Dazed and disoriented.
The premiere began, and then it ended. Leaving the cinema, moving to another venue, it wasn't until the Jiang sisters led her into a bustling cocktail party that Lin Zhao finally snapped back to reality.
Seeing far more familiar faces than at the lunch gathering earlier, Lin Zhao grew increasingly uneasy.
The Jiang sisters escorted her in, gave her a few instructions, and then disappeared, saying they were going to grab some dinner. Lin Zhao scanned the crowd, spotting Chen Qing chatting and laughing with others. She wanted to approach her but instinctively felt it might annoy Chen Qing. Left to her own devices, she wandered around the hall with a glass of champagne, trying to blend in.
She hoped no one would notice her.
Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side.
"Miss Lin, hello. My name is Dong. Here's my business card."
Faced with the middle-aged man's approach, Lin Zhao was momentarily stunned before politely accepting the card. She glanced at it—HuaYi Film Company. She vaguely recalled hearing about another company with a similar name during lunch. Were they the same?
She tucked the card into her Hermès handbag and pretended to be composed. "Hello, Mr. Dong."
"I noticed your presence on the red carpet before the premiere started and wanted to introduce myself. May I ask where you're currently working?"
Mr. Dong gestured toward the handbag where she had just placed his card.
Lin Zhao understood but could only shake her head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Dong. I don't have a business card."
"Oh, that's alright," Mr. Dong replied with an unchanged smile. "Actually, our company is currently investing in Jiang Wen's new film, Devils on the Doorstep. Miss Lin, there's a role in it that you might be perfect for."
Lin Zhao hadn't been privy to Chen Qing's conversation with Wang Da after lunch, so she didn't know Chen Qing's stance on Jiang Wen's new project. Hearing the famous director's name, she took it more seriously and replied honestly, "Mr. Dong, I don't know how to act."
"Miss Lin, you must be modest. I heard the host introduce you with quite a few titles earlier. By the way, Jiang Wen is here. Why don't we go over and chat with him?"
Lin Zhao wasn't experienced in these situations, but she wasn't foolish. She quickly realized what was happening. However, her pride had already been shattered by Chen Qing over the course of the day. Moreover, Mr. Dong hadn't done anything overtly rude, so she couldn't bring herself to be cold.
Just as she was unsure how to respond, another voice interrupted, addressing Mr. Dong.
"Old Dong, didn't expect to see you here."
Lin Zhao looked over and saw the Wang brothers from the lunch gathering.
The two Wangs exchanged pleasantries with Mr. Dong before turning to greet Lin Zhao. As she awkwardly responded, Wang Da hooked an arm around Mr. Dong's shoulder and led him away, saying they had matters to discuss. Wang Er stayed behind, exchanging a few polite words with Lin Zhao before leaving without further ado.
Realizing the brothers had just helped her out of an awkward situation, Lin Zhao breathed a sigh of relief.
Still, she wondered how long the party would last and whether she'd face more situations she couldn't handle.
Meanwhile, Wang Da, after leading Mr. Dong a safe distance away, said in a low voice, "Old Dong, don't say I didn't warn you. That woman is off-limits. Even we can't afford to mess with her."
The two were familiar with each other, so Mr. Dong's initial annoyance at being pulled away quickly dissipated. Curious, he asked, "Who is she?"
Wang Da gestured toward Chen Qing, who was chatting and laughing with President Tong of China Film Group. "It's hard to say, but she was brought here by Miss Chen. You know her, right?"
Mr. Dong, whose background in Beijing's circles ran deeper than the Wang brothers', certainly knew Chen Qing. He glanced over and immediately abandoned any further thoughts.
She was truly out of his league.
However, recalling recent events, Mr. Dong turned back to Wang Da. "Jinshu's been recruiting lately. You know about that, right?"
Wang Da nodded. Remembering Chen Qing's words from lunch, he wasn't foolish enough to confide in Mr. Dong, but he still shared a bit. "We've sent word too, but no response yet."
Mr. Dong sighed regretfully. "At least you've got a foot in the door. I was outright rejected, probably because they think I'm an outsider."
