Chapter 58: Born to Be an Agent: Wang Jinghua

Wang Jinghua was among the earliest agents in mainland China to enter the talent agency 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, that Wang Jinghua gained fame in the industry and later gradually 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 brought her artists under Huayi’s umbrella and became the head of Huayi’s talent agency division.

Thereafter, Wang Jinghua leveraged Huayi’s resources to sign major Hong Kong stars like Liang Jiahui, Yang Zijiong, and Liu Jialing, while actively signing and nurturing new talent.

For instance, Fan Xiaopang, after breaking ties with Qiong Yao’s company, was introduced to Wang Jinghua through Ren Quan and Li Bingbing, whom he met during filming.

Tong Dawei came a bit later; after appearing in Hai Yan’s drama “Jade Guanyin,” he caught Wang Jinghua’s attention and was brought under her wing.

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 Yan Li had good potential and, wanting to cultivate a good relationship, recommended him to Wang Jinghua, who was aggressively expanding her empire.

If he could successfully broker this connection!

Yan Li would gain a powerful ally, and Tong Dawei would earn a major favor he could later call in to help reconcile with Guan Yue.

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

A win-win situation!

But to Tong Dawei’s surprise, Yan Li showed little interest in the matter—even after hearing Wang Jinghua’s name, he remained unenthusiastic.

On the other side, Wang Jinghua, unusually persistent, asked him multiple times whether he had arranged a meeting with Yan Li, and finally called Yan Li herself.

Tong Dawei felt a pang of unease.

He himself had been introduced by a “benefactor” and starred in a Hai Yan drama, which was why Wang Jinghua noticed and signed him.

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

…

After all, Wang Jinghua was a well-known industry figure who personally called to invite him; Yan Li couldn’t afford to ignore her 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 emergency—I had to handle it immediately and got delayed.”

“No problem, we just got here ourselves.”

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

“After hearing your story from Dawei, I’ve been curious about you and wanted to see what you’re like. 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.”

Yan Li always believed in mutual flattery; since Wang Jinghua had extended goodwill, he returned it with a flood of admiration and praise.

After a round of commercial compliments, Wang Jinghua’s gaze toward Yan Li grew brighter.

Then they sat down to eat. Wang Jinghua, being an agent by training, was exceptionally attentive—thoughtful, considerate, and caring.

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

“Come on, Xiao Yan, try this beef—it’s from a young calf in Inner Mongolia, tender and delicious, but be careful, it’s hot.”

Wang Jinghua served Yan Li several slices of beef. 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 wuxia drama?”

“Ex-girlfriend.”

Yan Li emphasized, then added: “But we’re still friends, on good terms. Since she was a good fit and I had some influence with the producer, I just gave her a push.”

“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 your age, you managed to secure a deal with a veteran producer using limited resources—remarkable.”

Yan Li knew the real situation and stayed humble: “There was a lot of luck involved.”

“No—luck is something you earn through effort.”

Wang Jinghua’s eyes gleamed, and at last revealed her true intent: “Xiao Yan, would you be interested in becoming my agent?”

“Huh?”

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

Yan Li wasn’t surprised—he had already learned this from his 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 actor, Yan Li would have at least met her to hear her terms.

But she wanted him to be an agent—he had no interest at all.

Yan Li didn’t hesitate and declined outright: “Sorry, Sister Wang, I still prefer acting.”

“Xiao Yan, don’t refuse so quickly—let me explain slowly.”

Wang Jinghua was slightly surprised by Yan Li’s calmness, but she had expected his refusal.

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

“Trust my eye—I truly believe you’re born to be an agent, not an actor…”

When she first learned from Tong Dawei about Yan Li’s role in securing Dong Xuan the female lead, Wang Jinghua had become deeply interested in him.

After that, she investigated Yan Li thoroughly.

As mainland China’s top agent, Wang Jinghua’s network was unparalleled.

For “Sui and Tang Heroes,” it was easy—she had some contact with Gao Qunshu, Jiang Shan, and Sun Honglei, all active in Beijing.

For “The Treasure Basin,” she had connections with Cheng Lidong and Fan Xiaotian and Meng Ji from Funa—she’d even placed her artist Fan Xiaopang in their productions, so their ties ran deep.

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

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

But it wasn’t his acting talent she admired—it was his other “talents.”

Smooth, socially adept!

Sharp-eared, well-informed!

Loyal, trustworthy, widely respected!

Bold, visionary, and execution-driven!

“…”

Wang Jinghua genuinely felt it was a waste for Yan Li to remain an actor.

Moreover, as far as she was concerned, she didn’t lack actors—but she desperately needed someone like Yan Li, someone who could stand alone and even become her right-hand man.

“Xiao Yan, I truly value you—I won’t play games with you. If you join, you’ll get full agent status from day one.”

“You can manage your own artists, receive a base salary and a share of earnings. If your performance is strong, we can negotiate higher shares and bonuses.”

“I’ll do my best to support your artists—Bingbing worked with you before, right? You know each other well—I’ll assign her to you. And Dawei—I’ll put him under you too.”

“I’ll open up all my connections, resources, and channels to you—and even personally arrange a few good projects to help you break through.”

“By the way, your little girlfriend is a newcomer—she can sign with our company too, and you can manage her yourself.”

“…”

Wang Jinghua was truly desperate for talent and offered generous terms—unprecedented sincerity for a newcomer.

But Yan Li wasn’t an ordinary newcomer!

Even if he eventually took on some behind-the-scenes work, he had no desire to be an agent who spent his days fawning over artists, with limited status and constant constraints.

Moreover, Yan Li had no interest in working for others—he’d feel he was wasting the information system Heaven had given him…

(End of Chapter)