out he's just a workaholic, nothing to be afraid of."

Zhang Ruonan was stunned for a moment, looking at the smiling young girl in front of her, her heart suddenly felt a little complicated.

This young girl—she looks several years younger than me, but she speaks and acts with great composure and is much more mature than me.

Zhang Ruonan took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and nodded: "Okay, I understand, thank you — Chaoyue."

Yang Chaoyue glanced back, then quickly said to Zhang Ruonan, "They're here. Wait here, I'll go get them."

After saying that, he jogged towards the door.

Zhang Ruonan stood there, her heart suddenly racing.

She instinctively looked in that direction.

A group of people had already entered from the direction of the entrance.

The person walking at the very front was a man.

She is very tall, with an excessively good body proportion, and walks with a confident stride, but without any sense of urgency.

Zhang Ruonan's gaze moved upwards, fixing on that familiar face.

I see it trending on social media every day, but the impact is completely different when the real person stands in front of me.

With deep-set eyes, a straight nose, and a jawline even more defined than in photos, she looks like she stepped right out of a magazine cover.

The forest is deep.

It really is a deep forest.

Zhang Ruonan stood rooted to the spot, with only one thought in her mind—

I spent over an hour doing my makeup, so I don't think that counts as a waste of time?