A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

Chapter 112 The Person Above Me

"Ugh————"

When Li Mu asked Fan Taobing, she didn't know how to answer for a moment.

In the same batch as myself —

"So you debuted around 96 or 97?"

2

"Yes. Come to think of it, you debuted quite early~"

"Of course, I wasn't even an adult when I debuted in my first TV series."

As Fan Linbing spoke, she added playfully, "Brother Li, do you think I'm old? I'm a year younger than you!"

"Haha~ I was just asking casually. But what if you were to rank them? All those people from your batch, how would you choose?"

"Well—"

Fan Bing leaned against the headboard, adjusted herself into a comfortable position, and said, "Zhao Wei is definitely number one in my eyes."

"Because of 'My Fair Princess'?"

"It's not just 'My Fair Princess'; 'My Fair Princess' made her, I: Ruby Lin. But after 'My Fair Princess': every film she makes becomes a hit. Look how popular the movie 'Shaolin Soccer' is this year! Not to mention, she has won many awards for her work, and her albums are also selling very well. In my opinion, she is currently the leader in film, television, and music."

"Indeed, she's very popular. Even our newspaper staff can't get an interview with her."

"That's why I envy her. People say I'm lucky, but I think she's even luckier. So, right now, she's number one in my eyes."

"Hmm, what's the second one?"

"Ugh————"

"Lin Xinru?"

Hearing Li Mu's words, Fan Bing thought for a moment and said, "She probably won't make it to second place. After 'Princess Pearl,' she didn't actually have many resources in mainland China. Speaking of which, what about Hong Kong and Taiwan?"

"Let's not count for now, there are too many famous people from Hong Kong."

"Then let's exclude her too. She mainly handles film and television resources from Taiwan and Hong Kong. Hmm—if we're purely counting from mainland China—Zhou Xun—or Xu Jinglei? I'd say they're about equal. Maybe Zhou Xun is a little stronger—"

"Is it because of 'Suzhou River,' which won the Paris International Film Festival?"

"That's not true. You can't just look at awards. As an actress, I actually consider many things. For example, being a triple threat in film, television, and music, status, and resources—admittedly, Zhou Xun, as you said, won an international award for 'Suzhou River'—this is not just an award, but also proof—well, let me put it this way, Brother Li, some actors can only act in TV dramas, but not in movies."

But some actors can act in both TV dramas and movies simultaneously. Zhou Xun is an example. She proved herself with "Suzhou River," and look at her TV drama resources: "The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom," "Palace of Desire," "April Rhapsody," "The Orange is Red," and this year's particularly popular "Like Fog, Like Rain, Like Wind." And her singing isn't bad either.

"That's true, but who else did you just mention? Xu Jinglei? The one from 'Eternal Love'?"

"Yes, that's her—well, Brother Li, no, actually speaking of which, Xu Jinglei should be stronger than Zhou Xun."

"Why? My impression of Xu Jinglei—aside from this work, I really don't remember anything else. Zhou Xun seems much more impressive, right?"

"You wouldn't know this, Brother Li. Didn't I just say that, from my perspective, it's not just about fame, but also the resources behind them. Zhou Xun is very capable, but Rong Xinda Company behind her has its limits. But Xu Jinglei—her resources are actually quite astonishing. Brother Li, do you know who her boyfriend is?"

"Who?"

"Wang Shuo".

"That writer? Wasn't he blacklisted?"

Fan Taobing was speechless after hearing Li Mu's words.

"Brother Li, you're a reporter, why are you asking me about the ins and outs of these things?"

"hey-hey."

Li Muqian chuckled: "Don't forget, I only got promoted this month. To put it bluntly, when you were filming 'Princess Pearl,' I was still in school."

"Does that mean I'm getting old?"

"Haha, that's not what I meant. It's just that—according to you, Xu Jinglei is very capable?"

"It's more than just impressive. Brother Li, do you admit that all the top resources in the country are actually concentrated in Beijing right now?"

Whether it's well-known screenwriters, directors, actors, or production companies, they all seem to be clustered around the vicinity of Yanjing.

"Yes, I admit that."

Even if they weren't from Beijing, these actors were indeed active in Beijing.

"Wherever there are people, there is a social hierarchy. Xu Jinglei's strength lies in the fact that she has connected with many influential figures in the industry through her boyfriend, Wang Shuo. If you don't believe me, Brother Li, just look her up. You may only know her for 'Eternal Love,' but in reality, the dramas she's acted in are all directed by renowned directors in the industry. 'Never Close Your Eyes' starred Zhao Baogang, Zhang Guoli, and Zhang Yibai—the directors she's worked with probably wouldn't even give second or third-tier actors like us a second or third-tier actor a second glance. So, in terms of background and resources, she's much more powerful than Zhou Xun and Zhao Wei."

"I see—then let's assume they're ranked second and third for now. What's next?"

"And then there are many more. For example, Yuan Li, Chen Zihan, and even Sister Bingbing—there are just so many people more capable than me. Compared to them, who am I?"

