Chapter 74: World 2 [44]

After much reassurance from the young fan, Shao Qing reluctantly accepted the fact that Jing Ke’s name came first simply because “Jingqing” sounded better than “Shaoke” and thus was placed ahead of hers.

Seeing the fan pat her chest repeatedly, swearing to keep the secret, and after receiving the souvenirs the fan had painstakingly queued for all morning to get for her, Shao Qing chose to trust her. She pulled Jing Ke, whose neck bore a ring of hickeys, into a group photo with the fan.

“Qingqing, when you two go public, can I post this picture?” The fan’s cheeks were perpetually flushed, her face brimming with anticipation as she asked.

“Yes, but before that, remember to keep it a secret~” Shao Qing said with a smile. She put on her mask, gave the fan a hug, and then left hand-in-hand with Jing Ke.

Meeting the fan was an unexpected but minor incident for the two. It also made them considerably more swift in taking check-in photos at subsequent scenic spots.

They had to be grateful it was a fan who discovered their identities. Had it been paparazzi, their plan to go public might have needed to be moved up.

–

After returning to the Film and Television City, Shao Qing quickly immersed herself in the role of the Female Swordswoman, filming indoor fight scenes with gusto and zero hesitation.

After filming outdoor action sequences for over a month, the male lead had made significant progress in both his fundamentals and overall presence. When acting opposite Shao Qing, his NG count was now consistently kept under three.

Working overtime for about three days, Shao Qing caught up on her delayed progress, returning to the wonderful routine of filming during the day and sleeping with her girlfriend at night.

Jing Ke’s daily life was similar to Shao Qing’s. During the day, she used her newly arrived equipment to tinker away at her computer, feeding her girlfriend at regular intervals. At night, she engaged in relatively restrained acts of indulgence.

The two were living comfortably, but Sister Ke, still in Sea City managing other artists under her wing, was far from comfortable.

Time trickled by, and the deadline for Shao Qing’s contract with Zongheng Entertainment was fast approaching. After one negotiation session before the new year, there had been no further direct contact. Internally, Zongheng Entertainment still hadn’t reached a consensus.

The fact that Sister Ke had handed the Third Female Lead role in the Tribute Film to Shao Qing without informing the company had displeased certain high-level executives even further.

“Sister Ke, you’re a veteran employee of Zongheng Entertainment. You’ve been with us for nearly twenty years now, right?” The speaker was still Vice President Liu, a faint, ambiguous smile on his face.

“Yes, I’ve watched Zongheng Entertainment grow step by step to where it is today. I’m honored to have been a part of it,” Sister Ke replied with a smile, her answer flawlessly diplomatic.

President Liu: “You’ve successfully managed many stars. What’s your assessment of Shao Qing?”

“Shao Qing was born for this career. Good image, high talent, neither arrogant nor impatient. It’s only a matter of time before she moves to a higher and better stage,” Sister Ke said.

After observing the look in President Liu’s eyes, Sister Ke decided to cut straight to the point. “President Liu, I know why you called me here. We’re old colleagues, so there’s no need to beat around the bush, is there?”

“In that case, let’s talk first about why you gave such a great resource, the Third Female Lead in the Tribute Film, to Shao Qing—an artist about to leave the company.” The fake smile on President Liu’s face vanished, replaced by a relatively stern expression.

President Liu: “You are Shao Qing’s agent. You should know very well that Shao Qing has no intention of renewing her contract with us. A resource this good should have been directed to an artist with a long-term contract with our company.”

“President Liu, you should know better than I do how the cast list for the Tribute Film was finalized. A mere agent like me doesn’t have that kind of influence. It was purely because Director Hu always remembered Shao Qing’s talent and thought of her first.”

Sister Ke spoke unhurriedly, “I understand what you mean, President Liu. You simply wanted me to use Shao Qing’s lack of availability as an excuse to brush off Director Hu, and then push one of our company’s artists for the role.”

“But President Liu, don’t you think doing that would instead make both Shao Qing and Director Hu dislike Zongheng Entertainment, offending both sides?” Sister Ke countered.

“Shao Qing was already filming in the crew. You wouldn’t have been lying, just telling the truth,” President Liu snorted lightly.

“I won’t beat around the bush either. After a new internal meeting and vote, more than half of the senior executives no longer want Shao Qing to leave Zongheng Entertainment.” President Liu paused, seeming to want to gauge Sister Ke’s reaction to this news.

But Sister Ke was far too seasoned. She had dealt with these old foxes for who knows how long and naturally wouldn’t take the bait.

Seeing Sister Ke not engaging, President Liu could only continue, “Shao Qing’s momentum is building. We’re very clear on that. The company wants a win-win situation with her. So, terminating the contract upon expiry is acceptable, but we don’t want Shao Qing joining another company. Instead, she could establish a Personal Studio.”

“Would this studio be solely owned by Shao Qing?” Sister Ke went straight to the crucial point.

