Chapter 14

Lin Aike had just finished filming when her assistant, excitedly holding a phone, approached her. “Keke, your Weibo followers are skyrocketing again.”

“What’s going on?” Lin Aike was both surprised and pleased. “Didn’t the previous surge subside?”

It seems like the company is promoting her. But didn’t the agent say they would coordinate marketing efforts when the drama airs? The assistant handed her the phone and said, “President Sheng is on the hot search again!” Lin Aike was puzzled. Didn’t the hype about the rich woman’s book fan already die down? Could it be that another influencer caused the hype to rise again?

When she took the phone and looked, she was shocked. “President Sheng owns Huaxing Building?” Many entertainment companies are located in the magic city, and Lin Aike’s signed company is also there. She knows what the Huaxing Building represents.

“Yeah, look, some powerful netizens have already found out. Huaxing Building has indeed changed ownership, and the new owner has the last name Sheng.”

Lin Aike was still confused. “Could it be just a coincidence of the same surname?”

“No way!” The assistant was excited. “President Sheng’s company just started, right? It perfectly matches. And didn’t you say, Keke, that President Sheng told you her company plans to open in the magic city?”

Lin Aike immediately recalled that day’s conversation. After having supper, Sheng Quan drank milk tea, holding the remaining skewer, walking and talking, “I also plan to open a company in the magic city. You should come and visit me.”

Lin Aike, who had rented an apartment before, immediately shared a bunch of renting experiences with Sheng Quan, most of which were complaints about not knowing what the neighbors do.

After hearing it all, Sheng Quan concluded, “Indeed, it’s not good if it’s not your own territory. So I should open it in my own territory.”

At that time, Lin Aike thought Sheng Quan referred to a regular floor in an ordinary building. The result? President Sheng’s own territory turned out to be a whole commercial building!

Lin Aike knew Sheng Quan was wealthy, but she didn’t know she was that wealthy! She had always thought President Sheng was just a generous spender, an average second-generation wealthy person. But buying an entire building, especially a prestigious one like the Huaxing Building, is extremely rare.

“No wonder, no wonder the CEO of Yushuo Media, Mr. Wang, is so eager to please President Sheng,” Lin Aike murmured. “I actually went for barbecue with a super wealthy person who owns a building in the magic city.”

“We even had grilled chicken hearts together.”

“We also looked at handsome guys together.”

“I even refused her offer of milk tea because I was afraid of getting fat.”

If given another chance, she just wanted to say, “Let me get fat.”

Others in the crew were also in disbelief. Zhou Zhi exclaimed, “Oh my God, how many billions is that?”

Wang Zheng was calculating on the computer and handed a number to Zhou Zhi.

“Units, tens, hundreds… I never dreamed that I would have hundreds of millions in my lifetime. Oh my, my fan base is growing faster than before. Am I going to skyrocket overnight by basking in President Sheng’s glory?”

“We are all going to skyrocket by basking in President Sheng’s glory. If Director Wan hadn’t refused interviews, many people would want to interview us about President Sheng’s situation on the set.”

“Yan Hui, quickly check how many followers you’ve gained on Weibo. Envious! You were personally signed by President Sheng, so more people must be following you.”

Yan Hui nodded, ready to check, but suddenly, Sheng Quan called.

The excited actors, who were just discussing the increase in their fan base, fell silent instantly. Though they appeared calm, each one was eager to hear what Sheng Quan had to say.

To be honest, Yan Hui was also excited, feeling a bit shocked at being signed by President Sheng. In his view, his looks were not outstanding, and his personality was too wooden. The only thing he could boast about was his acting skills, but there were many actors in the entertainment industry with good acting skills.

President Sheng signing him might not be a big deal for her, but for him, it was a life-changing event.

“The company dormitory has been arranged, right near the company. After you wrap up, you can go directly to the dormitory. Also, I’ve discussed this with Wan Bao. In the next few days, we’ll adjust the schedule of your scenes in hand, and you’ll go shoot for ‘Crane Hua Year’ for two days.”

Yan Hui immediately agreed, “Okay, I’ll go tonight.”

“Good. By the way, the company is hiring a manager. Do you have a manager you’d like to work with?”

Yan Hui’s eyes lit up, his gentle voice slightly expectant and a bit uneasy. “Yes, there is one. But she’s probably still working for another company now. However, I think she would be willing to join our company.”

On the other end of the phone, Sheng Quan smiled.

She knew who Yan Hui was talking about. In fact, when she asked this question, she already knew Yan Hui’s answer.

Yuan Zixin.

In the ending of “Starlight,” she stands out but is forced to resign several times and eventually disappears without a trace. Because she is just a small manager and is mentioned only once in Yan Hui’s perspective, readers basically have no impression of her.

