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Thanks to Brother Zhou's efforts over the past year, Shen Ranran's acting career has indeed progressed much more smoothly than before.

No more endless dinner parties, and no more dancing for bosses in private rooms.

Brother Zhou arranged all the roles for Shen Ranran in serious productions. Although most of them were supporting roles, each character had a name, lines, and some even had several important scenes.

Shen Ranran's performance on set has become increasingly stable. She can get the scene right in one take after the director yells "action." She knows her lines by heart, delivers the right emotions, and moves with precision. She never delays the entire crew's progress because of her own mistakes.

Once, during the filming of a crying scene, before the camera even turned around, Shen Ranran's eyes were already red.

The moment the director yelled "Action!", tears started falling perfectly.

The director couldn't help but mutter to the assistant director, "This girl is useful; we should call her again if there are suitable roles in the future."

"I understand! I heard her agent is Brother Zhou."

"Oh? No wonder he's so dedicated. Brother Zhou has a good eye."

After this dedication spread throughout the crew, assistant directors began to contact Brother Zhou to inquire about Shen Ranran's availability.

As a result, Shen Ranran became somewhat famous in the industry.

Although they aren't super famous, they have consistently received high praise within the industry...

Directors are willing to use them, producers are willing to recommend them, and fellow actors are willing to work with them.

For a young actress with no background or financial backing, this kind of fame is more reassuring than becoming an overnight sensation.

Becoming an overnight sensation is something that can't be forced; one's fame might fade overnight. But the word "useful" ensures that Shen Ranran continues to have roles to play.

Therefore, Shen Ranran is very satisfied with the current situation.

……

But Chu Caiyuan's side never calmed down, and he was unwilling to let this cash cow slip out of his control.

The more roles Shen Ranran took on outside, the more restless Chu Caiyuan became.

According to the contract, Shen Ranran secured the performance opportunities herself, and all the remuneration belonged to her; the company didn't receive a single penny.

When Chu Caiyuan signed the contract, he never thought that Shen Ranran would actually run away on her own. He thought that after the girl had been rejected a few times, she would obediently come back and continue to be his cash cow.

As a result, Shen Ranran not only did not come back, but ran further and further away, and became more and more stable, running from extras to supporting roles, and from supporting roles to important roles with several key scenes.

Chu Caiyuan took the initiative to call Shen Ranran, "Ranran! Are you having a hard time out there? There's a new project being prepared at the company, and there's a good script. Come back and let's talk about it."

Shen Ranran politely declined, "President Chu, my schedule is full right now. Let's talk about it another time."

"Ranran, don't forget! Our contracts still have several years left. You are a contracted artist with the company, so I hope you can consider the bigger picture and not just think about yourself."

"..." Shen Ranran still did not budge.

Seeing that all the sweet talk had been exhausted, Chu Caiyuan immediately revealed his ugly side. "Shen Ranran, you have violated company regulations by accepting the role without authorization. The company has the right to pursue your breach of contract. If you don't report back to the company, we will take legal action. It won't be as simple as terminating the contract. You can decide on the penalty yourself. Let me make this clear: in this industry, no one has ever been born who can act tough with me."

"..." Shen Ranran immediately realized the seriousness of the matter; adults always have to pay the price for their actions.

Shen Ranran had considered this day before, but when she actually heard Chu Caiyuan say the words "legal procedures," her heart sank.

Knowing that Chu Caiyuan is the kind of person who, if he really wanted to act like a rogue, could drag her down with him until she died.

How can a nobody actor with no background or connections fight a lawsuit against the bosses in the industry?
……

After finishing work the next day, Shen Ranran went straight to Zhuangzhuang's dormitory.

When Zhuangzhuang opened the door, she saw Shen Ranran standing there. "Ranran, what brings you here today?"

"Zhuangzhuang, I..." Shen Ranran's eyes were full of exhaustion, as if she hadn't slept well for several days.

Without asking any questions, Zhuangzhuang pulled Shen Ranran into the house, poured her a cup of hot water, and handed it to her.

Then he sat down opposite Shen Ranran and asked, "What's wrong? What happened again?"

Shen Ranran sat for a while, holding her cup, and then told Zhuangzhuang everything from beginning to end. "Zhuangzhuang, I don't want to go back to socializing anymore."

"..."

Shen Ranran's voice was hoarse, but she didn't cry. "I finally managed to climb out of that pit. Every scene I filmed in the past year was earned by myself, and every role was obtained through auditions. I never used connections, and I never drank with anyone. I don't want to be ruined by just one sentence from him."

