Chapter 216: Nazha Meows Like a Cat, The Four Assistants Walk Together
Inside the Shanhe Media artist apartment.
Nazha sat on the sofa, her mind seemingly in a blank state.
She was agonizing over what clothes to wear; Director Zhang had specifically said that tonight's occasion was very important.
But she hadn't debuted yet, could hardly even be called an artist, and had no income to speak of; relying on the company's three-thousand-yuan monthly allowance, she couldn't afford to buy any nice clothes.
Sighing, she got up, went to her room, and opened the wardrobe. Nazha's small face became even more conflicted—she couldn't exactly wear ethnic clothing, could she? "Nazha, are you in?"
Hearing the voice outside the door, Nazha knew it was the champion sister who had recently moved in.
"Sister Kewei, are you heading out already?"
Looking at the bright and beautifully dressed Yu Kewei outside the door, Nazha was a bit surprised; wasn't it still early?
"That's right. It's my first time attending the company's annual meeting; shouldn't I go over early to meet some of the seniors?"
Yu Kewei didn't stand on ceremony, walking into the room as she said, "No, why aren't you ready yet?"
At this moment, Nazha was still wearing her pajamas; after all, she had just woken up from a nap. The young girl was sleepy—wasn't that normal? Even though it was already nearly five o'clock.
"Sister Kewei, I don't know what to wear, and I don't have a formal gown. The company hasn't prepared one for me yet."
The young girl hadn't even passed her art school entrance exams yet; she had been attending training during this time, so the company hadn't allocated any relevant resources to her.
"Hmm, is that so? Let me take a look at your wardrobe."
Ever since signing her contract, Yu Kewei had been assigned to the room next to Nazha's. The two had known each other for nearly half a month, so she wasn't the least bit reserved.
After pulling through the clothes rack, Yu Kewei could see that this girl's family situation was indeed not very good.
After picking and choosing, she took down a few pieces of clothing and said to Nazha:
"Let's go with these few."
Holding the clothes up to herself, Nazha said with some uncertainty:
"Won't this be too ordinary?"
A pair of tight jeans, a pink turtleneck sweater, and a short white down jacket—it was indeed too ordinary.
With her limited wisdom, Nazha even suspected that this sister was trying to trick her.
"It won't be. Your features are so good; a simple outfit will still look youthful and pretty. Besides, you're still young, so dressing like this is very normal."
Yu Kewei had no other choice; even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice. She pondered that if there was an opportunity, she would take the young girl out for a shopping spree, just to foster unity among company colleagues.
"Alright then."
Nazha then changed into the clothes right in front of Yu Kewei; in her view, they were both women, so it didn't matter.
Yu Kewei looked her up and down, always feeling something was missing. After a moment of thought, her eyes lit up.
She hurriedly pulled Nazha to the door, took down a hat hanging on the utility rack, and picked up a pair of medium-length cowhide leather boots from behind the door.
"Here, try pairing these with it."
Nazha was like a puppet, letting Yu Kewei do as she pleased.
Before long, Yu Kewei looked at the Nazha before her and nodded with satisfaction. This young girl was truly blessed by the heavens. —This year's annual meeting was held at the Shanhe Building, in a 3,000-square-meter super-large conference room filled with dining tables.
By the time Nazha and Yu Kewei arrived at the venue, many people had already arrived; at the very least, Yu Kewei saw several colleagues who, like her, had debuted from The Voice.
"Sister Kewei, over here..."
The voice came from Liu Xijun; although she had debuted earlier than Yu Kewei, she was actually several years younger.
"Nazha, my seat is over there. Do you want to come over with me to say hello?"
Although the circles for actors and singers were different, everyone was an artist at Shanhe Media. Yu Kewei felt it would be good to get to know people, so she extended the invitation.
"Mm, I really like Yao Beina..."
Although Nazha had joined the company for a few months, she had basically been in training classes and had never actually met Yao Beina.
"Na Jie, this is Guli Nazha, the company's youngest artist."
Yu Kewei introduced her to Yao Beina first; after all, she was the company's top musical sister.
"Hello, Na Jie, I really like your songs, especially that one, Unable to Forgive; it's just so addictive."
Nazha was quite happy. She hadn't yet adapted to her identity as an artist and acted like a little fan girl chasing a star.
"Mm, hello Nazha. I've heard of you. The boss's eye for talent is truly excellent; you are really beautiful."
The few of them began to chat, but Nazha noticed that Xu Song, who had been highly praised by the mentors for his talent on The Voice, was looking at her from time to time.
