Transformation, what kind of transformation? Retiring from the entertainment circle and transforming into what?
Oh, right, Pei Rong was going to retire from the
entertainment circle.
Zhou Hang was instantly drenched in cold sweat. The main
office had never interfered with Jianglu Entertainment, so he tacitly assumed
that Pei Rong’s plan would succeed.
But what if it didn’t succeed?
Lately, Zhou Hang had been busy assembling a new team, such
as marketing, photography, scriptwriting, post-production, and more. It was
different from the previous pure talent agency setup; the business volume had
grown exponentially.
As the president of a small entertainment company, Zhou Hang
was so busy that he barely had time to rest. Not to mention Lu Qin; it was
quite unusual for Lu Qin to find time amid his busy schedule to pay attention
to Pei Rong’s matters.
Did Pei Rong do something recently to displease Lu Qin?
Zhou Hang accessed the internal system’s schedule for
artists, showing that Pei Rong had been progressing steadily with various
tasks.
Was Lu Qin unhappy with Pei Rong eating “pig food” on the
variety show? Did he feel that the other artists were lowering the standard of
Jianglu Entertainment? Did President Lu want more sophisticated artists?
In variety shows, there were exaggerated elements to make
people laugh, after all!
Zhou Hang watched the so-called variety show segment with a
troubled expression, planning to finish it and then remind Pei Rong to be
careful about his image outside. After all, he was now an artist of Jianglu
Entertainment, a film and television company directly controlled by Lu Qin!
Until Zhou Hang nearly fast-forwarded through an entire
episode of the variety show, he couldn’t find the “pig food” segment.
But wasn’t it all quite appealing? It had taste, aroma, and
appearance—everything you’d want in a meal.
Suddenly, Zhou Hang’s heart skipped a beat as he tried to
understand Lu Qin’s secretary’s tone.
It seemed like it wasn’t disdain, but more like he was
defending Pei Rong. It’s like he was just a step away from announcing it
openly—that the three billion yuan was invested in Pei Rong.
Could it be that Lu Qin had noticed that Pei Rong was paving
the way for Jiang Tian in the variety show, and had discovered something?
Zhou Hang immediately contacted Luo Qun, asking where Pei
Rong was at the moment. Luo Qun said she would inquire with his assistant.
Zhou Hang reprimanded, “Pei Rong is your hottest artist, and
you can’t even remember his schedule? You’re neglecting him even before he
retires?”
Luo Qun: “...”
Zhou Hang walked out and encountered movers carrying things
outside the elevator. He had a feeling and glanced to see that they were moving
things from Pei Rong’s room.
“What are you moving out?”
An employee who knew the situation whispered, “Isn’t Pei Rong
leaving? Sister Luo asked to free up the room for Jiang Tian to live in.”
Zhou Hang couldn’t contain his anger. “Who decided that? Move
everything back! What’s with this hasty move? He hasn’t left yet! If someone
dislikes the dorm, they can go live in a hotel.”
An employee who was moving Jiang Tian’s instruments inside
was scolded.
Seeing Jiang Tian’s recent performance in the company, they
all thought that Jianglu Entertainment’s top position might be changing hands,
so they treated Jiang Tian with care.
Did they misunderstand?
After finishing an interview, Xiao Liu brought Pei Rong back
to the company. When he was about to get out of the car, he was surprised to
find Zhou Hang opening the car door for him.
He got out of the car with his hands in his pockets, remained
silent for a moment, and Zhou Hang closed the car door for him again.
“This is a surprise, President Zhou,” Pei Rong said, a smile
tugging at the corner of his mouth. In his heart, he wondered, what business
could Zhou Hang possibly have with him now? Could it be about him refusing to
bring Jiang Tian onto a variety show?
Getting straight to the point, Zhou Hang said, “We’ve been
collaborating for so many years, no beating around the bush. President Lu
mentioned wanting to help you have a career transition. How did the topic of
transitioning come up?”
Pei Rong: “...”
Oh no, could Lu Qin be using the excuse he gave, saying ‘Both
the company and individuals are in a transitional period, so no arrangements
will be made in the second half of the year.’?
But he simply wanted to transition into a “salty fish”.
Zhou Hang reviewed the situation. Initially, Lu Qin wasn’t
interested in Jianglu Entertainment, but he decided to invest after meeting Pei
Rong.
In short, what Lu Qin valued was Pei Rong. Pei Rong could not
back out of this opportunity.
If the main office found out they had collaborated to
deceive, it wouldn’t end well for them.
Upon entering the office, Zhou Hang was almost ready to
directly cling onto Pei Rong’s thigh, saying, “You can’t just stand by and
watch without helping.”
Pei Rong leaned back on the sofa, asking, “Then what should I
do?”
He did have a bit of responsibility in this matter. If he had
known earlier, he wouldn’t have gotten involved. It was becoming endless.
Zhou Hang said, “Cooperate with President Lu’s transition
plan.”
Pei Rong responded, “When can I retire then?”
Zhou Hang, somewhat frustrated, retorted, “What’s wrong with
working a few more years when you’re still young? The cleaning lady has six
rental properties, and she’s still working!”
Pei Rong replied, “I can retire and become a garbage
collector.”
Zhou Hang proposed, “Here’s the plan: you cooperate for a
while, wait a year, and I’ll help you fabricate medical records to fool the
main office. During this year, you can focus on learning about this transition
plan. As for the specifics of your work, I’ll intercept as much as I can.”
“We’ll make this transition plan look like an advanced study.
People can retire, but they shouldn’t stop learning, Pei Rong.”
Zhou Hang seemed like a headmaster from a high school.
After some contemplation, Pei Rong agreed, “Alright.”
He figured that Lu Qin’s attention to him probably wouldn’t
last more than a year.