"But I don't want to be sued by him either. I've heard that even if you win this kind of contract dispute in the end, it will drag on for a year or two. Which production team would dare to use an actor who has a lawsuit on his hands? He doesn't even need to win against me; he can drag it out and kill me."

After listening, Zhuangzhuang looked into Shen Ranran's eyes and said, "Wait for me. I'm going to find President Su."

Shen Ranran was taken aback: "Looking for President Su? Zhuangzhuang, the business card that President Su gave me for Brother Zhou last time was already very helpful, why go see him again..."

"The reason Mr. Su helped you last time was because I asked him for help." Zhuang Zhuang interrupted her dismissively, "If he thought it was too much trouble, he wouldn't have given you his business card last time. The fact that he did shows that he thinks highly of you. You sit down, I'll go find him now."

"But……"

"There are no buts." Zhuangzhuang stood up, pulled her coat off the hanger, and said as she put it on, "Chu Caiyuan is the kind of person who bullies the weak and fears the strong. The more afraid you are of him, the more arrogant he will become. You wait, I'm going to see President Su today."

……

Zhuangzhuang immediately went to Suning's office.

Suning hadn't left yet; he was sitting behind his desk looking at Tianchao Auto's production plan for the next quarter.

After entering the room, Zhuangzhuang didn't beat around the bush like last time; she went straight to the point and told the whole story of how Shen Ranran was threatened by Chu Caiyuan.

"President Su, Chu Caiyuan called and threatened her, saying he would take legal action to make it impossible for her to continue in this industry. Ranran has only taken on legitimate roles in the past year or so, and hasn't gone astray once. The contract clearly states that the remuneration for personally arranged acting activities belongs to the individual, so she hasn't breached the contract at all. But Chu Caiyuan is taking advantage of the fact that she doesn't have the money or time to fight a lawsuit, and he wants to use this to force her back to continue being his cash cow."

After listening, Su Ning leaned back in her chair, her expression completely unchanged.

He looked at Zhuangzhuang and asked, "Do you think Shen Ranran is someone worth helping?"

Zhuangzhuang nodded without hesitation: "It's worth it. She's serious about acting and doesn't get arrogant. She's not the kind of person who wants to take shortcuts; she genuinely loves acting."

Suning remained silent for a few seconds.

He had actually seen through the true nature of the matter long ago.

Shen Ranran's problem is, in essence, a contract dispute.

Chu Caiyuan's film and television company isn't large, but after so many years in the industry, he still has some connections and resources. Shen Ranran is fighting Chu Caiyuan alone; regardless of who's in the right on the contract, she'll be worn down eventually.

But from another perspective, this problem also presents an opportunity.

One thing Suning has always wanted to do but hasn't had the time to do yet is to establish a film and television company.

This was already part of Suning's strategy.

Real estate is the foundation, and automobiles are the core of the manufacturing industry. However, if we want to build China into a truly diversified conglomerate, relying solely on real estate and automobiles will not be enough to ensure stability.

Over the next twenty years, the film and television industry, like the real estate industry, will be a golden industry.

As people's wallets get fuller, the demand for cultural consumption will experience explosive growth. The market potential for content products such as movies, TV series, and variety shows is clearly enormous.

Entering the game now is at an excellent juncture.

In the late 1990s, the film and television industry was still in the early stages of market-oriented transformation. Production thresholds were relatively low, distribution channels were expanding, and audience tastes were rapidly evolving. This was an excellent window of opportunity for professional teams to create high-quality content.

Moreover, the best way to completely resolve Shen Ranran's problem is not to negotiate with Chu Caiyuan.

When negotiating with that kind of person, if you give them a termination fee, they'll get a taste of the benefits and then demand an exorbitant amount.

Moreover, even if you give him money, Chu Caiyuan will still brag about it outside. This kind of person doesn't keep his word and only values ​​ability.

The cleanest and most efficient way is to have Shen Ranran sign with a larger, more powerful, and more reputable film and television company, and then use the new company's legal team to negotiate the termination of her contract with Chu Caiyuan.

Chu Caiyuan dared to bully a small-time actor with no background, but he wouldn't dare to act arrogantly towards a large company with real businesses, strong cash flow, and the ability to support an entire legal team.

Su Ning glanced at the calendar on the table, picked up the landline, and dialed an internal number: "Xiao Zhao, contact Manager Zhou for me and ask him to meet for tea tomorrow afternoon. Same place."

……

The next afternoon, Zhou arrived at the teahouse's private room ten minutes earlier than the agreed time.

Zhou was wearing a dark jacket, his hair was neatly combed, and after sitting down, he first poured Suning a cup of tea.

