novelraw Chapter 69: Does the third female lead even deserve to steal someone?
Chapter 69: Does the third female lead even deserve to steal someone?
Song Ze held the glass of mineral water and slowly took a sip.
It's cold.
It's as cold-blooded as some people's eating habits.
"Someone wants to buy out the contract?" He put the paper cup back on the coffee table. "They certainly know how to pick their timing."
Zhang Juan was still panting heavily on the other end of the phone.
"Don't panic." Song Ze walked to the French windows. "Give me Wang Churan's mother's contact information and address. I'll go to Shanghai myself."
"You're going yourself?"
"Yes. Also, please send me the script outline, character biographies, and project plan for 'Zhou Sheng Ru Gu' that we prepared for Bai Lu immediately."
Zhang Juan was stunned for two seconds.
"Are you going to use Bailu's project to talk about Wang Churan?"
"I want to let Wang Churan's mother know what level of things Xingyao can give her daughter."
Zhang Juan didn't ask any more questions, hung up the phone, and went to look through the documents.
Song Ze stood by the window, where the lights of Shanghai were sparse in the early morning.
He took out his phone and sent a message to Yang Mi.
"Someone is trying to poach my boyfriend; I'm going to deal with it."
Lock screen after sending.
The screen lit up again after three seconds.
Yang Mi replied instantly: "Who? Should I check?"
"No need for now. I can handle it myself. I'll contact you if I can't."
"Okay. Don't hit him. You're a hot topic now; hitting someone will make the news."
"Don't worry, I'll use my mouth."
"...Why does that sound so inappropriate?"
"Don't get the wrong idea, it means to persuade her."
Song Ze threw his phone on the bed.
I'm driving to Shanghai tomorrow.
The following afternoon.
A private room in a well-decorated Chinese restaurant in Shanghai's JA district.
When Song Ze arrived, Wang Churan and her mother were already sitting inside.
Wang Churan was wearing her school uniform, her hair tied in a ponytail, and she was huddled in the chair.
Her mother sat in the main seat.
Ms. Song, in her early forties, had short, neat hair, a pair of jade earrings, and neatly manicured nails. A woman who owns a clothing store, her aesthetic sense and presence were both impeccable.
The moment Song Ze entered the room, Ms. Song looked him up and down.
"Mr. Song, please have a seat."
Song Ze pulled out a chair, sat down, and poured himself a cup of tea.
"Hello, Aunt Song."
Wang Churan whispered from the side, "Brother Song."
Ms. Song glanced at her daughter, and Wang Churan immediately shut up and sat up straight.
Goodness, a mother's power to intimidate is comparable to a weapon.
Ms. Song skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.
"Mr. Song, although you are a member of my family, I have investigated and found that Xingyao Entertainment is not even comparable to a top-tier MCN agency."
She picked up her teacup, unhurriedly.
"I acknowledge your talent. I've heard 'Cool,' 'Sorrow,' and 'Actor,' and they are indeed beautiful. But I can't gamble with Chu Ran's future."
Straight ball.
Song Ze prefers dealing with straightforward people. Those who beat around the bush waste the most time.
Wang Churan was so anxious that her face turned red. She was about to open her mouth when her mother glared at her and shut her up.
"mom--"
"Shut up. An adult is speaking."
Wang Churan pouted, her fingers twisted together, radiating an aura of frustration that said, "I'm seventeen years old, why am I still being treated like a child?"
Song Ze did not rush to explain the issue of the company's size.
If you try to explain yourself, you'll lose.
When you tell someone, "Our company is small but has great potential," it has the same effect as saying, "I may be poor, but I'm ambitious."
Nobody believes it.
He took a tablet computer out of his briefcase, turned on the screen, and pushed it in front of Ms. Song.
"Aunt Song, let's put aside all the company matters for now. Take a look at this."
The screen displays the complete project plan for "Zhou Sheng Ru Gu".
The cover design is simple and elegant, with a line of small print below the project name: Huading Awards Best Actress Nomination Project.
"This is a work I prepared for another artist at Xingyao. It's a script that I believe can help her get a Huading Award nomination."
Ms. Song raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and began to flip through the pages.
The private room fell silent.
The only sound was the faint swiping of a finger across the screen.
Song Ze picked up his teacup, unhurried and composed.
He has plenty of patience.
Good things don't need you to advertise them; just leave them there, and those who know their value will recognize them on their own.
Ms. Song turned to the biographical section and her finger stopped.
The female lead is Cui Shiyi.
"Everyone says she has an exceptionally beautiful face, but they don't know that beneath that beauty lies a heart ready to die."
Ms. Song's page-turning speed slowed down.
She's in the clothing business, but a woman who can build a successful business definitely has good taste and cultural refinement. She can tell the quality of this script.
Five minutes later, Ms. Song looked up.
"Can you guarantee that this kind of script will also be tailor-made for Chu Ran?"
She paused, then added, "Also, they promised me the third female lead role in a drama."
Song Ze put down his teacup.
"The third female lead?"
He smiled.
He had been wondering what kind of resources the other party would offer, but lol, it turned out to be the third female lead.
Is this Ms. Song so easily fooled?
"The third female lead has the nerve to use her as a bargaining chip."
Ms. Song's fingers paused slightly.
Song Ze put the tablet away, leaned forward, and looked at Wang Churan beside him.
The seventeen-year-old girl's eyes were full of anticipation and nervousness.
He turned to Ms. Song.
"The third female lead would only waste her talent. What we're offering is your daughter's future."
Ms. Song did not respond, but she also did not refute.
This is the signal.
Song Ze knew the time was right.
"I have planned a trilogy for Chu Ran."
He held up one finger.
"The first role was in 'Oh My General.' She played Liu Xiyin, the cousin who appears weak on the outside but is strong on the inside. The role wasn't large, but the character arc was extremely strong, and she left a lasting impression on the audience. One role took her from zero to one."
The second finger.
"The second series is 'Serenade of Peaceful Joy.' She'll play Zhang Bihua, a spoiled and arrogant woman who loves passionately yet tragically. This role will bring her huge controversy and attention. Controversy isn't scary; what's scary is when nobody talks about you."
The third finger.
"The third film, *Shangshi*, will have her play the complex villain Su Yuehua. This will break the audience's preconceived notions about her and prove that she's not just a pretty face, but a true actress. Once this step is taken, the door to the big screen will open."
The private room fell silent again.
Wang Churan's mouth was slightly open, and his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
She didn't hear three play titles.
It is a road.
A complete path from newcomer to established performer.
Every step, where you step, why you step, and where you go after you step—it's all crystal clear.
Ms. Song put down her teacup.
She has been in business for over a decade and has seen countless people who make empty promises.
But this is the first time I've seen someone go to such lengths to make empty promises.
The silence lasted for nearly half a minute.
Ms. Song picked up her teacup again, took a sip, and put it down.
"Chu Ran can retain the contract."
Wang Churan almost jumped up from her chair, but she managed to hold back, only her hands trembling as she gripped the hem of her school uniform skirt.
Song Ze nodded and was about to serve the tea.
"but."
Ms. Song hadn't finished speaking.
"I have one additional condition."
Song Ze's hand froze in mid-air.
No way, there are additional conditions? This woman wouldn't be...