Yao Jing was originally the Deputy General Manager in charge of artist management affairs. Due to the downturn in business at Starlight in recent years, they were unable to find any promising talents despite signing many people. Yao Jing spared no effort, using all her connections and running tirelessly, but she couldn’t find the breakthrough that Starlight needed. Faced with this situation, Yao Jing started considering a transfer.
Coincidentally, there was an incident where Xie Guan got into a fight with Mr. Zhang at a hotel. On that night, Yao Jing played a crucial role in getting Xie Guan fired during a high-level meeting. She then used Xie Guan’s termination as leverage and successfully hitched her wagon to Mr. Zhang.
While Mr. Zhang blacklisted Xie Guan in the industry; he also expressed interest in collaborating with Starlight. Seizing this opportunity despite the unfavorable situation, she made an impression on Starlight’s CEO Yang Rong. He thought she was a skilled dealmaker and transferred her to the film and television investment department, forcing another Deputy General Manager to resign.
Yao Jing held a clear understanding of the current situation. Her future did not lie with the declining Starlight but with Mr. Zhang and his media company, Sichuan Media. He was the type of person who would change his stance based on public opinion, especially in matters concerning reputation, and she needed to align herself with him in such situations.
If it were any other director, they might have yielded under the pressure of the two major investors, but this time, they met their match. Bai Lu Zhou was a staunch advocate of artistic integrity, having confronted numerous investors head-on. Someone like Zhang Heshan hardly posed a threat to her.
Seeing Mr. Zhang at a disadvantage, Yao Jing cursed Xie Guan in her heart a thousand times over, wishing she could tear him apart. This was the first project she secured since her transfer to the film and television investment department, and she was determined not to let it fail because of him. In a matter of seconds, she made up her mind: if Bai Luzhou couldn’t be persuaded, she would push Xie Guan to be their opponent. Yao Jing was convinced that no matter how ambitious He Run Tiancheng was, they couldn’t accommodate an artist with such a bad reputation.
Yao Jing put on a facade of deep concern while simultaneously guarding against Xie Guan’s potential outbursts. She passionately described how the company treated him with unparalleled kindness and invested heavily in him. She painted Xie Guan as a malicious person who violently attacked Boss Zhang, a crucial partner for the company. Both directly and in between the lines, she accused him of being a ruthless scoundrel.
While Yao Jing brought up old issues, Zhang Heshan listened to her narrative and suddenly remembered the unexpected guest who intervened that night.
He heard of that person before and initially thought it was a case of mistaken identity. Now as he was recalling the situation and considering Bai Luzhou’s exceptional attention to Xie Guan, he suddenly had a bad feeling.
Could it be that man who assisted Xie Guan in establishing a connection with Bai Luzhou? If that was true, then the current siege against Xie Guan—
The consequences would be terrifying. Just the thought of it made Zhang Heshan break out in a cold sweat.
Yao Jing was about to continue saying that no company was willing to hire Xie Guan after he left Starlight, but Mr. Zhang hurriedly interrupted her, “Alright, stop talking.”
Yao Jing was stunned, and seeing that Zhang Heshan didn’t want any explanation, she felt a cold sweat, and quickly added, “Boss Zhang, you are generous not to hold grudges against him. Director Bai, please be careful not to be deceived by appearances.”
There were also other Starlight staff present. At this point, they all looked down on Yao Jing. First, they never saw someone backstabbing so viciously; Xie Guan was no longer part of Starlight, and she was still smearing his name in front of the cooperating parties. Second, Yao Jing was Starlight’s vice president. She was humiliating herself by groveling in front of Zhang Heshan, and her hypocritical face was truly nauseating.
Bai Luezhou furrowed her brows, but she did not respond. She turned directly to Xie Guan and asked, “What do you have to say?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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It was almost equivalent to a meaningless statement.
Bai Luezhou waited for his explanation, but Xie Guan refused to say more. “Everyone has a mouth, and I can’t control what they say. Everyone has their own judgment, and I also can’t influence that. All I can say is, I have a clear conscience. If the same situation happened again, I would still do the same thing.”
