As long as Jiang Ling didn't actively court death, with such acting skills matching her current capabilities, staying popular for over a decade would be a piece of cake.
How many decades does one have in life, especially in the entertainment industry where youth is currency?
Such long-lasting popularity would undoubtedly bring immeasurable commercial value.
Anyone who passed up such a golden opportunity would be a fool.
"After Jiang Ling terminated her contract with Huohua Media, has she truly not secretly signed with any other company?"
This was a question that almost every head of a talent agency demanded their subordinates to verify.
Signing an artist was no small matter, especially one of Jiang Ling's caliber.
Signing such a contract was akin to buying a house; before purchasing, one must first ascertain if the property had any mortgages or long-term residency rights attached.
If an artist had secretly signed with another company and a new company signed them without prior knowledge, they could face exorbitant compensation claims.
After all, poaching talent was a common occurrence in the entertainment industry.
Most companies had learned their lesson. Regardless of how popular or skilled an artist was, they were restricted by contracts. If you dared to poach our talent, we'd make sure you lose everything.
Some unscrupulous companies even colluded with artists, orchestrating schemes to lure rival companies into signing artists without their knowledge, thus trapping them in pre-laid snares.
Huiyao Tower.
This was the headquarters of Huiyao Film and Television, the foremost among the five major talent agencies in the entertainment industry.
As the eldest among the five giants, Huiyao not only had the earliest establishment and the largest number of artists but also possessed the strongest overall strength and was the most mysterious.
Its mystery lay in the fact that while the other four companies were publicly listed, their stock prices fluctuated with profits and growth rates. The downfall of any top-tier artist could potentially lead to a sharp decline in their stock.
Huiyao, however, was different. To this day, it remained the only privately controlled company, not publicly listed or financed, and few knew which family it belonged to.
The true owner behind Huiyao Film and Television had always been an enigma within the industry.
At this moment, Liu Cheng, the general manager of Huiyao, was the first to discover that Jiang Ling had not signed with any other agency, and his interest was piqued.
However, an artist of Jiang Ling's stature required a signing package that far exceeded his authority. He had to seek instructions from the behind-the-scenes owner to make a decision.
After a scene finished filming, it was lunchtime.
Jian Zhou, as usual, went to pick up lunchboxes for Jiang Ling.
Just then, his phone rang with a melody: "You bad, bad, bad woman, I've been so sincere to you, yet you've hurt me the most..."
"You eat first, I need to go to the restroom!"
Upon seeing who was calling, Jian Zhou's expression changed slightly. He quickly handed the lunchbox to Jiang Ling and turned into the nearby public restroom.
Seeing this, Jiang Ling thought, "This kid is going to the toilet to take a call. Is he up to no good and planning to trick me?"
"Hello!"
"Mr. Jian!"
Jian Zhou glanced around and said in a low voice, "What is it that requires you to call me at this hour?"
That's right, the private family that controlled Huiyao Film and Television was the Jian family.
Long before the last century, Old Master Jian, Jian Zhou's grandfather, had foreseen that national economic development would inevitably lead to prosperity in the entertainment industry.
After all, when people's lives improved and they had sufficient food and drink, they would naturally seek other forms of enjoyment.
Therefore, entertainment-related sectors such as film, television, games, and novels became the primary investment areas for the Jian family.