In the back seat of the car, Jiang Yue casually spun his phone. “Is anyone else coming besides Mr. Shen?”
Xu Pingqiu unscrewed his thermos and slowly took a sip of goji berry water to moisten his throat.
“The project for 《The Hidden Sentry》 has a conservative budget of two hundred million. Zhou Jinnan is the male lead, so countless eyes in the industry have been on it for a long time. Shen Donglou is a businessman. He thinks you're suitable, but that's only 'suitable.' ”
Xu Pingqiu paused, his tone turning completely serious.
“Tonight, representatives from several other top talent agencies will also be bringing their most popular artists to try their luck. This dinner is going to be anything but simple.”
Jiang Yue raised an eyebrow, leaning back against his seat in a highly relaxed posture.
“Director Xu, since it's going to be a battleground, aren't you afraid that bringing a complete newcomer like me all by yourself will ruin your golden reputation?”
Xu Pingqiu tightened the thermos lid and let out a cold laugh.
The aura of a veteran director instantly flared up.
“I've been kicking around this industry for so many years, and my eye for talent has never failed me!”
He turned to look at Jiang Yue.
“Tonight, as long as you can get Shen Donglou to make the final call on the spot, I'll take care of the rest of the trouble for you!”
Jiang Yue didn't reply to these impassioned, dramatic words. He simply nodded calmly.
It wasn't that he was one hundred percent sure he would get the role.
But since he was already here...
No matter how high-stakes the poker table was, he might as well sit down and play a few hands first.
Half an hour later, the car slowly pulled into the Jinjiang Hotel.
This was the most premium private club in Hengcheng. With its tight security, paparazzi couldn't even get close to the front gate.
As soon as the car came to a complete stop, a valet wearing white gloves respectfully opened the door.
Jiang Yue stepped out of the car and casually swept his gaze around.
Everything in sight was magnificent and resplendent, and even the air seemed to drift with the scent of money.
Indeed, he had never had the chance to visit a place like this before.
But if there was one thing Jiang Yue possessed, it was a terrifyingly strong mental fortitude.
He didn't show even a hint of stage fright, his expression as calm as if he were about to go to a cheap diner downstairs and order a fifteen-yuan duck leg rice.
Xu Pingqiu led the way. He had initially been a bit worried that the kid might be overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur and show some nervousness.
But when he glanced back...
Good lord. Jiang Yue's steps were steadier and more composed than those of a regular patron like himself.
With his relaxed posture, any outsider would think he owned the place.
The server at the door was highly perceptive.
He first recognized Xu Pingqiu's familiar face from the industry, then glanced at Jiang Yue, who was half a step behind with an aura that was not the least bit lacking.
Without a word, the server bowed ninety degrees and respectfully led the way.
The two of them took a private elevator reserved for internal use straight to the top-floor VIP area.
Walking through the corridor, they reached the end, where a pair of luxurious double mahogany doors were tightly shut.
The server tactfully withdrew.
The two of them stopped outside the door.
Without a moment's hesitation, Xu Pingqiu raised his hand and pushed the doors open.
The double mahogany doors swung open.
The private room was massive. A round table stood in the center, illuminated perfectly by a crystal chandelier hanging overhead.
Shen Donglou, dressed in a loose gray Tang suit, sat in the host's seat.
He was holding a bamboo tea scoop, slowly transferring Dahongpao tea leaves into a clay teapot without even looking up.
Five or six people were already seated around the table.
Xu Pingqiu swept his gaze across them; they were all familiar faces.
On the left was Wang Dahai, the Vice President of Guangying Media, with their agency's most popular young actor sitting beside him. On the right was Agent Chen, a gold-medal agent from Tianxiang Entertainment, who had brought along an actor who had just won a Best Newcomer award.
They were all elite forces from major companies, having caught the scent and gathered here to fight for a piece of the pie.
Xu Pingqiu calmly took a step forward, turning slightly to shield Jiang Yue half a step behind him, and lowered his voice. “Stay close to me and keep your mouth shut.”
Jiang Yue nodded slightly, his eyes quickly scanning the entire room.
“Pingqiu, we've been waiting for you.”
Only then did Shen Donglou set down his teacup, looking up with a smile. “Have a seat.”
Xu Pingqiu pulled out the chair directly opposite Shen Donglou and gestured for Jiang Yue to sit, before taking a firm seat right next to him.
