After Transmigrated as a Black-Hearted Entertainment Boss [Transmigration] - Chapter 18

Su Jiqiu failed the audition.

Even though the director had kept him to perform two additional scenes, and the producer had inquired thoroughly about his profile while nodding and making notes with the director, he was ultimately passed over.

Tao Zui tried calling to follow up on the reason, but the excuse given by the production was that Su Jiqiu lacked acting experience. While this reason seemed flawless on the surface, it couldn’t hold water.

Newcomers lacked experience, but they had the advantage of being cheap and easy to guide. Moreover, if his ability were truly insufficient, they wouldn’t have had him perform three whole segments, essentially testing every single scene for the character.

The news of two consecutive audition failures spread like wildfire within the company. In an office that already had very few people left, everyone’s face carried a look of unease.

Just as Zhang Ling reached the second floor, she heard a female voice coming from the adjacent restroom. “Great, great. Thank you so much, goodbye… After submitting so many resumes, I’ve finally received an interview notice.”

Another female voice chimed in with envy, “If I’d known, I would have studied accounting in university too. Why did I major in human resources… It’s so hard to change jobs.”

“It’s fine. Just submit a few more; you’ll find an opportunity eventually…”

Amid the gentle comforting of the voices, Zhang Ling silently turned around and headed back downstairs, planning to take the elevator to the third floor to avoid bumping into the two of them and causing mutual awkwardness.

Along the way, she caught sight of Gu Nan, who was listening intently in the small meeting room, and Su Jiqiu, who was practicing his posture in the dance studio since he rarely had a day off from classes. Neither of them seemed beaten down by the audition failures; they were attending classes on time and striving forward.

To see such hardworking, talented, and exceptionally good-looking kids get rejected twice in a row—how could that not make a person feel despondent? Moreover, the environment they were facing was far from a fair playing field.

Having worked as an intern agent for a mere two months, Zhang Ling had already witnessed many dark sides of the industry. While this was partly due to the company’s previous culture, it also starkly laid bare the raw truth of this circle.

If the industry could accommodate such sordid affairs, how clean could it really be?

It wasn’t that clean artists didn’t exist, but they almost always had powerful backing. People born in Rome naturally didn’t need to tread that filth-laden, thorn-covered path that ultimately led to Rome.

Zhang Ling felt deeply lost back then. She didn’t actually harbor grand ambitions, and her university wasn’t particularly prestigious; getting into this industry was purely a stroke of dumb luck after blasting out resumes everywhere. She had material desires, but this level of materialistic pursuit wasn’t enough to sustain her in violating her conscience. After understanding the company’s true state and witnessing the darkness of the industry, she wanted to beat a retreat.

However, changing jobs before completing an internship was a major taboo, and happening to hit the passing of the elder CEO Tao, she somehow ended up staying on in a daze.

Later, witnessing Young CEO Tao’s handling of affairs—which was the polar opposite of his father’s—Zhang Ling regained her confidence. She felt that even though the company was facing both internal and external crises right now, at least Young CEO Tao was a good person who was sharp and highly capable. Perhaps the company could make a comeback? If that really happened, wouldn’t she be a bona fide founding veteran? When the time came, even if she didn’t strike it filthy rich, satisfying her small material goals should be a breeze.

Yet, reality proved to her that the underlying logic of this world remained unchanged—it was still as cruel, materialistic, and firmly controlled by transactions of power and money.

No wonder those employees wanted to change jobs; the future looked completely pitch-black…

Zhang Ling’s steps toward the General Manager’s office felt exceptionally heavy. But no matter how much she worried about the company going under, she had never thought about actively resigning.

A two-bedroom apartment in North City’s 4th Ring Road was simply too sweet to give up…

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Ling smoothed over the emotions on her face and knocked on the General Manager’s door. Upon receiving permission, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

“Young CEO Tao, I’ve mostly managed to find out about Xincan’s situation.”

Hearing this, a sharp light glinted in Tao Zui’s eyes. Leaning against his chair, he gestured to her. “Sit down and take your time.”

Zhang Ling took a seat opposite him, organizing her thoughts before speaking. “Xincan was established six months ago. The boss’s surname is Lu, full name Lu Junhao. Word is he has a massive background, but no one knows the specific details. Unlike other companies that sign and train newcomers, this agency started poaching people right after its inception. And they are staggeringly wealthy; they pay off breach-of-contract fees without blinking. In just half a year, they’ve reportedly shelled out nearly a hundred million yuan in contract violations alone.”

