“It’s just a kid under me participating for fun; I didn’t even pay much attention.” Allen, not one to back down, retorted, “Our company isn’t short on one or two new idols. As for Guang Ying Entertainment, aside from Li Chu, the rest are either old, weak, or disabled.”

Pinnacle Agency rarely spearheaded film and television projects. As an artist-focused company, it mostly invested and followed the flow of its artists. They indeed had plenty of traffic-worthy talents.

Allen’s words were sharp, but Shen Mingzheng stood in front of Su Ning and fired back.

“Just a few months ago, your Pinnacle Agency hyped up an artist for a popular role. Their terrible acting got them dragged by viewers for ruining the original work. Your company spent on marketing, only to be ripped off by Jiang Chenfeng. Left with nothing but losses, you fled abroad to wait out the storm. Now that you hear Jiang Chenfeng is down, you come back playing the big shot?”

The pseudo-British gentleman opposite him couldn’t keep up his facade anymore.

“The old man just gave me another chance for old times’ sake. Don’t think you’re so great.” Shen Mingzheng pulled Su Ning closer, staring Allen down. “It’s a happy day. Don’t ruin it by bringing bad luck here.”

Many at the banquet were paying attention to this exchange. Everyone wanted to know who would call the shots now that Shen Ting’s family had fallen, dragging Jiang Chenfeng down with them.

“What do you know?” Allen glared. “You’re just lucky, catching Jiang Chenfeng in a weak moment. Otherwise, you’d…”

“And what about it?” Shen Mingzheng interrupted. “Where was all this bravado when the Jiang family played you for a fool?”

The two sides parted on bad terms.

After walking some distance away, Su Ning asked, “Have you met him before?”

Otherwise, how could Shen Mingzheng know so much?

In this lifetime, Shen Mingzheng hadn’t met Allen, but Chen Tao had mentioned him. This experienced assistant had worked under him for a while and shared that Allen’s mother was from Country Y, making him a pseudo-Brit raised abroad. Outwardly, he seemed like a British gentleman, but Chen Tao described him as polite on the surface and arrogant inside.

That combination certainly matched a certain type of “gentleman.”

He resembled an upgraded version of Shen Huai, though not entirely the same. Allen was excellent at lying low. In the previous life, after Shen Huai’s brief heyday was sabotaged by the crazed Li Chu, Allen stepped in to take over Shen Film Industry, surpassing Shen Huai in every way.

Still, Shen Mingzheng never saw who the true heir of the Shen family would be in that lifetime.

The old man had remarkable endurance. Even when Shen Mingzheng died, the patriarch could still walk up to the stage with a cane to accept an award, never relinquishing his power to anyone. Perhaps, in the end, there was no true winner.

This wedding banquet gathered most of the key players in Hai Cheng, but the main focus didn’t seem to be the newlyweds. After Allen’s return, many people surrounded him as if he were the center of the universe.

Although Pinnacle’s traffic artists were criticized for a while, traffic was still traffic. The company’s knack for marketing never waned, though they had taken a hit from Jiang Chenfeng’s unreasonableness.

Allen, being older and more entrenched in the entertainment industry, had deeper roots than Su Ning and Shen Mingzheng. It was natural for people to flock to him.

After mingling and receiving compliments, Allen’s mood improved slightly. Someone raised a toast and asked, “So, what’s the plan?”

They glanced at Shen Mingzheng and Su Ning from a distance. Everyone knew the ambitious young president Shen was not to be trifled with, so they shifted their gaze to Su Ning.

This Young Master Su had changed a lot. His once arrogant demeanor now seemed softer, more versatile. However, with Shen Mingzheng always guarding him, it was hard to see his true capabilities.

The Shen patriarch hadn’t disclosed much to outsiders. Many of Su Ning’s actions were now misunderstood due to this marriage, making it seem like he had a strong backer all along. Compared to the sharp-edged Shen Mingzheng, the restructured Guang Ying Entertainment and Su Ning appeared to be easy targets.

“Let’s test him out,” Allen said, setting down his glass. “With… the Glory project.”

His companion quickly understood, clinking glasses in agreement.

Not far away, Liang Xiaoliang, familiar with Su Ning, was pleased to see Shen Mingzheng shut Allen down. Yet he couldn’t help but worry.

The clash in Hai Cheng seemed inevitable.

Liang Xiaoliang disliked Allen, but Guang Ying Entertainment and Shen Film Industry were undoubtedly weaker compared to Pinnacle. Reorganizing was hard enough, but the bigger issue was talent.

