Chapter 39: You Just Covet His Body

"It's strange..."

Watching Chen Jin and Su Wanyu leave the café, Jiang Wenli frowned at Chang Jihong, who was sitting beside her. The conversation had actually been quite pleasant, but when the topic shifted to signing the contract, the other party hadn't even listened to the terms before saying they needed to go back and think it over.

This left Jiang Wenli baffled. Anyone with eyes could see the background and the investment lineup; it was obvious that rising to fame was only a matter of time. With the backing of Xingmei, the connections and operational prowess of Chang Jihong, and so many seniors in the company who were award-winning actors and actresses, who would refuse such an offer? They were even saying that admission to the Central Academy of Drama was a sure thing for him. Jiang Wenli simply couldn't comprehend why Chen Jin would need to consider it. She felt the student’s brain must have been fried by the stress of the art school entrance exams.

"It is indeed strange!" Chang Jihong stirred her coffee with a spoon, her eyes narrowing behind her glasses. "If they had asked to consider things after seeing the contract, that would be understandable."

A 30/70 split for 12 years—it was admittedly harsh, but Chang Jihong trusted Jiang Wenli's judgment. However, those terms were negotiable. Just because they were written down didn't mean they were set in stone. As the founder of a new talent agency, Chang Jihong knew she needed fresh blood to build the company's reputation, so offering a bit of leeway wouldn't have been a problem. The odd part was that neither of them had even looked at the contract before saying they needed to think about it. It was completely perplexing.

"Forget it. Their family background is very ordinary, and this art school attempt was a last-minute decision," Chang Jihong reasoned. "The kid has talent, no doubt, but his parents are likely holding him back, which makes them overly cautious."

In her view, if the parents had any background in the arts, they wouldn't have hesitated for a second. If they had even a slight understanding of the industry, they would have been even more eager to sign. It was only because they had no exposure to the entertainment world that both the mother and the son appeared so lacking in foresight. She had, in fact, observed all of Chen Jin and Su Wanyu’s reactions.

"So, are we still pursuing him?" Jiang Wenli looked at Chang Jihong, who glanced back. "You're the boss, you make the call!"

"How am I the boss?" Jiang Wenli laughed coquettishly. "The company is yours; you decide!"

"We'll pursue him. You called me the moment you spotted him, how could I not take it seriously?"

"Hahaha!" Having worked together for many years, Chang Jihong knew exactly what was on Jiang Wenli's mind. *Little fresh meat,* she thought, *so tender.* Old Gu and Jiang played their own games; the secret to maintaining their marriage was mutual interest. Their social and professional networks were too deeply intertwined—cooperation benefited both, and a true falling out would be bad for everyone. Unless they really couldn't stand each other and decided to tear each other apart in court, causing a sensation across the internet, most couples in this circle existed in this state of equilibrium.

"I'll let it cool off for a few days, then I'll find him to talk alone," Chang Jihong said. "I'll make the contract terms more flexible..." She had already obtained Chen Jin's phone number, so she wouldn't have to deal with his mother again.

"Good!" Jiang Wenli finished her coffee, grabbed her bag, put on her sunglasses, and stood up. "I have something to take care of, I'm leaving first!"

"Mhm."

***

Chang Jihong sat alone, her mind filled with images of Chen Jin. This applicant truly possessed an excellent temperament and a natural way of handling himself. No wonder that girl Wenli was so invested—she was salivating over him.

"Little Huang, you're in danger!" Chang Jihong sipped her coffee and shook her head slightly.

***

On the other side, it wasn't until Su Wanyu got into the car that she let out a long breath. "My goodness, the aura of those celebrities is truly powerful!"

For a teacher to be tempted to swear showed just how nervous she had been. Sitting in that private café room with Chang Jihong and Jiang Wenli had been like sitting on pins and needles. Her son, however, had acted as if nothing was the matter, asking one question after another, gossiping away. She hadn't realized her boy had this in him—he hadn't shown a shred of stage fright in such a setting!

If she had known that her son had spent over a decade working as a mortician, she might have understood his mindset. Aside from death, everything else was a trivial matter. Having seen every imaginable state of death, why would Chen Jin be afraid of such an occasion? It was a piece of cake!

