Chapter 23: The meal in the pot remained untouched, yet the vegetable patch outside had already been uprooted.

Galaxy City, Giant Elephant Media Tower.

As one of the entertainment companies that rose to prominence in the new media era, Giant Elephant has been the most outstanding among the competition in the jungle. Most entertainment companies aim to make quick money, but as they continue, they often stray off course. Some push models to take questionable gigs, others have newcomers livestream, sell products, or chase appearance fees. Over time, except for a few who become internet celebrities, very few stars are truly packaged and nurtured by these companies.

In contrast, Giant Elephant’s initial operating strategy was steady and focused on survival. They highly value the training of new talent, always considering long-term returns. As long as they persist, good results follow. Yet, as the company grew, this system gradually deformed, and eventually fell into the same cliché: resources became bait for competition, while the fish in the pond were hooked back and forth by those at the top.

Office.

Li Hui: “Mr. Zhou, recently Li Xinjie has been performing very well. All the key metrics are steadily climbing. His microblog followers are fast approaching the five million mark, and on Douyin, the short videos are receiving extra attention. The operations team is preparing to establish a fan club. Once the foundation of loyal fans stabilizes, we can move the price up to the next level.”

Zhou Wanming: “Good, very good. If things go smoothly, we’ll find him more resources in the second half of the year. But make sure everything stays steady, no mishaps.”

Zhou Wanming spoke calmly, glancing at his tablet. As the boss of Giant Elephant, he held absolute authority over resource allocation for his artists.

Li Hui: “Mr. Zhou, actually I have an idea.”

Zhou Wanming: “Go on.”

Li Hui: “You see, Li Xinjie is growing rapidly. Now is the crucial stage for building his fanbase. Since the end of the talent show, his resources have only been some guest appearances on programs, with little exposure, and without any works, he isn’t a finished product yet.

Given Li Xinjie’s current trajectory, it’s time for him to take on bigger roles. If we don’t give him substantial resources now, all his previous momentum could vanish.”

Zhou Wanming smiled: “So what are you suggesting?”

Li Hui: “Here’s the thing. You’ve seen the situation with Su Mu—his popularity is just a façade and has already started to decline. In the entertainment industry’s capital market, most chase rising stars, not fading ones. From a strategic standpoint, shouldn’t we reallocate some of Su Mu’s resources to Li Xinjie?”

Zhou Wanming considered: “Hmm, perhaps we should wait for Qian Jida to return, and then study this carefully. If Su Mu manages to land a role in Director Zhang’s production, it’ll be hard to adjust the subsequent contracts.”

Li Hui shook his head: “Mr. Zhou, I think you’re being too cautious. The entertainment market is all about riding the wave; a delay means missing the best opportunity.

Su Mu is already a successfully packaged artist, and entering the period of declining popularity is a natural law—almost impossible to reverse. We’ve all seen how hard it is to get into Director Zhang’s crew; with his acting skills, he won’t make it in. Even if he does, it wouldn’t prove much.

Can a single drama attract greater capital interest? I doubt it. The current market is restless, fans prefer younger faces. We should plan for the future. Li Xinjie is the latest heartthrob. If we want him and Su Mu to become the company’s two pillars, now is the time for Li Xinjie to star in a proper production.”

Zhou Wanming looked at Li Hui, seeming to find merit in his words. “Just be direct—what do you want?”

Li Hui: “I don’t want to argue with Qian Jida, so this matter should really be handled by you. I don’t wish to put you in a difficult spot. I only want one thing—let Li Xinjie be the male lead in the company’s own costume drama, scheduled to start filming at the end of the year.”

Zhou Wanming was stunned: “That costume drama was originally planned for Su Mu. He’s always been the specialist for historical romances. Replacing him with a newcomer is risky.”

Li Hui: “Mr. Zhou, many companies are pushing new talents. We must seize the opportunity, or we’ll get left behind. Su Mu’s performance is good, but it’s time for him to help the company promote new faces. Also, his contract only has a bit over two years left. Reducing resources in the latter half is your strategy anyway. If he fails to meet the terms, he’ll have to renew with us, and then we can profit from him for another three to five years.”

Zhou Wanming: “Hmm… alright, I’ll handle this.”

Li Hui smiled triumphantly: “Thank you, Mr. Zhou.”

...

Capital City, hotel.

The negotiations with Zhang Huaimou went very smoothly.

Qian Jida has always excelled at these matters, so the film contract and the copyright for the theme song “Listen” were quickly settled. Based on Su Mu’s current asking price, for a drama under forty episodes, the minimum would be twenty to thirty million. For a series over forty episodes, especially those exceeding fifty-five, the fee rises to forty to fifty million. Except for special cases, the price fluctuates only slightly.

But since this was the first collaboration with Director Zhang, and the initiative came from their side, the fee was finally agreed at nine million. With the copyright for “Listen” added, the final intent agreement was signed for ten million. The official contract would be finalized by the company’s legal team.

Director Zhang’s crew needed final preparations. Entry to the team was scheduled for the end of next month, so time wasn’t particularly tight.

In the hotel room,

Little Orange ordered takeout and beer, and the three of them had a simple celebration.

Qian Jida: “Su Mu, honestly, I used to think I hadn’t figured out the right way to use you. Now I get it—you’re automatic, not manual. I’ll penalize myself with a drink! Don’t worry, from now on I’ll help you reach even greater heights!”

Su Mu: “No need, isn’t it fine to keep things as they were? If you push too hard, it gets exhausting.”

Qian Jida: “That won’t do. This is only the beginning. But I’m worried about your role—playing a villain is… Well, it’s better than nothing.”

Little Orange: “Exactly! The only downside is the low fee, but everything else is great. After all, it’s a Director Zhang production—this is a win!”

Su Mu: “Yes, the fee is low.”

Qian Jida rolled his eyes: “Be grateful, you two. You’re not the lead—Ning Yuyan and Zhang Jianlin are the stars, and even their fee is just over twenty million. So ours isn’t low. Think long-term—when this drama is over, people will see Su Mu’s acting, and then the offers will pour in.”

Su Mu: “Alright, cheers, cheers.”

The three raised their glasses to celebrate.

The atmosphere was lively.

But after three rounds, Qian Jida left to take a phone call. When he returned, his expression was grim.

Su Mu was tidying up the leftovers, puzzled: “Mr. Qian, what’s with your face? Did your male model cheat on you?”

Qian Jida glared at Su Mu: “Enough. Tomorrow’s flight, we’re heading back to the company.”

Su Mu: “So urgent?”

Qian Jida: “Of course! The company’s new year-end drama—the male lead was snatched from you. How could I not be anxious?”

Su Mu was stunned.

Well now, you can never guard against everything.

He hadn’t even tasted the hot stew from Director Zhang’s pot, and someone else had already raided the vegetable patch outside?

Truly exhilarating...