SABA Chapter 21

Nie Jin planned to take Jiang Tiao to meet a producer she had a good relationship with. She messaged him, but he didn’t reply for a long time. In this kind of event, directors, producers, and screenwriters are highly sought after, with countless people lining up for a chance to meet them. Impatient, Nie Jin went to find him directly and was surprised to see Guan Qing there.

Guan Qing’s film won the highest award at the Berlin Film Festival last year, making him a hot commodity. Investors and artists alike were eager to collaborate with him to boost their own value. Several agent groups Nie Jin was in had people actively searching for him. She was surprised he was hiding here.

Nie Jin didn’t approach, fearing she would interrupt his conversation with Jiang Tiao.

However, Guan Qing couldn’t talk with Jiang Tiao for long. After only about ten minutes of sitting there, he was surrounded by actors, agents, producers, and the like, all waiting to catch his attention. An artist who had filmed with Jiang Tiao, leveraging their past acquaintance, casually approached him. Seeing this, everyone else, unwilling to be left behind, followed suit.

Guan Qing, caught between amusement and exasperation, could only hastily end his conversation with Jiang Tiao.

As Jiang Tiao struggled to get out of the crowd with his phone, he saw Nie Jin. She stood in a deserted corner, her clothes neat and free of wrinkles, a stark contrast to Jiang Tiao, whose shoes bore several footprints.

“Sister Jin, shouldn’t you be helping your dear artist maintain some order at a time like this? It’s just shoes; what if someone stepped on your face?”

Nie Jin: “Stop joking. That person would have to be fifteen feet tall to step on your face.”

Jiang Tiao chuckled.

Nie Jin: “What did Director Guan talk to you about?”

“Nothing much,” Jiang Tiao replied distractedly. “He said in his next film there’s a role, still undecided if it’s male lead three or male lead four, that fits my temperament. He asked if I was interested.”

Nie Jin almost snapped her high heels. Guan Qing’s return after winning an award meant his next film was highly anticipated. Directors like him didn’t lack investment and weren’t swayed by producers. Nie Jin was self-aware; she knew that even popular artists like Luo Xingwen had to audition honestly for even a supporting role with screen time. Therefore, she hadn’t even considered trying to get on Guan Qing’s good side, knowing it would be useless.

“And how did you reply?” Nie Jin’s voice held an unusual nervousness.

Jiang Tiao: “I told him to send me the script to read first.”

“You—” Nie Jin’s voice cracked with anger. “Do you think you’re an award-winning actor with both popularity and acting skills?! You hesitate when a director like that offers you a role?! You want to read the script first?! Do you think he’s begging you to act for him?! Do you know how many people are desperately trying to get a role from him?!”

Jiang Tiao felt helpless, finding Nie Jin’s reaction overly agitated. “He just said the temperament fits, he didn’t say I’d get the role. I still have to audition.”

“You’re driving me crazy,” Nie Jin muttered, quickly regaining her composure. “Your approach isn’t entirely wrong, but you should still pay attention to your tone. Even if you can’t act in his film, maintaining a good relationship with him wouldn’t hurt.”

Jiang Tiao showed a hint of curiosity.

Nie Jin, having worked in the entertainment industry for many years, had her own network. Seeing Jiang Tiao’s curiosity, she explained briefly, “He graduated from the directing department of the film academy, ranked first in his professional studies, and was well-liked by his professors. He was destined for a bright future. But when he graduated, something happened with his family, and he reportedly disappeared for two whole years. Even so, after returning, he worked behind the scenes on several well-known productions.”

Until he secured investment and directed “Guan Shan.”

“Academically trained directors like them have their own networks and circles. If you maintain a good relationship with him, even if it’s not useful now, it will definitely come in handy when you need to transition in the future.”

Jiang Tiao seemed lost in thought.

Nie Jin: “Alright, there’s no point in you thinking about this now. You’re a guest participant in ‘Extreme Escape Room.’ Your popularity will start to decline after the next episode airs. Variety shows are recorded and broadcast quickly. You have memorable moments, and your personality shown during filming is very audience-friendly. We don’t know when Director Guan’s project will start, so I’ll keep an eye on it, but we can’t put all our hopes on him. I’ll take you to meet a producer first. She’s in charge of many popular variety shows on Fruit Video. Be sharp later; don’t mess this up for me.”

Nie Jin waited for a long time but received no reply from Jiang Tiao. She looked back and saw Jiang Tiao looking absent-minded, as if thinking about something else. Enraged, she slapped his arm.

“Did you hear what I said?!”

Heaven knows he had just nodded!

Jiang Tiao, torn between laughter and tears, replied, “Got it! I promise I won’t embarrass you!”

The producer was a woman in her forties, holding a respectable position at Fruit Video. Nie Jin, from a distance, greeted her with the warmth of a spring breeze.

It was the first time Jiang Tiao had seen Nie Jin speak so gently and without any sarcasm. He was quite surprised, almost forgetting to put on his polite and bright smile in time.

Not far away, Luo Xingwen had just finished dealing with a young actor who came to toast him. As he returned to his seat, he heard Chu Xu, his voice devoid of discernible emotion, say, “Your agent is really putting a lot of effort into him now.”

Luo Xingwen followed Chu Xu’s gaze. He didn’t know what Jiang Tiao had said, but it made the producer smile warmly, clearly showing her favor towards him.

Luo Xingwen retracted his gaze and smiled, “What’s wrong with that? If he focuses on his career, he won’t bother you anymore.”

Chu Xu recalled the still bright red exclamation mark in his WeChat messages. With a blank expression, he shifted his gaze back to the red carpet on the stage.

Luo Xingwen added leisurely, “No one will wait in place forever for another person. Some people, once missed, are missed forever.”

Chu Xu sneered, “Are you lamenting your own situation?”

Luo Xingwen shrugged, “Perhaps.”

…

Jiang Tiao followed Nie Jin to meet two producers and four directors. Only when his smile had become stiff did Nie Jin let him go.

The event, which lasted several hours and prevented any early departure, was somewhat tedious. Jiang Tiao went to the restroom. While washing his hands, he looked up at the mirror and saw someone standing at the doorway.

The person was quite tall, wearing a limited-edition Chopard watch on his wrist and a deep V custom-made suit. Jiang Tiao felt his temperament was perfect for playing a domineering, arrogant, and invincible “Dragon King” protagonist, as he exuded an aura that suggested his next line would be something like, “Thirty years east, thirty years west, one day I will trample you all underfoot.”

The entertainment industry truly needs people with all sorts of temperaments, Jiang Tiao thought. Seeing the person looking at him, he politely nodded.

The person remained silent and still, standing at the doorway with a cold expression.

Jiang Tiao dried his hands and was about to leave.

The person spoke, his voice as cold as a winter wind, “Don’t you have anything to say?”

Jiang Tiao thought for a moment, unsure. “Excuse me, could you please let me pass?”

Chu Xu’s face immediately turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.

Recognizing people from photos was not Jiang Tiao’s strong suit, especially since celebrity photos online were usually heavily retouched. After leaving the restroom, Jiang Tiao couldn’t recall who the person was, only that he looked somewhat familiar.

But what was that person’s deal? The etiquette committee of the entertainment industry?

Jiang Tiao shook his head. The entertainment industry truly had all sorts of people.

Luo Xingwen watched Chu Xu return to his seat with a look as if he had been deeply wronged, wanting to laugh but suppressing it.