The Rebirth of the Socialite's Glory (GL) - Chapter 33

“You said you want to set up a studio?” Shi Kexuan struggled to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

Feng Hua held a cup of clear tea, leaning comfortably against the back of the sofa, and said, “Mm, not just that, I’m also preparing to shoot a movie this year.”

“I know you have a lot of money, but do you have to burn it like this? Shooting a presentable movie will cost at least several million, and that’s underestimating the actors’ compensation. If you rashly make a movie like this, the losses won’t be a small figure.”

Hearing this, Feng Hua gave Shi Kexuan a puzzled look, “How do you know I will definitely lose money and not make a big profit?”

“Although people in our upper-class circle don’t think much of the entertainment industry, and when mentioning those actors, they often contemptuously call them ‘performers,’ saying they are just things that seek public attention and are not suitable for high society. The older generation generally has a bad impression of the entertainment industry, strictly forbidding their juniors from entering it. If anyone violates this, they may even lose their inheritance rights and be expelled from the family. But! The entertainment industry is indeed a huge cake, and many people want to get into it. A statistical count shows that several celebrities are on the list of current wealthy people.” Shi Kexuan said, “However, while it is a huge cake, it is also a cake hanging on a cliff. How many people fall directly to the bottom of the cliff without even tasting the cake?”

Shi Kexuan felt that Feng Hua was not an impulsive person, and the methods she had shown before indicated that although she was young, she was definitely not just a theorist or a dreamer. However, Shi Kexuan still couldn’t help but remind Feng Hua.

“Are you underestimating me too much?” Feng Hua couldn’t empathize with Shi Kexuan’s nervousness. To her, for a cake placed right in front of her, even if it was hanging on a cliff face, there was always a way to eat it, rather than retreating and giving up because of it.

“Even the Feng family would stumble if they rashly entered the entertainment industry.” Shi Kexuan wagged her index finger. “The entertainment industry is deep water.”

“Is the water in the entertainment industry really that deep?” Feng Hua had no prejudice or contempt for the entertainment sector, but she didn’t overly value it either. Hearing Shi Kexuan’s assessment, Feng Hua was inevitably a little surprised.

“What’s terrifying is not the entertainment industry itself, but the intricate relationships within it.” Shi Kexuan sat next to Feng Hua and whispered, “Do you believe that even with your status, you cannot touch Xiao Yi?”

Xiao Yi, the ‘First Sister’ of Huayu Entertainment, has won a Golden Horse Best Actress award, and is considered an ultra-first-tier presence in the domestic entertainment industry. Her public image is that of a queen, and her motto, “Only those who never bow can wear the crown,” made her known across the entire network.

“She is just an actress.” Feng Hua said lightly. Just an actress with no roots, how could she not be able to touch her?

“But the people standing behind her include not only the high-level executives of Huayu and a large number of celebrities she has restrained and helped in the entertainment industry, but also high-ranking officials in the political arena… The powerful network of relationships is something even I can only glimpse. That Xiao Yi is only 27 years old this year, she entered this circle and started acting when she was six. It’s truly not a simple person to have been popular until now.”

“And I also heard that she has some ambiguity with your father, and people say she is the woman most likely to marry into the Feng family.” Shi Kexuan slowly stated this matter, watching Feng Hua’s expression as she spoke.

Feng Hua’s little finger trembled slightly, and she turned her head to look at Shi Kexuan, her sharp gaze catching Shi Kexuan off guard and startling her. She only heard Feng Hua say, “I believe everything else, but she absolutely cannot marry into the Feng family.” Feng Heng would rather let Feng Hua, a woman, inherit the family business than let a dead person completely occupy the position of the Feng family’s mistress. That deep affection was enough for Feng Hua to believe that even if Xiao Yi had great ability, she wouldn’t be able to coax Feng Heng into marrying her.

