Kyoto.
Chen Jinzhou's brokerage company.
Inside the conference room, discussions were particularly heated.
"Hahaha, in just five days, the box office has already reached three billion!" The director of the artist department couldn't stop smiling.
Although Chen Jinzhou did not charge any salary for his role in Jiangnan's film, appearing gratuitously.
However, for this film, salary was not the most important factor; the results were.
They were not a large company like Guangnian Entertainment, and their experience was naturally limited.
They were now counting on the veteran actor Chen Jinzhou to stabilize their position in the industry.
With the massive success of "Dying to Survive," Chen Jinzhou was sure to win awards, which would also elevate their company's standing in the industry. With the influence brought by this film, the company could attract a lot of investment!
These were all potential boosts!
"How about that? I told you your vision was too narrow, and you didn't believe me. Now everyone knows how capable Jiangnan is, right?" Chen Jinzhou swept his gaze over everyone with a smile, teasing them.
Previously, they had all opposed his decision to act in "Dying to Survive" without pay.
Even when the movie was released, they had said that niche films were useless and that Chen Jinzhou was wasting his time and energy.
Now, they were all being proven wrong by Jiangnan, their faces slapped repeatedly.
"It was our short-sightedness..." The agent lowered his head awkwardly.
He had been the most vocal previously.
If Chen Jinzhou hadn't threatened to leave the company, he wouldn't have agreed to him acting in this "niche" film.
But now, it seemed he had almost ruined the company's multi-million investment business.
Thinking about this, the agent felt extremely embarrassed.
"Ahem... Let's not bring up past matters. The most important thing now is to cooperate with Xinghui to maximize the popularity of 'Dying to Survive.' This will bring unimaginable benefits to both our company and Xinghui!" The director of the artist department quickly tried to smooth things over.
"No need," Chen Jinzhou waved his hand.
Everyone was stunned.
"What is the scale of our company? You should know yourselves. Now that Xinghui is collaborating with the official channels to promote the film, how can they have time to care about us?" Chen Jinzhou hit them with a dose of reality without reservation.
"Well... that's true, but we still need to show our attitude."
"Exactly, let's also contribute and promote it voluntarily. It's good to have a sense of participation..."
"Benefiting the people, such opportunities are rare."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded awkwardly.
Indeed, Xinghui had grown to a scale that could rival the four major entertainment companies in the domestic entertainment industry.
Moreover, this time they were cooperating with official channels, elevating the matter to the level of benefiting the people.
Their small company was simply not enough to be noticed.
...
Kyoto.
A high-class hotel.
An industry reception was being held.
Many well-known directors from the film and television industry, as well as some actors and artists, were present.
Everyone was socializing, directors chatting with actors to discuss schedules, or actors seeking out directors for roles, promoting their collaborations.
Among them were many professional actors and several popular idols.
Unlike before, when major directors chose actors, they did not prioritize popular idols. The market was developing towards acting skills. For major directors, popularity not only increased the budget but also risked the audience not buying into it.
This led to smaller productions favoring popular idols, while large productions had to balance popularity with acting skills.
"Zhang Qingyun is here!"
Someone shouted it out.
All eyes turned towards the entrance of the reception.
Zhang Qingyun entered in a handsome suit, taking a glass of red wine from a waiter's tray.
This was his first attendance at such an industry event since his comeback.
As before, he was still the center of attention.
But there was one difference: previously, although major directors had been flattering him, their smiles were very forced, and deep down, they still looked down on him.
Now, those major directors looked at him as if he were a beautiful woman with no clothes on, all coveting his popularity and acting skills.
"It feels like a rebirth." Zhang Qingyun felt incredibly refreshed.
However, he still maintained a humble smile, without his usual arrogance.
Even when some obscure minor actors greeted him, he responded to each and every one of them.
Having gone through a period of decline, it had worn away Zhang Qingyun's pride and made him understand that in this industry, true respect was earned through solid skills.
"Teacher Zhang, do you have any availability recently? I have a big production with an investment of two billion!"
"Teacher Zhang, this script of mine is guaranteed to be a hit. Are you interested in learning more?"
"Our team is all composed of highly skilled veteran actors, and we're just missing a protagonist like you, Teacher Zhang. The salary is negotiable!"
A group of well-known directors in the industry instantly surrounded Zhang Qingyun.
Some invited him with the scale of investment, while others offered astronomical salaries.
In an instant, directors who had been flocking to popular stars all came over to Zhang Qingyun.
"I'm sorry, thank you for your favor, directors, but currently, I'm not planning to take on any other roles except for Teacher Jiangnan's."
He responded to everyone with a smile.
The directors could only shake their heads regretfully.
In the current film industry, besides Zhang Yang, Zhang Qingyun was the hottest. Furthermore, both of them were实力派 (shílì pài - talented performers with strong acting skills), possessing both popularity and acting prowess, making them absolute choices for leading roles. However, Zhang Qingyun was loyal to Jiangnan and had no interest in other directors' films, which was a great pity for many directors.
Of course, where there is respect and admiration, there is also envy, jealousy, and hatred in the entertainment industry.
"Heh, refusing so many directors' invitations, what kind of airs is an outdated top star putting on?"
"He was just lucky to be chosen by Jiangnan. If I could film Jiangnan's movie, what would happen to him, Zhang Qingyun?"
"That's right, does Zhang Qingyun deserve his current status? Anyone could become popular playing in Jiangnan's movies, even a dog!"
"Shh... keep your voices down. It won't be good if they hear you later."
"Heh, so what if they hear? Can he ban me?"
A group of popular idols from afar whispered amongst themselves.
They were not afraid of Zhang Qingyun hearing them.
If it were in the past, Zhang Qingyun might have lost his temper and argued with them, but he had grown now.
"You're right, I've become popular again because of Jiangnan. But you can't deny my efforts in honing my acting skills in the drama troupe. I was indeed lucky, but if you were asked to play the role of the second shopkeeper in 'A Chinese Odyssey' before it was broadcast, honestly, would any of you have agreed?"
His words left everyone speechless.
The reason Zhang Qingyun consistently had roles in Jiangnan's team was that he decided to shed his idol persona and play the second shopkeeper. It was after gaining Jiangnan's recognition that he continued to be given roles.
"You're right, my current achievements come from Teacher Jiangnan. So, let me ask you, by refusing several directors' invitations and being ready to act in Teacher Jiangnan's films at any time, am I putting on airs or showing gratitude?"
He did not press them aggressively, but spoke to all the popular actors in a very calm manner.
His words left them speechless, their faces flushed, not knowing how to respond.
Seeing this, Zhang Qingyun sighed and drained the red wine in his glass.
"As someone who's been through it, I'll give you a piece of advice: popularity can make you, and it can also destroy you. If you want to last long in this industry, diligently honing your acting skills is the right path!"
This was the path he had walked, and it was his advice to these popular stars, drawn from his personal experience!