Huayu Entertainment Starts with Xiang Yu, the Hegemon of Western Chu

Jiang Yang was not bewitched by Yang Mi.

It's impossible to make "Tiny Times"; it's impossible for me to make it in my lifetime.

A cunning and wicked woman!

Don't say that "Tiny Times" is not his type of role, Jiang Yang also doesn't have the time.

Besides "The Legend of Chu and Han", he also has another drama airing recently, namely "Heroes of Sui and Tang Dynasties" starring Yan Yikuan.

After saving up for a whole year, I finally released both of them together.

The premiere date of "Heroes of Sui and Tang Dynasties" was January 14, 2013, half a month later than "Legend of Chu and Han".

Jiang Yang didn't attend the drama's promotional event.

Yan Yikuan had called him over before; after all, the two were related as uncle and nephew, so they could talk about it.

But Jiang Yang didn't want to see that idiot Du Chun, so he posted two Weibo posts to settle the matter.

Since his role as Li Yuanba is relatively minor, more like a cameo, it would be suspicious if he were to impersonate a lead actor to gain exposure and ride the coattails of the character's popularity.

What's so great about freeloading?

This version of "Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties" received decent reviews, but it wasn't very popular.

If I had to say, only Fu Dalong's portrayal of Yang Guang made a splash; the other characters didn't really resonate.

Jiang Yang was too lazy to get involved in "Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties," and more importantly, he had already made an appointment with Li Muge to join the crew for "Si Teng" after the New Year.

But before that, there's one more thing.

"Have you heard?"

"What?"

"The matter of Lin Gengxin."

"What's wrong with Lin Gou?"

"He asked the company to terminate his contract, but Ms. K disagreed, and now it's said that they're going to sue him."

Jiang Yang heard this from Jiang Jingfu.

So that's what it is.

Jiang Yang wasn't that close to Lin Gengxin, nor did he care much about him, but he naturally knew about this matter.

Lin Gengxin's defection was a turning point for Sugar Man.

This is the first time in the history of sugar figurines, but it will certainly not be the last.

This indicates that the sugar company is starting to lose customers.

Rongxinda has a curse called "they become popular as soon as they are terminated," which means that even good talents cannot become popular under your care, indicating that you have lost the ability to promote people.

The last phenomenal hit drama for Sugar Man was "Scarlet Heart," after which it only experienced a long decline.

But we're not far away right now, so it's not obvious.

Most importantly, the unique skill that Sugarman once possessed—ancient costume fantasy dramas—is no longer its exclusive domain.

Jiang Jingfu was just mindlessly watching the show, when Jiang Yang reminded him.

"Lin Gengxin has run away, what are you going to do?"

"What? What should I do? What can I do?"

He didn't even realize it.

"Lin Gou has fallen out with the company. No matter what the outcome of this lawsuit is, Sugar Man's management style of its artists will definitely change."

"Once bitten, twice shy. Do you think K-jie would leave you an opening to exploit?"

"To put it bluntly, it's impossible for you to terminate your contract by following his path again."

"So, if you're going to leave, now's the time."

"Otherwise, you'll have to be mentally prepared to at least wait until the contract with the sugar man expires."

Jiang Jingfu was startled.

Jiang Yang seems to be encouraging him to run away with Lin Gengxin...

"I never thought of that."

"Then think about it. Thinking about it isn't illegal. If you don't think about it now, you'll miss this opportunity."

He fell silent.

Actually, after a little thought, it becomes clear that Jiang Yang is right.

If Lin Gengxin wants to leave, can Cai Yinong let him go?

Of course not!

Regardless of whether we are in the right or not, this lawsuit is unavoidable.

If you can come and go as you please, I'll let you do whatever you want. But how am I supposed to manage this team in the future? What will the other artists think?

Even if Lin Gengxin manages to regain his freedom, it will only be a patch for Cai Yinong.

Knowing where the loopholes are, the natural course of action is to plug them.

Do you think I'll let you have a next time?

That's the logic, but Jiang Jingfu still hesitated.

"K-sister is really nice to me..."

He entered the world of sugar figurines, and his first role was as the male lead in the drama "Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of Sky".

Jiang Jingfu even believes that one of the reasons Lin Gengxin left was because of him, since he was younger than Lin Gengxin and joined the company later, yet Lin Gengxin could only play supporting roles.

If Hu Ge plays the male lead in "Xuan-Yuan Sword", then there's nothing to say.

Since Hu Ge isn't going to act, why would they rather give it to the newcomer Jiang Jingfu than to me?

So, I'm destined to be a supporting character in your eyes!

Jiang Yang shook his head.

"You've got it wrong. You really think Lin Gou left because of you?"

Don't be too presumptuous.

"Even without you, Lin Gou would still leave, because as long as Hu Ge is at Sugar Man, the other male actors can only fight for his leftover scraps."

Will Hu Ge leave?

"No way, he and Sister K have a life-or-death bond; they're locked in a lifelong commitment to sugar figurines!"

Hu Ge will always be the number one sugar figurine maker.

Unlike actresses, who at least have a chance to rise in status by outlasting the blind woman, she doesn't.

This is the core issue; money is secondary.

The ceiling for male actors in the "Sugar Man" genre is too low; it's impossible for them to surpass Hu Ge.

If you don't believe me, look at Yuan Hong. He was Lao Hu's college roommate. They were in the same year and entered the sugar figurine business around the same time. He can only ever play supporting roles for Lao Hu.

If one remains in the sugar figurine business, at best one will be a second Yuan Hong.

So, should I go out and take on acting roles myself?

This is the most deceptive aspect of Sugar Man: internal roles are prioritized, while external roles may be rejected on your behalf regardless of your wishes.

It was alright when the company was in a state of disarray; at least there were internal scenes to film.

Once Sugar Man completely declines, and can't even produce two films a year, and they're unwilling to let people go, then they'll completely block your path.

It's a complete waste of time!

Jiang Jingfu hadn't even considered leaving at the moment, but after Jiang Yang's words, he also became restless.

If he runs away with Lin Gengxin, will they be able to make it?

The sugar maker is rough and unprofessional.

For example, when Jiang Jingfu starred in "Xuan-Yuan Sword", he did not sign a contract at all, and the formalities were only completed after filming was finished.

This is certainly flawed from a legal standpoint.

Although the play is an internal production and the actors are also internal staff, so they can be quite casual, if any flaws are found, they can be taken to court for discussion.

If someone is intentionally manipulating someone without their knowledge, they can even deliberately lead the person to engage in illegal activities and then use it as evidence.

In short, this is the last chance.

If Jiang Jingfu can't make up his mind, then Jiang Yang can only wait until he breaks up with Tangren and then persuade him not to go to the island nation.

That place is bad luck for you, son.

This decision was indeed difficult to make. To put it bluntly, Jiang Jingfu was just starting out and was still a newbie.

"Lin Gengxin's departure was not a spur-of-the-moment decision."

"Although I don't know exactly who it is, judging from his demeanor, he must have climbed up the social ladder."

"If I leave the sugar figurine shop, I'm sure I'll have somewhere to go."

"Where can I go if I leave?"

He couldn't make up his mind and was about to ask Jiang Yang for advice when he suddenly realized something.

Need I say more?

Jiang Yang directly rejected Cai Yinong's offer to recruit him, and even gave up the role of Huo Qubing in "Ballad of the Desert" because of it.

He patted Jiang Jingfu on the shoulder.

"Think it over carefully yourself. No one can make the decision for you. See if you want stability or freedom."

Jiang Jingfu hesitated for a moment.

To go, or not to go?

Scratching my head, I realized this was a truly troubling problem...