How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 177 It would be better to just force it! [3rd update, please subscribe]

The filming of "Lost in 33" officially wrapped up today, and Wang Yao, as an investor, attended the celebration banquet.

"Mr. Wang, I've heard so much about you! I've heard your name so often on set that I'm practically calloused." Bai Baihe, as the female lead, finally met the rumored young and wealthy investor for the first time.

She is naturally outgoing and good at interacting with men. After all, she is one of the few female celebrities who publicly stated that men's infidelity is no big deal, and it is rumored that she often puts this into practice herself.

It must be said that in the era before the internet was developed, celebrities had a strong sense of 'real people', and each of them had typical characteristics of ordinary people, unlike in the future where everyone has a perfect persona.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bai. Actually, I often come to the film set to wander around, but it just so happens that you're not here." Wang Yao smiled.

"Alright, the boss is picking on me. He thinks I have a problem with my work attitude. I'll punish myself with three drinks." Bai Baihe laughed heartily.

"You just want to drink, huh?" Lei Jiayin retorted.

Bai Baihe rolled her eyes at him and smiled at Wang Yao, "Thanks to President Wang, Sister Hua has finally regained face in Chengtian. I'll toast you again."

Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly. Bai Baihe's mainland company had signed with a subsidiary jointly owned by Wang Jinhua and Cheng Tian. Although Wang Jinhua was later kicked out, she was still in charge of the company's contracted artists.

However, this time, "Lost in 33" is a collaboration with Stanley Kwan's company, and her deliberate mention of it must have had another purpose.

"Drink less. All the things that happen to you don't really concern me," Wang Yao said casually.

Bai Baihe seemed to realize that she had said something inappropriate, and quickly changed the subject.

“Xiao Bai has good talent, but she lacks opportunities. If you have a suitable role in the future, Mr. Wang, you can ask her for one,” Guan Jinpeng added.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good at acting, cheap, and super useful. I heard from Xiaoying that you have another movie coming out?" Bai Baihe said with a grin.

Zhao Liying, who was focused on cooking, perked up her ears upon hearing this and instantly became alert.

It turns out it was for "22.22".

Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly. "The company has signed a lot of artists recently, and the resources have been mostly divided up internally. However, we'll see how things go in the second half of the year. If the revenue is good, we can consider investing in a few more TV series. If there are suitable roles available, we can ask Ms. Bai for them."

"A TV series." Bai Baihe blinked, seemingly reluctant.

"Do you want to transition into a movie actor?" Wang Yao asked.

“Yes, there’s no production department now. It’s really awkward for a second-tier actor like me. Why don’t you take me in, Mr. Wang?” Bai Baihe tentatively suggested.

"Didn't your husband ask you to go to Huayi?" Wang Yao asked back.

Bai Baihe is now known as the "Crown Princess of Beijing Circle," and she also has the backing of two powerful figures, Wang Jinhua and Guan Jinpeng, who are her godfather and godmother, respectively. She shouldn't lack resources.

"With so many people lining up at Huayi, how could it be my turn, an outsider?" Bai Baihe sighed.

She recently learned about Wang Yao's resources from Wang Jinhua, and seeing that Wang Yao had signed newcomers like Zhao Liying and Zhang Tianai and given them leading or second leading roles in movies, she became extremely envious.

She is a rather pragmatic person. She got together with Yu Fan because she valued his network of connections. However, in recent years, Huayi has felt the power of capital and has gradually begun to break away from and abandon the old model of the Beijing entertainment circle.

People in the industry have noticed this change. In the past, people relied on personal connections, but now they rely on capital. Later, he switched to Wang Jinhua's tutelage and became her godmother, but he still couldn't get any good resources.

Most importantly, Tang Yan, the enemy's confidante, received a lot of resources every day, which made her feel very unbalanced.

She noticed that Wang Yao was promoting mostly newcomers, and the company didn't have any established stars. The only one who was relatively popular was Yang Mi, but she couldn't compare to Wang Yao. She thought that if she could switch jobs to Wang Yao's company, she could at least enjoy special treatment.

And another thing is, this young Mr. Wang is really good-looking.

Facing Yu Fan's face every day, she found that she not only couldn't get used to it, but was also becoming more and more resistant to it, which is why she tried to film outside and not go home.

Handsome, wealthy, and young—where can you find such a high-quality backer?

“If Miss Bai wants to come, I would naturally welcome her, but our company’s resources are all subject to fair competition.” As Wang Yao spoke, he felt someone rubbing against his leg under the table.

“Fairness is great! I hate it when people switch roles based on personal connections.” Bai Baihe smiled sweetly.

However, Wang Yao was not interested in her at all. If it weren't for her exceptional acting skills, he wouldn't have even considered signing her.

"Shadow, come and introduce the company's business to Sister Bai." Wang Yao waved his hand, patted Zhao Liying's head and laughed, "This is our company's top recruiter, she knows the company rules and personnel well."

Bai Baihe was somewhat surprised. She didn't have much time on set because she was busy filming and didn't have many scenes with Zhao Liying. She didn't expect that she would be taking on multiple roles.

