After Spectating Gossip, the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Big Shot – CH5

Chapter 5

Sun Hongfei tentatively asked Gu Xingshi, “So, what’s your relationship with Mr. Wen? How did his cufflink end up with you?”

Of course, Gu Xingshi couldn’t just say, Oh, I found it lying around in your hallway.

So he vaguely replied, “Does that really matter? As long as Mr. Wen sees it, he’ll understand.”

Sun Hongfei: !!

The subtle pride in his voice! The effortless confidence!

If Gu Xingshi didn’t have a close relationship with Wen Yue, how could he speak so nonchalantly?

But Sun Hongfei still had his doubts and probed further, “May I ask your name, sir?”

“My surname is Gu.” Gu Xingshi finally remembered to hand over his business card.

Sun Hongfei’s gaze settled on the card’s bold letters: LeShi Entertainment. Something about the name seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

Trying another route, he asked, “Could I ask who the artists at your company are?”

Now, this was an awkward question. With only two trainees yet to debut, LeShi’s roster was… modest.

Thinking quickly, Gu Xingshi replied, “Our company used to represent an artist named Yan Zhiheng.”

Dropping Yan Zhiheng’s name was his only option to boost the company’s image. After all, Yan Zhiheng was a well-known name.

Sun Hongfei paused, a long-forgotten memory surfacing. Few knew that Yan Zhiheng was actually Wen Yue’s younger uncle. Years ago, Yan Zhiheng had rebelliously left his family, joining a small company under an alias, and eventually rose to fame on his own.

And that small company? LeShi.

It all made sense now. They must have known each other since childhood, close as could be.

Feeling he had unraveled the truth, Sun Hongfei relaxed completely, even thinking a step further. 

After all, [Boy Group Training Camp] was a joint production with Starshine Media, and most companies tended to choose Starshine as they were slated to manage the final group after the show. But Gu Xingshi had come directly to them instead—wasn’t that a clear indication of Wen Yue’s displeasure with Starshine after yesterday’s scandal?

The companies shared the same building and were all part of the Wen conglomerate, but they were still competitors. Starshine’s recent success had overshadowed Sweet Orange Video for some time.

If Starshine hadn’t gotten so cocky, they wouldn’t have let that actress cause trouble and drag Sweet Orange down with her.

Sun Hongfei’s initial worries about Mr. Wen’s anger over yesterday’s incident evaporated. With Gu Xingshi around, half his concerns were already alleviated.

Feeling relieved, Sun Hongfei’s attitude grew even warmer, and he enthusiastically took the application forms from Gu Xingshi. “Don’t worry! I’ll make sure everything is taken care of!”

Gu Xingshi was initially worried that they might look down on his small company. But seeing the manager, Sun Hongfei, being so polite and welcoming put him at ease. As expected from a big company, their professionalism is top-notch!

Sun Hongfei’s subtle flattery almost made Gu Xingshi feel dizzy, but he hadn’t forgotten his primary purpose. “I heard there’s an interview after registration. When will that take place?”

Sun Hongfei was taken aback. Wasn’t his intention to bypass the interview process entirely? Why bother with an extra step?

Then it struck him—this had to be part of the “rebel young master” narrative. This guy wanted to make a name for himself by proving his worth and showing his independence, no doubt to impress his boyfriend. That explained the secrecy behind the registration!

Sun Hongfei immediately shifted gears. “Oh, yes, of course! How about we schedule the interview for tomorrow afternoon? Will that work?”

Gu Xingshi nodded in agreement.

After confirming the interview time, Gu Xingshi casually asked, “How many trainees are joining from JinYou Entertainment this season?”

Hearing the question made Sun Hongfei’s heart skip a beat. “Why are you asking about JinYou?”

“Just curious. Why is it a secret?” Gu Xingshi replied casually.

Sun Hongfei swallowed nervously, trying to maintain his composure. “Oh, no, it’s not that. It’s just that the final list isn’t confirmed yet, so I can’t really say.”

Gu Xingshi mumbled, his brow furrowed, “Their trainee numbers are quite high…”

Last year, [Boy Group Training Camp] had four participants from JinYou alone. If this year’s count were the same, that would be twice the number his own company was sending. Watching last season, he got the feeling that JinYou’s contestants stuck together; with so many of them, he worried they might gang up on Cheng Xin and Meng Yuansheng.

But what he thought were mumbles reached Sun Hongfei’s ears, and it hit him like a gong.

Because of insider negotiations, JinYou’s quota had actually increased by two this season, making it six trainees in total. But this information was strictly confidential; how could Gu Xingshi know?

Sun Hongfei wanted to ask more, but by the time he turned around, Gu Xingshi had already left.

Just then, Xiao Li walked in, holding a list. “Boss, I went ahead and organized the names of smaller companies with no strong connections. Want to review who we should replace?”

Sun Hongfei frowned, “Who told you to replace anyone?”

Xiao Li blinked. “Huh?”

“These smaller companies fought hard for their spots this year. Replacing any of them could cause major issues. They’re not afraid of stirring the pot, and the last thing we need is a public relations crisis online…”

Xiao Li looked puzzled. “So, what should we do?”

Sun Hongfei grabbed the list, tapping a particular spot with his pen.

Xiao Li’s eyes went wide. “You want to replace the two from JinYou?! But they’ve already made arrangements with Starshine Media…”

Sun Hongfei chuckled. “Those deals are with Starshine, not with us. And besides, this is what Mr. Gu Xingshi wants!”

Xiao Li looked at him in shock, “But… I was with you the whole time, and Mr. Gu Xingshi never actually said that!”

Sun Hongfei gave him a disappointed look, “You think he’d outright say something like that? This was all in the subtext!”

