Magnate Tycoon: How Did Simply Enjoying Life Make Me a Male God?-Chapter 617 - 423: Difficulties (Part 2)

Li Jing held the spoon, carefully skimming off the oil spots from the old duck soup with dried tangerine peel, his gaze falling on Yang Xiaoxiu across from him:

"There should be a lot of TV dramas and movies seeking you out recently, right? How's it going?"

He gently pushed the porcelain bowl of soup towards her and added, "Choose some quality scripts. Don't take those shoddy projects just for temporary exposure."

Yang Xiaoxiu clasped the ivory chopsticks, the crystal shrimp dumplings on the porcelain plate before her glimmering as she spoke softly:

"Yes, I've indeed received several offers lately. One of them is a fantasy drama with a particularly strong production team. The director has made quite a few blockbuster dramas, and the screenwriter has won the Golden Pen Award. The script is meticulously crafted, especially the character arc of the second female lead."

"A fantasy drama?"

Li Jing leaned his elbow on the table edge, "Xiaoxiu, your cool and ethereal aura suits the flowing sleeves of ancient gowns perfectly.

This might be an important opportunity to break into the historical drama market. Since the script's quality is solid, it's worth trying."

Hearing this, Yang Xiaoxiu's eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if she wanted to speak but held back.

She stirred the mango sago with the silver spoon absentmindedly, the tapioca beads bobbing up and down in the juice before she gently nodded.

Li Jing caught her evasive look and asked with suspicion, "What's wrong? Is there an issue with this drama?"

Yang Xiaoxiu tightened her grip on the velvet napkin, forcing a slight smile, though her voice was unnatural: "Brother Jing, there's no problem. I can handle these matters."

"Don't hide it from me." Li Jing set the teacup down softly on the saucer with a clear sound, his tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable pressure.

"Don't forget, I'm still the boss of your studio. I should know about these things."

Yang Xiaoxiu bit her lower lip, finally put down her chopsticks, and chose her words carefully: "I was confirmed for the second female lead in this drama; everything was agreed upon.

But the actor playing the antagonist male lead has a good relationship with the producer, with extensive connections in the industry, enough to influence the crew's casting decisions."

Li Jing's brow gradually furrowed as he held his teacup, asking, "What did he do to you?"

Yang Xiaoxiu was silent for a moment, her nails slightly digging into her palm before she mustered the courage to speak:

"After our first meeting, he frequently reached out to chat with me. Out of respect, I treated him as a mentor.

Later, he repeatedly asked me out for dinner. I went once, but he got handsy under the influence of alcohol, so I immediately left."

She stole a glance at Li Jing's expression and continued, "Since then, he's asked me out several times, but I've declined them all.

Recently, he threatened that if I didn't go to the hotel to 'apologize' in person, he would use his connections to replace me as the second female lead."

"What right does an actor have to control casting?"

Li Jing's brow furrowed, the bottom of the porcelain cup tapping against the saucer.

"I did some digging and found out his family owns a company that closely collaborates with the crew, and even the director has to give him face."

Hearing Li Jing's somber tone, Yang Xiaoxiu unconsciously sped up her explanation, "And now the drama is gaining lots of buzz. I worked hard to secure this opportunity, and it's too easy to replace me before we even start shooting.

Many second-tier actresses are privately contacting the crew, trying to take my place..."

She clutched at her skirt, worried, "But going to the hotel to apologize just feels wrong, and I'm worried..."

"I understand now."

Li Jing interrupted her, his voice cold, yet seeing her uneasy gaze, he softened his tone, "You're right, you shouldn't compromise with someone like that."

Yang Xiaoxiu looked at his expression and hurriedly said, "Brother Jing, don't be angry... it's my fault I didn't handle this well."

"It's not your fault."

Li Jing neatly folded the napkin and placed it on the table, calm yet firm, "Focus on your role, and leave the rest to me. In Tianhai, no one gets to run wild."

