2001 Media Godfather

Chapter 91 Overdoing it
Lin Wanxing's choice between the two options really stumped Chu An.

Previously, he had categorized brokerage firms into resource-based, promotional, and concierge-style service firms.

None of these three scenarios apply to Chu An now.

He had neither the resources nor the energy to be a nanny for Miss Wanxing.

As for publicity that relies on hype, there's even less need for that. Currently, the two people under my command—Lin Wanxing and Fei Mingyu—are both highly capable individuals.

For them, the best option is to take a steady and solid approach, build a reputation through their work, and then become evergreen figures in the entertainment industry.

Excessive publicity and hype can easily backfire.

This is also why Chu An has never been in a hurry to start a talent agency.

There's absolutely no need for that! It's so much more comfortable to accumulate initial capital steadily by being a plagiarist, isn't it?

Can I not want you?

"Huh!?" Lin Wanxing's eyes widened upon hearing this.

"Hey!" Feeling utterly humiliated, she said, "Mr. Chu, please get this straight, I, Lin Wanxing, am very famous, okay!?"

"Companies wanting to sign with me would line up from Houhai all the way to Yuanmingyuan, wouldn't they?"

"You're being picky now?"

Chu An scratched his head, "That's not what I meant. If Miss Wanxing takes a liking to me, it's like my Chu family's ancestral graves are emitting auspicious smoke, right?"

Lin Wanxing, "Stop!"

"Stop! I'm attracted to your abilities, not you as a person!" she said with a hint of disdain. "What a jerk! Who would want you?"

Chu An was too lazy to argue with her. "Right, right! You don't want me as a person, you only want my money, okay?"

Lin Wanxing, “???”

Why does this sound even harsher?

Chu An took advantage and ran, no longer pursuing the topic, saying, "If we weren't friends, and didn't share a room..."

"Pah! If we weren't brothers!!" Chu An became serious. "I'd be happy to sign you and be a hands-off boss, and you could work like a slave for the company."

"But who can blame us when our friendship transcends gender and transcends the boundaries between men and women?"

"Tch!" Lin Wanxing was very unhappy. When this guy was annoying, even praising you was irritating. "Who said we're above men and women?"

Chu An, "Signing with me now won't help you at all, do you understand?"

Chu An: "Most likely, I'll still have to take on roles and find resources myself. I'll just wait for my share of the money."

"If that's the case, you might as well not sign with the company!"

Lin Wanxing pondered silently, and it seemed to make sense. She muttered, "I just don't want to end up like Xu Shu, letting Tiandu be my cash cow."

"Wouldn't I feel more at ease signing with you?"

Chu An, "."

After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Never mind, I'll talk to your brother!"

He immediately called Lin Wanchen and asked him to come to the courtyard that evening.

Lin Wanchen certainly didn't dare to be negligent. On the way here, he also picked up some mutton and tripe. In the evening, the three of them chatted while enjoying hot pot with mutton.

"I came here because I support Wanxing signing in."

Lin Wanchen made his stance clear right away.

The family doted on Lin Wanxing and were afraid she would suffer outside, so they had Lin Wanchen set up a talent agency specifically to serve Wanxing.

But in the end, Young Master Lin also has his own ideals and ambitions.

He studied internet and finance abroad, so it's really a waste of his talents for him to be Wanxing's agent.

Now, Chu An is providing the money and ideas for setting up Weibo, which is exactly what Lin Wanchen wants to do.

So, naturally, I won't have the energy to take care of Lin Wanxing anymore.
"Why don't you just sign it? I'll give you an extra 10% commission as a broker."

Chu An was speechless. "This isn't about money!"

He then repeated what he had said to Wanxing to Lin Wanchen.

"She's at the peak of her career right now, it would be a waste to leave her with me."

When these words were spoken, Lin Wanchen couldn't find any rebuttal like Lin Wanxing.

Lin Wanchen immediately laughed, "If you put it that way, then Wanxing will definitely have to sign with you!"

Chu An, “???”

Lin Wanchen: "Aren't we brothers now?"

Chu An nodded, and Lin Wanchen continued, "Then tell me, why did my old man ask me to be his nanny?"

"I'm just afraid she'll get taken advantage of!"

At this point, Lin Wanchen said with some pride, "To put it bluntly, my family is not short of money, and we certainly don't lack the little money my sister earns as a star."

"As long as Wanxing is happy! But you know this industry better than I do."

"Even someone of Su Manqing's level can't avoid business socializing, let alone her?"

To put it nicely, it's called business socializing; to put it bluntly, it's just drinking with clients! The only difference is how important the people you're drinking with are.

How can we not be worried?

"Even if we take a step back and assume that all those dirty deeds are hidden from my Wanxing."

"And how many young girls in the industry have you seen being tricked and lured away by those high-ranking officials and wealthy people?"

Lin Wanchen was now acting out the role of a fiercely protective brother to the fullest, slamming his fist on the table and shouting, "Tell me, how can I not feel at ease?!"

