Starting a new chapter in life

The director also looked at Lu Xiaoxiao seriously. At this moment, Xiaoxiao seemed to be attending class very attentively, but her mind had already wandered away. She was thinking about where she and Zhizhi should go shopping since tomorrow was the weekend.

Because she was so engrossed in her own thoughts, she didn't even notice the crowd of people watching her outside. It was only when a girl next to her gently nudged her and pointed to the corridor that she was finally able to see.

She turned her head blankly and saw the group of people. She thought she had been caught daydreaming. Just as she turned her head back and tried to put on a serious expression, the classroom door was pushed open.

The principal smiled apologetically at the teacher and said, "Teacher, excuse me, we're looking for Lu Xiaoxiao."

Seeing that it was the principal, the teacher naturally couldn't refuse, and nodded to Lu Xiaoxiao: "Xiaoxiao, you can go."

Lu Xiaoxiao left the classroom looking confused. Once outside, she carefully closed the door and politely greeted the principal: "Hello, Principal. You wanted to see me? Is there something you need?"

The director, an impatient man, quickly said, "We're here to cast actors. Your appearance is a perfect fit for the character in my play. Would you be interested in giving it a try?"

"What type is it? How long will filming take? As you know, I'm a junior in college now. My coursework isn't too heavy, but I can't afford to miss too many classes." Lu Xiaoxiao's thoughts were clear.

She always believed that one should do what is appropriate for their position, and that students should focus on their studies. Once they have their diplomas, it's reasonable to pursue their goals however they want. However, in order to enter the workforce early, she ended up losing her diploma, which was truly a losing proposition.

In addition, given that her appearance would limit her acting roles and her future career prospects were uncertain, she was even less in a hurry.

In all my years as a director, this is the first time I've encountered someone in the industry who isn't in a hurry to seize every opportunity. They're quite an oddball. But perhaps it's this tranquil mindset that allows them to maintain an undeniable pure and innocent charm despite their striking good looks.

"It's a story about life from school to wedding. This character is the female lead and has a lot of screen time. We expect it to take about six months, but if filming doesn't go smoothly, it could take seven months." The director was being realistic.

Lu Xiaoxiao frowned: "Can I take such a long leave? It's May now. If the filming schedule is tight, I can catch up during the summer, but how am I supposed to make up for the end of this semester and the courses starting next semester? Will it affect my graduation?"

The director looked at the principal, who was also balding: "The school will contact the film crew during the final exams. You can take a few days off to come back and take the exams. Of course, you'll need to catch up on your major courses on your own when you're not filming."

There will be fewer major courses after the start of the next semester. As long as you return to school as soon as possible, it shouldn't affect your graduation. Previous students have done this and all graduated smoothly. Lu, this opportunity is very rare. You're debuting as a lead actor; very few people have this kind of luck. You must seize it!

Lu Xiaoxiao thought about it and agreed. When she turned to the director, she became more obsequious: "Um, I have a good friend. We grew up together. She's studying directing now. Could she visit me on set during her free time and help you out a bit?"

Director… “Okay, these are minor matters.”

When asked about this, Lu Xiaoxiao reached for the script, flipped through a few pages, and then performed a scene right in front of everyone. It has to be said that she is indeed talented and hardworking. The director was more and more satisfied with her performance and immediately took out a contract for both parties to sign.

After all that, Lu Xiaoxiao didn't even ask how much the remuneration was. However, with the principal and teachers overseeing the project, the pay wasn't low—40,000 yuan per drama, mainly a modern campus drama, so the production cost wasn't high either.

After seeing the price on the contract, Lu Xiaoxiao belatedly asked, "I haven't graduated yet, do I need to pay taxes on this income? How much?"

The director had never seen an actor concerned about taxes before even receiving payment, and he chuckled, "Thirty percent."

Lu Xiaoxiao exclaimed, "Twelve thousand? That's such a high tax!"

The child, who had been full of energy when he saw money, suddenly became listless.

"It's best to have someone else handle things like paying taxes. Have you considered signing with an agency or something? That way you won't have to worry about these things." The director's advice was quite reasonable.

Lu Xiaoxiao nodded: "I'll discuss this with my friend when I get home and then decide. I'll wait for your notification when you turn on your phone."

