Chapter 44: The Director Who Came Knocking

“Shengzai, Shengzai, look— even the original manga artist of ‘From This Moment On, I’ll Protect You’ has come forward to speak.”

“And he says the boy character Zong Ye you portrayed is exactly the Zong Ye he envisioned!”

Yu Zi, seeing nothing but praise for Shengzai online, wore an expression of pride, as if Shengzai’s talent were partly her own achievement.

Especially when she saw the original artist praising Shengzai, she excitedly scooped him up, ruffling his face with drool.

“Ah, the movie rating for ‘From This Moment On, I’ll Protect You’ dropped again. My acting career hasn’t even taken off before it’s already dead in the womb.”

Shengzai, repulsed, pushed away Yu Zi’s leaning head and wiped the saliva off his face, his expression one of utter despair.

This was completely different from what he had anticipated!

Originally, Shengzai thought that with his mature mindset, his superhuman physique gained through the Sharing Ability, and his naturally outstanding looks, he could try breaking into the entertainment industry.

At first, he didn’t even plan to ask for a salary— he just wanted a chance to appear, so more people could discover his “talent.”

At the beginning, things went exactly as he expected: he demonstrated his talent, earned more opportunities from the director, and got his name remembered.

But he never imagined that after the movie came out, public opinion would turn this way!

His push was correct, but he pushed too hard— now it’s backfiring.

Director Daichuan might have appreciated him before, but under this public backlash, with the movie’s rating sinking lower and lower, the man won’t lift him up anymore— he’d be lucky if Daichuan didn’t kill him on the spot.

“Looks like the entertainment industry isn’t an option. I’ll have to think of other ways to make money.”

“I wonder how developed tennis is in this world— if I became a professional player, would I earn fast?”

“But even if tennis pros make money, I’m only five years old right now, and given this family’s current situation, I clearly can’t wait that long…”

“Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding—!”

“Moshi moshi, yes, this is the Wen residence.”

“Yes, correct, I’m Wen Yu Zi, Shengzai Wen’s guardian. May I ask…”

Shengzai was still murmuring softly, calculating other ways to earn money quickly besides being a child star.

At that moment, the home phone rang suddenly, and Yu Zi hurried over to answer it.

“If all else fails, I’ll send her an anonymous email— give her some inspiration and ideas.”

“I remember some genres from my past life— big cars and widows— were really popular…”

“You just said who’s sending me an anonymous email about what?”

So absorbed in his thoughts, Shengzai hadn’t noticed Yu Zi had slipped up beside him.

When he heard her curious question, he jumped in shock— then, upon confirming she hadn’t fully caught his words, he exhaled deeply in relief.

He quickly waved his hands, laughing nervously: “No, no! I meant— as a famous artist, don’t you ever get anonymous emails from fans?”

“Anonymous emails? Hmm, yeah, I actually have gotten some… but the things they send…”

Hearing Shengzai’s question, Yu Zi instinctively started to answer— then remembered he was just a child, blushed, and quickly changed the subject.

“Forget those unimportant things, little Shengzai— I just got some great news!”

“If you call me ‘Mommy’ right now and say you’ll love me forever, I’ll tell you the good news.”

Facing the smiling, foolish teenage girl before him, Shengzai’s childish face twisted into pure disgust.

Who knew why a twenty-year-old girl constantly wanted to be a mom? Was it because she drew too many ecchi manga?

Shengzai ignored Yu Zi’s ridiculous demand and walked over to the phone, standing on tiptoe to activate the call-recording function.

Because Yu Zi’s manga editor frequently called to chase deadlines and assign work, and Yu Zi, being scatterbrained, often forgot things, their home phone had a call-recording feature.

After replaying the recording, Shengzai was stunned to discover the caller had been Director Daichuan.

And even more unexpectedly, Daichuan had specifically obtained Yu Zi’s contact details and called voluntarily— to recommend a new role for Shengzai.

Yu Zi had asked Daichuan why, since although Shengzai had performed excellently in his film, he’d also ruined its reputation— an undeniable fact.

Both Yu Zi and Shengzai were baffled: why would Daichuan recommend work to someone who had harmed him?

After hearing Yu Zi’s confusion, Daichuan laughed and explained over the phone.

In the entertainment industry, there are no enemies— only eternal interests.

The online sensation of “Young Zong Ye” did indeed drag the movie’s rating down repeatedly, but industry insiders all knew this film was always meant to be a commercial vehicle to promote a fresh-faced idol.

No matter how bad the reviews, it wouldn’t significantly affect Daichuan as a director.

On the contrary, though the movie was panned, its box office and buzz skyrocketed.

Why make movies? To make money. The box office revenue of ‘From This Moment On, I’ll Protect You’ satisfied both investors and publishers— even Daichuan himself received a hefty bonus.

And while the male and female leads were heavily criticized, they’re probably secretly laughing right now.

Before this film, they were no different from ordinary civilians— obscure 18th-tier actors with zero popularity.

But since the movie’s release, their fame has shot up instantly.

There’s a saying: even being hated is still being famous. Many 18th-tier actors never even get the chance to be remembered by name.

Moreover, through this performance, Shengzai has already entered the public eye— everyone knows he’s genuine gold.

Even if Daichuan didn’t act, someone would eventually track down Shengzai’s information by themselves.

Don’t doubt the entertainment industry’s ability to find people— those folks are as sharp as sharks sensing blood the moment they spot talent.

Rather than wait for others to come knocking, Daichuan believed it better to act first.

Given the current trend, Shengzai’s rise was inevitable— by helping now, Daichuan could make him owe him a favor.

(End of Chapter)