Chapter 250: The Meeting of Cousins

Boss Lu inquired about the casting hype for "Sword III" involving Huo Wenxi; in fact, Yang Mi had already sensed something was wrong two days ago.

As an agent who had been tempered by his internet-based thinking, her attention to online public opinion was undeniably high.

It was just that the previous observations had seemed normal; although Zhang Nara was ranked first, Liu Yifei was not trailing by too much.

Who cares?

If they want to vote, let them vote. Both sides knew full well that Liu Yifei couldn't possibly play the role, and Yanda Huayi couldn't possibly release it either.

It was just that looking at the leaderboard again today, it clearly tasted a bit off.

Zhang Nara's comment section was filled with paid posters and Hallyu fans heaping praise, while Liu Yifei's comment section was cold and desolate, with occasional snide, passive-aggressive remarks.

Yang Mi reported the situation to her artist.

"How about...?"

"No!"

Good grief, the two of them already had an incredible rapport.

Yang Mi had just wanted to ask if they should find Lu Kuan, but Liu Yifei flatly refused.

She wouldn't look for him!

Ever since they had a minor falling out last time, she hadn't proactively contacted the "Washing Machine" for a week.

In the past, during her leisure time, she would occasionally make a call, send a message, or ping him on Penguin Video.

Now, she had changed her strategy.

You want to arrange work for me? I'll take it!

If you have the ability, work me, Liu Yifei, to death!

As long as it doesn't kill me, I'll work myself to death!

In any case, her market value would only increase the more she worked, and when the time came to really force him to take a stand, she would have some confidence.

"Why look for him for everything? We can solve it ourselves."

Liu Yifei opened the Sina voting interface. After four days, her vote count was a lonely 1 million and change, while the first-place Zhang Nara had over 2.8 million.

Returning to the blog homepage and her Chinese fan site, there was no shortage of fans reporting the situation.

"This vote count feels wrong! We had over three hundred votes at our offline fan gathering, so why can't we see a single ripple in the count?"

Yang Mi leaned in: "What do you want to do?"

"Hmm... Yanda Huayi and Sina are suspected of fraud, so let's debunk it, shall we?"

Liu Yifei pondered for two seconds, took out her phone, and called Zhuang Xu.

She was one of the very few who knew the relationship between Zhuang Xu and Lu Kuan, and that Lu Kuan was the mastermind behind Blog Network.

"Hello? Yifei."

Zhuang Xu quite liked this young girl; he felt she was clean and pure compared to other actresses in the entertainment industry.

As for his junior brother, Zhuang Xu could no longer bear to look at his conduct.

How the hell did this look like someone who had cultivated in the temple for over a decade before coming down the mountain?

It looked more like he had cultivated in the Jin Ling 1919 bar street for over a decade—so sleazy and wild!

"Brother Zhuang Xu, can you do me a favor?"

"Go ahead."

"I saw the casting ranking for Sina's 'Sword III'. Can Blog Network host one too?"

"I will mobilize my fans to promote it, which will just happen to drive traffic to you."

Zhuang Xu was now the president of Blog Network and had many miscellaneous tasks; he really hadn't paid attention to this.

After browsing the voting interface briefly, he pondered: "That's possible, do you need help with the vote count..."

"No, I have no problem with fair competition."

After hanging up, little Liu arranged for Yang Mi and her assistant to contact the fan groups and the Chinese site administrator. This time, she was going to call for herself.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing Yanda Huayi's true colors in the end."

Liu Yifei smiled at Yang Mi: "Take the numbers from Blog Network and compare them with Sina's; let's see what they have to say."

"What if they say your data is faked?"

"Then by the same logic, couldn't Sina be faking it too? Once everyone knows it's a farce, their goal naturally won't be achieved."

Yang Mi watched as she opened her own Blog Network homepage and began posting.

"'Sword III' production team, Director Teng Huatao, hello. I am young actress Liu Yifei. I heard your production team is using Sina voting to determine the lead actress."

"I am a loyal fan of 'Sword I' and the lead actress, and I have deep feelings for the Sword series."

"In the hope that your work gets more exposure and popularity, I have specifically contacted Blog Network to simultaneously launch a casting vote, hoping to assist your production team!"

"Finally, if your production team recognizes my sincerity, popularity, and acting skills, you are welcome to send an audition invitation to Liu Yifei Studio. Thank you!"

Yang Mi was dumbfounded!

"You're something else, Xixi. This is clearly putting the other party on the fire to roast! Haha!"

