1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 130 Modeling Agency, Advertising Shooting, Behind the Scenes

Can you take what's said at a drinking party seriously?

Lin Xiyu expressed her doubts: "I think he's had quite a bit to drink, and he's not even speaking properly. Maybe he's just bragging. Can he really make decisions about his dad's business?"

"You do not understand."

My cousin waved her hand to interrupt her: "People from Shandong have a set of rules when it comes to drinking. Many business deals are made over drinks. If you don't drink, don't even think about doing business. If you're hosting a dinner party and you don't let people drink to their heart's content, they'll be unhappy and feel like you're looking down on them."

Lin Xiyu frowned deeply: "Liu Ye is the boss, just let him drink."

"Little sister, you still don't understand."

My cousin squinted her hazy, drunken eyes and said earnestly, "You're treating today, and those rich kids are all here for you. I'm drinking for you; if I don't get them drunk, I won't be able to get away."

"I don't believe you?"

A hint of guilt flashed in Lin Xiyu's eyes, and she said defiantly, "I just don't want to drink, what can they do to me?"

"Xi Yu, what are you doing standing outside?"

Before he finished speaking, Liu Ye came out of the private room and called to the two sisters, "Brother Ma is here and wants you to come over."

"Who is it?"

Lin Xiyu was very unwilling: "I don't even know him, why would he ask me to go over there?"

"Brother Ma is different from others. He owns an advertising and modeling agency, has a wide network of connections, employs dozens of models, and controls a lot of resources."

Liu Ye chuckled and leaned closer, his breath reeking of alcohol as he sprayed her face: "Brother Ma said he thinks you're a great catch and wants to hire you for an advertisement. This is fantastic news! They deal with big clients, and the fee for one ad starts at least at 100,000."

"Commercials?"

Lin Xiyu's ears twitched when she heard "ten thousand".

"Brother Ma isn't a local; he's from the south."

Liu Ye enthusiastically chimed in, "I'm not familiar with him either. It's just a coincidence. You remember the photographer we hired for the brochure shoot last time? He knows Brother Ma. I heard there was a gathering tonight, so we invited him too."

"It's him?!"

For some reason, Lin Xiyu suddenly thought of the strange expression that person had given her when he looked at her for the last time at the end of the shoot, and a very uncomfortable feeling welled up in her heart again.

"Zhang Ji is a photographer and knows people in advertising and modeling agencies."

Liu Ye, unaware of the inside story, was still trying to ingratiate himself: "I was also surprised that he was able to invite Brother Ma this time. Brother Ma is no ordinary person. He is different from other second-generation rich kids. He doesn't rely on his parents to make a living."

“He started from scratch and built his business himself. His advertising and modeling agency is all over the country, and he has worked with many celebrities. If it hadn’t been for a lucky coincidence that he happened to be in Jinan, Zhang Ji wouldn’t have had the chance to invite him here.”

"Would someone who works with celebrities even be interested in me?"

Lin Xiyu didn't believe it: "I may not have any other skills, but I am self-aware. I don't think I have any special abilities that would make him look at me differently."

"Sister Lei, please help persuade her."

Seeing that she was unmoved, Liu Ye kept giving his cousin meaningful glances: "It would be such a pity to miss such a good opportunity."

“Xi Yu, Ye Zi is right. Shooting commercials is a quick way to make money. Why not give it a try if you have the chance?”

When my cousin heard about the 100,000, she sobered up and said, "Besides, it's just a meeting and a chat. It's not even close to being settled yet. There's no need to think so much. If you're worried that Gu Bin won't agree, I'll talk to him for you. I don't believe there's anyone who would turn down money."

"You sound just like him."

Lin Xiyu couldn't help but laugh in anger when she thought of Gu Bin's joking remark about throwing money at someone.

"Right? Gu Bin said the same thing."

My cousin boasted, "Even the top scorer in the province said that, which means my IQ isn't low either, and we're on the same wavelength in terms of thinking."

"Ok."

Lin Xiyu was amused by her humorous tone and smiled with relief: "Since Gu Bin also wants me to experience firsthand how deep the water is in certain industries, I will grant his wish. I hope this big boss of the advertising modeling company will not disappoint me too much."

"That's right."

Liu Ye breathed a sigh of relief: "Come on, let's go in quickly, don't keep Brother Ma waiting."

"The way you're talking."

His cousin picked at her ear and teased him with a laugh: "It sounds like an old woman pimping on a red-light district street in ancient times."

"Cough cough."

Liu Ye choked on his saliva, almost choking to death.

