Reborn in the Entertainment Industry: This Top Star Has Real Achievements

Seeing that things had come to an end, Li Xiang had no intention of staying in Hangzhou any longer.

He's still in school. If this hadn't happened, it would have been understandable for him to quietly come to the company for a few days after the roadshow.

But after this commotion, the school leaders probably know that he has come to the company headquarters, and if he stays there any longer, he will seem unreasonable.

As for the compensation from L'Oréal Group that General Manager Zhao just mentioned, he didn't have high hopes for it anyway.

It's best to have it, but it's not a big deal if you don't—after all, it's not easy to get a good deal in this industry.

Besides, he has offended people, both openly and secretly, so it's already quite good that he can issue a statement to clarify things.

If it were a minor celebrity without connections, they would definitely suffer this loss, and it's even uncertain whether they could continue to work in the industry.

Just as I was about to tell Li Qing and Zhang Hui about preparing to return to school, my phone rang. "Hello, Teacher Huang..."

"I said, if you had come back right after the roadshow, would this have happened? Not only did you lose the endorsement, but you also got splashed with dirty water!"

Teacher Huang started by complaining a few times, then changed the subject: "When are you finally coming back, kid?"

"Soon, in the next couple of days," Li Xiang replied with a smile. "When I get back, I'll bring you some snacks from Hangzhou."

"Don't give me that crap. Besides, National Day is just around the corner. Who are you trying to impress by going back to school now?" Huang Lei snorted again.

"Let's clean things up first and talk about it after the National Day holiday."

Li Xiang also realized that Teacher Huang wasn't urging him to attend class at all; she was clearly using this as an excuse to inquire about his condition.

I guess he just saw Shu Uemura's announcement and knew the matter was settled, so he made a special call.

"Also, I saw what happened online. You weren't wronged, were you? If you're having difficulties, just say so. This industry is all about connections, so don't try to carry it all on your own."

"It's alright, Teacher Huang, it's all been taken care of. I promise I'll be back at school on time."

Because there were other people around, he couldn't discuss Huayi's affairs with Huang Lei in detail, so he could only arrange to talk again that evening before hanging up the phone.

Zhang Hui had already learned from Sister Zhou that Huang Lei was taking special care of Li Xiang, and upon hearing this today, he realized it was indeed the case.

However, he still thought Huang Lei was urging Li Xiang to return to Beijing quickly, and after thinking about it, he still advised:

"How about we wait a few more days? Let's see if L'Oréal can finalize the compensation. If not, it's not too late to go back, saving us the trouble of traveling back and forth."

Li Xiang only remembered that the school would be closed for National Day after Teacher Huang reminded him.

"Alright, then let's wait a few more days." He nodded in agreement. "We can use this time to get things settled in Hangzhou."

Seeing that he had relented, Zhang Hui nodded and said, "That's right. Don't worry, I'll have someone keep an eye on L'Oréal, and I'll let you know as soon as there's any news."

Li Qing, standing nearby, asked, "I just checked, there's a fashion event in Hangzhou these days. We sent out an invitation beforehand, should we go and make an appearance?"

"Forget it. This mess just happened, and the media is watching closely. If we go forward now, we'll probably get skinned alive by those people."

Besides, the company and Huayi probably haven't completely resolved their differences yet. The less I do, the fewer mistakes I make; the more I do, the more mistakes I make. I'd better keep a low profile.

Li Qing thought about it and felt that what he said made sense: "Okay, if we don't want to pool our resources, then we don't have to. I'll help you screen a few business partners these next couple of days and see if there are any suitable ones."

"Thank you, Sister Qing."

Li Xiang waited in Hangzhou for two more days, but there was still no news from L'Oréal. However, he did receive news of the release of Esquire magazine.

It was his cheap brother Wang Ya who made the call; otherwise, Li Xiang, who had been busy wandering around the area these past two days, probably wouldn't have remembered this at all.

Fashion magazines, frankly speaking, are not meant to be read word for word; they are more of a medium for discussion.

Its value largely stems from the backing of those big brands, which has artificially created such a high level of attention.

Li Xiang, a newcomer who has just debuted, has naturally become the focus of attention in the industry by appearing on the cover of Esquire's October issue this year.

While everyone may have different tastes when it comes to styling, his face is undeniably striking, coupled with expressions and movements that hint at a story.

It's no wonder that the primary requirement for many viral photos in later generations is that the celebrity's face must withstand the test of the camera—

After all, everyone loves beauty, and a striking face is the best stepping stone in this industry.

Moreover, Li Xiang not only has a good face, but also deliberately added emotions during the photoshoot, making a fashion magazine look like a movie poster.

This led to cheers from fans in the comments section, and even many fashion bloggers joined in the analysis.

It is said that Li Xiang is indeed a film actor trained by Director Zhang; every picture tells a story, full of contradictions and appeal.

With his 130 million Weibo followers, even if only one-tenth of them were willing to spend money, it would be enough to make the editors of Esquire magazine overjoyed.

Not to mention, it has dominated the top of the online discussion list for several days in a row, and the movie is still showing in theaters. It is only natural for passersby to buy a copy of the magazine out of curiosity.

As a result, the magazine sold over 15 copies on its first day of release.

According to Wang Ya, newsstands in several cities have reported that their newsstands are sold out.

"Looks like my face is still pretty good for now," he joked with Sister Zhou.

Sister Zhou was also scrolling through the comments section, nodding with a smile: "It's more than just good-looking; look, these photos are trending. Everyone's saying there's a story in her eyes."

He didn't say anything more, his fingertips tracing his own photo on the screen.

In the image, he is wearing a camel-colored trench coat, standing behind a spotlight with his hands in his pockets, his face covered by interplay of light and shadow.

His eyes looked somewhat unfocused, as if he were looking at what was in front of him, or perhaps gazing into the distance through something, while the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, hiding an indescribable meaning.

Seeing this, he couldn't help but touch his face—and sighed, "This is probably the advantage of a true actor."

He was actually quite satisfied with the photos, but it was a pity they weren't on the cover. It would have been perfect if they had been on the cover.

Just as he was pondering this, his phone suddenly rang, and Zhang Hui's name appeared on the screen. Li Xiang answered it immediately.

"Have you heard about the magazine? Sales and feedback are fantastic!" Zhang Hui's voice was full of laughter.

"Hehe, it seems my beloved Brother Zhang has more good news to share."

"You little rascal, you're always so cunning," Zhang Hui chuckled, adding a playful remark.

"However, this matter was mainly handled by President Zhao. Besides, your sales figures are undeniable, so she's much more assertive on her end."

Otherwise, L'Oréal might have to wait a few more days.

"I understand the saying 'no action without seeing results,' but after all this talk, we still don't know which brand their group is offering as compensation this time?"

"I wouldn't know about that," Zhang Hui clicked his tongue on the other end of the line.

"President Zhao only said that the other party is quite sincere and is a core business under the group, but they still need to negotiate on-site. I reckon they're definitely better than Shu Uemura—"

After all, with magazine sales so booming, they have to offer something of substance, otherwise they'd lose face.

Li Xiang raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any more questions.

The core business... There are only a handful of companies under L'Oréal that can be considered core.

But regardless of which one, the reason the other party relented was probably due to the magazine's sales.

"Alright, when are they coming?"

"The day after tomorrow morning."