Chapter 117 : Chapter 117

Chapter 117: “Then I can be dissolved partners with him.”

Wanshu Zu stood outside the car door, Li Yamin looking at him through the car window.

“Open the window.”

Wanshu Zu’s voice was like a command, his cold red pupils mostly hidden by his eyelids.

Li Yamin didn’t back down at all and pressed the button to lower the window.

There was no one else on this road, so Wanshu Zu no longer concealed anything.

He reached out, grabbed the collar of the man inside the car, and yanked him outwards.

With a “bang,” Li Yamin’s head slammed hard against the car window frame.

“Have I been too good to you?”

Wanshu Zu’s expression was as placid as the prelude to a storm, his voice rich and hoarse, bearing no resemblance to the ever-composed “Brother Zu” spoken of by the staff.

Li Yamin tore off his mask, revealing a noble face as if sculpted by an artist.

He was indeed handsome, but his temper was truly stubborn.

“It was all good before,” he said.

This sentence made Wanshu Zu sneer.

The emotions churning inside began to break through the surface, spilling out bit by bit.

His brows and eyes, against the light, were grim and heavy: “I don’t have time to play house with you. Get back now, do what you need to do, and don’t bother me.”

Li Yamin’s eyelashes were lowered, as if he was thinking.

“You can’t drink.”

Li Yamin raised his eyes, looking past Wanshu Zu to what was behind him.

Wanshu Zu had parked the car on the side of the street.

Further ahead was a well-known non-private clubhouse in the circle, in a remote location with few people.

Whenever a luxury car drove this way, it was most likely to attend a gathering.

Li Yamin had been here a few times when he had just entered the industry.

Arranged by the company, who said he was to meet with so-and-so to discuss future development.

He knew nothing at the time.

The company said Wanshu Zu knew about it but didn’t have time to go with him, so he had to go by himself.

Li Yamin believed them.

He had just reached the door and knocked when Wanshu Zu’s call came.

Without another word, he was cursed out.

The words were so fierce, describing him as a fool rarely seen in the world, as if he were useless except for a bit of acting talent.

“Do what you’re capable of. You’re good at acting, so act. If you see a script you like, I’ll go fight for it for you. Haven’t I told you, the company is full of sons of bitches waiting to skin you clean. I’m blocking them for you in the front, and you’re voluntarily sending yourself up to be sold? Li Yamin, get the hell out of there right now, I’m right at the door.”

The door had already opened, and a vaguely familiar man enthusiastically greeted him to come in.

Wanshu Zu heard the voice on the other end of the phone, cursed something under his breath, and changed his tune: “Go in, don’t drink, wait for me.”

At a large table of people, it was obvious who was primary and who was secondary.

The “guests” like himself were interspersed among the “hosts” who held the power of speech.

Li Yamin also realized something was wrong.

Not long after he took his seat, his agent arrived.

The confidentiality of a non-private clubhouse was no less than that of a private one; uninvited personnel found it very difficult to enter.

It was unknown what method Wanshu Zu used, but even the few fat pigs in the room showed obvious astonishment.

Wanshu Zu was also very young at this time.

His slickness was markedly different from that of ordinary people.

He single-handedly turned a table of sensual pleasures into a cold business dinner, maneuvering with a few words that made everyone at the table uncomfortable, yet they couldn't find anything wrong with it.

Seeing that the atmosphere was about right, Wanshu Zu raised his glass to apologize to everyone and lifted his chin at Li Yamin.

Li Yamin obediently left with him.

Wanshu Zu had made all sorts of plans, including the possibility that he would have to drink on someone's behalf.

He had even called Gu An to be his driver when he came.

When Li Yamin tried to get in the car, he was pushed to the side.

Gu An was Li Yamin’s assistant at the time.

Seeing that Wanshu Zu didn’t hold back his strength when pushing, and then sat in the back seat without a word after pushing the person, Li Yamin was stunned again.

Worried that something would happen, Gu An quickly got out of the driver’s seat.

“Brother Li, why don’t you drive back first…”

“You drive my car.”

