002
“terminating and signing contracts”
★
Early the next morning, Chu Yan headed directly to the company.
The original owner of this body belonged to Huaxing Entertainment Ltd., which was one of the entertainment companies amongst many in Huaxia. They were mainly focused in the show business, and there were numerous actors within the company competing to debut. The value of these actors were not high, and they often did not have much experience either. Thus, Huaxing would invest effort into training them.
In regard to the level of development, Huaxia’s entertainment industry held the leading position within their galaxy. There were more than a thousand registered entertainment companies just within the country itself, not to mention the studios established by actors and brokers.
Huaxing could only be considered average amongst the thousands of other entertainment companies. After all, the elder brothers and sisters in the company were all simply ordinary listers. They were even in slight danger of dropping to B-listers. As for Chu Yan, he was even more unremarkable amidst these artists. Besides possessing a face, he basically did not have anything else that could attract others.
In particular, the original owner’s temperament was far too gloomy and cold. His bangs were very long, and his eyes were hidden behind the hair. When he stared at people, their scalp would become numb and they were even more unwilling to pay attention to him.
However, this time, Chu Yan had no choice but to inquire at his agent’s office.
Do you know what it feels like when an elegant and handsome youth suddenly stands in front of you and gently asks a question? A’Ya, Huaxing’s receptionist, was stunned. After a moment, she blushed and gave him the directions to Agent Zhao’s office and told him which room it was in.
“Thank you.”
After expressing his thanks in a low and graceful tone, Chu Yan turned and walked towards the elevator.
Behind him, A’Ya gazed at his back carefully for a long time. Then she poked the arm of the girl next to her and whispered excitedly, “Hey, A’Wen, that person seemed a bit familiar. He was so handsome~ Since when did our company sign a new artist like him? He unexpectedly didn’t even know which room his agent’s office was in……”
The voices behind him gradually drifted away. Upon entering the elevator, Chu Yan immediately pressed the button for the 21st floor. He quickly managed to find his agent’s office—not that it was difficult to. After all, as soon as Chu Yan exited the elevator, he saw an obese figure standing outside a large door. The man’s head was raised as he peered anxiously in the direction of the elevator.
The original owner’s agent was Zhao Lian. He was tall fatty who weighed 190 jin¹. His features were ordinary, but his personality was not bad. Otherwise, if it changed to someone with an irritable temper, Chu Yan was afraid that they would have long been angered into directly giving a few kicks to the original owner and quickly chasing away this freeloader.
[1] Although author doesn’t mention the exact unit of measurement used, I’m assuming that the author is talking in terms of jin according to the Chinese system. This is around 251 pounds and 114 kilograms.
When Zhao Lian saw Chu Yan, he was astonished for a second before approaching him to ask, “Why did you arrive using the elevator? It hasn’t been used by anyone for hundreds of years, next time just have your driver stop directly on the 21st floor. There’s no need to take the trouble to……”
He abruptly ended his words. Zhao Lian’s expression changed, as if he suddenly remembered something. He sighed, then said, “However, there may not be a ‘next time’ in the future.” As they walked, Zhao Lian seemed to want to shift the topic, so he asked, “When did you cut your hair? It looks much better like this.”
When the other alluded to the matter of cancelling his contract, Chu Yan did not interject.
In this world where the entertainment industry was prosperous, if a newcomer wished to single-handedly charge through the entertainment circle, it would undoubtedly be like striking a stone with an egg². The success rate would be just as low. Regardless of the reasons why this company wanted to terminate the original owner’s contract, Chu Yan would not agree or approve. Therefore, his purpose for coming today was that he wanted to continue staying here.
[2] 以卵击石: means to attempt the impossible; invite disaster by overreaching oneself.
“My bangs were starting to become a bit too long, so I decided to get a haircut.” While he was explaining, the corner of the youth’s lips curled up into a brilliant smile.
Chu Yan’s appearance was definitely exquisite and refined. His eyes were slender with thick lashes, while the bridge of his nose was high and straight. His complexion was also quite fair. If his countenance still bore the gloomy style he had in the past, then he would look just as sinister and grim as a vampire.
Yet, now, Zhao Lian was stumped for words; it felt as if there was a small drum beating swiftly in his heart.
——Obviously, it was just his hair that had become shorter, but how come there seemed to have been a very large change?
