NGSB Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

Wang Fang’s business car creaked in protest as Lin Xi put the last box in its trunk. He’d packed up his stuff last night and had just moved out of Tianyu Entertainment’s assigned housing after terminating his contract today. As he slid into the passenger seat, Wang Fang regarded him with surprise.

“Chief, where do we go now? House-hunting?”

Lin Xi glanced at the dashboard and saw that it was almost 12:00PM. “Let’s eat something first,” he said. “Then we can take our time looking for places to live in the afternoon.”

The two of them bought a boxed lunch set from a restaurant and took care of their lunch by the curb. Both men and women stole long glances at Lin Xi as they walked past. Wang Fang chewed on his chopsticks with a chuckle. “Chief, look at that! That girl almost tripped over the step staring at you!”

Lin Xi only wished he could bury his head into his lunchbox. There was nothing to nitpick about people who stared at him for his looks, but…he hadn’t been recognized by any of the passerby despite being a star who’d already been in show business for a year and was known for his special looks. For an artist, that was the greatest source of humiliation.

In the afternoon, the two of them went to multiple housing companies but couldn’t find a suitable place to live. Wang Fang got so tired that he was puffing for breath and leaning against the car seat when they were done. “Chief, how about you move into my place for a few days? Although it’s not as clean as yours, it’ll at least give you a place to live.”

A faint sheen of sweat stood out on Lin Xi’s forehead, though it was quickly evaporated by the cool autumn air. He shook his head and fell into thought before finally saying helplessly, “Drive us to CX Entertainment.”

Though Wang Fang didn’t understand his motives, he simply did as he was told. It was barely 4:30PM when they arrived in the parking lot. Standing before the 76-story building, both of them fell into silence. Wang Fang was quiet because he was a little scared. Such an impressive building seemed imposing. He was afraid that he’d ruin everything if he mispoke a word. Lin Xi was considering more complicated matters. If a newbie wanted to survive in the entertainment world, he couldn’t just rely on himself. That was especially true for a poor, unsupported newbie like him. If annulling his contract with Tianyu was a necessity, then finding a new company to sign onto was a second mandatory task. If there was any entertainment company on par with Tianyu, it would be CX Entertainment.

Unlike Tianyu, CX Entertainment was a branch company of the Chu Group. Tianyu did nothing besides show business, while CX Entertainment had the Chu Group’s wealth and support as backup. In the past, Tianyu had dominated the musical world, but ever since losing its God of Music He Shushan to CX Entertainment, its position had begun to awkwardly decline. Meanwhile, CX Entertainment had always been the dragon’s head in the show business circles besides its musical talents. Now it was unrivaled in the face of Tianyu’s lackluster new music stars. One could call Tianyu the lean, starving camel who was still bigger than a horse–on the decline, but still temporarily greater than CX by virtue of its longer experience and existence in the entertainment world.

Now that Tianyu’s final trump card, Qi Wenyuan, had passed away, its prestige would probably suffer even more. The thought of its tragic state brought a smile to Lin Xi’s lips. He looked at the building of the Chu Group before him, which was twice as tall as Tianyu’s, without a hint of tension. Lifting a leg, he strode inside. Wang Fang took a deep breathing before following.

At the front desk, receptionist Li Rongrong[1] was wearing a form-fitting suit as she organized some documents with her head bowed. When she happened to glance up, it was to catch sight of Lin Xi and his manager walking her way. Her eyes widened as her jaw dropped.

Lin Xi had to tap the counter twice to get her attention. “Hello, I’d like to see He Shushan,” he repeated himself.

The person next to Li Rongrong pushed her until she recovered her senses.

“H..hello. Who were you looking for again?”

A hint of impatience flash through Lin Xi’s eyes, but he couldn’t help but smile at the girl’s dazed stare. Without a choice, he said for the third time, “I’m looking for CX Entertainment’s He Shushan.”

His dazzling experience made Li Rongrong exclaim in surprise before she replied. “I…I’ll make a call for you right away.” She completely forgot to ask him whether he had an appointment as well as her prideful air as a Chu Group receptionist.

“A…alright, you can go up right now. He’s on the seven…seventy-second floor.”

Amusement welled up in Lin Xi’s heart at the sight of the girl’s funny expression. He dropped a tender gaze to the flushed female and smiled, then murmured, “Thank you.” Then he left her with a lingering look before heading for the elevators.

