Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Huang Zi Jin stared at the video for a moment, and sighed, “Little Tree, if you can be at this level every time you are acting. Then there is nothing more that I can teach you. Superb acting comes from life experiences, not theory. For this assessment there is no doubt that you are the best, I hope you will hang in there like always.”

“I will definitely persevere,” Xiao Jia Shu said confidently, “Zi Jin Ge, let me tell you something honestly. I define myself as a performing artist, not an actor.”

“Pft……” Huang Zi Jin accidentally let out a laugh, seeing Little Tree Sapling pulled a long face, he immediately waved his hand, “I’m not ridiculing you, I just think that you are too cute, hahaha……” at the end he couldn’t hold it in, and he covered his face, laughing loudly. Performing artist? This was a little tree sapling that has a principle.

“Stop laughing Zi Jin Ge and help me to analyse this video. See if there is anywhere else that I need improvement on. Sigh, are you listening?” Xiao Jia Shu jumped onto Huang Zi Jin to strangle his neck. The two were inseparable for some time, making them have a friend and student-teacher relationship.

Lin Le Yang had mixed feelings as he watched both of them laughing and playing around. After waiting for Huang Zi Jin to analyse everyone’s video and pointing out their strengths and weakness, only then did he muddled to the 26th floor to find Ji Mian. He sat at the table near the window waiting for Ji Mian to finish working on the documents, his mind was a mess, filled with many different thoughts.

At first, he thought that Xiao Jia Shi was a rich kid that had no acting skills and solely relied on his family background. However, it has been proven that his acting was not bad. He thought that even if Xiao Jia Shu had good acting it was only because he had an inborn talent, if he worked a bit harder he could catch up.

But reality has proven that his judgement had been wrong again. At that moment, he suddenly thought of a sentence – people that are more outstanding than you are not scary, the scary thing is that they are more outstanding than you and also more hardworking than you.

Yes, he was a bit afraid of this kind of Xiao Jia Shu, even when he was at his lowest, he never rummaged the rubbish bin for food. Looking at Xiao Jia Shu eat the expired food that had turned sour one bite at a time, it’s wasn’t disgust that he felt, but fear. Just as Huang Zi Jin said – he has this kind of determination, how can he not be good at acting in the future? He surely will be his greatest enemy.

A strong sense of crisis made Lin Le Yang feel nervous, didn’t know since when he already passively or actively thought of Xiao Jia Shu as an enemy. He thought that he could rely on effort alone to beat the opponent. But one day he found out – the opponent is hundred, even a thousand times more hardworking than him, the gap in their mentalities catalysed his anxiety.

It had been a long time since he’d finished his coffee but he didn’t notice, still placing the cup near his lips, slowly sipping.

Ji Mian put down the document and looked at him, and said helplessly,” What is it, you look dejected.”

“I……” Lin Le Yang really wanted to talk to Ji Ge about the experience Xiao Jia Shu had these three days, and also talk about his helplessness, but he quickly noticed that, if he does this it would only add to Ji Ge’s affection towards Xiao Jia Shu, therefore quickly changing the topic he said, ”I’m just thinking about the few endorsements that I got recently.”

Ji Mian looked at him for a moment and said” Don’t accept endorsements recklessly, look at where you are standing first before looking at the level of the product, look for a product that is compatible with your image, if not your popularity will just plumage. What endorsement have you received? Get Fang Kun to look over it for you, and choose one that suits you, don’t be too greedy.”

Hmm? But Peng Xin already helped me accept all of it, we’re almost going to sign the contract! Lin Le Yang’s scalp tightened but doesn’t dare to oppose, murmuring and didn’t tell the truth at the end.

Ji Mian slowly laid back onto his chair, one hand undoing his tie, another massaging in between his eyebrows, looking very tired. After a moment of silence, he ordered, ”Next time no matter what job offers you receive you must tell Fang Kun, let him decide.” Even though Fang Kun liked to nag, and was nosy, at least he was good at his job.

“Doesn’t that mean that Peng Xin won’t have anything to do anymore?” Lin Le yang immediately tensed up.

“He can learn from Fang Kun, I will still give him his salary.” Ji Mian said, “ Quickly look for Fang Kun to settle the endorsements. You still remember how Zhou Zhao Yang had been kicked out of the entertainment industry right?”

Zhou Zhao Yang was originally Ji Guan entertainment’s new rising small heavenly king, he had a bright future. But because his manager accepted all kinds of endorsement: health supplements, electric car, cosmetics, food, milk powder, real estate etc, due to his greedy for money, there was almost nothing he didn’t accept. It resulted in a few products that were identified as fake and bad quality products by the Bureau of quality inspection, and the news spread all over the internet. In one night, Zhou Zhao Yang’s reputation was ruined and was boycott by everyone, he quickly disappeared from the entertainment industry without a trace.

Thinking of this case, Lin Le Yang that was reluctant at first immediately became awake and quickly ran to find Fang Kun and Chen Peng Xin.

Accepting fewer endorsements not only will affect the artist’s income, but also will decrease the manager’s percentage, Chen Peng Xin naturally disagreed, but above him, there was pressure from CEO Ji, below him Fang Kun was being aggressive, he only could grit his teeth and nod. Fang Kun meticulously chose a chocolate endorsement, at the same time rejecting the other endorsements, afterwards he sent a WeChat message to Ji Mian, telling him that everything had been settled.

Ji Mian closed his WeChat, and contemplated, he opened his Weibo to check the late entertainment news. Because Lin Le Yang, Jesse, Jin Shi Jun, Xiao Jia Shu were all from the same acting class, and the first three have uploaded their assessment video, the netizens naturally thought that Xiao Jia Shu would also upload his, because they were all supposed to be a set.

