Chapter 119: The Beauty of Lying Flat and the Rejuvenation of Slacking Off

Su Mu held a celebration party at his studio.

He was unaware that over at Oulai, Wang Taiming had already been won over by his acting skills and was even considering a potential collaboration. Even if he had known, he likely wouldn't have been too surprised. Unless Wang Taiming brought sufficient sincerity to the table, anything else said would be pointless. If it wasn't about the money, it wasn't worth discussing.

Qian Jida, Fan Xiaoju, and Master Zhu were gathered around the office desk in the center of the room. A small hot pot was already bubbling away, surrounded by prawns, crabs, and various other seafood. This so-called celebration was really just an excuse to have a good meal.

After sucking the meat from a crab, Qian Jida wiped his hands and said, "Su Mu, Jianghe Film and Television got back to us. They said fifty million for your fee is no problem, and we can sign the agreement first."

Su Mu replied, "That fast? It looks like I asked for too little."

Qian Jida: "..."

Xiaoju: "Brother Su Mu, fifty million is already a lot. The boys from 'Chuang Ou' only get a few hundred thousand for an event."

Su Mu: "Can't you keep your mouth shut even while eating? If I don't make money, who's going to pay your salaries? Besides, is fifty million really that much? It’s not even a hundred million, so how is that a lot?"

Master Zhu: "Right."

Xiaoju: "..."

Qian Jida: "..."

After they had eaten their fill, Su Mu chatted with Qian Jida about the endorsement deal with Huaxia Wuling. They had communicated once before, and the company had expressed a desire for Su Mu to visit their headquarters and meet their CEO. However, their headquarters were in another province, which would require a dedicated flight. Su Mu didn't mind losing a few days, but after discussing it with Qian Jida, he decided it would be better to provide them with a quote first. If they accepted, he would go; if not, they could arrange it another time.

...

After several days of communication, Qian Jida finally signed the agreement with Director Xu Jiang's production team. The formal acting contract would be signed later. Because the production had been halted for over half a year, many things needed to be re-prepared, and filming wouldn't officially begin until next year.

Su Mu was in no hurry. As long as the filming schedule was set in advance and didn't conflict with his other business, he didn't care about the rest. After all, when he was at Hengdian, he had managed to juggle three different productions at once.

Su Mu had obtained the script for Xu Jiang's "Ghost Light." After reading it, he could confirm it was almost certainly the "Ghost Blows Out the Light" series from his previous life. However, there were many details that weren't as well-developed as the original work. It seemed the author had a framework but lacked the core substance and flesh. Moreover, the writing regarding tomb raiding was quite amateurish. Without those details, the story would lose much of its appeal.

Of course, Su Mu was also completely clueless about tomb raiding. But if he could unlock a "thieving"... *ahem*, a proficiency skill, it might help him portray Hu Bayi. Still, he needed to be cautious. It would be quite something if both the first and second leads in Xu Jiang's production ended up "sewing mailbags" in prison, only to run into each other and work together on the assembly line.

...

The buzz surrounding "Xin Qiji" continued for a full month. It could be said that Su Mu's reputation had reached a new height thanks to this web movie. While one might not say he completely overshadowed everyone else, he was certainly a standout for the time being.

[Comments:
Su Mu's acting is truly so intense. I wonder what other roles he can play?
I hope every role he takes is a surprise!
Don't forget, Su Mu has written scripts himself! He was the best screenwriter last year!
When will Su Mu write a role for himself? I'm so looking forward to it!
Ah, hurry up, hurry up! Can't wait anymore!]

Online, the reception for Su Mu was overwhelmingly positive, with even more people eager to see him challenge himself with new roles. It was precisely because of this phenomenon that industry insiders with a keen sense of smell had locked their sights on him.

Anyone who has been in this industry for a long time understands the psychology of the audience and fans. When the public expects an actor to produce more diverse works, it proves that they have qualified to enter the box office market. The big screen is beckoning. Perhaps at first, no one pays much attention, but it is a very subtle shift. People move from blind adoration to purposeful anticipation. This is one of the important characteristics of an actor with box office potential.

...

...

...

At Tianxing Media, an angry voice echoed from the top-floor office.

