How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 24 was quite tough.
Wang Yao declined Chen Tao's invitation.

After all, their relationship hadn't reached the point where they could visit each other in person.

Finally, Wang Yao arranged a place to treat Chen Tao to a meal. Although the credit limit wasn't increased, Chen Tao came up with an idea.

If it's just for short-term use, you can apply for a regular credit card. Right now, the credit limit is high, and Wang Yao's qualifications should be good enough for a limit of over 10. Then you can use the credit card for installment payments.

Wang Yao thought it was a good idea, and after dinner, he went to the bank with Chen Tao to complete the formalities.

Even with someone helping him, it took Wang Yao an entire afternoon to complete all the procedures. The credit card was approved on the spot, and to his surprise, the limit was 20 yuan.

It seems my credit history is quite valuable.

Afterwards, he bought Chen Tao two cartons of cigarettes. After some back and forth, Chen Tao accepted them and they agreed to have dinner at his house next time.

Because of his past life as a person who had broken his promises, Wang Yao had never used a credit card, and for a moment he felt a little sentimental.

I've also fallen into path dependency, always thinking about generating cash flow, ignoring the fact that I can still leverage my finances.

It seems that many of my previous money-making plans and ideas need to be adjusted.

Just as Wang Yao was pondering his new plan, he received a call from Luo Hongming.

"Mr. Yao, are you busy?" Luo Hongming's voice had a smug tone.

They must need to talk to him about something.

"Just finished working, what's up?" Wang Yao asked.

"I'll treat you to a meal to thank you for introducing us to the job," Luo Hongming said with a smile.

"Let's get down to business," Wang Yao chuckled.

"I'm really inviting you to dinner. Do you have time?" Luo Hongming said seriously.

"Alright, what do you want to eat?" Wang Yao smiled.

"Let's go to Haidilao, college students get a discount," Luo Hongming said, giving the address and time.

We were originally going to ask Zhou Cong to join us, but Zhou Cong is now so focused on his online store that he's too busy shipping orders to even eat.

Wang Yao had no choice but to go to the meeting alone.

When Wang Yao arrived at Haidilao last time, he discovered that there was another person besides Luo Hongming and Liu Hao.

Sure enough, those who offer unsolicited favors are either up to no good or are thieves.

"Mr. Yao, let me introduce you. This is a junior from our broadcasting department. She happens to be in Shanghai too, so we invited her along," Liu Hao said.

"Hello, Mr. Yao, my name is Ni Ni." Ni Ni greeted him with a bright and generous smile, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

"Hello, you can just call me Wang Yao." Wang Yao's mind raced.

Is Ni Ni a junior of Luo Hongming and Liu Hao?
He didn't really know much about Ni Ni.

However, I inevitably learn about her when writing articles and watching short videos, but because she is not very popular among female characters in the entertainment industry, she doesn't have a strong presence, and I haven't specifically looked into her.

However, as far as I remember, Ni Ni should still be an ordinary person who hasn't debuted yet.

"Let's eat and chat. Mr. Yao, what were you busy with this weekend? When we went to your house, only Zhou Cong was there, and he made us do hard labor for half a day." Luo Hongming complained.

"I went to the clothing market for a bit, thinking I'll start a side business," Wang Yao said casually.

"Clothing City? Are you going to do clothing business?" Ni Ni took the initiative to strike up a conversation, showing no shyness whatsoever.

"Yes, I'm planning to open an online store to sell women's clothing." Wang Yao nodded.

"An online store? A Taobao store? Will it sell well?" Ni Ni asked bluntly, without any of the taboos one might have when meeting someone for the first time.

It was even a bit presumptuous.

I don't know if it's because of her straightforward personality or low emotional intelligence.

"It should be alright. It's a side hustle, you have to try it." Wang Yao smiled.

Ni Ni suddenly stood up, turned around in front of Wang Yao, and showed herself off.

She wore a pair of shiny black Martin boots, and her straight, rounded hips and legs seemed unable to be contained even by the resilient fibers of her jeans.

The loose-fitting, high-necked brown sweater couldn't hide her slender waist or her long, graceful neck, but unfortunately, it lacked any curves.

Her slender figure, which is not the typical skinny type, and her upright posture, even surpassing that of most models, is likely the result of years of dance training.

She isn't the typical striking beauty like Gulnazar, but she's the kind of person who's easy to remember.

This outfit, paired with this figure, wouldn't look outdated even ten years from now.

"Tsk, why did it suddenly start displaying its feathers while we were eating?" Liu Hao frowned in surprise.

"Mr. Yao, what do you think of my outfit?" Ni Ni asked with a smile.

"So, you want to work as a model for our company?" Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly, having roughly guessed the purpose of today's dinner.

“No, I meant if you need a buyer? I’ve been a buyer since my freshman year of college, I’m very experienced and have a great eye for aesthetics,” Ni Ni said.

The profession of "buyer" has emerged in recent years, stemming from the rise of the personal shopping agent industry. As a result, many trendy men and women who consider themselves to have good taste began to share their outfits on various platforms, which can be considered the earliest model of selling products through fashion.

The driving force behind this was the intrusion of international fashion capital into the Chinese market, which promoted the profession of buyer and later launched many fashion programs related to buyers.

“It’s clear that Miss Ni has excellent taste in clothing, but my online store is a small investment, and it sells fast-fashion items. It’s a waste of your talent,” Wang Yao politely declined.

“It’s okay, I don’t need a salary, just room and board.” Ni Ni’s smile remained unchanged. She didn’t seem to care at all about the embarrassment of being politely refused.

This is a quality of an excellent salesperson.

Wang Yao suddenly became curious, "Is Miss Ni interested in online stores or does she want to hone her buying skills?"

