Chapter 64
The next morning at 8:30, Li Mo received a call from an unknown number. She answered groggily, and a gentle voice on the other end introduced herself as Yu Wenqian, her new agent.
Li Mo sat up straight, her sleepiness forgotten as she listened attentively to Yu Wenqian’s instructions. She nodded and hummed in acknowledgment, and then Yu Wenqian ended the call.
The call had been brief. Yu Wenqian had introduced herself, outlined some work-related matters, and informed Li Mo that she would pick her up later to take her to the company, introduce her to her new colleagues, discuss her career path, and inform her that the company had officially announced their collaboration on Weibo.
Li Mo opened Weibo and found Pinnacle Entertainment’s official page. She saw the announcement, liked it, and then closed the app. It was a standard announcement, informing the public that Li Mo had signed with Pinnacle Entertainment and expressing their hopes for a successful partnership. Nothing out of the ordinary.
However, Director Xu, upon seeing the announcement, was consumed by jealousy and resentment. She had tried so hard to keep Li Mo by her side, offering to set up a studio for her, but Li Mo had refused. She had even tried to introduce Li Mo to a friend’s agency, hoping to maintain some control over her career, but Li Mo had declined that as well.
Now, seeing this announcement, she felt betrayed and envious. How could Song Ling, someone Li Mo had only known for a few days, successfully sign her to her company? And Song Ling wasn’t even from the entertainment industry. She had been in the tech industry before suddenly acquiring Pinnacle Entertainment and then securing a presenter spot at the awards ceremony.
It all seemed too coincidental, as if it had been orchestrated specifically for Li Mo. There were no such coincidences in the world. This was clearly a deliberate plan. Director Xu gripped her phone, her eyes narrowed as she stared at the announcement. She was determined to investigate Song Ling and uncover her motives.
Li Mo arrived at Pinnacle Entertainment again, this time as a signed artist. Unlike yesterday, she didn’t go to the top floor. Yu Wenqian escorted her to the middle floors, first taking her to the HR department to get her employee ID and introducing her to the staff. They then went to Li Mo’s new office, where Yu Wenqian instructed her to wait.
Yu Wenqian returned with four people, introducing them to Li Mo as her assistants and explaining their roles. She then presented Li Mo with three movie scripts.
“I’ve reviewed these three scripts. I think they’re all suitable for you. Take a look and see if you like any of them. I’ll handle the negotiations.”
Li Mo was surprised to see that all three scripts were from renowned directors, and the roles were all leading roles. She had expected Song Ling to provide her with good opportunities, but this was beyond her expectations.
She picked up one of the scripts and began to read. It was an action thriller about an undercover police officer. The female lead, as a child, had been kidnapped. The kidnappers had intended to abduct her classmate but had mistakenly taken her instead. They had abused and tortured her, and she had been on the verge of death when she was rescued by a female police officer. The experience had inspired her to become a police officer herself.
Li Mo found the story uninteresting and put down the script, picking up another one. This one was set in the Republican era. The female lead was the daughter of a poor family. Her parents, struggling to make ends meet and favoring sons over daughters, forced her to marry a mentally challenged man from a wealthy family.
The man’s family was desperate to find a wife for their son, and they agreed to pay a hefty dowry to the poor family in exchange for their daughter’s hand in marriage.
The female lead, of course, refused, arguing with her parents, but her father beat her and locked her up until the wedding day. She was forced to marry the mentally challenged man.
On their wedding night, she was supposed to consummate the marriage, but fortunately, the man was truly simple-minded and didn’t understand what that meant. She pretended to have slept with him, and they lived a peaceful life together.
She befriended the second female lead, a maid who served her husband. The maid was also from a poor family and had been sold into servitude to pay off her family’s gambling debts. The female lead, sympathizing with her, developed a close bond with her.
Months passed, and her family, seeing that she wasn’t pregnant, suspected she was lying. They tied her up and tried to force the mentally challenged man to ra*e her. The maid, learning of their plan, rescued the female lead and helped her escape.
The female lead, fearing for the maid’s safety, urged her to escape with her. The maid, seeing no future for herself in that household, agreed, and they fled together.
They left the village and went to Shanghai, the most prosperous city at the time, to seek a new life. However, as two young women from the countryside, they couldn’t find work. They sold their belongings and opened a small food stall.
Their business was doing well, but their good fortune was short-lived. The Japanese invaded Shanghai, and the city descended into chaos. People were killed, injured, and robbed. They lost almost all their savings.
