Chinese entertainment: Top stars have no holidays

"Young man, would you like to act?"

"what?"

Jiang Bai was somewhat bewildered.

Hey buddy, aren't you at the company party right now?

How come I just went to the toilet and suddenly found myself standing in this noisy stadium, surrounded by cosplayers dressed in bright colors?

Jiang Bai subconsciously touched his crotch; thankfully, the zipper seemed to be zipped up.

"Huh..." Jiang Bai, who was looking down to check his "gate," suddenly discovered that his belly, which had grown large due to years of drinking at social events, had completely disappeared.

I could no longer see my toes when I looked down many years ago, but now I can see them again!

These shoes aren't his usual Hermes leather shoes, but rather a pair of Adidas sneakers with a very youthful, campus-style vibe.

"Hey buddy, what are you daydreaming about?"

"Are you interested in becoming an entertainer?"

"Although our Jukeai Studio has only been established for a short time, it is a young studio incubated within Juku Media, a subsidiary of Cehua Group!"

"Have you heard of Cehua? It's the largest film and television company in China!"

Xu Xu frowned as he looked at the absent-minded Jiang Bai.

This young man is really handsome.

Even though there were many male cosplayers with elaborate makeup at the convention, Jiang Bai, without makeup, still stood out like a crane among chickens in the crowd.

He's the kind of handsome guy you can't forget after just one glance, and who can even draw your attention away from you at first sight.

As an agent in the entertainment industry, Xu Xu took a liking to Jiang Bai at first sight and wanted to sign him!

They even wanted to develop him into the core artist of their studio!

Why is this person so blank? He doesn't respond when you talk to him. Could he be stupid?

It's such a shame that someone with such a beautiful face turns out to be mentally challenged...

At this moment, Jiang Bai, who had been confused, finally came to his senses and looked at Xu Xu.

Jiang Baifa, having finally sorted out his thoughts, realized that he seemed to have, perhaps, possibly, simply gone to the bathroom and returned from the company party in 2026 to 2016, ten years earlier.

As for why he was so sure it was ten years ago, and not eight or eleven years ago.

That's because he had recalled this scene countless times throughout his subsequent ten-year career, and it left a deep impression on him.

Ten years ago, Jiang Bai had just graduated from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

At that time, he was full of vigor and ambition. He was studying finance, a major that "makes money," and all he could think about was joining a large private equity firm and managing securities transactions worth hundreds of millions or even billions of yuan.

To be a well-dressed urban elite, driving a luxury car worth millions, living in a high-end apartment in Shanghai, dining at Michelin three-star restaurants, and drinking red wine from French vineyards.

The people coming and going are all big bosses with net worths of hundreds of millions or billions.

This is the life Jiang Bai envisions for his future.

To become an actor?

How tacky!

What could be more respectable and sophisticated than being an elite finance professional?

So, having just received an offer from a well-known securities company in Shanghai, he didn't take the man in front of him seriously at all, and just gave him a few perfunctory replies.

However, ideals are often grand, while reality is often harsh.

In the years that followed, Jiang Bai, who joined the company as a newcomer, did not live the life he had imagined.

What kind of sophisticated finance guy in a suit and tie is he? He's just a low-level finance drudge who drinks coffee like water every day.

Jiang Bai diligently flattered his superiors and clients, and after several years of hard work, he finally earned the opportunity to independently manage a fund...

With his career seemingly finally on track, the prospect of becoming a high-level finance professional is within reach.

The sudden surge of camaraderie dealt a devastating blow to the financial industry.

The overall environment is getting worse and worse, the economic environment is getting worse and worse, and the financial industry is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate.

The fund he was in charge of managing was also cancelled by the company.

Jiang Bai had recalled this during countless nights of struggle in his rented room.

If he hadn't chosen to intern at the financial company back then, but instead agreed to the man who claimed to be his manager while browsing the comic convention that day, would his life have been completely different?

