Chapter 27: Resources

It was a bit disheartening, after all, we had shared the same room for two months. We were like brothers in the same trench. Even though he was heading to Hengdian, the chances of us crossing paths again in the future were slim. Still, Zhang Wuchou could speak Japanese, so he shouldn't be short of roles. Yang Qingwen had made a career out of speaking Japanese in dozens of anti-Japanese dramas; although he was typecast as a Japanese soldier every single time, he was at least making money. Zhang Wuchou surely wouldn't do any worse than him. After all, "anti-Japanese war dramas" remained a thriving genre well into 2025.

Oh, and Cui Weidong had accepted the two packs of cigarettes and offered Shen Yan a few words of encouragement before Shen Yan took his leave. As for Director Gong Ruofei... well, Shen Yan wasn't quite on that level yet.

...

Leaving the Huairou Film and Television City, Shen Yan returned to Beijing. He gritted his teeth and booked a room for 300 yuan a night. Just as he was about to contact Wang Jinghua, she called him first.

"I'm at the XX Hotel... Any good restaurants nearby? I don't know, I'm not a local!"

"...Just give me the address, I'll be there right away!"

After memorizing the address she gave, Shen Yan changed his shoes, took a moment to tidy himself up in the mirror, and hailed a taxi. Fortunately, it wasn't far; he arrived in about forty minutes.

It was a private-kitchen restaurant called "Small Stone Pool Chronicles." The decor was quite classical, with an antique atmosphere—natural wood tables and chairs, greenery, Chinese paintings on the walls, and lanterns hanging from the ceiling, all adding to the aesthetic. However, Shen Yan could tell at a glance that these decorations were mostly machine-made and lacked soul. Still, the wood-carved landscape painting hanging on the main wall appeared to be the work of a master; a quick glance suggested it was Dongyang wood carving.

When he reached the private room, Wang Jinghua was already there, accompanied by a man in his thirties.

"Sister Hua... who is this?"

"Ji Xiang... your manager."

Shen Yan immediately reached out his hand: "Nice to meet you, I'm Shen Yan."

Ji Xiang shook it: "Nice to meet you too. I've been wanting to see you for a while; Sister Hua said I had to wait until you finished the drama you were working on."

"I had signed an actor's contract previously..."

Shen Yan sat down. A waiter poured him a cup of tea and left. Wang Jinghua then said, "Tell us about your situation... be detailed."

"Huh?" Shen Yan was stunned for a moment, then pulled a resume out of his bag: "Brother Ji, you can see for yourself."

Ji Xiang was speechless—this was the first time he had ever been handed a resume. But he read it carefully. Noticing that Shen Yan only had a high school diploma, he frowned: "You didn't go to college?"

"No. I only scored four hundred-something on the college entrance exam. I could have barely gotten into a third-tier university, but I didn't want to spend the money..."

"You've worked in lighting?"

"Just for half a year. My uncle wanted me to learn lighting; at least it's a skill I could make a living with..."

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"I've had two... but we broke up."

"Any hobbies?"

"Calligraphy, painting, and music... I quite like those."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you? You're my manager; what good would it do me to hide that from you?"

Shen Yan answered every question. Finally, came the question about his goals or ideals. Shen Yan scratched his head: "For now, I just want to act... if you're asking for a goal... I guess I'd like to be a 'People's Artist'."

"...A People's Artist?"

The term left Wang Jinghua shocked. "Are you sure?"

"That's how I feel for the time being!"

"Do you have any favorite actors?"

Shen Yan thought for a moment and said, "I quite like Mr. Li Xuejian."

"And actresses?"

"No particular favorites, anyone is fine..."

Ji Xiang nodded: "Alright, I think I have a good idea of who you are!"

"So, when do I sign?"

"You can sign now, the contract is right here."

Shen Yan took the contract and flipped through it. Generally speaking, talent management contracts depend on whether they are "full contracts" or "partial contracts." As the name suggests, a full contract covers all platforms and fields, essentially entrusting one's entire performing career to the agency. Partial contracts refer to specific fields, platforms, or services—what the industry calls "recording contracts," "commercial contracts," or "acting contracts."

Wang Jinghua's BJ Shiba Agency signed full contracts. It didn't matter, though; Shen Yan was a complete newcomer. He was definitely signing a full contract. Then came the terms regarding duration, rights, obligations, and revenue sharing. He took a look: the split was 40% for the artist and 60% for the company and manager combined. Of course, this wasn't set in stone. As Shen Yan's status rose, his income and his share would increase. The penalty for breach of contract was 5 million yuan.

Shen Yan skimmed it briefly, signed his name, and added his fingerprint.

"You know how to read a contract?"

"Not really," Shen Yan said nonchalantly. "But I know a thing or two about Sister Hua's reputation... anyway, I know you won't swindle me!"

That was true. You almost never saw anyone breaking their contract with Sister Hua. Usually, people leave agencies for two reasons: less money or a lack of resources. Wang Jinghua was beyond reproach in those areas.

"Here are four projects..."

Shen Yan was surprised to receive a stack of documents: "Four?"

Wang Jinghua's connections were no joke. In just half a month, she had reached out to four production crews: *The Firmament of the Pleiades*, *The Meteor Butterfly Sword*, *The Vigilantes in Masks*... and another called *Peacock Feather*.

He looked through them. They were mostly script synopses, audition invitations, and role suggestions.

"...I don't really want to do Qing Dynasty dramas. Can we skip *The Firmament of the Pleiades*?"

"Why? Don't like queue-hair dramas?"

Shen Yan nodded: "I find it awkward. Ever since I was a child, the first time I saw a queue-hair drama, I felt a physical sense of discomfort—a strong, almost instinctual revulsion. If you make me act in one, I definitely won't be able to pull it off."

"Fair enough, we'll skip *The Firmament of the Pleiades*... What about *The Meteor Butterfly Sword*? Do you want to go for the role of Meng Xinghun?"

"...Has that not been decided yet?"

Ji Xiang looked at Wang Jinghua, who replied: "Not yet... even if it had, we'd still go in and compete fairly!"

"...*The Vigilantes in Masks*... a wuxia drama from Tangren?"

Ji Xiang: "Yes, I suggest you audition for the main antagonist!"

"But won't I be too young for that?"

"It's fine... we can use makeup!"

"Is *Peacock Feather* the one based on the *Seven Weapons* series?"

"You've read that novel?"

"Of course, I've read most of Gu Long's novels..."

Closing the documents, Shen Yan asked Ji Xiang: "Brother, which drama do you think I should focus on?"