Chapter 400: The Road of No Return
Chenghe was a little anxious recently because they had discovered that Shion-sensei was the actress who had walked out of their Chenghe Film Company. Although she hadn’t taken anything with her before she left, nor had she left any fame, this time she had come to the public’s view with a brand new identity. Two years ago, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get in front of the camera, let alone be known to everyone. But now, her name had spread throughout the country.
Yes, she had returned as a novelist, and her fame was terrifyingly great.
They had done bad things to her in the past, forced her to pay an eighty million penalty, and even wanted to use the casting couch on her. Two years ago, no one cared about her thoughts, nor did they think she could change in any way. But who would have thought that things would develop in this direction?
“This Yu Linna, is she really Shion? The one whose heat is higher than the popular celebrities?”
“It is indeed her.”
The upper management of Chenghe was anxious about this. The current Yu Linna had fame, strength, and also fans who followed her. If she wanted to retaliate and turn her spearhead on Chenghe, how should they deal with it?
But they had forgotten one point: if Yu Linna had really wanted to retaliate against Chenghe, she could have done so when she had just become famous. Why had she not made a move until now? In fact, Yu Linna did not want to retaliate, because she did not want to waste her time on this. That matter was no longer important to her.
Some of Chenghe’s senior management began to understand that the old era had passed, and a new era would surely come. Perhaps the era of popular celebrities would pass, and more power would be injected into the new era. And the one who had promoted this change, Shion-sensei, had contributed greatly.
Yu Tianchen was relatively clear. He knew that the Yu Linna of today was different from the past. If it was not handled properly, it would surely be a big problem in the future. But the immediate priority was to solve the problem of Nangong Ying.
Nangong Ying wanted to end her cooperation with Chenghe. She had also expressed her determination. She had only signed for a series of films, and the only series of films that Nangong Ying could show for at Chenghe was the police action film series Blue Pupil. And she herself had also said that even if she filmed a series of films, it would not exceed three. That is to say, if she filmed Blue Pupil, she could only film up to the third one. She and Chenghe had at most two movie contracts left.
Nangong Ying was a rare talent among the new generation of actors. She had created a market for female-led action films. Such a cash cow, Chenghe did not want to let go.
…
This day, Nangong Ying also saw the newspaper and the news of Yu Linna on the front page. She finished reading it carefully, put it away, drank her coffee, and it was another new day.
Besides the unpleasant voices of some people.
“Nangong, the company hopes you can renew your contract. We can talk about the salary. For the salary of Blue Pupil 3, we will give you 20 million. After that, we want to sign you for five movies, with an average salary of 10 million per movie.”
Chenghe wanted to keep Nangong Ying no matter what. To them, Nangong Ying’s commercial value was very high. If she filmed Blue Pupil, it was indeed worth a salary of 30 million, but the other movies did not have such a high value. They first lowered the salary, circled around Nangong Ying, and then bargained.
For this situation, Nangong Ying had her agent, Liang Bingyi, handle it. Her agent was also very capable and had talked for a long time. Liang Bingyi had also rejected Chenghe’s signing request according to Nangong Ying’s thoughts, and was not moved even if Chenghe offered other conditions.
Nangong Ying was determined not to stay.
“Alright, if this is your idea, then we respect you, Nangong. After all, you are also a meritorious official of our Chenghe.”
The senior management of Chenghe closed the file and said calmly. It seemed that he had accepted Nangong Ying’s decision, but Nangong Ying knew that it was impossible for Chenghe to let her go so easily.
“But let me say this first, Nangong. We at Chenghe can’t keep you. Other places won’t be able to keep you so easily either, especially since you’ve signed with our rival.”
Hearing his words, Nangong Ying’s brow furrowed.
His meaning was also very clear, equivalent to a threat. Chenghe was currently still the leader of the film industry, holding the absolute say in domestic films. If they wanted to, it was not a problem to blacklist Nangong Ying. As long as they spoke to the people at the National Radio and Television Administration, they still had the ability.
Yes, if they wanted to, Nangong Ying could also be temporarily blacklisted, at least for a year with no roles to play. This was quite fatal for an actor. A year with no roles to play, her heat would drop, and her acting would also have a one-year blank period. It was not a good thing for any new generation actor.
Nangong Ying should have known this.
“I’ve already told your esteemed company that I will only film a series of movies. Don’t we still have two more chances?”
Who knew that Nangong Ying would not give in at all, nor was she willing to compromise, just unwilling to renew her contract.
For Nangong Ying, Chenghe was indeed a starting point, but at the same time, it was also the lowest point in her life. She had lost the most important thing here. Now that she was famous, had the ability, and had fans, there were companies everywhere who wanted to sign her to film movies. It was precisely because of this that she had the courage to challenge Chenghe.
Even if Chenghe really had the ability to have the National Radio and Television Administration blacklist her, she had to make a clean break with Chenghe.
She had lost Yu Linna at Chenghe. There was no need to stay in this place.
…
After the senior management had left, the agent made her another cup of coffee and reported her subsequent schedule to her.
