How can you ascend to heaven when you are a star?

Chapter 361 He beat someone up
evening.

With director Han Xiaohua calling out "That's a wrap!", the day's filming finally came to an end.

Zhang Wen got into Bai Lu's nanny car and left the film set. With Xingxiang Art Examination Training Center on the right track, he no longer needed to keep an eye on it every night.

In terms of teaching, there are various training teachers available, and Xu Zining at the front desk is in charge of consultation and contract signing. I can visit occasionally in the future to solve problems if needed and to provide encouragement if there are no problems.

Bonuses should be given, and motivational speeches should be given. Both aspects should be given seriously, so that employees can reap both material and spiritual rewards, thus becoming loyal followers.

Moreover, he will only get busier in the future. He can't devote all his time and energy to the training center. He also needs to give young people some opportunities to train and grow, right?
"Buzz!"

Just as Zhang Wen and Bai Lu were discussing what to eat for dinner, the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.

He took it out and glanced at the screen; it was Chen Silu's call.

It seems a decision has been made.

Zhang Wen thought to himself and answered the phone at the same time.

"Hey, Silu, how was the afternoon?"

Bai Lu rested on Zhang Wen's shoulder, her arms wrapped around her boyfriend's arms, a slight smile on her lips, looking completely content, like a lazy kitten nestled beside its owner.

"Teacher, after we talked at noon, I went to communicate with the assistant director. Later, I felt that their conditions were too harsh, so I politely declined. But, just now, the assistant director came to me again. He said that Tianxi Media has agreed to hand over my performance contract to the program production company and asked me to meet with the person in charge of the production company tonight. What should I do now?"

Chen Silu's voice was filled with anxiety and a hint of anger, as if she had been sold as a commodity, and by her own family no less.

Zhang Wen was slightly taken aback after hearing this, and frowned as he asked, "You mean, you've already rejected the assistant director, but he ignored your thoughts and went to talk to the company about the contract instead?"

"Yes."

"..."

Zhang Wen was speechless.

Can this still be done?

How is this any different from extortion?
Are they really treating trainees like commodities?

"Have you contacted the company?" Zhang Wen asked.

"I called Director Xu, and she told me to follow the program production team's arrangements," Chen Silu said helplessly.

"Don't worry, let me ask someone to find out the details," Zhang Wen said reassuringly.

"Okay, teacher, I'll wait for your call."

"Crack!"

After the call ended, Zhang Wen searched for Director Xu's number in his contacts and was about to dial it when Bai Lu's voice rang out beside him.

"it's useless."

Zhang Wen turned his head and looked at him questioningly.

Bai Lu sat up straight and said in a tone of someone who had been through it all: "To the company, artists are commodities, whether they are celebrities or trainees. The company trains trainees to make money, not to help young people realize their dreams. Now that someone is offering money to us, how could the company refuse?"

Zhang Wen stopped dialing the number, his mind clearing as if struck by a sudden enlightenment.

Yes, the company has invested so much in the trainees, and now they are finally seeing a return on their investment. How could they possibly turn down money just because of a trainee's personal dream?
Artists are not just commodities, but also tools for companies to make money. If they can't make money for the company, what's the point of keeping them?

"Does this mean we have no choice but to obey the company's arrangements, without even the right to refuse?" Zhang Wen asked.

"Yes, once an artist signs a contract, they have no right to refuse. Even if you rent her out to a program production company, or arrange for her to sing in a bar, she has to go. Unless she can pay the penalty for breach of contract, the company will ruin her life rather than let her go free. This is called making an example of someone, because once this door is opened, more people will rebel."

Bai Lu's voice was filled with helplessness as he finished speaking.

The outside world only sees the most glamorous side of celebrities, but little do they know how much pressure they have to endure behind the scenes. Otherwise, she wouldn't have developed anxiety disorder.

If even a star like her is like this, what about those trainees who have no fame yet?
"So an artist's contract is just a servitude contract?" Zhang Wen was furious.

“That’s right. Unless you can become a top star and have the leverage to negotiate with the company, you’re just a commodity waiting to be sold.” Bai Lu sighed softly after saying that.

Isn't she also a commodity?

"Is there no other way to deal with Chen Silu?" Zhang Wen asked.