"If Yanda Huayi and the 'Sword III' team respond to you, that's recognizing the legitimacy of the Blog Network vote."

"If they don't respond, your self-recommendation will amplify this matter, and everyone will be able to see the disparity in the voting data between the two websites."

"Then their secret meddling won't be able to be hidden!"

The slightly chubby agent excitedly hugged her artist from behind.

Liu Yifei had just finished the operation, and she did the same on Sina, then arranged for her assistant to get her fans to make a noise and join in the fun!

"This is an open conspiracy! Xixi, where did you learn this?"

Using the power of internet public opinion was something she learned from Boss Lu.

But this open conspiracy didn't seem like his style; it was more like Liu Yifei's "burn the boats" approach when playing straight with Lu Kuan.

At the Mei Fu family banquet, Lu Kuan hung up Zhuang Xu's phone in surprise.

If it were an idea Yang Mi came up with, it would be normal, but little Liu seemed to have had an epiphany, knowing how to "put a bra on a sow"—giving the enemy one trick after another.

Huo Wenxi probed: "Director Lu, did you encounter something? Is there anything I can help with?"

"Oh, no."

Boss Lu smiled, wiped his hands with a wet wipe, and glanced at the sweet and silly Tang Yan.

Another 17-year-old sweet and silly girl suddenly appeared before his eyes, who seemed to have mutated now...

Forget it, forget it, time to slip away.

"Sister Mani, thank you for the hospitality. And little Tang, I wish you success in the 'Sword III' casting."

Lu Kuan called and asked A Fei to bring the car over, disappearing under Huo Wenxi's astonished gaze.

Tang Yan stood behind her, at a loss, feeling both regretful and fortunate.

"Let's go. Hone your acting skills well; Director Lu likes actors with good acting skills."

"Yes, Sister Mani."

Shanghai, Minhang Jindu Road, Tangren Headquarters.

"Hahaha, President Cai is still an old hand. This move is good, very good."

Tangren and Yanda Huayi reached a strategic cooperation. The director used Yanda Huayi's Teng Huatao, and the filming team was provided by Tangren; after all, their reputation for costume dramas had always been good.

And Liu Shishi would be locked in for the role of Long Kui. This casting hype was Cai Yinong's idea.

Wang Xiaolei smiled and flattered her. He highly approved of the effect of Sina's online casting, which gave Nara, who had been quiet for two months, a lot more exposure.

In these two months, Liu Yifei became a China-France cultural exchange ambassador and attended the Golden Globe Awards ceremony.

Because of the success of "Otherworld," she remained infinitely glorious in print and online media, being the female artist with the best topicality and fan base.

Especially in online media, because her fan base was mostly aged 15-25, which was the batch of internet users with the highest online activity.

If they didn't use some underhanded tricks, the heat Nara had just stirred up would dissipate again.

As for Liu Yifei, the mutual "big-character posters" between the two families some time ago had already received serious concern from the higher-ups, and such means could no longer be used.

They didn't dare to use them again either.

They had never won when playing conspiracies and tricks against Lu Kuan, especially Wang Xiaolei, who was almost developing psychological trauma.

So, they joined forces with Cai Yinong and Sina to plan a casting hype. The scale was neither too big nor too small, and it could raise the profile and promote Nara and her allies' artists.

Cai Yinong was somewhat proud: "Not at all, it's because of the strategic cooperation between Yanda Huayi and Sina. Otherwise, how could it be so easy to operate?"

Wang Xiaolei nodded: "Yes, using the internet for marketing and hype, it's really 'whoever uses it knows'! It was wasted on the Inquiry Realm before, sigh!"

Cai Yinong glanced at her own harmless little flower and probed Wang Xiaolei: "Wang Zong, Director Feng's 'The Banquet' should start filming in the second half of the year, right?"

"Look at our Shishi..."

"Oh, I told Xiaogang about this. There will be a palace maid role who leads the dance. Shishi's dance foundation should be good, right?"

"Of course! Of course!"

Cai Yinong beamed: "Although Shishi studied ballet, she has dabbled in both classical and modern dance."

"And the best thing about this child is that she can endure hardship. She has practiced dance since she was young, so her personality is very resilient."

Wang Xiaolei's heart stirred upon hearing this. The flexibility of someone who practices dance should be quite good, right? He walked straight toward Liu Shishi.

"Shishi, stand up and let me see how your physique is."

Liu Shishi stood up generously, letting Wang Xiaolei's unscrupulous gaze roam over her body.

Although slightly awkward, she still tried her best to hold her head high and chest out, showing her best side.