Actually, he had also looked up the "Cute Drama Studio" introduced by that man named Xu Xu back then.

After refusing the offer himself, Xu Xu signed with a man named Hu Yitian.

Then, Xu Xu tailored a web series called "A Love So Beautiful" specifically for Hu Yitian.

The show became a hit, becoming the biggest dark horse of 2017 and hailed as a myth of low-budget comeback.

Hu Yitian naturally became famous, with his Weibo followers jumping from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions, making him a so-called top celebrity in the industry.

Xu Xu was responsible for all the planning from ordinary person to top star, and can be said to be the mastermind behind him.

At first, Jiang Bai didn't think it was a big deal. Everyone has their own ambitions, and there was nothing to regret.

Until, the entertainment industry was hit by a series of scandals.

When news broke that a certain female celebrity had paid hundreds of millions in fines, Jiang Bai, who didn't follow the entertainment industry much, realized just how much money these actors made!

That was precisely when he was having the most difficult time in the industry.

When the meme "One 'shuang' equals 208 million" was all over the place in 2021, Jiang Bai finally broke down.

Let alone earning 208 million a day, he was lucky to earn 208 yuan a day back then, and he almost left the financial industry.

After that, Jiang Bai, who had never paid much attention to the entertainment industry, began to carefully learn about all the happenings in the industry and catch up on all sorts of things.

The more you learn, the more you regret it.

This line of work is really lucrative!

Countless nights, Jiang Bai would think back to the past, wondering if Hu Yitian would have been out of the picture if he had agreed to Xu Xu's request!

Hu Yitian didn't seize the opportunity. He became a top star and then started to flaunt his fame, and as soon as he became popular, he had a sex scandal. If it were him...

Of course, this is all hindsight.

With her figure gradually changing and her career faltering but eventually getting back on track, Jiang Bai has no chance to return to the entertainment industry.

This matter will only remain a thorn in his side, something he'll often bring up to make fun of himself; what's missed is missed.

No matter how much you regret it in your heart, or how much you fantasize about what would happen "if you agreed," it's all in vain, and can even be described as wishful thinking.

I never expected that "if" would actually come true!

He actually returned to 2016, back to that crucial juncture where he was about to embark on a fork in the road of life.

The "rebirth" trope, common in online novels, actually happened to him.

She saw Xu Xu's burning gaze.

Jiang Bai hesitated for a moment.

Perhaps, with this experience of "rebirth," if he were to re-enter the financial world, he would no longer be the same financial whiz he once was, still just a fund manager at the age of 31.

With his knowledge of the financial information for the next ten years, he has the potential to become a major player in the domestic and even international private equity market.

But so what?

With his hard-won rebirth right in front of him, would he really want to step into the same river again?

Perhaps God saw him regretting his actions countless times in the dead of night, and that's why He gave him this chance to choose again?

After all, this matter had become an obsession for Jiang Bai.

Besides, being an actor doesn't mean you can't be involved in the securities and stock market anymore.

It won't delay anything!

"How about we find a place to talk this over in detail?" Having made up his mind, Jiang Bai looked at Xu Xu and gave a different answer than before.

Their predetermined fate was thus altered.

"Okay, okay!" Xu Xu's eyes practically disappeared from his grin. "There's a coffee shop right outside the convention center, let's chat there!"

Xu Xu wanted to put his arm around Jiang Bai's shoulder, but found that it would be very awkward for someone who was only a little over 1.7 meters tall to do that.

However, he wasn't annoyed at all; on the contrary, he was even happier and patted Jiang Bai on the shoulder.

"You're almost 1.9 meters tall, aren't you?"

"No, my height is 187cm."

"With shoes on, he's probably about 1.9 meters tall."

"Um."

"What's your name?"

"Jiang Bai."

"Jiang Bai, what a nice-sounding name, simple and easy to remember."

The two chatted as they walked out of the venue.