195: The 195th day of being popular
The two sisters were in similar dire straits, with their situations more or less equivalent. What right did Yao Bianliang have to sympathize with Yao Xinxin?
Recalling her current situation, Yao Bianliang's mood became heavy.
On her team's side, from company employees to artists, directors, and screenwriters, all were talented individuals.
The only teammate whose goals aligned with hers, Mo Yougan, was a super lucky individual.
As for their opponents, the situation was even worse.
Lu Group and An Sheng Entertainment went hand in hand without a single formidable individual among them.
Yao Bianliang even felt that she didn't need to act; those guys would eventually bring their own downfall.
If that was all, it would be fine. These opponents often devised new tricks, not only digging their own graves but indirectly helping her gain popularity.
None of them were reliable.
"After thinking about it, the only reliable opponent who has always supported me and my transformation to be cold is Yao Xinxin." Yao Bianliang sighed with melancholy, feeling a bit anxious.
If even Yao Xinxin had given up hope and stopped helping her, she would be completely alone and have to fight on her own, right?
"No, I have to help my good sister." Yao Bianliang felt that it was necessary to take action.
She stood up, paced around the room, and picked up her phone to make a call, but after some thought, she put the phone down.
No, she couldn't act recklessly.
Based on experience, whenever she chatted with Yao Xinxin, her good sister always misunderstood her intentions.
When she sincerely requested Yao Xinxin's support, Yao Xinxin thought she was provoking her. When she was genuinely sad about her own popularity, Yao Xinxin thought it was showing off. When she truly admired Yao Xinxin's transformation, Yao Xinxin thought it was sarcasm.
In short, their thought processes were always on different pages!
If this time she openly chatted with Yao Xinxin without any pretence, in Yao Xinxin's eyes, this behavior would undoubtedly be adding insult to injury.
At worst, instead of helping Yao Xinxin regain her spirits, it might push her further into depression.
"Actually, the pressure Yao Xinxin is facing right now comes from several sources," Yao Bianliang pondered. "First, the immense pressure from her family; second, the endless online criticism; and lastly, her inability to secure good resources, which naturally makes her want to quit the industry."
Solving these three problems, whether difficult or easy, depended on the perspective.
The pressure from her family was too great, so she could temporarily leave her family and live independently for a while.
There were too many negative comments from netizens, mainly because Yao Xinxin was extravagant, had poor acting skills, and couldn't produce any work. So, she could temporarily step back from the internet, settle down, and hone her acting skills.
As for how to secure good resources...
"Maybe I can arrange a resource for her?" Yao Bianliang pondered secretly.
In fact, whether it was with the Yao family's financial power or Lu Yanchen's influence, it would be effortless to provide Yao Xinxin with a good resource. Yao Bianliang didn't need to get involved.
Unfortunately, the novel's plot had already deviated from the main storyline.
Now, the Yao family was in a financial crisis and would not invest more in their daughter. Lu Yanchen was forced to withdraw from the entertainment industry, which even angered her father. It seemed that he wouldn't be able to help either.
After thinking it through, Yao Bianliang realized that she had to take action herself.
If she remembered correctly, in the original plot, Yao Xinxin seemed to have caught the attention of a famous foreign director and played an important role in a movie.
The original text described it like this:
"When director Ren saw this young, bright-eyed, and charming Eastern girl, he was immediately captivated. The girl's image was exactly the same as the character in the script!
He exclaimed in surprise, 'It's you - you're the one I've been looking for!'"
With guidance from a master, Yao Xinxin's acting skills improved rapidly, and she performed brilliantly in the movie.
After the film was released, Yao Xinxin won the Best Supporting Actress award, completely shedding the label of "not good enough in acting."
"Now, Yao Xinxin's path has deviated a bit. I need to help her get back on track."
The public criticised Yao Xinxin mainly because of her poor acting, lack of moral integrity, and excessive marketing. So, Yao Bianliang had to correct Yao Xinxin's image!
Everything would be fine if she turned Yao Xinxin into a talented, hardworking actress who didn't squander money.
Calculating the time that famous director's movie was about to begin casting.
"So, it seems that my best option is to conceal my identity, secretly help Yao Xinxin make connections, and get her the resources from that famous director." Yao Bianliang seriously considered the possibility of this idea.
With this resource, Yao Xinxin could temporarily step back from the internet, go to the filming location for closed-door training, and seriously improve her acting skills.