Lu Junhao? Tao Zui’s brow knit slightly. This person didn’t exist in the original novel—at least he was certain there was no such figure in Gu Nan’s book, Starlight Brilliance.

Mulling it over for a moment, Tao Zui asked, “Do you know who Xincan has poached?”

Zhang Ling nodded. “Yes. Aside from Qin Shuang, there’s also You Hui and Song Wenbin.”

You Hui and Song Wenbin! Tao Zui nearly lost control of his facial expression, managing to steady himself only after a long pause. “I see. Thank you for your hard work. By the way, I have some business that requires me to go to Qing City. Please book a plane ticket for me for this afternoon. The return date is uncertain; I’ll contact you then. During the couple of days I’m away, please look after Gu Nan and the others.”

Seeing Zhang Ling nod in agreement, Tao Zui pulled a document from his drawer and handed it to her. “Additionally, help me compile the data for this list of IPs—comments, gifts, clicks. Try to filter out the inflated data as much as possible.”

“Okay…” Zhang Ling took the file with a look of confusion. Flipping through it casually, she couldn’t help but ask, “Young CEO Tao, are you planning to… invest in intellectual properties?”

Tao Zui nodded. “The company’s original scope of business included film and television production anyway. Now that we have such excellent prospects like Gu Nan and Su Jiqiu on our hands, producing our own dramas to promote our talent is a proper path forward.”

The words made perfect sense, but producing dramas to launch talent required money!

Catching the hesitant look on Zhang Ling’s face, Tao Zui added casually, “Of course, this is just one of the options. We’re just preparing for now. If there’s an IP you think exceptionally highly of, feel free to add it to the list. As for the funds, don’t worry. I’ve sold a property, and the money is expected to hit the account by the end of the month.”

“You sold a house?!” Zhang Ling’s jaw dropped. In a flash of lightning, a realization struck her mind. “You sold that luxury flat?”

The corners of Tao Zui’s lips curved upward. “Yes. Keep this to yourself; I don’t want to place a psychological burden on the artists. Alright, get to work. Don’t forget to book my ticket.”

“Yes…” Zhang Ling stood up with a dazed expression, her mind consumed by a single thought—a starved camel is still bigger than a horse; anyone who resigns at a time like this is a total fool.

The moment the office door closed, Tao Zui’s expression collapsed, his face turning as black as the bottom of a pot.

Qin Shuang, You Hui, and Song Wenbin, whom Zhang Ling had just mentioned, were all antagonist figures in Starlight Brilliance.

Qin Shuang’s rivalry was born from entering the film industry at the same time as Gu Nan with a similar resume. As for You Hui and Song Wenbin—one was young but highly experienced, originally sitting firmly in the first tier of young film actors until Gu Nan came from behind to surpass him, thereby forging a deep grudge; the other was older and backed by heavy capital, clashing schedules with Gu Nan on several films and losing out, while also missing out on awards he considered in the bag, leading to relentless antagonism at every turn.

If it were just Qin Shuang alone, one could argue the mastermind’s goal wasn’t Gu Nan himself, but rather to push Qin Shuang into the limelight. But with three antagonists gathered together, it was glaringly obvious that this person was out to ruin Gu Nan!

But why? Gu Nan was a newcomer to the entertainment industry who didn’t have a single piece of work to his name yet, and his background was completely penniless. Why was this person pursuing him so relentlessly? Moreover, given how incredibly wealthy this mastermind was, let alone crushing a minor actor, crushing Taoli Entertainment would be an absolute breeze. Yet, they deliberately chose the most roundabout method…

From dropping twenty million to snatch the role of Bone to gathering the three antagonists, the more Tao Zui thought about it, the more bewildered he became.

The mastermind’s various actions seemed… as if they didn’t want Gu Nan to… act? At the very least, he hadn’t heard of anything strange happening when Gu Nan was delivering food…

Tao Zui massaged his temples, a headache brewing.

Regardless of the reason, at least one point was certain: the person behind the curtain had misgivings. They were so wealthy, yet they didn’t dare to face them head-on. This was the flaw in the opponent’s strategy; as long as he seized upon this point, he wouldn’t have to worry about finding a way out.

Of course, I also need to be prepared for them to resort to desperate measures. A cold light flashed in Tao Zui’s eyes. He turned around, grabbed the car keys on his desk, and headed out the door.