Shi Kexuan only took it as Feng Hua feeling a sense of crisis and planning to do something to Xiao Yi, and quickly reminded her, “You must not take it upon yourself to do anything to Xiao Yi. I heard your father dotes on her a lot. If you act rashly, you might end up in a mutually destructive situation.”

Hearing this, Feng Hua first looked at Shi Kexuan in disbelief, then saw the seriousness in Shi Kexuan’s eyes, knowing that Shi Kexuan was definitely not talking nonsense. Although it was ‘said to be,’ there must be concrete news.

Dotes on her a lot? Feng Hua found it hard to imagine Feng Heng doting on a woman, unless it was the supposedly gentle woman who died after giving birth to Ye Qiu.

It was at this point that Feng Hua became slightly serious, “What kind of person is that Xiao Yi?”

Shi Kexuan described her with only one word, “Unfathomable.”

She had a new understanding of the entertainment industry, but Shi Kexuan’s words did not shake Feng Hua’s determination to set up a studio. Finally, she explained her plan while Shi Kexuan wore a conflicted expression. After listening, Shi Kexuan’s expression gradually calmed down. When she looked at Feng Hua again, her eyes were filled with a kind of brilliance, like a dog seeing a bone, oh no, like an infatuated fan seeing their idol smiling at them right in front of their eyes.

“Goddess, how can you be so amazing? You must be an alien!”

Listening to the other party’s exaggerated but sincere praise, Feng Hua glanced at Shi Kexuan with a look of disdain, but a pleasant smile curled up at the corner of her mouth.

Shi Kexuan immediately felt an urge to kneel down and sing ‘Conquer.’

Feng Hua said that founding a studio was absolutely not a whim. She wasn’t very familiar with the entertainment industry, but that didn’t stop her from writing a highly feasible development plan for the studio for the next three years.

The investment for her first movie didn’t need to be much, but no one was clearer than the reborn Feng Hua how popular this movie would be after its release. Relying on this movie, she could not only multiply her money back, but her studio would also firmly step onto the stage of the entertainment industry.

“Talent show?” Shi Kexuan asked with some hesitation, looking at the proposal Feng Hua handed over.

“Yes, a talent show.” Feng Hua smiled and nodded, giving an affirmative answer.

Feng Hua’s plan was very bold, one could say it was playing a big game. The proposal itself had no issues, but not many people dared to play like this.

Actually, the proposal was simple: attracting people to the talent show with large prizes, and then selecting actors through the show. This type of planning had been done before. The biggest advantage of doing this was greatly increasing the movie or TV series’ visibility.

But the charm of Feng Hua’s plan was threefold. First, the reward for the champion was too generous. A one-million Huaxia币 (Chinese Yuan) bonus was simply a way for an ordinary person to reach the top in one step. Once this gimmick was released, the popularity of this talent show would be self-evident. Second, there were many roles in the movie, and all of them would be selected through this talent show. The actors were not limited by major or experience; as long as they caught the eye of the judges, they could successfully join the crew. This could not only attract many new actors but also draw more audience attention and generate buzz. Third, this movie was about the upper class, and many real-life, famous socialites and young masters would be acting in the roles, which was another big gimmick.

Regardless of how the movie itself would turn out, its reputation alone would be established, and the level of attention would be unprecedentedly high.

For Feng Hua, the investor, the benefits were: First, she gained high attention through this series of publicity and the movie, allowing her to gain a foothold in the entertainment industry most quickly. Next, she only needed to consolidate and strengthen step by step. Second, she could seize the opportunity to sign a batch of potential actors. With her future experience, Feng Hua naturally knew who had potential and who were just fleeting stars, who could thrive in the entertainment industry with their looks, and whose talents, once discovered, would be dazzling. Third, she could not only make money and develop her career but also increase her own visibility. In this society, besides status, position, and money, what else is important? Fame!

As long as her fame was great enough, she would have more confidence.

The part of the plan that mentioned real socialites and young masters also participating was the reason Feng Hua asked Shi Kexuan for help. She intended to invite Shi Kexuan to join the venture, and furthermore, since Feng Hua’s network in the domestic circles was still relatively shallow, this task had to be done by Shi Kexuan.