This single gesture not only showed respect for Jiang Yue but also made his stance of protecting the young man crystal clear.
“Old Shen, you've put together quite a massive gathering here.”
Xu Pingqiu leaned back against his chair, his tone familiar.
“I'm here to hand you money, and you're complaining about the crowd?”
Shen Donglou personally lifted the kettle of boiling water and poured it from a height, his movements swift and experienced—clearly the work of an expert.
After several courses of food and a few rounds of drinks...
The atmosphere at this vanity-fair dinner was dripping with cordiality.
Jiang Yue quietly focused on his food. Whenever someone threw out a conversation starter to test him, he replied briefly and appropriately.
He didn't steal the spotlight, but he didn't falter either.
Holding his glass, Xu Pingqiu parried back and forth with Wang Dahai, Agent Chen, and the others.
Though they seemed to be chatting and laughing merrily, every single sentence was a probe.
After a few rounds, he realized that these people were beating around the bush to talk about the supporting roles in 《The Hidden Sentry》. None of them dared to touch the two most important male lead roles.
He glanced at Shen Donglou in the host's seat.
The old fox was holding his teacup, the wrinkles around his eyes carrying the relaxed air of someone watching a show.
Xu Pingqiu's heart skipped a beat as he instantly understood what was going on.
Shen Donglou set down his teacup, his gaze cutting across the table to finally land directly on Jiang Yue.
The chatter and laughter around the table died down.
Everyone's eyes swiveled over in an instant.
“Have you read the script?”
Shen Donglou asked.
“I've read the first ten episodes.”
Jiang Yue set down his chopsticks and met the man's gaze.
“Can you play the part?”
Jiang Yue nodded. “Yes.”
Crisp and direct, without a single wasted word.
Shen Donglou smiled.
He picked up the fairness pitcher nearby and personally poured half a cup of tea into Jiang Yue's empty cup, his movements unhurried.
“《The Hidden Sentry》 is a dual-male-lead project.”
He spoke slowly, his words plunging the entire private room into absolute silence. “I have already locked in Chen Jiaming for the other male lead.”
These words hit like a bombshell, shocking everyone present.
Chen Jiaming was a two-time Best Actor winner with immense national popularity and formidable acting skills.
In today's entertainment industry, a middle-aged veteran actor of this caliber had a box office and ratings pull even stronger than top-tier idols.
Wang Dahai of Guangying and Agent Chen of Tianxiang exchanged a look across the table, silently lowering their heads to sip their tea.
Well, there went the biggest piece of the pie; they were completely out of the running.
Shen Donglou paid no attention to what the others were thinking, keeping his eyes locked onto Jiang Yue the entire time.
“The role of Zhou Jinnan is a male lead. Once you're on set, you'll need to go toe-to-toe with Chen Jiaming in your scenes.”
Shen Donglou narrowed his eyes. “Can you hold your own against him?”
This was a blatant test of his caliber.
Jiang Yue didn't back down in the slightest. Without even blinking, his voice remained perfectly steady. “If I can't hold my own, that's on me. Director Xu will replace me.”
A flash of appreciation flickered in the depths of Shen Donglou's eyes, and he turned his gaze to Xu Pingqiu.
“Pingqiu, you heard him? I'm handing him over to you. I can't have any weak links in my projects.”
Xu Pingqiu raised his glass and chuckled. “Old Shen, I can practically hear the clicking of your abacus from here. Aren't you afraid I'll mess things up if you bet everything on me?”
“If you didn't even have this much ability, wouldn't my hundreds of millions go down the drain? In all these years, when has your golden reputation ever lost me money?”
Shen Donglou countered, leaning back against his chair.
This was a showdown between top-tier players.
One provided the capital, the other delivered the work—shared risks, bound interests.
Seeing this, Wang Dahai immediately raised his glass, smoothly breaking the brief tension. “Director Xu, Mr. Shen, let's wish 《The Hidden Sentry》 a highly successful shoot! Brother Jiang, I look forward to working with you in the future if there's a chance.”
Jiang Yue raised his teacup, substituting tea for wine. “You are too polite, Mr. Wang.”
The dinner ended up being far more relaxed than anticipated.
In the true vanity fair, the clashing of swords and shadows was always hidden beneath a gentle, warm breeze.
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