Artists under the Rebirth of the Coal Boss

Chapter 222 The Gears of Fate Begin to Turn!
Da Peng had also heard some rumors about Lin Xingzhuo's acting skills and was initially a little worried, but after spending half a day with him, he was quite impressed.

"Brother Zhuo, your acting was superb!"

"He perfectly captured the feeling of a marginalized person in the workplace, working with their head down in the office!"

Qiao Shan, who had joined Group B, also came over to look at the preliminary rendering on the monitor and joked:

"Oh my god, Zhuo-ge, you have such a great sense of life! You're so talented!"

"This feeling is like that of a hard-working, miserable office worker who's spent their whole life in the business world..."

Lin Xingzhu awkwardly touched the tip of his nose, never expecting that his work experience from his previous life could still be used when filming "Men's Diary," and said:

"Um... it was just an average performance..."

…………

Wow! !

Zhao Yihuan grabbed the handrail of the pool steps and gracefully rose from the blue water.

Pattering!

The blue bikini clung tightly to her natural curves, water droplets slid down her full bust, gathering into thin streams between her taut waist and abdomen, trickling down in fine lines...

Lin Xingzhu handed a dry towel to Zhao Yihuan.

Zhao Yihuan took the towel, dried her hair, and took Lin Xingzhuo's arm, saying, "Dapeng, did you tell Brother Zhuo about that?"

Da Peng said, "Brother Zhuo, could we put in a good word with Tiger Eye Vision Group about the publicity resources for our project?"

"It's about getting the Jinyang Information Center to provide more support in terms of online promotion..."

Lin Xingzhuo exhaled a puff of smoke and asked, puzzled, "I've been busy dealing with things in South Korea lately and haven't paid much attention. Are we running out of publicity resources?"

Da Peng explained helplessly, "The three of us main actors are all newcomers. We've already spent more than enough on celebrity guest appearances, so we're short on publicity funds..."

Lin Xingzhuo took a drag of his cigarette and said, "I remember your former employer, Sohu Entertainment, was quite supportive of this project back then, wasn't it?"

Da Peng and Qiao Shan exchanged a glance, then shook their heads with wry smiles.

Zhao Yihuan said directly, "When our 'The Swindler' was released, it coincided with the release of Sohu's self-produced drama 'Zhao Ganlu's Elevator Adventure,' with the two web dramas competing against each other..."

"Sohu had high hopes for the web series adapted from the online novel 'The Story of Me and My Beautiful Colleague Being Trapped in an Elevator Overnight,' but it was completely crushed in the end!"

"I heard that Zhang Chaoyang was very unhappy and personally ordered the banning of 'Diaosi Men'!"

Lin Xingzhu listened to Zhao Yihuan's story.

I can't help but marvel at the butterfly effect I've created; its impact is so great that it has actually caused Zhang Chaoyang and Da Peng, two well-known talent scouts in the Chinese entertainment industry, to turn against each other...

Da Peng said, "President Zhang has been busy with the listing of its subsidiary Changyou on NASDAQ lately, so it shouldn't have been an order from him personally..."

Lin Xingzhuo said, "Changyou? The one that developed the 'Tian Long Ba Bu' game..."

Da Peng nodded: "That's right, it's a subsidiary of Sohu..."

Lin Xingzhuo said, "It wasn't a personal order, so the ban still exists?"

Da Peng said, "I heard from a former colleague that the higher-ups did indeed spread the word that 'Mao Pian' was the one who launched the sneak attack and disrupted Sohu's self-produced drama strategy!"

"Now, all of Sohu's online drama collaborations with Tiger Shadow Star are frozen!"

"They even used their connections to demand a ban on 'Men's Diary'! I was just a nobody who left the company normally, but I've inexplicably become a traitor to Sohu who ran away with the project!"

Lin Xingzhuo said, "Slinging mud in the media is a basic practice for internet companies. Sohu is the Whampoa Military Academy for internet entrepreneurs and has a great influence in the internet industry."

Da Peng sighed and said, "Because of Sohu's actions, many smaller platforms have canceled their previously agreed-upon collaborations."

“The leading platforms, such as Youku, Tudou, and 56.com, took the opportunity to lower prices and reduce their support for exposure.”

"The homepage exposure we had agreed upon with 56.com has also been cancelled..."

"Our company's marketing and publicity department has held several market analysis meetings, but they are not very optimistic about our show."

"I talked until my lips were sore, but they were only willing to buy a basic VIP technical service package from Jinyang Information Center."

Lin Xingzhuo extinguished the small Zhongnanhai sun and said:
"Okay, once it goes live, if the data feedback is good, I'll have the Jinyang Information Center upgrade the service package to SVIP!"

Qiao Shan quickly flattered him, saying, "Oh! Brother Zhuo! You're so loyal and generous!"

Da Peng was also very touched: "Thank you, Brother Zhuo!"

*Smack!*
Zhao Yihuan completely ignored the gazes around her and kissed Lin Xingzhuo directly on the lips.

…………

In the evening, Lin Xingzhuo treated the main creative team of the film crew to dinner in a large private room on the second floor of Meizhou Dongpo Restaurant.

