Rebirth of Chinese Entertainment, the Diary of a 95 Flower

I heard from Yang Chaoyue that Jiangyang Company offers exceptionally good benefits, and the boss seems to be quite clueless.

Once, when I was getting paid, they gave me an extra zero. What a great boss!

How many more years can I continue being a model?
The harder you try, the more you realize that your efforts are worthless.

I don't want to give it my all only to end up living an ordinary life.

I don't want to work so hard taking on commercial orders as a model anymore.

They want to rely on connections and take shortcuts.

I want to go to Jiangyang Company and make money while lying down.

I don't know if Zhang Ruonan holds any position in Jiangyang Company, but she's at least a contracted artist, someone who should have some influence.

I arrived at the table and ate a few bites of food.

Looking out the window, you can see a tributary of the Qiantang River in the distance, a hazy gray-blue color, with cargo ships slowly passing by.

You can also see the top floor of the library of Hangzhou University of Electronic Science and Technology, as well as the neon signs of the Gaosha commercial district.

There's a milk tea shop called Mixue Ice Cream that just opened this week and is having a promotion. It moved from the Shangcheng District, so I'll have to check it out when I have time.

The phone vibrates.

I received a message from my landlord: ["Remember to transfer this month's rent. Keep the same Alipay account, don't use WeChat. Starting from the 1st of this month, WeChat withdrawals will incur a fee."]
After replying to the landlord.

Bai Mengyan created a new group chat and planned to add Yang Chaoyue and Zhang Ruonan.

Thinking about a name for the group chat.

I got it.

She edited the group chat nickname to "[Top Three Rich Women]".

Send Yang Chaoyue a screenshot of Jiang Yang and Lu Han's duet of "Rose Boy" from the live stream: ["Chaoyue, your boss wrote such a great song."]
Yang Chaoyue replied: ["Really? I'll listen to it when I get home tonight."]
"Weren't you there?"
[“I’ve been listening to my calorie music, but I can never remember the beat. I’m afraid if I listen to it again later, I’ll forget it when I get on stage.”]
Yang Chaoyue sent another message: [“But the boss only sold this song to Lu Han for 800,000 yuan, that's such a loss.”]
"The melody, tune, and lyrics of this song are all fantastic, even for someone like me who's not an expert. If I had heard it when I was a trainee at SM Entertainment and was eliminated, I might have cried. Lu Han definitely made a good deal by buying it for 800,000."
"Yeah, my boss is such a brainless idiot, he doesn't even know how to make money. If it were me, I'd at least round it up to a whole number."
[“How much is it if we round it up? A million? A million is a bit low.”]
"One billion."
Bai Mengyan stared in disbelief.

I had indeed underestimated Yang Chaoyue's greed for money.

She edited the text: [“Chaoyue, are you in charge of your company's HR or finance?”]
Yang Chaoyue replied: ["I want to manage the finances, but Brother Yang won't let me. He said I would embezzle public funds. He's just a snob."]
Bai Meng's R&D message: ["We really can't let you manage the finances. You act like you've never seen money before. If we put you in charge of finances, your boss will sue you sooner or later."]
Yang Chaoyue replied: [“Ha, sue me? There aren’t even any ledgers, what evidence do you have to sue me?”]
After chatting for a while, I realized that Yang Chaoyue had changed.

When we first met, we were quite cautious when talking about company matters.

Now they even dare to talk about how to embezzle company money.

With such a weak sense of law, no wonder they signed with Jiang Yang's company without even reading the contract.

However, there is one thing Bai Mengyan is certain of.

Judging from Yang Chaoyue's arrogant attitude, she must be the top female star in the company.

After adding Yang Chaoyue to the group, she sent a message to Zhang Ruonan: ["Ruonan, is your company still hiring? I'd like to join your company too. Do you remember when we used to wear down jackets together in the summer to shoot winter clothes and got heatstroke?"]
Get close first.

Bai Lu received a reply from Zhang Ruonan: [“Bai Lu, I’ve changed my name. I’m now called Ruonan.”]
I noticed that the other person no longer mentions our past friendship.

Has it changed too?

Is she still the same Zhang Ruonan I remember, who was simple-minded, honest, and always transferred money home as soon as she received it?

Will they still help me?

Can we still rely on our past friendships?

I feel unsure.

Bai Mengyan went to the window and took a picture of the rooftop of the library at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in the distance.

Send it to Zhang Ruonan.

Edited text again: [“Ruonan, look, I moved to Hangzhou. Your school is so close to me.”]
Bai Lu received a reply from Zhang Ruonan: ["Bai Lu, please don't call me Ruonan anymore, I'll call you Ruonan now."]
Cold, indifferent words.

Bai Mengyan felt a chill run down her spine after seeing this.

Reality has taught me not to believe in fairy tales; people do change, after all.

I'm not afraid of my friends doing better than me; I'm afraid they'll forget me.

I once jokingly told Zhang Ruonan that we should not forget each other if we become rich and powerful.