“Miss Nangong, the next schedule is for Yaohua Film Company’s Police Speeder. You have to report to the crew tomorrow. Today at 4 pm, you have to attend a meeting. At 5 pm, you will meet with Director Liu. After dinner, at 7 pm tonight, you will go to the company…”
Her schedule was so full every day that she had almost no free time. Sometimes Nangong Ying herself even forgot that she was a university student. There was no helping it. Her popularity was so high now, and it was the golden age of her development. If she missed it, it would be gone. If she didn’t work more when she was young, she didn’t even know if she would still have a place in the future.
A new era, she didn’t want to miss it.
Although it was a good choice to hug a big thigh and be with Chenghe, she had still refused.
“Miss Nangong, can I ask you a personal question?”
“You say.”
“Why did you refuse to sign with Chenghe? Didn’t you debut at Chenghe?”
That was also true. If it weren’t for Chenghe funding her to film Storm Chronicle, Nangong Ying’s movie might not have achieved such good results now, nor would it have gotten so much attention and become an instant hit.
To say that Chenghe was her benefactor didn’t seem to be wrong. But that was just the outside world’s saying.
“I won’t sign. My fate with Chenghe ends here.”
Yes, what’s there to stay in this sad place for?
Completely unnecessary.
The place this great villain should go is not here, but other places, other places that are more suitable for a bad person like her.
“Is there some kind of conflict? I think if there’s anything, we can sit down and talk about it slowly.”
“This is not a problem that can be solved by talking. You don’t understand. You haven’t experienced my newcomer period. Bingyi, get me another cup of coffee, thank you.”
She didn’t want to explain too much. The story of her newcomer period should be forever buried in her heart. There was no need to mention it to others, and she didn’t dare to.
That was a stain on her life.
For now, Chenghe had some reservations about touching her, Nangong Ying. After all, Nangong Ying was the daughter of the former national athlete, Nangong Zhuo. Chenghe had to consider its face. To act rashly was really not a wise way.
But the senior management of Chenghe seemed to have found out that Nangong Ying’s relationship with her father, Nangong Zhuo, was not good…
“Then today’s schedule will start from here. Miss Nangong, we’re about ready.”
“Mmm.”
Nangong Ying put down her coffee and continued to work. She did not take Chenghe’s threat to heart, just treating it as a daily routine. Because in her two years at Chenghe, it had always been like this. She had always been very cold to the people at Chenghe, except when she was filming on set. She almost always had a cold face and was not good to anyone. Not to mention other things, Chenghe had once wanted to use the casting couch on her. Nangong Ying, for the sake of her own future, had packaged her own good friend, Yu Linna, and sold her to Chenghe at a low price in exchange for an opportunity. Such an experience made it really difficult for her to have a good impression of Chenghe.
She was busy until very late every day before she went back.
Of course, she didn’t work all year round. She would still go back during the holidays. When she had managed to get a few days off, she had flown back to Guangnan, and had gone home for a long-awaited visit. But she had unexpectedly seen her father, Nangong Zhuo, who was almost never seen.
Nangong Zhuo was sitting in the living room with a grim face, waiting for her to come back. Nangong Ying dragged her suitcase, called him, and then walked over as usual.
“Little Ying, put your luggage away and come down. I have something to tell you.”
Nangong Ying instinctively felt that something bad was about to happen, but she still obediently put away her luggage and came down. Nangong Zhuo was sitting there, an invisible aura intimidating the other party. If it weren’t for the fact that Nangong Ying had been used to such an aura since she was little, she probably wouldn’t have been able to hold on.
“Tell me honestly, in your two years as an actress, what on earth have you done?”
He was very serious, a hint of anger and sadness in his eyes. Nangong Ying knew that he was angry.
“Nothing. Just normal filming, working, attending events, getting injured and hospitalized, that’s all.”
She answered very calmly.
“Little Ying, I am very against you being an actress, but since you have chosen this path, I can’t say anything to you. But I have never taught you to get to the top by unscrupulous means. Yes, that’s right, you have succeeded. Your movies all have very high box office. I have also watched them all, and they are all not bad. But have you thrown away the most important thing about yourself?”
“Hehe.”
Nangong Ying smiled.
“Dad, who told you? Or did you find out yourself?”
“So you’re saying, this is all true? Little Ying, you have disappointed me so much. I originally thought you were serious. I really thought you could walk a path different from mine. I was too naive.”
“Dad, do you think I still have a way back?”
Nangong Ying smiled, stood up, and looked at her father. She was not afraid at all, not flustered. She was long since not the her of the past.
“If only there was a way back. I also wish I could go back to the past. Not a day has passed that I haven’t thought so. But there isn’t. Reality does not allow me to daydream. But I have succeeded, haven’t I? Many people watch my movies, and the box office is also high. Although I have nothing, at least I have succeeded, haven’t I?”
Nangong Zhuo could not believe that this person was his daughter, the Nangong Ying of the past who was unyielding and always moved forward. The current her was terrifyingly strange, not at all the her in his memory.
“You are not Little Ying, at least not now.”
Nangong Ying lowered her head, did not answer her father’s words, just turned, and then left. Whether she was recognized or not didn’t seem to be that important to her anymore, because the current her did not need it.