What's going on with this company?
"Sister Bai, let me introduce you." Zhao Liying wiped her mouth and quickly got into recruitment mode.

Wang Yao turned to look for Lei Jiayin and Guo Jingfei.

"Mr. Wang." Guo Jingfei was relatively unfamiliar with Wang Yao and appeared somewhat reserved.

Guo Jingfei is a typical example of someone who graduated from an academic school and immediately began working in stage plays. She has made her way in the industry based on her solid reputation and acting skills, and she even won a Magnolia Award last year.

"Do you know Happy Twist?" Wang Yao nodded in greeting.

"Of course I know, the box office is phenomenal," Guo Jingfei said with a smile.

“Spark is also preparing to enter the offline theater business. Are you interested in coming and playing together?” Wang Yao said with a smile.

“If Wang Yao thinks highly of me, of course I’m willing. But I’ve really had enough of performing in stage plays.” Guo Jingfei said with a long face, pointing at Lei Jiayin, “If someone like him can be the male lead for President Wang, I think I’m better than him.”

Although Guo Jingfei is currently affiliated with the Shanghai Opera Troupe, he has already won all the awards he deserves because he mainly focuses on stage plays, and he has long had the idea of ​​switching to film and television dramas.

"What did I do wrong?!" Lei Jia retorted unhappily, already revealing her cowardly nature.

“Of course, the more talent the better, but to be honest, Jiayin should have told you about the company’s resource model. We don’t have that many mature scripts right now. I heard you have a good relationship with the screenwriter. Have him write a sequel to ‘My Own Swordsman,’ and I’ll invest in it.” Wang Yao waved his hand to interrupt the two’s argument.

"It really is, Mr. Wang." Guo Jingfei was overjoyed upon hearing this.

“President Wang, I also have a good relationship with Director Ning,” Lei Jiayin muttered.

“You guys should know Chen He pretty well, right? Ask him if he’s interested, and while you’re at it, introduce me to the director of ‘Love Apartment.’ I want to buy their rights,” Wang Yao said with a light laugh.

Guo Jingfei looked on with envy. Wang Yao's two sentences meant that he would invest at least 20 to 30 million yuan. Investing in projects was as easy as drinking water. This was the strength of Shanghai Tianjiao.

Seeing that Wang Yao seemed to lack talent, Guo Jingfei took the opportunity to recommend many friends, and Wang Yao readily agreed. After chatting for a while, they were interrupted by Yang Ying, who came from the film crew next door.

"Mr. Wang, Sister Kimi said you were looking for me." Yang Ying was recording the variety show "Fairy Clothes" and filled in for Zhao Liying's sweet style spot.

However, she opted for a sweet, Japanese-inspired look, with smoky eye makeup, a voluminous, seaweed-like perm, a sheer white dress that reached her upper body, and over-the-knee suede tassel boots, making her look both sweet and spicy. She was panting, probably because she rushed over after receiving Zhou Yougen's call.

"Oh, I was looking for her to take her to see the venue. She's abroad and won't be back until the day after tomorrow. I'll be out of Shanghai the day after tomorrow, so I asked her to send someone to come with me. I didn't expect it to be you. Let's go then," Wang Yao nodded, said goodbye to the others, and left the banquet hall with Yang Ying.

"Shadow, is she also from your company?" Bai Baihe asked in a low voice.

"It seems to be the Hong Kong branch; it was quite popular for a while during the Lunar New Year," Zhao Liying said with a smile.

"Haven't you heard about her rumored relationship with Huang Xiaoming?" Bai Baihe's eyes flashed with a strange light.

"Huh? What kind of scandal?" Zhao Liying asked, her face full of confusion.

"It's nothing." Bai Baihe shook her head, secretly speculating.

It seems this Mr. Wang still likes flamboyant types.

It was Yang Ying's first time being alone with Wang Yao. Sitting in that iconic Porsche Panamera, she had no time to appreciate the smoothness of the leather seats; her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst.

As the number of artists in the company increased, she definitely felt the pressure. For the past two months, she had been sent out to participate in various fashion shows. Finally, she got the opportunity to work on "Fairy Robe," but when she returned, everything had changed.

Nazha and Zhang Tianai, two previously unknown ordinary people, have been promoted to be more famous than her, and it's rumored that they're going to star in movies.

For this, she was scolded by Zhou Yougen, who believed that if Yang Ying had taken the initiative at all, these opportunities would have been hers, and tonight was her last chance.

Zhou Yougen is actually in Hong Kong and can fly back to meet Wang Yao tomorrow, but he deliberately made an excuse to have Yang Ying take his place in order to create an opportunity for Yang Ying.

Zhou Yougen gave Yang Ying a clear ultimatum: this was the last time he would help her, and he would be pushing Guo Biting down next.

Therefore, Yang Ying is currently very conflicted. It's not that she's afraid of making a commitment, but rather that she's afraid that rushing things without any preparation might arouse suspicion. Although she hasn't spent much time with Wang Yao, she feels that someone of Wang Yao's age who has achieved so much must be a very cautious person.