But after waiting and waiting they still couldn’t see Xiao Jia Shu’s update in the end, then they started to feel impatient, some were rushing him, some were confused, there were also people cursing at him. Then slowly people started spreading, saying that Xiao Jia Shu is too careful about his image, and is not willing to share the video of him acting as a homeless person.

There were also people that thought of a conspiracy theory, saying that Xiao Jia Shu didn’t even participate in the assessment, because he doesn’t want to suffer. He is a young master, he has a lot of connections in his hand, he didn’t need to respond to Teacher Huang Zi Jin. Even if he didn’t have any acting skills he could still act in the most f*cking great movie, this is reality.

These remarks have attracted the attention of netizens as soon as they were released, quickly some people started doing a family background check on Xiao Jia Shu, but so far there was no evidence found.

Basing on his many years of experience, Ji Mian realized that these people were purposely creating an issue to talk bad about Xiao Jia Shu. He had definitely offended someone or blocked someone’s way. Ji Mian furrowed his eyebrows tighter and didn’t even pause to think, taking his phone going to the top floor to look for CEO Xiu.

At the same time, Huang Mei Xuan also found out about this situation, then tapping Little Tree Sapling’s head one at a time,” Why are you acting all noble, huh? You are a celebrity, hype making is normal! If you release the video, I guarantee that all the anti-fans will shut up! When that time comes this old lady can slap their faces, isn’t that great? Think about it yourself won’t that feel great? Why are you refusing? You blockhead! If you want to be noble then don’t be in the entertainment industry, f*ck off as soon as possible!”

“Mei Xuan Jie can you be quiet a bit, this is the CEO’s office.” Xiao Jia Shu pointed at the sign on the door.

“So what if it is the CEO’s office? It’s a good chance for CEO Xiu to listen to your bad excuses, what scared of looking ugly, scared of exposing Ji Mian, if you are really scared of being ugly would you wander around the streets for three days? If you are scared of exposing Ji Mian can’t you just put a mosaic on his face? You treat me as an idiot huh?”

As his head was almost being poked into a hole, Xiao Jia Shu didn’t have a choice but the explain humbly, “Okay okay, I’ll tell you the real reason. I’m afraid my mother will feel sad after seeing the video. I told her that I went to shelter to do charity work for three days, I didn’t tell her that I was wandering on the street. Think about it, if she saw me drinking tap water and rummaging the rubbish bins, and almost getting beat up by someone till my head’s bleeding, what would she feel? If you want to use my mother’s tears to exchange for a burst in popularity, then sorry, I can’t accept.”

Huang Mei Xuan that was in a rage immediately quieted down, she stared at Little Tree Sapling for while, then held her forehead and laughed lowly. Xue Jie oh Xue Jie, you don’t know that you have given birth to such a good son!

Xue Miao doesn’t know? She knows too well! At this moment she is standing outside the corridor, non-stop rubbing away her tears.

Xiu Chang Yu lightly patter her back, and mouthed asking,” Are you still going in?”

Noticing that her son had suddenly lost several pounds within three days, Xue Miao had quickly asked for the truth from the bodyguards. But now, she doesn’t have the urge for questioning, she laughed while crying and said, “I’m not going in, let him suffer, I can’t control him!”

If your expression can be a bit more fierce, have less proudness in your eyes, I would believe in your anger. Xiu Chan Yu laughed in his heart, and said, ”Then go to the coffee shop opposite here and wait for me, I’ll help Little Tree to handle the comments on the internet then I will go and find you, let’s have lunch together.”

“Okay, don’t let him know that I came over.” Xiu Miao put on her sunglasses and discreetly walked away, turning around the corner to find a tall and large man standing at the flower pot, cigarette in hand, expression solemn. She recognized that he was currently the country’s most influential male celebrity Ji Mian, therefore she gave him a smile and a nod. He immediately stood straight and bowed down respectfully, and then watched her leave.

After she disappeared at the elevator’s door, Ji Mian immediately took out his phone and called his mother. He suddenly really really really missed her……

Xiu Chang Yu walked into the office, and said bluntly,” You came here because of the comments on the internet right? I’ve already asked someone to settle it.”

“Thank you, Uncle Xiu!” Xiao Jia Shu stood up mannerly but got pressed back down onto the sofa by Xiu Chang Yu,” My pleasure. I have an endorsement on my hands, do you want to accept it?” he said as he went to take out a file from his drawer.

Huang Mei Xuan took it and had a look, she raised her eyebrows and said, “Chan Yue Onsen Holiday Hotel? This is one of the country’s first 7-star hotel. Why are they looking for Little Tree to endorse this?” It’s not that she was looking down on Little Tree, but in comparison to the male celebrities that had debuted the same time as him, Little Tree had the lowest popularity, because he didn’t like publicity, and his exposure wasn’t high either, furthermore, there weren’t any big shots behind him to hype him up, indeed it was a loss for him.

If Little Tree agrees, Huang Mei Xian had thousands and millions of ways to rapidly increase his popularity. But he deliberately disagreed, just wanting to focus on acting, she really doesn’t know whether to scold him or praise him.

“Exactly, I don’t even have a lot of fans, aren’t they afraid of losing money if they get me to endorse them?” Xiao Jia Shu didn’t have an ounce of shame dissing himself.

Xiu Chang Yu gave him a meaningful look, “You really don’t understand your own family’s business, do you? Chan Yu Onsen Holiday Hotel’s biggest investor is Xiao Pharmaceuticals. This hotel’s biggest domain is not tourism and leisure, it’s nourishing health.”