Chapter 97 – Words from the Heart

Hmm? Why was he looking at him? Were there words written on his face?

“Lin Ganzhi, are you sure you don’t want to reconsider? Although you were, ahem, before, your momentum is good right now. If you don’t have suitable resources to keep you in the public eye, the popularity you worked so hard to build on the survival show could disappear just like that in this fickle industry,” President Shao advised, feigning deep concern.

He didn’t lack big-name stars at the moment, but Lin Ganzhi’s recent performance on the show was indeed there for all to see. Plus, he had a few wealthy fans. It was hard for President Shao not to notice.

He had originally thought that Lin Ganzhi would willingly stand on his side without any special persuasion. After all, Lin Ganzhi’s current situation wasn’t good—an ordinary family background, married to a good-for-nothing, living in a suburban villa and having to grow his own vegetables. For a long time, he had been the butt of jokes in the circle. He never expected this person to be so clueless that he needed a reminder. Now he just hoped he would be a little more sensible.

Lin Ganzhi: Your pitying gaze is making it hard for me not to overthink…

“I’m sentimental. Resources aren’t important; it’s the person that matters,” Lin Ganzhi said with the tone of a big shot, despite his minor celebrity status, effectively shutting President Shao down.

Huh?

“Heh, then I’m really curious how you judge people.” By being blind? He couldn’t even answer such a simple multiple-choice question. President Shao sneered.

Zhang Dianhuai instinctively wanted to stop Lin Ganzhi from opening his mouth, but unfortunately, he was too far away. Before he could make a sound, Lin Ganzhi began his passionate speech: “Of course, I’m looking at my Brother Zhang as a person. He’s upright and incorruptible, brilliant and intelligent, perfect and flawless, magnanimous and generous, and most importantly, he’s understanding! He can understand all my bad moods and answer my questions. How can mere resources compare to that?!”

All the artists who had been managed by Zhang Dianhuai: … They could grudgingly admit to the first few points, but what the hell was “understanding”? Who? Zhang Dianhuai?

Zhang Dianhuai pushed up his glasses coolly. As long as he remained calm, the embarrassment would belong to others.

President Shao: …

“Young man, you’re still too childish,” President Shao lectured, disappointed in his lack of ambition.

Lin Ganzhi remained calm. “Old man, don’t be too stubborn either. The new generation surpasses the old. If the old wave doesn’t work hard, it’ll be washed away on the beach.”

!!!

President Shao was the first to storm out in anger. Before leaving, he even threw down a threat: Lin Ganzhi could forget about ever renewing his contract!

Zhang Dianhuai had nothing more to say to the rest of them. He gave them a polite greeting on the surface and they left. Zhang Dianhuai only kept Lin Ganzhi and Que Jin behind.

“Brother Zhang, you shouldn’t have joked about your position,” Que Jin said. Having climbed up from the bottom step by step, caution was her nature.

Zhang Dianhuai sat back down in his chair, rubbing his forehead wearily. Only in front of them did he relax a little. “The position was just a front. What they wanted were the resources I had. It was my mistake for misjudging them and blindly working with this contract.”

Que Jin sighed.

“I’m very sorry about your situation. The production team has already made their decision. But given that newcomer’s style, even if the director is in the dark now, there’s a high chance he’ll fire her once she’s on set. You know the director’s temper. President Shao won’t gain anything from this either. I’ll find a suitable role for you again. Your popularity is still good right now, so we can’t rush into a bad drama and ruin your reputation.”

“Okay!” Que Jin nodded, moved. Just based on these words, Que Jin knew her choice was not wrong.

“As for Lin Ganzhi,” Zhang Dianhuai looked at him.

Lin Ganzhi looked over obediently, waiting for his arrangements.

Zhang Dianhuai stared at Lin Ganzhi for three seconds, then finally sighed. “Forget it. You’re probably happy to have fewer resources.”

Lin Ganzhi smiled sheepishly. All he could say was that Brother Zhang was a great judge of character.