“Of course not. We would own fifty-one percent of the shares,” President Liu stated. “But we wouldn’t be taking this stake for nothing. We’d provide publicity teams, PR teams, various resources—including costumes, makeup, props, and employee salaries. We’d also place some promising newcomers into the studio to help generate revenue.”

In President Liu’s description, the company seemed to be making many concessions, almost tantamount to creating a new offshoot company and handing Shao Qing forty-nine percent of its shares.

Someone newly debuted and inexperienced might actually be fooled by President Liu’s words, thinking Zongheng Entertainment was treating Shao Qing exceptionally well.

But the moment Sister Ke heard “fifty-one percent shares,” she knew President Liu had ill intentions and was equally certain Shao Qing would never agree.

“President Liu, I think the final decision rests with Shao Qing herself. I’ll convey the company’s proposal to her. If Shao Qing is willing, I’ll contact you then,” Sister Ke said, not closing the door completely.

However, judging by President Liu’s slight frown, he wasn’t satisfied with Sister Ke’s response.

“You’re a veteran of Zongheng. You should be thinking about the company’s interests. I’m not discussing this with you; I’m assigning you a company task in my capacity as Vice President. Whatever method you use, you must make Shao Qing agree to the proposal put forward by the company.”

President Liu spoke deliberately, leaving Sister Ke no room to maneuver. “After all, we senior executives cannot confidently employ an employee whose heart isn’t with the company.”

The smile completely faded from Sister Ke’s face. “President Liu, were the words you just spoke your own opinion, or the collective decision of all the company’s senior executives?”

“Do my words not represent the senior executives of the company?” President Liu countered.

“I hope you’ll consider carefully. Zongheng doesn’t want veteran employees to leave.” President Liu smiled. “But you must also understand one thing: times are progressing. We recruit new people every quarter. Survival of the fittest is the simplest principle.”

At this point, Sister Ke felt there was no need to continue this conversation with President Liu. She picked up her phone and stood up directly.

“Oh, right. I forgot to tell you something. I bought some interesting photos from certain individuals. I’ll send them to you shortly. You can look them over before you slowly consider,” President Liu added finally.

He watched Sister Ke leave, his eyes filled with the confidence of certain victory.

–

“Hmm? Photos of Jing Ke and me appearing together at the Capital City airport were taken by paparazzi? And President Liu paid to buy them?” Receiving Sister Ke’s call, Shao Qing didn’t react immediately.

It had been a while since she and Jing Ke returned from Capital City, hadn’t it? The paparazzi had the photos but didn’t expose them first thing? Instead, they accurately found President Liu as a buyer?

“Yes, they were taken with very professional equipment. The marks on Jing Ke’s neck… well, they’re quite obvious. Plus, you two coming and going together isn’t exactly a secret. If used for sensational hype with those photos, it could very likely hammer home the fact that you’re together.”

Worry was clearly audible in Sister Ke’s tone. “The entertainment industry doesn’t necessarily reject same-sex couples, but you just finished filming the Third Female Lead role in the Tribute Film. I’ve heard that Director Zhang is extremely conservative and strongly dislikes his works featuring artists who prefer the same sex.”

Sister Ke had genuine feelings for the artist she had personally managed for six or seven years. She had seen Shao Qing at the peak of her fame, and had also accompanied her through a long, difficult period.

Sister Ke didn’t approve of President Liu’s proposed solution. With a car, a house, and savings, she wasn’t overly afraid of being fired by Zongheng.

After all, her current contract with Zongheng was an open-ended one. Theoretically, she could work there until retirement. If Zongheng wanted to legally dismiss her, the compensation payment alone would be nearly seven figures.

Hearing this, Shao Qing couldn’t help but touch her nose, her tone slightly sheepish. “Sister Ke, did I… not tell you about Jing Ke and me?”

“Hmm? What about it? Were you caught by other paparazzi with more evidence?” Sister Ke asked back, her heart suddenly tightening.

“No, not that. Jing Ke and I discussed it and decided to go public on May 20th,” Shao Qing said with a chuckle. She realized she might have been indulging too much in her newfound bliss and forgot to tell Sister Ke the news right away.

“What? You’re planning to go public? Aren’t you afraid your Third Female Lead role will fall through?” Sister Ke couldn’t help raising her voice. “Director Zhang is notoriously conservative. And your role only needs seven days to reshoot. If word reaches Director Zhang, he still has enough time to recast.”

Sister Ke’s tone was anxious. “My advice is, don’t rush. Even if the company wants to leak that photo, you can steer the buzz towards ‘Jianghu Road’.”

“Director Li’s team is releasing behind-the-scenes clips lately, right? I’ve seen fans and netizens reacting very positively to you and Jing Ke. Your CP fans are quite numerous too. If handled properly, it can perfectly be turned into a marketing campaign.”

“As long as the people involved deny a relationship firmly, even with photos and videos, things can be explained away in other directions.”

Sister Ke was thinking entirely for Shao Qing’s benefit. She truly couldn’t bear to see her, on the verge of a successful comeback, have her future ruined by someone like President Liu.