Chapter 58: Born to Be an Agent, Wang Jinghua Desperate for Talent

Wang Jinghua was among the earliest agents in mainland China to enter the artist management industry.

At that time, the mainland didn't even have the concept of an agent; instead, there were intermediaries called "xuetou" who connected artists with gigs and took a cut.

Her rise to prominence in this industry was inseparable from Chen Daoming's help.

It was precisely because she became the agent of Chen Daoming—who was already hugely popular at the time—that Wang Jinghua gained fame in the industry, and later, through gradual development, she signed renowned artists such as You Yong, Hu Jun, Xia Yu, and Liu Wei.

In 2000, Wang Jinghua sought a greater breakthrough and partnered with the well-capitalized Huayi Brothers.

She then brought her artists under Huayi Brothers' umbrella and became the head of Huayi's artist management division.

Afterward, Wang Jinghua leveraged Huayi's resources to sign major stars from Xiangjiang like Liang Jiahui, Yang Zijiong, and Liu Jialing, while actively signing and cultivating new talent.

For instance, after breaking ties with Qiong Yao's company, Fan Xiaopang was introduced to Wang Jinghua by Ren Quan and Li Bingbing after meeting on a film set, and from then on followed Wang Jinghua.

Tong Dawei came later; he was noticed by Wang Jinghua after starring in the Haiyan drama "Jade Guanyin" and was subsequently signed.

In addition, Wang Jinghua signed several other newcomers, such as Zhu Yuchen, who had just graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, and a young model named Yang Xue.

Tong Dawei thought Seeing Yan Li had good potential and, wanting to curry favor, recommended him to Wang Jinghua, who was feverishly expanding her empire.

If he could successfully broker this connection!

Seeing Yan Li could secure a powerful ally, earn a major favor, and later ask for help to win back Guan Yue.

Wang Jinghua would gain a valuable asset, and Tong Dawei would be credited for the recommendation, possibly even receiving some benefits.

A win-win situation!

However, to Tong Dawei's surprise, Seeing Yan Li showed little enthusiasm for this; even after hearing Wang Jinghua's name, he remained indifferent.

On the other side, Wang Jinghua, unusually, repeatedly asked Tong Dawei whether he had managed to meet Seeing Yan Li, and finally called Seeing Yan Li herself.

Tong Dawei felt a pang of discomfort.

Back then, he himself had been introduced by a "benefactor" and starred in a Haiyan drama, which is why Wang Jinghua noticed and signed him.

Seeing Yan Li remains unknown and hasn't appeared in any major films or TV dramas—yet somehow, Sister Wang seemed to value him even more than she had valued him back then.

…

After all, Wang Jinghua was a well-known industry heavyweight; for her to personally call and invite him, Seeing Yan Li couldn't possibly ignore the gesture, and eventually agreed to meet.

Dongcheng, a hotpot restaurant

Wang Jinghua arrived a little late and apologized upon entering: "Sorry, one of my artists had an issue—I had to handle it promptly and it delayed me."

"No problem, we just got here ourselves."

Tong Dawei introduced them, and Wang Jinghua warmly shook Seeing Yan Li's hand and began praising him.

"After hearing your story from Dawei, I've been curious about you—wanted to see what kind of person you were. Now that I've met you, you're truly impressive, young and accomplished."

"You're too kind, Dawei's just flattering me—I'm glad you're not disappointed."

Seeing Yan Li always believed in mutual flattery; since Wang Jinghua had extended goodwill, he returned it generously, showering her with words of admiration and reverence.

After a while of mutual praise, Wang Jinghua's gaze toward Seeing Yan Li grew brighter.

Then they sat down to eat. Wang Jinghua, true to her agent background, was exceptionally attentive—thoughtful, considerate, and caring.

Seeing Yan Li glanced a few times at Tong Dawei, who showed no surprise—clearly, this was Wang Jinghua's usual demeanor.

"Here, Xiao Yan, try this beef—it's from a young calf in Inner Mongolia, tender and delicate. Be careful, it's hot."

Wang Jinghua picked up several slices of beef and placed them on Seeing Yan Li's plate; after he thanked her and ate them, she smiled warmly and asked casually:

"I heard from Dawei that you helped your girlfriend land the female lead in a Wu Xia drama?"