Wang Da shared his regret, though internally he understood why. It likely had to do with Jiang Wen's Devils on the Doorstep. Chen Qing had clearly expressed her dislike for the project during lunch. Thinking about it, the script did have many sensitive elements, making a domestic release unlikely. The focus would have to be on overseas markets.
That was where the real money was.
Like Jiang Wen's previous film, In the Heat of the Sun, which grossed 50 million domestically—the highest for a domestic film that year—but only broke even due to overspending. The real profit came from overseas sales, which amounted to several million dollars, a significant sum when converted to RMB.
After chatting for a bit, Mr. Dong pulled Wang Da toward Jiang Wen to discuss Devils on the Doorstep.
Wang Da had no intention of getting involved, but he had to play along for now. He also didn't plan to reveal his stance immediately. If Mr. Dong caught on, he'd just become another competitor for resources.
While Wang Da and Mr. Dong headed toward Jiang Wen, Wang Er was exchanging pleasantries with Chen Qing and others, listening intently as she discussed the promotional strategy for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
"Given Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's popularity in North America, the box office won't be low. However, breaking $100 million will be difficult. The film has an artistic edge that might not appeal to the masses."
"Since you're saying this, Miss Chen, you must have a solution?"
"It's inspired by how Hollywood promotes art films," Chen Qing said, glancing at Wang Er. "Mr. Wang, since you're in advertising, you should understand. To promote a product, first, you need to make its existence known. Second, and equally important, you need to show people why it's good. Right now, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's promotion has only completed the first step."
Wang Er, seeing Chen Qing include him, smiled and nodded along, even though he had no real insight into the matter.
Still, being noticed by the bigwigs from China Film Group and Beijing Film Studio, Wang Er was grateful for Chen Qing's casual inclusion.
Chen Qing continued without waiting for questions. "Hollywood's approach is usually to first attend film festivals, host grand premieres, and then get media coverage. That completes the first step of making the film known. The second step is to have a large number of film critics write reviews in newspapers. On one hand, this further spreads awareness. On the other, if it's a good film, the critics' analyses can help audiences understand what makes it special, drawing more people to the theaters. Most successful art films in the U.S., including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, follow this pattern."
President Tong of China Film Group nodded in understanding. "I see. We need to reach out to newspapers and media to tell audiences what makes Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon special."
"Exactly. So, President Tong, we'll need your team to put in more effort."
"Of course. If the Americans can sell $100 million, we can't let our own country fall short. In fact, there's been some discussion about organizing group viewings, but since it's not a mainstream theme, it wasn't approved. I'll draft a report and have our writers publish more reviews. That shouldn't be a problem."
Wang Er listened with envy.
Even without official group viewings, the presence of several high-ranking officials at the premiere would send a clear message. Combined with the upcoming media buzz, the film would have no trouble breaking 100 million RMB.
Chen Qing chatted with President Tong and the others for a while longer before moving on to mingle elsewhere. Along the way, she shooed away Lin Zhao, who had unconsciously drifted closer. She wasn't a child who needed to cling to an adult.
Next, she approached Ren Jingxi.
The filming of My Fair Princess was still ongoing and had recently moved to Beijing.
Seizing the opportunity, Jinshu arranged for the show's three leading ladies to make an appearance today for early promotion, as they were also signed artists.
Ren Jingxi had come along to network, remembering the lessons she'd learned from her mentor. To thrive in this industry, she needed to build connections.
Even if it went against her nature, she forced herself to do it.
Chen Qing was aware of Ren Jingxi's efforts and had no particular bias against her. She even joked about a recent matter: "The name 'Huanzhu Film Company'—you really didn't put much thought into it, did you?"
Since they were breaking things down to avoid drawing too much attention, My Fair Princess was unavoidable.
After all, Kangxi Microblog had an average viewership rating of around 40%, while My Fair Princess had reached 60% and sparked a nationwide craze.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Simon had personally instructed Ren Jingxi to establish a film company. Even if some people eventually figured out its origins, at least it would provide a surface-level explanation.
Ren Jingxi smiled at Chen Qing's teasing. "This is my first TV project. Naming the company this way serves as motivation, whether it succeeds or fails."
