PFC Chapter 872 The Entertainment Industry, The Original Female Lead Killed by the Transmigrator (38)
Chapter 872 The Entertainment Industry, The Original Female Lead Killed by the Transmigrator (38)
"This thing is really good. You didn't have anything like this when you were kids. Kids these days are so lucky," Mr. Xiao said to Xiao Yun and his wife, watching his grandson "run" past them.
"Isn't this a good time? Our country will become stronger and stronger, changing every year. Their next generation will definitely be even better."
Xiao Yun sat on the single sofa opposite her parents and said with a smile.
Xiao Yu picked up the remote control, turned down the speed of the walker, and then ran in front of her son to close and lock the door. The brat was trying to run out.
It's fine to play indoors, just wearing a pure cotton onesie. You'll need to put on more clothes when you go outside, as the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors is quite significant.
When Jingrui, the chubby boy, saw his dad's actions, he yelled "Ah! Ah!" in anger. His dad had actually predicted his next move! That jerk of a dad is so annoying!
Xiao Yu knew what her son was thinking as soon as she saw his expression. She smiled smugly, waved the remote control in her hand, and then pressed the button, forcibly turning him around and controlling him to walk into the house.
She walked past her son, leaving his angry shouts behind, and plopped down on the armrest of the sofa where Xiao Yun was sitting. While keeping an eye on her son, she chatted with her parents-in-law.
"Why did my uncle and his family suddenly decide to go on a trip to Hai Province? Is it just the two of them? My cousin said last time that his auto repair shop was especially busy before the New Year, and my younger cousin probably hasn't had his holiday yet, so he definitely can't go."
"Sigh~ They didn't want to go on vacation themselves, they went to boost their future daughter-in-law's sales targets. Yunqi found another girlfriend who works at some travel agency. Back then, in order to pursue her, he booked a tour for your uncle and aunt through her agency, saying that his parents love to travel."
"Now that you've won her over, you can't just go back on your word so soon. That girl's aiming for her year-end bonus, so I booked your uncle and his family a trip to Hainan Province." Mrs. Xiao said helplessly.
Xiao Yun and Xiao Yu exchanged a glance, both feeling speechless. This cousin of theirs was really something, risking everything for his wife, even his parents.
"Is this one reliable? Have they met each other's parents? We don't want things to go wrong at the last step again," Xiao Yun asked her mother. Without meeting the person, she couldn't be sure if he was her cousin's true love.
Xiao's mother shook her head, "No, your eldest uncle and the others only met briefly, when they were handling the formalities at the travel agency, so it wasn't really a formal meeting."
They didn't think too much about it; they just figured your cousin liked it, so they figured they'd help the kid out. They'd figure out the rest later; having a girlfriend is better than not having one.
Xiao Yun mentally calculated the time. Based on the plot of the first life, Li Yunqi's eldest son should be born next year. If there are no further accidents, then this is very likely to be his destined partner.
That's what I thought, but I still told my parents, "My aunt is just comforting herself. My brother Yunqi is already thirty, she must be anxious too. She's thinking of helping him achieve better sales targets so that he knows he's valued here and can get married sooner."
Mr. Xiao nodded in agreement, "That's what I told your mother when we came back. If it weren't for wanting them to settle things sooner, your uncle and his family wouldn't have gone so far. They wouldn't be back until almost Chinese New Year, and then they'd have to buy New Year's goods..."
Xiao's mother sighed, "I could have thought of that too, but I can't say too much, that would be too much of a blow to her. Sigh... Children are all a burden. I don't want them to find partners too early, but I'm also afraid they won't find anyone. If they do find someone, I worry that it won't be good for my child. I can't put my mind at ease no matter what."
Mr. Xiao patted her hand reassuringly, "As the saying goes, raising a child is a lifelong worry, even if you live to be a hundred. Everyone has to go through this."
Hearing this, Xiao Yu couldn't help but think of his own children and their future partners. He was fine with Jing Rui, as long as he found someone he liked, he would be happy, since they would be brought home anyway. But the thought of Jing Yan being taken away by some rascal made him uneasy.
No! We absolutely cannot let our daughter marry a mortal. He'll grow old and die in a few decades, and she'll be heartbroken. The brats in the space won't do either; they're all ugly and deformed. We should go back to our clan to look for someone later...