"Ex-girlfriend."

Seeing Yan Li emphasized, then added: "But we're still friends, get along well. Coincidentally, she was suitable, and since I had some influence with the producer, I helped push her along."

"You're being modest—Dawei told me everything."

Wang Jinghua didn't hide her admiration: "Without you, your… classmate, a complete newcomer, would have had almost no chance of landing the female lead."

"At such a young age, you've managed to leverage limited resources to win over a veteran producer—remarkable."

Seeing Yan Li knew the real situation and remained humble: "There was a lot of luck involved."

"No—luck is also something you earn through effort."

Wang Jinghua's eyes gleamed, and finally revealed her true intent: "Xiao Yan, have you ever considered becoming an agent under me?"

"Huh?"

Tong Dawei, who had been eating, was stunned—wasn't this about signing an artist? Why was it turning into an agent position?

Seeing Yan Li wasn't surprised—he had already learned this from the system, which was why he hadn't been enthusiastic about Tong Dawei's earlier offer.

If Wang Jinghua had wanted to sign him as an artist, Seeing Yan Li wouldn't have refused outright—he'd at least have met her to hear her terms.

But she wanted him to become an agent—he had no interest whatsoever.

Seeing Yan Li didn't hesitate and declined directly: "Sorry, Sister Wang, I still prefer acting."

"Xiao Yan, don't refuse so quickly—let me explain slowly."

Wang Jinghua was slightly surprised by Seeing Yan Li's calmness, but she had anticipated his refusal.

Seeing Yan Li was doing well as an actor—why would he switch to behind-the-scenes because of one sentence? So after his blunt refusal, she wasn't discouraged; instead, she patiently persuaded him.

"Trust my eye—I truly believe that, compared to being an actor, you're born to be an agent…"

When she first learned from Tong Dawei about Seeing Yan Li's role in getting Dong Xuan cast as the female lead, Wang Jinghua had developed strong interest in him.

Afterwards, Wang Jinghua conducted thorough research on Seeing Yan Li.

As mainland China's top agent, Wang Jinghua's network needed no introduction.

For "Sui Tang Heroes," it was fine—but for "Conquest," Gao Qunshu, Jiang Shan, and Sun Honglei all operated in Jingcheng; she had some level of contact with all of them.

For "The Treasure Basin," Cheng Lidong and Funa's Fan Xiaotian and Meng Ji—Wang Jinghua had even placed her own artist Fan Xiaopang into their productions, so her connections with them were even stronger.

After this round of inquiries, most people spoke highly of him; several even praised him effusively.

At this point, Wang Jinghua truly developed a deep appreciation for his talent.

But what she loved wasn't Seeing Yan Li the actor's talent, but his other kinds of "talents" as a person.

Smooth in all directions, skilled at networking!

Keen-eared and sharp-eyed, well-informed!

Value Emotions Deeply, praised by all!

Bold in thought and action, visionary and decisive!

"..."

Wang Jinghua truly felt it was a pity that Seeing Yan Li was an actor.

Moreover, from her own perspective, she didn't lack artists under her, but she truly lacked someone like Seeing Yan Li—who could stand alone, even become her right-hand man.

"Little Yan, I truly value you, and I won't play games with you—once you join, you'll immediately get full-agent treatment."

"You can manage artists independently, with a base salary and profit-sharing; if your performance is good, the sharing ratio and bonuses are negotiable."

"For the artists you manage, I'll do my best to support them—Fan Bingbing worked with you before, you probably know each other well; I can assign her to you, and also Da Wei—I'll personally assign him to you."

"All my connections, resources, and channels that can be opened will be opened for you; even privately, I'll coordinate a few good projects for you to help you break through."

"By the way, your little girlfriend isn't a newcomer, right? She can sign with our company too, and you can manage her personally."

"..."

Wang Jinghua was truly desperate for talent and offered many conditions—unquestionably sincere for a newcomer to the industry.

Unfortunately, Seeing Yan Li was no ordinary newcomer!

Even if in the future Seeing Yan Li were to take on some behind-the-scenes work, he didn't want to be a manager who spent all day fawning over artists, with limited status and constrained at every turn.

At the same time, Seeing Yan Li had little interest in working for others—otherwise, he'd feel he was wasting the information system Heaven had given him...

(End of Chapter)