Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

Liang Hongying was a golden phoenix who flew out of a mountain valley. It was the collective effort of her fellow villagers that pushed her forward, giving her the initial boost she needed to step into the outside world.

On the day of her departure, Liang Hongying stood on a mountain ridge, a urea sack packed with her belongings on her back and a large, red thermos—a prize from the county—in her hand. She waved to the family members who had come to see her off. ”Go on back! I’m leaving now!”

The post-production dubbing had a regional accent, and the delivery was incredibly skillful. Her cry of ”I’m leaving now,” tinged with tears and reluctance, was heartbreaking to hear.

Though she yelled that she was leaving, she continued to gaze at the impoverished mountain valley of her hometown, unwilling to turn away for a long time.

The sun rose, and the camera panned to her face for a close-up.

Her beautiful face, with its rustic, unadorned charm, was captivating, but no one was paying attention to that now. Everyone’s focus was drawn to her eyes.

Teardrops still clung to her eyelashes. Her eyes held reluctance and sorrow, but in an instant, that moment of vulnerability transformed into steely resolve.

That look was absolutely perfect!

It was because of that look that when Producer Zhao invited his friends to see the rough cut, another producer specifically requested her to play Han Su in *Soul Ferryman*.

Many in the audience who had also come from the countryside after passing their exams teared up at this scene.

They too had once bid farewell to their families to embark on an unknown path, slowly putting down roots in the city and living what their relatives back home considered a good life. But deep down, they felt a sense of unease.

They were like transplanted trees; though they had taken root, their hearts had grown into something different from what they were back home.

In the blink of an eye, the scene shifted. Liang Hongying stumbled out of the train station, her luggage on her back.

In the square in front of Beijing Station, countless people bustled about with their suitcases. Seeing her rustic appearance, they couldn’t help but stare.

The urea sack was jostled open in the crowd, forcing her to clutch the opening tightly.

A corner of the new cotton quilt her grandmother had made poked out, its cover adorned with bright red peonies.

Her hair was disheveled from the crowd, her forehead beaded with sweat, and the tip of her nose was red, giving her a pitiful, flustered look.

In the bustling metropolis, she looked completely out of place, as if she had time-traveled from the 1990s.

The scene was incredibly immersive!

The audience was unknowingly drawn in, completely captivated.

Arriving at the university, she was greeted warmly by upperclassmen. She handled the reception with grace and confidence, showing no insecurity about her shabby clothes or unimpressive luggage.

After the semester began, she studied diligently in class, and her answers to the teachers’ questions were always substantive, earning her their praise.

After class, she took on several tutoring jobs to reinforce her own knowledge while earning money for living expenses.

When the parents of one of her students mentioned her accent, she began waking up early every day to practice her Mandarin in a corner of the campus.

This was when the male lead appeared.

Initially drawn to her beauty, he slowly became captivated by the charm of her personality. The spoiled rich kid unknowingly transformed into a fine young man, diligently striving alongside her. But Liang Hongying, from beginning to end, would only smile and tell him, ”Right now, I just want to focus on my studies, not on romance. Please, you must put that energy into your schoolwork.”

This part of the story was full of hilarious moments, yet it also taught modern young people what kind of love is truly a good one.

During this time, her grandfather passed away, but her family didn’t tell her. When Liang Hongying returned home after finishing her winter break job and learned the news, she let her luggage drop to the ground and collapsed against the courtyard wall, crying silently. This scene ruthlessly wrung another wave of tears from the audience.

The regret of not being able to care for a parent before they’re gone is a pain many carry forever!

Ni Bingyan tilted her head back to wipe her eyes, afraid of smudging her makeup and looking bad later.

The sound of people sniffling and blowing their noses could be heard from behind her. The atmosphere was just so tear-jerking!

Time flew by, and the wild lily from the mountains slowly blossomed.

She grew confident, graceful, and beautiful. Her academic performance was outstanding, and upon graduation, she delivered a speech on stage as the valedictorian. After several rounds of interviews, she successfully joined a Fortune 500 foreign company.

She began to shine in her career, earning constant praise from her superiors. On screen, pay stubs flipped past one after another, her salary skyrocketing as if on a rocket.

Following a typical path, she would surely have seized the opportunity to advance her career, buy a house in the city, and bring her grandmother over to live a comfortable life.

