Chapter 15: The World’s Most Well-Behaved Artist

Unexpectedly, it was Director Chen himself who signed the contract with Tang Qu. Zhang Yong was slightly surprised when he saw him but quickly concealed his astonishment.

Director Chen was mostly amiable except when he was filming.

“Come over here. You must be Tang Qu, right? Teacher Zhang has told me about you. He praised you to the skies.”

Tang Qu smiled shyly. “Teacher Zhang is exaggerating. I’m still a newcomer who has a lot to learn.”

Director Chen nodded and handed over the contract.

Zhang Yong glanced at Tang Qu first. Seeing that Tang Qu had no intention of taking the contract, he picked it up himself and signed it.

“Pleasure working with you.”

“Pleasure working with you.”

After seeing Tang Qu off, the assistant director asked, “Director Chen, do you really think he can handle this role?”

“Haven’t you already seen it?”

The assistant director sighed. “That one scene was indeed impressive, but who can say for sure about the rest?”

Director Chen glanced sideways at the assistant director. “What do you mean?”

“This is the information we just received.” The assistant director handed over the tablet in his hand. It was a video that had been circulating online recently, and they had just discovered it.

Director Chen frowned as he watched the short clip.

“Can an actor with such unstable acting skills, and who might even be suspected of riding on others’ coattails, really play Qing Xuan well?”

No one understood the character of Qing Xuan better than the directors themselves.

Qing Xuan was a pivotal character in the early stages, a figure truly like an Immortal Exiled from Heaven. Qing Xuan’s beauty was unparalleled across the three realms, elegant yet not bland, with a gaze that was cold and commanding. They had scoured the entire entertainment industry for actors of the right age but couldn’t find a suitable one. Those who looked the part lacked the right temperament, and those with the right temperament didn’t have the striking appearance. It had driven them to the brink of baldness. Director Chen was meticulous about every character in his films and naturally wouldn’t allow any half-hearted efforts.

During the audition, they were immediately captivated by Tang Qu’s looks and demeanor, and his acting skills were equally impressive. However, he was still a newcomer, too new for their comfort. Even with Old Zhang’s recommendation, there was no guarantee of the stability of his acting skills. The entire crew could end up being the whetstone for this young man.

Director Chen tapped his fingers on the desk, remaining silent for a long while. Chen Ke had reached his current position not only through his storytelling but also by relying on his intuition. He was confident in his casting choices and trusted his first instincts. Time and again, his choices had proven to be correct.

After staring at the contract for a while, Director Chen said to the assistant director, “The contract is signed. It’s him.”

Although the assistant director was worried about Tang Qu, he trusted his director more.

“Alright, I’ll follow Brother Chen’s lead.”

On the other side, Zhang Yong was in high spirits throughout the journey, his fingers tapping uncontrollably on the steering wheel.

“Brother Yong, why are you so happy?” Tang Qu was somewhat puzzled. Ever since they signed the contract, Brother Yong had been in a state of excitement.

“I’m happy that you got this role. Naturally, I’m thrilled when someone I brought along gets recognized.”

Actually, what made Zhang Yong even happier was Tang Qu’s attitude. Most newcomers in the industry tend to be wary of everyone, including their own agents, often leading to significant disagreements over various matters. For instance, when it comes to signing contracts, they often like to nitpick, which usually ends up displeasing both sides and wasting many opportunities. However, Tang Qu handed over all the authority to him, expressing trust, which naturally made him happy.

Tang Qu smiled and then looked out the car window. In truth, he felt a bit like he was bullying the weak. But the entertainment industry is a place that devours people without spitting out the bones. You either need solid skills or a strong backing; otherwise, you’re just there to be bullied. Without a strong backing, he could only rely on his skills. Tang Qu sighed; the feeling of starting from scratch was indescribably complex.

Since Tang Qu was still a newcomer, he didn’t have many activities, so Zhang Yong took him straight home.

“Rest well these next few days. You’ll be joining the crew soon. It would be even better if you could lose some weight. I’ve looked at the script, and your character is on the thinner side. The camera tends to widen actors visually, so try to slim down a bit more.”

Zhang Yong felt a bit reluctant saying this. Not only was Tang Qu still a student, but his frame was already quite slim—standing at 180 cm, he probably didn’t even weigh 110 pounds. But the camera is a terrifying thing, and Director Chen is notorious for not using filters, so looking good on screen entirely depends on the actor’s own control.

Tang Qu didn’t have any objections to this. As an actor, gaining or losing weight in a short period is just part of the job.

“Alright, Brother Yong, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Zhang Yong looked at Tang Qu’s obedient expression and his gentle walking posture, truly feeling that his artist was the most well-behaved in the world.

However, what Zhang Yong didn’t know was that another agent was frantically searching the world for his artist.

“How could you all lose track of Guan Yan! He disappeared halfway through filming! What do I even pay you for?” Brother Jiang was exasperated, looking at the group of assistants in front of him. How could such a big Guan Yan just vanish?

“Brother Jiang, don’t worry too much. It’s not the first time our Brother Guan has gone missing.”

“Don’t worry? How can I not worry? Several sponsors are waiting to have dinner with him, and he just up and leaves!”

Just as Brother Jiang was fuming, his phone rang with a special ringtone. He quickly answered, “Oh, my dear, if you’re going to leave, at least give me a heads up!…”

Guan Yan held the phone away from his ear, waiting for the other person to finish before bringing it back. “You handle it over there.”

“Several sponsors are waiting for your presence!”

“The beta version of the laptop.”

“Got it, bro. Don’t worry about it here.”

The assistants watched Brother Jiang’s expression change in an instant, not at all surprised. Brother Guan often disappeared, and he always used this trick. They were used to it by now.

“So, Brother Jiang, what should we do?”

“Pack up and head back.”

“What about the sponsors?”

“Who cares about them? They’re just trying to take advantage of our Guan Yan with their money. They should take a good look at themselves—do they even deserve it?”

Brother Jiang’s ability to change his demeanor was truly top-notch. Several CEOs from Fortune 500 companies were left waiting, and he didn’t even bat an eye.

But considering his boss’s status, it seemed he really didn’t need to pay any attention to these people.