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'The judges were at odds!' Lu Chen had eyes to see and ears to hear, and he wasn't foolish; how could he not understand?
Director Yan Chengyi undoubtedly appreciated and supported him, but Manager Gong clearly had other plans.
Moreover, she was most likely the representative of the investors.
Otherwise, Yan Chengyi wouldn't look so helpless; after all, directors in the film and television industry usually hold significant power.
Although Lu Chen couldn't be sure that this role was meant for him before coming to Ultron Company, he had anticipated the possibility of being rejected during the casting.
Nevertheless, he felt a bit displeased.
If the role was already predetermined, why bother bringing me in? Is this really interesting?
Of course, on the surface, Lu Chen remained unfazed, smiling lightly as he said, "Thank you, Director Yan, thank you, teachers."
There was no need to lose his temper; the entertainment industry was never a fairy tale.
Expecting everything to be fair and just was a very naive thought; only by becoming strong enough to be looked up to could one have the ability to set the rules.
Manager Gong smiled and said, "There will be other opportunities; please wait for our notification."
She actually had a good impression of Lu Chen and understood that he could fully take on the role of Chen Yaoyang.
But she knew better who she worked for and who she was serving. So all she could say was sorry. Yan Chengyi looked at Lu Chen walking out of the conference room with immense regret, unable to help but clench his fists.
He expressionlessly said, "Next!"
When Lu Chen exited, the man with peach blossom eyes had just stood up.
Their gazes met perfectly.
Lu Chen saw a hint of pride and mockery in the other person's eyes. He realized that this was likely the predetermined candidate.
Leaving Ultron Company, Lu Chen returned to the workshop. Upon seeing Lu Xi, his sister asked with concern, "How did the casting go? Did you get through?"
Li Feiyu, Chen Xin, and the others also perked up their ears.
If Lu Chen could star in the TV play, that would be fantastic, he would be a triple threat in film, television, and music!
Lu Chen shook his head and said, "I was eliminated; they already had someone in mind."
"What the heck!" His sister rarely cursed, angrily exclaiming, "How can they do this?"
She was genuinely upset.
Although Lu Chen couldn't compare to top-tier stars, he had just won the championship in "Singing China," released a bestselling album, and had over ten Million fans on the Wave Blog, so he wasn't just an ordinary person.
Yet, he still fell victim to the unspoken rules, feeling like he had been played.
Lu Chen comforted her in return, "It's okay; there will be many more opportunities to film in the future. The director actually thinks highly of me."
Lu Xi shot him a glance and retorted, "How do you know they aren't just putting on a show?"
Lu Chen smiled wryly. He couldn't be 100% sure, but Yan Chengyi should be quite sincere.
However, saying this now was really pointless. Lu Xi didn't want to continue discouraging her brother and said, "I actually have some good news."
Lu Chen perked up, "What news?"
Lu Xi said, "The new contract with Whale TV has basically been finalized!"
Lu Chen's new contract with Whale TV had been negotiated by Lu Xi for some time.
Now, it finally had a result.
The differences between the parties were not significant, and there was a strong desire to continue cooperating. The main issues were still the signing fee and the duration of the streaming. Lu Xi was working hard to secure the best benefits for Lu Chen.
The final result was to terminate the original contract and sign a new one for one year, making Lu Chen the star spokesperson for Whale TV, with a post-tax endorsement fee of 3.8 Million!
Additionally, the percentage of tips was increased by 5%, and Lu Chen would also participate in promotional activities for the website, as well as live streaming time and exclusivity requirements.
Both parties were very satisfied with this contract. The 3.8 Million endorsement fee, when combined with personal income tax, was nearly 5 Million.
In fact, the publicly advertised endorsement fee was exactly 5 Million! This amount was certainly beyond Lu Chen's current market value and would help elevate his status.
However, Whale TV would not be at a loss either. Lu Chen's miraculous rise on Whale TV had brought a lot of popularity and resources to the platform, while also attracting more excellent streamers to join, making the advertising effect worth the price.
Most importantly, Lu Chen's future development was limitless; signing now was better than waiting.
It was a win-win situation!
Hearing about the Millions coming in, Lu Chen was, of course, very happy. Recently, he had cleared his family's debts and repurchased their villa, which had drained a significant portion of his funds from selling shares on the crowdfunding platform, along with a large part of the workshop's liquidity.
The daily expenses of the workshop were not small, and with this endorsement fee, there would be no problem. Lu Chen planned to buy a bigger house in the Capital City before the end of the year.
He needed to work hard to earn more money! So Lu Chen quickly put the casting incident behind him, treating it as a joke.
However, things were not as simple as he thought.