Zhang Ling’s network was limited to the lower tiers of the domestic entertainment industry, so the things she could unearth were limited; ultimately, he had to rely on himself. But the urgent matter right now was his trip to Qing City tomorrow, which could also serve to further test Xincan. He might even manage to get a pulse on things.

While Tao Zui was packing his luggage at home, a knock sounded on the door of Xincan’s General Manager’s office. A man dressed in a sharp suit, looking every bit the corporate elite, walked into the office holding a stack of documents.

“Haohao, here is the information on all the movies currently seeking investment. Take a look.”

“Alright, thank you, Brother Shen.” Lu Junhao flashed a sweet smile at Shen Yi as he took the stack of files.

Shen Yi pulled out a chair in front of the desk and sat down, his posture natural and relaxed, not looking like a subordinate in the slightest. “Haohao, are you looking to invest in movies?”

Lu Junhao let out an “Mm.” “Yeah. The company has been open for half a year without a single cent of income; I’m getting anxious too.”

“Earning a profit isn’t something any company achieves overnight. Don’t place too much pressure on yourself; take it slow and don’t rush,” Shen Yi said with a smile. He seemed to be comforting Lu Junhao, but the underlying meaning was to urge him to be cautious.

Buried in the files, a flash of impatience crossed Lu Junhao’s eyes, but he didn’t dare to let it show.

Shen Yi was an assistant assigned to him by Lu Chang’an from Universal International. He was originally Lu Chang’an’s personal assistant—the kind who would be dispatched to serve as a general manager at a major regional subsidiary after completing three full years. Making him an assistant here was a complete misuse of talent.

This man was not only highly capable but exceptionally sharp. Lu Junhao knew with his toes that if a single sum of money flowed incorrectly within the company, or if he displayed any abnormality, Shen Yi would immediately notice and report it to Lu Chang’an or Lu Junxi. Therefore, he had to tread carefully; he absolutely couldn’t shoot himself in the foot.

God knows how badly he wanted to just directly destroy Gu Nan…

Lu Junhao subtly breathed out the resentment in his chest, pulling out a folder and handing it to Shen Yi. “You’re right, Brother Shen. Let’s just invest in one movie first to test the waters.”

Shen Yi took the file and looked down. “The Guilty… Alright, I see. I’ll go contact the director right away.”

Leaving the General Manager’s office, Shen Yi felt a weight lift from his mind, a trace of a smile appearing on his face.

Originally, when the Chairman assigned him to be an assistant to Lu Junhao at Xincan, he had refused. After all, who in North City didn’t know the second young master Lu’s playboy reputation? The glorious achievements the boy had racked up from childhood to adulthood were staggering even if one only caught a whisper of them. At one point, he had genuinely wondered if there was another Lu family in North City; otherwise, how could the gentle, refined Lu Chang’an and the serene, elegant Xi Ying raise such a spendthrift son? Fortunately, Chairman Lu still had a daughter who could steady the grand scheme of things, or the Lu family’s massive estate would have been squandered away alive.

Perhaps Chairman Lu also knew that making Shen Yi a general manager’s assistant at Xincan was treating him too unfairly. He not only promised a wealth of benefits but also set a term of office: as long as he stayed at Xincan for two full years and kept Lu Junhao from doing anything out of line, any position across all subsidiaries of Universal International would be his for the choosing—he could even stay within the parent company’s management layer if he wished.

Driven by self-interest, Shen Yi accepted this hot potato that was Lu Junhao.

Fortunately, during this half-year period, apart from spending money to poach people, Lu Junhao hadn’t done anything that breached the baseline of morality, making Shen Yi somewhat doubt whether the rumors he had heard in the past were mistaken.

Flicking the folder in his hand, Shen Yi reigned in his scattered thoughts and walked into his own office.

In the past, he felt that regardless of whether Lu Junhao had truly turned over a new leaf, it was fine as long as he didn’t stir up trouble. But now, since the boy was receptive to advice, he would put in a bit more effort to build Xincan up. It would serve as an extra bargaining chip when he returned to the parent company in the future.

Placing the file on his desk, Shen Yi picked up the phone and dialed the number listed on the document. His desk was neat and tidy; apart from a photo frame, there wasn’t a single redundant item.

Inside the frame was the profile of a girl. She had her hair tied in a ponytail and was dressed in a professional suit, her eyes lowered as she looked at something. The double-eyelid fold usually hidden beneath her eyelids was revealed because of this, tracing a beautiful curve along her eyes, softening her cool brows. It was an unforgettable sight.