June 18th, Lunar Calendar May 14th, Saturday. Day clash: Ox (Yichou), Sha West.
Auspicious for: marriage, shamanic rites, praying for blessings, seeking offspring, and travel.
Taking the latest high-speed rail service, Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er traveled from Jinling to Hangzhou in just 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Thanks to China's world-leading high-speed rail network, the distance between two provincial capitals has never felt this close. Such convenience in travel is something unimaginable just a decade ago.
Waiting for them at the Hangzhou High-Speed Rail Station was Tian Tian.
This time, the two had squeezed time out of their hectic shooting schedule to come to Hangzhou, not for sightseeing, of course.
The first matter of business was that Tian Tian's media company had officially been established. As two major shareholders, Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er were obligated, both emotionally and practically, to visit in person, sign several important documents, and discuss the company's future development plans.
The establishment of this new "Vibrance Media Co., Ltd." originated from Lu Chen's strategic planning. Its main focus would be the production and promotion of variety and entertainment programs, with its very first project being "The Voice of China," which Lu Chen himself had proposed.
The second matter was that today happened to be the wedding day of Lu Chen's university classmates, Gao He and Wang Xiaoling. Gao He had already called him last month to invite him to the wedding.
Lu Chen and Gao He had been close dormmates; it was an invitation he couldn't refuse, no matter how busy he was, he had to come.
"Let's head to our new company first." Driving a red BMW herself, Tian Tian said spiritedly, "Then we'll have lunch together."
The last time Lu Chen saw Tian Tian was at the beginning of last month. Back then, the former host of Zhejiang East Satellite TV wasn't in great shape, her career had hit a bottleneck, troubles piled up, and she was staying at their home in the capital almost like a shut-in.
But after just a month and a half, she seemed like a completely different person, chatty, radiant, noticeably younger and more beautiful. There was a confidence in her every move, making her even more charming.
Lu Chen couldn't help but sigh inwardly. So a career can make a woman this beautiful.
Tian Tian's new company was located near Zhejiang East TV Station, on the 15th floor of a high-rise office building. The space wasn't large, but it was stylishly decorated. At the moment, it had just over a dozen employees.
Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er had each invested 5 million into the new company. Despite their close relationship, Tian Tian insisted on keeping the accounts transparent and letting the two of them clearly understand how the funds were being used.
That's why she insisted they come to Hangzhou for an "inspection."
"Hello, President Tian!"
As soon as the receptionist saw Tian Tian walk in with guests, she quickly stood up and bowed politely.
Then her eyes widened in shock. "Ah!"
She had just seen Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er, she could hardly believe it!
Tian Tian laughed, clapped her hands loudly after walking inside, and said in a ringing voice, "Everyone, please pause your work for a moment. I'd like to introduce our company's two board directors!"
The employees at their desks immediately stood up, and the staff inside the office rooms also stepped out.
Smiling brightly, Tian Tian said, "This is Mr. Lu Chen, and this is Ms. Chen Fei'er. I don't need to explain who they are, you all definitely know. Let's give a warm round of applause to welcome our two superstar directors, who have taken time out of their busy schedules to visit our new company!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Thunderous applause erupted. The employees of Vibrance Media all wore expressions of excitement and enthusiasm.
They had never imagined that the new company they'd just joined actually had two real A-list celebrities as board directors, one a long-established, legendary diva of the music world, and the other a newly rising idol star. No matter where you placed them, both were heavyweight figures.
This was Hangzhou, not the capital. For Tian Tian, a young and beautiful chairwoman, to have this level of influence was impressive, to say the least. It also made everyone brim with confidence about the company's future.
If the employees originally rated their trust and loyalty to the new company at a 50, then at this moment it instantly shot up to 100, completely maxed out.
If anyone dared to say Vibrance Media "didn't stand a chance," the staff would absolutely beat them until their head swelled!
Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er smiled. "Thank you."
Tian Tian continued, "Our two directors will not be involved in the company's daily operations. Just keep that in mind. Don't go around talking about it outside, and absolutely no posting on Moments or blogs. Understood?"
Vibrance Media had only just been established. Their first project hadn't even started yet. It was necessary to keep a low profile for now. Once they gained a foothold in the entertainment circle, then it wouldn't matter anymore.
The employees answered in unison, "Understood."
Someone added, "Can we get two autographs?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Most of these employees were young, many of them fresh graduates, bold and lively.
Tian Tian laughed as well. "Autographs are no problem. Get back to work first."
After introducing them to the staff, Tian Tian then brought Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er over to meet a man in his early thirties. "This is my senior brother, Xiao Haichao. He used to be a program director on Hangzhou TV's second channel. I poached him to join us."
Lu Chen immediately extended his hand. "Hello, Brother Xiao!"
"H-hello, hello…"
Xiao Haichao was a little flustered as he hurriedly shook Lu Chen's hand. "I, I know who you are."
Chen Fei'er couldn't hold back a chuckle. Tian Tian's senior brother was a bit adorable.
Tall, skinny, and wearing glasses, he looked scholarly and gentle, a typical honest introverted type who wasn't good at socializing. Coming face-to-face with industry stars like Chen Fei'er and Lu Chen, he was clearly overwhelmed and tongue-tied.
Tian Tian rolled her eyes and said to Chen Fei'er, "My senior brother is a top graduate from the Communication University of China. After joining Hangzhou TV, he worked there for seven or eight years but never managed to advance. He can't sweet-talk, doesn't know how to flatter, and all his contributions got taken by his supervisors. He never got anything out of it, not even an official staff position!"
"I couldn't stand watching it anymore, so I dragged both Senior Brother and his wife over to the company and made him our production director."
Lu Chen couldn't help but look at Xiao Haichao with newfound respect.
A CUC graduate working in a TV station for seven or eight years without receiving an official post meant one of two things: either he was incompetent, or he was an honest guy who kept getting walked over. Tian Tian obviously wouldn't bring someone useless into the company, much less appoint him as production director.
Which meant Xiao Haichao definitely had real talent.
As for Tian Tian's blunt teasing, Xiao Haichao could only give a helpless, bitter smile.
He really did look like someone easy to bully.
Tian Tian then said to Lu Chen, "I told Senior Brother the concept for The Voice of China. He wrote up a detailed planning proposal. It's already been submitted for copyright and related patent registration. Once approval comes through, we'll start production."
At the mention of The Voice of China, Xiao Haichao's eyes lit up. He looked straight at Lu Chen. "Teacher Lu Chen, Tian Tian said the idea came from you. It's amazing. I think if we do it right, it'll definitely be a huge hit!"
Lu Chen smiled. "I'll take your blessing. Let's work hard together."
(End of Chapter.)
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