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Jinhui Building, Ultron Film & Television Production Company
Inside the office, Yan Chengyi closed the webpage in his browser with a heavy sigh.
The page he had just closed was from Wave Blog.
And what caused this director to sigh was the hot gossip spreading all over the blogosphere these past few days: Chen Fei'er was about to star in a TV drama, and the male lead she was working with was none other than Lu Chen, the man she'd once been rumored to be involved with.
This show, titled Autumn in My Heart, hadn't even started filming yet but was already generating a massive buzz. What's more, the scriptwriter was actually Lu Chen himself. This rising star in the pop music world clearly had ambitions of breaking into the TV and film industry.
Originally, Ultron Films had a real chance to sign him!
Thinking about it now made Yan Chengyi feel utterly helpless. He had poured everything into preparing for the second season of Urban Love, and picking Lu Chen for an important supporting role wasn't just about his looks and talent; it was also because of the massive popularity he held among younger audiences.
Lu Chen's Wave Blog had over ten million followers, and just his name alone could boost ratings by a few percentage points.
Who could've expected that, during the casting process, the investors would pull a fast one and reject Lu Chen in favor of the so-called fresh-faced Jiang Dongjun, handing him the role of Chen Yaoyang?
Yan Chengyi felt like he'd been publicly slapped in the face.
Back during filming for Urban Love's first season, he'd already had some friction with the investors. He thought it was just a professional disagreement and wouldn't affect future collaboration, but clearly, he had been too naive.
As for Jiang Dongjun, to be honest, Yan Chengyi had zero respect for the guy. Aside from a slightly androgynous face, he had no acting chops, no real talent. How could someone like that convincingly play a courageous, capable police officer like Chen Yaoyang?
The thought of having to grit his teeth and shoot this show anyway made Yan Chengyi feel downright dejected.
As for the news of Lu Chen's new TV project, Director Yan couldn't help but smirk coldly.
He knew exactly what this move meant, it was Lu Chen striking back hard at Jiang Dongjun and the people behind him.
Don't let Yan Chengyi's age fool you, he kept up with online trends just as well as any young person. He was fully aware of how Jiang Dongjun and his management had tried to stir up publicity by stepping on Lu Chen in various media outlets.
That's just how cutthroat the entertainment industry was.
Lu Chen had stayed silent through it all, refusing to engage and giving them no more chances to exploit the situation.
But that silence clearly wasn't submission, it was just him pulling back his fist.
So that when he swung, it would land with full force!
And what a punch it was. Bringing in someone of Chen Fei'er's stature immediately took the spotlight and made all of Jiang Dongjun's little PR tricks look laughable. It was a clean, powerful slap in the face.
"You think I'm scared of playing the game? Nah, I just don't bother with the small stuff. You want to play? Let's go big."
Yan Chengyi silently added this line on Lu Chen's behalf. He could already guess that Autumn in My Heart was very likely going to go head-to-head with Urban Love's second season. Now that would be fun to watch.
As the director of Urban Love, Yan Chengyi couldn't help but feel a bit schadenfreude.
He hadn't even read the script yet, but his gut told him that with Chen Fei'er attached, Autumn in My Heart had a high chance of becoming a hit, completely steamrolling Urban Love.
Unless, of course, Urban Love aired at a different time to avoid direct competition.
But would that even be possible?
Yan Chengyi shook his head.
Ultron and the investors had already finalized the schedule and started promotions. There was simply no justification for a delay.
For the first time, Yan Chengyi had the urge to walk away from the project.
He didn't want to end up being the scapegoat!
In stark contrast to Yan Chengyi's doubts, Zhu Minghe, the deputy manager of Baolong Film's production department, was brimming with confidence.
He had also seen the online buzz, but he wasn't impressed.
Honestly, the fact that Lu Chen had managed to get Chen Fei'er on board did surprise Zhu Minghe. If Lu Chen had brought her out during the negotiations, maybe they could've discussed it more seriously.
But now that the chance had passed, Zhu Minghe didn't feel it was much of a loss.
"That show won't succeed. Even with Chen Fei'er attached, it won't change anything,"
Zhu Minghe confidently told his superior, Baolong Film's Deputy General Manager and Artistic Director. "The story's way too tragic, audiences won't go for it. Chen Fei'er's fee won't be cheap, either. The investment risk is just too high!"
"And more importantly, Lu Chen's asking price was outrageous. I couldn't possibly agree to that."
The Artistic Director, surnamed Wu, was a seasoned veteran in the entertainment business. He nodded, replying meaningfully, "If that's really the case, then there's no problem, as long as you're clear on where you stand."
Zhu Minghe smiled and replied, "Got it, Boss Wu."
After Director Wu left, Zhu Minghe sat back down, picked up his teacup, and took a sip,
Only to find the tea had gone completely cold.
He frowned, a dark cloud forming in his mind. There was an inexplicable feeling of unease.
"What a mess this turned into."
A perfect example of disaster striking when you least expect it!
Zhu Minghe even started blaming Sister Li, the general manager of Rainbow Entertainment in the capital, for introducing Lu Chen to them in the first place.