However, Lin Ganzhi still kindly offered his opinion. “Brother Zhang, since the company is treating you like this, with your ability, you don’t have to stay here. You’re famous in the industry! Or, you could totally start your own studio.”

Que Jin also nodded in agreement. “Brother Zhang, I think Ganzhi is right. My contract with this company also expires before the New Year. To be honest, if I hadn’t ended up under your management, I would have wanted to breach my contract and leave the company in October. If you want to start your own studio, I’ll definitely be the first to come for an interview.” Her thinking was also very simple. Since Zhang Dianhuai was sincerely giving up his original position and status, he might as well be decisive about it.

Zhang Dianhuai smiled rarely. “Your ideas are good, but the studio business is very deep. It’s not something you can do well just by having money. After opening a studio, our first enemy will be this company. If I open a studio, it’s like openly competing with the company. I have a lot of connections from over the years, but it’s hard to compete with the current company.” Zhang Dianhuai analyzed calmly.

Que Jin nodded along, understanding Zhang Dianhuai’s difficulties.

But Lin Ganzhi thought of his partner. Although he didn’t have any great ambitions, Brother Zhang was a good person, and he also seemed to be Yan Shengping’s number one fanboy.

“Then, Brother Zhang, if you could ignore these problems, would you want to go solo?” Lin Ganzhi asked.

“Of course. I still have three percent of this company’s shares. It’s more than enough to start a studio now,” Zhang Dianhuai said. Suddenly, the shrewd man thought of someone, and his expression changed abruptly. “You’re not thinking of…”

Lin Ganzhi quickly waved his hands. “I can’t fully guarantee it. I can only ask first.” He still had to respect Yan Shengping’s thoughts.

Zhang Dianhuai gave Lin Ganzhi a exasperated look. “I mean, there’s no need to trouble your husband. He’s so busy now, how can he be bothered with my small matters? At worst, I’ll just keep a low profile for a while. It’s not that difficult to secure resources for Que Jin alone.”

This was a true fanboy!

However, this also sparked Lin Ganzhi’s desire to help. After all, when they were in trouble before, Brother Zhang had also worked overtime to help them solve the problem. If Yan Shengping was too busy, he still had some savings. He could always help out!

The three of them chatted in the office for over half an hour. Zhang Dianhuai stayed in the office to continue dealing with company matters, while Lin Ganzhi and Que Jin left first. He could feel that the moment he came out, the people in the office all looked at them in unison, then quickly buried their heads again.

Lin Ganzhi and Que Jin exchanged a look, then went to the elevator with indifferent expressions.

Even if you go out, you won’t hear any gossip. I will protect my own melon field!

After getting out of the elevator, just as Lin Ganzhi was about to notify Wenren to come over, a figure flashed in front of him. It was E Yuezhang.

“Ganzhi, how could you oppose President Shao like that today? It’s not easy to get into this company. If you can’t renew your contract, it will be difficult to go to a company of the same scale in the future.” E Yuezhang’s words seemed to be concerned about Lin Ganzhi, but his expression was sarcastic.

…

Lin Ganzhi stopped Que Jin, who wanted to step forward, crossed his arms, and walked up. “You seem quite pleased with your choice today~”

E Yuezhang didn’t expect Lin Ganzhi not to follow his words, and stiffened for a moment before saying, “Everyone else made the same choice.”

“Mhm, it’s normal for a few top-tier Film Emperors to choose that way. After all, they really need the support of resources. But for salted fish like us, it’s the same wherever we are, right? But since you all left, Brother Zhang’s few resources will be split between me and Sister Que Jin. I should thank you~” Lin Ganzhi smiled meaningfully.

Que Jin turned her head and couldn’t help but laugh.

E Yuezhang looked like he had eaten dirt.

After teasing him enough, Lin Ganzhi walked past E Yuezhang with Que Jin, but E Yuezhang behind them continued, “Brother Zhang has been demoted now. Any resources he has will be given to Sister Que Jin. What’s there for you to be happy about?”