Xiao Li still looked doubtful, “He honestly seemed like he was just making small talk. Aren’t we reading too much into it? What if this backfires, and Starshine reports us to Mr. Wen?”

Sun Hongfei scoffed, “Come on, think about it. This list was finalized just two days ago, and only we, Starshine, and Mr. Wen have it. If Mr. Gu knows, it’s obvious where he got the information.”

Xiao Li’s face went pale, “Sir, I swear no one from our department leaked anything!”

Sun Hongfei sighed. “Of course not.”

Xiao Li, feeling relieved, thought for a moment before hesitantly asking, “If it wasn’t us or Starshine, then… could it be Mr. Wen himself?”

“Finally! You’re catching on,” Sun Hongfei said, exasperated. “Think about it. If Mr. Wen’s willing to share classified company information, that means Mr. Gu must be highly trusted. Do you think Mr. Wen would side with Starshine in a dispute? Hardly!”

Xiao Li finally understood, “You’re right, sir! No wonder you’re the boss.”

Pleased with his employee’s newfound wisdom, Sun Hongfei leaned back with a smug smile. “Now you’re getting it. Stick with me, kid. You’ll learn a lot.”

*

Back at the company, Gu Xingshi found Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin hard at work in the dance room. In just one morning, the two had already nailed down the choreography for First X Blood. They were deep into perfecting the moves, working as a team to refine each step.

Seeing his artists work so hard, Gu Xingshi felt a swell of pride and optimism for the future. He could already picture them debuting successfully, leading to him finally selling the company and achieving financial freedom!

Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin noticed his return and quickly came over. “Mr. Gu Xingshi, how did the registration go?”

“All done! You’re scheduled for an interview tomorrow afternoon,” Gu Xingshi announced cheerfully.

Meng Yuansheng looked stunned. He actually managed to get them registered—and so easily! No wonder he’s the boss!

The news made Meng Yuansheng feel even more determined to perform well and avoid disappointing Gu Xingshi.

Meanwhile, over at JinYou Entertainment, their office was far from cheerful.

“Six spots we had lined up, and now we’re down to four! How could you let this happen?” The boss roared.

The company representatives were just as puzzled and frustrated. They were just hearing about the cut and had no idea how to explain it.

Just then, Jiang Mo, accompanied by his manager, rushed in.

For the past few years, Jiang Mo had been trying to transition into a management role but hadn’t succeeded. This year, with his contract nearing expiration, he leveraged the opportunity to negotiate a renewal with the company and finally got his wish.

Previously, after much maneuvering, he managed to secure a high-profile project, [Boy Group Training Camp]. Yet, unexpectedly, issues arose even before the show had begun.

Seeing him, several managers couldn’t help but speak with sarcasm.

“Ah, Brother Mo, busy with your important matters, huh? Something big went wrong on your watch, and you’re only just getting here?”

“Brother Mo, we’re backstage workers, not like the stars out front. Did you overlook some details and end up offending Director Wu from Starshine?”

“We’ve always kept good relations with Starshine, but nothing like this has ever happened before!”

Jiang Mo gritted his teeth. He was a mentor on [Boy Group Training Camp] and had made significant concessions to add these two new spots. Yet, at this moment, he could only suppress his anger and say, “I just contacted Director Wu from Starshine. She said she didn’t know about it, claiming it was Sweet Orange Video acting on its own, and she’s looking into it.”

One manager chuckled. “Brother Mo, are you really that naive? Everyone knows that Starshine and Sweet Orange are one and the same. How could something like this be a mix-up? Maybe she’s just fooling you.”

At that moment, Jiang Mo’s phone rang. It was indeed Director Wu from Starshine, and he quickly stepped aside to take the call. His expression darkened as the call went on.

After he hung up, he told everyone, “Starshine said that Sweet Orange added two new trainees, replacing our two spots.”

Boss Jin, from Jinyou, frowned. “Adding people at this stage? Which company has the pull to do that? Guangyi? Luming? Or Planet Century?”

He rattled off several big names in the industry, all well-known companies.

Jiang Mo hesitated for a moment before replying, “I think they said it was LeShi…”

“LeShi?” Boss Jin looked confused, unable to recall any information about this company, then impatiently turned to Jiang Mo. “I don’t care who they are; figure it out. If you can’t, then go back to being a performer and forget about moving into management!”

Jiang Mo’s face burned with embarrassment, but he didn’t dare to argue.

He had already used his contract renewal as leverage to get into management, much to the boss’s discontent. He’d hoped to secure his position through [Boy Group Training Camp], but now, with things going wrong, he had no bargaining chips left. He could only nod meekly and say, “Don’t worry, I’ll sort it out.”

Boss Jin finally stormed out of the conference room.

After everyone left, Jiang Mo’s forced smile faded, and his face darkened.

He recalled Director Wu’s words over the phone: “Don’t expect to get those spots back. This is what happens when you offend the wrong person…”

Yet Jiang Mo couldn’t figure out who he might have offended.

Just then, his manager rushed in. “Jiang Mo, there’s a problem with the album!”

Jiang Mo had been too preoccupied with the [Boy Group Training Camp] to focus on the album, and with no one supervising it for just a few days, the new assistant had already caused issues.

He suddenly felt overwhelmed, remembering how, back when Meng Yuansheng was around, all these minor details were meticulously handled, leaving him free from worry.

He took out his phone and sent another message to Meng Yuansheng, but, as before, received no reply.

Frustration welled up inside him.

He’d only played along, thinking it was just casual fun, and had even apologized to him humbly. Yet Meng Yuansheng really left!

When he returns, Jiang Mo swore he’d give him a proper lesson!