The Wealthy and Influential Fiancé Has the Ability to Read Minds
Chapter 56
Tang Nuan finally fell asleep. Ye Shuyan tucked her in, sat quietly by the bedside, and looked at her with a touch of pain in his eyes.
If only she weren’t so clear-eyed and perceptive, she might be able to fully enjoy the happiness of the moment.
But she has received so little, and now even the things she truly loves have to be carefully considered, because she knows that losing something after having it is more painful than never having it at all…
Since she believes that only by becoming strong can she feel secure, he will wait for her to become strong.
Ye Shuyan gently touched her cheek and leaned down to place a soft kiss on her forehead.
With the room’s light turned off and the door quietly closed, the person in bed silently opened her eyes and touched her forehead.
Ye Shuyan, wait for me to stand confidently by your side… if that day comes, and if you are still here.
Ye Shuyan, who had already reached the front door, paused, and looked back at the bedroom door with a smile, his eyes filled with tenderness. Alright, I’ll wait.
Early the next morning, just before Ye Shuyan left, he heard an energetic voice from downstairs: I’m going to find Director Feng again. I want to persuade him personally!
I refuse to believe that I can create the Nuanyang System but can’t manage this.
Ye Shuyan couldn’t help but smile. After a moment’s thought, he decided to call Xie Feizhe.
During the time when Tang Nuan asked Ji Yun to contact Director Feng, she received a document from Ye Shuyan.
Upon opening it, she found various data on the most popular film and television dramas of the past decade, followed by a message:
[Although I’m not a professional, I can recognize professionals. The project looks good; if executed well, it will be profitable.]
[If all else fails, there’s still me.]
Tang Nuan’s eyes widened. It must work!
However, as she transferred the file to her computer, she couldn’t help but smile.
The spreadsheet clearly showed that in the past five years, there were indeed more small romantic and slapstick comedies. Although there were occasional hits, their sustained popularity was not on par with traditional martial arts dramas.
Take the widely recognized “The Legend of the Condor Heroes,” for instance. Over the past thirty years, it has been remade six times, and the most acclaimed version is almost twenty years old, still being rerun every summer. The DJs on online platforms remain stable, and the audience spans all age groups, something small romantic comedies and slapstick comedies cannot compete with.
Ji Yun quickly gathered the news, “In three days, Liu Haoqian, the president of Feng Tian Entertainment, will have a birthday party at their headquarters. Many directors, actors, and investors will be attending. It’s a great opportunity to catch him!”
“Great!” Tang Nuan said, filled with confidence.
She then spent the next three days re-organizing data to better persuade Director Feng.
On Liu Haoqian’s birthday, Tang Nuan and Ji Yun neatly dressed and drove to the Feng Tian Entertainment headquarters. As one of the three major entertainment giants in the country, Feng Tian Entertainment had abundant resources and had attracted a large portion of the entertainment industry.
The banquet hall was divided into three levels. Rather than a birthday party, it resembled an industry networking event, with attendees searching for various opportunities.
Tang Nuan and Ji Yun handed over their invitations and quickly noticed the differences between this event and typical high-society parties.
Although high-society parties are often about social networking and mingling, this event was more explicit and blatant in its display of desires: money, and ambition.
As soon as Tang Nuan walked in, she was approached repeatedly by various people. Some with high emotional intelligence were somewhat pleasant, while others were more direct and crude. There were even some handsome men who subtly suggested they could offer more intimate services if needed…
Tang Nuan: …
She covered her hand, which had just been accidentally touched, and pulled Ji Yun towards the restroom, unable to help but complain, “Who’s really taking advantage of whom here?”
Ji Yun sighed. Although she had worked in marketing before, she had never attended such events. This time, she had only managed to get an invitation through connections.
“We should head to the third floor. Director Feng is likely up there. This floor is full of minor celebrities and even internet celebrities. The competition is fierce, and people are willing to do anything for a chance.”
And Tang Nuan was quite the catch.
Indeed, compared to the high-society circles, more people in the entertainment industry knew Tang Nuan. After all, she was the one who had successfully made her mark in the industry, despite her background.
As Ye Shuyan’s fiancée, having any connection with her could provide at least a stepping stone for someone’s career.
But Tang Nuan was not like those rich second-generation individuals who were just here for fun. As this was her first project since returning to the country, she was even more discerning than others.
However, when they were stopped on the second floor, Ji Yun finally realized something was wrong. She asked the security guard stationed at the second-floor entrance, “We can’t go up?”