Xiao Yun had no idea he was thinking so far ahead; otherwise, she would have rolled her eyes at him. Her daughter still had a hundred years before she came of age; wasn't it too early to be thinking about these things?
"Ahhh~" As the group was talking, Jingrui shouted and drove the mecha walker straight towards his father.
His walker was always controlled by his dad with a remote, so he couldn't walk in any direction he wanted, which made him angry, so he came to confront his dad.
Just as he was about to crash into Xiao Yu's leg, Xiao Yu stopped him a step away, released the mecha restraints, reached out and lifted the chubby boy out, held him in his arms, and took off his helmet.
The chubby boy was controlled again, pouting and looking at his father with a wronged expression, muttering baby talk that only he could understand.
Xiao Yu chuckled and ruffled his little head. "Naughty boy, all you do is cause trouble."
"Ah~ Daddy Qiu!" The chubby boy rolled his head unhappily.
"Wow! Our Jingrui can even say 'stinky dad' now! How smart he is!"
When Xiao's mother heard her grandson's voice, she was very surprised and praised him, thinking that the child was really smart, able to understand and express himself at only eight months old.
Not to mention her daughter when she was little, she saw plenty of other children her age in the village, and they would reach out and grab things as soon as they saw them, then put them in their mouths. They would cry if the adults didn't let them. But her grandson is nothing like that.
My granddaughter is the same; she never cries or makes a fuss, but her facial expressions are quite rich, and you can tell at a glance that she's clever.
……
Jia Duo Bao came back in the middle of the night again. I don't know what good thing he got, or whether he was praised by his boss. His dog face was obviously excited, and his dog mouth was always grinning.
"Tell me, what's the procedure in the underworld? Are Yao Yao and the others staying there, or are other people being sent over?" Xiao Yun asked directly.
She was a bit grumpy when she was woken up in the middle of the night.
Jia Duo Bao chuckled twice before saying, "We won't send anyone over. There are already too many people in the small world. The higher-ups said we just need to locate it directly. The main thing is to make arrangements with the Heavenly Dao there. I'll go with you later."
I also received some good news when I went back: we were the best among the first batch of pioneers, so we got a lot of rewards and I even got a promotion! Hehehe~
Xiao Yun glanced at it sideways, "So you're the only one who got the benefits? What about me? I won't get nothing, will I?"
Jia Duo Bao, without giving the dog a hard time, said, "No way, we've also reserved a good position for you. You'll be the director of our development department, in charge of several thousand mission takers. If you don't want to continue traversing small worlds in the future, you can go to the underworld to take up a job anytime."
Xiao Yun wasn't very interested in this, at least not right now. The thought of sitting in an office from nine to five every day just didn't interest her at all.
Rather than going back to the underworld, she'd rather continue traveling through various smaller worlds, experiencing all sorts of lives—how interesting!
"Since we've already booked a spot there, and I happen to have some free time these next couple of days, I'll head over tomorrow night. That way, it'll be easier for Yao Yao and the others to come back." The appointment with Director Wang is for Saturday, which is the day after tomorrow, and I happen to be free these next two days.
Jia Duo Bao shook his head, "It's definitely not enough to just stay there for a short while. You only have a short time at night and you have to come back during the day, so there's not enough time."
You should focus on your own things first. Once you're done, find an excuse to go away for a few days. That's safer, and it'll also give Yao Yao and the others some time to explore. Who knows, they might discover something good.
"Okay, I guess I'll be busy from now on. Even if I get straight into the filming crew, it'll still take several months to finish. I'll find an excuse to come back a few days later, and then come back after we've sorted things out over there."
……
Saturday arrived quickly. Since the appointment was in the morning, Xiao Yun left early, making sure to avoid the morning rush hour.
Don't assume that traffic won't be congested on weekends. That's impossible in Beijing. Many bus lanes are not restricted during morning and evening rush hours on holidays, so there are actually more private vehicles on the road.
If she leaves at 7:30, she won't get to the company until 8:30. If she leaves at 8:00, she'll arrive at 8:30. So she might as well leave a little later.
There are still quite a few people in the company today. Only administrative departments, such as finance, human resources, and legal, are off work on weekends. Artists, projects, and publicity staff take shifts.
She took the elevator directly from the underground parking lot to the ninth floor, which was their office floor. She greeted the people at the workstations as she walked towards the conference room.