The two sides exchanged phone numbers, and the director was relieved. The remaining roles were easy to find; there were plenty of actors of the same type, so finding suitable candidates was not a problem.

After seeing off the director and his entourage, Lu Xiaoxiao thanked the principal and teachers. Seeing that it was almost time, she went to the directing department to wait for Zhizhi. This was the first time Xiaoxiao had come to see Zhizhi; in the past, Zhizhi had been the one waiting most of the time.

As soon as the two met, Zhizhi smiled and said, "Did something good happen to you that you came to see me today?"

Xiao Xiao nodded repeatedly, and then recounted what had happened that day. When she finally mentioned finding a talent agency, Zhi Zhi comforted her, "Don't rush this. I've heard that many talent agencies in the industry are unreliable and will try to rip off artists in the contract, especially since you have no experience. They're sure to take advantage of you."

"Let's go see Uncle Shen tomorrow. He's got some connections in the industry. Let him think it over for us; at least he won't cheat us."

Lu Xiaoxiao also thought it was a good idea, and the two friends went home carefree.

When Chu Han and Chen Bin wanted to invite the two girls out to play over the weekend, they knocked on the door for a long time but no one answered. Finally, they called to ask, and lo and behold, the two girls had already gone to see Uncle Shen.

Chu Han was still somewhat intimidated by Shen Runze, because Shen Runze had been very serious when they first met, and his expression and words clearly showed that he didn't think much of him, even though Chu Han was Zhizhi's most trusted person.

Chu Han knew where the hostility towards him came from, so he could only swallow his pride and accept it. Knowing that they had gone to Shen Runze's place, the two of them were left to their own devices.

Following the directions given by Shen Runze, the two arrived at Ping An Media Company. The company looked quite high-end, and the lobby was very luxurious. Although there weren't many people coming and going, Zhizhi whispered to Xiaoxiao, "Actually, it would be great if you could work here. Look at this office space, it's quite nice, and the benefits should be pretty good too."

Xiao Xiao nodded in agreement. Those two silly kids had no experience whatsoever; they were completely intimidated by just a storefront.

When they arrived at Shen Runze's office, Zhizhi was still exclaiming, "Uncle Shen, when did you find this job? You even have a private office. The pay looks pretty good. Xiaoxiao has just landed a role in a campus-themed TV series. Do you think you could pull some strings and get her signed with your company? We don't care about anything else, just don't take advantage of her."

Shen Runze...

He cleared his throat lightly and said, "Um, when the company's manager comes over later, you can talk to him directly."

Zhizhi's eyes widened: "Uncle Shen, you're amazing! You even managed to get the person in charge to talk to Xiaoxiao personally? Don't worry, we will never let you down."

Shen Runze... "Just don't mess things up later."

Before long, the office door opened, and Zhizhi and Xiaoxiao were stunned to see He Jin'an, dressed in a suit and looking very respectable, walk in. After a while, Zhizhi finally spoke: "Brother, is this your company? Where did you get the money? How much money does it cost to have such a luxurious storefront?"

An An felt a little embarrassed, seeing admiration on his younger sister's face for the first time. He cleared his hoarse throat and said, "Well, the money I asked Mom for was for starting this company. I was thinking that you two would be signing with a management company after graduation, and in case you encounter a bad manager, you and Xiao Xiao are girls, so safety is very important."

So Uncle Shen and I discussed starting a media company. We're family, we wouldn't want to harm you, right? We didn't tell you before because the company's operations weren't mature yet. Actually, it's only been open for less than half a year, and we don't have any artists yet, but the rest of the logistical preparations are complete. We're also planning to recruit some new members from your school.”

Zhizhi quickly explained Xiaoxiao's current situation: "Brother, how about we start with Xiaoxiao?"

An An looked at Xiao Xiao: "Our company is just starting out, and we may not be able to get all the good resources. If you're not afraid of hard work, I promise you, I will fully support you."

Lu Xiaoxiao herself wasn't very ambitious. She felt more relaxed in a company where she knew people than in one full of strangers. As for the salary... she hadn't thought about that yet, after all, she was still a newbie in the workplace.

Because both sides were happy, the contract was signed very quickly. Finally, An'an looked at Zhizhi and said, "Why don't you sign in too? It would be great if our company had its own director. When I make money in the future, we can buy a script and make a film for you."