"Unless she can bring greater benefits to the company, it will be difficult. Actually, Chen Silu is lucky. At least she was chosen by the program producers. Once the contract is signed, she will definitely become a key figure in the program, unlike other trainees who, even if they put in a lot of effort, do not get any return."

Seeing her boyfriend remain silent, Bai Lu took his arm again and gently comforted him:

“Honey, I know you can’t let go of your students, but you also need to know that they are first and foremost employees of the company. Even if you can protect them for a while, can you protect them forever? There are so many trainees in the training department, can you take care of them all? The entertainment industry is not a place to talk about dreams. If she doesn’t even have this much awareness, I think she should quit as soon as possible.”

Zhang Wen nodded.

It must be said that Bai Lu's words made a lot of sense.

Successful people are qualified to talk about dreams; unsuccessful people are only qualified to talk about survival.

If you can't even survive, what's the point of talking about dreams?
Zhang Wen picked up his phone and called Chen Silu back.

Soon, the call was connected.

"Teacher, the assistant director just called me again, asking me to meet with the person in charge of the program production team. Should I go or not?" Chen Silu's anxious voice came through the receiver.

After listening, Zhang Wen slowly said, "Silu, you now have two paths in front of you. The first is to follow the company's arrangements and sign a contract with the program production team. In the future, you will be the one that 'Super Trainee' promotes and become a member of a nine-member girl group. Although your future development will deviate from your dream path and you will have to pay a lot, you will also gain fame and attention in return."

"What about the second option?" Chen Silu asked impatiently.

“The second option is to refuse the company’s arrangements, not sign a contract with the program’s producers, lose the opportunity to be heavily promoted by the program, and not become a member of the girl group. If you return to the company in the future, you will be neglected and may not even be able to get resources,” Zhang Wen said.

"..."

After hearing this, Chen Silu unconsciously swallowed.

What is the purpose of joining an entertainment company?
Isn't it all about becoming a star?

Dreams are long-term goals, and sometimes we have to temporarily bow to reality in order to achieve them.

"Teacher, thank you for your analysis. I know what to choose now." Although Chen Silu felt a little bitter, she still decided to choose the first path.

“Well, as your teacher, whatever choice you make, I will respect it. Good luck,” Zhang Wen said.

After the call ended, Zhang Wen put his phone in his pocket.

Bai Lu, who was standing next to him, leaned over and said with a smile, "You, the training teacher, have now become a psychological counselor."

Zhang Wen reached out and gently pressed the other person's nose. "Don't forget, I am a psychological counselor."

"You're too concerned about these trainees, aren't you? It seems like you care more about them than me. You wouldn't happen to have your eye on those trainees, would you?" Bai Lu said sourly, looking jealous.

Although she knew it was her boyfriend's job, seeing him with a group of young girls still made her feel uncomfortable. Upon hearing this, Zhang Wen grabbed the woman's hand and pressed it against her heart, saying, "Tell me honestly, haven't I been attentive enough to your needs? Who got you investment? Who practiced sign language with you? Who would give you the 'Life Essence' even if it meant sacrificing their own? Who would invest without hesitation when you were short of funds? Have you ever seen me treat any trainee this well?"

Bai Lu immediately felt embarrassed, wrapped her arms around the man's neck, and offered him a kiss. "I shouldn't have said that to you just now. You're the best to me."

"Good to know." Zhang Wen rolled his eyes at the other person.

Bai Lu raised her pretty face, just as she was about to coax the man, when she suddenly remembered something he had just mentioned, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"What did you just say? Insufficient funding? You mean 'Perfect Days' is short of funds?"

"..."

Zhang Wen was taken aback, realizing that he had let something slip.

Faced with Bai Lu's questioning gaze, he knew that he couldn't hide it any longer even if he tried to deny it, so he simply confessed.

"Liu Haiyang approached me and said that with the existing funds, there was no problem finishing the TV series, but there was a lack of publicity funds. I asked him to give me a number, and then I invested the money in the form of equity."

"How much?" Bai Lu pressed.

"Not much, just thirty million," Zhang Wen said with a faint smile.

"So many?" Bai Lu asked in surprise.

She had never heard the producer or director mention such a big thing.

