Chapter 117: Entering the Entertainment Industry

The man with glasses wore a fawning smile as he looked at Lin Fan, bowing and nodding, extending his hand to invite Lin Fan upstairs.

But Lin Fan wasn’t in a hurry to go.

“Sister Li Li, I promised to treat you to a meal last time. You should be free tonight, right?”

“Of course I am! I’ve been busy with two business meetings and events during the National Day holiday, so I couldn’t go back to Hang City. Since you’re inviting me, I must accept... By the way, what brings you to see Chairman Huang?”

Li Li readily agreed, casually inquiring about his purpose for being there.

“I’m planning to collaborate with Superstar Media, investing in some film and TV projects. If you’re interested, I could invest and have you star in one or two blockbusters.”

Lin Fan smiled with confidence.

He knew that Li Li hadn’t faded from the limelight these past two years due to health issues, but rather because the film and television industry had become increasingly conservative with investments.

The main reason was that many big-name stars without real box-office appeal demanded exorbitant fees. Major production companies and investors were unwilling to let these stars take leading roles, preferring instead to promote their own in-house celebrities.

As a result, big-budget productions had become scarce. But with the recent salary cap regulations, the fees for many stars had dropped as well.

Yet actresses like Li Li, who were aging and had lost their box-office draw, were now ignored by capital. For the sake of appearances, they could only publicly claim to be taking care of family or focusing on their health.

In reality, it was simply that investors no longer saw value in these former A-listers.

Lin Fan’s interest in the film industry was primarily to promote the artists under Starlight Entertainment.

Simply put, he intended to use star power to boost Starlight Entertainment’s reputation and influence.

“Sure, I’d love to support you. What kind of blockbuster do you have in mind?”

Li Li’s interest was piqued, her eyes full of anticipation.

“It’s only in the planning stages for now, but the investment will definitely be significant.”

“Of course, I know you’re quite well-off. Let’s talk more over dinner tonight...”

Li Li smiled gracefully.

Others might not know much about Lin Fan’s background, but Li Li did.

Take Chen Yanzi, for example—she had previously heard Lin Fan say he’d acquired Starlight Entertainment.

But when she looked into it, Lin Fan’s name was nowhere to be found on the company’s website; he was neither a shareholder nor part of the management.

All she heard was that Lin Fan held a nominal position as deputy manager in the Artist Management Department.

So she concluded that Lin Fan had just been boasting before.

Today, seeing him again, she naturally wanted to expose Lin Fan’s true colors.

But to her surprise, before she could say anything, her own man was once again overshadowed by a woman!

Last time it was Su Juanmo; this time, it was Li Li!

Why did Lin Fan always manage to attract wealthy women?

He looked so ordinary, yet there were always women backing him up.

Watching Lin Fan and Li Li chatting happily, Chen Yanzi’s hatred for Lin Fan deepened.

She swore inwardly that she would find herself a man with even more power and influence!

Meanwhile, Lin Fan noticed through the system that Chen Yanzi’s affection for him had dropped by another ten points.

At negative sixty, it was now at the level of hatred.

If it fell another ten points, she might even become murderous.

But Lin Fan paid this woman with no bottom line no mind at all.

No matter how she tried to take revenge, she would never have any hold over him.

He glanced at Chen Yanzi’s personal information and noticed she’d changed quite a bit.

Her weight had increased from 54kg to 56kg.

“No wonder she looks fuller than before. She must have gotten some cosmetic work done. Chen Yanzi, I’m curious to see what you’ll become in the future... Once a woman crosses her own bottom line, her standards only get lower.”

When they reached the third floor,

Lin Fan finally met the chairman of Superstar Media.

He had already asked Su Juanmo about Huang Lixun’s background—he was the eldest son of the prestigious Huang family in Hang City, and a powerful, seasoned figure in the entertainment industry. However, since his funds couldn’t compete with the top companies, Superstar Media had never managed to become a major player.

Now that Lin Fan was trying to break into the entertainment industry and needed a platform to launch a girl group, Superstar Media was the ideal partner.

Of course, Su Juanmo had other options as well—not only had she invited Superstar Media to collaborate, but she had also approached several other mid-sized film and television companies.

But so far, only Superstar Media had expressed genuine interest, so Lin Fan naturally prioritized them.

Inside the meeting room,

Lin Fan finally met Huang Lixun. The man was every inch the stereotypical coal boss, with a large paunch, a gold chain, and a flashy silver watch; he exuded neither the aura of a leader nor spoke in official tones.

Thanks to Su Juanmo’s involvement, Huang Lixun treated Lin Fan with great respect, and their conversation went smoothly.

In truth, Lin Fan was only there to express his willingness to cooperate; all the project details had already been arranged by Su Juanmo.

As the secret owner of Starlight Entertainment, and Su Juanmo’s public representative, he had come to attend the meeting at her behest.

Su Juanmo disliked being in the spotlight, so she had delegated this task to Lin Fan.

“Mr. Lin, according to the contract, the three female artists you specified will need to gain experience through acting roles. However, since they’re newcomers, I suggest they come to my company for training. I’ll assign professional teachers to guide them. What do you think?”

“No problem. May I know who the teachers are? I’d like to learn more about them,” Lin Fan requested.

In fact, he wanted Li Li’s help in finding some professional actors to coach Qiao Xinxin’s group.

Although the three girls were students at a media academy, none of them majored in acting—only Zhang Yichen had slightly better skills.

He’d also considered sending the girls to a crash course at a performing arts academy.

But Su Juanmo worried they might get poached by other companies, and the girls themselves had said in their group chat that they didn’t want to be in a school environment. Since money was no object, he could simply hire instructors to provide one-on-one coaching at the company.

“I’ve already arranged that for you. This is Teacher Yan... He’s an acting instructor at the Shanghai Drama Academy, highly professional—you can rest assured.”

With that, a man with long hair entered the room. He had refined features, an elegant and handsome look, with a slightly androgynous air.

“Mr. Lin, hello. My name is Yan Bin...”

The long-haired man offered a polite, professional smile, looking very cultured.

But Lin Fan felt a strange discomfort.

It wasn’t the man’s effeminate appearance that unsettled him, but rather the look in his eyes—it was as if he were being stripped bare and scrutinized.

“A man?”

Lin Fan frowned slightly.

To be fair, this instructor’s build was hardly different from a woman’s. If not for his voice, Lin Fan might have mistaken him for a woman.

“Don’t judge by appearances. His professionalism has been widely recognized and praised by many of our company’s artists. He’s absolutely reliable,” Huang Lixun said with an awkward smile.

At that moment, Lin Fan caught a fleeting, sinister smile at the corner of Yan Bin’s lips, gone in an instant.