Garden District, Blue Horizon Club.
Aside from Xie Guan, Wang Zhe brought along two newly signed female artists, both of whom were art students. Xie Guan recognized one of them as the well-known internet sensation “Sister Lisa,” whose real name was Yin Lisha. She had crossed paths with Xie Guan at the company before. The other shy girl was called Sun Xiao, and she didn’t say much during the journey, instead fiddling with the metal chain of her backpack. Sun Xiao also appeared quite nervous; perhaps she did not join voluntarily.
Xie Guan chuckled inwardly at his untimely thoughts. He was totally out of his element and still found himself concerned about the state of others.
When he saw that Weibo post, the bottom line that Xie Guan refused to compromise on for so long seemed to waver. The speed of his breakdown was terrifying, and for a moment, every hair on his body stood on end. However, he soon realized that his loosening resolve wasn’t because he envied those around him, but because he tasted what it was like to be valued, and could no longer tolerate the days of obscurity as before.
Shooting The Rising Tides of the Blue Sea showed him a distant glimmer of hope and made him vividly aware of the darkness he was in.
Agreeing to attend the dinner with Wang Zhe tonight was an opportunity. Even if The Rising Tides of the Blue Sea didn’t become a huge hit, it would at least maintain a certain level of popularity for some time. With the support of this drama, all Xie Guan needed to do was reach out a bit more, and he could touch the ceiling.
If he participated in a few more dinners during this period, presenting himself as cooperative and willing to work with the company, and manage to secure a couple of valuable opportunities, he could slowly establish his own reputation. This would allow him to gradually escape from the current situation where he was entirely under the company’s control.
The only thing he feared was that once he compromised, it would be difficult to regain his past determination. He was afraid that once he tasted the sweetness of selling smiles, he would look back on those four years of sitting on the cold bench and consider it a foolish decision.
As they were all newcomers, Wang Zhe gave them several reminders in the car. Essentially, he advised them to maintain a good attitude, avoid being pretentious or annoying, do whatever the investors asked, and make grand promises to secure resources after this event. Even as they walked out of the elevator, Xie Guan still felt disconnected from reality. Like his consciousness remained stuck several hours in the past, he had no insight into what was about to unfold.
The heavy, soundproof door of the private room led to another world. The cacophony of voices and billowing smoke hit them all at once, causing a commotion like the noise of a bustling poultry market. A well-known industry producer had arranged this dinner, and seated next to Xie Guan was a director named Han Ke, while the rest were high-level executives from film and television companies. Wang Zhe exchanged pleasantries around the table, but few paid much attention to their group — it was understandable given the room was filled with mostly men, and naturally, Xie Guan didn’t hold much appeal. As for Yin Lisha and Sun Xiao, their looks could only be considered average compared to others in the entertainment industry.
On the other hand, Directly Han Ke stared at Xie Guan for a while and asked with a smile, “You look somewhat familiar. What projects have you worked on?”
Xie Guan quickly listed a few, but since he had very few opportunities to appear on screen, and Han Ke couldn’t be expected to remember every minor actor, the conversation didn’t lead anywhere.
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.
Xie Guan and his group took their seats at the end of the table. The two main seats were still vacant, and as the banquet hadn’t officially started, the guests were primarily engaged in smoking, chatting, and exchanging business cards. They couldn’t find an opening to join the conversation, so they kept smiling and remained quiet as wallflowers. Not long after, Xie Guan felt someone touch his hand under the table. Yin Lisha discreetly passed him two pieces of chocolate and whispered, “Have something sweet to prepare yourself; it’ll help you not get too drunk when we start drinking.”
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The two were escorted to the main seats, where food and wine flowed abundantly. Xie Guan was called over to pour wine for Ms. Nie, the female executive. He was quite attentive and refrained from joining in the conversations at the table.
Instead, he focused on carefully serving Ms. Nie, occasionally shielding her from drinking. Several times in a row, just as she was thinking of something, it had already been prepared by Xie Guan. Ms. Nie couldn’t help but glance at the young man beside her several times.
Xie Guan was undeniably handsome, but his appeal didn’t stem from delicate and pretty features. Instead, his facial features were harmonious, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly what made him attractive, but the overall effect was still very pleasing. His movements completely lacked any awkwardness and even the few attempts at pleasing others were graceful. He had the charm and brightness of youth while exuding the maturity of a grown man.
Ms. Nie, approaching fifty with a successful career and no children of her own, found herself feeling a touch of fondness for Xie Guan. Her gaze softened considerably as she accepted a small bowl of sweet soup he handed her and asked, “Alright, take a break. You seem familiar, have you acted in any dramas?”
Xie Guan had an average tolerance for alcohol and was halfway to being tipsy after a few drinks, making him more relaxed than usual. Today, he had been asked this question several times, but he patiently recounted his acting experiences to Ms. Nie one by one. His experience as an extra in the world of 18th-tier minor celebrities was hardly worth mentioning in the industry, and sharing it usually drew laughter. However, Xie Guan remained unapologetic, using his on-set experiences as anecdotes to amuse Ms. Nie and the people around her. He effortlessly entertained them while maintaining his composure and even poured tea for Ms. Nie, saying, “Have some water to soothe your throat.”
Ms. Nie couldn’t resist such a genuine display of friendliness, and she secretly took an interest in this young star named Xie Guan. She thought he had a well-rounded appearance and a pleasant personality, and with the right opportunity, he could soar to great heights.