Da Peng also invited Shen Teng, Li Daimo, and Bai Jing, who made guest appearances in the first season of "Men's Diary"...

Shen Teng raised his wine glass and clinked it with Qiao Shan's, jokingly saying, "Qiao Shan is a role that can only be played by himself; no one else could play it!"

Qiao Shan said with a smile, "I love this role so much that I'd rather spend my whole life in a bathhouse."

Lin Xingzhuo was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and it seemed that it was indeed true...

Shen Teng said, "When our web series airs, if you get your feet massaged in Baiziwan and get arrested by the police, your character will be even more solid!"

Da Peng said, "Once this show airs, Cadillac will definitely want Qiao Shan to be their spokesperson!" Qiao Shan downed his drink in one gulp and said, "Absolutely!! Our image is such a perfect match for Cadillac!"

Qiao Shan hadn't expected this.

Cadillac ultimately chose Gu Ai Ling over him...

…………

The waiter brought out Dongpo pork knuckle, boiled fish, and sweet and sour plum ribs one after another...

Li Daimo, a singer who was already somewhat famous in the bar scene in the capital, swung around with a wine jug in his hand, and then sang "New Endless Love" in the private room, making the atmosphere at the table even more lively.

Zhao Yihuan, Liu Yan, and Bai Jing were whispering to each other.

…………

Looking at the scene of clinking glasses and lively conversation, Lin Xingzhuo thought of the phrase, "The gears of fate have begun to turn."

At this moment, Da Peng probably never imagined that his frivolous, compliant, and straightforward accumulation would actually settle down in great ways.

Shen Teng never imagined that he would become a huge star many years later with "Goodbye Mr. Loser";
Li Daimo never imagined that after his rise to fame, he would disappear from the public eye for ten years.
Liu Yan never imagined that she would ultimately need to rewrite her own identity through works that defy the conventions of this place.
As for Bai Jing, she will pass away in a few years, dying a violent death...

…………

"Men's Diary" offers a mix of humor and sophisticated comedic elements.

Looking back at this starting point, I am amazed by a person's progress, and also amazed by some things that are deeply rooted.

Lin Xingzhuo looked at the table and saw Da Peng boasting about his ability to "hitch a ride with a celebrity".

This guy! His tenacity is truly amazing!!

………………

Zhao Yihuan was completely drunk when Lin Xingzhuo was about to take her home.

Zhang Youqian came over and barged into the room, saying bluntly, "Brother Zhuo, the situation in Hong Kong has changed!"

Lin Xingzhuo was gently stroking Zhao Yihuan, who was slumped over the table, when she asked, "Did something happen to Zhu Yilong?"

Zhang Youqian explained, "The production team of 'The Piano in a Factory' informed Zhu Yilong that he had passed the audition and would be playing a fourth-billed role called Kuaishou."

"There's a scheduling conflict right now."

"Ye Ge asked Zhu Yilong for his opinion, and he still wanted to film 'The Piano in a Factory'."

Lin Xingzhuo said, "So, you want me to film that movie in Hong Kong?"

Zhang Youqian said, "Well, right now only your schedule is open, Brother Zhuo."

Lin Xingzhuo spilled the Snow Beer Gold Label on the table and said somewhat unhappily, "It's such a rare holiday..."

Zhang Youqian reassured her, "Don't worry, I've read the script. It's a very short urban romance film, with an expected shooting period of fifteen days."

"The female lead is Yang Qianhua, so the male lead role is out of the question. The investors want an authentic Hong Kong style, so we've set our sights on the second male lead."

Lin Xingzhuo had no objection to this.

…………

As a newcomer, the most difficult thing is actually playing the male lead in a TV series for the first time.

As long as it succeeds.

It will be easier to take on roles in the future; it will be natural for me to stop accepting non-leading roles!

Alternatively, one could start as a supporting actor in a blockbuster movie or lead in a low-budget, niche film, and then return to playing the lead role.

Conversely, if it fails, then it will be troublesome!

Not only will all the resources invested in the early stages be wasted, but they may also be trapped in a long-term supporting role vortex.

He might actually get trapped in the "golden supporting actor" persona for life!
…………

Lin Xingzhuo rushed back to pack her things, called Zhao Yihuan's assistant, and asked Liu Yan and Bai Jing to keep an eye on things for her.

After Lin Xingzhuo left, Zhao Yihuan, who had been passed out drunk and slumped on the table, staggered up and went to the bathroom.

Bai Jing and Liu Yan were worried, so they followed.

Zhao Yihuan entered the women's restroom, tossed her hair in front of the mirror, and instantly became clear-headed, showing no signs of drunkenness. She then made a phone call to her assistant.
"Well, I see."

"Before you come, cancel the waterbed room at the Wan'ai Lovers Hotel. That idiot went back to pack his things and head to Hong Kong..."

Liu Yan and Bai Jing: "..."

The two of them finally understood what it meant for the most elite hunters to appear in the form of their prey...

………………

The following day at noon, Lin Xingzhuo, Zhang Youqian, and Xiao Ma arrived at Terminal 2 of Hong Kong Airport.

Lin Xilei personally picked them up from the airport and helped them settle into the hotel.

(End of this chapter)