Li Yamin immediately occupied the nest, plopped into the driver’s seat, didn’t even fasten his seatbelt, and directly stepped on the accelerator.

They didn’t say a word after getting in the car.

Li Yamin didn’t think the atmosphere was heavy, not to the point of being restless.

The dim light in the car swept over Li Yamin’s thin eyelids.

He observed his agent’s reaction through the rearview mirror.

Wanshu Zu was holding his head, his palm covering his eyelids.

It was impossible to tell if he was angry.

“Are you dizzy?”

Li Yamin started to make conversation.

It was a long time before Wanshu Zu spoke.

“If they ruin your reputation, I’m finished too.”

He lowered his hand, his face half-hidden in the shadows, his eyelids lifted to stare at Li Yamin’s side profile.

His scarlet pupils were like a silent, hidden beast in the night.

Wanshu Zu was full of sarcasm, saying in a low voice, “My personality is not suitable for being an agent. I’ve been able to climb this far entirely thanks to you. Do you know how suitable you are for this line of work? From the time you asked me to accompany you to an audition in college until now, I have never seen an actor more talented than you.”

Li Yamin: “You only had a few drinks… you’re drunk already?”

“Either listen, or shut up.”

Li Yamin chose to shut his mouth.

The car stopped at a crossroads for a red light, behind the white line.

There were no pedestrians on the road, and apart from Gu An following behind, no other vehicles passed for a long time.

“There’s a stupid bastard in the company who wants to get rid of me, to replace you with an agent who is more cooperative. Li Yamin, I’ll be direct with you, you can’t be replaced. How high I can climb is how high you can climb. If I fall to my death, you’ll be the one cushioning my fall.”

Wanshu Zu: “If you have anything to say, say it now.”

“I’m thinking about something.”

The green light came on.

Li Yamin started the car and said, “When we graduated, you told me, do what you’re capable of. I’m a stupid bastard who only knows how to act, so I either act or be a stupid bastard—that makes a lot of sense.”

Wanshu Zu let out a cold laugh.

“Besides acting, I can also drive.”

“My family is quite rich, it doesn’t matter if I flip the table on most bosses. I’ll insist on not changing my agent, they can’t split us up. If we have to fall out, let me do it.”

Li Yamin said, “Why don’t you reconsider the division of labor?”

The car drove steadily, streetlights appearing alternately outside the window.

The tinted film let through very little light.

The car fragrance was diffused by the heating, mixed with a faint smell of alcohol.

Wanshu Zu didn’t answer for a long time.

Li Yamin’s temperament was the opposite of his appearance.

He looked quite steady and mature, but his bones were filled with impatience.

He could be told to shut up, but once he asked a question, he had to get an answer immediately.

Li Yamin parked the car in a legal parking area and turned around directly: “Did you hear—”

He paused.

In the faint light, Wanshu Zu was curled up in the leather seat.

The skin above his shirt collar was flushed red.

He was clutching his stomach, his hand gripping his neck.

“You’re allergic to alcohol?!”

Wanshu Zu looked up, his eyes also red.

He said sarcastically, “Not driving to the hospital, are you planning to wait for me to die?”

After taking Wanshu Zu to the hospital, while accompanying him during his IV drip, Li Yamin kept leaning on the side of the infusion bed and banging against the bed rail, making the bed thump with muffled sounds.

Wanshu Zu’s throat was severely swollen, he couldn’t speak, nor did he stop him, just watched him bang with cold eyes.

Finally, Li Yamin banged out an idea.

“It seems I should be the one who is good at drinking.”

Li Yamin said, his forehead red, “I’ll make a list for you, you can see what to do.”

Wanshu Zu’s lips moved.

Li Yamin understood, he was cursing “stupid bastard.”

Li Yamin quite liked hearing Wanshu Zu curse.

His emotions were faster than his brain.

Wanshu Zu had mentioned it before, but in the end, concluded it was a good thing, saying that an actor without emotions was finished, and the consequences of being emotional would be handled according to the situation.

The result of the handling was getting cursed at.

After a couple of curses, he would slowly realize it, and Wanshu Zu had basically never cursed wrongly.

If you thought about it carefully, it made a lot of sense.

