Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 92 My Stubborn Princess
Jiang Tiantian picked up a small spoon, tasted a bite of caviar, and found it to be delicate and delicious, with a taste of the ocean in her mouth. She instantly showed a happy and satisfied expression.

"It's so delicious! Shishi, you should try some too. I'll order another one."

Hearing her best friend's effusive praise, Liu Shishi also picked up a spoon and took a small bite. The pearls were smooth and delicious, and her taste buds were delighted. She couldn't help but nod in agreement; it was indeed a delicacy.

As they ate and chatted, Jiang Tiantian sipped her iced drink to cool off and said, "You interned at Tengda last summer, and you only joined the film crew in August. If you're free during this time, would you like to come to the company and help me out?"

Liu Shishi shook her head. "I plan to go to driving school in July to learn to drive and get my driver's license." She already has plans for this time. Once she gets her license, she will personally drive the young man for a drive.

Jiang Tiantian, having been through it all, knows firsthand the agony of learning to drive in the sweltering heat. She couldn't help but exclaim, "With the sun so scorching in summer, learning to drive in Beijing like this, you'd probably get sunburned to the point of turning into an African!"

"Sister Tiantian, it's not that exaggerated. I will take good care of sun protection. Besides, Song Ci told me that a little sun exposure is fine."

Otherwise, I'm too pale and quiet, not like a cashier working in a supermarket, and not a good fit for the role of Tang Xiaolian.

Seeing that Miss Liu didn't believe it, Jiang Tiantian had no choice but to say helplessly, "You can decide for yourself. Even if you're considering the role, you still need to apply sunscreen. The sun has been too strong lately."

Liu Shishi nodded slightly in agreement, saying, "That's natural." She couldn't get too tanned, and she couldn't let Shen Sisi outshine her in terms of looks.

Seeing that Liu Shishi was enjoying her meal, Jiang Tiantian took the opportunity to say, "By the way, Shishi, there's something I need your help with."

"What's wrong?" Liu Shishi looked up at her best friend with a puzzled expression, wondering what her friend needed her help with.

He was secretly wondering what was going on today. Suddenly, he had become a hot commodity, with one person after another seeking him out.

It really wasn't a difficult task, so Jiang Tiantian said frankly, "Once President Song finishes his current projects, just let me know when he's in a good mood."

Jiang Tiantian just wanted to find a good opportunity to discuss the job transfer with Song Ci. She had already reported to Wang Jing that there would be no problem.

As long as Song Ci has no objections, there shouldn't be too much of a problem with her being transferred to work at the group. Therefore, she wanted to wait until Song Ci was in a good mood to discuss this matter, as this would increase the chances of success.

"No problem, a piece of cake!" Liu Shishi felt it was a small favor, and her boyfriend was always in a good mood when he was with her.

"Thank you, Shishi!"

Jiang Tiantian was thrilled to see Liu Shishi agree so readily. Her hard work cultivating this network had paid off; it proved useful in a crucial moment. Once transferred to the group, the platform would be broader, making advancement easier.

He then enthusiastically placed a plate of sushi in front of Ms. Liu and invited her to try it.

While the two were chatting happily, Zeng Jia brought Yang Mi to the same Japanese restaurant after get off work.

As soon as Yang Mi entered the restaurant, she saw Liu Shishi sitting by the window chatting and laughing. She was dressed in a simple and pure white dress, which made her very recognizable.

"Sister Jia, that woman in white is Liu Shishi!"

Zeng Jia followed Yang Mi's gaze and saw that she was indeed one of the girls on last year's list of school beauties.

The woman sitting opposite Liu Shishi looked somewhat familiar, and upon closer inspection, she realized it was none other than Jiang Tiantian, the company's vice general manager.

Seeing the two chatting and laughing, Zeng Jia revealed an expression of "I knew it," no wonder Zhang Zhao insisted on not using Wang Luodan and Lü Yi despite the pressure.

This is probably to give Jiang Tiantian face, after all, unlike Yu Xin who has a shallow background, Jiang Tiantian has a powerful figure behind her.

Zeng Jia, who thought he had seen through the truth, did not bother Jiang Tiantian. Some things are more valuable when left unsaid. He pulled Yang Mi aside and quietly sat down in another corner of the store.

After settling down, Zeng Jia secretly glanced around a few more times to make sure Jiang Tiantian hadn't noticed him before explaining to Yang Mi:
"The person opposite Liu Shishi is the vice president of Tengda Culture. Mimi, now you understand!"

It's not that you lack ability; your opponent is someone with connections and resources. But that's how it is in the industry—whoever has the widest network and strongest background is more likely to rise to the top.

Yang Mi is a resilient person and is very unwilling to accept defeat. She looks at Liu Shishi, who is all smiles, from afar, her eyes full of stubbornness.