As she pondered this, there was suddenly a stifled commotion nearby. Ms. Nie turned her head and saw the two female artists brought by Wang Zhe sitting on either side of Mr. Zhang. The older man presented a somewhat dignified appearance above the table, but underneath it, his stubby fingers had already ventured under the short skirt of one of the girls. The young woman’s face turned crimson, but she dared not speak up, only attempting to subtly wriggle free.
Ms. Nie furrowed her brows slightly but quickly masked her expression and turned her attention elsewhere.
Mr. Zhang was known for his fondness for young stars and had a notorious reputation for his promiscuity. His projects couldn’t keep up with his pace of sleeping with female stars, and he often refused to acknowledge such encounters afterward. Even in the entertainment industry, rife with unwritten rules, his reputation was infamous. Most likely, the artist’s agent knew about this, but from the looks of it, they hadn’t informed their artist.
Xie Guan followed Ms. Nie’s gaze to the commotion but couldn’t get a clear view. Sun Xiao, whom Mr. Zhang was holding, had her back turned towards him. Xie Guan couldn’t discern whether her slight struggle was due to reluctance or simply a playful act, and hesitated to intervene.
Seeing Sun Xiao scared half to death with tears in her eyes, Yin Lisha couldn’t bear it any longer.
She filled Mr. Zhang’s glass and offered to toast him, seizing the opportunity to divert his attention from the other girl.
To her surprise, the inebriated Mr. Zhang said, “A toast should be done like this! Come here… let me show you.”
Yin Lisha cursed inwardly but had to maintain a smile. “How should it be done, then?” she asked.
Mr. Zhang, with a flushed face, downed his drink, then smirked and reached out to hug Yin Lisha’s neck. He pressed his heavy body against her and attempted to engage in a cheek-to-cheek toast, much to the amusement of the others at the table.
Suddenly, a muffled thud came from beneath the table.
Fueled by an unexpected surge of strength, Yin Lisha pushed Mr. Zhang away. He swayed for a moment, unable to maintain his balance, and tumbled under the table.
People rushed over to assist him, and the situation quickly turned chaotic. Someone amidst the commotion exclaimed, “You come here to drink and amuse us, yet you pretend to be a chaste and virtuous lady. Who are you trying to fool?” The comment rattled Yin Lisha, causing her body to tremble and to steady herself, she had to lean against the nearby wall.
Having been helped up by the others, Mr. Zhang didn’t receive any injuries besides a bruised ego, which he couldn’t bear. With an ominous expression, he pushed past the people trying to assist him and walked directly up to Yin Lisha. Grabbing her hair, he raised his hand to deliver a resounding slap and spat out angrily, “You little bitch!”
Yin Lisha, with her hair firmly in his grasp, stumbled towards the door, tripping over something near the liquor cabinet. Mr. Zhang was furious and aimed to ram her head into the corner of the cabinet.
There were several well-dressed men standing around, but not a single one stepped forward to intervene.
However, she narrowly avoided the collision in the end.
Xie Guan quickly intervened, using one hand to shield the edge of the cabinet and the other to hold Mr. Zhang’s arm firmly.
“Mr. Zhang,” he said calmly, “just now, she acted recklessly and offended you, and you’ve already reprimanded her. If a real collision were to occur, it could lead to serious consequences.”
Wang Zhe, who had been pretending to be unconscious, finally spoke up, “Xie Guan, this isn’t your business. Step aside!”
Mr. Zhang stared at Xie Guan’s face and then at the hand restraining his own. He grinned with a mix of sarcasm and aggression, “Well, you’ve got some guts. Is this bitch your mistress? You came here to show off your heroism to me—”
“She’s my colleague,” Xie Guan replied in a humble tone, “I apologize on her behalf. But she’s just a young girl and can’t withstand a beating. I kindly request you to spare her.”
Mr. Zhang’s reply came with a punch and a gust of wind, “—You’re just a damn nobody!”
As it turned out, Xie Guan’s martial skills might not have been particularly destructive, but his agility and speed were impressive. He dodged Mr. Zhang’s consecutive punches with ease, and the other couldn’t even touch his clothes. The enraged older man chased him relentlessly, while Xie Guan continued to retreat. Finally, his back was pressed against the cold door.
With no escape route left, Xie Guan suddenly heard the knocking of a waiter outside the door.
In the blink of an eye, Mr. Zhang swung down with a heavy fist. Xie Guan’s eyes flickered, and he twisted the doorknob behind him, swiftly turning and pulling open the private room door.
Mr. Zhang with his unstoppable momentum watched in astonishment as a waiter appeared in the doorway, his eyes wide with surprise.
Confident in the belief that Xie Guan wouldn’t be able to escape, the older man threw a powerful punch, promptly hitting the waiter squarely in the face.
Crash.
The grasp of capitalists on various industries. As much as i revere money and the opportunities it provided our ascent to modernity… i also am sickened by the power it has over us. The lengths people will go to, just to have that flicker of hope harkens back to the story of Pandora’s box curiousity; letting demons and sin fly high just to grasp for that small glimmer of brilliance aat the bottom of that narrow pithos.
I’m just supposed to comment on that sleazy pig, but I wrote for the student paper recently and got carried away, writing small snippets of prose.
Also, subconsciously typing Pandora’s box, instead of her pithos just shows you how engrained that term is to modern society… or at least to my brain.
Ppl like that zhang pig are so despicable.. 😩
😤😤😤