“You won’t give a reason? How can I trust you if you don’t say why?” Bai Luezhou didn’t expect that hiring an actor could involve such a mess. Suppressing her anger, she asked, “You’ve already fought with someone; what else is there that you’re afraid to say?!”
This statement shocked Yao Jing and Zhang Heshan. The representative from He Run Tiancheng cleared his throat heavily, reminding Director Bai to mind her words.
Xie Guan smiled lightly.
His smile was very relaxed, as if he didn’t care at all about the suspicions, accusations, and anger filling the room. There was even a touch of carefreeness in his demeanor. However, that appearance of warmth only hovered on the corners of his lips, never reaching his eyes.
“I won’t mention scars that involve others,” he cast an apologetic glance at Bai Luzhou, “I’m sorry you had to hear such unpleasant things. I have nothing to explain in this matter.”
Bai Luzhou stared at him, seemingly lost in thought.
Directors are quite sensitive to actors’ emotions. She might not be able to discern exactly what Xie Guan was thinking, but she knew that in this situation, an ordinary person’s emotions wouldn’t be so calm and steady.
He was too quiet, like a stagnant pool of water. He endured being insulted for over half an hour without retorting, as if he had already prepared himself to be abandoned.
He harbored no expectations, so he simply allowed people to speak without arguing back.
This was completely different from the arrogant and unruly image Bai Luzhou witnessed under Director He’s lens.
One setback couldn’t possibly erode someone’s spirit to this extent. What had happened to him?
Bai Luzhou didn’t know about Huo Mingjun. She never liked Yao Jing and Zhang Heshan, so she instinctively placed the blame on these two individuals. Combining this with Zhang Heshan’s previous threats, she concluded that Xinghui and Sichuan must have secretly done something to hinder Xie Guan, causing him to lose his passion for his career.
When Bai Luzhou first entered the industry, she won international film festival awards with her debut film Dance of Ashes, establishing herself as a talented director. However, she experienced a five-year lull in her career before finally making a comeback with the film The Spring Breeze is Green Again. Her low point was due to her youthful arrogance, leading her to offend a highly respected director in the industry. As a result, she faced numerous restrictions in her filmmaking endeavors until that senior director’s passing, which finally gave her a chance to rise again.
Regarding being a victim of “unwritten rules,” Bai Luzhou thought she had more experience than Xie Guan and suffered worse. So, drawing from her own experiences, she believed that Xie Guan was simply too timid and thin-skinned. A real man should face challenges head-on. How could he give up on his dreams of reaching for the stars and the vast expanse of the universe just because of a couple of scoundrels?
She waved her hand decisively. “Enough, thanks for your concern General Manager Yao, but you don’t need to worry about me. I have the final say in professional matters. If you want to part ways, feel free to do so. You can find someone else.”
Yao Jing was anxious. “Director Bai!”
Bai Luzhou seemed impatient and ready to leave. The people around her hurriedly approached, while wearing smiles and trying to placate her. “Director Bai, please don’t rush. We’re here to discuss and communicate. Let’s talk things over. If you leave, how can we continue shooting the film? Please, have a seat…”
The scene became chaotic and Xie Guan’s heart skipped a beat. He opened his mouth but couldn’t make a sound, feeling a dryness in his throat.
He assumed he was being abandoned, so he watched the spectacle with detachment. But now at this moment, when Bai Luzhou staunchly stood by his side, he suddenly realized he was incredibly nervous about the impending judgment.
The human heart isn’t made of stone. However much he pretended, there was still a crack in his facade.
Under the persuasion of everyone, Bai Luzhou snorted and sat back down. It seemed that He Run Tiancheng’s respect for her far outweighed any restrictions. Even when she confronted the financial backers, her rebuttals were smooth and practiced, skillfully placating the situation.
Yao Jing was still unwilling, but Zhang Heshan figured out her underlying interests. During the tea break, he quickly sent a message to his assistant and asked him to check Xie Guan’s recent situation. Yao Jing didn’t dare to approach Xie Guan directly. She sent him several WeChat messages, but Zhang Heshan ignored them, ducking into the restroom and refusing to come out until the meeting resumed.
