Chapter 146: Offline Crushed, Understand?

Just as Bai Liang was quietly scheming in his mind about Tang Ren and Jia Xing, those two dragon-and-phoenix companies.

Cai Yinong, far away in Shanghai, suddenly felt a prickling sensation on her skin~

Before she could think more about it, a phone call came in at that moment.

She glanced at the caller ID—it was Na Zha.

Cai Yinong naturally set aside her work and answered immediately.

There was no choice—this was the company's top salesperson!

Lately, Na Zha had been incredibly diligent, showing strong enthusiasm for making money—taking ads, appearing on shows, fighting for exposure.

Even Cai Yinong couldn't find a single flaw in her, and she'd grown much more resigned to the failure of "Yun Zhi Fan."

There had simply been too many "blows" recently.

Losing one defector after another was bad enough, but by year's end, Liu Shishi's contract officially expired, and she went off to open a husband-and-wife business with Long Long Liqi.

What a loss of a major asset!

If it weren't for Hu Ge still holding up the company's backbone, Cai Yinong truly felt she couldn't go on.

And then there was Na Zha, this love-struck fool, who had previously been bouncing around in front of her, looking utterly poisoned and beyond saving.

Back then, Cai Yinong had been genuinely terrified, fearing the little girl might snap, terminate her contract, and run off to live with Bai Liang in blissful seclusion.

Fortunately, that never happened.

On the contrary, this new queen's love-struck state seemed to have had a positive effect!

It all seemed to have started when she bought a house.

"Na Zha~ Why are you calling me now? Something happen?" Cai Yinong asked gently.

Na Zha's mood on the other end seemed average, but she adjusted her tone: "Sister Cai, I'd like to discuss something with you."

"Call me Sister!"

"Sister Cai, Sister Cai~"

"Go on, what is it?"

"I want to take some time off this second half of the year." Though her boss's tone was especially gentle, Na Zha still voiced her request cautiously.

Cai Yinong froze. Her first reaction: How could she possibly allow this?!

Although Tang Ren didn't treat artists like beasts of burden the way Jia Xing did, letting a top star just slack off and rest like this was simply too much.

And she wanted to rest for half a year?

But she reminded herself this was the company's top salesperson for the first half of the year, so she didn't refuse outright—instead, she asked: "Is there something going on? Tell Sister, let me help you think it through first."

"Nothing special really—I just want to spend time with my family," Na Zha replied, sounding a little guilty.

Spend time with family? Cai Yinong didn't believe a single word.

The artist's job was indeed hectic and often kept them away from home.

But to claim they had no time to see family was nonsense—earnings were this high; it was effortless to have parents or relatives come stay for a while.

For example, during filming, just have family stay at a hotel—you could see them every day, all it cost was money.

So Na Zha's excuse didn't hold water.

Cai Yinong's brain spun wildly, and amid the confusion, she grasped the correct answer.

The capybara figurine on her desk was still swaying~

"Let me think—you're currently being pitched a drama for the second half of the year; if it's finalized, you'll have to enter production."

"Then don't pitch it—I'm not particularly fond of that urban drama," Na Zha said decisively.

Cai Yinong rubbed her temples. Honestly, this girl really knew how to pick her timing!

She did have a blank slot in the second half of the year, but that slot was reserved for a project—once assigned, she'd have to jump in immediately.

If she turned it down, she could truly take a break.

And even if Cai Yinong used her butt to think, she knew exactly what Na Zha planned to do with that time.

Besides, Cai Yinong was well aware of the recent trending topics and CP buzz surrounding Bai Liang and Jia Xing's new Jiang Nü.

So Na Zha was… panicking?

After three seconds of silence, Cai Yinong suddenly blurted out: "Na Zha, you're prettier than your little hometown girl—no need to worry so much."

Ahhh~

Na Zha, caught off guard and exposed through the phone, felt her face flush—how did this suddenly turn into a confession session?

But Cai Yinong kept going: "Bai Liang is just playing along with the CP hype—his drama's about to air, it's completely normal. He did something similar with Chen Yao before, and now they're perfectly fine."

As soon as she said it, Cai Yinong felt strange—was she really helping Bai Liang play matchmaker?

If that brat was some greedy, harem-seeking scumbag, her actions right now were practically aiding evil.

The moment she thought of that, Cai Yinong suddenly felt annoyed!

Just then, Na Zha mumbled: "Sister Cai, I haven't had time to properly settle into my new home yet—I'll work hard after I move in."

"Your new home… or your *their* new home?"

". Of course it's mine."

"Tell me the truth, and I'll clear your schedule so you can rest."

"It really is mine!" Na Zha denied it stubbornly, growing even more guilty.

Then Cai Yinong suddenly said: "Alright~"

"If you really can't… Huh?"

Na Zha on the other end couldn't believe her luck—had she just agreed so suddenly?

In fact, at this moment, Cai Yinong was fiddling with the capybara figurine, grinding her teeth as she muttered resentfully: "Don't let that brat get snatched up by Yang Mi's people."

If Tang Ren can't have him, Jia Xing absolutely cannot either.

That Dili Reba, Cai Yi didn't take seriously, but Yang Mi, that seductive fox, wasn't an easy opponent.

Even an oddball contestant like Bai Liang might not necessarily pass that test.

Fortunately, she's already married now.

Na Zha said she fully understood! She would resolutely complete the mission!