Although Zhao Lian had seen Chu Yan’s transformation in the holographic call last night, he had not paid it much attention. However, this time, he personally witnessed this youth’s change. It was like a fine jade horsetail whisk suddenly becoming brilliant and magnificent.
All sorts of feelings welled up in his heart momentarily. In the end, it was unknown why Zhao Lian unexpectedly warned Chu Yan, “Even though it’s good that you’re now like this, when you enter the conference room later, it will be better if you…you acted as before.”
His words caused Chu Yan’s brows to faintly knit together. Although he did not understand Zhao Lian’s intentions, he sensed that the other did not hold any malice towards himself.
After entering the conference room, Chu Yan followed what Zhao Lian had said. Lowering his head slightly, Chu Yan used his bangs to block his eyes as he peered up at the others. A sense of aloofness and oppressiveness seemed to pervade from the youth’s body. He was clearly wearing a white shirt, yet there was a distinct feeling of gloominess.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Lian was immediately shocked. He was just casually making a suggestion, how did Chu Yan actually change back so suddenly?!
Zhao Lian was at a total loss³. As for the other two people in the conference room, their brows wrinkled as they stared at the depressed and morose youth.
[3] 丈二和尚，摸不着头脑: literally means ‘like a three-meter high monk, you can’t rub his head’.
The man sitting at the head of the conference table was the director of Huaxing’s Artist Department. A cultured and elegant young man sat next to him. Chu Yan’s gaze rested on these two men for a while, before shifting to the younger man. His pupils faintly contracted, but in the end, Chu Yan lowered his head again and did not say anything.
The director, who was quite thin, awkwardly laughed. He turned to the younger man and said, “Mr Zhou, this is Chu Yan. A year ago, our company managed to sign him on after spending a lot of effort. Look at the condition of his appearance; he has a very good figure and he is also young, only eighteen this year. Ah, he’s a rare good seedling.”
These boastful words caused Chu Yan’s brows to raise thoughtfully. Beside him, Zhao Lian’s expression was twisted oddly.
Rare good seedling?
Spent a lot of effort before managing to sign him on?
Director, how can you lie so brazenly?!
However, the young man did not seem to have any reaction to the director’s nonsense. He just smiled and rapped lightly on the surface of the table. “Then, thank you for your company’s decision to part with this remarkable talent. This time, I’ll be responsible for signing Chu Yan under us.”
“Mr Zhou, Chu Yan is so young, who knows what kind of prospects he will have in the future. Ah, this is also very important for us……”
“What is Director Wang thinking of?”
“We still have three and a half years to our contract with Chu Yan. Originally, we had prepared several TV dramas for him to test the water with……”
……
From the start, he basically did not hold any qualms against the other people who were present. This Director Wang just kept bragging with each word that he spoke, to the point that the original owner had been blown to the skies. First, he mentioned that Chu Yan was a good seedling that they had nurtured for many years. Then, he said that they had already prepared various big productions and were just waiting for the day that Chu Yan exploded into fame.
Unfortunately, the young man did not have any reaction in the least. He just maintained a smiling expression on his face while listening to Director Wang’s puffery.
By the time Director Wang began to bluntly demand for the penalty fee to be raised three times, the corner of the young man’s lips still held a smile. It was only that the sound of his fingers tapping against the table suddenly slowed down. He turned to Director Wang and in a placid tone, asked with a cold smile, “Director Wang. Do you still remember who I’m representing to sign on Chu Yan?”
A single sentence immediately caused Director Wang’s complexion to change. Ultimately, the other signed on Chu Yan according to the penalty fee they had originally determined.
While all of this was happening, Chu Yan stood nearby and watched calmly. He neither opposed nor supported the decision. It was only when the breach of contract procedures were completely signed that Zhao Lian walked over with a guilty and ashamed expression. In a regretful tone, he apologised.
In response, Chu Yan smiled lightly and shook his head. “You have my best interests at heart, that’s why you’re sending me to Tiansheng⁴.”
[4] 天盛: 天 meaning day/sky/heaven and 盛 meaning flourishing/magnificent.
Upon hearing his words, Zhao Lian stared blankly. Surprised, he said, “You knew that Tiansheng wanted to sign with you?”
His elegant and fair features were unflustered, without a single ripple. At that moment, Mr Zhou was exchanging the final documents with Director Wang. Chu Yan glanced at Zhao Lian and replied calmly, “Mr Zhou is Tiansheng’s gold-tier agent, Zhou Hehui. I recognise him, he manages a film empress and three list artists.”