Having just watched President Cai's tentative recommendation, she knew it was for the sake of her breaking into the big screen.

The film of the King of New Year Movies, this year's "A World Without Thieves," raked in 140 million at the box office, only narrowly losing to "Kung Fu."

Such opportunities were not always available.

"How old is Shishi this year?"

Liu Shishi said timidly: "I turned... 18 in March."

"Hmm, it's indeed good. The posture is slender and soft, and the face shape is also very suitable for the big screen."

Wang Xiaolei turned to Cai Yinong with a sincere face: "How about this, President Cai, let Shishi go to Yanda Huayi for an audition next week. We still have to respect Director Feng's opinion on film matters, don't you think?"

"Of course, of course." Cai Yinong sent Wang Xiaolei away with a fawning smile.

The door was gently closed by Wang Xiaolei's driver, and the Tangren iron lady couldn't help but whisper a curse: "Stupid cunt!"

Liu Shishi didn't understand Cantonese, but seeing the boss's twisted expression, it clearly wasn't a good word.

Cai Yinong was originally from Fujian province, but had worked and lived in Hong Kong for a long time. This word meant "idiot."

"Hai" in Cantonese generally refers to the female genitalia, so Cantonese speakers don't like hearing birthday songs at Haidilao.

"Say hai hai to all the happiness~~~"

A bunch of people saying "hai hai" at you is annoying.

Liu Shishi was just dull, not stupid. That wolf-like gaze just now made her feel itchy all over.

"President Cai..."

Cai Yinong's expression softened: "Don't overthink it. You are Tangren's key cultivation object, and the company will protect you."

Other actresses were one thing, but Liu Shishi was someone she was building along the lines of "Liu Yifei's cousin," and now she had 800,000 fans on Blog Network.

Fresh and refined, "as indifferent as a chrysanthemum" was the persona the company created for her, and the effect was quite good.

Now she just lacked a representative work and a role that would break out of the circle.

If she really gave her to Wang Xiaolei for a transaction, not to mention whether this could be hidden, Liu Shishi, who had just stepped out of campus, would collapse mentally.

She hadn't seen much of the dirty business in the entertainment industry yet.

Furthermore, they were all lechers. If she really had to sell her, it would be better to sell her to Lu Kuan; the film and television resources of the Inquiry Realm were much stronger than Yanda Huayi's.

Boss Lu: It's a deal!

Liu Shishi finally felt relieved, loosening her tightly clenched fists; her palms were full of sweat.

"President Cai, President Cai!"

"What's wrong?"

"You need to go to the conference room to take a call. Wang Jinhua from Yanda Huayi and Director Teng Huatao are waiting for you, regarding..."

"Regarding the Sina casting vote."

Cai Yinong frowned and connected to the conference video, stunned by Teng Huatao's description!

She opened Blog Network and Sina, and the news about the mainland's number one little flower, Liu Yifei, "recommending herself" to play Xue Jian was already flying everywhere.

At the same time, in the Blog Network "Sword III Casting Awards," which had been open for less than a day, Liu Yifei had far surpassed Zhang Nara's 1.23 million with a total vote count of 3.3 million.

There wasn't even anyone else with over a million votes after that.

It could be said that in terms of age, image, and character traits for the role of Xue Jian, Liu Yifei had no rivals in the mainland entertainment industry.

For Liu Yifei, the "Four Little Dan" who could compete with her in popularity were all facing the trouble of aging and collective transformation.

Zhang Ziyi naturally continued to be active on the big screen, participating in Hollywood's "Memoirs of a Geisha" this year;

Zhou Xun asked Li Xiaowan to help her contact film resources, not wanting to put effort into TV dramas anymore;

Yanzi recently had another scandal: hitting a pregnant woman. This year, she started her transformation with "Moment in Peking," playing from a young girl to a young mistress.

Xu Jinglei went to teach at the Beijing Film Academy, focused on strengthening her persona as a talented woman.

Among the "Double Bing," Li Bingbing's image as a jade girl was shattered and she was still slowly doing public relations;

Bingbing was forging ahead on the fashion path, running in the first place among mainland actresses, and others couldn't even see her taillights.

The gossip-loving masses looked at Blog Network, which had only been open for voting for a day, and saw it far outstripping Sina in total votes and details, and they posted questions one after another.

There were those who said both sides were faking it, but not many questioned Liu Yifei's ability to steadily suppress Zhang Nara.

On the Inquiry Realm video page, the Golden Globe video clips of Liu Yifei and a group of top Hollywood stars were hanging on the homepage. What could Zhang Nara compare with that status?