Allen’s jab about Guang Ying Entertainment being full of “old, weak, and disabled” wasn’t baseless. Many believed Su Ning relied on his looks and inheritance to marry into this advantageous alliance with Shen Mingzheng.

In the entertainment industry, face value often came down to artists. Pinnacle thrived because it leveraged its artists to exchange for resources. Guang Ying Entertainment and Shen Film Industry, however, lacked talent. Li Chu alone wasn’t enough, especially since he was tied to a limited-time group.

When Guang Ying Entertainment’s second- and third-tier stars left after paying their contract termination fees, the company was further crippled. Even two of them allegedly joined Pinnacle. Shen Film Industry, meanwhile, had only Shen Huai to show for itself.

Shen Huai’s domineering nature stifled other artists, who became mere tools under him, unable to shine. As a result, Su Ning and Shen Mingzheng’s shortcomings were glaringly obvious.

“Don’t worry, Su Ning,” Liang Xiaoliang comforted. “Take it slow. It’s a historical issue. A breakout artist with true potential doesn’t just appear overnight. Many companies go years without finding one.”

“Not sure you’d even want Pinnacle’s people,” he added. “They aren’t likely to last long.”

Su Ning agreed. His discerning eye told him rushing wouldn’t help.

“I’ll look into it further,” Shen Mingzheng said.

As someone reborn, he had an innate advantage. Yet in his past life, after Idol Star Map collapsed, no breakout stars emerged during this period. Even those with potential had been groomed for years by other companies, making them hard to poach.

As the banquet ended, Su Ning planned to head home alone but was stopped by Shen Mingzheng.

“Where are you going?”

“Home,” Su Ning replied. “Why? Is there something else to handle?”

Shen Mingzheng reminded him, “We’re married now.”

Married couples should live together. What kind of newlyweds would go their separate ways right after getting their certificate?

Su Ning paused, noticing some lingering gazes from the dispersing crowd, and quickly understood.

“Ah, right, I didn’t think about that,” he said. “If we leave separately, it might raise suspicions.”

Even though many knew this was a business marriage, any sign of discord would lead to doubts about the stability of their partnership.

“Let’s go, then,” Su Ning said. “Looks like I’ll be imposing on you for a while.”

“You can impose forever,” Shen Mingzheng muttered under his breath.

Su Ning’s understanding of their marriage sometimes felt strange, but as long as he agreed to come home, Shen Mingzheng didn’t feel the need to over-explain. First, get Su Ning home; everything else could wait.

Upon arrival, Shen Mingzheng revealed he’d thoroughly prepared: door codes, keys, fingerprint access.

“I’ve registered your car with the property manager, and the gatekeeper knows you. It’ll be convenient for you to come and go,” he explained. “I don’t like live-in housekeepers, but Chen Tao hired cleaners to come while we’re at work. I can cook—not as well as you—but if we’re short on time, we can order meals through the property management.”

“If anything’s missing, just let me know. Or decide on your own.”

Such a meticulous arrangement, as though they’d live together for a long time.

Su Ning didn’t mind where he lived and had to admit the house was quite convenient, especially being close to work.

Placing his files on the coffee table, Su Ning casually headed to the guest room to wash up. While he was busy, Shen Mingzheng noticed the documents and picked up a slightly smudged resume on top to prevent water damage.

One glance at the name stopped him in his tracks.

Ji Xue? It didn’t immediately click, but the picture jogged his memory. In his past life, she had debuted under a different stage name: Ji Xue, or “Accumulated Snow.”

Her resume photo didn’t do her justice. Her transformation in later years into a national sweetheart with excellent acting skills was remarkable—though equally notable were her many high-profile relationships.

Looking at the resume, Shen Mingzheng froze, memories flooding back.

Su Ning returned from the bathroom, toweling off his hair, and noticed Shen Mingzheng engrossed in the resume.

“What are you looking at?” he asked, sitting beside him, hair damp and dripping.

The fresh scent of mint and lime from their shared body wash lingered in the air.

Shen Mingzheng looked at him, momentarily distracted by the warmth and presence of Su Ning beside him.

“Oh… just a resume,” Shen Mingzheng said finally. “She’s from Guang Ying Entertainment, apparently shelved for some reason. I thought I’d take a look in case there were misunderstandings.”

Su Ning nodded. “Even if it’s unrelated to us, we should at least know about the artists we’ve signed.”

Once again, Su Ning’s instincts had uncovered a hidden gem—one destined to dominate the entertainment industry in her own unique way.