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In 2016, when Suning's consciousness left that world filled with the feeling of powerful ministers and returned to the real world, the urban drama "Ode to Joy," co-produced by "Guangguai Luli" Film and Television Company and Shandong Film and Television, was ready to start filming.

At this critical juncture, Chen Xiaojun arrived at Suning's mansion one evening.

She awkwardly clasped her hands in front of her and said softly, "Su Ning, I'm afraid I can't play Qu Xiaoxiao in the 'Ode to Joy' project."

Su Ning looked up in surprise, scrutinizing her with keen eyes.

Chen Xiaojun is now a "bizarre" de facto manager, and her every move is no longer that of the naive theater troupe actor she once was.

But at this moment, her eyes flickered, carrying a hint of unease that she was deliberately trying to conceal.

“The company’s affairs are indeed too busy,” she continued, her voice steady but slightly hurried. “I’m worried that I won’t be able to keep up with filming and that it will affect the progress of the entire crew.”

Suning did not respond immediately, but simply placed the pen in his hand gently on the table, making a crisp sound.

He leaned back in his chair, looking at her intently: "Xiaojun, how long have we known each other?"

Chen Xiaojun was slightly taken aback.

“Three years and four months.” Before she could answer, Su Ning continued, “During this time, you handled even more complex matters than this one, and you never uttered a single word about how difficult it was. Now that everything for ‘Ode to Joy’ is ready, you suddenly say you want to quit?”

A brief silence fell over the office.

Under his gaze, Chen Xiaojun finally gave in, her shoulders relaxing slightly as she revealed a wry smile: "As expected, nothing can be hidden from you."

She took a deep breath: "It's Lin Yunxiao. She was my classmate and colleague in school and the theater troupe, and one of my best friends. Over the years, her career in the theater troupe hasn't been going very well. A few days ago, she came to me and said this was her last chance."

"So you softened your heart?" Su Ning's tone was calm and even.

"Yun Xiao's acting skills are really good, she just lacks an opportunity," Chen Xiaojun explained eagerly. "She cherishes every role more than anyone else. I believe she can definitely play Qu Xiaoxiao well."

Suning turned his chair and looked out the window at the gradually setting sun.

The city's outline gradually blurred in the twilight, much like the unpredictable fates of countless actors in the entertainment industry.

After a moment, he turned around and said, "I can agree to a replacement."

A look of joy immediately flashed in Chen Xiaojun's eyes.

“However,” Su Ning emphasized, “there is one condition.”

He leaned forward, placing his hands clasped on the table: "Lin Yunxiao's film and television contract must be signed with 'Bizarre and Unusual.' You should understand that I have no interest in doing favors for others."

“Of course!” Chen Xiaojun nodded quickly. “Yun Xiao also really wants to join our company. She said she’s willing to accept any conditions as long as she gets the chance. In addition, the theater troupe I used to work with is very willing to cooperate with Guangguai Luli.”

Su Ning nodded gently: "Then let's settle on this! Go and arrange the contract matters, and get Lin Yunxiao into the crew as soon as possible to familiarize herself with the role. As for the collaboration with the theater troupe, you can make your own decision."

"Suning, thank you so much!" Chen Xiaojun said sincerely, her gloom vanishing.

"I'm your man, what's there to thank me for?"

"Do you need me to stay with you today?"

"Mmm, I miss you so much." Su Ning pulled Chen Xiaojun directly into her arms.

In this bizarre and dazzling entertainment industry, everyone is searching for their place, and what he has to do is ensure that every choice he makes ultimately becomes a brilliant move in the grand game of "bizarre and dazzling".

Whether Lin Yunxiao can seize this opportunity depends on her own fate.

……

When Lin Yunxiao received Chen Xiaojun's call, he was practicing his long-forgotten lines in front of the mottled wall in his rented room.

When she heard the words, "Suning has agreed, Qu Xiaoxiao is yours now," her phone nearly slipped from her hand.

After a brief silence, a voice cracked with almost sobbing joy: "Really...really? Xiaojun! How...how can I possibly thank you enough!"

On the other end of the phone, Chen Xiaojun could clearly hear the excited, somewhat incoherent voice, and even the barely suppressed sobs.

She waited patiently, a relieved smile unconsciously appearing on her lips.