"When we formed the boy band, wasn't that the company's decision? I've spent years putting in so much effort, and those four outside have been training day and night. Now, just because of one word from you, you want to sideline them?"

"Zhang Hua'an, calm down. Why call it sidelining?" A fashionably dressed middle-aged woman replied. "You're an agent at Tianxing; do I need to analyze the professional perspective for you? Most boy bands today are fast-moving consumer goods. Whoever has the highest fan economic value gets priority. Is that wrong?"

Zhang Hua'an's face looked terrible. For a moment, he couldn't speak. The woman before him was Qin Yufang, the boss of Tianxing Media. In fact, long ago, Zhang Hua'an knew there might be changes in the company, but he thought it would just be a change in leadership. He hadn't expected it to involve his artists.

Zhang Hua'an: "President Qin, to be honest, even if the boy band hasn't made too much money for the company in recent years, there's no need to transfer all resources to others. Sideling them temporarily—how is that any different from freezing them? You might as well just disband them."

Qin Yufang: "Zhang Hua'an, what is wrong with you? I find your mindset is getting worse!"

Zhang Hua'an: "My heart is in bad shape, too."

Qin Yufang was speechless. "You need to understand the company's strategy. Tianxing Media is trying to enter the film investment industry, and we are under significant financial pressure. We need to reallocate resources. If there's no great potential for development, we won't over-consume them. I saw that those four had no hope a long time ago. You might as well let go sooner rather than later."

Zhang Hua'an: "What do you mean 'no hope'? Give them some more time; their takeoff is just a matter of time!"

Qin Yufang gave a scornful laugh. "Zhang Hua'an, we've known each other for a long time. Don't you know whether they have a chance or not? You're probably the only one in the whole company who thinks highly of those four! Let go, or I'm afraid you'll never have the chance to cultivate a superstar in this lifetime."

The woman's words were sharp, like a knife stabbing into Zhang Hua'an's heart. However, Zhang Hua'an didn't explode this time. His expression calmed, and he said faintly, "President Qin... I still want to believe in them."

Qin Yufang laughed. "Fine, nothing more to say then. If you think so highly of them, take their contracts and go out on your own. I won't stop you, but if you crash and burn, don't expect me to pick you up."

"..."

Walking out of the office, Zhang Hua'an felt the world spinning. He clutched the heart medication in his hand but didn't end up taking it. At this moment, the four members of NNQT were waiting for him outside. For once, none of them spoke. They seemed to know the outcome and just followed behind him. They left the building and finally got into the car.

After a long while, Zhang Hua'an spoke: "You all know?"

Zhao Feng: "Don't be sad, Manager Zhang. Take care of your health."

Sun Han: "It's just a job. If we lose it, we can find another."

Li Hang: "Don't worry, we'll all stick by you."

Zhou Yang: "If you leave, we'll definitely follow you."

Hearing their words, Zhang Hua'an's slightly comforted expression gradually turned strange. Why did their words sound so odd?

Zhang Hua'an: "Why are you comforting me? You're the four who are being sidelined."

Zhao Feng: "Ah? The four of us!"

Sun Han: "Hmph, I knew that old woman with bad skin had no good intentions!"

Li Hang: "She always uses skincare products randomly. I warned her once before; is she holding a grudge?"

Zhou Yang: "So... does she not know how to take care of her skin and only gets Botox? That's despicable!"

Zhang Hua'an: "???"

Damn it. He had prepared a belly full of inspirational words, but now he had swallowed them all. Zhang Hua'an was speechless. He truly didn't know whether to call them optimistic or just plain dense. Things were in such a state, yet they were worried about whether that old woman knew how to take care of her skin.

"Can't you four have some ambition? People strive for dignity, and Buddha for incense. Can't you think about how to do better and then go back and prove to her that her choice was wrong?"

Zhao Feng: "Uh... Manager Zhang, isn't making the wrong choice her problem?"

Sun Han: "Besides, striving for that stuff is useless."

Li Hang: "That's right, we can't beat Brother Su Mu even if we try."

Zhou Yang: "Better to just lie flat and rot; it's better for the complexion."

Zhang Hua'an: "..."

"Manager Zhang, you dropped your heart medication."