readbooksol Chapter 1738 Kicked to the Iron Plate
Chapter 1738 Kicked to the Iron Plate
Chapter 1738 Kicked to the Iron Plate
Bilibili's 2019 New Year's Eve Gala was a huge success, showcasing the platform's strength in high-quality content to a wide audience of netizens.
As Bilibili's business rapidly expanded, its growth rate in long-form video and content formats had essentially peaked. Therefore, Bilibili shifted its focus to film and television content, a move consistent with its core business strategy.
Meanwhile, the film and television industry has been booming in the past two years, attracting a massive influx of capital, and popular celebrities have been making a fortune. Of course, the capital behind these celebrities has profited even more. This is the law of the market.
Lin Xuan is an actress signed with Bilibili Pictures. She is one of the rising stars of the post-95 generation and is considered a key future leading lady that the company is cultivating.
Of course, their fame cannot compare to that of Song Zuer, Xiao Xueyan, Zhao Lusi, Zhao Jinmai, Zhang Zifeng, Zhang Xueying, Zhou Ye, Meng Ziyi, Wu Jinyan, Song Nianyi, and others.
Capital isn't stupid; promising young actresses born in the 95s have already been signed by major film and television companies. As a newcomer to the film and television industry, Bilibili Pictures naturally couldn't possibly snatch up the top-tier actresses.
However, Bilibili Pictures is Bilibili's own subsidiary, essentially a platform provider. Although the platform isn't huge, it's still well-known in the film and television industry.
The top luxury group from France, Zhaoshi Group, is holding a "Goddess Show" on the Bund in Shanghai under its high-end brand "Dawn Goddess". Lin Xuan, as a major actress under the "Phoenix Group" related film and television companies, naturally received an invitation.
Late at night, she was enjoying champagne and the view from the window of the executive suite at the Shangri-La Hotel on the Bund.
Outside the window is the Bund in the early summer night. The waves of the Huangpu River reflect the dazzling lights on both banks, and the skyscrapers are like diamond-encrusted scepters piercing the night sky.
It filled her with endless emotions and ambition.
The windowpane reflected Lin Xuan's faint figure.
She stood barefoot in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, wearing only a clean white bath towel, holding a glass of Moët & Chandon champagne, golden bubbles rising gently along the glass.
The bath towel only covered the middle of her body, revealing her rounded, fair shoulders. Her skin shone with a porcelain-like luster under the soft light, and a pair of straight, long legs peeked out from under the towel, inspiring endless imagination.
As a promising young actress born in the 95s and a future leading lady cultivated by Bilibili Pictures, Lin Xuan's beauty goes without saying.
She had a small, oval face with a pointed chin, and a pair of fox-like eyes with slightly upturned corners, which always seemed to hold hooks when she looked at people. Her lips were painted with a moist coral lip gloss, making them look full and luscious.
It's exquisitely beautiful, yet aggressively so.
The undulating curves beneath the bath towel exude an allure that lies between innocence and sophistication.
Just a short while ago, the company's head, Mr. Li Guowei, called her with good news: he had helped her secure the lead role in Lemon Pictures' highly anticipated web series project, "I Came Down from the Celestial Realm to Work."
Nowadays, TV dramas follow a model of airing on satellite TV and being broadcast online. To a certain extent, online platforms are the main buyers of dramas, and they pay more than provincial TV stations.
Therefore, filming web series is not a shameful thing nowadays. On the contrary, popular web series require fierce competition to get roles.
Lemon Pictures boasts exceptional production capabilities, setting a benchmark in the industry and specializing in high-quality dramas with realistic themes. Their current projects are highly sought after within the industry.
"Dong dong dong."
There was a knock on the door.
Lin Xuan opened the door and greeted her boss, Li Guowei, the head of Bilibili Pictures, with a smile.
Li Guowei, in his forties, wore gold-rimmed glasses and a casual shirt, giving him the appearance of a refined and cultured elite.
As soon as he entered the room, his gaze was drawn to Lin Xuan's large expanse of snow-white skin along her shoulders, which looked so fair and delicate that he imagined it would feel wonderful to the touch. His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
"President Li~" Lin Xuan's eyes crinkled into crescents, her voice so sweet it could stretch into silk. She deliberately loosened the bath towel a bit and handed over the wine glass. "Try it, it's specially made for you to wake up."
Li Guowei took the glass and took a big gulp. The icy liquid calmed his anger a little before he asked smugly, "Xuanxuan, do you like this gift?"
"I love it!" Lin Xuan looked at Li Guowei charmingly, blinking her eyes, and clinked glasses with him with a smile. "Mr. Li, you're amazing! That's an S-level project from Lemon Pictures!"
"Ha ha!"
Li Guowei laughed heartily, reached out and hugged Lin Xuan, kissed her, and took a deep sniff of her neck, which was filled with the fragrance of a bath. The aroma made him feel extremely happy. "Xuanxuan, once this web series airs, your status will rise to the second tier. In the future, you will definitely be the leading lady of Bilibili Pictures."
"Oh, how annoying!" Lin Xuan giggled and dodged away. Holding a slender champagne glass, she also used one hand to hold a large bath towel to cover her fair body, still as slippery as a fish, showing that she was a master.