"The fact that you can think of her shows that you are an honest and sincere person! I feel most at ease entrusting her to you!"

"Otherwise, do you think I could wholeheartedly manage your Weibo account?"

Chu An couldn't even refute what was said.

The key point is, Chu Anxin said, are you fucking sincere?
He's honest and sincere—you actually said that?

Young Master Lin's praise was so outrageous that even Miss Wanxing grimaced. Taking advantage of Chu An's inattention, she tugged at Lin Wanchen's sleeve, "That's too much! That's disgusting!"

Lin Wanchen, however, appeared confident and composed.

"You don't understand! There are always people who will take the sweetest compliments!"

This is true; the emotional value provided by flattery is incomparable to any other form of interaction.

Chu An was no exception. "Alright, then I'll try my best not to disappoint you!"

That's it.

Finally, Lin Wanchen directly handed over Qunxing Company to Chu An.

Okay! Saying it's a gift is a bit generous.

When Chu An took over, he discovered that it was just a shell company.

The lease for the office space in Shanghai has one and a half months remaining.

Apart from the four receptionists, the rest are Lin Wanxing's management team.

Aside from some office furniture and computers, we have no fixed assets.

"I seriously suspect that you two siblings have tricked me!"

To this, Miss Wanxing, who had already made the deed done, grinned mischievously and asked, "Regretting it?"

"It's too late!"

Chu An wasn't exactly regretful, but he was just annoyed. He had an extra company under his name, but he felt no joy at all.

After much consideration, the following arrangements have been made:

First, close the Shanghai office building of Qunxing and relocate the entire company to Shengjing.

Unfortunately, although Lin Wanxing's base is in Shanghai, it's too far and inconvenient.

We found a nearly abandoned courtyard near Houhai Lake. After renovation and preparation, we planned to use it as the office space for Qunxing Company.

Perfect timing! Lu Mingze's personal studio doesn't need to be located at his home, and Chu An doesn't need to bring every guest home.

Moreover, it's close to everywhere, which is very convenient.

Secondly, signing Fei Mingyu to Qunxing means he no longer needs to be affiliated with Lu Mingze. The same goes for Lu Mingze himself; his contract with Tiandu expires at the end of this year, and Tiandu knows they can't continue working with Lu Mingze. Furthermore, they don't want to antagonize Chu An, so they readily terminated their contract with Lu Mingze ahead of schedule.

As a result, Lu Mingze became the third artist under the management of Qunxing.

Third, now that we have artists, we also need to build management teams. We can't just take money and do nothing, can we?
Chu An formally contacted Lin Wanxing's management team and conducted a simple assessment.

The conclusion is: quite amateurish.

Lin Wanxing's agent is named Dong Yue.

She is a female college student who graduated from university two years ago, majoring in media.

Upon graduation, he was recruited by Lin Wanchen, and he only had a vague understanding of what an agent should do.

The remaining positions are quite comprehensive, including artist lead performers, artist planners, assistants, and so on.

But the situation is similar to Dong Yue's; they were all recruited by Lin Wanchen from outside the industry, and none of them were veterans.

If they switched to another agency, they could just fire him; there's no point in keeping him.

But Chu An was quite happy after learning about it.

"It's good to be an outsider, because outsiders are easy to teach."

Lin Wanxing was baffled by these words.

How are you going to teach it?

Chu An was quite confident, "Just watch me perform!"

First, Chu An suspended Dong Yue and the others from work. The task assigned to Dong Yue was, "For the next six months, you guys don't need to do anything but keep an eye on the renovation of the new company. Once the office is in use, you don't need to accompany Wan Xing anymore. Your main job will be the company's administrative management."

Lin Wanchen's selection of personnel wasn't entirely without merit; these newcomers do possess some talent in their respective fields. Placed within the company, personally trained and directed by Chu An, they might very well be able to fulfill their potential.

No one expected that the only person Chu An had high hopes for and was immediately training would be like this.

She was the assistant Lin Wanxing considered the least important!!
Lin Wanxing's assistant is named Ma Cuicui, who is only two years older than Wanxing and is a chubby little girl.

President Chu summoned her privately, but what puzzled Ma Cuicui even more was...
Chu An pressed her down in front of the computer, "I'm going to teach you how to be a top-notch assistant!"

Upon hearing this, Cui Cui immediately smiled and said, "Teacher Chu, I know that. Take good care of Wan Xing!"

"Don't worry, I'm very good at this."

As a result, Chu An didn't give him any face at all, "Wrong! Taking care of your artists is what you should do, but it's not the most important thing."

Ma Cuicui asked in confusion, "Then what else do I need to do?"

Chu An turned on his computer. "I'll give you half a month. I want you to take the entertainment industry, from actors to directors, from nobody to superstar."

"What are their surnames and given names, and what do they look like?"

"Memorize everything you can find about likes and dislikes, including scandals and negative reviews!"

Ma Cuicui, “.”

