Chapter 747: A Sudden Inspiration, Seeking Help from Outside

Due to the online public opinion, Sui Lingfang had originally intended to wait until Jian Liting finished filming before making contact, but she dared not wait any longer; she asked Jin Li for Jian Liting's number and dialed immediately.

The call was answered quickly; Jian Liting seemed to be resting, so her response was swift.

"Hello, this is Sui Lingfang, Jin Li's current manager."

Jian Liting paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "Hello, I am Jian Liting. Jin Li mentioned you to me. What do you need from me?"

Sui Lingfang raised an eyebrow; now that the call was connected, she was in no rush and asked curiously,

"Jin Li mentioned me to you? What exactly did she say about me?"

"Uh, are you sure you want to know?" Jian Liting countered.

"Quite curious," Sui Lingfang said frankly. "But if she said anything bad about me, please lie to me. I don't want to hear the truth."

"Haha." Jian Liting was amused, and her tense mood relaxed considerably.

She glanced at the busy film crew ahead, deliberately walked to a secluded corner where no one was around, and then answered,

"No, no, she spoke only highly of you. She told me you're becoming more mature in your handling of affairs and more professional in your work.

She even asked my opinion on Chenxi Entertainment and whether I had any thoughts of jumping ship. Oh, and she said you'd likely contact me soon, intending to poach me over."

Sui Lingfang was momentarily speechless and couldn't help but ask, "When you and Jin Li chat privately, is this always your speaking style? Does she speak to you so bluntly, without any subtlety or tact?"

Jian Liting smiled. "You think it's too blunt too, right? I felt the same when I first heard it, but after thinking it over, I realized it's actually quite good.

There's no need for such indirect maneuvering; just state the matter directly and ask any concerns outright. If Jin Li had probed cautiously like others, I would have suspected she had some ulterior motive.

But since she stated directly that Chenxi Entertainment wants to recruit me, my reaction wasn't surprise, but a sense of relief.

I thought I'd have to leave the entertainment industry after next year, but I never expected Chenxi Entertainment would still give me a chance!"

Sui Lingfang said, "...I haven't even uttered a single word about recruiting you, yet you've said it all. It feels like you've stolen my lines."

Her tone carried a hint of helplessness.

This was too difficult for her!

Jian Liting, having received Jin Li's advance notice, did not seem indifferent; on the contrary, she appeared very eager to push this matter forward and willing to sign with Chenxi Entertainment.

This should have been a great thing, yet Sui Lingfang felt a strange sensation in her heart.

Perhaps it was because this recruitment lacked any sense of achievement; it was utterly uneventful and posed no challenge.

Although she had already discerned Jian Liting's attitude from her words, Sui Lingfang still needed to go through the formalities, asking seriously and clearly,

"On behalf of Chenxi Entertainment, I extend an invitation to you: after your contract with your current company expires next year, will you sign with Chenxi Entertainment and join our Chenxi family?

If you are willing to join, the company guarantees to equip you with a professional operations team and an excellent industry manager to plan your development path.

You possess acting skills and previously lacked no connections in the industry; once you join Chenxi Entertainment, we will actively contact directors you have worked with before to find opportunities for you.

Additionally, Chenxi Entertainment is preparing self-produced television dramas; we anticipate S-level major projects and A-level web dramas for the next couple of years.

If you do not mind that the status of a web drama lead is relatively low, we can reserve two web dramas for you to play the female lead. At the same time, Jin Li's film and television resources will be shared with you.

Oh, and regarding this last condition, Jin Li specifically told me: Chenxi Entertainment has no authority to decide the allocation of film and television resources secured by an artist, but if an artist voluntarily wishes to bring other artists along, that is a different matter."

A surge of wild joy welled up in Jian Liting's heart. "Share Jin Li's film and television resources? This... this is too sudden..."

Shock and joy intertwined, leaving her momentarily incoherent.

"If I could obtain her film and television resources, why would I worry about having no roles to play? But this doesn't seem quite right...

Is Jin Li actually unwilling? Did you propose this to her, forcing her to reluctantly agree?"

Sui Lingfang smiled gently. "You haven't been to Chenxi Entertainment, so you don't understand the internal culture of our company. We never force any artist to contribute engagements they have secured through their own strength and ability.

You should know what kind of artists we have; they don't need to struggle desperately to find engagements like newcomers do. Often, the engagement parties come knocking on their own.

When engagement parties specifically designate an artist, we do not interfere, unless the artist themselves declines and chooses to hand it over to the company; only then does the company consider whether to give other newcomers a chance.