But how many truly wealthy people still remember their old friends?

She stopped trying to be friendly and went straight to the point: "[I want to sign with your company, would you be willing to help me?]"
After saying that, he covered the phone screen on the table.

She took a bowl out of the refrigerator, heated the food inside in a pot, and brought it out. She then discovered that Zhang Ruonan had replied to her.

Only two words: [“Willing.”]
Bai Mengyan paused, then typed: ["Really?"]
["real."]
"Why? I'm no use to you anymore, I can't help you with anything. You're an actress now, and I'm still just a model."
Zhang Ruonan replied: [“Because we’re friends, Sister Bailu.”]
Zhang Ruonan sent another message: "I studied at a continuing education college, and you studied at a junior college. We both understand how the other feels about being discriminated against because of your educational background. Although I am no longer a model, I will never forget the days when we were models and took orders on Taobao together."

It was nearly 40 degrees Celsius that day. We were crammed into a studio without air conditioning to shoot down jacket photos. Look, I was about to get heatstroke. I was so hot, but he kept fanning me. In the end, the seller still thought my expression wasn't sweet enough and deducted 200 yuan from my pay.

You said this industry is fucking tough, and I nodded. Neither of us mentioned giving up.

Now that I've signed with Jiangyang Company and have acting opportunities, every time I pass by the film studio, I still think of the days when we ate boxed lunches together. You said you were my senior and should give way to me, and you always put food on my plate.

You always say this industry relies on connections. I didn't understand it then, but I do now. But an actor in my company named Hao Chun also said that connections shouldn't be a cold exchange of interests.

I know you might think now that I'm doing well, you want my help but can't bring yourself to ask, but Sister Bailu, you're wrong. Back when we were saving up to share a cup of milk tea, you said that whoever became successful in the future would help the other out, and that we shouldn't forget each other when we were rich and powerful. Now it's my turn.
Bai Mengyan read through each line.

She pursed her lips, her eyes moist.

Eyes red.

It turns out Zhang Ruonan still remembers.

I've gotten used to being slapped in the face by reality, yet there are still people who remember how strong-willed and stubborn I once was.

She edited the text: [“It’s not even evening yet, why get sentimental?”]
The message wasn't sent out in time.

I saw another message from Zhang Ruonan: "You say that if you have no value in this society, no one will help you. But in my eyes, the name Bai Mengyan is valuable. You used to say that you were a piece of trash eliminated by SM Entertainment, but I know that there is a stubborn girl inside you who refuses to admit defeat."

That stubborn girl is still there, but life has forced her to kneel for too long.

Stand up, I'll help you.

"You said you had no connections? Now I'm your connections. My former junior can finally lend me a hand."
I stared at it, stunned, for quite a while.

The junior schoolmate I used to protect has really grown up.

Ever since he was eliminated by SM Entertainment, he always tells himself to give it another try.

But as they continued working on it, they even forgot why they were working on it in the first place.

I don't know when it happened, but I've already knelt down in despair.

Then came another message from Zhang Ruonan:
"Do you remember when we used to play games together, like that prince saving the princess game? Back then, we always said that justice would prevail, hard work would pay off, and true love would last forever. Looking back now, I really think I was so naive back then."

Because I just realized that even the love my parents gave me was conditional.

Sometimes, I'd rather stay naive.

When my boss signed me, I asked him why he chose me, and he said, "You're nothing special, but you have a certain drive in your bones."

So now, I want to be like him, not to calculate whether it's worth it or whether it's useful, but simply to lend you a hand.

Because I know you are not the useless person you mock yourself for; you are Bai Lu, who wore short sleeves in winter to take pictures of summer clothes, shivering from the cold while still adjusting her expression.

You are the Bailu who, even after being scolded ten times by the business owner, can still smile and ask, "Want another one?"

We've been slapped in the face by reality long ago, and we know that this world is unreasonable.

Even my parents wouldn't be kind to me for no reason, and my boss also tells me not to let my emotions get the better of me at work.

But you helped me.

I just want to be nice to you for no reason; I'm just letting my emotions get the better of me.

But if you call me Ruonan again, I'm really going to start swearing.
PS:

Bai Lu: "Thank you to book friend 20200414200719983 for the support... We once believed that hard work would be seen, but later we realized that the world only sees the results."

Bai Lu: "Thank you to the great master Jun Bujian Shentong Buqiang Tianshu for giving me a talisman... When I was a child, I thought that I could change the world when I grew up, but I realized that it is amazing if I can avoid being changed by the world."

Thank you for the 2000 points reward from "Dushuxiaode Pochaxiang".

Thank you to the user "与时同舒" for the 5 monthly votes.

Thank you to reader 20180801014942785 for the two monthly tickets.

Li Bai knelt in gratitude.

Everyone, please check in at the thread created by the fairy master and the flawed building in the book review section. If it reaches 1,000 posts, we'll add 50 more chapters.

Please vote for me with your monthly tickets! It's almost the end of the month, I'm begging for your votes! (End of Chapter)