Making sense was one thing, whether Li Yamin listened was another.

Like now.

“You can’t drink.”

Li Yamin’s gaze returned to the man’s face.

“Who asked you to go over there?”

“I only cursed one sentence, and he gave me so many settings in return?”

Looking at the files the system had urgently synchronized, Chu Zu’s eyes were opened.

Little Yellow Chicken: “…Maybe because you and Li Yamin are highly bound side characters, after the world automatically completed itself…”

It became a buy-one-get-one-free deal, using one plotline to flesh out both characters’ settings.

Simple and efficient, and it didn’t have the restriction that a specialist’s added settings could only apply to themselves.

Only now did Chu Zu know that he and Li Yamin were university classmates, and that they had partnered up after graduation and signed with a company together.

Also, his temper was quite explosive, cursing was the norm, and exercising might not have been for fitness, but to vent his anger through sports.

Only when his body was tired would he not have the energy to snap back at everyone.

This kind of personality was very unsuitable for working behind the scenes in the entertainment industry.

Being skillful and charming was a necessary quality for an agent.

If you couldn't hold your temper and often offended people, no matter how capable your artist was, it would be difficult to achieve results.

They wouldn’t deliberately target you, but when an opportunity arose, you would never be their first choice.

So Chu Zu became curious: “Is Li Yamin’s acting very good?”

The Little Yellow Chicken looked up the data and summarized from fragments of the main text and the currently supplemented settings:

“The main text often mentions that Qiao Tian is a talented actor, using Li Yamin as a comparison.”

“They are both the type who don’t need to experience the character’s life, but rely on imagination and the director’s guidance to design the character’s details.”

“In Li Yamin’s era, there was less internet traffic, the film and television industry hadn’t completely rotted, and people in the circle were more willing to be tolerant of him.”

“By the time it got to Qiao Tian, the market competition was different from the past, and acting was no longer the primary condition determining whether an actor could become famous.”

It said, “Purely from the settings, Li Yamin’s acting is in a league of its own.”

Chu Zu: “Got it.”

His judgment of Li Yamin was basically not wrong.

A true artist with a temperament who needs a nanny.

This type of person has a very strong sense of self and wouldn’t think they are causing trouble.

And with his talent, there would always be someone to pay for the trouble he caused.

On the surface, artists and agents are in a cooperative relationship.

The artist provides professional skills, and the agent converts his professional skills into market value.

But in reality, a considerable portion of an agent’s work is cleaning up messes.

This was also a trade-off.

If setting behavioral norms for an artist would affect his talent, but would save a lot of trouble, should one restrain him or not.

Wanshu Zu’s decision was: no restraint, let him do as he pleases.

If Li Yamin was truly an acting demon, and directors and audiences had to choose him, only him, and even capital had to yield for him, then Wanshu Zu’s decision was understandable.

This was still on the better side.

At least Li Yamin had real substance.

If he had encountered some monster who had little substance but felt their talent was unrecognized, that would be truly infuriating enough to make one vomit blood.

At least Li Yamin was Wanshu Zu’s biggest trump card.

As long as he could stand firm, it didn’t matter whether Wanshu Zu was suitable for working behind the scenes—it had always been this way before.

Li Yamin had a filter in his head, thinking Wanshu Zu was the brother of brothers, the friend of friends.

Wanshu Zu didn’t necessarily feel the same way.

Of course, Wanshu Zu would spoil him, taking care of everything like a real father.

If he didn’t spoil the person into a giant baby, how could he ensure he wouldn’t run off to someone else?

Only when he was truly angry would he speak the truth.

How high I can climb is how high you can climb.

If I fall to my death, you’ll be the one cushioning my fall.

These words were too terrifying, with obvious suppression mixed with a desire for control.

An agent doesn’t want their artist to grow faster than them.

If they can’t benefit, they might as well perish together.

Any artist with a brain would think twice and run if they could.

Fortunately, Li Yamin was a stubborn person.

His scope of concern didn’t include so many twists and turns.

When Wanshu Zu had alcohol poisoning, his brain also stopped working and started to go off track.

It’s also hard to say if this wasn’t the result of a mutual choice.