You will understand this once you join Chenxi Entertainment and experience our internal culture. So yes, Jin Li is voluntarily offering you the film and television resources she has secured."

Sui Lingfang offered a specific reminder: "But this only ensures you won't lack roles to play; it doesn't guarantee you'll land good characters.

The film and television resources that reach Jin Li's hands are usually invitations for her to play the female lead; there are simply extra cast slots that can be allocated to the company.

Jin Li is willing to recommend newcomers, but within her resources, you won't get the female lead role; you can only play supporting female roles, third female leads, or even more marginal characters.

By then, you might not even want to take those roles, so don't get your hopes up too early."

"No, absolutely not!" Jian Liting said without hesitation.

"As long as someone invites me to act, I am willing to go, regardless of the role.

Small characters have their own brilliance, just as great figures have their own helplessness. Moreover, judging by recent trends in film and television scripts, small characters often shine even brighter and leave a more lasting impression."

Sui Lingfang asked, "Then does this mean you agree to join Chenxi Entertainment after your current contract expires next year?"

"Yes!" Jian Liting spoke this single word with forceful conviction.

It is easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to send charcoal in snowy weather.

To her, Jin Li and Chenxi Entertainment were sending charcoal in the snow; she would never forget this kindness for as long as she lived.

If there is an artist willing to lend her a helping hand, and a company willing to sign her despite her long period of obscurity, she would unhesitatingly seize this ray of light.

Moreover, both Jin Li and Chenxi Entertainment were far better than the most difficult situation she had imagined.

As for Jin Li, there is no need to elaborate; everyone in the industry knows her reputation.

Every drama she selects is destined to become a hit.

Even if it doesn't explode immediately, it can later achieve a comeback through word-of-mouth.

Under the boost of veteran artists like Jin Li, Chenxi Entertainment's momentum has been rising steadily every year.

This is a company with great potential.

Because the company has so many high-quality artists, it also enjoys many high-quality engagements.

Even if just a tiny fraction of those engagements from those artists were shared, it would be enough to sustain her.

She asks for little; having roles to act in is enough. Regardless of the character, she would accept it gladly.

With the conversation proceeding so smoothly and the recruitment going so easily, Sui Lingfang couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth.

"It's quite good; I just feel no sense of accomplishment."

Yet she thought to herself that this might simply be Jin Li's charm.

Having such an outstanding artist willing to take someone under her wing was a thrilling prospect.

After hanging up the phone, Jian Liting erupted with renewed vigor and threw herself into her performance.

Director Zheng watched her through the lens, a wave of confusion rising in his eyes.

Why did it feel as though her acting style had changed?

She seemed to possess immense strength, striving desperately to break the cage trapping her and usher in her own nirvana and rebirth!

That very evening, Director Zheng sought out the screenwriter, speaking with a grave expression:

"I think the script could be revised; let's promote Jian Liting's role to the third female lead. It is a terrible waste of talent to keep her as the fourth; we can demote the original third lead to fourth."

Having partnered with him for so long, the screenwriter was long familiar with his directing style on set.

Whenever Zheng Chengxin encountered an actor with superb skills, he could not resist adding scenes for them.

He did this with every production; the screenwriter had grown so accustomed to it that he remained indifferent.

The screenwriter said, "The day she joined the cast, I saw the eagerness in your eyes and guessed you were considering adding scenes for her, so I began preparing from that moment."

After speaking, he produced a brand-new script and stated calmly:

"Here are the adjusted contents; her role has been changed from the fourth female lead to the third. Take a look."

Director Zheng took it, flipped through the pages, his gaze growing brighter as he nodded repeatedly.

"Haha, let's shoot according to the new content!"

Jin Li received a call from Sui Lingfang on the second day, learning that her discussion with Jian Liting had proceeded very smoothly.

Just how smooth?

Things were moving so fast that they would be signing the letter of intent within the next few days!

Sui Lingfang prepared to travel personally to the film and television city to deliver the letter of intent directly to Jian Liting, intending to watch her sign before returning.

She also planned to find time to chat with Jian Liting again, as many matters were unclear over the phone.

Sui Lingfang said, "It seems she has truly fallen out with her original company. If not for the media exposure, I would never have known her company demanded such an astronomical penalty for breach of contract; it is truly bizarre!"

"A star promoted to the top tier wields immense influence; even if they barred her from acting, letting her take on a few commercial endorsements would easily earn back the penalty, yet they stubbornly refused."