Li Mu said, half-laughing and half-crying, "Is that what you call being modest?"

"No, I call it self-awareness. Brother Li, you're a reporter, strictly speaking, not just an entertainment reporter, but a full-fledged arts and sports reporter for a major newspaper group, which is much higher in status than an entertainment reporter. But similarly, it's precisely because you don't need to delve into this circle that you don't know its ins and outs. This circle is incredibly realistic; without money and connections, you're nothing. Take Zhou Xun for example, back in the day, she had her front teeth knocked out because she refused to drink with customers—"

"ah?"

"It's true, I heard it from Sister Hua. People without connections in this industry deserve to be bullied. But people with connections—they don't have to worry about resources at all. Just like Xu Jinglei, even if someone offers her something, she has to consider whether it suits her taste. Unlike me—I wish someone would offer me anything every day, I'd eat anything! Hehe—"

In just a few words, she opened a door for Li Mu to the deepest part of the "entertainment industry," or rather, a window that allowed him to glimpse just the tip of the iceberg.

"This line of work isn't easy either —"

Hearing Li Mu's sigh, Fan Bing also sighed: "Who says it isn't true? Putting everything else aside, Brother Li, just take this script for example. If it weren't for you and that Editor-in-Chief Chen, if I wanted to compete for this kind of role, I would have to treat people to meals, socialize, and give gifts, and even then, it would be uncertain whether I could get it. But look, with you, they directly sent the script to you, and you gave it to me directly—it's that simple."

So you don't need to watch people arguing online, about who's more powerful or more popular—frankly, their comparisons are meaningless. Because the real comparison isn't about popularity, but about the resources behind that popularity. With resources, everything is smooth sailing. Without resources—well, you just have to endure, see who can hold out the longest, and see who's luckier.

"If that's the case, then you're pretty lucky."

"Absolutely! With just one 'Princess Pearl,' I gained a level of fame that many people could never achieve in their entire lives. So I'm truly grateful to Aunt Qiong Yao."

"So that's why you keep calling her 'Auntie'?"

"Yes. But one thing at a time, when she said that I would always be just a maid in her eyes, I had to leave. I had to leave, and I had to make something of myself to show her. Then I'll ask her myself: Aunt Qiongyao, didn't you say I would always be just a maid? Now look at me, how much do I resemble before?"

The woman spoke calmly.

Beneath the calm lies a relentless, almost obsessive, dedication.

Li Mu was deeply moved by her words.

"Tsk, they're really determined about their goal."

"Hehe, right? So, Brother Li, what about you? I've always been curious—what are your life goals? You're not short of money, and you have such a good eye for investment—yet you still chose a job that binds you tightly, a nine-to-five job. This is quite different from many of the wealthy people I know who pursue freedom. What are you pursuing?"

"Well----"

Her question immediately stumped Li Mu.

For a moment, I didn't know how to answer.

How could he answer? Should he say he has no goals right now? Or that he just doesn't want to repeat the mistakes of "the conman, the cheated man, the wheelchair man, and the fat man"?

As for why he didn't resign, the reason was that he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold onto the 40 million—oh no, 30 million—of wealth in his pocket.

He really didn't know how to answer.

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Fan Bing subconsciously asked, "Brother Li, is it inconvenient for you to answer this question?"

"It's not that it's inconvenient, it's just that you've really stumped me. I don't think I've ever thought about these things before."

"Uh—well—okay, hehe, never mind if I didn't ask."

97

The call lasted until after 10 p.m., and ended after Fan Bing finished applying her face mask.

In the end, Li Mu didn't give her any answer.

After hanging up the phone, Li Mu continued browsing the forum.

It's not even 11 o'clock yet, and he's not sleepy.

After browsing the entertainment section, he went straight to the miscellaneous discussion section to wander around.

Around 11 PM is actually the peak time for forum chatting on Tianya, with all sorts of posts being incredibly active.

He was looking at it when suddenly his phone rang.

And the caller ID number was 011-.

-

Li Mu was taken aback.

Why is it another American number?

Is Sisi looking for me?

He immediately opened his email and answered the phone: "Feed?"

"Xiao Li, it's me. Are you asleep?"

Upon hearing the caller's voice, Li Mu immediately recognized him: "Brother Wei?"

"Oh, right, you haven't rested, have you?"

"No, I'm online right now. Haha, Wei-ge, what made you think of calling me?"

A smile appeared on Li Mu's face.

But then Chu Jiwei immediately responded: "Haha, I must have something to say if I'm calling you. It's not just you, I just finished calling Hai-ge—Xiao Li, are you free this weekend? I'm going back to China, let's have dinner together?"

Li Mu was taken aback, and subconsciously asked, "Brother Wei, you're coming back?"

"Yes, it's me, your sister-in-law, and Linlin too. We have some things to take care of back in China, and it just so happens to be the weekend, so we thought we could all get together?"

"Haha, no problem."

Li Mu readily agreed.

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