With a preliminary agreement reached, Zhou Hang hesitated and
asked, “You and President Lu...”
Pei Rong cast a cold glance, saying, “Didn’t you say it
yourself—Lu Qin has self-control.”
Zhou Hang affirmed, “Yes, yes. You can rest assured.
President Lu doesn’t have those kinds of intentions. He values your talent and
might even want to elevate you as the spokesperson for the Lu family.”
Pei Rong didn’t believe Zhou Hang’s words. He calmly stated,
“I have one request: don’t arrange for me to meet Jiang Tian in any situation.”
Zhou Hang chuckled, “Don’t worry. You’re always the most
important artist to us in Jianglu. There’s no one else like you. You don’t need
to worry about your position being shaken.”
Pei Rong let him misunderstand. Otherwise, he would have to
explain that just the sight of Jiang Tian made him nauseous, and that was quite
unreasonable.
The next day, Pei Rong encountered one of Lu Qin’s
secretaries, surnamed Gao.
Secretary Gao brought documents, appearing shrewd and
professional. He seemed more like a manager than even Luo Qun did.
“These are the development plans formulated for Mr. Pei after
seeking President Lu’s opinion. Please take a look first. If there’s anything
inappropriate, feel free to point it out.”
Pei Rong roughly skimmed through it. He was going to
transform from an eccentric character in the entertainment industry to a
refined young noble, shedding the miscellaneous endorsements and low-budget
idol dramas, and moving towards mainstream film and television.
During the early stages of his transformation, Secretary Gao
arranged various courses for Pei Rong’s improvement, such as acting and
demeanor, aristocratic sports, jewelry appreciation...???
No matter what character one portrayed in the entertainment
industry, it’s all about packaging. Taking improvement courses was quite a
sincere move. Secretary Gao was truly an outsider to the industry.
Pei Rong dismissed his baseless speculations about Lu Qin.
The other party was indeed taking his “transformation” seriously.
“But this character...”
Secretary Gao explained, “An eccentric character can’t last a
lifetime, after all.”
Pei Rong laughed, “Right, I’m getting older.”
But could he change to the role of a laid-back senior
official? He could play it naturally, and it’s currently trendy.
Secretary Gao hurriedly said, “You’re not even 25 yet, very
young. President Lu thinks this character suits you better.”
Pei Rong felt a bit embarrassed to bring up the laid-back
role now. Lu Qin had made the decision, and it couldn’t be changed.
Secretary Gao discussed, “President Lu will pay the breach of
contract fees to cancel these unnecessary promotional activities. How does that
sound?”
Since Pei Rong had already set a retirement date, with not
enough time for new projects, Luo Qun arranged a bunch of paid PR activities
for him, including hotel openings and live streaming appearances.
Pei Rong: “Sure, sure.”
Cancel them all. Lately, he particularly disliked these
repetitive and boring events. They were suffocating.
Secretary Gao was efficient; the next day, someone came to
escort Pei Rong to his classes.
Pei Rong didn’t quite understand the relevance of a “Jewelry
Appreciation” class to the entertainment industry. Stars just borrowed entire
sets from luxury brands for the red carpet; they wouldn’t buy fake ones.
Well, attending class was better than going to work, and he
could catch a nap on the side.
Pei Rong propped up his chin. In the meeting room, he was the
only student present. The professor explained the development process of luxury
goods, various cutting methods suitable for gemstones, and the valuation of
jewelry in a clear and concise manner.
After an hour, Pei Rong’s eyelids began to droop. His long,
black lashes brushed together as he blinked. His right hand couldn’t support
his chin any longer and he leaned forward for a moment.
He was startled, quickly picking up a glass of water as a
tactical diversion, his gaze flickering to the professor.
The professor remained patient and kind, never posing a
question throughout. Pei Rong realized that he could even sleep on the table
without any consequences.
Ah... he could probably take advantage of this.
He was a “salted fish” soon to be retiring from the industry,
not interested in luxury jewelry. He wouldn’t wear them in the future.
Pei Rong half-listened, with one ear in and the other out. In
the later part of the lecture, the professor began presenting rings, watches,
cufflinks, tie clips, and other physical items, explaining their values: five
million for this one, twenty million for that one, six hundred thousand for
this one...
The sum total on the table amounted to billions.
Outside the meeting room, an assistant who didn’t understand
the situation nervously observed the executive secretary, “Mr. Pei’s attitude
in class...”
The executive secretary nodded. “Very cooperative.” After
all, the main point wasn’t really the lecture.
Assistant: “...”
It seemed there were no academic underachievers left in the
world.
Inside the meeting room, the professor continued, “Let’s
focus our attention on the astronomical pattern on this watch—”
Pei Rong focused his attention on the hour hand. Well, there
were five minutes left until the end of class. It truly was a beneficial
lesson.
He diligently listened for five minutes, like a male
university student sitting in the front row of a lecture hall, brimming with
scholarly enthusiasm.
After illustrating examples, the professor kindly asked,
“Which part do you think is the most valuable?”
Hmm, a question before dismissal!
Pei Rong sat up straight, confidently pointing at the watch.
“This one.”
The professor smiled, nodding approvingly, as if he had just
received a satisfactory answer from an undergraduate student capable of
publishing a scientific paper.
Pei Rong’s eyes curved, feeling a harmonious teacher-student
relationship.
More of these slacking-off courses could be added; how
enriching for the mind and body.
The professor pushed the watch toward Pei Rong. “Reward for
the correct answers.”
Pei Rong: Huh?
Pei Rong became clear-headed.
This wasn’t right.
The entire course wasn’t right.
He’s certain he signed up for ‘Black and Red Celebrity
Transformation Training,’ not some ‘Elite Housewives’ Enrichment Class’?
What’s Secretary Gao doing?
Could this really be done?
