A certain marketing account posted a Weibo message:
@First Entertainment: According to reliable sources, your big
celebrity, Pei Rong, has no news of joining any film projects in the second
half of the year, and his schedule remains empty to this day. I wonder which
industry bigshot he offended to get blacklisted?
This was a small marketing account with only tens of
thousands of followers, and within half an hour, there were only a few
comments, but it was filled with an air of animosity.
[Hmph, it’s not surprising at all that he got blacklisted. He
has the kind of face that offends people.]
[Stop being sour. If you mean Pei Rong’s stunning looks
outshine your actor’s plastic surgery face to the point where he can’t even
bear to look at himself, then yes, Pei Rong is indeed offending. Can’t help it,
it’s innate.]
[No way, Pei Rong is heaven-sent to save the entertainment
industry’s visuals. Even as a non-fan, I hope he acts in more movies.]
[Pei Rong starred in four movies last year, three of which
are yet to be released. Each film had an investment of at least 500 million
yuan, and all major capital players in the entertainment industry participated
in the investment. Who could blacklist him? Do capitalists not love money?]
[Speaking of which, Pei Rong should receive an award for
dedication in the entertainment industry. He’s working all year round.]
[His personal life is really pure and untainted. There’s not
even a single empty bottle thrown by fans. The main lead is too hardworking;
there’s practically nothing for fans to do.]
[Is there a possibility that the blacklisting is due to
malicious manipulation of public opinion?]
[Haha, in the past, Pei Rong’s fans were full of enthusiasm,
claiming he’s beyond the mortal world, pure and cold like a bright moon. But
when ordinary people see his face, oh boy, it’s a dazzling presence in the
human world. Add to that his level of dedication, and it’s practically written
all over his face: [Wants to make money].]
[Tomorrow is Jianglu Entertainment Group’s anniversary event.
We can see Pei Rong perform as a social butterfly again. Can I have some of
that determination to climb up the ladder? I’m tired of the endless socializing
at annual gatherings.]
[Who says no to that...]
***
In a black and red-themed room, Pei Rong himself was lying on
a black leather sofa, wearing a snow-white silk robe, resembling a handful of
snow falling into a deep well. The moonlight lingers on the snow, not a bit of
its brilliance swallowed by the darkness, but instead shining even brighter,
like a precious gem.
Pei Rong looked at his work plan for a while. A faint smile
appeared on the perfectly curved corners of his lips, as if the best spring had
just bloomed, bringing an indescribable joy.
He took a red pen and drew a big red cross on a certain
expiring advertising contract.
“Great, the business is getting fewer, and I’m one step
closer to retiring from the entertainment circle,” Pei Rong thought to himself.
Since earning enough money in the entertainment industry, his
life goal had been reduced to “retire and live a leisurely life”. When a
celebrity decided to retire, they became invincible.
The company tried everything but couldn’t stop him. They
could only fill Pei Rong’s schedule for the last year with numerous events,
trying to make one last big profit.
No matter how busy the schedule, there would always be a day
when it’s all over. Today, Pei Rong successfully turned the schedule for the
second half of the year into a blank page.
The upcoming anniversary celebration would undoubtedly be his
last formal appearance before retiring. It had to be grand and dignified, as
though bidding farewell to the era when countless people would sigh over the
beauty of a moment.
Pei Rong lay in bed, envisioning his villa, fish pond,
orchard, and flower garden in the countryside. As he drifted off to sleep, he
thought about getting a dog as well.
The next day, his manager, Luo Qun, dragged him out of bed
like pulling a sticky glutinous rice cake.
She rapidly briefed him about the day’s schedule: “In the
morning, you’ll go to the recording studio to dub for ‘Penglai’. At noon, you
have a lunch appointment at Wankai Restaurant to support their marketing
efforts. The red carpet event for the anniversary celebration starts at 5:30
pm, and before the stylist arrives, you have two hours for...”
“Two hours for a nap?” Pei Rong’s tired expression suddenly
brightened, like peonies shaking off morning dew, and his eyes seemed touched
by a gentle spring breeze.
Luo Qun swallowed and said ruthlessly, “You really have to
eat at the restaurant, and after that, you’ll do four sets of exercises.”
Pei Rong looked at Luo Qun, puzzled, and calmly stated, “I’m
about to retire, you know.”
Couldn’t he be a leisurely fish swimming freely?
Luo Qun replied, “It’s not time yet. Not a moment of
relaxation allowed.”
Of course, she had another purpose. The best state for Pei Rong
was when he exercised and had a slight sweat. His body became rosy and fair,
with a radiant and charming aura, which diminished his usual lazy and
unremarkable nature.
