Chapter 617: Turmoil and Schemes

At four in the afternoon, the intense sun finally showed signs of softening.

Zhou Ping'an drove to a book cafe about fifteen kilometers away from the company, parked in a temporary roadside spot, and got out.

A wave of heat hit him.

Although it was only June, summer had already arrived.

Zhou Ping'an pushed open the door of the book cafe, and upon entering, he found seven or eight students gathered around the bestseller display at the entrance, discussing something animatedly.

He looked curiously and found they were holding the latest issue of *Jump Up*, discussing which authors were in this issue.

Zhou Ping'an: "..."

This magazine, as it stands now, is about to officially enter its sixth year.

Who would have thought that a magazine that was clearly fan-oriented at the beginning could last for such a long time, and that its influence would grow larger and larger? Now, it has transformed from a magazine into a media company, covering multiple channels of traditional and new media, and even entering the field of film and television production and marketing. It not only feeds back to cooperating artists but has also become a pivotal force in the entertainment industry.

Zhou Ping'an never admitted that he was very jealous.

The cost of running a magazine is actually not high for many film and television companies. However, in recent years, many companies have followed suit, founding magazines or themed books to cultivate their own IP libraries. Unfortunately, basically all the best author resources have been occupied by *Jump Up*.

As the first magazine to eat the crab, the market share of *Jump Up* is unmatched by other magazines.

It now has a virtuous ecological cycle. For good authors, there is no reason not to choose *Jump Up*—high manuscript fees, a friendly copyright cooperation system, and a magazine with great influence and high sales. If an article can be published in *Jump Up*, the author certainly won't choose to publish it in another similar magazine—except for those hall-of-fame serious literary magazines, which are a different concept.

"What are you looking at?" Lin Suyang, holding a cup of coffee, suddenly came behind him.

Zhou Ping'an came back to his senses and said, "I'm looking at how Lu Yan He and Chen Siqi have joined forces, and I'm afraid they are going to build an empire in the future. We agents are simply not in the same world as them."

Lin Suyang smiled coldly.

The two looked at each other.

Even a week ago, neither of them would have thought they could stand in front of each other like this and talk properly.

They weren't exactly enemies, but they were rivals. Whether it was Ma Zhiyuan or Li Zhibai, it was enough to keep them from interacting for the rest of their lives.

But now, they chose this place, deciding to temporarily put aside their past prejudices and grudges—

Because they had a common interest foundation.

At Star Entertainment, if they followed the company's current planned cutting method, they were the two agents most affected.

It can be said that if the split is finally done according to this method, the results they have worked so hard for for so many years will suffer a devastating blow.

Zhou Ping'an tentatively asked first, "If you really had to choose, how would you choose?"

"I'm not considering this option now. Whether it's MX or Li Zhibai, no matter which agent it is, it's impossible to be stupid enough to let go voluntarily," Lin Suyang said right away.

After saying that, he realized, uh, he accidentally alluded to someone.

Zhou Ping'an, who had "voluntarily let go" of Li Zhibai, looked at Lin Suyang expressionlessly.

Lin Suyang subconsciously wanted to apologize, but the words stuck in his throat.

What's there to apologize for? Serves him right.

He smiled instead.

Zhou Ping'an: "Then if the company is determined to do this, what do you plan to do? Don't you regret it now? You didn't discuss going out to work alone with Li Zhibai when his contract expired."

Lin Suyang asked Zhou Ping'an back, "What about you? Don't you regret it? You didn't discuss going out to work alone with Yan Liang when his contract expired."

Zhou Ping'an frowned.

"It's already this time, can we stop talking in circles?" he said. "What do you plan to do now?"

Lin Suyang: "Of course, I want to fight to keep the artists in our hands. Artists can be divided into different companies, but agents must be allowed to manage artists across departments and companies. Especially agents like you and me."

Zhou Ping'an nodded. "The principle is the principle, but do you have any way to convince the company to agree to your idea?"

