Summer is almost over, the fire from my memories didn’t happen, and Yang Xi wasn’t severely burnt saving anyone, which is fantastic.
Wen Ying smiled brightly. Sister Xi always responded better to kindness than to harshness, unafraid of others’ fists or malice but vulnerable to gentleness and goodwill. Under Wen Ying’s gaze, she struggled to hold herself together:
“I’ll go talk to the new boss!”
She said this with her head held high, but afterwards, she fled in a bit of a panic.
, What’s so funny? Your laughter’s making me uneasy.
Half of Wen Ying’s good mood came from the profits of the share transfer, and half from Yang Xi. She didn’t realise how indulgent her gaze towards Yang Xi was, but Xie Qian noticed it all.
Wen Ying had her secrets.
Her attitude towards Yang Xi and Dai Chenglan made Xie Qian feel something was off.
But if Wen Ying didn’t say anything, Xie Qian wouldn’t pry.
He didn’t think Wen Ying would harbour ill intentions towards anyone without reason. If she did, it must be someone else’s fault.
Wang Shuang transferred 15% of his shares, and the incoming profit, though not comparable to Wen Ying’s, was still over £400,000 after tax.
The young, wealthy Wang Shuang hadn’t realised the importance of money before. When he ran out, he’d just ask his family for more. Last year, setting up a stall on the late-night food street with Wen Ying and others, and working part-time at Tianjiao Film Company, he finally understood how hard it was to earn money.
Now, with over £400,000 coming his way, Wang Shuang had no desire to splurge. He was thinking about how to make money grow!
Before the three parted ways, Wang Shuang sought Wen Ying and Xie Qian’s opinions:
“Do you think if I invest the money in Tianjiao’s second film, would Teacher Yuan agree?”
Being a producer seemed interesting, and it was the job Wang Shuang wanted.
But as Xie Qian pointed out, a producer without influence was meaningless, and influence required capital. Wang Shuang pondered that this “capital” wasn’t just money but also connections and skills. As a high school student, what connections did he have in the film industry? His skills were limited to part-time work.
Yuan Fenghui paid Wen Ying such a high salary because she brought value to Tianjiao. Wang Shuang’s value to the company was far less.
He didn’t necessarily want to compete with Wen Ying, but with his friends all charging forward, he didn’t want to be left behind!
Wen Ying and Xie Qian exchanged a glance. Xie Qian, always practical, said, “How would Wen Ying and I know what Teacher Yuan thinks? If you want her approval, what bargaining chips do you have to convince her?”
Tianjiao already had shares from Wang Shuang’s family, with Wang Jun being one of the shareholders.
A film’s profits are finite. Wang Jun takes a share, and if Wang Shuang takes another, Li Zhentao and Qin Xianming might not care, but what about Yuan Fenghui?
The company’s current operations were all handled by Yuan Fenghui. If Wang Shuang invested, it would dilute her profits.
Unless Wang Shuang could contribute to Tianjiao’s future development like Wen Ying, why would Yuan Fenghui agree?
Xie Qian’s suggestion to ask Yuan Fenghui was a feint. The person Wang Shuang really needed to convince was Wang Jun!
Would Wang Jun, holding shares in Tianjiao, be willing to share them with Wang Shuang, or trust him with them now? Convincing his own father was the more realistic goal.
Wang Shuang, a straightforward guy, lowered his head to think about how to persuade Yuan Fenghui. Wen Ying cleared her throat:
“Xie Qian’s right. You need Teacher Yuan’s approval, but you should discuss it with your dad first!”
Wang Shuang got it now.
Negotiating with Yuan Fenghui with £400,000 was less effective than negotiating with his own father.
Xie Qian didn’t entirely approve of Wen Ying’s approach. After parting with Wang Shuang, he was a bit displeased: “You should’ve let him figure it out himself.”
“I was worried he’d rack his brains and still not get your subtext!”
Wang Shuang was a straight shooter, after all!
Xie Qian thought it over and found Wen Ying’s reasoning sound.
Though he meant well for Wang Shuang, considering his academic struggles, he might not have grasped it. Realising how rare it was for Wen Ying to catch his subtext made it all the more remarkable!
The hamster’s only weakness was her academic foundation, which was slowly improving. Beyond that, Wen Ying had no flaws.
Though Xie Qian never lacked people trying to win his favour, those “friends” were different from Wen Ying.
How rare it was to find a friend on the same wavelength, and he’d already found one!
At this thought, Xie Qian felt every pore in his body relax.
Wen Ying was a bit bewildered.
Xie Qian’s mood swings were quite something, weren’t they?
After transferring her “Shrimp King” shares, Wen Ying expected Chen Ru to ask about it and had prepared her answers. But Chen Ru didn’t bring it up, leaving Wen Ying uneasy.
Her mum had changed too much!
Was she focusing all her attention on Han Qin and Du Li?
When she came to her senses, would she turn on her?
Wen Ying, anxious, wanted to probe her dad. The next morning, father and daughter sat at the same table for breakfast. Wen Ying caught a strong whiff of medicated oil and noticed small red spots on her dad’s arm.
“Dad, didn’t you use mosquito repellent in your room last night?”
Wen Dongrong chuckled, gave Wen Ying a fried dough stick, and silenced her with food!
“Tomorrow, your mum’s meeting that Du fellow. Don’t provoke her.”
Wen Dongrong warned his scheming daughter seriously.
When Chen Ru was angry, Wen Ying might not suffer, but he, her husband, would. This lesson, learned through tears and half a bottle of medicated oil, still left his mosquito-bitten arms and legs itching!
…
In Chengdu, Wen Ying’s mum was ready to take down Lawyer Du. In Hunan, the talent show that had buzzed all summer came to an end.
A new annual champion was crowned.
No one expected this year’s Super Girl to be such a hit!
Even the carefree Li Mengjiao felt a twinge of fear.
If Teacher Yuan picked new talents this year, there’d be too many to choose from. As last year’s most popular contestant, Li Mengjiao’s SMS votes from last year wouldn’t even make the national top ten this year. She worried for three seconds before resuming her carefree self-consolation: it wasn’t that her popularity was lacking; Hunan TV just didn’t run the competition well last year. If it had been as exciting as this year, her votes would’ve been much higher!
Among last year’s contestants, only Li Mengjiao could be so bold now.
Zhang Yangning seized the chance to break her contract with Mr. Guan’s company before the finals, leaving Xu Mei in an awkward spot.
Mr. Guan signed all this year’s popular contestants and was busy producing albums for them. When Xu Mei asked about her next steps, Mr. Guan said he’d secured her a role.
“*Emerald Forest* has great ratings. I recommended you, and they agreed to cast you. Isn’t that great?”
Great?
Xu Mei wanted to be a singer, but the company was sending her to act!
Still, *Emerald Forest*’s ratings were explosive. Within three days of airing, the average CSM18 city rating hit %, and by the finale, it peaked at %, nearly breaking 4%!
Its popularity was such that, just a week after airing, small shops near schools were selling drama photo stickers. Vendors were quick to spot the opportunity.
The show boosted Xu Mei’s fame, a mixed blessing. It completely overturned her innocent, intellectual image. The new role she was offered? Another villainous supporting character!