"No need for thanks, do we need to say that?" Chen Xiaojun said gently, waiting for Lin Yunxiao to calm down a bit before continuing, "Yunxiao, I've secured this opportunity for you, the rest is up to you."

"I know! I know!" Lin Yun nodded vigorously, as if Chen Xiaojun were right in front of him. "Xiaojun, don't worry, I will never let you down! I will do everything in my power to bring Qu Xiaoxiao to life! Later... later I'll treat you to a big meal, no, I'll treat you to a month's worth of big meals!"

Hearing her best friend's somewhat silly promise, Chen Xiaojun couldn't help but chuckle, but then her tone turned serious: "Eating is a small matter. Yunxiao, remember, the 'Ode to Joy' project is crucial to the company and Suning. Once you're on set, you'll be the 'eccentric' one, and every move you make will represent the company. You need to be dedicated to acting, and even more cautious in your dealings with others."

She paused, her voice filled with sincere encouragement and expectation: "Besides, I also believe in your abilities, and even more so in your dedication to acting. This role is like a stage tailor-made for you. Go for it, perform well, and let everyone see the brilliance of you, Lin Yunxiao."

On the other end of the phone, Lin Yunxiao covered her mouth tightly, tears welling up in her eyes again.

This time, it wasn't ecstasy, but a heavy and exciting feeling of being trusted and entrusted.

She took a deep breath and answered in as firm a voice as possible:

"Yeah! I promise!"

……

Lin Yunxiao joined the crew with a mix of trepidation and excitement, and "Ode to Joy" officially started filming amidst great anticipation.

During her early days on set, Lin Yunxiao was extremely cautious. She had already heard that Su Ning would be playing the role of Dr. Zhao, who would be her co-star, so she had studied Dr. Zhao's scenes repeatedly, afraid of embarrassing herself in front of the real boss.

Strangely, from the opening ceremony to the filming in the past few days, she never saw Su Ning.

The production team was operating smoothly, with the director, producer, and other actors all present, except for the most important special guest star.

"Will President Su be coming anytime soon?" Lin Yun asked the executive producer tentatively during a break in filming.

"President Su's role wasn't very big to begin with! Then it was rescheduled, and the exact time hasn't been set yet."

As the days went by, Lin Yunxiao's anticipation gradually turned into unease.

So, she couldn't help but ask Chen Xiaojun privately, "Xiaojun, is President Su unhappy about the change of actors? It's been half a month since filming started, and he hasn't come to the set even once."

Chen Xiaojun chuckled on the other end of the phone: "Don't overthink it. If he didn't agree, he wouldn't have agreed to change people in the first place. He's really busy; even I rarely get to see him now."

Indeed, Suning was currently on another battlefield.

In addition to the increasingly heavy operational decisions at Tiangong Auto, he was also engaged in a crucial negotiation with relevant departments regarding the qualification to manufacture gasoline-powered vehicles.

This is a field with extremely high barriers to entry and fierce competition. Every meeting is crucial to whether Tiangong Auto can truly transform from a "new energy company" into a "manufacturing enterprise".

In the late night in his office, Su Ning rubbed his throbbing temples, having just finished a dinner meeting with representatives from a certain ministry.

The documents spread out on the table show that there are very few private enterprises in China that have obtained the qualifications to manufacture gasoline-powered vehicles.

"Mr. Su, the production team of 'Ode to Joy' asked if you could spare two days next week?" the assistant cautiously reminded him.

Suning glanced at the schedule, which was densely packed with meetings, technical demonstrations, and funding coordination meetings with local governments.

“Tell the director to postpone my scenes a bit more.” He paused. “Also, have the crew send over a copy of the shooting progress and the raw footage every week.”

He will keep an eye on the progress of the show, but right now, his main focus is here...

At this negotiating table, the decision will determine whether Tiangong Auto can truly take root and flourish.

Lin Yunxiao, who was far away on set, had no idea about any of this.

She could only turn this anxiety into motivation, immersing herself more deeply in the role and responding to this hard-won opportunity with a perfect performance, regardless of whether the boss was present.

……

Despite it being late at night, the lights were still on in a conference room at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The air was filled with the rich aroma of tea and a barely perceptible tension.

Su Ning sat upright at one side of the long table, with Tiangong Auto's technical and legal team behind him, and opposite him were the leaders of the relevant departments in charge of the development of the automotive industry and the expert review group.

