After Transmigrated as a Black-Hearted Entertainment Boss [Transmigration] - Chapter 29

While The Afterlife was being handed its death sentence by Lu Junhao, Tao Zui and Gu Nan had already returned to North City. The very next day brought the long-arranged interviews.

The interviews were set to take place in the third-floor meeting room. The assistant interviews wrapped up quickly, but the execution agent position took a bit more time. Long Feifei, in particular, had been deliberately scheduled as the final candidate, stepping into the meeting room and sitting down across from Tao Zui just as noon approached.

The main interviewer up until now had been the HR director. Tao Zui had barely spoken throughout the entire process, merely making notes and sketches on the resumes. When it was Long Feifei’s turn, however, he beat the director to the punch, asking: “Your resume states that your last job was a temporary assistant in Hengdian. Many employers wanted to sign a long-term contract with you, but you refused them all. Instead, you came to North City to apply for the exact same position. Could you tell me why?”

Long Feifei did not rush to speak. She glanced up at Tao Zui, carefully weighing her words before replying: “If you sign directly with an artist, it’s very difficult to transition into a management role. Signing with an agency offers a much clearer path for promotion.”

“Then why didn’t you apply directly for an intern agent position?” Tao Zui pressed further.

“An intern agent’s main job is handling legwork and communication in the early stages of a project. The people they interact with are mostly baseline crew members, with very little connection to the artists themselves… Compared to crew members, an artist’s word carries much more weight.”

Hearing this, Tao Zui couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

To put it plainly, building a network through artists was faster and simpler than dealing privately with baseline crew members. Furthermore, the people an intern agent encountered were mostly low-level staff, which couldn’t compare to the higher social strata one could reach by accompanying an artist. The more prominent the artist you served, the more premium your network became. Long Feifei’s answer essentially had the word “ambition” plastered across her forehead.

Tao Zui let out a soft laugh. “Your goals are certainly clear! I assume we aren’t the only agency you submitted a resume to?”

Long Feifei didn’t hide it, a smile spreading across her plump face. “Indeed.”

Tao Zui tapped the pen against the folder holding her resume. While he maintained an unreadable expression on the surface, his brain was working at lightning speed.

So that’s how it is. In the original story, Long Feifei spent a year as an assistant in Hengdian to solidify her goals, then went up to North City to seek advancement, eventually landing at Shengshi Entertainment. A year later, she was promoted to execution agent and assigned to Gu Nan.

Her coming to Taoli to interview for an assistant gig was simply the result of casting a wide net. Even if I extend an offer, she might not choose Taoli…

With his thoughts racing, Tao Zui smiled. “Your answer is frighteningly honest!”

Long Feifei’s smile didn’t waver. “I assumed you wanted an honest answer.”

…She’s using this interview as a whetstone. The younger generation truly commands respect! Tao Zui marveled inwardly. As expected of the woman who would eventually co-found a studio with Gu Nan in the original novel; at such a young age, she already possessed the capability to rein in her ambition.

If he couldn’t tame this wild mare, she might very well end up jumping ship and taking his talent with her!

Tao Zui unhurriedly flipped through the relatively thin resume. The previously urgent rhythm of his questioning instantly ground to a halt. The meeting room fell completely silent, save for the crisp rustling of paper as he turned the pages.

As time ticked by, this unexpected silence manifested as an invisible pressure that weighed heavily on Long Feifei’s heart. A trace of unease flickered across her otherwise composed face.

She shouldn’t have been worried. Just as she had stated, if this agency didn’t work out, there was always the next one. Her answer was also a way to test the bottom line of these talent agencies to map out her best strategy. Given Taoli Entertainment’s current state and future prospects, it wasn’t her premium choice anyway, which was why she had acted without any reservations.

But now, her thoughts began to drift in the heavy silence, and the more she pondered, the more anxious she became.

Whatever else you could say about it, Taoli was still an established agency in the industry. Its immediate resources might be lacking, but the network was still there. If any negative rumors about her character were to spread…

I was still taking things too much for granted! I should have been more thorough! A flash of chagrin crossed Long Feifei’s eyes.