Feng Hua smiled very kindly at Shi Kexuan, but Shi Kexuan instinctively wanted to run away. As soon as she got up, Feng Hua pulled her back onto the sofa, slowly closing in. The smile at the corner of her mouth made Shi Kexuan’s heart tremble, and her mind frantically flashed the words: Goddess, don’t act recklessly!!!

“Are you in or out?” Feng Hua deliberately lowered her voice, faintly laced with seduction. Her dark eyes, at this moment, seemed to hold a pool of red wine, exuding fragrance and tugging at the most restless string in people’s hearts.

Being tightly locked in by such a pair of eyes, Shi Kexuan could only nod fearfully, her voice seemingly carrying a hint of a sob, “I’m in!”

Shi Kexuan’s twenty-second birthday invitation list included not only close relatives and friends, but also over a hundred people. Although she didn’t invite highly respected elders, she did invite some campus celebrities and well-known figures from outside. This birthday didn’t just represent her turning twenty-two; it was also a premature announcement that since she was entering her senior year, she was about to formally appear before these people.

Feng Hua didn’t disturb Shi Kexuan while she was busy, only offering some advice when she was choosing her dress. Shi Kexuan’s birthday banquet arrived as scheduled, and Feng Hua suddenly realized a problem: who should she attend the banquet with?

This issue had been forgotten until Wang Ze brought it up, and she suddenly remembered that she should indeed have an escort for the banquet.

“Uncle Wang, why don’t you come with me?” Feng Hua rubbed her forehead. Many things had happened since she returned to China this time, so much so that she realized she hadn’t yet made a friend she could invite to the banquet.

Wang Ze replied, “Young Master An Ye is your fiancé; you can go with him.”

Feng Hua refused without thinking, “He has an appointment. I don’t need to invite dislike.”

Wang Ze had previously been somewhat unable to understand why his young mistress was so cold to Ye Qiu. She said Ye Qiu saved her, yet she didn’t even want to meet him. Her arrogant attitude made it difficult for Wang Ze to accept such a cold side of Feng Hua. But now, listening to the words Feng Hua spoke unintentionally, he wanted to slap himself in the face.

His young mistress was definitely not a cold-blooded person; there must be some misunderstanding.

In the Feng family, or even in the country, besides the recently acquainted Shi Kexuan who was sincere towards his young mistress, there was no one else who treated her well. Even the fiancé arranged by the patriarch didn’t visit when the young mistress was injured, unwilling to even maintain appearances, and now he even abandoned his young mistress to attend an engagement with someone else, even daring to dislike his young mistress! This was simply too much!

At a time like this, he, who should be the closest person to his young mistress, was actually misunderstanding her and being angry with her. This was truly wrong!

The young mistress is so pitiful… Wang Ze was filled with shame and immediately stammered, unable to speak.

Feng Hua wasn’t surprised that Wang Ze didn’t speak for a long time. She understood Uncle Wang’s temperament. In the words of the internet, he was a “tsundere,” enacting an entire dramatic saga in his heart while appearing more composed and reserved than anyone else on the surface.

“Forget it, it’s fine for me to go alone.” Feng Hua made her decision.

She wasn’t truly unable to find anyone; she just felt she couldn’t find a man she could intimately link arms with to attend the banquet.

“Young Mistress, what do you think of Guan Xi? He has good martial arts skills, and he looks spirited. Taking him out can both be presentable and protect you.” Wang Ze shamelessly praised Guan Xi briefly, then felt a little embarrassed and smiled sheepishly, revealing two cute little canine teeth that didn’t match his appearance and personality.

Wang Ze didn’t smile often, which was related to those two overly cute little canine teeth. Feng Hua also smiled when she saw them, her eyes staring straight at Wang Ze’s teeth until Wang Ze’s face flushed with embarrassment before she calmly asked, “Who is Guan Xi?”