Jin Li replied calmly, "Who knows what her company was thinking? Perhaps they believed that distributing all of Jian Liting's resources to newcomers would allow them to cultivate an artist even more popular than Jian Liting, which is why they arranged no assignments for her at all."

"But in the entertainment industry, minor fame relies on hard work, while major fame depends on fate; clearly, her company lacks such luck, allowing a bright pearl to remain covered in dust."

Wondering what had crossed her mind, Sui Lingfang asked curiously, "When did your relationship with Jian Liting become so close? Not only are you introducing resources to her, but you are also recommending she join Chenxi Entertainment."

If Jin Li had not specifically reminded her, she would never have considered poaching Jian Liting in the first place.

In fact, the idea had never even occurred to her.

After all, Jian Liting's popularity had been nearly non-existent over the past two years.

However, she knew this person possessed acting talent; given a good script, she might soon soar to great heights.

Jian Liting's slump was merely temporary; the reason for signing her was a greater belief in Jian Liting's future.

Hearing Sister Fang's question, Jin Li's expression drifted into a momentary trance.

Quickly regaining her senses, she said, "Just consider it an act of kindness on my part; I simply feel she should not be treated this way by the world."

"Sister Fang, I believe in Jian Liting's potential, and I believe that even after a brief period of silence, she will sooner or later return to the entertainment industry."

"But since I have the ability to make their value manifest more quickly, why should I make them wait so many years, fighting bitterly within a besieged city?"

"Precisely because I have this ability, I wish to help them, but I will not sacrifice everything of my own for their sake."

Sui Lingfang fell silent for a moment.

She detected Jin Li's casual indifference and sensed Jin Li's "coldness."

To Jin Li, helping Jian Liting might be merely a casual remark, like teasing a cat or a dog, requiring nothing more than reaching out a hand to stroke them.

Yet for Jian Liting, this was nothing less than altering the trajectory of her life.

Kind and compassionate, yet very cold.

This was Jin Li's true nature.

She would forever be captivated by such personal charm!

After finishing her conversation with Sister Fang about Jian Liting, Jin Li grew curious about He Wuyou's life on set.

She wondered how He Wuyou had been faring since leaving the set.

Thus, she sent a WeChat message to Gu Cheng.

Gu Cheng replied the following day during the lunch break, sending several long voice messages.

"He Wuyou? He has been doing very well on set recently; the screenwriter dragged him along to revise a character, promoting the fourth female lead to the third and demoting the original third to fourth, earning endless praise from Director Zheng."

"While you were on set, I felt he was still somewhat restrained, but after you left, his socializing with others went quite smoothly; he has already integrated completely with the staff."

"It seems the screenwriter of 'Counterattack from Despair' holds him in high regard, even personally guiding him in revising the script; this is a treatment many do not receive. It is not out of respect for you or me, but a genuine appreciation for He Wuyou as a newcomer."

"By the way, do you know Jian Liting? I saw her on set; she is the actress whose role was changed from the fourth female lead to the third. I collaborated with her during the first half of my previous shoot for 'Assassination'—"

Pausing here, Gu Cheng waited a few seconds before continuing:

"I feel she has become very different; her acting style has changed, her entire persona has shifted, becoming more grounded and steady, while her approach to acting is so powerful that it brings me immense pressure."

"Jin Li, I worry I will be unable to match her performance."

Jin Li paused, startled; she had previously shared scenes with Gu Cheng on set.

But back then, Gu Cheng had never worried about being unable to match her performance.

Perhaps it was due to the plot providing a boost, allowing Gu Cheng to mostly act naturally.

Or perhaps it was due to other reasons, after all, her acting style did not typically exert strong pressure on her counterparts.

At most, her emotional transitions were exceptionally fast, allowing filming to resume quickly, and that was what created pressure.

But once you get used to it, it's nothing.

After all, this is pressure from outside the drama, not from within it.

Jin Li pondered for a moment before replying, "If you're truly worried about being unable to hold your own against her acting, I suggest you hire a professional teacher to accompany the production team and guide your performance at all times."

"That's the most effective way to solve the problem, though you might lose a bit of face."

It was only during dinner that evening that she received Gu Cheng's reply.

"What's face worth? I hadn't even thought of seeking outside help. Brother Guang has already contacted a teacher for me; he'll be joining the production team tomorrow."

"Thank you, Jin Li."

His voice was gentle and clear, carrying the composure of a sky clearing after rain.