Wasn’t he trying to drive a wedge between them?

Que Jin was a Best Actress, after all. When the younger brother she was protecting was spoken to like that, she was instantly furious. But Lin Ganzhi turned back before her and said lightly, “Seeing you so angry and embarrassed makes me pretty happy.”

A devastating psychological blow!

After saying that, Lin Ganzhi pulled Que Jin out of the revolving door. Que Jin had unlocked a new skill of Lin Ganzhi’s today: pissing people off without paying for their lives.

Lunch was Wenren’s treat. He chose a Northeast cuisine restaurant with particularly large portions and a private room to ensure privacy. While waiting for the food, Lin Ganzhi subconsciously took out his phone to see what Yan Shengping was eating for lunch. Although Yan Shengping’s body was slowly recovering, Lin Ganzhi couldn’t help but pay attention to his diet, insisting on conditioning his delicate stomach.

Lin Ganzhi: [What are you eating for lunch? [Peeking~]]

Yan Shengping replied faster than he had imagined. He sent a photo over; it was chicken noodle soup made by Uncle Yan.

Yan Shengping: [The chicken soup you made yesterday. Uncle Yan made it into chicken noodle soup. It tastes very good.]

It was clearly made by Uncle Yan, but Yan Shengping seemed to be praising him. Lin Ganzhi couldn’t help but feel pleased, but…

Lin Ganzhi: [Why are you eating so little for lunch?]

After sending that message, the other side was silent for a while. Just as Lin Ganzhi was about to put down his phone, it vibrated. Lin Ganzhi quickly opened the message box.

Yan Shengping: [I’ll eat more when you get back.]

Boom!

His little face turned bright red.

Lin Ganzhi looked at the message, not knowing how to reply.

“I say, your eyes are about to be glued to your phone screen,” Wenren Yi said with a look of disdain.

Que Jin covered her mouth and smiled, her eyes sparkling with gossip.

Lin Ganzhi quickly put away his phone and coughed to cover it up, but he still felt a little guilty.

“I’m just checking if there are any bubbles in the tempered glass I applied yesterday!” When it came to being stubborn, Lin Ganzhi was also a professional.

The two opposite him replied with a cold smile instead of words.

Only Lu Xi, who came later, eagerly stretched out his hand. “Ganzhi, give me your phone. I’m a permanent sniper, my eyesight is particularly good!”

As soon as he said that, everyone looked at Lu Xi with a hint of pity. Forget it, caring for the foolish is everyone’s responsibility.

Lin Ganzhi quickly put his phone in his pocket. “It’s okay, I’ve checked it. Let’s eat!” In fact, he was afraid that Yan Shengping would send something that couldn’t be seen by others. Then his face would really be lost.

“By the way, how do you guys want to spend the New Year this year?” Lu Xi asked.

“I’m going back to the United States to spend the New Year with my grandmother. Que Jin is coming with me this year. Ganzhi, since you and CEO Yan are also just the two of you, why don’t you come to my place for the New Year?” Wenren Yi invited.

Before Lin Ganzhi could say anything, Lu Xi said sourly, “Why don’t you invite me?”

Wenren Yi sneered. “Your dear brother probably won’t be willing to part with you, and I most likely can’t beat your brother. What do you think?”

Lu Xi instantly lost hope.

Lin Ganzhi thought for a moment. He kind of wanted to go and accompany Grandma Li, but, “Not this year. We’ll visit your grandmother after the New Year if we have time. We have an elder in our family too, so we’ll be three people for the New Year this year.” As Lin Ganzhi said this, he felt a little excited. This would be considered celebrating the New Year with his real family. In a few days, he could go buy New Year’s goods and couplets, and he could also go shopping with Yan Shengping!

Seeing this, Wenren Yi didn’t insist. They agreed on a time for a gathering after the New Year, and after eating, they all went their separate ways.