Zhao Yaqi just texted her that they were already there, but Director Wang hadn't arrived yet. The appointment was for nine o'clock, and he was known for being punctual and also for being late, so he would probably be a while before arriving.
Zhao Yaqi's assistant was waiting at the conference room door. As soon as he saw her, he called out "Chairman Xiao" and then welcomed her into the conference room.
Because not everyone had arrived, the meeting room door was open, but the assistant still knocked lightly twice and said, "Chairman Xiao is here." Then she gestured for her to enter.
Xiao Yun smiled at her and walked straight in. When she saw that everyone inside had stood up and called out "Chairman Xiao", she smiled and waved her hand, "Please sit down. Before the other party arrives, briefly tell me your proposal."
Zhao Yaqi cleared her throat and began to introduce: "Chairman Xiao, this project is a period drama set in the Republican era. Director Wang is best at big productions. Although the script is a bit on the artistic side, it is likely to be filmed in his unique style in his hands."
Therefore, our investment budget is 20 million, assuming there are other investors. If there are no other investors, we can increase it accordingly...
In terms of plot, because the female lead has to infiltrate a theatrical troupe, you'll likely need to learn Peking Opera for a while. Other actors will also likely need to have prior knowledge of Peking Opera, which is an advantage for our company. Many of our artists have studied it, and we've selected several promising newcomers with high popularity. Director Wang can choose them himself…”
Xiao Yun listened and nodded, then recounted some details. After they finished speaking, there was another knock on the conference room door, and the assistant led Director Wang and the others in.
Director Wang, whose real name is Wang Wei, is a middle-aged man in his fifties. His father is also a famous director, and he himself made his name at a young age in his twenties. Now he is a veteran in the industry and has a high status in the seniority-based entertainment circle.
Everyone rose to greet him again. Zhao Yaqi, the company's artist director and Xiao Yun's nominal agent, stepped forward to shake hands with Director Wang, smiling and exchanging pleasantries: "Director Wang, we've been waiting for you! This is Xiao Yun. He heard you were going to direct 'The Fragrance of Night Dyed Clothes,' and he insisted on getting a role..."
Director Wang looked at Xiao Yun, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes, and extended his hand: "Ms. Xiao, I've heard so much about you."
People with some standing in the industry know that Xiao Yun is the behind-the-scenes boss of Jiuxiao Entertainment. Only those who don't have access to him think that Xiao Yun is just an artist under Jiuxiao.
Xiao Yun smiled and shook hands with him: "Director Wang is a legend in the industry. It is our honor to work with you, and it is my dream to act in your drama..."
"Haha, you flatter me. This should be a win-win situation for us..."
After a round of mutual flattery, the two sides began to formally discuss the project once they were seated.
Director Wang elaborated on his vision for this period drama set in the Republican era. He intends to break away from the dullness of traditional literary dramas and incorporate some suspense elements to make the plot more compact and exciting.
He was very strict with the actors, hoping that each actor could deeply understand the character and bring out the charm of the Republican era. Xiao Yun's appearance and temperament perfectly matched his vision for the female lead. Besides the investment, this was also a major reason for him to collaborate with Jiuxiao, so the role was essentially decided beforehand.
Zhao Yaqi and the professional manager also offered some suggestions on investment and promotion. The two sides hit it off more and more as they talked, and soon reached a preliminary cooperation agreement.
Next, they just waited to select suitable actors so that this highly anticipated period drama could officially begin production. Of course, Xiao Yun, the chosen female lead, wasn't idle during this time; she had to attend opera classes.
Of course, she didn't go to a traditional opera academy. Director Wang had connections in that field and managed to get a famous master in the opera world to personally teach her.
Xiao Yun began learning Peking Opera singing, movements, and stage steps from her teacher. At first, she struggled to learn; she couldn't quite find the right pitch in her singing, and her movements weren't graceful enough, since she had no prior experience with it.
However, her spirit is powerful, and she has a photographic memory. She can replicate something exactly the same way after seeing it only once. Her body has also been modified so that it can keep up with the pace of her spirit.
But it can't be too obvious, so I pretend to have a competitive spirit and spend all my time in the practice room except for necessary rest, looking extremely serious.
The Peking Opera master was moved by her diligence and taught her with extra care, saying that she was a promising talent and that if she had started training from a young age, she would have become a master by now.