Chapter 30

"Lu Yisheng, are you really not considering my suggestion? Even if the general manager of Jiaxing Entertainment's behavior is infuriating, everyone is looking forward to you starring in 'Fate of Immortals.' Are you really going to drop out because of Xia Xi?" Li Wen looked at Lu Yisheng, who was calmly sipping tea on the sofa, feeling utterly frustrated. He truly hadn't expected things to come to this. If only he had known earlier, if only,
"Li Wen, so in your mind, my temper is that good?" Lu Yisheng was taken aback by Li Wen's words. He took a light sip of tea, glanced at him, and said in a calm tone, "I thought I made it very clear yesterday, there's no room for negotiation on this matter. If Xia Xi leaves, I leave."
Li Wen looked at his friend's composed expression and felt even more exasperated. He knew Lu Yisheng's personality well enough to understand that although he seemed indifferent now, once he made a decision, not even ten oxen could pull him back. He sighed, "I really don't get you. What do you even see in Xia Xi? It's not like the two of you had much interaction on set. Why are you so protective of her when she runs into trouble?"
Lu Yisheng paused slightly, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the rim of his cup. He glanced at Li Wen, then lowered his head as if it didn't matter, his tone still light. "You're overthinking it. What I value is Xia Xi's acting skills."
Li Wen silently curled his lip.
"You're the director. You should know how important an actor's performance is to creating a great work. I thought you agreed to join 'Fate of Immortals' because you wanted to present audiences with an outstanding drama through talented actors. I never expected you to compromise for Jiaxing Entertainment." Noticing Li Wen's skeptical expression, Lu Yisheng pressed his lips together and continued explaining, "Since your original intention for filming this drama differs from mine, there's no reason for us to continue collaborating."
"Alright, alright, alright, Young Master Lu, I give up." Though Li Wen didn't buy Lu Yisheng's high-sounding excuse, he had to admit there was truth to his words.
Xia Xi's acting skills were indeed undeniable.
Besides, the biggest draw of this drama was Lu Yisheng as the male lead. If he left the production, what would there be left to film?
After a moment of contemplation, Li Wen said, "Then I'll go talk to them again and see if they're willing to budge."
Hearing this, Lord Lu didn't even bother to look up this time, merely uttering a faint "Hmm" as he frowned, lost in other thoughts.
After pondering for a while, he slowly raised his head and was surprised to see Li Wen still sitting across from him. He blinked in confusion and asked, "Why are you still here? Didn't you say you were going to negotiate with Jiaxing Entertainment?"
Li Wen silently swallowed his saliva, glanced at Uncle Lu’s disdainful expression, and swallowed the words of rebuttal that had been stuck in his throat. He sighed inwardly, nodded with a look of utter resignation, and said, "I’ll go right now, I’ll go right now."
With that, he stood up and walked out.
As he walked, he couldn’t help but grumble silently to himself: These people are all like ancestors! I’m just trying to film a drama, is it really that easy for me? And is there any director out there more miserable than I am?!
Setting aside how Li Wen’s negotiations with Jiaxing Entertainment went, the CEO of Jiaxing Entertainment hadn’t been having a good time these past few days either. A number of his lesser-known artists seemed to have offended some unknown force, most of them had been sent back by directors.
The reasons given by the directors were all over the place. At first glance, they sounded reasonable, but upon closer thought, it felt like they were just making excuses. For example: the supporting actress’s acting was poor, the male lead didn’t fit the character’s image, or even that an extra’s appearance didn’t match the role.
Seriously, what does it matter if an extra’s appearance doesn’t match the role? They’re on screen for just a few minutes, with no lines, just standing there like a prop.
The excuses were just too lazy and unconvincing.
To be honest, the directors’ reasons for dismissing the actors were all generic, the kind that could apply to anyone. It all came down to whether the director really wanted you gone…
Clearly, for some inexplicable reason, all the directors had suddenly coordinated to deliver an unexpected, sweeping blow after blow to Jiaxing Entertainment.
It was all quite frustrating.
The situation was giving the higher-ups at Jiaxing Entertainment a massive headache, yet they were powerless to do anything about it. The directors, for whatever reason, were all stubbornly refusing to budge.
It was truly baffling. Who had they offended? And why was there no warning at all?

Jiaxing Entertainment CEO’s Office
Yang Ran had been feeling particularly down these past few days. Recently, every TV series and film their company had tried to invest in had been rejected. The directors all seemed eager to cut ties with the company, which was utterly baffling. And it didn’t stop there, most of the TV dramas that had finished filming and were ready for broadcast had failed to pass censorship and needed re-editing. Who knew how disjointed they would end up after that?
All in all, nothing at work was going smoothly. It felt like he’d run into a streak of bad luck spanning eight lifetimes, everything was piling up at once. Yang Ran was overwhelmed and at a loss… And because of all the recent setbacks, the board members were highly dissatisfied with his performance, which had also significantly diminished his influence within the company.
"Ah," Yang Ran sighed at the thought. He stared gloomily at the ashtray on his desk, hesitated for a moment, then quietly pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it.
Hah… It’s been a while since I last smoked.
Frowning, Yang Ran mulled over which powerful figure the company might have offended recently to warrant such blatant sabotage.
However much he racked his brains, he couldn’t figure it out. During this period, he had been particularly honest and well-behaved, doing nothing to provoke resentment. So why was this happening?
It was truly baffling.
Yang Ran closed his eyes, his hand holding a cigarette resting lightly on the armrest of his chair. He leaned back slowly in his office chair, while his other hand instinctively rubbed his throbbing temples.
Still, there was a silver lining, he had finally secured a collaboration with the Yan family. In the midst of all this misfortune, that was a stroke of luck.
At this thought, Yang Ran let out a slight sigh of relief, feeling as though the weight pressing on his heart had eased a little. Honestly, this was the only thing that had brought him any comfort lately.
He had finally established a connection, however slight, with the Yan family.
Though it was just a small thread, it was a good beginning. As the saying goes, a good start is half the battle. As long as he nurtured this relationship and built a good rapport with the Yan family, it would surely bring him immense benefits. By then, his career would undoubtedly advance further, and the troubles plaguing him now would seem like unnecessary worries,