-

The moment the door to the private room opened and the two sisters appeared in the doorway, the noise abruptly stopped.

Everyone inside turned to look at her, their gazes falling on Lin Xiyu, their expressions filled with complex and unreadable emotions.

"Brother Ma, that little girl with braids is Lin Xiyu."

Zhang Ji sat next to a shrewd-looking young man in his thirties who wore glasses, a shirt, and a tie, and introduced him with a slightly ingratiating air.

"She made a guest appearance on the special program 'Spring Water Family,' which caused a great sensation in Jinan. Now the young girl is quite a celebrity, and everyone in the old city knows her."

"Hello."

The young man stood up from his chair and politely extended his hand to Lin Xiyu: "I am Ma Tiancheng, the president of Tiancheng Advertising Model Agency. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello."

Lin Xiyu wasn't used to such a polite manner. She paused for a moment, then hesitated and didn't move.

"Xi Yu, shake hands."

Liu Ye kept giving her meaningful glances.

Leaving her hanging like this, she's not embarrassed, but he, the boss, is.

He was hoping to establish a connection with the other party so that he could be introduced to a pretty young model.

Not wanting to refuse Liu Ye, Lin Xiyu finally extended her hand under his urging.

The moment their hands clasped, she could clearly feel that the other person had deliberately used some force, and did not let go when she tried to pull her hand away.

"Mr. Ma, what do you mean by this?"

Lin Xiyu's expression changed, and a cold glint appeared in her eyes.

"The little girl is quite interesting; she looks like she's from the South, but her temperament is that of a true Northerner."

Ma Tiancheng's shrewd gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he smiled and released her hand.

"Mr. Ma is joking."

Lin Xiyu looked displeased: "I'm a native of Shandong, and I've never been to the South."

"Hey, Xiyu, don't be so harsh with your words."

Liu Ye chuckled awkwardly and tried to smooth things over: "Brother Ma was just a metaphor, nothing more."

He did it on purpose, to see how the other person would react.

If you act weak and let him manipulate you, who knows what might happen next.

Lin Xiyu had been taught by her maternal grandmother since childhood how to conduct herself in society, so how could she not see that Ma Tiancheng was doing this on purpose to test her?

"I didn't mean anything by it."

She scoffed inwardly and retorted bluntly, "I just want to make it clear to everyone here that I'm a native of Shandong, a spicy northern girl. Gentle and charming, tender and affectionate—none of that applies to me."

"Good, I like my sister's temper!"

"I like spicy girls, the spicier the better."

Li Zhi slapped his thigh and led the cheers.

The other spoiled rich kids echoed in unison, joining in the commotion. "Ahem."

Liu Ye was a little embarrassed and coughed awkwardly a few times.

"It's okay for a young girl to have a bit of a temper."

Ma Tiancheng, a seasoned veteran in the business world, smiled instead of getting angry: "Young people should be energetic. That makes them look more vibrant and lively, much more pleasing to the eye than a vase on a table."

"Thank you, Mr. Ma."

Lin Xiyu smiled enigmatically: "I wasn't compared to a pretty vase."

"Hahaha."

Ma Tiancheng pretended not to understand her sarcasm and clapped his hands and laughed: "This young lady has personality and is a good candidate to be a model."

"Xiaolin, are you interested in becoming a model?"

Zhang Ji chimed in from the side: "President Ma came here this time because he saw your talent and wants to invite you to join Tiancheng Advertising Model Agency as a formal contracted model."

What's so good about being a model?

Lin Xiyu pretended not to understand anything and smiled charmingly.

"Being a model means shooting commercials and walking the runway."

Zhang Ji, with his own agenda, earnestly persuaded, "With fame, you can collaborate with film and television companies to make movies and TV series."

"I'm only 168."

Lin Xiyu remained unmoved: "With that height, you probably can't be a model, right?"

"Wearing 10-centimeter heels would be about right."

Ma Tiancheng pushed his glasses up his nose with his hand, expressing his opinion in the manner of the CEO of an advertising modeling agency.

"Holy crap, ten centimeters?"

My cousin looked surprised: "It's so tall, how can you walk like that? You'll twist your ankle."

Zhang Ji chuckled awkwardly, "It's not difficult at all; you just need to practice diligently."

"I don't want to be a model."

Lin Xiyu didn't know why, but she just couldn't stand this person. She always felt that his gaze was a bit creepy, carrying an unsettling shrewdness and calculation.

Indeed, Zhang Ji wanted to use her to curry favor with Ma Tiancheng in order to achieve his own goals.

