Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 180 Fan Bingbing's Unwillingness

After leaving Miracle Film Studio, Huang Bo, who had previously acted like a lackey, strode out with an imposing air, his 1.7-meter height seemingly reaching 2 meters. He then repeatedly patted his friend Gao Hu's chest and asked:
"Isn't Brother Bo awesome? Just tell me, isn't he awesome? 500,000 for one song!"

At this moment, Guan Hu and Gao Hu, who had just secured investment, were beaming with joy and gave Huang Bo a thumbs up: "Brother Bo is awesome!"

The group walked away chatting and laughing, planning to find a place to have a good meal first.

Some are happy, some are sad. The one who is sad is none other than Fan Bingbing, who became well-known to the public for her role as Jin Suo, the maid in "My Fair Princess".

At first, Fan Bingbing was extremely happy after "My Fair Princess" became a hit. After all, many people recognized her on the street and called her "Jin Suo, Jin Suo," which made her feel like she was about to become a star.

However, she gradually realized that when people mentioned Zhao Wei and Jiang Qinqin, they only mentioned Jin Suo.

Fan Bingbing naturally wouldn't dare to do anything to Jiang Qinqin, since Jiang Qinqin has Wu Yuchen behind her, and he's a proper movie star with a representative work like "If Love Has a Destiny".

However, Fan Bingbing felt somewhat resentful towards Zhao Wei, who was also a newcomer who debuted at the same time. They were both in the same drama, and she was no less beautiful than Zhao Wei. However, after "My Fair Princess," Zhao Wei became a huge star, while she was just a nameless maid named Jin Suo.

These days, there's no such thing as the "Three Sisters of Huanzhu". When people mention "Princess Huanzhu", they think of Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei, the real and fake princesses. The maid Jin Suo is naturally a servant, so how can she be compared to her master in the eyes of the audience?

With this mindset, Fan Bingbing always tried to compete with Zhao Wei during the filming of "My Fair Princess II," which is commonly known as stealing the spotlight. The result, naturally, was that she was harshly criticized. Some crew members even mocked her, saying, "Why is a maid trying to steal the spotlight? Just be a supporting character!"

This naturally made Fan Bingbing feel extremely frustrated and dissatisfied. Which actress doesn't want to be the leading lady?

But there was nothing she could do; she had to obey orders on set and obediently finish filming "Princess Pearl 2," hoping that she could get the opportunity to play the female lead in other dramas later.

However, after returning to Qiong Yao's company, she discovered that most of the roles they offered her were maidservant roles, and the rest were minor supporting characters. Keep in mind that after "Princess Pearl 1" aired in Taiwan last year, she had already played maidservants several times, such as Xing'er in "Little Li Flying Dagger," and now, almost a year later, she's still getting these kinds of roles!
In contrast, she heard that Zhao Wei had not only received many offers for leading roles, but Qiong Yao was also tailoring another TV series specifically for her. The difference between this and Zhao Wei's treatment was like heaven and earth.

Fan Bingbing was very indignant. Why should she have to be a maid forever?
Therefore, Fan Bingbing plans to take the initiative and have a good talk with Qiong Yao, hoping to get a chance for herself!
At the Qiong Yao Company, Qiong Yao was chatting with her good daughter-in-law and company general manager, He Xiuqiong.

"Sigh, why won't Zhou Jie listen to me! He played Er Kang so well, everyone loved him, why did he have to play that 'Black-faced Bao Gong'? With Jin Chaoqun as a precedent, he'll only get criticized if he plays it again, and the audiences in Taiwan and Hong Kong are already tired of it!" Qiong Yao sighed repeatedly.

She recently took out "Misty Rain" again to adapt, and wanted to create a new "Romance in the Rain" with the original cast of "Princess Pearl". Zhou Jie was the male lead she originally had in mind, but unexpectedly he went and played Bao Zheng!
That really broke her heart!
He Xiuqiong smiled and served Qiong Yao a cup of tea: "Mom, don't be sad. Zhou Jie is a bit stubborn and hasn't learned his lesson yet. I'll try to persuade him again when his TV series doesn't do well in the market."