She hated the high-definition cameras of today that
compromised the appearance of unattractive people with layer after layer of
filters. Otherwise, the whole world should experience the true charm and beauty
of Pei Rong after exercising.
Luo Qun looked at Pei Rong and felt a slight sigh in her
heart. She didn’t know which bastard would benefit from this in the future.
Luo Qun: “Mr. Zhou also invited senior executives from the
headquarters, planning to make promises for financing. You should cooperate
with them.”
After changing his clothes, Pei Rong came out of the dressing
room and nodded lightly.
Mm.
Pei Rong’s agency was Jianglu Entertainment, which was not
particularly eye-catching among the numerous capital companies in the film and
television industry. It was merely a subsidiary of the Lu Group, holding shares
in an entertainment agency. Pei Rong was their most popular artist.
If the company’s pillar collapsed, the management team would
be troubled. President Zhou Hang had talked with Pei Rong about it several
times, but he couldn’t convince him to even accept gifted equity. He
sorrowfully accepted this fact and started planning for the future - to
stabilize the company’s position, they must quickly sign another popular
artist.
Hence, this anniversary celebration was particularly grand,
combining it with a charity banquet and taking the opportunity to invite
artists and businesspeople with potential collaborations.
In addition, President Zhou Hang had been planning for a long
time and persuaded the higher-ups from the headquarters to come and attend.
On the red carpet before the banquet, the atmosphere reached
its climax when a black Rolls-Royce rolled directly onto the middle of the red
carpet.
“Wow! So cool!”
“Beauty and the car wheels both ran over my face!”
“Is Pei Rong the new spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz? The car
just drove up for him?!”
“No, this is just his usual show-off stunt.”
“Mom, I want to buy this person. No, buy this car.”
The flashes and screams instantly multiplied several times,
all hoping to catch the beauty’s attention.
Others strolled down the red carpet on their own, but as the
top star of Jianglu Entertainment, Pei Rong enjoyed some arrogant
privileges—this was also a carefully crafted persona tailored by the company.
By any means necessary, he captivated attention, stole the spotlight, and
embraced both admiration and criticism.
The car door opened, and Pei Rong stepped out wearing an
avocado green high-end shirt for early spring, with the slightly open collar
highlighting his radiant fair skin. He gracefully bent down, removed his
sunglasses, and flashed a brilliant smile at the media reporters. If beauty had
firepower, the scene would have exploded into fireworks.
Pei Rong posed for the cameras long enough before making his
way into the banquet hall.
Amidst the fragrance of clothes and mingling toasts, Zhou
Hang was busy socializing with business professionals and didn’t notice him.
Pei Rong chose a corner sofa to lounge on, accompanied by his agent, Luo Qun.
Luo Qun sat beside him and explained that tonight’s event
held significant importance. It was crucial to showcase the thriving business
opportunities and limitless prospects in the entertainment industry to convince
headquarters to invest heavily in their strategic plans.
She gazed at Pei Rong, knowing that everyone thought he
looked cool and aloof with his sunglasses on, but she was the only one who knew
that he wore them so he could take naps like a lazy fish.
Suppressing a yawn, Pei Rong replied, “I know.”
Luo Qun continued, “You must perform well and never give any
indication of leaving the industry. Show them the spirit of our company’s hard
work and progress.”
If headquarters found out that they couldn’t even retain
their cash cow, how could they trust Jianglu Entertainment with more
substantial investments?
“As long as we keep headquarters satisfied, it will be easier
to negotiate an honorable retirement,” Luo Qun added.
After all, with such a lucrative cash cow, they couldn’t let
other companies secretly make contact. Even if it meant offending high-level
executives and facing a possible blacklist, they’d rather extend the contract
indefinitely and stop any attempts at poaching.
However, Zhou Hang unexpectedly learned a few days ago that a
certain influential figure was in town, and now he had even grander ambitions.
As long as they secured headquarters’ investment, Jianglu
Entertainment could transform from a regular talent agency into an independent
film and television production company.
If Pei Rong managed to conceal the situation until it was
settled, without raising any suspicions from headquarters, he was willing to
organize a special “retirement ceremony”. During the event, the president would
personally thank Pei Rong with tears and gratitude for his constructive
contributions to the company over the years.
Pei Rong’s eyelids flickered beneath his sunglasses, showing
some interest in this scenario, and he replied, “Okay.”
Pausing for a moment, he asked again, “Will this affect my
retirement timeline?”
Luo Qun: “It won’t be a problem. By then, the company will
have already signed up new talents. Everyone will part ways amicably, and the
company will gain a good reputation. Maybe even the headquarters will take a
closer look at us.”
Pei Rong looked around. “We’ve been talking for so long, but
where are the people from the headquarters?”