There has to be something in it for us, right?
Wang Yao wasn't so narcissistic as to think the other person was just after sex.

“I’m interested in making money, hehe.” Ni Ni smiled. “My senior said that you are the same age as me but you can become a vice president in such a big company. I think I can definitely make money by following you.”

"What kind of logic is that?" Wang Yao was taken aback.

"Well, let me explain," Luo Hongming said awkwardly.

Yesterday, he edited and released "The School Beauty is Here," and then forwarded it to the school group in hopes of getting some friendly reposts and views in order to show off.

After watching it, Ni Ni thought this model was very interesting. She thought that if this kind of video could be done well in the future, it might become an advertising channel for buyers to showcase their outfits. Since she was going to Shanghai to promote her products, she begged Luo Hongming and Liu Hao to arrange a meeting for them to meet Wang Yao.

Ni Ni also stated that she originally intended to introduce boutiques to Wang Yao for advertising purposes, earning herself a commission.

But when I heard that Wang Yao was starting an online store, I figured he was going to start his own business, so I thought I could try working with him.

"You can see a business opportunity from a video?" Wang Yao asked, somewhat surprised.

“Of course, although the number of views is not high yet, if it really becomes popular in the future, the outfits of those interviewees may become a trend. However, they need to be carefully coordinated. Your show needs a stylist, otherwise the outfits will not be eye-catching and it will be difficult to become popular.” Ni Ni said seriously.

"Then why not participate in this program directly? You can join the company, there are five social insurances and one housing fund guaranteed, and you'll be doing an internship in your junior year, right?" Wang Yao said with a smile.

“Yes, I’m the same as you, I’m also looking for a side job, because I’ll probably be filming for a long time to come,” Ni Ni said.

"Filming?" Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Ni Ni has been chosen by Director Zhang to make a movie. She's going to be a big star in the future," Liu Hao joked.

"Director Zhang?" Wang Yao pretended not to know.

"There's only one Director Zhang in China." Luo Hongming raised an eyebrow.

"Don't listen to their nonsense. I was just selected for this opportunity, and I'm not even sure I'll get the role. The entertainment industry is too complicated. I don't think I have a chance; I'm just a runner-up."

"So many people have associate degrees, why choose me? I'm just here to join in the fun. If the movie becomes a hit, I can use this resume to impress people." Ni Ni smiled serenely, completely open and honest.

Wang Yao was somewhat surprised by her clarity and rationality.

After all, that's Director Zhang! Almost all the leading ladies he's starred in are world-renowned.

Can a girl of this age resist the temptation to become the next Gong Li or Zhang Ziyi?

Most girls, upon learning of this opportunity, would definitely go all out and pay any price to get it.

Such clear-headedness is truly rare.

Wang Yao suddenly became interested. "Since Miss Ni is only interested in making money, she should know that being a celebrity makes even more money. Once you become famous, the salary for just one movie or TV series is enough for an ordinary person to work hard for half a lifetime."

"As President Yao also said, it has to be a hit. What if it doesn't become a hit? Besides, I don't believe in free lunches. If someone is willing to give me a huge benefit, then that person can definitely get an even bigger benefit from me."

"I really want to make money, but I only dare to earn money that I can control." Ni Ni squinted, her tone leisurely.

Last September, she was recommended by her school teacher to Zhang Yimou's "The Flowers of War" for casting. Zhang Yimou personally interviewed her, and she was shortlisted for the lead role because of her foreign language skills and her advantage as a native of Nanjing.

However, training and selection were required. Starting in March of this year, this accident disrupted her original life rhythm. Although she had studied dance since childhood, she did not like dancing and had little interest in performing.

Because she was raised by her mother from a single-parent family, she was aware of the importance of reality and money from a young age, and her personality was more independent. Her original life plan was to become an urban white-collar worker and earn money to give her mother a better life.

Although she also aspired to be a star, she didn't indulge in wishful thinking like ordinary girls. She rationally treated this opportunity as an accident and continued to move forward on her original life path.

After all, she was very fortunate. The probability of becoming a star was too low and it was just a pipe dream, but being a fashion buyer was her life and future.

“Working with me is very hard work, you can ask them if you don’t believe me,” Wang Yao said with a light laugh.

"I firmly believe that there is nothing in the world more arduous than practicing dance and swimming." Ni Ni pouted and made a pitiful expression.

"Okay, room and board included, no base salary, but you'll get 20% commission on the projects you're in charge of, is that okay?" Wang Yao said with a smile.

"How much can you earn in a month?" Ni Ni asked, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

"It depends on how much you can handle," Wang Yao said with a smile.

“Deal! If I make a lot of money, you’ll be my brother from now on!” Ni Ni laughed heartily and held out her hand.

“I should be younger than you.” Wang Yao gave her a light high five.

“A brother’s age doesn’t matter,” Ni Ni said with a smile.

"Congratulations! I wish you both great fortune." Luo Hongming breathed a sigh of relief.

"Junior sister, don't forget your two senior brothers when you make money. If you become rich and powerful, don't forget us," Liu Hao said with a smile.

The meal wasn't wasted. After reviewing the issues with the show "Campus Belle Is Here," Ni Ni, the stylist, provided a lot of eye-catching shots. It has to be said that when it comes to fashion, you still need a bit of aesthetic sense to find the highlights.

Luo Hongming and Liu Hao, two straight men, are fine with using linguistic jokes, but visually they lack focus. Ni Ni filled a gap in the team's performance.

Wang Yao arranged for her to stay in a hotel for two days. On Monday, he would arrange for her to start working as an artist's assistant and provide her with a dormitory. Her basic salary would serve as her meal ticket.

Since we said we'd provide meals and accommodation, we're not going to be vague about it.

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(End of this chapter)