If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have gotten caught up in this mess that now left him feeling irritated and restless.
The confidence he had shown earlier in front of Director Wu? Mostly an act.
Chen Fei'er was a game-changer, completely unexpected.
And now, Zhu Minghe couldn't help but regret the way he had treated Lu Chen. He really hadn't taken him seriously enough.
At the same time, in the Blue Court Café on the top floor of the Jinghua Grand Restaurant, right next to the Lantian Startup Park, the very same Sister Li that Zhu Minghe had been silently blaming… was now sitting with Chen Fei'er and Lu Chen.
Sister Li's full name was Li Zhen. Rumor had it that she had run away from her rural inland hometown to the capital city right after finishing middle school. She worked as a waitress, swept streets, sold insurance, whatever it took to survive, before finally finding a way into the entertainment world. Starting out as a low-level assistant, she eventually climbed her way up to become the general manager of a sizable talent agency.
Her life story could easily be adapted into a long-running TV drama!
Sister Li was quite large, over 100 kg (220 lbs), with a round, cheerful appearance. When she smiled, she looked just like a female version of the Laughing Buddha, complete with a pair of delicate gold-rimmed glasses.
In the capital's entertainment circles, Sister Li was known for her bold personality and strong sense of loyalty. She rarely mistreated the artists signed under Rainbow Entertainment, and if someone wanted to leave, she never made things difficult.
Yet she was also exceptionally shrewd, with deep connections across the industry. She was especially well-networked at the higher levels and had built a solid footing in the chaotic world of showbiz. Not many dared to underestimate her.
Naturally, Lu Chen didn't dare either, he remained polite and respectful throughout.
Sister Li had an excellent relationship with Chen Fei'er and had helped her greatly early in her career. In fact, Lu Chen's initial introduction to Baolong Films had come through this very powerful woman. Unfortunately, the collaboration didn't work out, and in the end, he partnered with Qiande Films instead.
Sister Li complained to Chen Fei'er, "You should've told me earlier that you were going to be the female lead! Then I wouldn't have introduced Baolong, I'd at least have tried talking to Zhongying or Huashi!"
Zhongying (China Film Group) and Huashi (Huashi Media) were industry giants, true behemoths of the Chinese film and television world.
But Sister Li wasn't just name-dropping. She actually had access to these top-tier companies.
Chen Fei'er smiled and said, "Sister Li, there's no way Zhongying or Huashi would have looked twice at him. Even if the script got picked, there's no chance Lu Chen would be cast as the male lead. I didn't want you to owe anyone a big favor for nothing."
In the eyes of giants like Zhongying or Huashi, someone like Lu Chen was barely a blip on the radar. Even Chen Fei'er herself only just made the cut. Lu Chen had no leverage with such massive players, so there would be no point in even trying to negotiate.
Genuine collaboration requires a level playing field.
Of course, Chen Fei'er understood the wisdom of "Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox."
Sister Li chuckled and said with a teasing glint, "You're looking out for him so much, are you two really seeing each other?"
Chen Fei'er immediately blushed bright red. "Sister Li, we're just friends!"
Sister Li smiled and shook her head, turning to Lu Chen, "Xiao Lu, Fei'er treats you so well, you better not let her down."
A seasoned figure like her could easily see the subtle spark between them.
Lu Chen could only give a helpless smile. Saying "yes" would be too forward, but denying it outright didn't feel right either, he honestly didn't know how to respond.
Thankfully, Sister Li didn't press the issue further. She got to the real reason for today's meeting.
"Xiao Lu, I read the script for Autumn in My Heart. Do you think I could get a role?"
Lu Chen answered without hesitation, "No problem!"
He didn't even ask which role.
Chen Fei'er had already told him a lot when she called earlier to say Sister Li wanted to meet.
So Lu Chen knew this powerful woman was one of Chen Fei'er's key benefactors, someone who had helped her tremendously over the years.
More importantly, Sister Li's network in the entertainment world was extensive, which could be a huge boost for Lu Chen's career.
Now that she was making a personal request, if he hesitated or overanalyzed it, it wouldn't just hurt his own image, it would also embarrass Chen Fei'er. That would be a major failure on his part.
Sister Li was curious: "You agreed so quickly without even asking which role. What if I wanted the male lead?"
Lu Chen smiled freely. "If Sister Li really wants the male lead, that's no problem at all!"
He wasn't just being polite, Lu Chen had enough strong scripts up his sleeve for a lifetime. As long as he could get his foot in the door, future opportunities to play the male lead would be plentiful.
Besides, he could tell Sister Li was joking.
Still, Sister Li was visibly pleased and turned to Chen Fei'er with a grin, "Fei'er, this guy you picked is really something. You better hold on tight, don't let him slip away."
Chen Fei'er was so embarrassed that she covered her face with both hands.
After teasing her to the point of hiding, Sister Li finally revealed her real request to Lu Chen, "Actually, I really do want the male lead role, but the younger version. My son has been pestering me about wanting to act, so I figured this would be a good opportunity."
Lu Chen finally understood.
The early episodes of Autumn in My Heart did require a teenage male lead. The role wasn't extensive, but it was still important.
(End of chapter)