Teng Huatao also had a headache.

He was a director from the iron-clad Beijing circle and could be considered young and promising. Later works like "Love is Not Blind" and the TV series "Dwelling Narrowness" were his works.

His father, Teng Wenji, directed "Chess King" and "Yellow River Ballad" and was a national first-class director;

His mother, Weng Luming, was also a director, and had a work that broke out of the circle called "Pili Beibei."

Teng Huatao, who had just turned 35 this year, had also fought hard for this opportunity.

After all, with the success of "Sword I," it could be considered a work of a series IP, and it had advantages in both audience base and promotional effect.

Haven't you seen how popular the "Crazy" series from the Inquiry Realm has become?

Yanda Huayi spent 18 million to buy the adaptation rights of this "Sword III" from Softstar and handed it to Teng Huatao. He accepted Cai Yinong's suggestion and did some casting hype.

Unexpectedly, something went wrong in less than a week.

"Director Teng, what do you think about this?"

"What do I think? People have named me and asked for a response. What do I think?"

Teng Huatao might have felt his tone was a bit harsh, so he tried to make up for it: "President Cai, Sister Hua, if this can be stopped, let's stop it. It's embarrassing."

"I'll talk to Wang Zong. If we keep hyping it like this, the reputation of the drama will stink. Liu Yifei has too many fans."

Cai Yinong was unwilling; her position was different from Yanda Huayi's.

If we keep hyping it like this, Nara and Yanda Huayi might have more trouble, but our "Liu Yifei's cousin" can still get exposure!

Seeing the fan count soaring from 800,000 to 1.2 million, this promotional effect was stronger than anything!

Wang Jinhua considered more: "Sina also sent news saying it's not suitable to continue controlling comments and votes, otherwise the contrast with Blog Network will be too big, and the credibility of the website will also be affected."

Teng Huatao smiled bitterly: "Just watch. Once it's opened up, Liu Yifei's vote count will instantly surge. What will you tell me, the director, to do then?"

"Can we invite her to audition, go through the motions, and then dismiss her in the end by saying she doesn't fit the character image or her acting skills aren't up to par?"

"If we do that, it would be better to just control the votes!"

Wang Jinhua somewhat looked down on this Tangren female boss who played tricks, feeling that her temperament was too similar to Wang Xiaolei's, always wanting to engage in crooked ways.

The number one female agent in the country gave her own analysis:

"First, Liu Yifei's costume appearance and the fit for costume idol dramas are the highest in the mainland entertainment industry, much better than Nara's."

"Second, Liu Yifei just won the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress, and 'Otherworld' exploded globally. You have no way to talk about her acting skills."

"Such excuses have no persuasive power; instead, they make us look guilty."

Teng Huatao was cursing in his heart. How did he end up with such a mess after finally getting a good script?

He wished he could just find Liu Yifei to act and let Yanda Huayi's Zhang Nara play a supporting role.

But thinking about it, he knew it was impossible. Wang Jinhua wouldn't agree first, let alone Wang Xiaolei.

Wang Jinhua concluded: "Forget it, I'll go talk to her agent. That child used to work under me."

The call hung up, and all three were frustrated.

It was Cai Yinong's first time clashing with the Inquiry Realm, thinking that Lu Kuan's methods were indeed sharp.

Openly and honestly putting them in this position, making Yanda Huayi look like they weren't human inside and out.

The butt determines the head.

Cai Yinong wanted to help Liu Shishi hype, Wang Jinhua and Wang Xiaolei wanted to help Zhang Nara hype, and Teng Huatao just wanted to film this TV series well to establish his footing.

The gap between normal hype and stepping on someone else is too big, so they naturally chose to use Liu Yifei as a raft.

It was just that they were broken by Liu Yifei, who liked to play straight, and they couldn't end it.

Cai Yinong was disappointed in her heart, estimating that this hype was going to come to an abrupt end.

She returned to the office unwillingly, looking at the quiet Liu Shishi, and suddenly a plan came to mind.

"Shishi, you know how to put on makeup, right?"

"Ah? I know a little."

Cai Yinong looked mysterious: "How about this, you take a good look at Liu Yifei's photos and makeup, and I'll have the company makeup artist cooperate with you to imitate it. How about that?"

"This... what is this for?"

"It's like this: tomorrow, Wang Jinhua and I will go talk to Liu Yifei's agent, and we'll invite her to be there."

"You find a chance when they leave, pretend to ask for an autograph, and take a photo with her. Can you do that?"