Moreover, she doesn't feel that she has any great advantage, especially after participating in the filming of "Fairy Robe". Every day she not only has to face two heavyweights, Zhang Meng and Zhang Yuqi, but also dozens of professional models with fair skin and long legs.

In an environment full of high-quality girls, she really lacked confidence and self-assurance because she had a people-pleasing personality and was prone to low self-esteem. She felt that as long as Wang Yao beckoned, all the girls in the "Fairy Robe" crew would line up to take the bait.

"Ouch!" The more he thought about it, the more urgent it became, and before he knew it, he had bitten his finger until it bled.

"I'll take you to eat later if you're hungry. What are you doing biting your nails?" Wang Yao glanced at her and laughed.

Yang Ying blushed instantly to the roots of her ears, her already slender body wishing she could shrink into the back of the chair, and whispered, "It's not that I'm hungry, it's just that I like to gnaw on my fingers when I'm distracted."

"There are generally only two reasons for thumb-biting. The first is the continuation of the oral stage in infants. Infants explore the world through their mouths, so they want to put everything they encounter into their mouths, and their fingers are the easiest to put in their mouths, thereby gaining a sense of security and psychological satisfaction."
The second is anxiety. Separation anxiety from parents during childhood or frequent changes in environment and homelessness can lead to a sense of powerlessness in the face of the environment when an individual is weak. In the end, they can only seek familiarity by biting their nails, which becomes a conditioned reflex. Which one are you? Wang Yao laughed.

"Wow, you got it right!" Yang Ying stared wide-eyed at Wang Yao in surprise. "I still like to grab anything I've never seen before and put it in my mouth the moment I see it. My friends all say I have pica. So that's why."

"Your parents weren't around when you were a child?" Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly.

“I was sent to Hong Kong to learn to be a model when I was thirteen. Although my parents were around, we didn’t spend much time together.” Yang Ying raised her signature fake model smile.

"That's quite an achievement." Wang Yao nodded.

Silence fell again in the car. Yang Ying fiddled with the lace trim on her skirt, her mind racing, trying to find a new opportunity to start a conversation.

I'm usually pretty good at awkward conversations, so why am I suddenly tongue-tied today?

"We've arrived," Wang Yao said, breaking the silence.

Yang Yingxin tensed up, realizing she had missed the best environment for a conversation. Zhou Yougen had said during his training that a car is the best enclosed environment for couples to get along, as it can stimulate each other's hormones.

It's okay, there should be a return trip!

Yang Ying cheered herself up, then looked out the window and froze.

Under the bright lights of Shanghai at night, the Peninsula Hotel's sign gleamed, and the air seemed to be filled with a unique atmosphere.

hotel?

Why did you bring me here?!
Yang Ying was startled. The car had already stopped at the gate, and the doorman skillfully opened the car door. She got out of the car in a daze, her mind blank, and followed behind Wang Yao.

It's not even 11 p.m. yet, which is the time when the Peninsula's customers' nightlife begins. As Yang Ying weaves through a diverse crowd of people dressed in extraordinary clothes and with distinct personalities, her body becomes even stiffer.

"Are you cold? Why are you shivering?" Wang Yao's gentle voice came.

Yang Ying was so shocked she almost screamed.

"Shall I get this lady a coat? The air conditioning has definitely gotten a bit too cold lately," Zhao Jiajia from the hotel asked with concern.

She was used to Wang Yao bringing different girls each time, sometimes even two at the same time. Especially after seeing the news and learning about Wang Yao's identity, she kept quiet and personally received them each time.

But behind the scenes, they gossip and share gossip on various forums and posts, even shipping Wang Yao and Liu Yifei as a couple. People in the hotel industry have always had a very open attitude towards relationships.

In particular, the top luxury hotel industry.

"No, no, no need to trouble yourself." Yang Ying quickly waved her hand to refuse, took a deep breath, and moved closer to Wang Yao.

Staring at the fluctuating numbers on the elevator, I gritted my teeth.

The elevator doors opened, and Zhao Jiajia led them to the top floor and began to introduce the functional areas.

"Make a note of these places where you can take photos, and share them with Kimi later," Wang Yao said.

"Huh? Okay." Yang Ying was stunned, and then followed Zhao Jiajia to familiarize herself with the venue.

What is this going to do?
"These places are fine to use, except for 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. when you can't take photos. You can ask me to let you know at any other time. The photos are really nice." Zhao Jiajia looked at Yang Ying with a big smile.

This girl is quite pretty, looks like she's mixed race. I wonder if she's a celebrity; I'll look her up when I get back.

"Okay." Yang Ying understood immediately upon hearing the word "take a photo."

So they were scouting filming locations.

While I breathed a sigh of relief, I also felt a little sad. I had prepared myself, but now I realized that I had gone to the wrong destination, and it seems that I will have to work hard to correct the course.

It's better to just go for it!

I'm really bad at taking the initiative!
(End of this chapter)