The next afternoon, while practicing piano in the workshop, Lu Xi came over with a laptop.
She angrily pointed at the webpage displayed on the screen for Lu Chen to see.
The screen showed entertainment news from a certain website, stating that the recently popular TV play "Urban Love" was about to start filming its second season, and the rising star Jiang Dongjun would play an important new supporting role.
Originally, such promotional articles were common, found everywhere in major entertainment media and websites, but this news specifically mentioned Lu Chen, stating that he had also participated in the casting, yet the director had ultimately chosen Jiang Dongjun.
His sister was furious: "They are using you as a stepping stone to hype themselves up!"
Similar entertainment gossip was not limited to just this one website; many others had reported it, including blogs, forums, and social media, clearly indicating a premeditated hype.
This was infuriating! Even a clay figurine has some temper; Lu Chen was not an emotionless being, and being stepped on like this made him angry.
Lu Xi asked, "Should we issue a statement to counterattack?"
She was genuinely upset.
Lu Chen suppressed his inner anger and calmly shook his head, saying, "No need."
How should he put it? He did participate in the casting and was indeed eliminated; could he claim that the other party was playing dirty? Engaging in a fruitless verbal battle would only make it seem like he couldn't take a loss.
Moreover, it would give them more opportunities for hype! Lu Xi should understand this logic; she was just too angry to think straight.
Even if they were to counterattack, it needed to be done in a more clever and powerful way! Lu Chen thought for a moment and said, "For now, let's not pay attention to them. I'll shoot a new TV play!"
"A new TV play?" Lu Xi was taken aback and asked, "Is there another film crew looking for you?"
"Of course not." Lu Chen smiled and said, "Sister, let's invest in shooting a weekend drama ourselves. What do you think?"
Lu Xi's eyes widened in surprise: "Investing in our own shoot?"
She felt her mind was a bit muddled; was Lu Chen's mind confused too?
Shooting a TV play by themselves? How could it be that simple!
Lu Chen explained, "Of course, we would collaborate with a capable company. I'll write the script, play the protagonist, and add a portion of the workshop's investment."
Lu Xi was astonished: "You can write scripts?"
Lu Chen smiled.
He had experienced three lives in his dreams, as a vagabond singer Xu Bo, an actor Mo Ran, and a freelance writer Fang Mingyi, the latter of whom had written scripts before.
Moreover, the dream world had many classic films and literary works, and through Xu Bo, Mo Ran, and Fang Mingyi, the memories were vivid and clear, allowing him to replicate them perfectly!
Given his current situation, he might not be able to reach the highest caliber of films yet, but producing a popular TV play was definitely within reach and feasible.
Especially with the format of weekend dramas being filmed and aired simultaneously, it could effectively control costs. Originally, Lu Chen planned to accumulate experience in the entertainment industry before considering producing a TV play or even a movie, but now that he encountered such a situation, he decided to go big.
If even supporting roles were out of the question, then he would be the protagonist himself! Lu Xi was increasingly baffled by her brother, her expression somewhat strange.
Lu Chen couldn't explain too much, so he could only say, "Don't worry; I won't act recklessly."
Ding Lingling,
As soon as he finished speaking, his phone on the piano stand rang.
Lu Chen picked up the phone and, upon seeing the caller ID, gestured to his sister that he needed to take the call. Lu Xi shot him a glare but left the room.
The call was from his other sister, Sister Fei.
On the phone, Chen Fei'er directly asked, "Did you go to the casting at Ultron?"
Lu Chen was surprised that she knew about it, chuckling wryly, "Yes."
Chen Fei'er laughed, "Now you understand how complicated the industry is, right? That Jiang Dongjun was predetermined. Ultron's investors don't have a good reputation. If you really want to make films, I can recommend some reliable friends to you."
A warm feeling surged in Lu Chen's heart. Chen Fei'er clearly cared about his situation; she not only learned about the incident promptly but also inquired about the inside story.
He sincerely said, "Thank you, Sister Fei. I might really need your help. I have a script I want to shoot and am looking for a partner."
Chen Fei'er curiously asked, "What script?"
Lu Chen replied, "It's a script I wrote, but I haven't finished it yet."
Chen Fei'er smiled, "Once you finish it, let me take a look. If the story is good, I can help you with introductions."
She clearly didn't fully believe that Lu Chen could write a good script, but her willingness to help remained unchanged.
Lu Chen was overjoyed: "That's great! I'll treat you to dinner tonight!"
Chen Fei'er replied nonchalantly, "Many people want to treat me to dinner; you need to show some sincerity. But tonight is out of the question."
Lu Chen was undeterred: "Then how about tomorrow night?"
He was very sincere.
(End of Chapter)