This was Cai Yinong's only way out.

Seeing that the casting hype couldn't continue, the only way was to take a different path to increase her exposure.

And what could be more direct than solidifying the identity of "Liu Yifei's cousin"?

Liu Shishi was a nobody now, and Yang Mi might not have paid attention to or recognized her.

Besides, even if she recognized her, taking a photo wasn't a big deal, right?

Then she would arrange for a photographer to follow and fabricate a bridge of cousins meeting and taking photos.

True or false, internet fun-seekers don't care that much.

The key is that this is different from the black material Yanda Huayi's gang created about Liu Yifei. It doesn't have much impact on Liu Yifei, so the backlash received won't be big.

Boss Lu's cruel retaliatory behavior some time ago made everyone have lingering fears.

Liu Shishi left somewhat dejected.

She still remembered the excitement and imagination she couldn't suppress when she received the invitation call from Tangren that day.

Having studied ballet since she was six, after more than ten years of hard work and persistence, she finally saw hope for development on the path of a professional actor.

It's just that heaven doesn't fulfill human wishes. Truly coming into contact with this big dyeing vat, the gap between reality and ideals is like a chasm.

She was forcibly assigned an identity by Cai Yinong.

This identity seemed to be a mask, a layer of human skin worn on her face, forcing her to imitate and follow another girl.

Everyone has self-esteem, not to mention she also came from a family of traditional opera, knowing that to become a star, one must have one's own integrity and characteristics.

This feeling of living in someone else's shadow forever is really helpless.

Thinking of Cai Yinong's protection of her in front of Wang Xiaolei just now, she gritted her teeth, opened the computer, and found Liu Yifei's blog.

Facing her, stroke by stroke, Liu Shishi forced herself to play the life of another person.

After Red Star Dock was completely disbanded, the office was taken over and renewed by Yang Mi, and there were 8 people in the team including herself.

A driver, a makeup artist, two assistants, a media operator, and a photographer.

Influenced by Lu Kuan, Yang Mi specifically recruited a staff member to connect with several major Chinese fan sites. She was her senior from the Communication University of China, named Xu Rong.

"Director, then I'll go first? The fan activities for this month are tentatively decided like this."

Yang Mi nodded: "Thank you, Senior."

Xu Rong politely nodded to Liu Yifei, who was reading the script of "Bad Genius" on the side, and turned to leave.

It's just that she didn't feel comfortable in her heart.

She was a graduate student, after all, and had humbled herself to apply for a job at this small studio, originally thinking she could be a deputy director or something.

Unexpectedly, Yang Mi only arranged a position with the high-sounding name of "Fan Operations Officer," which she had never even heard of.

Xu Rong thought she had to find a chance to talk directly to Liu Yifei or her mother, otherwise how could she be willing to live a difficult life under her junior sister forever.

Wang Jinhua and Cai Yinong arrived at the front desk, and the well-prepared assistant led them into the conference room door.

"Sister Hua, you're here!"

In any case, Yang Mi was quite respectful to this former master who brought her into the industry.

"Little Yang, you look really good."

"Yifei, hello, nice to meet you for the first time."

Liu Yifei smiled and came over to shake hands. Over the past few years, following Boss Lu to roadshows, awards, and film festivals, she was very familiar with basic social interactions.

Besides, the one occupying the initiative today was her side.

Wang Jinhua introduced Cai Yinong. All four were women, so everyone was polite on the surface.

Seeing the real person, the two uninvited guests looked at Liu Yifei, who was not wearing makeup, whether in terms of appearance, temperament, or the indifference and confidence tempered in the entertainment industry for three years.

Comparing her with Liu Shishi or Zhang Nara under their hands, they had to admit that there was still a gap.

This gap came from confidence in her own acting skills and confidence in her works.

It came from Liu Yifei, who was not even 18 yet, having almost participated in the three major European film festivals and the American Golden Globe Awards, and of course the upcoming Oscars.

Such experience was an important factor in shaping her personality and confidence, which was why she could respond directly to the stepping on this time.

"Yifei, Siwei, first of all, I want to apologize to you. This time, Yanda Huayi and Tangren were inconsiderate."

Wang Jinhua was an old hand. The project was Yanda Huayi's, but the bad idea was Tangren's. There was no reason not to pass the buck first.

Yang Mi said indifferently: "Sister Hua, we have received your attitude. Let's see what to do."

Wang Jinhua paused in her heart, and the rhetoric she wanted to use to pull relationships and get close didn't continue.

Little Yang had grown up; such means were useless.

