Chapter 61
Jin Shi generously arranged a luxurious suite for Cheng Xuyuan and assured him that he could approach him anytime if he had any needs. This statement left Cheng Xuyuan slightly puzzled.
The next morning, Jin Shi arrived with an assistant, carrying a stack of contracts. Patiently waiting for Cheng Xuyuan to review them, he smiled and said, “How does it look? The terms I’ve offered are quite favorable, right? As long as you meet the requirements for this advertisement, I won’t treat you unfairly. Go ahead and inquire around — you’ll find that I, Jin Shi, am the most generous talent scout in the directing industry.”
Cheng Xuyuan, having worked in the industry, had the ability to discern contract terms. After carefully reading through the documents, he realized that Jin Shi wasn’t bluffing — the conditions far exceeded what a typical newcomer would receive.
“Since Director Jin holds me in such high regard, I won’t disappoint,” Cheng Xuyuan said, signing his name on the contract with a pen. He stood up, shook hands with Jin Shi, and added, “Pleasure working with you.”
As he said this, Cheng Xuyuan smiled, momentarily leaving Jin Shi stunned. It wasn’t until the assistant nudged him that he regained his composure, quickly grasping Cheng Xuyuan’s hand. “Pleasure working with you too… Of course, it’ll be a delightful collaboration.”
After leaving the hotel, Cheng Xuyuan, Jin Shi promptly contacted the leadership at B.H. Company with Cheng Xuyuan’s information and photos.
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Back in Beijing, 9 p.m.
The B.H. advertising department, which was about to wrap up for the day, suddenly convened a major meeting. The meeting’s content left everyone baffled: they were discussing whether a newcomer’s image was suitable for endorsing the new watch.
“Newcomer? Am I hearing correctly? When did our company ever use newcomers?”
“And it’s already closing time — can’t we discuss this tomorrow?”
While the crowd grumbled, curiosity lingered: who was this mysterious figure that had the B.H. advertising department in such a frenzy?
As the main staff members gathered in the meeting room, the department head switched on the projector, looking serious.
“As we all know, the spokesperson for this new watch has yet to be decided.” The department head scanned the room. “Jin Shi wants to use Yunhuo Entertainment’s An Ye, but we’re aware that Heavenly King An's value increases every day…”
“So the company plans to find a newcomer?” Someone voiced their dissent. “Even if we can’t get An Ye, considering the high price of this watch, shouldn’t we aim for someone like Tang Ying?”
“Sure, our company has never used newcomers before. Will the CEO agree?”
“Can a newcomer shoot good advertisements?”
Facing the diverse opinions, the director gestured for everyone to be quiet. The projector was already on, and he casually opened Cheng Xuyuan’s personal profile. There was nothing extra on it, just a name and a photo.
The photo was taken by the hotel window in Las Vegas. The young man wore a simple white T-shirt with jeans, and his handsome, neat short hair looked striking under the lights.
The glitzy gambling city and the confident young man created a strong visual impact. That beautiful face left everyone breathless.
As if afraid that the shock wasn’t enough, the director said, “No makeup, zero beauty filters.”
“Wow, this skin without makeup?!”
“Is this body proportion real? Even with a nine-heads body, those legs are out of this world!” (Note: Nine-heads body means that the person has a height that's nine times the size of their head. It's a common term for models in the fashion industry.)
“Oh my, if this isn’t photoshopped, he completely outshines An Ye in appearance…”
The discussion quickly heated up, and the intense impact of the beautiful young man left female colleagues of all ages unable to maintain their composure.
At this moment, they finally realized why the director had suddenly called this meeting.
“Has he signed the contract? If not, get Jin Shi to sign him quickly!”
“Is he really a newcomer? What are the talent scouts doing in this world?!”
“I have a feeling this ad is going to explode…”
The director was very satisfied with everyone’s reaction and said, “Since you all think the newcomer’s image is suitable for the new watch advertisement, I’ll send his information to the CEO.”
“Send it quickly! Not sending it would be un-Chinese.”
“Where is the ad going to be shot? I need to see him in person right away…”
Colleagues who had been complaining not long ago now expressed their willingness to go all out for this young man.
However, when B.H. Company’s president received the information, his reaction was different from the director’s. As a high-ranking executive, he had met the legendary figure Zhou Yuanzhe from Star Entertainment a few years ago. So, when he saw this photo, he thought the person looked a lot like Zhou Yuanzhe.
However, Cheng Xuyuan’s appearance was even more superior than Zhou Yuanzhe’s, and his temperament was different.
Zhou Yuanzhe is cold, but within that coldness, there’s a burning intensity.
Just one look at him, and you can sense the ambition and determination in his eyes.
“Cheng Xuyuan…” The CEO of B.H. furrowed his brow slightly. “What connection does this guy have with Zhou Yuanzhe?”
However, over the next few days, he carefully investigated this person and found that not only did he have no relation to Zhou Yuanzhe, but they had never crossed paths.
The B.H. CEO sighed, thinking that perhaps there really were people who looked remarkably alike in the world. The real Zhou Yuanzhe had perished in a plane crash five years ago, and not even a single fragment of the aircraft had been found.
“Jin Shi.” The CEO dialed Jin Shi’s number. “I agree to hire the newcomer you discussed a few days ago. The advertisement will be shot directly in Las Vegas, and you have full creative control over the concept and plan.”
Jin Shi ecstatically replied, “Boss, you finally agreed! I was worried you wouldn’t want him…”
“I’m not a fool. That face of his is like a gift from the heavens. I want to see the ad sample within three days.”
