Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

Winter in the north is desolate and grim. Even when the sun shines brightly, pedestrians bundled in thick winter clothes are reluctant to linger on the streets.

Winter on Qiong Island, however, is warm and pleasant, with shady green trees and a riot of colorful flowers.

Walking down the road, Ni Bingyan’s gaze couldn’t help but drift up toward the tall trees and into the dense greenbelts. The occasional seabird flying past with its melodious cry was especially delightful.

The sun was bright again today, a cool sea breeze brushing against her face. From behind the graceful coconut grove, the faint sound of waves crashing on the shore could be heard.

But Ni Bingyan’s wonderful morning mood vanished the moment she heard the scenic area staff’s demands for the photoshoot.

In addition to the few outfits they had originally agreed upon, they were now demanding she add a bikini set. The location, initially set for the coconut grove and the beach, had now been changed to a small island suitable for diving, which would require her to get in the water.

”We’re planning to heavily promote our diving program next year, and bikinis on the beach are also a local feature. We...”

The liaison was still trying to argue his case when Ni Bingyan smiled, raised a pale finger to her lips, and made a ”shushing” motion.

”I’m not feeling well, not quite acclimated. I woke up with a headache, and my ears are ringing now. I can’t hear a word you’re saying. I’m really not in any condition to shoot, so I’m going back to the hotel to rest for a bit.”

With that, Ni Bingyan smiled, put her sunglasses back on, and strode back to the car in a few steps, telling Duanmu Li to drive.

”Hey? Hey! How can you do this? We have a signed contract!”

The three of them paid him no mind.

The car sped off, leaving behind a trail of exhaust, and soon the coconut trees and shadows of the beach were far behind them.

Even after the car had driven several yards, they could still hear someone behind them yelling in a rage, ”Where’s your professional ethics? That bitch, pulling a diva act on me?”

Inside the car, the atmosphere was just as tense.

Ni Bingyan sat in the back with a cold expression, not saying a word. Lu Yao, seated beside her, couldn’t help but clutch at the hem of her skirt.

After they had driven some distance, Duanmu Li finally sighed and explained, ”Last night we clearly agreed to stick to the contract. I don’t know why they pulled this stunt as soon as we met, or what their internal arrangements are.”

Making her wear a bikini and get in the water, claiming it was a ”local feature”—more like a feature of certain local scumbags.

Ni Bingyan scoffed inwardly.

’An actress’s image management is crucial. Wei Shuojie was very clear with me: no bed scenes and no kissing scenes for now. This guy wanted me to shoot in a bikini in the water right off the bat. If I hadn’t left, Sister Wei would have probably skinned me alive when I got back.’

”It’s fine. This isn’t your fault. They were the ones who violated the contract first. I’ll contact Sister Wei and see what she says.”

’There’s no way I’m shooting those kinds of promotional photos. If they’re not happy about it, they can take legal action for all I care.’

Ni Bingyan quickly backed up the audio she had just recorded, uploading it to two different cloud drives before finally calling Wei Shuojie.

The call went through, but no one answered. After ringing for a long time—RING... RING... RING...—it disconnected automatically.

So, Ni Bingyan sent her a voice message on WeChat explaining the situation.

After that, she typed out another message, asking if they could hire an executive agent.

Wei Shuojie was her main agent, responsible for her overall career planning and branding; she couldn’t be by her side at all times.

An executive agent was responsible for scouting production teams, handling contracts, reading scripts, and accompanying her to her various gigs and appearances.

Right now, she only had Duanmu Li, who was handling many of the executive agent’s tasks that Ni Bingyan herself couldn’t. It was fine when there were no hiccups, but in a situation like this, Duanmu Li’s lack of experience was a clear disadvantage.

Previously, her work had been relatively simple, and Duanmu Li could manage. Now, that was clearly no longer the case.

In the professional world, a veteran can spot a rookie the moment they open their mouth. After last night’s negotiations, people with ulterior motives like this had immediately seen an opportunity. They thought they could get what they wanted by pressuring Duanmu Li, never expecting Ni Bingyan to be so firm. The moment they stated their demands, she turned on her heel and walked.

With things having escalated this far, there were only two outcomes: either the other party would back down and Ni Bingyan would swallow her anger and continue the shoot, or they would have a complete falling out and end up in court.

Ni Bingyan wasn’t afraid of that.

This scenic area ambassadorship didn’t pay much anyway. Even if she lost a lawsuit, she could handle the consequences.

The three of them returned to the hotel, fuming all the way. They didn’t dare stay in the suite provided by the scenic area, so they immediately packed their bags, went into the city, and found a new, clean place to stay.

Wei Shuojie and her family had a three o’clock flight that afternoon. When Ni Bingyan called, she was helping her son pack. By the time she saw the messages, it was already lunchtime.

”Don’t worry.”

The moment she called back, the phone was answered. Wei Shuojie knew she must be anxious and immediately sought to reassure her.

”Sigh. I thought it was a small matter I could handle myself. I never expected them to have this kind of scheme in mind. I don’t know what goes on in their heads.”

”I just did some digging. Turns out the scenic area director in charge of liaison is Jiang Feifei’s cousin. The ambassadorship was originally meant for her, but we snatched it. He couldn’t go against his superior’s decision, so he decided to use dirty tricks to get rid of us.”

”Ha, so that’s what it is? He was probably planning to turn the tables and accuse me of being a diva, too!”

”Oh?”

”When I saw things were going south earlier, I said I had a headache and needed to rest, then left. They chased after the car, yelling that I had no professional ethics and was acting like a diva.”

Wei Shuojie was fiercely protective of her own, and hearing this, her anger flared. ”That Jiang Feifei gets one Golden Rooster nomination last year and suddenly she’s hot stuff? She should take a good look at herself! Her face is so full of fillers it’s about to burst. Without us in the picture, does she really think they would have picked her?”

If her cousin really had that much say, he wouldn’t have resorted to dirty tricks at the last minute.

”I recorded the entire conversation when we met earlier.”

”Good. Send a copy to me right away. I’ll handle this.”

”Okay.”

”As for what you asked me about, I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Your workload is heavier now, and the burden on Xiao Li is too great. She does need some help.”

She phrased it nicely, but Duanmu Li, who was listening nearby, knew it was a polite way of saying her skills weren’t up to par.

Back in her room, Duanmu Li signed herself up for another online training course, this time in cultural industry management.

’If she worked hard enough, one day, she too could transition into being an agent.’

Duanmu Li had seen firsthand how hard Ni Bingyan worked. Over the past six months, she had followed Ni Bingyan’s example and signed up for three classes herself. She felt she had improved a lot after finishing them, but Ni Bingyan’s career was advancing even faster. Her own growth just couldn’t keep up.

It left her feeling a little defeated.

She irritably twisted open a bottle of coke and was about to go out onto the balcony for some fresh air when she heard Ni Bingyan on the adjacent balcony, practicing French through gritted teeth.

Clearly, with one trouble after another, Ni Bingyan wasn’t happy either.

She remembered asking her once why she was learning French. Her answer had been, ”Cannes is in France. One day I’m going to go there, and if I don’t speak the language, I won’t even be able to understand when people are bad-mouthing me.”

Suddenly, the uncomfortable feeling in Duanmu Li’s heart vanished.

’It’s not anyone else’s fault that my own abilities can’t keep up.’

’Working harder is the only thing that matters!’