Entertainment: I just want to be the boss behind the scenes

Chapter 98 Brother, please take me!

In the noisy restaurant, Meng Bai pushed the dish he had just served to Zhu Xudan, and recommended: "Qingpu wild rice stem fried with shredded eel, a classic local dish, give it a try."

Zhu Xudan carefully picked up two eel strips, and the slightly curved fish meat trembled slightly as the chopsticks moved. He put it in his mouth and tasted it carefully. The fresh taste mixed with the fragrance of chopped green onion and garlic exploded on the tip of his tongue. The softness of the eel and the crispness of the wild rice stem made people happy just by eating it.

"This dish is delicious." Zhu Xudan praised with bright eyes, and then looked at the customers still queuing in the corridor outside the store: "No wonder so many people come here."

"Renheguan is a time-honored Shanghainese restaurant. If we hadn't come early, we would have to queue up now." Meng Bai said as he ate, "A friend recommended it to me before, but I never made time. Fortunately, you came today."

Meng Bai was thinking that when he had the chance, he could bring Teacher Li to try it. It seemed that the girl had always been dissatisfied with the choice he and Zhang Ruoyun made when they had mutton hotpot last time.

But it was troublesome to go out to eat with her. After all, she was a second-tier celebrity and would be recognized no matter how she dressed up. Unlike her cheap junior sister, she was dressed simply and didn't even need to wear a hat.

Tsk, I feel a little sad for her as I talk about this.

The two of them ate for a while, and when they saw that the dishes were almost ready, Meng Bai finally got down to business: "You said you came here today, did you have something to talk to me about?"

Zhu Xudan put down his chopsticks, propped his arms in front of him, leaned towards Meng Bai and said, "My contract with Leshi.com will end next year. Recently, the company asked me about the renewal. I'm a little unsure, so I want to ask you to help me with some advice."

In 2012, Leshi.com held an online talent show called "I'm Crazy for School Belles". Zhu Xudan participated in the show as the "school belles of the Central Academy of Drama". She was quite popular in the show, so after the show ended, she signed a contract with Leshi.com together with several other girls who participated in the show.

Unfortunately, although the contract was signed, Leshi.com was a video website and had basically no experience and personnel in artist management, so the girls who signed the contract ultimately had no names.

In comparison, Zhu Xudan is considered pretty good, at least she graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, so she has played some small supporting roles in several small web dramas or promotional dramas, but they are not considered any major development.

Over the years, the greatest help that Leshi.com gave her was probably recommending her to audition for a role during the filming of "Pendulum", and taking this opportunity to get to know Meng Bai again.

Relying on the friendship they had in school, Meng Bai also took this little junior sister under his wing, and she finally had some real career development.

Seeing that the three-year contract she signed was about to expire, and that several film and television agencies had recently contacted her, Zhu Xudan was a little undecided.

After thinking about it, the person who is most likely to provide help or advice is her "Senior Brother Meng Bai". It just so happened that she asked her best friend to come to film this time, so she came along.

"It seems like you are here to seek career advice from me, your senior brother." Meng Bai said with a smile, "Then you have to treat me to a meal."

"No problem. I should be the one to ask my senior brother." Zhu Xudan said without hesitation. His straightforward attitude was very satisfying.

It’s not that I’m short of this little money, but since I’m asking for help, I still have to have the right attitude.

"From your own honest opinion, do you want to renew your contract?" Meng Bai did not rush to answer, but asked back first.

Zhu Xudan shook her head. She was a completely unknown person in Leshi.com. She didn't even have a proper agent. She earned the few resources she had by herself and had no feelings for the company.

She thought Meng Bai would advise her to wait and see since they were working together, but he agreed without hesitation: "It's right not to renew the contract. Leshi's current development strategy mainly relies on established stars, and there is no plan to train new talents. You will be wasting your time if you continue to stay here."

It is precisely because of the many collaborations that Meng Bai has a deep understanding of the various development plans of Leshi.com. Both Leshi.com and Leshi Pictures are now taking the path of capital operation. The only demand for artists is their popularity and popularity, and there is no plan to cultivate them independently.