Both He Xiuqiong and Qiong Yao were certain that Zhou Jie's portrayal of Bao Qingtian would fail, partly because Jin Chaoqun's "Bao Qingtian" was too classic, and partly because people in Taiwan and Hong Kong were sick of watching the "Bao Qingtian" series.

A few years ago, the TV series "Justice Bao" was a huge hit in Taiwan. CTS (China Television System) acted like a traitor and sold the rights to TVB and ATV in Hong Kong, resulting in both stations broadcasting "Justice Bao" at the same time. Whoever didn't broadcast it got lower ratings.

Then TVB changed its strategy first, hiring Ti Lung to play Bao Zheng, thus overshadowing ATV. Seeing this, ATV simply poached Chin Chao-chun from Taiwan at a high price to film a new version of "Bao Zheng," ultimately winning the battle and ending this two-year-long rivalry between TVB and ATV in Hong Kong!

That's right, Hong Kong residents watched "Justice Bao" for two whole years; every time they turned on the TV, they saw that black face! Stephen Chow's "Hail the Judge" was made to capitalize on this popularity.

The two years of "Justice Bao" in Hong Kong naturally spread to Taiwan, and Taiwan watched it for two years as well. As a result, many viewers in Hong Kong and Taiwan were really sick of watching "Justice Bao"!

Then Qiong Yao sighed again: "It's not just Zhou Jie, but also Qinqin. They say they don't want to act in TV dramas anymore. The male and female leads have all run away. Forget about 'Romance in the Rain,' now even 'Princess Pearl 3' is in trouble!"

He Xiuqiong didn't know what to say, since it was Qiong Yao who personally selected Jiang Qinqin. Who would have thought that Jiang Qinqin would suddenly star in "If Love Has a Destiny" and become a popular movie star? It's perfectly reasonable that she doesn't want to act in TV dramas anymore. It was only after they and Hunan TV persuaded her for a long time with reason and emotion that they finally agreed to film "Princess Pearl 2".

Moreover, even if they had signed a management contract with Jiang Qinqin, they wouldn't dare to do anything to her. After all, she has Wu Yuchen behind her, a currently very popular and successful director who is someone they simply cannot afford to offend.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door, and then the secretary led Fan Bingbing in.

"Hello, Aunt Qiong Yao! Hello, Mr. He!" Fan Bingbing greeted them proactively.

Qiong Yao nodded to her, and He Xiuqiong, upon seeing Fan Bingbing, gave her a kind smile and asked:

"Bingbing, how are you settling in since arriving in Taiwan? What do you think of Taiwan?"

"Mr. He, Taiwan is great. It's not only bustling, but everyone is also very welcoming. We can communicate in Mandarin without any problems, and it feels very friendly!" Fan Bingbing said with a smile, starting by saying nice things.

He Xiuqiong nodded and then asked her purpose: "Bingbing, make yourself at home at the company. Just tell me what's on your mind."

Upon hearing He Xiuqiong's words, and then noticing Qiong Yao drinking tea nearby, Fan Bingbing took a deep breath and said, "President He, I... I don't want to play maids anymore. Could you give me some other roles?"

Upon hearing her words, He Xiuqiong carefully examined the young girl in front of her. She had an oval face, peach blossom eyes, cherry lips under her nose, and rosy skin and cheeks. She had become even more beautiful over the past year.

She felt that Fan Bingbing's foundation and aptitude were worth cultivating, and smiled and said, "Bingbing, I understand. I'll have my agent change you to some other types of roles in the future, so you won't be typecast as a maid."

Upon hearing this, Fan Bingbing felt a surge of joy: "Thank you, Mr. He!"

Then she hesitated for a moment, then mustered up her courage and said, "Mr. He, could you give me a chance? I want to play the female lead."

Qiong Yao, who was drinking tea nearby, glanced at her sideways and immediately formed an impression in her mind: she was taking an inch and then a mile!

However, Qiong Yao did not speak, trusting that her daughter-in-law would handle it well.

Upon hearing this, He Xiuqiong gave Fan Bingbing a deep look, but she wasn't surprised. A quick thought revealed her thoughts, and she continued with a smile:
"Bingbing, if I remember correctly, you're only 17 years old now, right? You're still too young. It's not that easy to play a lead role. You need acting skills, good looks, and the right temperament. You need to accumulate and learn these things slowly."