"Mr. Li, I've heard that Xie Shutong, Re Re's agent, is highly regarded at Phoenix Film and has a lot of connections in the industry."
Having taken someone else's role, she naturally asked her assistant to inquire about the situation. These up-and-coming actresses, who haven't yet been promoted, don't have that concept of a niche; they'll accept any role that comes their way.
This Hu girl named "ReRe" will graduate from the Shanghai Theatre Academy this year. Her agency contract is with Phoenix Pictures, and she is managed by Xie Shutong, a producer who has been gaining popularity within Phoenix Pictures for the past year. Phoenix Pictures is trying to emulate the Hollywood film and television system, implementing a "producer-centric system," going against the trend in the industry. It's the era of traffic stars now, and capital is all supporting traffic stars.
Xie Shutong is said to be the most adept at securing funding among Phoenix Media's rising producers. She has already produced several films and television dramas; while none have been blockbusters, the mix of profits and losses demonstrates her ability to generate revenue.
As a result, he was favored by many senior figures in the industry and investors, and his reputation soared.
Li Guowei chuckled, loosened the buttons on his collar, tilted his head back to drink, and said with a smug air, "Xuanxuan, these days, who in the film and television industry doesn't have connections and a background?"
Those without connections or resources have been completely exploited.
"Don't worry! Mr. Lin from Phoenix Film and Television is my best friend. We can easily snatch the resources from the Shanghai Theatre Academy graduate they just signed!"
"Xuanxuan, come here."
As he spoke, he reached out to pull at Lin Xuan's bath towel.
As the bath towel slipped off, Lin Xuan's smooth, snow-white body was suddenly revealed to the air. Her exquisite and pert breasts trembled slightly, her waist was slender, and her pair of delicate white legs were like cylinders. She had the pure and youthful aura of a twenty-three-year-old woman, but she also made people's hearts burn even more fiercely.
Lin Xuan exclaimed in surprise, nimbly dodging again, her charm tinged with cunning, and said, "President Li~ what's the rush?" Her voice was drawn out, hooked, "The night is long, let's... have a good drink first."
"Okay, okay!" Li Guowei was so aroused by this coy refusal that he raised his glass in agreement.
However, before he could even touch his wine glass, Lin Xuan's phone, which was on the coffee table, began to vibrate violently as if it were a death knell.
He is her assistant.
Lin Xuan gave him a reproachful glance. She was busy using her methods to "tame" the man. She wanted to hang up, but after thinking about it, she answered the call instead.
The assistant's voice was terrified, almost cracking, "Sister Lin, something terrible has happened. I heard that Liao Rong, the vice president of Phoenix Group in charge of film and television business, has said in the industry that she's offering 30 million yuan to collect dirt on you."
"Ah..." Lin Xuan's charming smile froze instantly, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her from head to toe, draining all color from her face. Her ears were ringing, and she almost dropped her phone. "Who is it?"
"Liao Rong. She was appointed as the vice president of Fengjing Group a few days ago, in charge of Phoenix Film and Television, iQiyi, and Qiyi TV."
"Sister Lin, let alone how many paparazzi will be watching you with this 30 million, just the fact that iQiyi and iQiyi shut out to you will be a huge problem for you."
Lin Xuan's face turned pale, and her voice was filled with anxiety and tears: "What's going on? I didn't offend her!"
Li Guowei, still holding his wine glass, asked with feigned elegance, "What's wrong, Xuanxuan? Who was it this time who was so blind..."
Lin Xuan felt weak all over and listened blankly to the voice coming from the phone, "Sister Lin, I guess it's because you replaced Re Re's role in the drama 'I Came Down from the Immortal Realm to Work'. You should ask President Li to find a solution quickly."
Lin Xuan turned to Li Guowei with a look of panic, her voice already trembling with tears. She grabbed his wrists with both hands and pleaded, "Mr. Li, you have to help me!"
Just moments ago, Li Guowei was full of vigor and seemed invincible, but after listening to Lin Xuan's disjointed words, he was struck dumb.
The name "Liao Rong" struck him like a hammer blow to the chest, instantly turning his face deathly pale. All the lust and alcohol he had just felt turned into a cold sweat.
What kind of power does he have to get President Liao Rong to issue a kill order? What the hell is this?
Isn't it just a minor role? Phoenix Film and Television has so many artists; does everyone who gets a role taken away have to report it to General Manager Liao?
If only I had known this would happen, if only I had known this would happen...
After standing there for almost a minute, Li Guowei suddenly snapped back to reality, his voice hoarse and trembling, all traces of his previous composure gone.
"We can't take this role! Xuanxuan, I...I'll immediately ask someone to go to President Lin, no, to President Liao, and explain that this is a misunderstanding! We're withdrawing right away!"
He spoke somewhat incoherently, not daring to look at Lin Xuan's beautiful and sexy body again, as if it were a hot potato.
Staggering, he grabbed his suit jacket in a disheveled manner and rushed out of the executive suite without looking back.
Inside the suite, only Lin Xuan remained, slid onto the expensive carpet, gazing at the dazzling lights of Lujiazui across the street. For the first time, she felt that the light was so blinding and so despairing.
(End of this chapter)