"You just said that other brokerage companies have contacted you?" Meng Bai asked.

"Yes." Zhu Xudan nodded: "Jiaxing Media contacted me before and asked me if I had any plans to sign a contract after the contract expires."

"Jiaxing Media?"

"It's Senior Yang Mi's company." Zhu Xudan introduced.

"Oh, that company." Meng Bai actually knew about this company. It was Li Qin who introduced it to him.

It is not quite accurate to say that it is Yang Mi's company. She is just a partner with more than 10% of the shares. The real bosses are the two agents she has worked with for many years.

"That's great, isn't it?" Meng Bai said, "I remember that this company was only established last year, and there don't seem to be many artists except Yang Mi. If you sign them now, even though they don't have top resources, with Yang Mi's popularity and fame, it should be no problem for them to guide newcomers."

Many big-name stars will gradually start to mentor newcomers after they have gained experience. The most direct way is to be the lead actor and then ask the crew to give them a supporting role. Generally, the investors will not refuse for the sake of the star.

"It's good indeed, but the contract period they requested is too long." Zhu Xudan said in embarrassment: "One contract is twelve years."

Meng Bai raised his eyebrows. My goodness, the golden period of an actress is only that long. It's almost like a buyout system.

Zhu Xudan was born in 92. Twelve years later, he will be exactly 35 years old, which is almost the same working age as a programmer.

But think about it, the contract period for actors is usually quite long, ranging from seven or eight years to fifteen years. This is to prevent artists from flying away after they have finally become popular and made money within two years.

Meng Bai felt emotional again, wishing he had not chosen to be an actor back then.

Judging from the popularity and development of Jiaxing Media, even a twelve-year contract is a very worthwhile opportunity for newcomers like Zhu Xudan.

If she didn't know Meng Bai, Zhu Xudan would have agreed without a second thought. But now...

Zhu Xudan leaned forward, raised his head, looked at Meng Bai with shining eyes, and said expectantly: "Brother, why don't you take me!"

"..."

Meng Bai's breathing stagnated, and for a moment he even felt as if he had traveled into a rural period drama.

After a long silence, he finally spoke slowly, "If I were your dialogue teacher, I would punch you to death. Next time when you say this, put the logical emphasis on 'you' instead of 'want'. These two have two different meanings."

Zhu Xudan held up his face, tilted his head slightly and looked at Meng Bai and said, "But, Senior Brother, I meant both things, didn't I?"

"Wow, I treat you as my junior sister, but you actually supported me." Meng Bai said half-jokingly and half-seriously: "Do you remember what I said to you before? I, your senior brother, am not a good person either. Next time you make such a joke, I will..."

"Brother, what can you do to me?" Zhu Xudan asked provocatively.

"Little girl, it's because I'm in such a rush to shoot that I can't spare the time. Otherwise, I would have made you skip tomorrow's daytime and watch the moon directly."

These words were a little too "domineering", and even though Zhu Xudan was no longer a child, he couldn't help but blush.

After successfully suppressing the girl's "arrogance", Meng Bai calmed down and said seriously: "If you want to sign with me, I have no objection. But I have to remind you that Arclight Films is only a small production company now. It does not have artist management business and professional management team. It is not much better than Leshi.com."

"But Huguang has its own film and television resources. Isn't this a great advantage?" Zhu Xudan asked.

Meng Bai shook his head and said, "Although I don't know much about artist management, I know that only film and television resources are definitely not enough. Besides, not every Arclight drama may have a role suitable for you. If you are not chosen for the next drama, what should you do? Should you wait for another one, or go out and look for it yourself? Or are you willing to play the female lead and then go back to play a supporting role?"

Zhu Xudan was stunned. Indeed, she really ignored this problem. Arclight Film and Television's film and television production planning must have a certain idea, and it is impossible to accommodate her.

And think about it, the next few dramas announced by Arclight Films are all suspense-themed. This kind of drama almost always has a male protagonist, and the female protagonist and other female characters are often just tools, so the upper limit of the popularity of the actors is there.

"But, Senior Brother," Zhu Xudan asked, "Do you have to use actors from other companies in your future plays?"

(End of this chapter)