“Why?” Someone else had asked the same question before her.
Tang Nuan and Ji Yun turned to see a woman with a delicate appearance but with deep despair in her eyes. “I’m Qu Mengxue, and I also came in with an invitation.”
The name Qu Mengxue sounded somewhat familiar, but Tang Nuan quickly set aside any further thoughts as she heard the security guard say, “The invitations you have are for this floor.”
“If you had invitations for the second or third floors, you would have been directly escorted there.”
Ji Yun’s expression changed abruptly. “Damn it! Dog Li!”
Tang Nuan frowned. “A mistake?”
Ji Yun narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. “No, I’m afraid it was intentional.”
Realizing that arguing would be futile, Tang Nuan and Ji Yun decided to find another way. As they were about to leave, they unexpectedly encountered someone who called out to them first. “Miss Tang?”
Tang Nuan turned around, surprised. “Sister Zhang?”
It was indeed Sister Zhang from the Genting Community, who had sold a house to Tang Jinxin’s family. She was still dressed in her distinctively traditional style, which made a lasting impression.
Tang Nuan remembered that Sister Zhang was in the skincare business and that the Tang family had invested five million in her to facilitate the house purchase, “What are you doing here?”
Sister Zhang smiled. “I was looking for a cost-effective program to sponsor.” She then gave a wry smile. “But it seems there’s nothing suitable.”
It appeared that even as an “investor,” she had faced some unwanted attention.
Seeing that none of them had any interest in staying there, the three of them decided to leave together.
“Why did you think of coming here?” Tang Nuan still couldn’t quite understand why she wouldn’t approach a professional company for this.
Sister Zhang replied, “I don’t understand this field very well, so it’s easy to get deceived. I wanted to get a better understanding.”
It turned out that Zhang’s family business was Beihua, a well-known domestic brand of traditional skincare products.
“You might not have heard of this name,” Sister Zhang sighed. “In the 70s and 80s, Beihua cream was considered a luxury. We’ve always believed in the saying ‘a good product doesn’t fear a deep alley,’ investing all our funds into product research and development. We never imagined that times have changed, and that marketing would become even more important than the product itself.”
She continued with some confusion, “There are brands that don’t perform as well as ours, yet they have trendy names and are priced several times higher than ours. Some foreign brands are even more ridiculous, priced dozens of times more, and young people love them…”
Tang Nuan realized that this was likely a family-run traditional brand that had stuck to its roots and focused on product quality, but had failed to keep up with modern trends and marketing, which had led to their current predicament.
Sister Zhang seemed to have also recognized this, “I sold my house and wanted to try internet marketing. But since I didn’t know much about it, I ended up being deceived by so-called ‘professionals.’ They cheated me out of several million!”
“I heard that sponsoring some variety shows can have immediate effects, so I thought I’d give it a try.” To avoid being deceived again, she decided to come and investigate personally.
It was clear that she wanted to make a change.
“Several quotes I’ve received are outrageously high,” Sister Zhang said, astonished. “Have advertising costs really gone up so much?”
Then she pulled herself together, “Forget the complaints. We need to find a way forward. We can’t let such a good formula stop with me, and we definitely can’t let those foreigners take it.”
Tang Nuan was puzzled, “Foreigners?”
Sister Zhang explained, “Yes, some people have discovered that our products are good and want to collaborate. They’re suggesting a name change and even more outrageous pricing. That’s absolutely unacceptable.”
Tang Nuan didn’t know what to say. It seemed this was a family that was stubbornly traditional, yet they retained a pure sense of purpose.
Nonetheless, since the family had invested money, Tang Nuan thought for a moment and pointed to Ji Yun, who was on the phone, “She’s my friend and knows quite a few people in the entertainment industry. I’ll have her look into it.”
Sister Zhang was excited. “Oh, that would be fantastic. Thank you so much!”
However, when she heard what Ji Yun was saying on the phone, she hesitated. “Actually, I think you might want to reconsider making that call.”
Tang Nuan was taken aback and heard Sister Zhang continue, “I’ve heard some news about you.”
“About me?” Tang Nuan asked, puzzled.
“Yes,” Sister Zhang replied. “Since I’ve been trying to understand the effects and situations of sponsorships, I’ve been to quite a few of these events and heard many things about you.”
“I heard that the trouble between you and Jiang Miao from the Jiang family has become quite a big deal. I also heard that the Jiang family seems to be causing trouble for you.”