"Is it a lot? I don't think so. Even if it were 300 million, I would still pay for it, since you're my girlfriend." Zhang Wen said affectionately.

Now that the investment has been exposed, when else should we not pretend otherwise?

Bai Lu was instantly moved by Zhang Wen's words. The key was that the other party was not just talking; he had already taken action, which doubled the emotion.

"Darling, you're so good to me. I... I don't know how to repay you." Bai Lu hugged the man, nestled in his arms, and listened to his steady and strong heartbeat, feeling a sense of security.

“No, you know that,” Zhang Wen said seriously.

"Huh?" Bai Lu looked up, puzzled.

Zhang Wen glanced at the driver and assistant in the front row, then whispered in their ear, "Gao Yue is away on a business trip. It'll just be the two of us at home tonight, you know what I mean."

After saying that, he looked at the other person with a smile.

Bai Lu was taken aback at first, then her pretty face flushed red.

Then I remembered that Sister Yue went to Shanghai. Her flight was this morning, and she won't be back until tomorrow at the earliest.

A surge of secret joy welled up inside her; the man beside her tonight belonged only to her.

"Ah."

Bai Lu gave a barely audible response, as if to say: Watch my performance.

……

Time slipped away quietly amidst the collisions, the hands of the clock turning round and round, and before we knew it, it was already 10 p.m.

In the living room.

Just as Zhang Wen was holding Bai Lu, preparing for their rematch, his cell phone, which was lying to the side, suddenly rang.

He didn't want to pay attention, but the phone kept ringing, so he finally had to pick it up.

When he saw the caller ID, he was stunned for a moment; it was Chen Silu again.

However, it's understandable. When you encounter a crossroads in life, you naturally have to be very careful when making choices and consult with someone you trust most.

To be honest, Zhang Wen felt a little proud to be trusted by his students.

"Hey, Silu, it's so late, why aren't you resting yet..."

Before Zhang Wen could finish speaking, he heard Chen Silu crying.

"Teacher, I've gotten into trouble, boohoo."

"What's wrong?" Zhang Wen's smile vanished, and he became tense.

"Teacher, I... I hit the person in charge of the program's production company."

"what?"

Zhang Wen was stunned when he heard Chen Silu's tearful account, and even the large hand that was moving on Bai Lu's body stopped.

He had previously analyzed the situation very clearly for the other party, suggesting they either sign a contract with the program production company or refuse to sign one. But what's with the plan to beat up the person in charge of the production company?

"Chen Silu, don't cry, tell me what happened?" Zhang Wen asked curiously.

“Teacher Zhang, it’s like this. I decided to accept the company’s arrangement and sign a contract with the program production company. But when I came to meet the person in charge of the program production company with the assistant director, the other party kept trying to get me drunk. Not only that, but he also touched me inappropriately. In the end, I couldn’t take it anymore and slapped him twice,” Chen Silu said, choking with sobs.

Zhang Wenxin said, "Well done."

Previously, I thought the show's producers were trying every means to sign Chen Silu because they thought she had potential. But now it seems that the person in charge of the production team took a liking to Chen Silu and used coercion and enticement to try to take her for themselves.

If an artist has been in the industry for a long time but has little fame, they might choose to take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become famous, which can be considered as latching onto a powerful figure.

The problem is that Chen Silu is a newcomer, a greenhorn in the entertainment industry, who has not experienced the harsh realities of the industry. Naturally, she will not tolerate such physical abuse.

"Where are you now?" Zhang Wen asked.

"I'm outside the hotel, teacher, what should I do now?" At this moment, Chen Silu's mind was blank. She didn't know where to go or what to do next.

"It's getting late, you should go back and get some rest. We have to continue recording the show tomorrow," Zhang Wen said.

"Ah? But, but I hit someone," Chen Silu said worriedly.

“He hit you, so what? Do you expect him to go back and rub it in for you? You know how he feels about you. Unless you give in to him, even if you apologize in person, it won’t make a difference. Are you planning to give in to him?” Zhang Wen asked.

"No, he's older than my dad, I wouldn't do that," Chen Silu said disdainfully.

"So, you only have one path left now."

"..."

Upon hearing Teacher Zhang's words, Chen Silu was at a loss for words.

Looks like I'll just have to go back to sleep.

……

(End of this chapter)