Chapter 38: Bai Mengyan Was Too Excited to Sleep

In the girls' dormitory of the Changzhou Tourism and Commerce College, Bai Mengyan stuffed the last sweater into her suitcase, threw herself onto the bed, and rolled around, giggling as she hugged her pillow. "Hehe, I'm going to Beijing tomorrow to shoot an MV!"

"I'm going to be a female star!"

"Am I dreaming? Quick, pinch me!"

Hehe, sitting on the upper bunk, threw a plush toy down with a huff. "That's the third time!"

She climbed down the ladder nimbly and gave Bai Mengyan’s cheek a hard pinch. "Does that feel real enough?"

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Bai Mengyan sat up, rubbing her face. "Let me tell you, Boss Jiang said this MV will be released on all major platforms. I might even be trending on social media soon!"

Hehe sat cross-legged opposite her, her brow furrowed. "Are you sure this is legit? What was his company called again? How much is the registered capital? Do they have an official website?"

"Oh, you sound just like my mom!"

Bai Mengyan pulled out her phone and swiped through some photos. "Look, this is a group photo from their set. Do you recognize these two?"

She zoomed in on two blurry silhouettes.

"This... looks a bit like Ou Hao from *Super Boy*? And the other one is Yu Menglong?"

"That’s them!" Bai Mengyan grinned. "Boss Jiang said he’s looking to cast Ou Hao as the lead in his next project! Do you know how much they get paid?"

"Don't tell anyone else, Boss Jiang told me to keep it a secret. This is insider information from the entertainment industry!"

"He only told me because he sees me as one of his own!"

Bai Mengyan mysteriously held up a number with her fingers.

Hehe gasped. "Do stars really make that much? Didn't you say he makes web dramas? They pay that much? Did he tell you that himself?"

"Well, not exactly," Bai Mengyan waved her hand. "He didn't specify the exact pay for that project, but he mentioned the current industry rates, saying newcomers like Ou Hao and Yu Menglong can make that much for a single production."

She blinked and leaned in closer. "But you can't just go around saying things like this, right? Boss said there are so many rules in this industry."

"But can't you figure it out for yourself? Would anyone be stupid enough to act for him for free?"

"I suppose that’s true..."

Bai Mengyan’s eyes lit up, and her canine teeth showed as she smiled. "Boss Jiang said that good actors earn their keep through skill, and the pay they deserve shouldn't be a penny less!"

"Now that’s how a professional does business."

"The boss also said I have great potential, and as long as I’m obedient and work hard..." Bai Mengyan suddenly stood up and spun around, "I’ll definitely be even more famous than Ou Hao!"

"Sounds like he's just feeding you empty promises," Hehe pouted. "My cousin is an accountant at a film company; it's not that easy for a newcomer..."

"Don't you dare badmouth my boss!" Bai Mengyan flopped back onto the bed, looking indignant. "He showed me the project proposal; it was incredibly professional!"

"And he’s such a good person. He was worried about me, so he said if there’s no filming, I can work as his assistant for five thousand a month, plus room and board!"

Hehe counted on her fingers: "Five thousand in Beijing is only enough to..."

"What do you know!" Bai Mengyan’s eyes sparkled, already lost in the dream she had woven, her fingertips unconsciously tracing shapes in the air.

"Think about it. Even if I don't become a star, I could be at the new company, wearing a crisp white shirt, a stylish little suit jacket over it, and clicking my heels as I walk into the elevator."

"Then, standing in the tallest office building in the CBD, so high up it feels like I could touch the clouds. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city traffic looks like a dense stream, and the sunset dyes the glass gold. I'll be holding a cup of Starbucks in my hand."

"Cool, right?"

"Looking down, you can see the people below moving like little ants. Looking up, there's the sky, scorched red by the sunset."

"By then, I’ll have just finished my boss’s tasks, leaning against the window to catch my breath, waiting for a dinner meeting with a client!"

"Just think about it, even being a white-collar worker is pretty badass!"

Hehe found herself getting swept up in the scene she described.

"Well, if you make it big, you can't forget about me, your best friend."

Bai Mengyan patted her chest, her canine teeth glinting. "Don't worry! I'll save a desk for you in my office. We’ll be just like we are now—when we’re tired, we’ll just sit together and chat. I could never forget you!"

"Mm-hmm!"

That night, the two girls chatted about their beautiful future until dawn, neither of them falling asleep.

...

The next morning.

Beijing, China Film City Office District.

The China Film City office district is located within the Huairou Film and Television Industry Demonstration Zone.

The zone was approved in 2014, with the China Film Group base and the new Beijing Film Academy campus as its core. Covering an area of 6.99 square kilometers, it is the only demonstration zone in the country dedicated primarily to film and television production.

The area houses the National China Film Digital Production Base, a vital hub for the film industry that provides full-service support, including filming and sound recording.

It also features the Bona Film Group Huairou Base, the Haihao Location Base, the Kunlun Fight headquarters, and the Beijing Baihui Performing Arts School, satisfying various needs for filming, event hosting, and talent training.

Jiang Ye wore a simple, dark blue suit over a white shirt, looking fresh and capable.

He had flown back to Beijing that morning, while Bai Lu was taking the bullet train in the afternoon, arriving much later than him.

It wasn't that he was being stingy; he just needed to arrive early to secure the office space for the company.

The Beijing Film Academy's entrepreneurial support policy had finally been approved, and he needed to get things in order.

He walked up to the office and smiled at the staff member organizing files. "Hello, I’m Jiang Ye from the Directing Department at the Beijing Film Academy. I’d like to inquire about the policies for film and television enterprises entering the demonstration zone."

The woman, in her early thirties, had her long hair pinned up in a loose bun, with a few stray strands framing her face, softening her oval features. She wore a well-tailored, beige professional skirt suit with a small pearl brooch pinned to her collar, projecting an air of both efficiency and gentleness.

Wang Fang adjusted her glasses as she looked up. Her gaze lingered on Jiang Ye's young face for a moment before she spoke in a strictly professional tone: "Did you bring the documents?"

"I did."

Jiang Ye took the prepared documents from his briefcase and handed them over with both hands. "This is my student ID, proof of enrollment, and the 'Student Entrepreneurship Practice Recommendation Letter' issued by the Directing Department."

"How should I address you?"

Wang Fang took the files, her brow arching slightly. "A freshman? My surname is Wang."

She examined the recommendation letter, which bore the official seal of the Directing Department and the personal signature of his mentor, Tian Zhuangzhuang.

Her expression softened slightly. "A student of Professor Tian?"

Jiang Ye offered a sincere smile. "Yes, Director Wang. Professor Tian has always encouraged us young people to root ourselves in the front lines of the industry."

Wang Fang nodded, her tone becoming much more relaxed as she pulled another document from her drawer. "The demonstration zone has special support policies for student entrepreneurs."

She pointed to the terms. "In your case, you are eligible for a rent subsidy: 100% for the first year, 60% for the second, and 40% for the third!"