As soon as Lin Xi turned around, a middle-aged man spoke up from behind the receptionist. “Li Rongrong, how dare you take photographs on your cell phone during work hours?”

Lin Xi chuckled to himself as he entered the elevator.

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The Chu Group was rich and impressive. In the heart of B City, where free space was worth its weight in gold, they’d built this 76-story office skyscraper. Floors 1 to 15 were all restaurants and a franchise hotel associated with the group, while floors 16 to 51 consisted of science, technology and architecture offices. CX Entertainment made up floors 52 to 76.

The elevator quickly reached the 72nd floor, where the doors opened to reveal a man as warm as a spring breeze waiting for him with a genial smile. Those pupils widened in surprise at the sight of him, but quickly resumed their calm. Lin Xi took a deep breath before bringing Wang Fang with him out of the elevator. Smiling, he said, “Hello, senior.”

He Shushan wasn’t expecting to greet Lin Xi of all people here, but he kept his surprise to himself. With a slight nod, he brought Lin Xi to his break room and asked with a grin, “Lin Xi? What did you need me for?”

Naturally, he knew Lin Xi from his days back at Tianyu. But he’d hardly exchanged any words with the taciturn youth. At most, they were acquaintances who didn’t know each other well. Lin Xi only felt a twinge of sadness as he stared at the back of the man leading them down the hall. Although they were old friends, he couldn’t simply say he was the same soul in a different body now. From what he knew of He Shushan’s friendly personality, the man would never leave him outside the door. No matter what Lin Xi might be plotting, he would give him a chance to talk.

Inside the break room, Lin Xi and Wang Fang ended up sitting across from He Shushan, who personally poured them a cup of warm water. Looking rather shamefaced, He Shushan explained, “I need to protect my voice, so I didn’t prepare any coffee or drinks in the breakroom. It’s a bit simple, so I hope you don’t mind.”

“N…not at all, thank you, God of Music!” Wang Fang had never spoken with someone so famous before. Moreover, he was even pouring them water. For a moment, he was fully satisfied and believed that following Lin Xi was the correct choice. Lin Xi already knew of He Shushan’s habits, so he didn’t mind at all. He noticed that the other had dark circles beneath his eyes–he probably hadn’t slept well last night.

“So, what did you find me for?” He Shushan asked.

“Actually, it was brother Qi who told me in the past to find you. He said if I had any trouble, to just tell you.”

Hearing the familiar name made He Shushan’s eyes widen. His hands shook as he nearly dropped his cup. It was a while before he recovered, but grief was apparent on his face. His lips moved before he asked with a tremor, “A’Yuan…told you to find me? Did he say anything?”

Lin Xi felt his heart ache at the sight of his friend. “Brother Qi said that you were his best friend. If was in any trouble, you wouldn’t refuse to help.” Once he spoke his piece, he looked at his friend’s grieving face and suddenly blurted out, “Brother Qi wouldn’t have wanted you to be like this. You have to take care of yourself, ah.”

He Shushan gave a start before wiping at his damp eyes. He suppressed the pain in his heart and said, “Thank you, I’m fine.” Time passed by in silence before he finally spoke again. “Is there anything you need me to help with?”

Lin Xi set his churning emotions aside and got straight to the point. “Senior, actually…I terminated my contract with Tianyu today.”

He Shushan was surprised. “You…how could you ever afford the penalty fee?” When he realized what he’d said, he immediately apologized. “Sorry.”

Lin Xi just smiled. “Even brother Qi managed to help out with that problem.” Although he knew Pan Lun’s weakness, he didn’t have an ounce of proof. Pan Lun was very thorough with his misdeeds and covered all his tracks. It would be impossible to threaten him on the paltry knowledge of his sins, so he was planning to hide the matter of the penalty fee from He Shushan.

He Shushan sighed. “A’Yuan’s really…alright, since you’re not part of Tianyu anymore, do you want to sign a contract with CX Entertainment?”

Lin Xi nodded. The task might be difficult for any other star under CX management, but it was nothing for He Shushan. He quickly made a call. Within an hour, a sharp looking man wearing silver spectacles arrived with a thick stack of contract papers in tow. He was dressed in a casual ash-gray suit with a neatly buttoned dress shirt, a clean and simple look. After examining Lin Xi from head to toe, he sat down with satisfaction and placed his stack of papers on the coffee table in front of him. “Take a look at these contracts first.”