But times have changed.

The entertainment industry was no longer the same model.

Wanshu Zu had climbed to a higher position, and he no longer relied on Li Yamin to establish his status.

Years of management had also made people in the circle accept his style of conduct, which was far different from that of an ordinary agent.

Wanshu Zu didn’t want Li Yamin to grow too fast before, and now he had to reap what he sowed, figuring out how to deal with his giant baby partner.

Chu Zu wouldn’t deal with it.

He suddenly felt that Li Yamin’s stubborn temper could be useful.

“You help me keep an eye on Li Yamin.”

Chu Zu said to the system, “I see he’s quite capable of reminiscing, what he says and what he thinks are two completely different things—if there are any new settings automatically completed, tell me immediately, so I can adjust.”

The Little Yellow Chicken agreed and asked: “Will Li Yamin’s actions cause trouble for you?”

Chu Zu patted its head: “The entertainment industry is never short of trouble. A qualified agent will of course use trouble to do proper business.”

The Little Yellow Chicken seemed to half-understand and reminded: “You are allergic to alcohol now, don’t forget.”

“Okay.”

“Listen.”

Wanshu Zu’s grip loosened, his arm resting on the window frame.

“If you need someone to take care of you, let Gu An hire someone. When you fight with your nephew, don’t hit the face. You can have a scandal with anyone, just let me know if you sleep with them. As long as you don’t cross the line, you can do whatever you want.”

The grimness on the man’s brow had not faded, his eyes held a murky depth.

His sharp facial contours revealed a fierce and incisive side at close range.

“I won’t meddle in your affairs, and you should ask less about mine.”

Li Yamin frowned.

The forehead that had hit the door frame was still throbbing with pain.

What was even more difficult for him to handle was Wanshu Zu’s attitude.

He met Wanshu Zu’s gaze, but in the end, his head tilted slightly, trying his best to discern the meaning in the other’s words.

Li Yamin: “Wait a minute.”

Li Yamin pondered the reason for his agent’s great anger, but after thinking it over, he felt it had little to do with him.

Gu An had said the same thing, that it had nothing to do with him and he should interfere less.

He hadn’t interfered.

Wanshu Zu’s attitude was actually very familiar.

He had given him the “cold shoulder” more often in recent years.

A posture like now, on the verge of eating someone alive, was too rare.

The only other time he had been this angry was when he went to a drinking party to get him.

Gu An had said that Wanshu Zu was going to start cultivating new talent.

“Shen Weidi or the other one?”

Li Yamin asked out of the blue.

“You don’t understand human language?”

“Besides me, you’ve only signed these two people. If it’s the other one, I’ll do it. If it’s Shen Weidi, to hell with him.”

Li Yamin was unmoved and said, “You can’t drink, and you can’t drive after drinking. I’ve said it, do what you’re good at. I’m better at flipping out than you are.”

Wanshu Zu sneered lightly: “You have to make things difficult for me, don’t you.”

Li Yamin nodded: “It seems it’s the other one.”

He said, “I value the younger generation quite a bit. I’ve messed with more film crews than I can count on one hand. The old routine, I cause trouble, you curse at me. Get in the car.”

“The old routine…?”

Seeing the host remain silent for only two seconds before finally getting into the car, the system didn’t understand what this was all about.

“The old routine.”

Chu Zu nodded, “Since I can’t control him and don’t want to, I might as well let him cause trouble.”

“Li Yamin has been taken care of properly. It’s impossible for him to lose his temper over treatment or trivial matters of life. He will only be stubborn for more professional reasons like scripts and crew arrangements.”

Chu Zu fastened his seatbelt, used an app on his phone to find a designated driver to take his car away, and then entered the destination into the car’s navigation.

“After Li Yamin is done making a scene, I’ll curse him out in front of everyone, and apologize by the way. The matter will be considered over.”

Little Yellow Chicken: “…It can be done like this?”

“It can publicly solidify Li Yamin’s image as a ‘serious actor,’ leave others with nothing to say on the surface, and also serve as a warning to those with ulterior motives, letting them know that even if Li Yamin and Wanshu Zu have a falling out, they won’t split up.”