"President Su, the achievements of Tiangong Auto in the field of new energy vehicles are evident to all." Director Li, who chaired the meeting, flipped through a thick stack of materials in front of him, his tone steady. "'Giovana' series design, market response, and especially its three-electric technology and intelligent level, are indeed at the forefront of the industry. We must fully affirm this."

He shifted his tone slightly, raising his eyes to look at Su Ning with a sharp gaze: "But precisely because of this, we'd like to hear your thoughts. With the new energy vehicle sector already far ahead, why is Tiangong so fixated on the seemingly 'outdated' qualification for gasoline vehicles? This is not only redundant investment, but also seems to deviate from the national strategy of vigorously advocating clean energy."

This question hit the nail on the head, and everyone in the conference room focused their attention on Suning.

This is not about making things difficult, but rather about the prudence that policymakers must exercise.

Upon hearing this, Su Ning showed no surprise. He calmly adjusted the microphone in front of him, his voice clear and steady:
"Director Li, distinguished leaders, thank you very much for your recognition and for addressing this core issue. I believe that Tiangong Auto's application for a license to manufacture gasoline-powered vehicles is not a strategic shift, but rather a deepening and supplement to our 'new energy vehicle' strategy. It is aimed at building a more complete, more resilient, and more capable system that serves the national energy security strategy."

He paused briefly to allow the idea to resonate, and then continued to elaborate:

"First, it's an inevitable requirement to move from 'product' to 'system.' We recognize that competition in the automotive industry is essentially a competition of systemic capabilities. After more than a century of development, the massive supply chain, sophisticated production management, and rigorous quality control system of gasoline-powered vehicles are the basic skills of all vehicle manufacturers. Mastering the complete manufacturing capabilities of gasoline-powered vehicles can greatly hone Tiangong's overall systemic combat effectiveness. This 'basic skill' will, in turn, benefit new energy vehicles, taking the quality of the 'Giovana' series to the next level."

Then, Suning extended his second finger:

"Secondly, it's about respecting market realities and user choices. The Chinese market is vast and unevenly developed, and the full coverage of charging infrastructure will take time. For a considerable period, gasoline-powered vehicles and new energy vehicles will coexist, rather than simply replace each other. We've noticed that a large number of consumers still demand high-quality, low-energy-consumption gasoline-powered vehicles due to factors such as travel radius and usage habits. Tiangong's goal is to become a world-class automotive company, not just an expert in a niche market. A complete company should be able to provide high-quality products suitable for consumers at different stages."

Finally, Suning raised its most strategically insightful point:
"Third, and most importantly, it paves the way for future 'hybrid' and 'low-carbon fuel' technologies. The foundation of national energy security lies in diversification. We believe that the future power forms will not be dominated by pure electric vehicles. High-efficiency hybrid power, hydrogen internal combustion engines, and even synthetic fuel technologies combined with biomass energy may all play important roles. And the research and development and implementation of these technologies are mostly based on mature internal combustion engine platforms. Obtaining the qualification for internal combustion engines means that we have obtained the 'ticket' to participate in and lead the next power revolution. This is not only icing on the cake, but also a seed planted in advance for Tiangong, and even for the Chinese automotive industry, in the technological competition of the next ten or even twenty years."

Suning's arguments are logically connected, from system development to market coverage, and then to future technology layout, elevating what seemed like a "regressive" decision to the level of a long-term corporate strategy and national industrial layout.

Li Si exchanged glances with the experts beside him, and they all saw approval and deep thought in each other's eyes.

They originally thought Tiangong was just greedy and ambitious, but they didn't expect this young entrepreneur to have such profound thoughts.

“President Su, your vision and perspective have greatly inspired us.” Li Si nodded slowly, a slight smile finally appearing on his serious face. “It seems that Tiangong Auto’s goal is far more than just building a few best-selling cars. We will give this application the most serious and positive consideration.”

The meeting concluded in a friendly atmosphere.

As Suning stepped out of the building, the cold wind of the early morning brushed against his face, and he took a deep breath.

He knew that tonight he had successfully planted a seed in the mind of the decision-maker.

Obtaining the qualification is not just a commercial bonus, but also a crucial step on Tiangong Auto's path to becoming a future giant.

As for the mundane matters of the "Ode to Joy" production team, they naturally couldn't spare him much energy for the time being in the face of such a grand strategic game.

...(End of chapter)