Lin Xi nodded before flipping through the papers. He’d seen contracts like this plenty of time on Pan Lun’s side, so it didn’t take him long to review the terms. But his eyes stopped short on a certain section before he looked up at He Shushan in surprise. The man was smiling at him softly.

Shushan, I owe you one.

—

The contract was quickly signed in triplicate so each person could have a copy. Lin Xi exhaled once it was all over and rose to his feet. The man in glasses followed suit as he offered his right hand. “Then in the future, we’ll be working together. I’m your agent Ji Chengshu[2], I’ll be in charge of your details from now on.”

Lin Xi gave him a solemn look before he accepted the handshake. “I’m Lin Xi. Please take care of me.”

He was familiar with Ji Chengshu’s name because the man was a top-tier agent within CX Entertainment. Besides Lin Xi, he also managed Heavenly King Zhu Qing[3], Heavenly Queen Ye Yiyi[4], and various other stars. He was probably one of the entertainment circle’s most powerful top-tier agents. Lin Xi had recognized him as soon as he entered the room, but never expected He Shushan to recommend him as an agent, or to have Ji Chengshu agree to the deal. Everyone knew that Lin Xi was nothing but an empty vase besides his looks. A result like this must have taken tremendous effort on He Shushan’s side. Aye, Shushan…

Lin Xi gave He Shushan a complicated look, but the man only smiled at him warmly. “Then Lin Xi, we’ll be part of one company from now on. Do your best.”

Lin Xi nodded. “Mm. Thank you…Shushan.”

The familiar form of address gave He Shushan a start. He suddenly recalled his dead friend and felt a pang of grief in his heart, but understood that the beautiful youth before him was a completely different person. As he watched Lin Xi, Ji Chengshu, and Wang Fang leave the breakroom, he suddenly remembered something and raised his voice.

“That’s right, Lin Xi. Tomorrow, Director Li’s holding auditions for a costume drama. You can go try it out.” Only then did he recall Lin Xi’s famous acting “reputation” and regretted his words. But Lin Xi only smiled softly, his expression highlighted by the sunlight on his face.

“Alright. Thank you, Shushan.”

He Shushan could only stare at the sight.

After leaving the front doors of the Chu Group skyscraper, Lin Xi’s cell phone went off. He accepted the incoming call and heard a serious voice on the other end. “I’m Ji Chengshu. Save this number. Tomorrow morning at 7AM, I’ll come pick you up from the CX dormitories. Don’t be late and be sure to do your makeup…well, maybe you won’t need any. Sleep early tonight to maintain your best state.”

He spoke so fast that Lin Xi didn’t have any time to reply. Once he was sure that was all, he asked, “Are we going to try out for Director Li He’s[5] costume drama auditions tomorrow?”

Ji Chengshu paused before confirming. “Yes. It’s for the Ice God series. I’ll send the script to your mailbox right away. You can skim over it tonight and pick an appropriate role to study and audition for.”’

“Alright,” Lin Xi agreed.

“Be sure to rest. I don’t want to see you any less than your best tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

“I’ve already arranged for someone to bring you to the dorms. Don’t be late tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

As if stunned by the consecutive “alrights,” Ji Chengshu was left speechless on the other line. Lin Xi furrowed his brows and asked, “Ji Chengshu? Is there anything else?”

All he got was the sound of the other end hanging up. Lin Xi stared wordlessly at his phone. I never knew Ji Chengshu had such a weird personality.

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[1] Li Rongrong (李蓉蓉) – Li is a surname that also means “plum tree,” Rong has no specific definition, but is sometimes used as another name for Chengdu City. A receptionist on the ground floor of the Chu Group building.

[2] Ji Chengshu (季成书) – Ji is a surname that means “seasons,” Chengshu is a phrase that means “be published, appear in (book) form.” CX Entertainment’s top-tier agent.

[3] Zhu Qing (祝清) – Zhu means “express good wishes,” Qing is “clear.” A Heavenly King tier actor under Ji Chengshu’s management.

[4] Ye Yiyi (叶伊伊) – this is the same Ye Yiyi who came in second on the showbiz beauty rankings after Lin Xi. A Heavenly Queen tier actress under Ji Chengshu’s management.

[5] Li He (李鹤) – Li is a surname that means “plum tree,” He is crane. The director of the upcoming costume drama Ice God (淩神), or Ling Shen.