He said, “This is a practice where the benefits outweigh the losses.”

System: “You’re still being accused of selling artists. If this blows up…”

Chu Zu: “Li Yichi can’t get into high-end gatherings. The other party is at most a third-tier or lower. Li Yamin causes a scene, I’m present, and Qiao Tian, who is involved, will formally attend the press conference tomorrow as a rising star of Lishou Entertainment. They’ll be too busy trying to cover it up to dare leak any news.”

The system was still worried: “But if Li Yamin gets involved in the hidden rules incident, when we return to the main storyline…”

Chu Zu smiled: “Then I can be dissolved partners with him.”

Little Yellow Chicken: “?”

Chu Zu: “By the time of the hidden rules incident, the company is basically all in my hands, and his nephew is the troublemaker. Of course, he should be held responsible for it.”

“Although it’s not to the point of resigning in disgrace, it’s a good opportunity to draw a clear line with him. The reason is sufficient, and I don’t have to care if a fuss is made.”

“After the rewind ends, I’ll focus on my career, and he’ll start to walk independently. If he can’t, he can just find a few more nannies.”

“The company shares will remain unchanged. I just will no longer be responsible for his affairs.”

“His resources will still be top-tier. I earn money, he gets dividends. Our career planning paths are different. We’ll each be fine on our own, and it can’t be said that anyone has wronged anyone.”

The non-private clubhouse was right in front of them.

Li Yamin stepped on the brake.

He had already been disfigured in the conflict with his nephew, with a band-aid on his cheekbone.

Now his forehead was bumped again, the redness not yet faded.

He didn’t look like he was there to spend money; his whole body screamed “I’m here to find trouble.”

His aura was infinitely in line with what he planned to do.

Even though the settings had been partially filled in, Chu Zu still didn’t feel he should be responsible for Li Yamin forever.

Li Yamin had enjoyed years of care, could ignore everything, and comfortably soar in his field.

All his needs had been met, and there wouldn’t be much change in the future.

There was no such thing as an agent and an artist being bound for life, and Wanshu Zu had never made any promises that could be easily misunderstood.

It was essentially a cooperative relationship.

If it’s not suitable, they split up.

It’s not like they had to endure hardship for no reason.

It was just a conflict between the ideals of an artist and a businessman.

An amicable separation would be fine.

“And he keeps adding two lines to my settings. Now it’s an alcohol allergy. What if tomorrow he adds a sun allergy? I might as well not live.”

After Chu Zu finished speaking, his wrist was suddenly grabbed.

Li Yamin took off his own watch and fastened it around Chu Zu’s wrist.

Patek Philippe 5905A, market price over four million, with a high value retention rate.

It was a gift Li Yamin received from his family after winning the Movie King award.

It was true that his family was not short of money.

Li Yamin and Wanshu Zu had similar body types and wrist sizes, so it actually fit just right.

“You keep it for now.”

Li Yamin flexed his wrist.

“I’m afraid of damaging it, it would be hard to explain to my brother.”

Chu Zu: “When you damaged your nephew, why didn’t you think about how to explain to your brother?”

“He’s not worth much.”

Li Yamin said dismissively, “You know about the mess in my family—”

“Get out of the car.”

Chu Zu cut him off.

Who knew if this person said a few more words, whether his own settings would joyfully receive another two lines.

The system also quickly checked, and was relieved to see that the setting collection hadn't changed.

The Little Yellow Chicken was determined to guard against it strictly.

Wanshu Zu was clearly a career monster, a combination of “cold and ruthless, irritable and steady, able to bend and stretch, a hero made by the times and I am the hero,” with the excellent style of “handle business officially, and if it doesn’t work, split up” flowing in his blood.

That being the case, no one should be allowed to ruin the host’s Long Aotian vacation.

It began to consult other little chickens, especially the Long Aotian little chicken it had always been on good terms with, asking how to handle situations where a partner affects one’s persona.

Non-private clubhouse.

The smell of smoke and alcohol was overwhelming.

The room was large, but the round table was small.

The seats were arranged compactly, and a single movement would bump into someone else’s arm.