Ji Yun hung up the phone and, upon hearing Sister Zhang’s words, found them amusing. “Does the Jiang family still dare to cause trouble for Tang Nuan?”
“It’s not that,” Sister Zhang explained. “I heard that since you want to get into acting, they’re not allowing big directors to work with you. It seems everyone’s giving the Jiang family face.”
Ji Yun was puzzled. “The Jiang family’s influence extends into the entertainment industry now?”
Tang Nuan remembered something. “The Jiang family is indeed making moves in the entertainment industry.”
In the book, the Jiang family eventually established a significant presence in the entertainment industry, officially creating a company for Jiang Miao.
Stepping out of the romanticized narrative, it makes perfect sense from a purely financial perspective.
The Jiang family had invested considerable effort to promote Jiang Miao. Displeased with Tang Yi, Jiang Zhan reassembled Jiang Miao’s team with top-tier resources, only for Tang Nuan to take Jiang Miao down shortly after the team was set up.
This was enough for the Jiang family to recognize the lucrative nature of the entertainment industry, especially in this era of fan-driven economics. The Jiang family was already well-versed in internet operations, giving them a significant advantage.
As expected, Sister Zhang said, “I know they’ve invested in a variety show, and I’ve heard rumors that they’ve also invested in a film crew, though I’m not very sure.”
Ji Yun couldn’t help but remark, “So, these people who dare not offend the Jiang family would dare to offend the Ye family?” She immediately realized how foolish her comment sounded.
It’s said that local officials can’t match current ones. The Ye family has always been involved in traditional industries and is relatively distant from the public. Thus, Ye Shuyan, as the heir, still maintains an air of mystery. But the Jiang family is different. The barrier to entry into the entertainment industry is low for internet giants, and with their ample funds and existing advantages, they are a formidable force.
Moreover, it’s just a matter of not cooperating—how could that be considered an offense?
“So, Director Feng…” Ji Yun was reluctant to believe, “As a director, wouldn’t he want to create good work?”
Tang Nuan looked up as the side door of the building opened. Director Feng, chatting and laughing with Jiang Miao’s second brother, Jiang Ji, walked out. She calmly said, “Perhaps some people are willingly being swept up by capital.”
It’s not unusual for people to lose themselves in the pursuit of money.
Having learned this, Tang Nuan decided not to waste any more effort and told Ji Yun, “Let’s look for other options.”
The entertainment industry is so vast that, even with the Jiang family’s substantial capital, they can’t possibly control everything.
With so many people in the industry trying to make a living, there are bound to be those who are genuinely dedicated to their ideals. They just need to put in a bit more effort.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Ji, who had been behind them, took the initiative to speak, “Miss Tang.”
Tang Nuan watched as he approached her with a calm demeanor. Director Feng didn’t show any signs of embarrassment and greeted them with a smile, while the others were also very polite and flattering, clearly seasoned professionals.
Tang Nuan stood her ground.
Compared to Jiang Zhan’s aggressiveness, Jiang Ji seemed like a smiling fox. His tone was warm and friendly, “I didn’t expect Miss Tang to be here as well.” However, his words were not entirely pleasant, “I thought you wouldn’t want to see our family, so I didn’t have the courage to invite you up.”
Tang Nuan responded with a smile, “It seems that Mr. Jiang understands things quite well. But you’re being a bit insincere. If you didn’t want me to come, why are you making a special effort to come over and see me?”
Jiang Ji didn’t take offense and smiled, “It’s nothing much. I just wanted to kindly remind you that the entertainment industry isn’t easy to navigate.” He gestured toward the diverse and mixed crowd on the first floor and continued, “But with the Ye family’s deep pockets, it wouldn’t hurt to invest a few million to help everyone out. What this industry lacks most is money.”
In other words, he implied that she shouldn’t expect to work with renowned directors and stars. Instead, she’d be limited to lesser-known, less reputable options, with the natural consequence being a loss.
Tang Nuan suddenly smiled, “Actually, I was worried about funding. I didn’t expect the Jiang family to come into the entertainment industry to do good deeds. Now I don’t need to worry anymore.”
“Thank you, Mr. Jiang, for your consideration.” With that, she and Ji Yun turned to leave.
She hadn’t intended to confront him, but since he had directly challenged her, it was only fair to respond.
After all, she still needed a significant portion of the funding, so if the Jiang family wanted to play games, she’d let them cover the costs!