Rebirth 09: Starting from taking charge of Running Man on CCTV

As soon as Ma Li spoke, the atmosphere in the entire private room subtly changed.

The bald man and the beer belly looked over at the same time, their eyes scrutinizing him.

Ma Li has been in the entertainment industry for many years and is a familiar face, but she is not considered a big star.

However, her decisive and efficient manner made the two men subconsciously hold back.

"Sister Ma, do you know her?" The bald man held up his wine glass and gave a forced smile.

"I don't know him, we just met."

Ma Li pushed her cup towards Baby, blocking the bald man from offering her the liquor.

"Little sister, you don't look well. Have you had too much to drink?"

Baby paused for a moment, then understood the look in Ma Li's eyes.

"Hmm... a little."

"Come on, let me take you to the restroom to touch up your makeup."

Ma Li stood up, naturally put her arm around Baby's arm, and half-helped, half-pulled her up from her seat.

His bald face fell.

"Sister Ma, we were just chatting here..."

"What are you talking about? The girl's face has turned pale. Don't you guys have any compassion?"

Without turning her head, Ma Li pushed Baby out of the private room.

The door closed behind him.

The cold air from the corridor hit her face, and Baby's shoulders visibly slumped.

She leaned against the wall, closed her eyes for two seconds, and finally lost the polite smile on her face.

Her lips were still white.

"Thank you, Sister Ma."

Her voice had the soft, sweet quality characteristic of Cantonese Mandarin, but the ending notes trembled.

"I almost threw up from those two glasses of baijiu just now."

Ma Li didn't rush to reply, but looked her up and down.

It looks even more beautiful up close.

Her features were so exquisite, like they had been cut from a magazine cover, but not in a haughty, aloof way.

She has dimples when she smiles, round eyes, and a natural charm that makes her approachable.

The key point is that just now in the private room, I was sandwiched between two grown men who were pouring me drinks, but I didn't utter a sound and just gritted my teeth and drank it all.

She didn't cry, didn't make a fuss, and didn't whine or act spoiled.

Just keep bearing it.

Ma Li's heart skipped a beat.

That vibe is so similar.

It looks just like the question mark Chen Yang drew on the whiteboard during the day.

"Baby, do you have a management company in mainland China now?"

Baby shook her head.

"No, I signed with Fashion International in Hong Kong, but I don't have an exclusive agency contract in mainland China."

She lowered her head, her voice even softer.

"I came here on my own, hoping to find opportunities in mainland China."

"I've sent out so many resumes and met with so many people, but nothing has come of it."

"I was invited to this dinner by a friend who said a producer has a project in mind..."

She didn't continue.

Ma Li understood everything.

A twenty-year-old Hong Kong girl, all alone, went to the mainland with no connections, no resources, and no fame. The straws she could grasp were all rotten beyond repair.

But she still came.

I still gritted my teeth and endured it at those dinner parties.

Ma Li reached into her bag and touched the sticky note with a question mark on it.

"Wait here for me, don't go back to the private room."

She turned and walked to the stairwell at the end of the corridor, took out her phone, and dialed a number.

I answered after two beeps.

"Sister Li, what's wrong?"

Chen Yang's voice was clear, and the background noise was quiet, so he was probably still working overtime in the office.

Ma Li lowered her voice and spoke twice as fast.

"Director Chen, I've found it."

"Found what?"

"That question mark on your whiteboard."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"explain."

"Angelababy, Yang Ying, is from Hong Kong, is 20 years old, and has just returned to the mainland to develop her career. She has zero fame and no mainland agency contract."

Ma Li's voice grew faster and faster as she spoke.

"She's beautiful, not just ordinary beautiful, but the kind of beautiful that can freeze you in the spotlight."

"The key is her personality. I watched with my own eyes as two greasy producers forced her to drink two glasses of baijiu (Chinese liquor), and she didn't utter a sound and just endured it."

"Unpretentious, unpretentious, and stubborn to the core."

"She fits all three of your criteria."

There was another two seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

Where are you?

"Sanlitun, Little Chili Private Kitchen".

"Is he still alive?"

"I'm waiting in the hallway."

"Don't let her go."

Chen Yang's voice was flat and indifferent, as if he were saying that the weather would be nice tomorrow.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes."

The phone hangs up.

Ma Li gripped her phone and let out a long sigh.

She turned and went back into the corridor. Baby was still leaning against the wall, looking down and fiddling with her phone.

A Nokia 6300, silver flip phone, with an unread text message lit up on the screen.

"Baby, are you busy tonight?"

The baby looked up, somewhat bewildered.

"no."

"Don't rush off, let me introduce you to someone."

Ma Li pulled her downstairs.

"Who is it?"

"Your benefactor."

……

Twenty-two minutes later.

A taxi was parked in front of the private restaurant.

Chen Yang climbed out of the back seat, carrying a file folder in his hand.

Ma Li sat with her baby in a corner of the first-floor rest area.

Two cups of hot tea, a plate of melon seeds—Baby's complexion was better than before, but her eyes were still a little red.

When Chen Yang walked over, Baby stood up instinctively.

She saw a young man in his mid-twenties, wearing a dark gray jacket. He walked slowly but had an excellent sense of direction. His gaze fell directly on her face without any unnecessary pleasantries.

Unlike any other man she had met at a dinner party that evening.

"Director Chen, this is the baby I told you about."

Ma Li stood up to introduce herself.

"Baby, this is Chen Yang, the chief director of our show 'Keep Running China'."

Baby bowed slightly.

"Hello, Director Chen."

His Cantonese was soft and gentle, and he was polite and well-mannered, but his eyes betrayed a scrutinizing and wary look.

I'm afraid of being scammed again.

Chen Yang sat down, placed the file folder on the table, and looked at her for two seconds.

Yang Ying, 20 years old.

She had straight bangs, long curly hair, and a baby face with the chubby cheeks of a young girl, lacking the sharp look that comes with later retouching.

But the fundamentals are there.

This face, when placed in front of the camera, is one that viewers will remember.

Chen Yang didn't exchange pleasantries.

He opened the document bag, took out the copy of the program approval document, and pushed it face up in front of Baby.

"Look at this first."

Baby lowers her head.

Approval document for the program "Run, China".

CCTV's Class A key project in 2009.

Her eyelashes trembled.

"CCTV?"

"Yes, it airs on CCTV's variety channel during prime time."

Chen Yang also opened the cover of the proposal.

"Run, China!" is China's first celebrity outdoor competitive reality show. It features seven regular MCs, is filmed on location in cities across the country, and each episode is 90 minutes long.

"We now need a female MC."

He leaned back in his chair and looked at the baby.

"I need a girl who isn't afraid to appear on camera without makeup."

"We need a girl who can roll in the mud, run the whole race in the rain, and never give up even when her name tag is ripped off."

"We need a girl who can stand with six grown men without being eaten up or becoming just a pretty face."

Baby's hand rested on the table, her fingertips slightly clenched.

She didn't speak, but her eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"The conditions are very simple." Chen Yang held up three fingers.

"First, we film you all day during the recording period, without any beauty filters, so the audience will see your real appearance."

"Secondly, everyone participates in all game segments; there are no special treatments. You do what the male MC does."

"Third, physical fitness must be up to standard. Training will begin two weeks before filming starts, and those who cannot run the course will not be allowed to participate."

He pulled his finger back.

"Is that acceptable?"