Ma Tiancheng appears to be very refined, but in reality he is morally corrupt and a genuine scoundrel.

He used the models from the advertising modeling agency as a means to attract clients, selling their bodies; none of them could escape his clutches.

He used exorbitant breach of contract penalties to threaten and intimidate them, preventing them from speaking out and resisting. They could only swallow their anger and become the playthings of men.

Ever since Zhang Ji saw Lin Xiyu, he had a bold idea: to give her to Ma Tiancheng as a stepping stone to enter the advertising modeling agency and become a department manager.

That's why he would go to any lengths to help him, and tirelessly persuade him: "Advertising modeling agencies are involved in a lot of business. As long as you sign a contract, you can earn a lot of money just from shooting commercials."

"To put it bluntly, they just won't sign a contract with you, so you can't shoot commercials."

My cousin understood the situation and scoffed, "If you want to cooperate, you don't even need to show some sincerity. My sister is a student at a prestigious university and is going to develop her career in Shanghai. How can she give up her bright future for a little bit of money?"

"Cough cough."

Zhang Ji was speechless after she said that, leaving him breathless.

"I don't know anything about advertising modeling agencies."

Lin Xiyu gave her cousin an appreciative look and quickly followed up: "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Mr. Ma. However, as you said, I can't give up my studies to become a model. If we can't work together without a contract, then I can only apologize for making Mr. Ma come all this way for nothing."

"Miss Lin, there's no need to make a decision so quickly. You can think about it some more."

Ma Tiancheng gave a fake smile, took out a business card from the inside pocket of his jacket and handed it to her: "I will be staying in Jinan for a few more days and will leave next weekend. If Miss Lin is interested, you can contact me at any time."

"Thank you, Mr. Ma."

Although Lin Xiyu spoke politely, accepted the business card, and placed it on the table, she did not show any gratitude whatsoever in her actions.

"You all continue drinking; I won't keep you company any longer."

Ma Tiancheng pretended not to notice her neglect, stood up from his chair, and took his leave.

"Brother Ma, let me give you a ride."

Liu Ye, preoccupied with the young model, diligently escorted her out of the private room.

Why did you invite him here?

Li Zhi followed him out, dissatisfied. When he returned, he blocked him at the door: "What's so great about the boss of an advertising modeling company? Acting all high and mighty on our turf, he doesn't take us guys seriously at all."

"Actually, I didn't know Ma Tiancheng would come."

Liu Ye didn't dare offend Li Zhi, so he bowed and smiled obsequiously: "Zhang Ji brought him. He and I worked together when we were shooting a promotional brochure. He said he wanted to bring someone along, and I felt bad refusing."

"Use your brain more in the future."

Li Zhi gave him a sharp tap: "Don't fawn over just anyone. Ma Tiancheng is no good. You play around with young models yourself, and you still dare to introduce Lin Xiyu to him."

"Brother Zhi is right."

Liu Ye nodded obsequiously in agreement: "It was indeed my oversight in this matter, I won't do it again."

"It's getting late, let them all go."

Li Zhi took a cigarette from the pack, put it in his mouth, and walked out casually: "I've had quite a bit to drink, I'm going out for some fresh air."

"Take care, Brother Zhi."

Liu Ye watched her leave and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

-

Outside a Shandong cuisine restaurant.

"Brother Ma, what do you think of that Lin Xiyu?"

Zhang Ji hailed a taxi and took Ma Tiancheng back to his hotel.

"The conditions are good."

Ma Tiancheng smiled wickedly: "It's just that his personality is a bit unpleasant and he's not easy to train."

"Once you're in the company, you can be molded and manipulated, and it's all up to Brother Ma."

Zhang Ji opened the car door for Ma Tiancheng, then reluctantly turned back and glanced towards the private room on the second floor.

"That's what I said"

Ma Tiancheng had reservations: "This isn't Guangdong after all. We're in someone else's sphere of influence, so it's best to be careful."

"Should I make up an excuse?"

A sinister glint flashed in Zhang Ji's eyes: "Let's bring her to the photo studio first and take some photos of her?"

The photos he mentioned were not ordinary photos, but rather explicit photos taken after people were drugged and rendered unconscious.

This is a strange tactic they use to blackmail underage girls.

"This isn't urgent."

Ma Tiancheng, shrewd and calculating, said: "Let's leave her hanging for a few days. When she gets anxious and comes to us on her own, she won't be able to disobey us."

"Brother Ma is really thoughtful."

Zhang Ji, shamelessly flattering Ma Tiancheng, watched him get into a taxi before getting in himself.