They survived by collecting valuables from the dead, but their meager livelihood was destroyed when Japanese bombs rained down on the city, separating them.
As they searched for each other, the maid was rap*d by a Japanese soldier and became pregnant. The female lead was injured in the bombing, her face scarred.
They continued to struggle to survive, determined to find each other. Shanghai eventually fell to the Japanese, and they were forced to flee. The female lead went to Hong Kong and became a dance hostess, while the maid was taken to England by a British woman.
Years later, they finally found each other through a missing persons notice. They were both middle-aged by then.
Li Mo’s eyes were red with tears as she finished reading the script. She clutched it tightly, her heart aching for the characters’ tragic fate. Yu Wenqian, seeing her reaction, knew that she had found a script she liked.
“Do you like it?”
“I love it! But Sister Qian, this script is so good, and the director is so famous. Would they really consider me for the role?”
“Don’t worry, all three of these scripts are looking for fresh faces for the lead roles. I’ve already spoken to the directors, but you’ll still need to audition. If they like you, we can negotiate the contract.”
“Okay, I’ll do my best.”
“That’s my job. I’ll let you know when I have the audition dates. In the meantime, familiarize yourself with the script and the character’s emotions. That will help you during the audition.”
“Okay, I will.”
“From now on, you can have Ah Zhong drive you around. And Huizi will be in charge of your daily schedule. If you have any questions, you can ask her or me. And don’t post anything on Weibo without my approval, understand?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Here’s your signing bonus. Take a look. If everything is in order, please sign here. Then I’ll go and arrange your upcoming work schedule.”
“Okay, no problem.”
“Alright, let me know if you have any questions. I’m leaving now. You can have Ah Zhong drive you home.”
“Okay, I have something to do later, so I won’t need a ride. You can go.”
“Alright, I’m leaving.”
After Yu Wenqian left, Li Mo looked around her new office. It was beautifully decorated, clearly designed with her preferences in mind. The dominant color was white, her favorite color. The desk, chairs, curtains, and cabinets were all white, accented with touches of gray. It was a calming and elegant space.
She went to the bookshelf and browsed the titles. Most of the books were about acting, many of them written by her favorite teachers.
She put the books back on the shelf and glanced at her watch. It was almost six o’clock. She remembered her appointment with the flirty CEO and left her office. She entered the elevator, swiped her new employee ID card, pressed the button for the top floor, the eighteenth floor, and waited.
When the elevator doors opened, she saw the secretary from yesterday still sitting at her desk. The secretary looked surprised to see her. Only Song Ling and her secretary had access to the eighteenth floor. Everyone else needed her permission to enter.
As a capable personal assistant and secretary, Wang Xinru had sharp observation skills. Seeing Li Mo arrive unannounced, she understood that this woman must hold a special place in Song Ling’s heart. She smiled warmly at Li Mo.
“Is Ms. Song in?”
“Yes, she is.”
“Could you please inform her that I’m here? We have an appointment.”
“Of course. Please wait a moment. I’ll let her know.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Wang Xinru informed Song Ling of Li Mo’s arrival, and Song Ling instructed her to let her in. Wang Xinru stood up, opened the office door, and gestured for Li Mo to enter. She then closed the door behind her and returned to her desk.
“You finally arrived. I thought you were scared.”
“Who’s scared? Are we leaving now?”
“Yes, I’ve been waiting for you. Let’s go.”
Song Ling gathered her things and then took Li Mo’s hand, leading her out of the office. Li Mo wanted to pull her hand away, but they were already in the hallway, and she didn’t want to make a scene in front of Wang Xinru. She allowed Song Ling to lead her to the elevator.
Wang Xinru watched them enter the elevator, her suspicions confirmed. Li Mo and Song Ling were definitely more than just business partners. She would have to remind the other staff to be careful around them. Li Mo, her hand still in Song Ling’s grasp, finally voiced her question as they got into the car.
“Why do you always hold my hand?”
“Because I like to.”
“… Can you please be serious? I feel like I’m aging prematurely from talking to you.”
“You’re not old.”
Li Mo’s heart skipped a beat. What did she mean? Did she know something? Or was she just saying that Li Mo looked young? She decided it was probably the latter.
“Of course I’m not old, but if you keep frustrating me like this, I will age prematurely.”
“Hee hee hee, why are you pretending?”
“You… What do you mean?”
“You’ll understand when we get to my place.”
Leave a Reply