"Son, are you planning to sign with that company?" Su Wanyu couldn't help but ask.

Chen Jin curled his lip. "I don't want to."

"Why not? Don't many stars have talent agencies to package them and provide resources?" Su Wanyu hadn't been idle all these days; she had been checking entertainment news on her phone every day. "This Xingmei Group sounds very powerful! They have cinemas, film studios, and big-name directors. Signing with them would surely make you famous..."

"It's precisely because they are too strong that I'm scared," Chen Jin replied. "Your son is just an ordinary person. Let me finish school first..."

Chen Jin was obviously making excuses, but Su Wanyu believed him. "Oh, I see. You're right, study first. But will you be able to get into the Central Academy of Drama? That agent said if you signed, admission would be guaranteed!"

"Your son will get in even without signing!"

"Boasting again? Can you guarantee your college entrance exam score will be over 190?"

Chen Jin: "..."

"Mom, is your son really such a failure in your eyes? I scored 293 on my final exams!"

"That was the final. In the first semester of your second year, you were at 330!"

"By the second semester, I was down to 310..."

Damn, this was insulting. We’re through!

Chen Jin picked up his phone to check the news. Seeing his reaction, Su Wanyu couldn't help but smile. "So, you can't neglect your core subjects. Keep memorizing English words every day, and don't give up on math and Chinese! Oh, and what about the two science subjects? Do the Central Academy of Drama and the Beijing Film Academy have requirements for those?"

Chen Jin didn't want to bother answering her.

"Yo, yo, yo, are you angry?" Su Wanyu tugged on Chen Jin's sleeve. "Mom is doing this for your own good!"

It was the same tone every mother in the world used. Chen Jin turned around and said, "If you're doing this for my own good, then lend me a few tens of thousands!"

"How... how much?"

"20,000," Chen Jin said casually. Su Wanyu was shocked. "What do you need so much money for?"

"I'm going to bribe Director Zhang Yimou, buy some cosmetics for Sister Lu, and pull some strings behind the scenes!" Chen Jin blurted out the lie.

"That... that's too much, isn't it?" 20,000? Su Wanyu’s heart ached at the thought. The combined monthly income of her and Chen Xianqi was less than 10,000.

"20,000 is a lot? People invest 100 million in a single movie!"

"I told you not to take the art exams! We haven't even started, and 20,000 is already flying out the window! Later it will be hundreds of thousands or millions—where would our family get that kind of money?!" Su Wanyu tapped Chen Jin on the shoulder as she spoke.

Chen Jin pretended to be in pain, rubbing his arm. "It’s not your money anyway. Can I finally access my startup fund? This is already related to finding a job!"

"That's not our money!"

"The amount you two gave is only a fraction! It was money given by Grandpa, Grandma, Grandma-in-law, Grandpa-in-law, and my aunts and uncles! It's been 18 years—you should be thanking your son for not being a spendthrift for all these years!"

"Haha, and who do you think saved it for you?" Su Wanyu laughed loudly. She had to admit, her son was good in that regard; he hadn't spent his red envelope money for years. Even though he would occasionally ask for it, he was always easily placated with a few small bills from Chen Xianqi.

"It's time to open it! I've been waiting for this day!"

At this moment, Chen Jin was grateful for the economy of Chen City. It was one of the best in the country, and unlike in Guangdong, the elders there were very generous with red envelopes for children. Ten years ago, it was 50 or 100; these past two years, it had been 500 or 1,000. His family’s conditions were average, but his elders were kind and always gave him money during the holidays. His little "treasury" must have at least over a hundred thousand by now.

"That's still not happening!" Su Wanyu couldn't just hand the card to Chen Jin, fearing he would blow it all. "I'll give you 20,000, and if you need more later, we'll approve it then!"

"Tch!"

Chen Jin only needed 20,000 to place his first bet and earn his first pot of gold. Too much wouldn't be good; it would attract attention. He’d have to use different accounts and cook the books a little—intentionally losing a few times—otherwise, it would raise red flags. When the World Cup arrived, he planned to make a big move. After that, he would wash his hands of it, stop playing, and start investing in films or stocks. As for that Bitcoin mentioned in the future autobiography, he didn't feel it was safe, but it was worth looking into.