He looked up at her, his tone cold, "Anyone messing with my people will have to pay a price."

Yang Xiaoxiu showed some concern, "But his backing is quite substantial..."

"No matter how substantial, it's nothing to fear."

Li Jing remained calm, looking at Yang Xiaoxiu, saying,

"You don't need to worry; just be ready for filming. I'll make sure he understands that some lines should never be crossed."

Looking at his steady and confident demeanor, the unease in Yang Xiaoxiu's heart gradually faded away.

Countless times before, whenever she faced difficulties, this man before her would calmly resolve the issues for her.

At this moment, looking at his chiseled profile, she nodded vigorously, her eyes full of trust, "Thank you, Brother Jing."

...

Tianhai Entertainment Company, third-floor large meeting room.

The neatly arranged meeting tables and chairs had mostly been cleared, the remaining space reorganized, with several rows of tables and chairs neatly placed on the right, resembling a makeshift audition room.

At this moment, seven or eight staff members in formal attire gathered in the room, some looking through resumes while others frowned at the empty main seat.

At the back of the meeting room, two staff members were whispering to each other.

The young man in a light blue shirt checked his watch for the third time:

"Who are the assistant directors still waiting for? We agreed on 9 AM, but it's already 9:30 AM now. We can't keep the twenty-something actors auditioning outside waiting endlessly, right?"

The woman next to him, holding a purple folder, sighed at his words:

"You're telling me? I just walked back and forth in the corridor three times explaining things; my throat's almost parched."

As she spoke, she pointed to the seat beside the assistant director, which was covered with a dark brown leather cushion,

"Didn't you notice there's still an empty spot for the main judge there? We can't start without all the judges here."

The young man frowned, "What, does the director himself need to come for such a small supporting role audition?"

The woman shook her head, her eyes showing some helplessness, "That seat isn't for the director; it's reserved for Zhang Fuqiang."

"Zhang Fuqiang?"

The man exclaimed in disbelief, "Isn't he the actor playing the villain in our crew? How did he suddenly become an audition judge?"

The woman glanced cautiously around to ensure no one was paying attention before lowering her voice:

"You're new, so you might not know Zhang Fuqiang's background.

Last month, Xiaoli from the props team got yelled at by him for twenty minutes just because the props were set five minutes late."

She paused, her voice lowering further, "Even though he's just an actor, he's constantly asking the crew to fetch his takeout, feed his cat, and even handle his parking violation tickets."

The man clicked his tongue, "That's too much!"

"That's just minor stuff."

The woman clutched the folder tightly and continued in a low voice, "The key thing is that now he wants to meddle in casting choices.

I heard he and the producer are close, like two peas in a pod. Even the assistant director has to bow and scrape before him, and if something doesn't go his way, he immediately puts on a face and throws the producer into the mix."

The young man's curiosity was piqued to the max, and he unconsciously leaned forward, "Are they just good friends, or..."

The woman looked around again, biting her lower lip, hesitating for a moment before finally leaning close to his ear:

"I don't know the details, but don't go spreading this."

She took a deep breath, "I heard that behind Zhang Fuqiang is a prop company, providing everything for our entire crew from top to bottom, from ancient drama sets to the shoes of supporting roles.

Even the set design for Studio 3 in the film city, their team worked overnight to get it done."

The man's eyes widened as he listened, just about to ask more, but the woman made a hushing gesture:

"Haven't you noticed something off? The company 'Star Art Props' we originally contracted was famous in the industry for being professional, with all imported equipment.

But a month before the official shooting started, the producer suddenly decided to switch to Zhang Fuqiang's company."

She looked meaningfully at the empty main seat, "The producer controls the entire crew's funding. The twists and turns in all this..."

Before she finished, the man was already enlightened, just about to speak when the woman quickly grabbed his arm:

"It's enough that you've guessed it. This conversation leaves my mouth, enters your ear, and should stay buried."

Hearing this, the young man swallowed hard, nodded, and then turned his gaze to the empty seat.