But Sheng Quan liked her—to be precise, she admired her.

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“Yuan Zixin!!!”

A file was thrown onto the desk, and the boss sitting behind the desk was angry. “Luckily, she was signed; otherwise, I would like to see how you explain to the higher-ups. Haven’t you noticed? Mr. Wu wants to chat with Ming Qi. When you went over, Mr. Wu’s face turned black.”

Yuan Zixin picked up the contract and said, “Is that chatting? If I hadn’t stopped him, his hands would have reached under Ming Qi’s skirt. Ming Qi was so scared that she cried, but he continued to touch. What a scumbag.”

“That’s just the way it is. He’s a pervert, and so are you. You know it, and we’re all sitting there. At most, he can take advantage of the situation a bit. Why do you have to touch this unlucky thing? Now, the higher-ups have issues with you, and I can’t guarantee your position.”

The boss was also troubled. “Look, you’re so capable. Why can’t you change this habit of being a do-gooder? It’s not like you’re filming a martial arts TV drama. I know you think those artists are young, and you want to protect them, but they might not appreciate it.”

“Look at Wen Guang. You protected him well, and he became popular, but in the end? He turned around and kicked you out, blaming you for not providing better resources. I feel for you!”

Upon hearing Wen Guang’s name, Yuan Z

ixin’s face darkened for a moment. “I did make a mistake in this matter. I didn’t expect him to set up such a persona in front of me. But Ming Qi explicitly told me she didn’t want to gain any resources through such methods.”

“Whether she wants it or not, the company does. The company signed her to make money. Even if Ming Qi doesn’t want it, and you don’t want it, what’s the use? This industry is like that. Since you can’t change it, just turn a blind eye.”

“Hey, enough of this. With this habit of yours, you’re going with me to apologize to Mr. Wu later. Try to smooth things over, and don’t do this again in the future.”

Yuan Zixin smiled bitterly, shaking her head. “Boss, I really can’t do it. My conscience can’t pass this. Maybe I’m really not suitable for this industry. I’ve thought about it for a long time, and I’ve decided it’s better to resign. Thank you for tolerating me for so long.”

She turned to leave, and the boss suddenly stopped her. “Zixin.”

Yuan Zixin turned around, seeing the complicated expression on her boss’s face.

“I used to be like you too, but you have to understand that people have to live. If everyone is black and you’re white, you’ll be excluded wherever you go.”

“When you figure it out, you’re welcome to come back. I’ll leave a place for you.”

Yuan Zixin stood in place for a second, but in the end, she turned and left.

“Thank you, but I probably won’t come back.”

She packed up her things in her office, and soon, the news of Yuan Zixin’s resignation spread throughout the company. Colleagues came to say goodbye, advising her to soften up with the higher-ups. Ming Qi came in crying, asking if it was because Yuan Zixin helped her that she ended up resigning.

“It’s my fault. If I hadn’t sought help from Sister Yuan, it wouldn’t have ended up like this. I’ll go apologize to them. Sister Yuan, please don’t leave.”

Yuan Zixin wiped away Ming Qi’s tears. “It’s not your fault. I’m just not suitable here.”

She advised, “After I leave, you have to stand on your own, you know? You’re already half of the company’s money-making tree. Your personality is just too soft, and that’s why they dare to manipulate you. But if you toughen up, they won’t risk losing both talent and money.”

Ming Qi nodded while crying. She was cute and almost turned into a tearful person. “I’ll remember. I’ll act well and shoot well. Wait for me. When I become a big star, I can still have Sister Yuan as my manager.”

Yuan Zixin patted her head, amused by her tearful vows. “Don’t say that. Someone said the same thing to me before.”

“How is he now?”

Yuan Zixin thought of the hot search she saw today. In her mind flashed the image of the young and sincere Yan Hui blocking fellow artists, visibly trembling yet stubbornly standing still, saying, “This is a crime. If you take one step forward, I’ll call the police.”

In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed.

Looking at the naive Ming Qi, Yuan Zixin felt both happy and envious. Happy for him and envious of him.

But now, these things don’t matter to her anymore.

Leaving the company, Yuan Zixin ran into Wen Guang.

Her expression showed no fluctuations.

Wen Guang, on the other hand, seemed a bit proud and a bit guilty.

As they crossed paths, Wen Guang suddenly stopped, turned to Yuan Zixin, and said, “No other company is willing to take you in. If you quit this job, you won’t even be able to make a living.”

Yuan Zixin ignored him and continued walking out of the company.

Just as she stepped out, her phone rang.

Yuan Zixin freed a hand to answer the call. “Hello?”

“Hello, I’m Sheng Quan.”

Sheng Quan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window on the 33rd floor of the Huaxing Building, overlooking the bustling streets below.

“May I ask if you’re considering changing jobs?”