In this way, she could alleviate Yao Xinxin's depression and anxiety. When she returned as a top talent, she could continue to thrive in the entertainment industry!
Yao Bianliang was full of hope for this original novel's female lead.
This is the female lead we're talking about! Even if Yao Xinxin's life has temporarily deviated from its original trajectory due to the arrival of this intruder, as the female lead, it shouldn't be difficult for her to stand up again.
When Yao Xinxin returns as a queen with a revenge script in hand, won't this malicious female supporting character be thoroughly defeated?
The more Yao Bianliang thought about it, the more feasible this plan seemed.
So, after pondering for a moment, Yao Bianliang called Chen, her assistant, again.
"Assistant Chen, I want you to keep an eye on the casting situation for Director Ren's new movie and try to help Yao Xinxin make a connection - as soon as possible."
Assistant Chen: "?"
Not long ago, Assistant Chen received instructions from Yao Bianliang to pay attention to business-oriented movies that focused on making money. Now, not much time had passed, and he was being asked to monitor Yao Xinxin's resources.
So, what exactly was his job?
In that moment, Assistant Chen began to doubt the world a little.
"Are you talking about... Yao Xinxin?" He couldn't believe it and had to confirm.
"That's right," Yao Bianliang nodded. "Is there a problem?"
Assistant Chen remained silent for a long time, unable to understand Yao Bianliang's reasons for doing this.
Finally, he couldn't hold back and voiced his doubts, "Sister Liang, you and Yao Xinxin don't have much of a relationship. You haven't even found the right resource for yourself yet, so why bother wasting energy worrying about her?"
Yao Bianliang didn't mind at all.
She had already thought this through. Her new drama would be self-financed. She was confident she could find the right people as long as she had enough money.
In this way, whether it was casting or choosing her collaborators, she would have absolute control, minimizing the risk of failing to become popular.
So, Yao Bianliang wasn't concerned about her own resources. She simply wanted Yao Xinxin to improve.
"Anyway, just follow my instructions."
Yao Bianliang waved her hand, then asked, "By the way, do you have any updates on my next new drama?"
Regarding this, Assistant Chen had already prepared, and he promptly responded, "After your last instructions, I immediately contacted several popular stars and also got in touch with screenwriter Ling Huanxuan."
"The managers of these popular stars are showing interest in a collaboration with you, given your reputation. However, they're asking for quite high fees, and negotiations are still ongoing."
"But, Ling Huanxuan, the screenwriter, didn't hesitate. As soon as she heard your invitation, she accepted immediately and expressed a strong desire to meet with you in person."
Yao Bianliang raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Is that so?"
Ling Huanxuan, the screenwriter, is known for producing mostly money-grabbing scripts. Of course, some of her scripts received good results despite poor reviews, while others failed both in fame and financially.
Although Ling Huanxuan is passionate about commercial films and lacks depth in her work, she is still favored by investors and directors. Yao Bianliang found it somewhat puzzling.
As a prominent figure in the industry, Ling Huanxuan is well-known, and both directors and actors are eager to collaborate with her. Why would she strongly prefer Yao Bianliang and agree to work together without any conditions?
Yao Bianliang decided to clarify the situation. She asked her assistant, "Did Ling Huanxuan say anything else?"
The assistant replied, "She also mentioned that she really liked the modification suggestions you provided for the script 'Spring's Warmth and Rich Dew' and expressed a strong desire to meet you."
Yao Bianliang was puzzled. How did Ling Huanxuan know about the modification suggestions she had made for the script 'Spring's Warmth and Rich Dew'? Such insider information shouldn't have reached her ears.
Yao Bianliang asked in confusion, "How did she find out about this? Could it be that Xie Wan'er knows Ling Huanxuan and told her about it privately?"
Apart from this possibility, Yao Bianliang couldn't think of any other reason.
The assistant seemed somewhat surprised and hesitated before explaining, "Sister Liang, don't you know yet?"
Yao Bianliang asked, "Know what?"
She had a sinking feeling in her heart, but she couldn't quite figure out what had gone wrong.
The assistant finally said, "Just last night, the screenwriter Xie Wan'er posted a thank-you message on her Weibo. She said that the reason 'Spring's Warmth and Rich Dew' was able to create such an excellent storyline was all thanks to your guidance."
"This news was trending, so I thought you already knew."
Yao Bianliang: ???
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