Luo Qun sighed. “Who knows when they’ll arrive. Don’t let
your guard down.”
Pei Rong was speechless. Was she waiting for a divine
intervention?
He casually brushed off nonexistent dust from his knee, then
stood up with a radiant smile and joined in the evening’s socializing.
Wherever any senior executive chatted, Zhou Hang would stand
nearby, nodding attentively, occasionally complimenting, and laughing politely.
They showcased their greatest asset — Pei Rong himself — from every angle.
It was obvious that they were worth collaborating with,
right?
If you were to ask whether Pei Rong was forcing a smile, no,
he wasn’t. Each smile contained genuine gratitude and joy for soon leaving this
circle. It was truly moving.
With Pei Rong supporting him, Zhou Hang straightened his
back, hiding certain unknown insecurities, and engaged in lively conversations,
looking presentable.
To most onlookers, this pair of superiors and subordinates
seemed to be using all kinds of tricks, unashamedly exuding an aura of “I want
to climb higher, I want to gain resources.”
Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, Zhou Hang spotted a
group of people standing discreetly on the right side of the banquet hall. His
gaze focused, and he then broke into a big smile.
If he wasn’t mistaken, Lu Qin was also here. This was truly a
delightful surprise!
Lu Qin, the true helmsman of the Lu Corporation, managing
assets worth trillions, casually throwing around billions like playing toys.
Without hesitation, Zhou Hang went forward to greet them,
accompanied by Pei Rong.
It was the first time Pei Rong saw Zhou Hang being so...
flattering, with even a hint of seriousness mixed in. He was momentarily under
the illusion that he was a beauty being brought by Zhou Hang to meet the
emperor.
Most emperors were old and bald, Pei Rong thought to himself
as he turned around, pondering on how to smile sincerely.
He looked at the person they were walking to with raised
eyebrows, but soon found himself in a daze.
Lu Qin was truly a remarkable figure in every sense of the
word. He had a tall and slender stature, and even though he rarely smiled or
spoke, his presence demanded attention. Apart from his background and wealth,
he possessed an exceptionally attractive appearance. Unlike Pei Rong’s beauty,
Lu Qin exhibited a tough and resolute handsomeness, reminding people of his
dominating presence in the business world.
Beauty and attractiveness were qualities that people had
always admired in Pei Rong, but he couldn’t satisfy his own eyes.
Lu Qin, however, was different.
Pei Rong was just momentarily stunned, then immediately
returned to his usual role as a social butterfly at the highest level.
He actively engaged, cooperating with Zhou Hang, to select a
champagne from the table and handed it to Lu Qin, a glass with moderate alcohol
content. He smiled charmingly and said, “Mr. Lu.”
Lu Qin gave a brief glance at Pei Rong before shifting his
gaze away. His eyebrows slightly furrowed as he took the glass.
Originally, Lu Qin didn’t plan to attend this event, but his
mother, Jiang Ping, somehow learned about the anniversary celebration of this
small entertainment company, which their family held controlling shares in. It
was being held at the hotel where he was staying, and she insisted he come and
take a look to relax.
How could Lu Qin not know his mother’s intentions?
She just wanted to see her son find a partner and believed
that amidst the beauties of the entertainment industry, there must be someone
who could catch Lu Qin’s eye.
Unable to refuse his mother, Lu Qin reluctantly came here. He
had no intention of meeting anyone, and he had planned to just make a donation
at the charity dinner to prove he had attended and then leave.
His mother had misunderstood. He was busy; there were many
documents waiting for him to handle later in the evening.
However, his mother was not entirely wrong.
The entertainment industry did indeed have beautiful people,
but they seemed to lack depth, making their alluring appearances seem overly
dazzling.
Lu Qin glanced over at the crowd, his brows furrowing
slightly.
Truly dazzling.
Lu Qin’s aloofness was only natural, and Zhou Hang took the
initiative to open up a conversation, praising Pei Rong’s career while subtly
promoting his own ambitions. It was as if the company headquarters could
achieve great success with a little investment, planting several “Pei Rongs” in
spring and reaping numerous billions in autumn.
Summary, it seemed to be about how easy it was to make money
in the entertainment industry. The speaker was asking Mr. Lu if he’s
interested.
Pei Rong quietly listened to Zhou Hang bragging, smiling a bit
more attractively each time Mr. Lu looked over, like the most luxurious peony
at a gardening exhibition, enticing people to invest in their own flower
garden.
However, it seemed that Mr. Lu wasn’t buying it and kept
showing disapproval in his occasional glances. He suspected that Zhou Hang’s
extravagant praise might have backfired.
