Reborn in the Hong Kong entertainment industry in the 1980s

Hu Xiaoxiao was surprised by this unexpected joy and quickly asked who it was, then asked, "Does the other party know that I don't plan to sign with a film company?"

She researched almost every film company in Hong Kong, but none of them were suitable for her. They either lacked freedom or resources. Therefore, she wanted to find an independent agent.

Furthermore, this agent needs to be of good character, familiar with the film industry to help her secure roles, and able to manage all the miscellaneous tasks. If she weren't so lazy and unwilling to get involved, she would have liked to start her own company and run it herself, so her agent must be extremely capable.

Of course, money is not an issue.

As long as you can do the job well, the money is negotiable.

But talent is hard to find. Even though she was willing to spend money, she couldn't find a suitable candidate after searching for a long time.

“I know, I told her. She’s a female agent named Dong Peiyu, known as Sister Dong. She used to make several movie stars famous at Shanhai Film Industry, so she’s a very experienced agent. In recent years, Sister Dong has become an independent agent. She used to manage a female artist, but that artist retired from acting last year to get married.”

Mingxu recounted to Hu Xiaoxiao the artists Dong Peiyu had managed and their resumes, saying, "I introduced Sister Dong to you because I value her character. She really cares about her artists. She left Shanhai because she helped her artists fight for their interests, which displeased the higher-ups. The actresses Sister Dong previously managed were good-looking and had great figures. Many film companies offered high prices to sign them to act in adult films, but she withstood the pressure for them."

The other party has good character, strong business skills, and a good reputation in the industry. Mingxu thought that it would be more convenient for her to work with Hu Xiaoxiao since they were both women.

After hearing this, Hu Xiaoxiao thought it was a good idea. "When can I ask her out for a meal?"

Mingxu said, "She went to Taiwan to visit relatives and won't be back for a while. I've already talked to Sister Dong about your situation, and she said she'd like to meet you for a meal and then decide what to do next. I was originally planning to tell you about this after Sister Dong returned to Hong Kong, but since you called today, I thought I'd tell you in advance."

After Hu Xiaoxiao and Mingxu reached an agreement, they made a dinner appointment before hanging up the phone.

Although things were looking up regarding her agent, Hu Xiaoxiao couldn't stay idle and started looking for movies she could film recently.

Although she's been working in television for a long time, she's built up a considerable network of connections over the years. If she were willing to lower her standards or sign with a company, she wouldn't lack acting opportunities.

However, she has a career plan, is unwilling to compromise, and loves freedom, which makes her path more difficult.

She wants a lot, so the road ahead is destined to be difficult.

In other words, she'd rather have a tougher path than a more comfortable life. And compared to when she first entered the industry, she's now financially secure enough to live comfortably for the rest of her life, even if she were to retire. So why settle?

Besides, she enjoys a challenging life; that's what makes it interesting. A life that's too mundane or too smooth lacks flavor.

If she were willing to lower her expectations, like Ji Sheng, who saw that she wanted to go into the film industry, he asked her if she wanted to join Ji's Film Company. He said he could promote her, but the prerequisite was that she had to sign with Ji's.

Hu Xiaoxiao refused, not only because she disliked the Ji family's contract, but also because the Ji family had shifted its focus to television in recent years, and Ji Family Film Industry was declining.

Furthermore, Ji's Film Company is severely sexist and far less friendly to female artists than the TV station. It's better to stay at the TV station than go to the film company.

The issue of favoring sons over daughters isn't unique to Ji's Film Company; it's prevalent throughout almost the entire film industry. For her to achieve success in the film industry will be far more difficult than in television.

Hu Xiaoxiao organized her network of contacts and then looked for resources.

To reiterate, if she's willing to lower her expectations, she won't lack resources.

After all, she is good-looking, has a great figure, and is very famous, which makes her very marketable. Many movies are willing to cast her as a decorative figure.

The "flower vase" in the film industry is somewhat different from that in television. In television, the "flower vase" mainly shows her dedication to men in her life and career, crying and suffering for them, but she doesn't have many other scenes. After all, they have to consider the children watching on TV; many scenes can't be filmed explicitly for fear of complaints from parents.

But in the film industry, movies are often just pretty faces. Since moviegoers are mostly adults, anything to attract viewers is used, and there are countless films that directly rely on female stars for box office appeal. Ironically, when the film becomes a hit, the credit goes to the male stars.

For example, the movie "The God of Cars" that Hu Xiaoxiao just watched.

Did she give up her status as the second-in-command at the TV station to go into the film industry just to become a pretty face?

While Hu Xiaoxiao was selecting a suitable film for her, she received a call from Song Yan'an.

There's nothing new in the industry. After Zhang Huai's "The God of Cars" was released, it didn't stand up to close scrutiny; many of the styles weren't his usual style. Plus, Song Yan'an knew that Hu Xiaoxiao had approached Zhang Huai, and he had seen many of the scenes in the film when he worked with Hu Xiaoxiao on "The Bund," and even experienced them from inside the car.

We're all in the same circle, who can fool whom? Aren't we all shrewd and calculating?

After checking, Song Yan'an learned that Hu Xiaoxiao had been tricked by Zhang Huai.

Since Song Yan'an had acted as a matchmaker for Hu Xiaoxiao, he felt somewhat responsible for the matter and called to apologize to Hu Xiaoxiao.

Hu Xiaoxiao didn't blame Song Yan'an for this. She knew all about the dirty dealings in the film industry, and this was just a minor incident. "Brother An, you're overthinking it. This has nothing to do with you. Don't blame yourself."

“I’m glad you don’t blame me, but I can’t get over this in my heart.” Song Yan’an earnestly introduced Hu Xiaoxiao to a few reliable directors and reminded her again, “Be more careful in the future. As a girl, you’re all alone in that circle, and it’s easy for someone to target you. If you ever notice anything amiss, come back immediately.”

Hu Xiaoxiao laughed and said, "I didn't say I wouldn't go back. I have a contract with the TV station for each episode, so I'll have to come back to film when needed."

"Okay, that's all you need to know." Song Yan'an gave a few more instructions and then hung up the phone.

Hu Xiaoxiao wrote down the names of the directors introduced by Song Yan'an, and after contacting them, it turned out that they still needed pretty faces.

However, she also remembered Song Yan'an's kindness. He wasn't in the film industry, and the resources he had were obtained through connections. He had already done a great deal for her.

The films were all male-dominated, and those with female leads were almost all erotic films, so they were out of the question. Hu Xiaoxiao, after much deliberation, could only look for films where female characters could shine.

After careful selection, she found a film that was quite good, and if she performed well, it could be just as good as the male lead.