“You unexpectedly care so much about the people in this circle?” Zhao Lian asked in astonishment, “Didn’t you like these things the least in the past?”
When he heard this, Chu Yan smiled and did not respond.
By the time he actually had to leave, Chu Yan did not really have anything that he needed arrange or pack. After all, the original owner basically never came to the company. He followed Zhou Hehui as they left Huaxing Entertainment together.
Before Chu Yan left, Zhao Lian still felt a bit reluctant and told the other that if he could not assimilate into Tiansheng, he could come back and look for him.
Zhao Lian’s kind gesture caused Chu Yan’s eyes to slightly darken. Then he smiled and nodded.
Zhou Hehui had arrived at the company driving a hover car. Under his lead, Chu Yan slid into the car and they allowed the automated driving system to take control. The two sat in the car and began discussing the matters that needed to be dealt with next.
After handing a copy of the contract in his hand to Chu Yan, Zhou Hehui lowered his head to sort out his own things. Chu Yan did not mind this cold treatment. Instead, he flipped through the materials he was given with interest. When Chu Yan realised that his contract with Tiansheng would only last for three years, he was slightly stunned. Laughter arose in the depths of his gaze.
“Tomorrow, I will take you to audition at a casting. This is the AI script, look through it carefully.” As he spoke, Zhou Hehui passed a microchip to Chu Yan. “Do your best to emulate the scenes in here, you will be auditioning for the role of the second male lead. As long as there are no mishaps, then the company can seize this role for you.”
Chu Yan nodded, unperturbed. He accepted the AI script and whispered his thanks.
The youth’s extremely detached response caused Zhou Hehui, who was originally quite unconcerned, to peer at him in interest for a long time. Finally, Zhou Hehui seemed to abruptly think of something and said, “Aren’t you curious about who I am? Why I would want to sign with you? Why I would want to give you resources?”
When he heard the other man’s questions, Chu Yan, whose head had been lowered from the very beginning as he carefully read through the contract, slowly lifted it up.
Following his movements, the originally long and dense strands of his bangs swiftly parted to either side of his face, revealing Chu Yan’s forehead and a pair of bright eyes. There was a hint of an indifferent smile in those light-coloured eyes, and his beautiful lips faintly curved up. An indescribable sense of elegance and nobility suddenly dispersed from the youth’s body.
He was clearly sitting in the car, yet it felt as though he was seated upon an invisible throne.
Chu Yan lightly raised a brow. He grinned, “You are Zhou Hehui, Tiansheng’s gold-tier agent. I already know the answer to the first question, but I’m guessing you won’t tell me the answer to the last two. At least, not now. Then, since we’re already in a collaborative relationship, how about we become more familiar with each other?”
The youth’s change startled Zhou Hehui, he smiled and extended his right hand.
“I’m Chu Yan. Please advise me in the future, Mr Zhou.”
For the rest of the journey, Chu Yan read through the materials attentively. Only Zhou Hehui’s complexion was strange as he stared out of the window, periodically sneaking a few glances at Chu Yan from his peripheral vision. Unfortunately, after that, it was if nothing had happened previously. Chu Yan just continued to carefully scan though his contract.
It was only when the hover car arrived below Chu Yan’s apartment that the youth placed down the contract in his hand. He proceeded to face Zhou Hehui and reveal spotlessly white teeth as he asked, “Zhou ge⁵, do you have the script for this drama? Not the AI script, but a hardcopy one.”
Surprised, Zhou Hehui replied, “Why do you want a hardcopy script? I’ve already prepared the AI script for you.”
Chu Yan responded with a smile. “I want to see what the hardcopy script for this TV series would look like. Zhou ge, could it be that you don’t have it?”
Zhou Hehui: “…………#￥￥#￥”
Half an hour later, Chu Yan suddenly received a message when he arrived home. There was even a supplementary file provided.
[Zhou Hehui]: Although I know that you used a psychological method to provoke me, there is nothing that Tiansheng cannot do in the entire galaxy’s entertainment circle. Within Huaxia, there is also nothing that I, Zhou Hehui, cannot do. Get up earlier tomorrow, I will take you to the audition.
Upon reading it, Chu Yan laughed. He accepted the hardcopy script that every actor deemed as trash, while helplessly muttering, “So then, did you still end up falling for the psychological attack?”
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translator: k i a i
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