Chapter 37: Planning to keep me as your kept man?

The final night of revelry. Xu Ming had nearly broken his back before finally subduing this wild mare.

Two days later, in a recording studio arranged by Sohu Entertainment, Xiao Songjia looked at Xu Ming beside her, her expression tinged with embarrassment. She had assumed that once they wrapped up filming, they would be unlikely to see each other for a long time, which was why she had been so uninhibited. She hadn't expected to be reunited with him so soon.

"Teacher Songjia, your voice sounds a bit raspy. Will that be a problem?" Xu Ming asked.

She blushed; it wasn't as if it weren't entirely his fault.

"Let's listen to the vocals first. As long as it's within a reasonable range, we will try our best to adjust it," the producer said.

"Understood. Time is tight, so let's get to recording. We need to coordinate with the trailer's promotional release later," Xu Ming replied.

After relaying the desired effects and specific arrangement requirements to the studio staff, they breathed a sigh of relief. Time was pressing, and if the client were someone who didn't understand the craft, it would have been a nightmare. Fortunately, Xu Ming was half a professional musician himself, and the song was already highly polished.

Watching the studio staff get to work, Xu Ming sat back down beside Xiao Songjia.

"After you finish recording this song, what kind of schedule has Orange Sky arranged for you?" Xu Ming asked casually.

"What else could it be? Auditions, promotional tours..." Xiao Songjia paused. "I have to start promoting Director Wong Jing's 'The Founding of a Party' in June."

Xu Ming waited for her to continue, only to see her eyeing him cautiously. He then remembered that he had previously lashed out at the Hong Kong and Taiwan entertainment circles. Wong Jing had responded at the time, and she likely assumed there was bad blood between them.

He smiled. "You're overthinking it. I don't have any real conflict with Hong Kong and Taiwan artists; it was just posturing. When it's time to collaborate in the future, we will do so just the same."

In this day and age, everyone spoke in terms of ideologies while their hearts were set on business.

He hadn't realized she had appeared in that film. "Who do you play?"

"Princess Caiyun. Tong Dawei is in it too. It’s nothing worth mentioning; we’re both just playing supporting roles," Xiao Songjia said.

Her situation was actually not bad. Barbie Hsu was much more famous than her, so playing a supporting role for her wasn't shameful. As an aside, Barbie Hsu had even been nominated for Best Actress at the 14th Magnolia Awards for "Corner with Love"—tsk, tsk, tsk.

"It’s one thing to have a light schedule, but if it’s all supporting roles, you need to push yourself harder at your age, or you'll only be playing mothers and aunts soon," Xu Ming said.

This time, Xiao Songjia didn't get angry about her age. After all, Xu Ming was telling the truth. Once an actress passes thirty, if she hasn't found her niche, she is easily pushed aside by newcomers. There are no actresses who stay eighteen forever, but there are always eighteen-year-old actresses.

"Think it over carefully. My company's door is always open to you. If you join, I have a tailor-made blockbuster waiting for you," Xu Ming said. If Lou Yixiao, whom he had previously brought under his wing, was a B-list talent, then Songjia was at least an S.

"Are you implying you want to keep me as a mistress?" Xiao Songjia asked coldly.

"You're overthinking again. I'm counting on you to make money for me so I can afford to keep more people." Xu Ming coughed, waving his hand. "Let's make a bet. 'Love is Not Blind' will be released in August. If the box office exceeds one hundred million, how about you join me when your contract expires?"

"You’re bold enough to bet on a hundred million in box office, so why shouldn't I dare to accept?" Xiao Songjia said, crossing her arms. A hundred million? With their cast and modest investment, it was pure wishful thinking. Yet, because Xu Ming sounded so certain, it stirred a flicker of unrealistic longing in her heart.

...

After a week of recording, Xu Ming boarded a flight to Shanghai. Beyond attending a press tour, he was there to check on the second project his company had invested in and to meet his few remaining artists to give them some peace of mind.

Upon arriving at Hongqiao Airport, Tang Sheng was waiting at the exit. "Chairman Xu, the hotel is arranged. Shall we head to the hotel first, or go to the company?"

"Is everyone there?" Xu Ming asked, walking out with his hands in his pockets, followed by his assistant Xiao Yuan carrying luggage and a bodyguard.

"Everyone is here. The creative team for 'iPartment' and the representatives from Lianfan Technology are all present," Tang Sheng said.

"Then let's go to the company first..." Xu Ming paused, looking at him. "Next time, just get to the point. If I had gone to the hotel, wouldn't they have made a wasted trip?"

"Yes, you're right." Tang Sheng nodded repeatedly, gaining a deeper understanding of his boss's temperament.

Sitting in the luxury car provided, Xu Ming watched the Shanghai nightscape pass by, recalling his previous life's travels. He gained a profound understanding of Yang Chaoyue's words: arriving in Shanghai with bags on a long-distance bus versus arriving from an international airport with a designer suitcase—they were two different Shanghais.

An hour later, Xu Ming arrived at his office in Shanghai. To be honest, this was his first time here. He chose Shanghai instead of the more suitable Beijing largely to avoid the "Beijing Circle." In truth, offending Huayi had certainly had an impact on him. Since he couldn't take them head-on for now, he would simply go around them.

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting. I had my assistant buy some late-night snacks and hot drinks; they'll be here soon," Xu Ming said as he entered the conference room with a hearty laugh.

"Thank you, Teacher Xu," the group replied one after another, observing him with feigned casualness. He really was a completely different person from his image in "Not Short of Money."

"Where are the people from Lianfan?" Xu Ming asked.

"I'm here."

"Let me ask, how are the negotiations for the broadcasting platform for our show going? As far as I know, it’s been a few months since filming wrapped. Hasn't it been settled yet?" Xu Ming cut straight to the core issue, leaving the Lianfan representative hesitant and unsure how to reply.

The main cast members on the side secretly cheered, finding it impressive. They were also very concerned about this.

"We are trying our best to negotiate with television stations. Currently, it seems very likely that we will reach a cooperation agreement with Jiangxi Satellite TV," the Lianfan representative said, adding, "Our main business is not in film and television, so we hope for your understanding."

"Although I only hold a thirty percent share, I am very optimistic about this show. If you can't get it done, why don't you let me take over?" Xu Ming continued. "Send me a copy later. I'll take it to Liaoning TV or Heilongjiang TV and see. If it works out, I'll get you leads some spots on satellite variety shows to help with the promotion."

In just a few words, Xu Ming seized the initiative from Lianfan. The representative, clearly having the same intention, went with the flow: "Then we'll leave it to you, Chairman Xu."

They were willing to accept Xu Ming's involvement not just to recover some costs, but because they valued his background. As for the other leads like Chen He, they were even more thrilled. Satellite variety show appearances were rare resources for them. Especially for Lou, Wang, and Sun, who had chosen to join his company, they felt their decision had been vindicated.