Cai Yinong still wanted to struggle a bit; anyway, tearing her face off was a matter between Yanda Huayi and Liu Yifei.

"Little Yang, Yifei, look if this works."

"The female roles in 'Sword III' are indeed fewer, and your current status can't possibly play Long Kui."

"Tangren currently has another script in hand, also a costume romance theme, called 'The Little Fairy'."

"I am now officially issuing an invitation on behalf of Tangren. I think this role is very suitable for you. Of course, the salary will definitely be at the top level for first-line stars, don't worry!"

Wang Jinhua sneered in her heart, wondering why this old woman insisted on coming along.

She swore she would make up for it if she messed up, but this was clearly bringing in private goods.

Yang Mi was somewhat interested; after all, Tangren and Chinese Entertainment were the two banners of the industry, and the reputation was still good.

"The male lead is..."

"Thank you, but my schedule is full until the end of the year, so I might not consider it for now."

Yang Mi hadn't finished speaking when she was interrupted by Liu Yifei.

After "The Return of the Condor Heroes," she didn't want to toss in her comfort zone anymore. She had to prepare for the 2007 massacre film.

If she really broke up with Lu Kuan unhappily, she would go to the People's Art Theater to study with Feng Yuanzheng.

Cai Yinong smiled sheepishly, her face somewhat unable to pass.

She was the boss of such a big film and television company, and she personally threw an olive branch, yet you were so dismissive.

Wang Jinhua, with the mentality of cutting the Gordian knot, directly gave her conditions.

After a round of lip-to-lip negotiations, Wang Jinhua still didn't beat her former assistant, and the two sides reached an agreement.

The "Sword III" production team publicly stated that the casting vote was inconsiderate and apologized to Miss Liu Yifei.

Frankly speaking, Yang Mi could have fought for more, but little Liu had no intention of arguing with them back and forth; it was too annoying.

Even if they gave her the role of Xue Jian, she wouldn't be interested.

Cai Yinong bid farewell to Yang Mi and others, having already notified Liu Shishi and the filming team in advance.

"Hello? A Fei, have you arrived at the Ice Cellar Wang Mansion?"

Little Liu received a reply that made her show her teeth, and she could go and get a free meal again~~~

Being awkward is one thing, but you can't be absent when there's delicious food!

In two days, Boss Lu would lead the "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" crew to Berlin. Today, he invited Li Xuejian, Zhang Songwen, two participating actors, as well as Feng Yuanzheng, Zhou Xun, and other old friends to eat at home.

She walked out of the company door wearing sunglasses, and bumped into a figure at the corner.

"Ouch!"

A scream. Yang Mi thought something had happened and ran over with a pale face.

"What's wrong, what's wrong?"

Looking over, a girl who was slightly shorter than Liu Yifei was covering half of her face, leaning against the wall, hissing and sucking in cold air.

Looking at little Liu, who was unharmed and still didn't know what was going on.

Liu Yifei came back to her senses and hurriedly walked over to check her situation: "Are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. Let me take you to the hospital to check it out?"

Yang Mi took out cooling oil from her bag, which was prepared for Liu Yifei, who often filmed action scenes.

"It's broken, this hit the cheekbone. It looks fine now, but it will definitely be bruised tomorrow."

Little Liu felt somewhat guilty. She had become a doctor after long illness with these kinds of bumps and bruises.

The one who was injured was Liu Shishi.

She was 5 or 6 centimeters shorter than Liu Yifei, and she was walking with her head down like a thief just now, and was elbowed on the cheekbone by the excited little Liu at the corner.

At that time, Liu Yifei was still thinking about delicious food and Lu Kuan, walking with the wind, where would she notice so much.

Liu Shishi was so aggrieved she wanted to cry, repeatedly refusing: "No need, no need, I'll go back myself. It was my own carelessness."

This situation was not suitable for taking photos or anything; it was too embarrassing.

"Hey, aren't you that Long Kui?"

Yang Mi recognized her while applying cooling oil: "Isn't this the one who ranked quite high in the casting, called..."

Liu Shishi, who was recognized, was already very uneasy, but the result was that people didn't even remember her name, but remembered the character name.

Thinking about it, it was sad enough.

No matter how indifferent and detached her personality was, she couldn't stand such humiliation for a while, covering her face and wanting to leave.

Unexpectedly, her arm was twisted by the slightly chubby agent.

"You..."

Yang Mi looked at her with an unkind expression. She smelled a conspiracy.

It hadn't been long since the last time a small extra tried to use photos of the RV to frame them!