"Mr. Ma definitely won't be willing. He will only manage the idol artist part in the future. He definitely hopes that we will all concentrate all our energy on the idol artist part," Lin Suyang said. "If I still take care of Li Zhibai's acting work, and you still take care of Yan Liang and Meng Li's acting work, it will inevitably take up a large part of our energy. After all, they are our main clients."

Zhou Ping'an nodded: "There's no need to think about Mr. Ma's side. He won't help us on this matter."

"The company definitely hopes to use this move to divide the artists in our hands," Lin Suyang said.

"If the two of us join forces to oppose this decision, what are the odds of winning?"

"The odds depend on to what extent the artists in our hands will stand on our side," Lin Suyang said bluntly. "The most lethal cards in our hands are artists of the level of Li Zhibai, Yan Liang, MX, and Meng Li. If they can unite and insist on maintaining the status quo with us, then the company's top management will have to consider the consequences of our non-cooperation."

"How confident are you that they will stand on the same front as you?" Zhou Ping'an asked.

Lin Suyang stood in front of the bookshelf, watching the surroundings through the gaps in the bookshelf, and looking at Zhou Ping'an from time to time.

"They are even less willing to change the current situation than I am," Lin Suyang said in a calm and firm tone.

Zhou Ping'an frowned slightly.

"What, do you have a problem on your side?"

"Meng Li is easier to talk to. She is not familiar with Star Entertainment itself and basically relies on me to connect with various resources in the company. She relies on me a lot, but Yan Liang—"

Zhou Ping'an hesitated slightly.

Lin Suyang said, "If Yan Liang wanted to change agents, he would have done it long ago. You should talk to him seriously. Without his support, relying on just one Meng Li is not enough. By the way, what about Cheng Hai?"

Zhou Ping'an: "Cheng Hai will naturally stand on my side. He was brought up by me single-handedly, but he doesn't have much weight in the company's eyes."

"Then let's create some weight," Lin Suyang said. "Release the news that under Lu Yan He's matchmaking, Cheng Hai is in contact with Director Luo Yuzhong and Director Wang Zhong's new dramas and is very likely to play the male lead in their new dramas."

Zhou Ping'an: "..."

Lin Suyang: "Meng Li joined Star Entertainment not long ago. The company doesn't pay much attention to her opinion. Unlike artists who truly grew up in the company, their value is completely different in the eyes of top management. Cheng Hai has become popular again because of *Birth of an Actor*, and the momentum is very good. Adding weight to him with such news is much more significant than Meng Li."

Zhou Ping'an didn't expect Lin Suyang to use such a move.

But thinking about it carefully, it seems to make sense.

It is indeed feasible.

The internal struggles and storms of Star Entertainment could no longer affect Lu Yan He.

However, when Hong Qi asked Lu Yan He to come to the company for a talk through Chen Ziyan and suddenly proposed that he hoped to hire him as a senior consultant for the newly established "Woodpecker Artist Management Company," Lu Yan He realized, uh, he was dragged into it again.

This was not the first company to come to him for such a position.

Maxine and HP before, Arctic Light Video, and Yuehu Station had all offered him such positions. However, at that time, they were more for consolidating their cooperative relationship with Lu Yan He, using such a position to establish a long-term contact and cooperation, and having a channel to legitimately provide him with remuneration outside of projects.

But Hong Qi hoped that Lu Yan He would truly fulfill the duties of this position this time.

"Mr. Hong, thank you for your trust, but I'm already busy enough. Where would I have time to be a consultant for you?" Lu Yan He refused directly without much hesitation.

Hong Qi: "I know you are busy. Don't worry, I will definitely not take up much of your time. I have this much self-knowledge; it's impossible to let you neglect your main business."

"Then... what do you want me to do?"