But Pei Rong didn’t remind Zhou Hang, thinking that as long
as he played the role of a good lucky charm when dealing with the boss, it
should be enough.
After patiently listening for 5 minutes and finishing his
champagne, Mr. Lu politely excused himself and showed no interest in Zhou
Hang’s proposal.
Zhou Hang was shocked and wanted to catch up to Mr. Lu, but
he’s afraid of being thought of as annoying. He lowered his voice: “You pour
another glass of red wine for Mr. Lu ah.”
Pei Rong put his empty glass on the tray, wearing an
expression of helplessness.
“Haven’t you noticed? He planned to have a drink and then
leave from the beginning. He only accepted the champagne because of its low
alcohol content.”
After another five minutes, Pei Rong started feeling the
effect of the champagne, which surprised him since he usually had good alcohol
tolerance and never let himself get even slightly drunk.
He wondered if he might have been tricked by Zhou Hang.
Rumors said that Mr. Lu was very aloof and abstinent, as if getting close to
anyone would lower his own value, like a person standing high above the clouds,
never lingering in the dust.
Zhou Hang never invited Pei Rong to private gatherings,
except for official banquets. But facing a business giant like Mr. Lu, Zhou
Hang might have lost his conscience.
Fortunately, even if Zhou Hang had some ulterior motives, Mr.
Lu seemed impatient with him, so it wouldn’t work.
Pei Rong quickly found an excuse to retreat to the restroom,
and since it’s in a five-star hotel, his company arranged a suite for him on
the 16th floor.
As Pei Rong ascended from the first floor to the sixteenth
floor in the stuffy elevator, an unusual and rapid surge of emotions took over
him. His cheeks flushed with a layer of crimson, resembling a white peacock in
its mating season, dragging its trembling, cloud-like tail feathers.
Got hit for real? Was it the champagne?
Not very likely.
Pei Rong frowned. It was just a randomly taken a glass from
the champagne tower, quite random. One of the glasses was even handed to Lu
Qin. Zhou Hang wouldn’t dare to drug Lu Qin.
Being vigilant, he could no longer go to the designated hotel
suite.
Pei Rong’s forehead was sweating, and with trembling hands,
he canceled the elevator button for the sixteenth floor and pressed the highest
floor. He frequently stayed in this hotel and knew that the seventeenth floor
was not open to the public, and no one had ever stayed there.
He planned to take his time on the seventeenth floor and have
his manager come up to take him to the hospital.
As a salted fish, he naturally had no idea of how he should
get through this, and just wanted to go to the hospital and get a shot to calm
himself down.
When the elevator door opened, Pei Rong, who was leaning
against the wall, opened his eyes. He tried hard to stand up straight,
struggling to see clearly through the blinding light. As he lifted his gaze, he
suddenly noticed a dark shadow before him.
Someone was there!
Pei Rong’s heart jumped, and his eyes met Lu Qin’s.
In the blink of an eye, he understood who the exclusive
client on the seventeenth floor was.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Lu, I pressed the wrong floor,” Pei Rong
quickly composed himself, but in the next second, he was dragged out of the
elevator by someone who grabbed his collar.
Lu Qin was a head taller than him, and up close, he exuded a
strong, oppressive aura. Pei Rong’s neck felt choked by the collar, and he
couldn’t help but groan uncomfortably, struggling to step back.
Rip... The already thin shirt tore open, just like
discovering a patch of new snow in the grass.
Pei Rong was shocked; he thought, “Is this the quality of
luxury goods? Impressive.“
Lu Qin’s gaze darkened. The veins on the back of his hand
bulged, and he looked at Pei Rong with suppressed anger. “Did you put something
in the champagne?”
He had planned to stay here tonight, but his body’s discomfort
irritated him. Just as he was about to leave, the person who probably set up
this trap appeared.
How laughable.
He detested this trick the most; no matter how beautiful the
flower was, its core was dark.
Especially when the person was dressed in such thin clothes,
it seemed like he came prepared.
Pei Rong thought about tonight’s events, speechless. Clearly,
he was also a victim, but it seemed hard to wash away the suspicion.
Pei Rong, who usually couldn’t be bothered to argue with
others, fell silent for two seconds before realizing the significance of the
matter. Lu Qin was not an ordinary person, so he should organize his thoughts
properly.
Those two seconds of silence and the charming glint in his
eyes during contemplation were, in Lu Qin’s view, an implicit admission.
“No, it’s a misunderstanding. I was also subjected to
medicine... um... yes,” Pei Rong started to speak, but quickly shut his mouth.
Because he felt his words lacked persuasiveness and might add
fuel to the fire.
Um.
As soon as he spoke, Lu Qin’s situation seemed to worsen.
T/N: New project!~