Zeng Jia's words only fueled her competitive spirit. Her family didn't have resources in the film and television industry, but she refused to believe that she couldn't make it in the entertainment industry through her own efforts.

At this moment, a passionate and ambitious spirit awakened within her, and she made up her mind to compete with this girl of similar age and see who would do better in this complicated entertainment industry in the future!

The warm summer breeze in the evening is not as scorching as during the day, but carries a touch of coolness and comfort.

Around 8 p.m., in front of the Oriental Plaza Shopping Center.

Jiang Tiantian, carrying shopping bags, looked at Liu Shishi, who had just declined her offer to drive her home, and asked with concern, "It's so late, are you sure you don't need me to take you home?"

After dinner, the two strolled around the mall for more than two hours. Now that they had stopped, Liu Shishi felt her legs were sore and a wave of fatigue washed over her. "No need to trouble you, Sister Tiantian, Song Ci is here to pick me up!"

"So thoughtful! What a great boyfriend in China!" Jiang Tiantian was a little envious. Liu Shishi was really lucky. Where could she find such a caring and considerate man? She wanted one too.

Liu Shishi said with concern, "It's getting dark, drive carefully on your way back, Sister Tiantian."

Jiang Tiantian gave Liu a thumbs-up to reassure her. "Don't worry, send me a text message when you get home."

The two waved goodbye, and after watching Jiang Tiantian leave, Liu Shishi turned around and went to the parking lot to look for Song Ci.

After much effort, Liu Shishi finally found Song Ci's understated yet luxurious Phaeton sedan among the rows of parking spaces, and saw her boyfriend leaning against the passenger door in a daze.

Miss Liu walked lightly to Song Ci, smiling and speaking softly, "Yi Yi, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Song Ci was thinking about his work during the day when he heard a familiar voice. He then came to his senses and found his girlfriend standing in front of him with a bright smile.

After a busy day, seeing the beautiful and pure-looking poetess in white instantly lifted my spirits.

His playful side was aroused, and he smiled at Liu Shishi, gentlemanly opened the car door, bent down and extended his hand, jokingly saying, "Princess, please get in the car."

Liu Shishi was delighted by these words, her face beaming with love.

With her legs slightly bent and her weight on her toes, she gave Song Ci a perfect princess bow, her movements fluid and elegant, and said sweetly, "Thank you, my prince."

Song Ci took Liu's delicate hand and helped her up. He bent down and gently kissed her smooth forehead. "Get in the car, Shi Bao." Liu Shishi was overwhelmed with emotion and dazzled. Her little brother was getting better and better at sweet talk. She couldn't resist his sweet words at all.

She was dazed and confused as Song Ci pushed her into the passenger seat, watching her boyfriend fasten her seatbelt, his perfectly handsome profile so close to her.

Liu Shishi blushed and her heart pounded with affection. She couldn't help but press her cherry-red lips against his.

Song Ci could no longer resist. She took the opportunity to hug Shi Ye's little head and, before she could react, lowered her head to kiss her soft, plump lips.

Liu Shishi instinctively wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, shyly responding to his intense and unrestrained passion, feeling his fiery enthusiasm.

After a long while, their lips parted, and Liu Shishi, panting heavily, lay limp in the passenger seat, her eyes glazed over, her face flushed, adding to her alluring charm.

Recalling the man's outrageous behavior, Liu Shishi slowly came to her senses and playfully scolded Song Ci, who was busy starting the car, "You stinky man!"

Song Ci gripped the steering wheel and drove the car away from the parking lot. Thinking of how Shi Ye had taken the initiative to respond after being moved earlier, she chuckled smugly and said, "You stinky man? You even tried to stick your tongue in just now."

Liu Shishi's face, which had gradually returned to normal, flushed again. She covered her blushing cheeks with her hands and replied in a muffled voice, embarrassed and angry, "Nonsense! It's all your fault for teasing me. Your hands were not behaving properly just now!"

Song Ci didn't respond. He knew Miss Liu was shy, so he just chuckled. It's perfectly normal for a young man full of vigor to kiss, hug, and touch his girlfriend!
The car drove smoothly along the flat streets of Beiping. While carefully observing the road conditions, Song Ci asked his girlfriend, "I haven't had a chance to ask you yet, how did the audition go?"

Liu Shishi propped her head up with one hand, turned to look at the fleeting city lights outside the car window, and said with a resigned calm, "What else can I do? You've arranged everything. It's just a formality."

Jiang Tiantian talked to her a lot tonight, and she has come to terms with it and decided to settle down and be a resource-rich person without any worries!

There's nothing I can do about it. I'm lucky to have a childhood sweetheart who's handsome, rich, and considerate! You have to accept your fate; you can't just force yourself to suffer, can you?

Song Ci nodded slightly. He was glad that Shi Ye was willing to accept the arrangement. After all, his girlfriend had not yet experienced the cruel competition in the entertainment industry. He was afraid that if Miss Liu was affected by gossip and did not accept his good intentions, then it would be pointless.