Qiao Tian shrank into a ball, not daring to move.

She trembled subconsciously when she heard breathing next to her ear.

Realizing the person next to her was just moving randomly due to intoxication and had no intention of looking at her, she secretly let out a sigh of relief.

When she entered the room, a waiter had taken Qiao Tian’s phone for confidentiality reasons.

She didn’t know what time it was, nor how much longer she had to stay.

Brother Li had instructed that tonight’s dinner was very important.

The role had already been decided, and the director wanted to meet the actor first, to get familiar with each other.

But the situation was clearly not right.

Even Qiao Tian, who had only acted in one play, could sense something was wrong.

During her university years, a film crew came to the school to shoot, renting the school’s laboratory.

The male lead was the famous Li Yamin, which naturally caused a “riot” at the school.

Even Qiao Tian, who didn’t care about the entertainment industry, recognized his face.

Even those who didn’t go to the cinema or like to watch TV would recognize him from places like elevator ads, large screens in shopping malls, and brand promotions in the subway.

Qiao Tian had seen Li Yamin’s movie.

Li Yamin played an ordinary young man who freeloaded at home, had nothing to do, and was always neurotic.

The director loved to give him all sorts of close-ups, which was sharply criticized by film critics, who sarcastically said he had turned an art film into an MV.

But no one criticized Li Yamin for not being able to hold up the camera.

His face was infinitely magnified on the screen, so clear that you could see his pores.

His appearance couldn’t cover up the overwhelming smell of a deadbeat, yet you couldn’t ignore his looks, and in the end, you could only curse him with a mix of love and hate in your heart.

Li Yamin in person was even better looking than on TV, but his temperament was completely different.

Qiao Tian applied to be a volunteer on set.

The crew needed someone who knew the lab to watch over it.

The competition was extremely fierce, and many people who weren't from the major also signed up.

Qiao Tian wasn’t there to chase stars; she was after the volunteer’s daily subsidy of two hundred yuan, which also included a boxed meal.

While she was tidying up the lab, Li Yamin was curled up in a chair sleeping.

What was more eye-catching was actually the man next to him.

He wore a mask, his cheeks, mouth, and nose completely covered, revealing only his eyes under his short black bangs.

Qiao Tian only stared from the corner for a few seconds, but the other party raised his head and caught her gaze.

Clear, cold red, reminiscent of a ruby displayed on a clean shelf, exquisite but lacking human warmth.

They only looked at each other for a moment before the continuity supervisor came to call people, saying they were about to start filming and asked Li Yamin to go for a touch-up.

The man withdrew his gaze, nodded, and flipped the sleeping Li Yamin over like a grilled steak: “Just touch him up like this for now. He didn’t sleep last night, let him get some more rest.”

Qiao Tian witnessed the rumors of the entertainment industry firsthand.

It was said that actors acted like big shots on set.

Li Yamin didn’t have a big-shot attitude; he was serious and responsible when filming, instantly getting into character and transforming—he just brought a dad with him everywhere.

Li Yamin didn’t talk much with the staff, but he often chatted with his “dad.”

While spreading his limbs to let his “dad” tidy him up, he would chat about something or other.

Qiao Tian couldn’t hear the content.

After he finished speaking, the man next to him lifted his chin slightly and smiled, smile lines appearing at the corners of his eyes, making him look younger than usual.

Later, Qiao Tian learned that the man’s name was Wanshu Zu, a rare compound surname.

He was Li Yamin’s agent.

And the first thing Wanshu Zu said to Qiao Tian was on behalf of the director.

“The crew is short a small actor, do you want to try?”

Qiao Tian was a head shorter than him.

Looking at those slightly lowered eyes, she was so nervous she didn’t know where to put her hands.

Wanshu Zu’s voice was very steady: “Yamin recommended you to the director. He said he saw you instantly change your expression when you met your classmate, so playing a little clever ghost would be a piece of cake.”

He lowered his voice, his short hair falling onto his eyelids as he bowed his head, “Yamin cursed the previous actor away. Can you do me a favor and give it a try? If it’s not suitable, we’ll forget it.”