Seeing that Long Feifei was beginning to fidget, Tao Zui closed the folder and smiled gently. “I appreciate people with ambition, but ambition must be backed by capability. Since you have so much confidence in yourself, why don’t you pursue a position that actually matches your ambition?”

“A matching position?” Stunned by the remark, Long Feifei froze for a second before testing the waters: “What exactly do you mean by that?”

Twirling the pen in his hand, Tao Zui looked straight at Long Feifei. “I can give you an opportunity to be directly responsible for an artist. In name, you’ll be an execution agent, but your actual compensation will match an intern agent for a three-month probationary period. Once the three months conclude, as long as you secure the artist’s approval, I will promote you straight to execution agent. But if the artist doesn’t approve, you pack your bags and leave. How about it?”

Long Feifei’s heart gave a violent thud. It took her a long moment to steady herself. “…What kind of artist?”

“A absolute newcomer, joining a crew immediately.”

A absolute newcomer meant zero network and zero resources, but she was in the exact same boat. Furthermore, joining a crew immediately was a massive advantage. She wondered if she could meet them first… No! He won’t let me see the artist yet… This is a massive opportunity, but it’s also a test!

But no matter how it turns out, I won’t lose! Even if I fail in the end, I’ll still have a three-month stint as an execution agent on my resume, which will only make it easier to apply for regular assistant gigs elsewhere!

Long Feifei hesitated for a mere three seconds before nodding in agreement. “Deal!”

The corners of Tao Zui’s lips curved upward. He stood up and spoke to the HR director: “Prepare the contract, and add the terms I just mentioned into the clauses.”

Then, he turned back to Long Feifei: “Come find me once you’ve signed. I’ll introduce you to your artist.”

With that, Tao Zui turned and walked out of the meeting room. With his back turned to Long Feifei, a sly smile of a successful schemer spread across his face.

Using the environment to apply pressure, then abruptly tossing out a massive carrot—all while hiding Taoli’s bleak reality behind choices and opportunities—he had forced Long Feifei to make a split-second decision, landing her right on his pirate ship before she even realized it.

One could only say that an information asymmetry was a beautiful thing. Thanks to the original novel, he knew the personalities and capabilities of these key figures inside out. This allowed him to make decisions that seemed reckless on the surface but were actually foolproof, scooping premium talent into his bowl with speed and precision.

I should draft a list of the other key supporting characters later and find opportunities to recruit them into the company. It’d be a waste not to exploit this head start, since they’ll all be useful in the future anyway.

With that thought, Tao Zui hummed a tune as he pushed open his office door, entirely unconcerned about whether Long Feifei—who was Gu Nan’s execution agent in the original novel—would clash with Su Jiqiu.

The original story described Long Feifei as highly ambitious and capable, and matching that capability was her eye for talent. The reason she dedicated her absolute utmost to Gu Nan in the original timeline was, first, because Gu Nan possessed the raw capital and ability to become a star, and second, due to a standard “imprinting” bond.

To put it plainly, for someone driven by ambition, mutual benefit was the ultimate anchor to keep her bound to the same ship.

Su Jiqiu was the TV King of the novel; he possessed the talent and the capital to match that title, which would naturally serve to anchor the ambitious Long Feifei. Furthermore, they were about to join the crew of The Case Files of Dali Temple immediately. He believed that three months of living and working together twenty-four hours a day would be more than enough for them to forge a bond and become allies.

Ten minutes later, Su Jiqiu and Long Feifei met in Tao Zui’s office.

When she first laid eyes on Su Jiqiu, a flash of disappointment crossed Long Feifei’s eyes. But she quickly rallied her spirits and began inquiring about the specifics of his upcoming project.

Tao Zui knew exactly what she was disappointed about. She likely assumed Su Jiqiu’s looks weren’t striking enough, meaning his appearance would cap his ceiling even if he found fame. Who could have guessed that Qiu-qiu’s character lore was so old-school—he actually possessed a generic “glasses-on look-seal” curse!

