Caught in Affairs with Superstar

Chapter 348: Chapter 303: The Rising Phase: 139

”There’s a problem.”

Zhou Yun didn’t back down.

She said, ”Anyway, the company has got our back, and they aren’t short of dramas to shoot, right?”

He Yong: ”Oh my, young lady, don’t you know that partnering with you could skyrocket someone’s career? If this opportunity weren’t so rare, why would I personally come to talk to you about it?”

Zhou Yun: ”President He, for this film, I don’t want it to become an indistinct mess, so I won’t favor someone just because they are an actor from our company.”

She said, ”It’s late, I need to go back and rest.”

...

As soon as she got into the car and closed the door, Zhou Yun couldn’t help but sigh.

Zheng Xiaojue asked naively, ”Sister Xiao Yun, why did you suddenly sigh? What happened?”

Zheng Xiaojue wasn’t present during the discussion.

Zhou Lan, however, understood why Zhou Yun sighed.

”He Yong came to persuade you to use an actor from the company, right?”

Zhou Yun said, ”What else could it be.”

Zhou Lan: ”Mainly because this film is completely tailored for you. If you don’t agree, the shooting can’t proceed and it’s not like you must shoot it.”

Zhou Yun said, ”To be honest, I’m not particularly keen on shooting this film. I’m already feeling utterly drained and it’s just the beginning.”

”Because previously you only needed to focus on acting, but now you need to handle a lot of non-acting related stuff,” Zhou Lan said, ”But this is also a good thing. In the future, when you need to act a variety of characters, being exposed to more complex matters and all kinds of different people helps a lot with your acting.”

Zhou Yun: ”Stop, I’m just feeling annoyed right now.”

”What’s there to be annoyed about? In the end, you’ll choose someone suitable,” Zhou Lan said. ”If you really can’t find anyone, just don’t shoot it, since the script isn’t even written yet.”

That was somewhat comforting.

Just because of this film, Zhou Yun had already been approached by countless people.

Zhou Yun suddenly had a profound realization that it’s better to be just an actor. An actor only needs to tend to their own patch.

Now, thinking back to when ”Heart Inquiry” was being shot and Song Chi was the producer, he had to bring such a huge project to completion; she couldn’t imagine the trouble and difficulties he must have faced.

And thinking again about the role of Liu Ruyan she played back then, there must have been many calls made to him.

So many familiar investors, producers, colleagues, friends, and so on.

All entangled with intricate personal relationships.

Giving her the role at a time when she was not well-known and only notorious for scandals must have resulted in significant pressure on him.

When she got home, Zhou Yun immediately called Song Chi.

”Pressure? It was alright,” Song Chi chuckled after Zhou Yun mentioned the past, and asked, ”Why suddenly bring this up? Haven’t I told you before? Choosing a supporting actress for my own film, I still had that much authority.”

”It’s not about authority, it has nothing to do with authority,” Zhou Yun expressed her worries, ”I’m in the midst of preparing for a contemporary drama and need to choose a male lead. I’ve become the final decision-maker, which brought more trouble than before. So many people are calling me, trying to seize the opportunity. I have to at least give them a chance to audition. It’s not just that, the people helping me make the decision each have their own thoughts. You don’t know if their seemingly objective analysis has any ulterior motives. It’s really giving me a headache.”

Song Chi: ”That does sound troublesome.”

”Did you encounter such troubles while preparing for ’Heart Inquiry’?” Zhou Yun asked.

”I did.”

”How did you deal with it?”

Song Chi said, ”You suddenly ask me how I resolved it, I don’t really know how to answer. At that time, there were a lot of different situations; I declined those who should be declined, and declined those who couldn’t be declined no matter how hard it was.”

”But what if some of them are your friends or even seniors you respect? Wouldn’t refusing them make them unhappy?”

”There’s no helping it, but I hope you don’t have to go through this,” Song Chi said, ”This should be something a producer balances. Your movie doesn’t have the necessary framework set up yet, and you’re already deciding on actors, which is odd to begin with. The core members involved, one is you, another is Zheng Xiaowen who has nothing to do with film production, and there’s He Yong, who primarily runs a talent agency. None of the decision-makers have experience in film production, which I think is very immature.”

”I mentioned the same thing with Sister Lan, but it can’t be helped; this film was something that Zheng Xiaowen and He Yong decided to create after a discussion. Although I have a lot of power, even respecting my opinion for the male lead, I’m filled with worries about this film. Today, when I heard He Yong say that it doesn’t matter who the male lead is because the script can be modified according to the actor, I immediately wanted to retort. I really wanted to tell him that this kind of thinking is exactly why there’s so much trashy drama, but I don’t think I have any right to say that to him. I don’t want him to think that I’ve become arrogant and bossy just because I won a prize.”

”Any person who is serious about their work wants the industry to improve and can’t help wanting to correct what’s wrong. That’s normal, and the fact that you have such thoughts shows you’re a normal actor who wants the industry to improve,” Song Chi said.

”I really want to purely choose the most suitable actor for the male lead, without mixing in all these other factors. To be honest, what does it have to do with me whether he is an actor from Chengqian?” Zhou Yun could only say such things in front of Song Chi.

Song Chi smiled and said, ”Xiao Yun, it’s not wrong for you to do just that.”

”Huh?”

Song Chi said, ”You don’t owe these people anything, just do what you feel like doing.”

”But won’t that offend many people?”

”Be polite, and as for the rest... let’s put it this way, the people and matters you’ll have to refuse will only increase in the future. How to decline them without causing offense, you might as well start learning and refining that skill now.”

”Why does it sound like a good opportunity when you say it?”

”Look at problems from different angles, and you’ll find different gains,” Song Chi said in an experienced tone, ”After all, I’ve been through it before.”

Zhou Yun’s mood suddenly lifted with Song Chi’s words.

”Sigh, I should just keep my head down and concentrate on acting. I don’t want to fight for these powers anymore.”

”Don’t think like that. Think about it, if the decision was in He Yong’s hands, you wouldn’t be agonizing now but complaining and ranting,” Song Chi said. ”The power you can fight for, fight for as much as possible. This way, things will develop as much as possible in the direction you want them to.”