Huayu: You were supposed to be a top star, but you've become capital?

Lin Shen smiled slightly and swiped to answer the call.

"Hey, Honey."

Yang Mi's cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone: "Su Su, your Weibo post is like a bolt from the blue! My phone is practically flooded with notifications."

"If that's the case, it seems I'm still quite popular."

"It's not just successful, it's trending at number one on the hot search list. I'm telling you, are you really planning to do this? You've only been popular for a few days and you're already rushing to expand your business. Aren't you afraid people will say you're neglecting your main job?"

"I haven't forgotten." Lin Shen looked at the lights flashing past the car window. "But who says life can only have one path? Let's give it a try."

"Alright, you always have a plan. I just made a call to see if our newly crowned top star's mentality has collapsed. It seems I was overthinking it."

"I'm so touched, Sister Mi." Lin Shen said with a smile, "You care about me so much, how about... you come to Lekai for a visit? I happen to be looking for a partner who can carry a drama and generate buzz."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone, followed by Yang Mi's signature soft laugh.

"Don't give me that, Boss Lin. Trying to poach my clients?" she said with a laugh.

"I've just made my comeback, and my wife is waiting for me to come back to discuss the next steps. A partnership is out of the question, but... if your brand needs a spokesperson or a guest to wear the product, the price is negotiable, and I can give them priority consideration."

There is a clear boundary between what is said and what is implied.

At this time, Yang Mi's career and family were clearly still leaning towards the latter; the story of her partnering with her agent to establish Jiaxing Media came much later.

At this moment, she is still that new mother who calls herself a hardworking young woman, focusing on rebuilding her career rhythm rather than starting from scratch.

"Deal." Lin Shen didn't press the matter. It was just a casual remark, after all. "Thanks in advance, Sister Mi. I'll look for you again to collaborate on a good script later."

"That's more like it. Alright, I won't keep you from planning your business empire any longer, Mr. Lin. I need to head home now. Let's have dinner together sometime."

"No problem, drive carefully."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Shen turned on his phone. On Weibo, #LinShenSellsClothes# was still trending, and the comment section was still noisy, with fans, passersby, and haters arguing all over the place.

He glanced at it a few times, but didn't pay much attention, and switched to the next page.

The screen displayed data on several recently acquired women's clothing and accessories stores. These were top-performing stores that Lin Shen had selected based on his experience running a Taobao women's clothing business before his transmigration.

With decent traffic and a mature supply chain, it can become an important part of the "Trajectory" brand with a little integration and brand upgrade.

"Brother Shen, we've arrived," Xiao Yang whispered.

The car stopped downstairs at Lin Shen's residence in Palm Bay, a high-security luxury residential community in the capital.

"I'll pick you up from work tomorrow morning." Xiao Yang handed over the tablet. "This is tomorrow's schedule. You have an appointment to meet Mr. Mao Wenchao and Ms. Qu Fang at the company at 10:00 AM."

Lin Shen took it, his gaze lingered on the two names for a moment, and then he nodded:

"Okay, also, please urge the brand to expedite the fabric sampling process; I need to see the actual product tomorrow."

"clear."

Lin Shen got out of the car, walked to the building entrance, and after returning home, he took off his coat, poured himself a glass of water, and continued to sit at his desk.

Several windows were open simultaneously on the computer screen: data reports from Taobao stores, design drafts for the Track brand, investment data from Shenzhen Bank, and an electronic version of the script for "The Lost Tomb".

Lin Shen picked up his phone and sent a few more commands:

"Complete the comparative analysis of fabric suppliers as soon as possible."

"The acquired original design shop will have its lead designer come to Beijing for a face-to-face meeting within three days."

Replies kept popping up.

Outside the window, the city lights gradually thinned out. Lin Shen leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.

Three years have passed, from a student at the Beijing Film Academy to a top actor, and now to the quietly unfolding business empire, every step has been planned.

Acting is his foundation, but business is another path that Lin Shen is paving for himself and for the future.

Lin Shen picked up his phone and glanced at his schedule reminders for tomorrow morning:

10:00 AM - Meeting with Mao Wenchao and Qu Fang

At this point in time, not many people know these two names.

But Lin Shen knew very well who they were and what they were about to do.

The information advantage of time travelers is not entirely used for investing in football and lotteries.

The next morning arrived quickly. At nine o'clock, the black van drove into the underground parking lot of an office building in the CBD of Beijing.

Lin Shen wore a simple white shirt with gray trousers and a dark blue casual suit jacket. His hair was combed naturally, revealing a clean and neat forehead.

"Brother Shen, this elevator goes directly to the 28th floor." Xiao Yang led the way quickly. "Mr. Mao and Ms. Qu have already arrived at the conference room, much earlier than the agreed 10 o'clock."

Lin Shen hummed in agreement and glanced one last time at the preliminary letter of intent to be discussed today.

The elevator ascended smoothly.

"By the way, Brother Shen," Xiao Yang's expression was a little subtle, "several entertainment headlines this morning were about you... well, saying that top actors aren't focusing on acting and have started doing side jobs instead of their main profession."

Lin Shen looked up: "How exactly was it written?"

"Some say you've become arrogant, some say your team is making terrible plans, and others say you were tricked into investing by some business tycoon..." Xiao Yang paused.

"However, several fashion bloggers analyzed the outfits you posted on Weibo yesterday and gave them positive reviews, saying that your aesthetic sense is on point."

"That's good." Lin Shen nodded casually. "Controversy generates buzz, and this kind of discussion before the trajectory goes live isn't a bad thing."

The elevator doors opened with a "ding".

The 28th floor is decorated in a minimalist modern style, with a gray and white main color scheme and clean lines. The Shenzhen Bank Investment logo hangs on the front desk, which is just two simple letters, SX, but the design is very strong.

Inside the conference room, a man and a woman were already seated on one side of the long table.

Mao Wenchao looked to be in his early thirties, while Qu Fang was more capable and had sharp eyes. The two were talking in hushed tones, their laptops open in front of them.

They both looked up when they heard the door open.

Then they both paused for a moment.

Although I knew beforehand that I was meeting Lin Shen, the actor who has recently become very popular, the impact of seeing him walk in from the door was still different.

She's excessively young and excessively good-looking, and more importantly, her calm and composed demeanor is completely unlike that of a celebrity in her early twenties.

"Mr. Mao, Ms. Qu, thank you for waiting." Lin Shen walked over, extended his hand, and said, "I am Lin Shen."

The two quickly stood up and shook hands.

"Mr. Lin, hello, hello." Mao Wenchao was still somewhat surprised by today's meeting. "We didn't expect you to actually come..."

"Would you be interested in your project?" Lin Shen took over the conversation, smiled, and sat down opposite the two.

"Actually, I've been paying attention to social sharing for a while now, and I really like your community model."