I don't understand at all. What is President Chu trying to do?

Even Lin Wanxing didn't understand, and pulled Chu An aside: "What are you doing? Aren't you making things difficult for her? What's the use of carrying all this stuff?"

Chu An glanced at her sideways, "The entertainment industry is just a social circle."

"Either you become a social butterfly, or you make a good impression on people at all times."

“You obviously don’t have the interest or the perseverance to remember everyone and ensure that you can greet and chat with every person in the industry you meet at the airport or backstage.”

"So, your assistant is your eyes, your teleprompter; she has to help you remember those people you might easily overlook."

Lin Wanxing, “.”

She looked at Chu An as if he were a monster; she had never known that Chu An could think so meticulously.

The problem is, "Half a month is too short, isn't it? Sister Cui Cui won't remember it."

Chu An: "That only means she's not suitable to be your assistant."

Lin Wanxing, “.”

Even Ma Cuicui, who was craning her neck to listen not far away, was speechless.

Chu An was clearly not joking. "Don't think I'm making things difficult for her. Actually, I'm helping her!"

“If she can really meet my requirements, you must give her a raise next year.”

"Otherwise, they will definitely be poached by others with high salaries."

Lin Wanxing, “.”

Chu An, "Do you know how much of a shock it would be if an artist of your caliber could bump into a nobody at the airport, accurately call out their name, and chat about their work?"

"If you can have a pleasant conversation with a completely unknown assistant director or screenwriter backstage or on set, how much will that help your popularity on set?"

"If you are photographed by a reporter, what value will the positive media coverage bring you?"

How much impact has this had on your reputation?

Chu An was extremely serious; this was all based on his experience from his previous life. Back then, he had established himself by relying on this skill of being an "entertainment industry expert."

"Do you understand? All of your performance was achieved with the help of your assistant. Tell me, how much is such an assistant worth?"

"This one skill alone is enough for her to establish herself in this industry."

Lin Wanxing stared wide-eyed, somewhat convinced by Chu An.

To her surprise, Ma Cuicui suddenly spoke up, "Teacher Chu, don't worry, I will definitely try my best to meet your requirements and I will not let you down!"

Ma Cuicui wasn't stupid; Chu An was teaching her a valuable skill that she would benefit from for life.

After settling Ma Cuicui in, "Fei Zhu" came running again, "Hey, can you arrange an assistant like Ma Cuicui for me too?"

"Pah!" Chu An showed no mercy to the pig. "We haven't even trained one yet, where are we going to find a second one for you?"

Time flies, and April is here in the blink of an eye.

The new company has already started construction, and Chu An has been completely handed over to Dong Yue and others.

Su Manqing sent news from the United States that she and Sophia had already selected filming locations in Europe and were working diligently on preparations.

He repeatedly reassured Chu An, "I will definitely be able to return to China in November, and I can dedicate the next four months of my schedule to 'You Are My Glory'."

Chu An then said flirtatiously, "Okay! I'm discussing the script with Lao Lu right now, and we're planning to add a few more kissing scenes."

Su Manqing isn't afraid of this; even a goddess can be a female hooligan. "Fine, let's make it clear first, I'll stick out my tongue."

Chu An immediately lost his composure, thinking to himself, "Why did I tease her?"
In mid-March, the homeroom teacher, Ms. Wang, had already submitted Chu An's application materials for the independent admission exam to the Central Academy of Drama.

Having successfully passed the initial review, the entrance exam is scheduled for early May.

Chu An had made ample preparations for this, but in reality, there was not much to prepare.

Both the impromptu performance and the analysis of the works are based on questions given on the spot. For a time traveler, it would be too embarrassing if Lao Lu had to pull strings and leak the questions.

I usually just do some practice questions at home.

The only thing he needed to prepare for before the exam was the personal talent show in the third round.

After much deliberation, Chu An placed great importance on this opportunity, as it was his first stepping stone to university in both his previous lives.

After careful consideration, I decided to make a short film to showcase my abilities.

To this end, a script was written and Lao Lu was consulted for guidance. An animation production team was also hired to help shoot a 16-minute animated short film.

The film was started in March and completed in early May, just before the entrance exams for the Central Academy of Drama.

After watching the finished film, Old Lu let out a wail, "It's over."

Chu An was already feeling uncertain, and his heart skipped a beat. "What's wrong?!"

Lu Mingze's expression was strange. "You..."

"I didn't cheat, but you made it seem like I did!"

"If this film is handed over to the Central Academy of Drama, it will be 100% assumed that I directed it for you; the freshmen don't have that level of skill!"

Chu An was a little confused. Was this a compliment or a scare tactic?
Little did they know, Lu Mingze wasn't exaggerating; he was telling the truth.

It's just a college entrance exam, so the work doesn't need to be too sophisticated; it even has to be rough, otherwise who would believe it was taken by a newbie?
With earnest words, he said, "The movie 'Hit, Hit a Big Watermelon' is a bit fake."

.

(End of this chapter)