Think about Jiang Qinqin and Zhao Wei; they both studied acting professionally for several years and have considerable film and television experience. You still need to learn and hone your skills. Once you reach their level after a few more years of training, the company will naturally give you opportunities to showcase your abilities.

"But, but I don't think I'm any worse than Zhao Wei, I just want a chance..." Fan Bingbing still wanted to try her best to fight for it.

He Xiuqiong frowned upon hearing this. This girl!
Just as she was about to say something, she heard a teacup being placed lightly on the table, making a sound. It was Qiong Yao.

Qiong Yao was already in a bad mood because of Zhou Jie and Jiang Qinqin's affair, but she didn't expect that a little girl would come up to them and take advantage of them.

Qiong Yao said with a cold face:
"Having ambition is a good thing, but once you enter society, you must first understand yourself, know your own limitations, what you can do and what you cannot do."

You say you want to play the lead role, then let me ask you, do you have Jiang Qinqin's refined and gentle temperament? Do you have Zhao Wei's lively acting skills and quirky spirit?

Before Fan Bingbing could reply, Qiong Yao continued:
"Xiuqiong just kept advising you to learn more and accumulate more knowledge, which is a wise saying."

I've seen your profile; you only graduated from junior high school before studying acting. The heroines I write, while not all are eloquent literary geniuses, all possess a scholarly air. Do you think you have that quality now?

"I..." Fan Bingbing was intimidated by Qiong Yao's imposing manner and couldn't answer for a moment.

Seeing that the girl couldn't answer her question, Qiong Yao felt a little better, and then her tone softened as she spoke to her like an elder advising a younger person:

"Bingbing, being young is both your disadvantage and your advantage. Take advantage of this time to learn more, and in a few years, we will arrange a suitable role for you. Auntie will not lie to you."

After saying that, Qiong Yao smiled at the young girl standing in front of her. At this moment, Qiong Yao had already decided on the best development path for Fan Bingbing: a professional mistress, and the villainous female lead in dramas.

This girl has a natural allure; it's a shame she doesn't play seductive women. That's the feeling that arose in her mind after seeing Fan Bingbing just now. If she performs well, it's not impossible to give her more screen time.

As for a female lead? Don't even think about it!

The heroines in Qiong Yao's novels are always gentle, lovely, pure, and kind; how could she let a vixen play the role?
It was only then that Fan Bingbing realized that although Qiong Yao hadn't verbally abused her, she had portrayed her as utterly worthless. Her acting skills were inferior to Zhao Wei's, her temperament inferior to Jiang Qinqin's, and she was even mocked for her low education and lack of culture.

This immediately filled her with resentment and anger, and her eyes almost welled up with tears.

Fan Bingbing had always been a strong-willed person, and at this moment, her wild temper, which used to chase and beat up boys, resurfaced, and she no longer felt any fear of Qiong Yao.

"Ms. Qiong Yao, I've heard a saying, also by the great writer Eileen Chang: 'One should become famous as early as possible!' And I've also heard that when Brigitte Lin starred in your 'Outside the Window,' she wasn't even an adult yet. I didn't graduate from junior high school either; I graduated from a vocational school."

I just want Ms. Qiong Yao to give me a chance to prove myself!

Hearing Fan Bingbing's words, Qiong Yao was stunned for a moment, then a surge of anger and disdain rose in her chest. How dare you, a little maid, compare yourself to Qingxia?!
Who is Brigitte Lin? She was the first generation of "Qiong Yao Girls," the one who made Qiong Yao dramas famous, and the one who marked the beginning of Qiong Yao's rise to fame in the film and television industry! She is also the most successful "Qiong Yao Girl" to date!

Qiong Yao retorted angrily, "What a sharp-tongued little girl! I'm trying to reason with you, but you won't listen! Fame should come early, but that depends on whether you're destined for it!"

Then Qiong Yao turned to her daughter-in-law He Xiuqiong and said, "Xiuqiong, do you know who I thought of when I saw this girl just now?"

He Xiuqiong obediently stood to the side, playing the straight man: "Who?"

"Qingwen."

He Xiuqiong certainly knew who Qingwen was. She was Jia Baoyu's most beloved maid in "Dream of the Red Chamber," and her beauty was unparalleled. However, she came from a lowly background and wanted to rise in social status, but ultimately met a tragic end.