Her available slot should roughly coincide with the time Bai Liang finished filming "Three Lives, Three Worlds."

According to her knowledge, Bai Liang had no other commitments before entering the set of "Ride the Wind and Break the Waves" in October.

Even if he had some ordinary gigs, they'd just stay cooped up together at their new home for two months!

With that much time, not just feelings—by then, a child could even be born!

Even if Bai Liang had to promote "We Were Young," she'd secretly tag along—just stick close to him.

Na Zha: So you're my little hometown girl, huh~ Come on, look me in the eye!

Standing right in front of her, Na Zha refused to believe she couldn't overpower her!

Offline beauty domination—let's see how it goes. Plan successful~

Of course, Na Zha didn't know yet that the offhand remark she'd made to her sister—"He doesn't use it"—had actually been spot-on.

If her plan went smoothly, she'd eventually have to worry about this for a while and drag Bai Liang in for a medical checkup.

She'd have to find out if he was infertile.

But for now, all this remained just a beautiful fantasy.

The world doesn't stand still.

Bai Liang's earlier trip to Beijing wasn't just to "beat up" Huang Jingyu—he also went on a date with Dili Reba.

He also took part in a rather unusual audition.

That audition "failed"; in the end, he couldn't reach an agreement with the "Operation Red Sea" crew, and sadly, they couldn't collaborate.

But Bai Liang did leave behind a "legend," along with video footage.

It's perfectly normal for film crews to record audition footage live.

Some productions even pick out clips to use as promotional material.

But since Bai Liang wouldn't be joining the cast, his video wouldn't be posted online—but certain insiders could still access it through various channels.

!. Du

For instance, Wu Jing, who was currently struggling over casting a male supporting role in "Wolf Warrior."

He suddenly had the idea that the character in his upcoming "Wolf Warrior 2" could be played by Wang Sicong, who was currently trending online.

Purely playing himself, right~

Plus, Wanda Pictures was one of the co-producers of this film—they had connections.

Previously, Wang Sicong made a cameo as himself in the movie version of "We Were Young," and it even trended on Weibo.

The movie version of "We Were Young" was happy to ride the wave.

So Wu Jing thought inviting Wang Sicong made perfect sense.

But Wang Young Master wasn't really that fond of acting, let alone doing gunfights and action scenes with Wu Jing.

That sounds exhausting—wouldn't it be better to cuddle up with a livestreamer girlfriend and play games?

So he flatly refused, saying: "Your rich kid character? Meh. I don't play roles poorer than me."

Besides, he suspected Wu Jing's real motive for inviting him wasn't acting—it was to get him to invest money.

After all, Wu Jing's recent news about mortgaging his house and car to make the film had already spread.

He'd mortgaged his house—this guy probably saw money and his eyes turned green!

But before hanging up, Wang Sicong casually said: "If you're looking for an actor, try Da Xian~"

He didn't mention Lin Genxin, fearing Wu Jing wouldn't want to pay that much salary.

Lin Genxin's current fee is quite high—even for a movie, Wu Jing's project isn't that competitive; if you don't offer a high salary, he won't bother with the hardship.

But Bai Liang is at least much cheaper.

So the question arose.

Wu Jing: Wait, who the hell is Da Xian?

At first, he didn't take it seriously—he just looked it up casually and learned that this "Da Xian" was a rising young heartthrob.

That was all.

After all, young heartthrobs in the entertainment industry were like fish crossing a river—new batches kept emerging every so often.

But when an old friend sent him an interesting audition video, things began to change.

Bai Liang's gun handling in "Operation Red Sea" wasn't especially professional—at least compared to real special forces tactics, it was too flashy and impractical.

Only his quick-draw technique stood out—practical and stylish.

The "Operation Red Sea" crew thought he handled it well and figured a slight adjustment would let him pick up the skills faster than other actors.

He was essentially a solid performer.

They didn't intend for him to do that in the movie—maybe just some flashy close-ups with the pistol.

For example, a shot of him and the enemy simultaneously emptying their rifle magazines, racing to draw their handguns fastest.

The rest didn't fit the character's tone, but still—damn cool!

Yet the same move, viewed by different people, produced entirely different effects.

"Operation Red Sea" was an ensemble military drama, demanding professionalism, precision, and cohesion as a whole.

But "Wolf Warrior 2" was a film of individual heroism.

First, Wolf Warrior Wu Jing had overwhelming combat power, ruthlessly beating up mercenaries.

Second, the rich kid character Wu Jing wanted to cast was defined by: a privileged background, a wealthy second-generation, a gun enthusiast, a professional military buff with no combat experience, who later showed extraordinary adaptability after entering war.

Rich second-generation kids playing with guns? The flashier, the better.

No need for real professionalism—just look cool!

Meanwhile, that single seemingly useful quick-draw technique fits perfectly with the character's transformation.

The more Wu Jing watched that video, the more he felt the character in the script was practically standing right in front of him.

He searched online again and laughed.

So Bai Liang's way of breaking out was literally stepping out of the book as the male lead.

Adaptable everywhere, huh?

Wu Jing didn't care about those online marketing stunts and trending topics, but Bai Liang's gun-handling skills were real—he could pick them up and use them right away.

He immediately had someone find his studio's contact information.

Then this "poor bastard" who haggled over every penny encountered "ambition swelling" and wanted to negotiate a big contract and hefty pay for Bai Liang—Sister Yanzi.

(End of Chapter)