Qiao Tian didn’t know what conflict there was within the crew, why they would curse someone away and just grab someone to replace them.

Didn’t they say the competition in the entertainment industry was fierce?

Weren’t there countless people waiting in line?

However, she did indeed have… some unpleasantness with her classmate before.

She didn’t expect it to be seen.

The reason that made Qiao Tian nod was still very simple.

One scene, five lines, three thousand yuan.

Qiao Tian was so nervous she was about to suffocate.

She filmed a few takes according to the director’s requirements and nervously waited for the result after hearing “Cut.”

Before the director could speak, Li Yamin spoke first: “Use the same energy you used to curse your classmate to curse at me.”

Qiao Tian: “…”

Qiao Tian: “I didn’t…”

“Did your classmate change the order of authorship on the paper?”

“You did all the grunt work in the group, you oversaw everything, and they submitted the paper while you were busy volunteering for two hundred yuan.”

“It wasn’t substantial enough, you lost your scholarship, and next year’s tuition will be a struggle.”

“Your classmate told you to apply for a student loan and also said you were stringing along seven or eight rich second-generation kids and shouldn’t be short of money.”

Qiao Tian’s face was burning, utterly embarrassed.

Her whole body was numb, standing there like a corpse.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping. I was there when I was hiding from A-Zu, you guys just didn’t notice.”

Li Yamin finished his disclaimer righteously and added, “You cursed the person away, then squatted and cried for half a day. I remember the expression on your face when you stood up, very fierce—the director wants that expression.”

What expression?

Qiao Tian recalled in a daze.

She didn’t remember any expression.

“If you don’t remember, just follow that. I don’t believe you don’t want to curse at me after I’ve said so much crap.”

Li Yamin said, “After you’re done cursing, you’ll get twenty thousand yuan. You’ll have your tuition money.”

Qiao Tian: “Wasn’t it three thousand?”

Only then did Li Yamin frown.

The previous few cuts hadn’t made him change his expression, but now he suddenly flipped out, turning his head to find the continuity supervisor.

In the end, it was Wanshu Zu who handled the whole matter.

According to Li Yamin, Qiao Tian finished acting the scene and received twenty thousand yuan.

This was the first time she knew that actors were not paid based on screen time, nor just by their status.

The industry had its own standards, and the specific standards all depended on negotiation.

Negotiated by whom?

The agent.

The price of the actor who was cursed away by Li Yamin was many times more than twenty thousand.

The specific amount was unclear, but at the crew’s level, it was no loss to try a more cost-effective university student.

“A-Zu finally caught me and asked me what I was doing sneaking around. I told him about you.”

Li Yamin said dismissively, “I was the one who recommended you, he negotiated the price. He knows you’re short of money, right? Thirty thousand should be about right, the crew isn’t short of this bit of money.”

What happened next was also a matter of course.

Wanshu Zu asked her if she wanted to sign with the company.

As if possessed, she agreed and became one of the artists under Wanshu Zu.

After graduation, Qiao Tian decided to try her hand at being an actor first.

The result was this, she was sitting on pins and needles in a clubhouse that looked unremarkable on the outside but had a whole world within.

Qiao Tian’s back was soaked with cold sweat, her shirt sticking to her back.

She had met with Wanshu Zu before.

Wanshu Zu had said, don’t be nervous, leave everything to the agent to solve.

But where was her agent…?

All sorts of messy thoughts were racing through her mind.

Qiao Tian listened to the indistinct words of the people around her, which all sounded like profanity.

Just as a hand next to her was about to touch her leg and Qiao Tian was about to lose her composure completely, the tightly closed door was pushed open.

A cool breeze rushed in, dispersing the foul atmosphere in the room.

Qiao Tian looked up.

Her high tension made her vision a bit blurry.

It seemed to be two figures.

Someone was smoking, and the smoke blurred the figures.

The voice was indeed one she had heard in her memory.

“Where’s the other one?”

It was Li Yamin’s voice.

Wanshu Zu replied: “Her name is Qiao Tian, you idiot.”

Tip: Tap/click the left or right side of the screen to go to previous/next chapter.