With the CEO’s command, Jin Shi finally felt relieved.
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Meanwhile, the filming of “The Gambler” was in full swing, and Tang Ying’s scenes were about to enter the climax. So, Jin Shi couldn’t afford to slack off for a moment. However, fueled by Cheng Xuyuan’s challenge, he performed exceptionally well on set every day, completing three days’ worth of scenes in just two.
With an extra day of free time, Jin Shi called Cheng Xuyuan and informed him that the ad shoot had to be completed within a day.
Cheng Xuyuan still felt a bit nervous; after all, it was his first time acting. But Jin Shi assured him that the ad shoot wouldn’t be difficult, as long as he followed the instructions. The shoot would go smoothly.
And so, Jin Shi, accompanied by Cheng Xuyuan and a team, arrived at the bustling streets of Las Vegas for the shoot.
The ad’s plot was simple yet intriguing.
Cheng Xuyuan played a tourist visiting a foreign country, while a foreign actor portrayed his friend. Outside the largest casino in Las Vegas, Cheng Xuyuan would periodically check his watch, waiting for his friend who was inexplicably late. Finally, the foreign friend would arrive, handing him a new watch and saying, “Your watch is wrong.”
The ad concluded with both of them walking into the bustling casino, and the central slogan appeared on screen: “Wear the right watch to wait for the right person.”
Cheng Xuyuan swallowed nervously. The plot seemed straightforward, but he was still apprehensive.
The foreign actor he was acting alongside was named Alger, a tall and handsome young man. When Alger approached Cheng Xuyuan, he was clearly captivated by his exquisite face.
And when the director asked them both to go to the makeup room together, Alger exclaimed in surprise, “This handsome guy isn’t wearing any makeup?!”
The makeup artist looked at Cheng Xuyuan’s face, feeling a bit nervous. She was afraid of accidentally ruining such a good-looking face. It was the first time in her life that she doubted her own skills.
Out of caution, the makeup artist didn’t go too heavy. The overall makeup was subtle, yet it elevated the overall aura of Cheng Xuyuan’s face to a new level.
After changing into the clothes for the shoot, Cheng Xuyuan stepped out of the makeup room and instantly became the most eye-catching sight on the entire street.
Alger had always been confident in his own looks, but standing next to the slightly shorter Chinese boy, he felt a bit intimidated.
It had to be said that this was a person whose beauty was universally recognized, both in the East and the West.
Cheng Xuyuan’s first advertising shoot went smoothly, except for occasional passersby who wanted to strike up a conversation on the street. They hardly affected the shoot.
Finally, Alger put his arm around Cheng Xuyuan’s shoulder, and they walked into the casino together. The whole scene made the girls’ hearts flutter.
“They match so well! What kind of otherworldly beauty is this…”
“These two aren’t shooting an ad; they’re in a romantic movie!”
“Cheng Xuyuan is really both A and beautiful. He’s like the ultimate seme in a BL novel…” (Note: A = Alpha. Seme = gong, top)
Cheng Xuyuan had no idea that he had become the “beautiful seme” in other people’s conversations. Director Jin praised him, “Although you’re still a bit inexperienced, your camera presence is incredible. The results turned out much better than I imagined!”
Cheng Xuyuan nodded, “Thank you, Director Jin.”
Meanwhile, Alger leaned in to ask for Cheng Xuyuan’s contact information but was politely declined. Cheng Xuyuan told him, “I’m sorry, I’ll be returning to China soon, so we won’t have a chance to meet again.”
“Ah, that’s a shame…” Alger lamented the missed opportunity to be friends with such a beautiful person.
Not far away, a black sports car drove by.
“Are they filming over there?” Tang Ying sat in the back seat, sipping a cup of milk tea. He glanced at the crowd gathered, along with the cameras. “Why are so many people huddled together?”
The driver took a look and replied, “Seems like it. But it’s probably Americans filming; otherwise, they wouldn’t attract such a large American audience.”
“True.” Tang Ying waved his hand. “Let’s head back to the hotel.”
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Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in China…
Although it was late at night, Weibo’s trending topics were far from quiet.
A topic called “#An Ye’s endorsement stolen by a newcomer#” quietly appeared at the end of the trending list and rapidly climbed to the top three.
By morning, it had taken the top spot.
Clicking on the topic, you can see related revelations and overwhelmingly one-sided comments.
“Don’t try to ride on An Ye’s coattails; he’s busy filming on set. Where does this newcomer get the audacity to approach him?”
“B.H. is just an 18th-tier watch company; An Ye wouldn’t even consider it. Let’s spare this noble newcomer.”
“This newcomer must have powerful connections; he’s already siphoning off An Ye’s fame before his debut.”
“Don’t let me find out who this newcomer is, or our fan group will haunt his Weibo for 365 days.”
“This trending topic is the pinnacle of this newcomer’s life. Let’s see how he fares when he officially debuts!”
Across the ocean, Cheng Xuyuan sneezed in his sleep. He groggily adjusted the air conditioning a few degrees higher and snuggled back into the hotel’s large bed.
In the entertainment industry, no one had dared to challenge An Ye for years. Cheng Xuyuan was blissfully unaware that he had been firmly pinned to the pillar of shame by An Ye’s fans.
At that moment, almost everyone was eagerly awaiting the release of B.H.'s new watch advertisement.
Including An Ye himself.
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Author’s note:
Let the battle begin! Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or nourished me with nutrients~
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