In truth, Ren Jingxi had privately considered another name: "Weijing Film Company"—a combination of "Westeros" and "Jingxi." She had lingered on the idea late one night after finishing work, but by morning, she faced reality.
Even if he agreed, Chen Qing would never allow it.
After working together for so long, Ren Jingxi knew Chen Qing wasn't someone to cross. While Simon controlled Jinshu from behind the scenes, he was often too busy, leaving Chen Qing as the de facto decision-maker. Her dominance was such that even the strong-willed management team bowed to her.
Ren Jingxi didn't want to risk making an enemy.
Chen Qing, unaware of Ren Jingxi's internal struggles—though she would have been furious if she knew about the "Weijing" idea—casually asked about the progress of My Fair Princess.
As Chen Qing and Ren Jingxi chatted, the three leading ladies of My Fair Princess quickly approached to greet them.
Chen Qing had a favorable impression of the three sharp-witted young women and exchanged a few words with them. She even half-jokingly warned them not to flirt too much at the party.
The three women feigned grievance.
They hadn't received the same treatment as Jiang Anqi or Princess Xu. Why were they being restricted like this?
It wasn't fair.
Chen Qing, of course, didn't care about fairness. Any woman her boss had been involved with, even if he didn't plan to keep her, had to behave under her watch. Only when she completely forgot about them would they be free.
Noticing the women's discontent, Chen Qing became even more direct, ordering them to leave the party.
What were they thinking?
Didn't they have work tomorrow?
The reception lasted until 11 p.m. Chen Qing was among the last to leave, dragging along Lin Zhao, who had wanted to leave much earlier.
Chen Qing didn't return to the courtyard house on South Houhai with Lin Zhao.
Lin Zhao was sent back alone. Exhausted, she had just entered the house when a group of "fierce" girls surrounded her, demanding to know what had happened.
They had seen Lin Zhao on the live broadcast of the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon premiere red carpet.
And that long list of titles.
Actress, singer, model... and so on.
When had all this happened?
Lin Zhao had no energy to explain. She went straight to her room, filled the bathtub with hot water, undressed, and submerged herself.
Only when she felt like she was suffocating did she resurface.
After taking several deep breaths, she finally confirmed.
This wasn't a dream.
A knock on the bathroom door interrupted her. It was her roommate, Xia Panxi. Lin Zhao initially ignored it but heard that her mother was on the phone. Reluctantly, she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and opened the door.
Xia Panxi handed her a cordless phone and opened her mouth to say something, but Lin Zhao had already closed the door.
Back in the bathtub, Lin Zhao spoke into the phone. "Mom, hang up first. I'll call you back."
It was a habit.
Long-distance calls were expensive.
Hearing the dial tone, Lin Zhao pressed the buttons to call back, thinking that if Chen Qing saw her doing this, she'd scold her—not for being frugal, but for lacking sophistication. But how could she, a girl from a small city who had just stepped out of the ivory tower, be sophisticated?
The call connected, and her mother bombarded her with questions.
It turned out that someone back home had seen the live broadcast of her attending the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon premiere. Now, her relatives and friends were buzzing.
Famous actress, singer, model, film producer, fashion designer, advertising strategist, and entrepreneur.
Lin Zhao felt a pang of guilt. Which of these titles actually applied to her?
Facing her mother's questions, Lin Zhao could only brace herself and say, "Mom, it's just some promotional activities arranged by the company. It's all fake. Please explain that to everyone."
"...No, the three-month training just started. How could I have gotten that advertising contract?"
"...Yes, I'm considered promising..."
"...Let's not talk about this. Mom, has Xiao Yan's high school enrollment been settled? The 10,000 yuan I sent last time..."
"...It's already spent? 8,000? That's such a high sponsorship fee..."
"...It's fine. Going to the same high school as me and Xiao Zhi is good. It'll be easier for him to get into college later. You and Dad should keep a closer eye on him. Don't let him play around so much..."
"...Beijing? I'm not even sure if I can stay in Beijing myself. How can I bring him here?"
"...I told you, it's all fake... Okay... Okay... Let's end it here. Long-distance calls are expensive. I'll hang up now..."
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