Brother Zhou has been in the industry for over a decade and has seen it all.

But in front of Suning, Brother Zhou always maintained a polite but not servile demeanor.

Because Brother Zhou knew in his heart that this person was definitely a heavyweight.

Even the bosses in the entertainment industry, whose net worth is at most tens of millions, still rely on connections and resources to make a living.

Suning's profits from just one project, Mingju Real Estate, are enough to buy several film and television companies, not to mention the backing of China's automotive manufacturing behemoth, Tianchao Auto.

Suning didn't beat around the bush. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and got straight to the point: "Manager Zhou, Tianchao Auto is planning to establish a film and television company. I would like to invite you to be the general manager of this company."

Brother Zhou's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air.

I originally thought that Su Ning wanted to meet me to talk about Shen Ranran, or at most to ask if there were any suitable actors I could work with.

Zhou Ge and Su Ning's paths crossed starting with Shen Ranran. They occasionally spoke on the phone, mostly about actor resources.

Brother Zhou never expected it to be such a statement.

Brother Zhou quickly put down his teacup and looked at Su Ning with a questioning gaze, "President Su, are you serious?"

"When have I ever joked with you?"

Brother Zhou took a deep breath. "Then tell me how to arrange the plates."

Suning held up one finger: "Tianchao Auto will invest ten million."

Brother Zhou's eyebrow twitched.

What was the concept of ten million in 1997?
At that time, the total investment for a medium-sized TV series was only two or three million yuan, and a registered capital of ten million yuan was considered a large company in the film and television industry.

Suning continued, "Tianchao Auto owns 75%. You will hold 15% of the shares in your personal capacity, and will also serve as the company's general manager and legal representative, with full responsibility for daily operations. The remaining 10% of the shares will be held by all employees as an employee incentive pool."

Brother Zhou sat there in silence for a long time.

He quickly did some mental calculations...

Fifteen percent, a total of ten million shares, is equivalent to Suning giving him 1.5 million shares for free, along with the right to manage the day-to-day operations.

Brother Zhou has managed artists for other companies, worked as an agent, and done project planning in the industry, but no one has ever offered him such conditions.

In the film and television industry of 1997, such conditions were not a windfall for an independent agent, but rather an entire pot falling from the sky.

Brother Zhou picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then asked a very practical question: "Have you decided on a name for the company?"

"Huayu Film & Television Culture Company".

Brother Zhou repeated it: "Huayu Film and Television Culture Company. A good name, grand, and easy to remember."

Without wasting any words, Su Ning pulled a document from his briefcase, placed it on the coffee table, and pushed it towards him: "This is the company establishment plan and draft equity agreement. Take it back and take a close look. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. If there are no major revisions, we'll sign the agreement within a week, and the legal department will start processing the business registration."

Instead of flipping through the documents, Brother Zhou put them aside, looked into Su Ning's eyes, and said, "President Su, if you entrust this matter to me, I will definitely do a good job. I've been in this industry for over a decade, and I have some scripts and distribution channels at my disposal. These are all readily available resources. I can assure you one thing... Every single production by Huayu Entertainment will have every penny spent on production quality, without any frills or superficialities."

Su Ning nodded. "Manager Zhou, I chose you because of your experience and work style. You should already know about Shen Ranran's situation. The first thing we'll do after the company is established is to sign Shen Ranran, and then use our legal team to negotiate the termination of her contract with Chu Caiyuan. You have a lot of experience dealing with people like Chu Caiyuan, so you'll take the lead. The legal department will cooperate with you; provide as many lawyers as needed, and don't give Chu Caiyuan any room to stall."

Brother Zhou thought for a moment, “President Su, I know Chu Caiyuan. He bullies the weak and fears the strong. He’s arrogant in front of minor actors, but spineless in front of truly capable people. I’ve studied Shen Ranran’s contract. Those clauses about ‘accepting roles without the company’s consent’ are invalid and unfair terms, and they don’t stand up to contract law. If it really comes to litigation, we have a high chance of winning. But I think we don’t need to go that far. Let me talk to Chu Caiyuan first. He knows that Tianchao Auto is behind Shen Ranran, so his attitude should be different.”

Su Ning picked up his teacup and took a sip. "If we can talk, we will; if we can't, we'll fight. Whether it's a lawsuit or a negotiation, I don't care about the process, only the result. Shen Ranran must regain her freedom under reasonable and legal conditions."

"clear."

"Then I'll wait for your good news."

"Mr. Su, may I ask about your relationship with Shen Ranran?"

"Mr. Zhou, what do you think?"

"..."

...(End of this chapter)