Then she added, "Shishi, please inform Cai Yinong. He still needs to sign a contract with the production team, and you need to discuss his salary and schedule with her, since she is your manager."

"Oh right, I'll call Sister K right now." Liu Shishi suddenly realized that she had been left to her own devices by Tangren Media for almost half a year and had almost forgotten that she had a management company.

"Hello, Sister K. Is it a convenient time to talk?"

Liu Shishi's polite words carried a hint of distance. The last time the two contacted each other was when she told Cai Yinong about his guest appearance in the TV series "My Own Swordsman". Two or three months had passed in the blink of an eye, so it was inevitable that they had become a little estranged.

Cai Yinong also remembered that there was a female artist in the company who had always been left to her own devices. He assumed that the young girl had something important to tell him that night, so he controlled his tone and asked as gently as possible, "Shishi, what's the matter?"

"Sister K, I've landed a lead role in a movie."

"The movie! The female lead!" Cai Yinong, who was originally planning to rest early, suddenly perked up and quickly asked, "Tell me more about it."

Liu Shishi then told Cai Yinong about her afternoon audition for the female lead in "Nightclub" at Tengda Culture, picking out the parts she could talk about, naturally omitting the part about Song Ci helping her pull strings.

It's another project by Tengda Culture, and it involves such an important resource as a leading lady on the big screen.

Cai Yi Nong seemed to be deep in thought. She remembered that Lü Yi, who starred in "The Little Fairy", seemed to be an artist from Tengda Culture.

According to Liu Shishi's description, she felt that the female lead in this movie was not a complicated character.

Since Liu Shishi can play Lü Yi, it shouldn't be a problem for her either. Moreover, the investment is small, so there will basically be no loss, which is beneficial for the actor to build a good reputation.

The fact that this young girl was able to squeeze out one of Tengda's own artists suggests she has a close relationship with Tengda's top management.

Tsai Yi-nong naturally encourages such a good opportunity as playing the female lead in a movie.

“Very good, Shishi. I will come to Beiping tomorrow and help you handle this matter.”

Sensing a sliver of attention from her boss, Liu Shishi politely replied, "Thank you, Sister K. I'll pick you up from the airport tomorrow."

"No need, let's arrange a place to meet."

Cai Yinong, who was far away in the East China Sea, finally couldn't resist asking again: "Shishi, is there a suitable role for Hu Ge in this movie?"

Cai Yinong spoke with fervor, noting that although Tangren Media was the leading company in the costume drama market, sharing the market with Zhouyi Media, it had almost no resources for large-screen productions.

Since it was rare for one of her own female artists to have connections to land a leading role in a movie, she wondered if she could get the company's top male star, Hu Ge, involved as well.

Liu Shishi didn't think too much about it and told the truth, "Sister K, the male lead should be decided in advance. The other roles may require my senior brother to audition himself. Tengda is going to audition for other supporting roles these days."

Cai Yinong couldn't help but shake his head. Without special connections, sending Hu Ge to Beijing for an audition was a complete waste of time. Tengda was a Beijing-based film and television company; without any exchange of benefits, why would they hire someone from a Shanghai-based company?

Liu Shishi is still young. Every year, major film and television companies and production teams organize so many auditions, and more than half of them are pre-selected.

If auditions were based entirely on an actor's own abilities, there wouldn't be so many unspoken rules in the entertainment industry.

Using one's looks to please others or selling one's sexuality are the lowest and most shameful things. A big-budget production with an investment of tens or hundreds of millions involves unimaginable interests, and every role has a price tag set in secret.

After exchanging a few more words with Liu Shishi, Cai Yinong hurriedly hung up the phone to book a flight to Beiping for the next morning.

Song Ci, who had overheard the conversation between the two, chuckled with a hint of sarcasm, "Cai Yinong really dotes on Hu Ge, always thinking of him when there's something good."

Liu Shishi whispered wistfully, "Hu Ge is, after all, a pillar of the company, so Sister K will naturally think more about him." When will she be able to become the company's top star and, like Hu Ge, become the face of Tangren Media?

Song Ci gazed at the dim yellow lights on the street, her voice soft yet resolute and unyielding.

“Shishi, Cai Yinong is coming tomorrow. You should have a good talk with her. If she continues to let you run wild like this, then you should terminate your contract with Tangren.”

Compared to Hu Ge, my own Shi Ye is practically an unwanted wild child. Now, Tengda Group is at its peak, and our company can produce shows like "Chinese Paladin" and "Scarlet Heart," and even give her better opportunities.

Liu Shishi stared at her boyfriend's profile, still a hint of stubbornness in her heart. After a long while, she replied softly, without really meaning it, "Okay, darling."

(End of this chapter)