Nazha returned a smile, which made Xu Song's face turn bright red.
As they chatted, more and more artists entered the venue one after another, so Nazha bid everyone farewell and returned to her seat. —"To all the colleagues of Shanhe Media, good evening everyone. I am the host for tonight's annual meeting, Liu Yan."
Although it was only an internal company annual meeting, Liu Yan still treated it very seriously. She was dressed in a gorgeous red gown tonight, her skirt swaying with grace, fully displaying an elegant and dignified temperament.
"Next, let us invite the Chairman to the stage to deliver a speech. Let's welcome him with applause!"
Wei Jin, wearing a well-fitted casual outfit, walked onto the stage. Looking at the sea of people below, he felt a surge of emotion; this was the empire he had built over the past five years.
"Dear colleagues, good evening. The year 2008 that has just passed was destined to be an extraordinary year for the group.
This year, we officially renamed ourselves Shanhe Media Group Co., Ltd., completely ushering in the entertainment era that belongs to Shanhe.
This year, we acquired our own headquarters building—Shanhe Building.
This year, we established new direct departments—the Animation Production Department, the Public Relations Department, and the Screenwriting Department.
This year, we expanded dozens and hundreds of cinemas; the Shanhe Cinema Alliance already holds over 20% of the market share and has become the industry leader.
This year, we participated in the production of over 200 episodes of television dramas, many of which were blockbusters that achieved both high ratings and critical acclaim.
This year, we independently planned and produced a variety show that became popular across the country, creating a ratings miracle.
This year, we produced and distributed over 20 films, accounting for more than 20% of the total annual box office in the country.
This year, we produced an animation that became popular across the entire internet, with online views exceeding 1 billion. This year, we..."
Every time Wei Jin mentioned an achievement, a certain area in the audience would erupt in cheers; this was the glory that belonged to their department.
"All the achievements and honors belong to every Shanhe person present. Let us walk hand in hand, work together, and create even more brilliant results next year."
"Here, I represent the senior management of the group to announce that this year's year-end bonus will be increased by fifty percent."
Wei Jin's words sparked enthusiastic cheers throughout the venue. One must know that the year-end bonuses at Shanhe Media were already substantial; the group would likely have to shell out tens of millions for this, which was incredibly generous. What else could one say when following such a boss? Just do it. — After the banquet began, Wei Jin hurriedly ate some food to line his stomach, as he would have to drink quite a bit later.
It is funny to say, but as a dignified group chairman, he never had anyone to help him block drinks, because everyone knew his drinking capacity was invincible, known as "never drunk after a thousand cups."
Halfway through the banquet, Wei Jin also began to pick up his wine glass and wander among the various departments.
"Old Huang, why did you run over here?"
"Heh, there are too few singers in the company after all. As the big brother, I have to support the scene and show some care."
"Alright, I'll be watching your performance later."
This year's company annual meeting leaned more towards the nature of a gala. Later, the artists would all go on stage to perform, which could also be considered an opportunity for ordinary employees to watch celebrities perform live.
"Xu Song, are you getting used to the company? If you have any needs, feel free to bring them up."
Wei Jin looked at the somewhat shy Xu Song beside him; he had always respected people with talent.
"No, no need, President Wei, it's already very good."
Xu Song was a bit nervous, but he was truly grateful to the company. The contract was very loose, they didn't interfere with his creative work, and the benefits were excellent. For him, this place was simply heaven.
"Mm, that's good. Zhiwen, the same goes for you. I know that creation requires inspiration; I can't help you with that, but I will satisfy your requirements in other aspects as much as possible."
Although Jin Zhiwen did not enter the top four, he still had some talent. At the very least, working behind the scenes, producing records, and the like was completely fine, so he was signed as well.
"Thank you, President Wei, it really is already very good."
Jin Zhiwen was truly grateful. He had thought he would have to go back to singing at bars after being eliminated, but who would have expected to receive a signing notice? What surprised him even more was that the company also arranged an apartment, so he and his girlfriend no longer had to squeeze into a basement. It could be called a conscience of the industry.
Subsequently, Wei Jin chatted a few more words with the others at the table, especially the newcomers who had just joined the company; he offered them encouragement and expressed his concern, being meticulous in every detail.
Huang Bai, who was on the side watching this scene, secretly sighed that Old Wei's way of managing subordinates was becoming increasingly terrifying. These few newcomers would likely be willing to go through fire and water for him. — There were over a hundred tables at the venue in total, and it was impossible for Wei Jin to make a round to all of them. After taking care of the main departments, he returned to his seat, and just in time, the program began.