Yang Mi's mind was clear, and she reacted instantly: "You are Tangren's actor, right? The one who was hyped as Liu Yifei's cousin, right?"

Little Liu was dumbfounded. She really hadn't paid attention to these things; these things were all handled by Yang Mi.

How did she end up with a cousin?

Liu Shishi turned away sadly.

No matter how painful her face was, it couldn't compare to the bitterness in her heart.

Especially being exposed for such a hype routine in front of the real person, it was like Li Gui meeting Li Kui.

Especially since this Li Gui was a novice who had just entered the entertainment industry. She asked herself that she was also a person with self-esteem and self-love, so how did she end up in this step.

"Wuwuwu..."

Liu Shishi turned away and cried. Yang Mi waved at Liu Yifei: "You go first, don't let people take pictures and then not be able to explain."

It was indeed taken, how they bumped into each other was all taken.

It's just that it didn't fulfill Cai Yinong's wish. This was a video without hype value; after all, she wasn't planning to clash with the Inquiry Realm.

She didn't have the guts either?

Liu Yifei hesitated. She was afraid that she would become the "Virgin Mary" in Boss Lu's mouth and fall into someone else's trap.

She was also afraid that this was a misunderstanding; after all, she hurt someone, which was embarrassing.

Two little people were fighting in her heart, but kindness ultimately gained the upper hand.

If you say that nature is hard to change, even if you are subtly influenced by Lu Kuan, your temperament will not change completely.

If this matter were changed to Boss Lu, if he suspected that someone was coming to frame him, he would have let A Fei take her away and deal with it.

"Siwei, take her with you, go to that old Chinese doctor in Gongjian Hutong to see."

Thinking about it, this is the safest way. At worst, interrogate her well on the way.

"No, no, no, I'll go myself."

Liu Shishi was extremely panicked. This was exposed, what good could come of going with them!

Liu Yifei stepped forward and hugged her shoulders, the power of the "Fairy Attack" exploding: "Listen to me, take you to see it."

"Although it shouldn't be a big deal, don't leave any scars or anything. Aren't you an actor?"

Liu Shishi listened to this. Seeing a burly Yang Mi blocking the road and a "tall and big" Liu Yifei hugging her.

Wuwuwu, let's follow you!

There was an old doctor in his sixties in Gongjian Hutong, whose ancestors had also treated high-ranking officials and nobles in the Qing Dynasty.

It was precisely because of this that the family business was lost in the catastrophe, and later, under the arrangement of the neighborhood committee, he was given a room in a big courtyard.

If the craft is not lost, this person has food to eat.

The three entered the room, and the old Chinese doctor took a look.

The old man glanced at Liu Shishi, thinking that this patient was quite like Liu Yifei.

"Little Liu, is this your relative?"

"Ah? No, a friend."

Xia Shoukang took out his acupuncture box, needled the Quanliao acupoint on Liu Shishi's face, and pressed the Hegu acupoint on her hand with his thumb for a while.

"Grandpa Xia, is this okay?"

"What could be wrong? Just a small bump. Go back and apply some Yunnan Baiyao externally. I don't even think it's worth prescribing medicine for you."

Liu Yifei smiled: "That's good. Siwei, pay."

"Oh, don't give money. You gave too much for the pear syrup candy last time."

"No, no, one yard is one yard."

Xia Shoukang waved his hand: "Girl, don't be stubborn with me."

"How about you sign a few autographs for me? I'll take them home to coax my grandson and granddaughter."

Little Liu beamed: "Eh, okay!"

The three walked out of the big courtyard, and Liu Shishi's mood had calmed down.

Thinking about it, it was her own bad intentions, wanting to use other people's fame to hype, so no matter how painful it was, she couldn't blame anyone.

"Miss Liu..."

"Actually... I have something to tell you."

Liu Shishi couldn't get over this hurdle in her heart, or rather, she wanted to get rid of this inner demon. Who would want to live in someone else's shadow forever?

Moreover, Liu Yifei was really good to her.

Yang Mi and Liu Yifei looked at each other and took her back to their home first.

"Drink some water and talk slowly."

Liu Shishi said awkwardly: "It was arranged by the company."

"The company gave me a gimmick of being Liu Yifei's cousin, and today asked me to find a chance to get close to you, take photos, and chat."

"Then the photographer waiting for the opportunity will hype this video, let me..."

"Let me sponge off your popularity..."

Although she was forced to do it, it was not a glorious thing after all.

Liu Shishi finished in one breath and swallowed a big mouthful of water, only feeling that the whole person was incomparably transparent at this moment.