"Introduce suitable scripts and projects for the actors of our Woodpecker company," Hong Qi said. "In the entertainment industry around the world, the only people in our country who have enough ability and resources to see the best projects are you and your agent."

Lu Yan He shook his head immediately upon hearing this, "Mr. Hong, you are putting too much pressure on me."

"Absolutely not. Don't worry, we don't have any indicators or quantities that you need to complete. This is a cooperation agreement that is completely beneficial to you," Hong Qi said. "Even if you don't recommend a single work in the end, we can't hold you accountable for any responsibility, because there are no quantitative task responsibilities in this agreement, nor are there any breach of contract clauses."

It can be said that this is indeed a very favorable cooperation agreement for Lu Yan He.

However, Lu Yan He still refused.

He wouldn't agree no matter what.

In the end, Hong Qi was puzzled and asked, "Yan He, can you give me the bottom line? Honestly, why don't you want to? Is it because you really don't want to have any connection with Star Entertainment anymore?"

"No," Lu Yan He shook his head. "Mr. Hong, to be honest, almost one or two such agreements are sent over every month, often with consultant fees of tens of millions, but I don't dare to accept a single one. I don't want to be a broker. This is the bottom line I'm giving you. Recommending the right person for the right project is understandable, but once you start taking money to do this kind of thing, it seems to have become some kind of transaction."

Hong Qi sighed.

He turned to look at Chen Ziyan, "It's really as you said, Yan He refuses to accept it no matter what."

"I told you long ago," Chen Ziyan smiled. "If Yan He was willing to do this kind of thing, he would have done it long ago. He wrote so many scripts himself and made so many movies and TV shows. Except for his friends who were decided early on, almost all roles were won through auditions. How could he take money to recommend actors to other film and television projects? Even if it was truly recommended out of suitability, the behavior itself is hard to explain and easily misunderstood."

Hong Qi: "It seems this idea can only be abandoned."

Lu Yan He said, "Mr. Hong, Star Entertainment's move this time is so big, splitting a Woodpecker company out of Star Entertainment. Will Li Zhibai and Yan Liang all go to Woodpecker company in the future?"

"Li Zhibai and Yan Liang are actors, and they are still doing stages now. Since the commercial split contract can be signed to others, the actor contract and music contract can naturally be signed separately to two companies," Hong Qi said. "We want to split into two companies just to facilitate the optimization of internal company resources and make an adjustment and upgrade, integrating and concentrating resources from all aspects, not to let artists give up one of their identities. The current environment is not good, and artists are multi-talented as much as possible. From the company's perspective, if an artist is multi-talented in one more field, they can earn money in one more field."

Hong Qi also spoke straight, without saying those empty things to Lu Yan He.

Lu Yan He nodded, "What about their agents?"

"Agents?" Hong Qi asked, "Are you talking about Zhou Ping'an?"

"Yeah," Lu Yan He said. "Yan Liang is both an actor and still doing idol artist work. If the different split contracts are to be placed in two companies, will they still be managed by Zhou Ping'an?"

Hong Qi looked at Chen Ziyan with a smile and said, "Why is Yan He so sharp now?"

Chen Ziyan: "Hit the nail on the head and asked the key point."

Lu Yan He looked at them with some confusion.

Hong Qi said, "Different split contracts are naturally managed by different agents. In fact, for an artist of Yan Liang's level, he should have been managed by different agents to handle his different affairs, further refining his work. Everyone's ability and energy are limited, and their areas of expertise are different. Just like some companies have rich commercial resources, while others have rich film and television resources. For an artist like Yan Liang, he is naturally worth being managed by the best agents in each field for his various sectors."

Lu Yan He smiled and asked, "In this way, the agent's authority is actually restricted."

"On the surface, it looks like this."

"Is it different in reality?"

"Any artist definitely needs a big agent who can coordinate resources from all aspects," Hong Qi said. "Coordination is also a very important thing."