Tao Zui didn’t plan on revealing that secret so early, instead letting the two interact more to familiarize themselves with each other. Right up until they set off for the set on June 15, Long Feifei was still kept completely in the dark.

Early that morning, Long Feifei and Su Jiqiu’s assistant, Zhu Zheng, arrived at the dorm together to help pack the luggage.

Zhu Zheng stood at 185cm—a textbook iron-blooded powerhouse fresh out of the military. He had thrown out resumes on a whim while idle, only to be snapped up by Tao Zui at first glance, landing the job in a complete daze.

He was honest and hardworking, if a bit too literal-minded—the kind of guy who moved only when given a direct order. But he was meticulous and responsible, and possessed an excellent physique; pairing him with the sharp and capable Long Feifei made for a flawless team.

Aside from them, a man of average build was also helping out. This was Gu Nan’s assistant, Li Shengping. He had just graduated from a junior college with a degree in mass communications, initially looking for a professional match. However, his qualifications were too low and his school lacked prestige. After hitting walls everywhere, he was scooped up by Tao Zui to serve as Gu Nan’s assistant.

While he lacked Zhu Zheng’s towering build to double as a bodyguard, he was lively, sharp, and skilled in photography and editing. He was quite versatile, capable of handling minor promotional duties.

Seeing Li Shengping carry Gu Nan’s luggage out the door, Tao Zui lifted his wrist to check the time, turning to admonish the three younger boys: “Our departure this time means we’ll be gone for at least two or three months. You three focus on preparing for your exams. If your grades fall short…”

Before he could finish, the three younger ones nodded frantically, and Diwu Zou thumped his chest to declare: “Rest assured, Papa Tao! We guarantee a passing mark!”

Tao Zui shot him a sideways glance. “Just a passing mark?”

Diwu Zou: “…We guarantee progress!”

Tao Zui: “Good, you said it. If any of you dare to land in absolute last place, then Infinite can change its name to Double.”

Hearing this, Zeng Yinuo grew even more anxious than Diwu Zou. He threw an arm around his neck and dragged him toward the door. “Let’s go, time to grind some practice papers!”

Diwu Zou was dazed. “What practice papers? Aren’t we sending Brother Nan and Qiu-qiu to the airport?”

Zeng Yinuo: “We’re not going! Bye, Brother Nan! Bye, Qiu-qiu! Safe flight~!”

The final word was cut off by the slamming door. Two of the three younger boys vanished in an instant, leaving Chen Xing standing awkwardly by the closet entrance in the living room. As he hesitated over whether to stay or leave, he heard Tao Zui’s low voice ring out:

“Chen Xing, there are only ten days left until the Senior High School Entrance Examination.”

Chen Xing gave a violent jolt, turning to bolt toward the door. “I’m going to grind practice papers right now!”

Watching the three kids actively demand to study, Tao Zui nodded with satisfaction, waving his hand at Gu Nan and Su Jiqiu. “Move out!”

The group piled into the company’s van, with Zhang Ling driving them to the airport. Shortly after arriving, their paths diverged. Tao Zui led Su Jiqiu, Long Feifei, and Zhu Zheng toward Hengdian, while Gu Nan and Li Shengping boarded a flight to Qing City to join their crew early.

Watching Gu Nan and Li Shengping disappear into the security checkpoint, Tao Zui couldn’t help but sigh with emotion: “I finally know what it feels like to send a child off to university…”

Hearing this, Su Jiqiu smiled. “Don’t worry, Papa Tao. Brother Nan is far more reliable than those three back home.”

Tao Zui thought about it and nodded. “True.”

Immediately after, he ground his teeth. “If those three botch their exams, I will put the recordings of rejecting The Afterlife‘s promotional track and The Case Files of Dali Temple‘s ending theme on an endless loop, telling them that this is exactly what happens when you don’t study hard!”

Long Feifei: “……”

Wait… are you actually serious?