Fan Bingbing had also watched "Dream of the Red Chamber" on TV, but she didn't understand it deeply and had no idea what it was trying to express. She only knew that Qingwen was Jia Baoyu's personal maid.

"Hehe, see, I told you you're uncultured. I told you to read more books, otherwise you wouldn't even understand when people are talking badly about you to your face!"

Qiong Yao chuckled dismissively, then said to He Xiuqiong, "Tell her about Qingwen's commentary."

Seeing that Qiong Yao was now truly enraged, He Xiuqiong could only lament the girl's bad luck; she had brought this upon herself. She then said to Fan Bingbing in a cooperative tone:
"His ambitions are sky-high, but his status is lowly!"

Qiong Yao mocked Fan Bingbing:

"Do you know what that means? No matter how proud you are, you'll be a maid for life!"

In my eyes, you'll always be just a maid!

It is well known that Qiong Yao was a mistress in her early years, having a 15-year-long, arrogant career as a mistress. Therefore, during the peak of Qiong Yao's creative inspiration, she inevitably advocated for the supremacy of love and the idea of ​​mistresses turning the tables and becoming masters of their own destiny.

However, Qiong Yao is now in a position of power, having been the legal wife for 20 years. Her perspective has changed, and she's now extremely wary of mistresses. This explains her immediate aversion to Fan Bingbing's appearance today. Initially, she only intended to give her a few words of advice, but she didn't expect this girl to be so arrogant and dare to talk back!
Qiong Yao is no longer the down-on-her-luck wild girl she was at 20. She is now a well-known writer and film and television boss for decades. She is a guest of honor at various film and television companies and television stations. Who doesn't treat her with utmost courtesy?

As a result, a young girl acted presumptuously in front of her, which made Qiong Yao, who was already in a bad mood, furious and she launched into a sarcastic remark.

"A lifetime of being a maid..."

"Always a maid..."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, drenching Fan Bingbing completely and leaving her feeling as if she had fallen into an ice cave. Then, a strong sense of humiliation surged into her heart, constantly assaulting her self-esteem and pride.

Fan Bingbing has always been a proud and ambitious person. Qiong Yao's words, a complete rejection of her future, undoubtedly crushed her dreams and pride. It was as if she had been hit hard with a sledgehammer; this was undoubtedly a major blow to a young girl who had always dreamed of becoming a star!

Humiliation, despair, resentment, and anger all fermented in my chest in an instant, like a rapidly expanding balloon about to burst.

Fan Bingbing clenched her fists so tightly that she didn't even notice her nails digging deep into her flesh. Her once beautiful face turned deathly pale, then slowly flushed red. Her teeth were clenched tightly, her chest heaving, and her wide eyes were filled with a complex mix of emotions, which finally turned into two streams of clear tears.

"Mom, calm down. Don't get angry over a little girl. It's bad for your health!"

He Xiuqiong quickly brought over a cup of tea, then turned and scolded:
"Bingbing, how dare you talk to an adult like that? Apologize right now!"

To be honest, she really wanted to ease the tension. After all, they were her own artists. Fan Bingbing played Jin Suo, and while she wasn't exactly famous, she had potential and could at least help the company make money.

"I'm sure I'll become famous someday, even more famous than all of them!"

Fan Bingbing glanced one last time at Qiong Yao, who sat there like an empress dowager, and used all her strength to say those words before suddenly turning around and running away.

"You!" He Xiuqiong stared in disbelief, mouth agape as she looked at Fan Bingbing's retreating figure, thinking that this girl had truly gone mad!
All my well-intentioned words, which were meant to save me a way out, were for nothing!
You still want to be famous? You've angered the old lady like this, how can you expect the company to give you resources? Do you think the company is your own family business, where your parents will forgive you no matter what you do? The company is holding you back, how are you going to become famous?!

boom!
Qiong Yao slammed her teacup down on the table and let out a cold snort:
"Hmph, she really has backbone. I underestimated her!"

"Don't bother with her anymore. I want to see how far she can go."