The first half of the meeting achieved almost nothing. The three parties ended up quarreling over the supporting male role, leading to a standstill. When the second half began, He Run Tiancheng and Sichuan tacitly skipped over Xie Guan’s issue and moved straight to the main topic. Starlight, on the other hand, was completely absorbed in conspiracies and intrigues. They failed to react in time, and by the time Yao Jing had an opportunity to speak, they already lost the initiative on crucial matters.
The abrupt harmony in the atmosphere caught Xie Guan off guard. The well-dressed executives finally found their footing again, launching into lengthy discussions about investments and profit distribution. The person who was the focus of attention in the first half now became the most relaxed one in the room.
Suddenly, Zhang Heshan’s phone on the table lit up. Xie Guan casually glanced at it and happened to meet his covert gaze.
In that instant, Xie Guan thought he was seeing things. He actually glimpsed a flicker of fear in that old bastard’s eyes.
Was this a conditioned reflex he developed after Xie Guan retaliated?
Huo Mingjun’s whereabouts were untraceable even with Zhang Heshan’s methods, but just Xie Guan’s post-Starlight experience was enough to astonish him. After hitting a wall, Xie Guan disappeared for a while and then immediately signed with Xihua Entertainment upon his return. He secured the role of the third male lead in Pang Zhonghua’s Youth of Martial Arts without any delay. Later, he caught Bai Luzhou’s eye and became a special guest actor in the film version of Rising Tide of the Blue Sea.
Xie Guan’s experiences in Hong Kong were carefully hidden, but the presence of both Huo Mingjun and Ye Zheng on the set surprised Zhang Heshan. Although they kept a low profile, they inadvertently attracted attention, allowing Zhang Heshan’s assistant to find a blurry side profile picture.
Huo Mingjun was tall with distinct facial features. Even in a low-resolution image, he was easily recognizable. He was face-to-face with another person, the one with a black down jacket that looked like a water bucket. The brim of a duckbill cap revealed most of the person’s face – wasn’t it Xie Guan, who was sitting at the other end of the conference table?
In an instant, Zhang Heshan’s sweat glands opened wide, and cold sweat dripped down his neck, soaking the collar of his shirt.
The person sitting next to him from He Run Tiancheng noticed his unusual state and exclaimed, “Oh my, Mr. Zhang, why are you sweating so much? Is the air conditioning too high?”
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing,” Zhang Heshan repeatedly wiped himself with tissues. He didn’t dare to glance in Xie Guan’s direction, “I’ve been sitting for too long and felt a bit suffocated.”
The person from He Run Tiancheng said, “Since our discussion is almost over, let’s end it here today. I’ll host a gathering tonight and invite everyone to dinner. Please do attend.”
Yao Jing hesitated for a moment but still couldn’t let it go, asking, “What about the actor on this side…”
The people from Horizon Media were growing increasingly irritated with this insignificant vice president. For a project as significant as Rising Tide of the Blue Sea, she was fixated on a minor actor and refused to let go. Acting sly under the noses of these industry giants once or twice might have been tolerable, but she just wouldn’t stop. This petty behavior made it difficult for the cooperating parties to rely on their investment and casting decisions.
Furthermore, their main decision-maker remained silent, so why was this persistent troublemaker still barking endlessly?
Seeing the tension on the face of the person in charge, Zhang Heshan discerned the situation and immediately stopped her, “Since Director Bai insists on using this actor, outsiders like us should respect the opinions of professionals. When choosing someone for a position, we should not let personal grudges cloud our judgment. Let’s settle this matter this way.”
This time, not only Yao Jing but even Xie Guan was shocked.
Zhang Heshan, who cared so much about his reputation and held grudges, actually uttered the words “we should not let personal grudges cloud our judgment.” How thick must the layer of lard covering his heart be to say something so noble and righteous?!
Pfft, more face slapping to those idiots pls
Heh heh!!!!!!! 🙄🤣
💖💖💖💖