The opening act was from the professional singers' side; Yao Beina went on stage and sang "Seabed," winning applause from the whole hall.
"Sister Kewei, this is a song written by the boss, right? It's written so well, I'm really envious of Sister Na."
Liu Xijun could naturally hear the standard of this song; their boss was indeed worthy of being a Gold Medal Producer.
"It's also her good luck. The Yinyue Zhizuo Bu was too miserable last year, ranking last in per capita income. The department director personally went to President Wei to request the song."
Although Yu Kewei was also envious, she knew that not everyone was qualified to get a song from the boss. Yao Beina having this opportunity was truly good luck.
Wei Jin really didn't have the heart to write songs now. The main thing was that the physical record industry really didn't have much potential, and the trend of charging for online downloads hadn't started to rise yet. Releasing new songs wouldn't earn much money at all; it was better to figure out how to get the artists to take on some commercial performances.
If he hadn't been blocked in his office by the director of the Yinyue Zhizuo Bu—who looked like he had been there for years, a dignified seven-foot man—crying and wailing for half an hour, he wouldn't have agreed.
Subsequently, Yu Kewei went on stage and sang "Warm," which she managed to sing with her own style.
The rest of the singers went on stage one after another to perform, and truth be told, they all performed quite well. At the very least, the applause at the scene showed that everyone recognized their strength.
"It's almost our turn, is everyone ready?"
As the company's top star, Qiao Zhenyu naturally stood up to organize everyone.
"Brother Zhen Yu, we've all practiced in advance. Even if we don't catch up to them, at least we won't lose face."
Everyone sitting there was professionally trained and had participated in these activities plenty of times at school, so they were quite confident whether it was singing or performing sketches.
"Mm, by the way, Nazha, are you going to perform?"
The company's requirement was for artists to perform on stage. In Qiao Zhenyu's view, this new little girl hadn't even entered school yet and couldn't be counted as an artist.
"Mm, Brother Zhen Yu, Director Zhang asked me to sign up for a program."
"Is that so? That's fine too."
Nazha came from a dance background, and since there were very few people performing dance today, Qiao Zhenyu felt it was quite appropriate.
"No, I'm singing."
"Hm? Singing? Have you studied it?"
"No, but I can 'Learn to Meow'."
"?!?!"
After being stunned for a long time, Qiao Zhenyu finally reacted. It wasn't good to say anything more; anyway, it was an internal company activity, and she wouldn't make a fool of herself.
The actors went on stage one after another to perform. Most of them were singing, and a few groups performed a sketch. What surprised Wei Jin a bit was that Jiang Shuying actually danced a belly dance; the way she swayed her slender waist was truly spirited.
Soon, Nazha went on stage. The little girl had participated in various performances since she was young, so she didn't seem nervous standing on the stage.
"Hello everyone, I am a company newcomer, Guli Nazha. The program I am bringing to everyone is 'Learn to Meow'."
Soon, the music started, and Nazha began to sing and dance along with the rhythm.
"We learn to meow together, meow meow meow meow meow meow together, acting spoiled in front of you, aiyo meow meow meow meow meow meow."
The people off-stage, including Wei Jin, couldn't help but laugh. Where did this girl get her confidence? Her singing was completely off-key.
However, the dance was performed quite well; she looked quite like a little kitten, making one want to reach out and pet her.
It's a pity, the kitten is still too young, Wei Jin still has to wait a bit longer. — The annual meeting ended. Although Jiang Shuying sent a message, and that sexy belly dance made Wei Jin itch with desire, the latter still painfully refused. Tonight, there was a great battle waiting for him.
Arriving at Liu Yan's villa, the three assistants were already prepared to take the field together, but as for the specific way to play, the three of them kept him in suspense.
Although he had been looking forward to tonight's program for a long time, Wei Jin did not urge them and let them do as they pleased. He believed the assistants would not let him down.
Led by the women, Wei Jin came to the renovated bathroom. He saw that the large bathroom was extremely spacious, with only a waterbed placed inside that could accommodate three people lying horizontally.
"Boss, you lie down first, we will give you a SPA."
This SPA lasted for a long time. The three of them took turns, and Wei Jin resisted to the end; it was a rare match of equals. Today's first update, I implore all book friends to reward me with subscriptions, follow-up readings, collections, monthly tickets, and recommendation tickets. Thank you all! (End of chapter)
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