"Mom, calm down. This wild girl can't tell right from wrong. She'll regret it later and will come back to beg you sooner or later!" He Xiuqiong hurriedly tried to persuade her again. At this point, she had completely given up on Fan Bingbing and was just doing her duty as a good daughter-in-law.

……

Wu Yuchen smiled as he looked at the script he had just picked out, finding it quite good. While there weren't many film projects in China these days, there were still some decent low-budget domestic films. They might not make a lot of money, but they'd be enough to hone the acting skills of the women around him.

Wu Yuchen thought for a moment. Li An was still choosing between Li Xiaoran and Zhang Ziyi for the Jade Dragon project, and Zeng Li and Jiang Qinqin had already been eliminated by him. So, this project could be given to the two of them. As for who to give it to...

Just as Wu Yuchen was pondering who to give the movie he had just chosen to, his phone rang. He answered it and saw that it was Jiang Qinqin. After hanging up, he frowned, grabbed his car keys, and quickly left the house.

Inside a private room, Jiang Qinqin handed over a tissue, then held Fan Bingbing's hand and said, "Bingbing, don't be too sad. I don't know much about this either. When your brother-in-law comes, let him give you some advice."

Fan Bingbing wiped away her tears with a tissue, her eyes already red: "Thank you, Sister Qinqin. I never expected that terminating my contract with the company would cost so much. Where would I get 100 million yuan..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qinqin sighed. She had suddenly received a call from Fan Bingbing, who wanted to meet with her to discuss something. However, upon arriving, she learned that Fan Bingbing and Qiong Yao had fallen out, and that Fan Bingbing had to pay 100 million yuan in compensation to terminate the contract.

Back when they were on the set of "My Fair Princess", Fan Bingbing played her maid and always followed her lead. So Jiang Qinqin thought about it and decided to call Wu Yuchen over for advice, since she didn't really understand these company contracts.

A moment later, the door to the private room was pushed open, and Fan Bingbing saw Wu Yuchen and wanted to stand up and greet him.

Wu Yuchen waved his hand, indicating that she didn't need to be polite: "Tell me the details again."

Listening to Fan Bingbing's account, Wu Yuchen roughly understood what had happened: Fan Bingbing had fallen out with Qiong Yao over unequal resource allocation. It seemed this had occurred in his previous life, though he couldn't quite remember the exact time.

Looking at Fan Bingbing crying her eyes out, Wu Yuchen felt a pang of pity for her. He couldn't help it; Bingbing was truly beautiful! When they first filmed "Princess Pearl 1" a couple of years ago, she was still young and quite naive. Now that she's seventeen or eighteen, she's matured and is slowly showing the beauty of a great woman.

Putting everything else aside, Bingbing's looks are basically among the best in the Chinese entertainment industry.

After listening to Fan Bingbing's story, Wu Yuchen thought for a moment and asked, "Bingbing, what year and month was your birthday?"

“September 16, 1981,” Fan Bingbing answered honestly.

"If we calculate it that way, you joined the cast of 'My Fair Princess' in 97. At that time, you should have been under 16 years old when you signed the contract with Qiong Yao's company, right? The contract you signed may not be valid."

Upon hearing this, Fan Bingbing burst into tears again, her voice filled with sorrow: "But after 'My Fair Princess 1' aired last year, I signed a new contract with the company, and they said they would promote me! Waaah..."

Sigh, yet another girl has been fooled by empty promises!
The current situation is that if Fan Bingbing doesn't terminate her contract, she will be kept out of the spotlight at Qiong Yao's company for eight years. In that case, she can basically say goodbye to the entertainment industry and go back to school.

If you want to terminate the contract, you'll have to go to court and see how the court rules. You'll definitely have to pay a penalty, it's just a matter of how much.

Wu Yuchen thought for a moment and asked, "Bingbing, do you still want to continue your career in the entertainment industry?"

Fan Bingbing, recalling what she had said to Qiong Yao before, nodded firmly: "Yes!"

I apologize to readers of the old book; this section is indeed from the old book. I was originally writing the plot for the next movie, but no matter how I wrote it, it didn't feel right. "Mr. Donkey" just won an award, and immediately following it with a movie—without adding some events, everyone would easily get tired of it. I thought for a long time but couldn't think of any other events to write, so I just copied some content from the previous book as a transitional plot between the movies.
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(End of this chapter)