Zhizhi pouted: "I'm not in a hurry. You should get more actors first. Actually, you don't need to just focus on the film academy's talents. There are too many companies vying for them. You're just starting out, you can't compete with them. You might as well look outside."

"Select some good-looking, charismatic amateurs, train them a little, and they can get roles as fifth or sixth in various film sets. Our priority now is to build the company's reputation. Those with formal training will have a good starting point; otherwise, we might end up with nothing."

Shen Runze also agreed with Zhizhi's idea: "When Xiaoxiao is filming, I will be her agent. I know some directors in the industry. If we find a promising newcomer, it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring her in for a cameo role."

And so, Lu Xiaoxiao, the first artist officially signed after the company's establishment, was in place. Ping An Media Company took full responsibility for her subsequent schedule and tax payments.

After wandering around the company for a while, lingering for lunch, and even managing to get themselves a private office, Zhizhi and Xiaoxiao finally left satisfied.

Since every celebrity needs a car, He Jin'an and Shen Runze discussed it and spent a lot of money to buy a brand new Santana sedan. After all the paperwork, 40,000 yuan was spent, which made An'an frown with heartache.

Shen Runze could only comfort him: "It's okay. You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. We're the first to get a female lead role before we've even graduated. That's a high starting point. And they didn't even ask us for any special treatment. No matter how you look at it, we're making a profit."

An'an pouted: "I know, it's just heartbreaking. I've already spent half of the 600,000 yuan my mom gave me. It's only when you're spending money that you realize how easily this money can be spent."

"If you don't have enough money, just tell me. I have about 400,000 yuan that I can spare." Shen Runze is truly selfless towards his two children, even giving away his life savings.

An'an shook her head: "My mom said that if we don't have enough money in the end, we can sell the apartment near the Aerospace University to help me out. I've calculated it, and according to the current market price, 400,000 should be enough."

Shen Runze sighed and said, "Your mother is quite lucky. The house she bought for Ci'en to live comfortably has now increased in value six or seven times. It's a legacy she left for you. Otherwise, you wouldn't have the confidence to start a company right after graduation. Let's work hard and make a lot of money in the future."

An'an nodded in agreement: "I'll tell the finance department that once Xiaoxiao's TV series is finished and her payment is transferred, we'll pay the taxes first. This is a job she took on herself before joining the company, so we won't take a cut. But all the necessary paperwork needs to be done properly. My mom said that no matter what, we can't break the law, and we can't cross the line."

Shen Runze also agreed with this view: "That's right, our accounts must be clear and we can't break the law."

In just one month, Lu Xiaoxiao received a notice to start filming. She submitted a leave request to the school and contacted Shen Runze. Early in the morning of the start of filming, Shen Runze picked up Lu Xiaoxiao at the school gate in a brand-new Santana.

Knowing she was going to film a movie, her classmates came over early in the morning to see what was going on. When they saw the car picking her up, they asked, "Xiaoxiao, did the film crew send you this car? Are you getting such good treatment?"

Lu Xiaoxiao shook her head: "No, this is a car provided by my agency. This is my manager, and I will have someone to take care of me from now on." After explaining, she bent down and got in. The car window closed, and the car drove away.

The remaining students couldn't help but sigh, "Lu Xiaoxiao is so lucky to get a lead role script before even graduating, and to sign with a company as soon as she got the script."

"The main reason is that she's pretty enough. Otherwise, out of all the applicants in the school, why would they choose her? It's because her parents are so good at choosing people. We can't compare. Besides, even if she doesn't make it this time, she doesn't need to worry."

"That Chu Han from the directing department is very close to her. I heard that Chu Han's family is quite powerful. With such a big shot as a friend, as long as she doesn't do anything reckless, becoming famous is only a matter of time." Some classmates also thought of this.

Lu Xiaoxiao didn't know what her classmates would say behind her back. As long as they didn't go to her face, they could say whatever they wanted. It didn't matter to her anyway. Right now, all her attention was focused on studying the script.

Since Xiaoxiao joined the crew, Zhizhi would cook meals and visit the set whenever she had time. She would also bring a portion for the director and a cup of tea for him. On hot days, she would make tea to cool him down, and on rainy days, she would make tea to nourish him.