"Then your meaning is actually that Zhou Ping'an can still coordinate and manage all of Yan Liang's work," Lu Yan He frowned in confusion. "Then what's the difference from now?"

Hong Qi: "Is there no difference?"

Lu Yan He fell silent and thought seriously for a while.

Is there no difference?

This question also hovered in his mind.

He looked at Chen Ziyan.

Chen Ziyan signaled him to think seriously with encouraging eyes.

She also gave a hint: "Star Entertainment is making such a big reform. If they really want Zhou Ping'an and Lin Suyang to accept digging a big piece of cake from their own hands, do you think they will accept it?"

"No." Regarding this question, Lu Yan He didn't even need to think and immediately shook his head and answered these two words.

Chen Ziyan nodded.

Even if Star Entertainment is big, it is impossible to force Zhou Ping'an and Lin Suyang to accept this.

Otherwise, if they are really pushed too hard, the general also has the strength to rebel.

So what?

Divide and conquer?

If you don't want to have your cake divided, then you can only be the one who divides the cake.

The company will definitely not easily let you hold the knife, but the company can create an illusion that lets you hold the knife.

You can continue to be your "big manager," but you hand over the power below to other agents.

At this time, the agent team around the top artist is not just you alone.

Your connection with the artist is no longer an iron bucket.

You think you hold the knife to restrain the agents under you, but who knows if you have been restrained in reverse?

Lu Yan He realized the joints in this and showed a look of shock.

This is simply a naked open conspiracy!

You don't want to have your cake divided, okay, then you divide the power and delegate the power and resources in your hands.

At this moment, Lu Yan He really wanted to ask, is Star Entertainment's big reform really for the further development of the idol artist career?

Or is it because in the past few years, big-name agents like Zhou Ping'an and Lin Suyang who manage multiple heavy-weight artists have gradually threatened Star Entertainment's top management?

Was Chen Ziyan's sudden establishment of a Shi Huo company outside a precaution, laying out in advance to deal with such a situation?

Lu Yan He looked at Chen Ziyan and Hong Qi in surprise, feeling that his brain was not enough.

"Of course, there is actually one more point that Hong Qi didn't say himself."

After meeting with Hong Qi, Chen Ziyan and Lu Yan He got into the car together to go back.

Chen Ziyan added.

"In addition to the problem that the artist resources in the hands of these big-name agents are too concentrated, in fact, he also began to be threatened by top management like Ma Zhongquan. Hong Qi is only the CEO of Star Entertainment, not the real chairman. The one behind him, although he doesn't care much about things here, Ma Zhongquan and other top management have been eyeing Hong Qi's position. This move of his, in the name of adjusting the company's layout, gave Ma Zhongquan a higher position, but in fact, it also weakened the energy in his hands. Zhou Ping'an, Ma Zhongquan's number one lackey, in this adjustment, whether he puts down the Woodpecker business and becomes a pure idol artist agent, or refuses to let go and jumps out from under Ma Zhongquan's hands to become an independent agent, no one knows. But no matter how Zhou Ping'an chooses, the conflict between him and Ma Zhongquan will definitely be buried. And once these agents led by Zhou Ping'an come out of Ma Zhongquan's camp, even if Ma Zhongquan gets Star Entertainment, the actual power in his hands is weakened, and Hong Qi is still the controller of the two companies, with a stable position."

Lu Yan He took a deep breath.

"I never thought that there were so many calculations behind Star Entertainment's internal adjustments."

"Behind any big move, there must be more than just big calculations. Everyone involved will have their own small calculations," Chen Ziyan said. "After all, if a man doesn't look out for himself, heaven and earth will destroy him."

Lu Yan He gave Chen Ziyan a thumbs up.

"I'm convinced."

Recommending the old book *I Became the Scandalous Heroine Overnight*, the first subscription was 7 (single digit) and the average subscription has exceeded 1,000. If you like *Pick a Day to Become Famous*, it is worth reading. ===== CHAPTER 618 =====