But instead, she chose to resign.

She returned to her mountain valley.

The village looked exactly the same as when she had left, as if time had forgotten this place.

”The world outside is changing every day, and I don’t want my hometown to be left behind. As the elderly slowly pass away and the young people all flee, this land will become desolate. That’s something I cannot accept.”

Tempered by her experience in the professional world, she was no longer the helpless child who had worried about tuition.

She began to help her fellow villagers solve their problems, leading them toward prosperity. The rich second-generation male lead, who had always admired her, followed her there to strive alongside her.

After that, her story became much like that of a power-fantasy protagonist. Everything she did made money; everything she touched succeeded. The audience found it incredibly satisfying to watch!

The villagers’ faces were filled with more smiles, and fewer people wore tattered clothes. The children who used to run around all day with nothing to do disappeared, all sent to the newly built elementary school. And Liang Hongying, full of joy, got married.

Everything was so wonderful.

The story came to a perfect conclusion.

The golden phoenix flew away, only to fly back again, transforming her home into a true Wutong tree—a place worthy of a phoenix.

The plotline was simple, but the journey was filled with laughter and tears. And as a special surprise, there was a post-credits scene after the movie ended.

It was the original, un-dubbed clip of Ni Bingyan’s company interview scene.

Her fluent foreign language skills were even better than the voice actor’s, which was truly impressive.

The lights came up, and Deng Yu walked onto the stage, clapping.

”Let’s thank our outstanding actress, the female lead Ni Bingyan! Please come up and join me for the media Q&A!”

”And our handsome male lead, Hu Zhenning, thank you for your wonderful performance in the film! Please come on stage!”

Next, he also pulled Producer Zhao up onto the stage.

The audience consisted of carefully selected, experienced media members and film critics; there were almost no ordinary viewers.

Originally, they had just come to make an appearance after receiving a hefty red envelope, planning to write a passable, complimentary review later. But now, after seeing the movie, they all had many questions they wanted to ask.

The four of them had just lined up on stage when an insider quickly asked the first question, addressing the director: ”Director Deng, how does it feel to be directing a film again after two years?”

Deng Yu, who was usually serious and rarely showed a pleasant expression to anyone, was now beaming. ”Well, just look at my face and see for yourself.”

The room immediately erupted in laughter.

There were often plants like this, specifically meant to liven up the atmosphere. No one took it seriously.

Next came the real Q&A session.

The media once again directed the first question to Director Deng: ”Director Deng, may I ask why you chose this subject matter? Why did you make this film? Could you tell us about it?”

Deng Yu was clearly prepared for this question. He first sighed, then his smile faded, replaced by a look of sorrow. ”Because I too come from the mountains!”

That one sigh spoke volumes of countless hardships.

”Have you noticed? Our generation, and the one after us, are all striving to escape the countryside. We study hard, work hard to put down roots in the big cities, and try hard to bring our entire families to the city to enjoy a comfortable life...”

”Perhaps you haven’t been to the rural areas in impoverished regions for a long time. Most of the houses there are already empty, with only the old, weak, sick, and disabled left behind.”

”People want to live better lives, there’s nothing wrong with that. But I wanted to use this film to explore a question: can we go back to our hometowns and become prosperous there? Can we bring prosperity to our hometowns along with us? As a director, I sometimes feel an urge to express my social responsibility and do what little I can. If I can make even a small difference in the world, I’ll be content.”

The audience burst into thunderous applause.

It had to be said, his answer was brilliant.

According to the planned schedule, there were supposed to be more pre-arranged questions from the media about the challenges of the filmmaking process and so on. Once all the necessary questions were asked, it would be easier to write their articles.

But then a young woman, extremely excited, practically leaped up and snatched the microphone, asking Ni Bingyan a direct question:

”Miss Ni, how did you get along with Hu Zhenning on set? There haven’t been any romance rumors about you two. Is it because you don’t have a good relationship?”

’Oh boy. A rabid Hu Zhenning fan managed to sneak in.’

’This was the downside of him coming from an idol background—so many fans like this.’

If you were rumored to be dating their ”brother,” you were a slut. If there were no rumors, it meant you looked down on him and had a bad relationship with their ”brother.”

Now, with Ni Bingyan standing on stage, facing cameras, photographers, and all sorts of media outlets, how was she supposed to answer?