Little Liu was dumbfounded: "What kind of operation is this? It's so unfair to you?"

Yang Mi thought you were a full girl who didn't know a hungry girl's hunger, thinking everyone had top-level resources like you?

This kind of follow-up hype is good, after all, it's not stepping on someone, and it won't offend people too hard.

Once this Liu Shishi really becomes popular, who will remember this history.

The internet has no memory.

Liu Shishi smiled bitterly: "To be honest, I didn't sleep well last night."

She took a deep breath: "I'm going to terminate the contract with the company. I don't want to live this kind of life for a day."

Liu Yifei looked at the back of her cousin leaving and was thoughtful.

In the past, the silly little Liu might have introduced this actress with good appearance and figure to the Inquiry Realm.

Now...

"Let's go? Go to President Lu's house?"

Liu Yifei looked serious: "Wait."

"I have an idea."

"Hmm?"

Yang Mi was incredible.

Facing delicious food and Lu Kuan, why do you have other ideas now?

"How about we sign this Liu Shishi?"

Holy shit!

Yang Mi felt that her artist's brain had a problem: "Wake up? Do you think you are a washing machine?"

"No, listen to me."

"First, the title of Liu Yifei's cousin has already been hyped out by her. According to her, she now has over a million blog fans."

"Instead of letting Tangren or other companies take advantage of this, why don't I take it myself? She is using my popularity, right?"

"Second, I have to prepare for the 2007 film. It will take almost a year back and forth. Our studio will have no income then. Who will support you?"

"Third, I've thought about it. Our verbal agreement with the Inquiry Realm expires this year. From now on, we will talk about cooperation on a case-by-case basis."

"The value I create alone is limited. I must learn from Lu Kuan and let a group of people work for me!"

Yang Mi waved her hand: "Even if everything you said is correct, what resources do you have to support her, and a group of people?"

"It's simple! Me! I am the resource!"

Liu Yifei smiled: "How many scripts have we pushed? Even if I don't go to these scripts, can I lower the requirements and salary to let my cousin go?"

"Can she play a supporting role?"

"At worst, as long as it's a good work, you talk to the production side, and if you use me, you must bring Liu Shishi."

She said confidently again: "Of course, our contract with Liu Shishi must be a bully clause. Her start is equivalent to parasitizing me, and the income..."

"Eighty-twenty split!"

Yang Mi looked at Liu... in a daze.

No, at this moment, she is willing to respectfully call her Huang Rong!

Liu Yifei became more excited as she spoke: "Also, don't we all know Lu Kuan's routine for lifting people? We pick the ones we can reach and meet the conditions, and we imitate them, right?"

"How can you imitate his internet resources?"

Liu Yifei pondered for two seconds: "Then I'll use myself to exchange!"

"If the Inquiry Realm wants to cooperate with me, we will ask them to take out resources. If there is one suitable for Liu Shishi, we can arrange it for her."

"Besides, I have ten million fans now. I am a small internet resource myself, why can't I try?"

"Anyway, we have no loss. If she can't make it, she can't make it!"

In the later entertainment industry, it is very common for stars to use the studios or brokerage companies they founded to sign and "exploit" artists under them through their connections and endogenous resources in the entertainment industry.

Just as Liu Yifei said, use yourself as a resource to exchange.

In "Eternal Love," Yang Mi played Bai Qian, and artists from her studio like Reba, Zhang Binbin, and Huang Mengying all obtained roles.

Among them, Reba was signed by Yang Mi when she was in college until she became popular and entered the first-line ranks.

Although she eventually left independently, Big Mimi had already made a fortune from her.

Others, such as Tong Liya's couple's studio, lifted Liu Haoran;

Tang Yan's studio brought out Chen Yuqi;

Huang Xiaoming's company, Dongyang Yixing Media, had 17 artists at its peak, but none of them made a name for themselves.

After being influenced by Boss Lu for three years, Liu Yifei also figured out his overt routines.

Nonsense, they were all used on herself, so she must be clear about it!

It's just that the top-level work resources and internet resources of the Inquiry Realm cannot be copied, and can only be exchanged through Liu Yifei's own resources and popularity.

Yang Mi was finally persuaded by her and immediately went back to prepare.

First, she had to persuade Liu Shishi, then help her terminate the contract, hoping it wouldn't be too difficult.

In the heart of the current Liu Yifei, becoming stronger is her only goal, whether it is acting or other aspects.

She must ensure that she has enough chips to talk to Lu Kuan as much as possible.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 251 =====