CHAPTER 33: CHAPTER 33: WE ARE FEMALE GOBLINS (REQUESTING MONTHLY VOTES)

When having dinner with Gao Yang in the evening, Qi Hao didn’t mention anything about the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

You’ve already accepted it, so if you keep going back and forth with false modesty, it would be really off-putting.

"I’m also heading out tomorrow, but I haven’t forgotten what we talked about before. I’ve been keeping an eye on it. This kind of thing can’t be rushed..."

Qi Hao sniffed the wine aroma and couldn’t help but finish a glass.

It’s truly a fine wine.

In the entertainment industry, it’s impossible not to drink at all, unless you’re really allergic.

Sometimes, even if you’re truly allergic, you have to drink.

In the face of capital, small celebrities are just playthings. They can do whatever they want with them.

The fact that Qi Hao has gotten to where he is today is partly due to his drinking capacity.

"With you in charge, I’m naturally at ease..." Gao Yang took a sip and sighed, "Little brother, I have to thank you."

"Why do you say that?"

Could it be you’re thanking me for accepting your luxury car worth tens of millions as a gift?

You, the coal boss, must not be thinking straight.

"Ever since Fei started working with you, she’s been much more normal. I used to think she wouldn’t last a few days, but now she’s actively going to work every day. Sometimes, she even chats with me about her work.

We finally have some common topics to talk about.

To be honest, I only know how to be a boss. I have no idea how to work like an employee. To keep up with her conversation pace, I have to frequently consult with people around me..."

Gao Yang’s gratitude towards Qi Hao is clearly sincere.

A luxury car worth tens of millions might just be a tool for a coal boss to embellish his identity, also a means to conduct business.

With such a car, he might secure deals worth billions.

However, none of these compare to his daughter.

"Haha, what you said is quite interesting. But Gao Fei indeed performs well at work, has great learning ability, knows how to draw inferences, and has no communication issues. Everyone in the company really likes her."

Qi Hao obviously knows what the other party likes to hear the most.

Nothing else to say, just praise his daughter—can’t go wrong.

Sure enough, hearing Qi Hao’s sincere compliments, Gao Yang grinned widely.

He accidentally took a big gulp.

"Actually, we have another common topic, and that is movies!"

"Oh, that’s indeed a pleasant surprise!"

Qi Hao felt a bit sympathetic towards this coal boss. How could he have so little in common with his own daughter?

Even though he left home after graduating junior high, Qi Hao and his dad always had plenty to talk about.

They could have a little drink and chat all day long.

At most, when the discussion seemed to go nowhere, Mr. Qi would want to use force to win an argument.

"However, our tastes are a bit different," Gao Yang said somewhat regretfully, "I prefer art films, the kind that can win awards, but Fei prefers romantic films. Oh, right, when we saw your commercial with An Feng and Gao Yuanyuan on TV during New Year’s Day, she had a sudden idea that it would be great if the three of you could do a romantic film."

"Haha, such a little girl’s mindset." Qi Hao didn’t engage in that topic.

"Do you think Fei’s kind of movie could be realized? Money isn’t an issue."

Qi Hao didn’t engage, but that didn’t mean Gao Yang would give up.

This doting father, having neglected his daughter for years, finally realized he needed to make amends. He wouldn’t miss any opportunity.

"There’s definitely no problem on my end. The main issue is An Feng and Gao Yuanyuan. They’re basically top-tier female stars now, with national popularity almost at its peak, especially An Feng. Every drama of hers is a big hit, and she’s collaborating with Li Lianjie and Fang Long in a Hollywood co-production..."

It’s not that Qi Hao isn’t loyal, but the difficulty is exaggeratedly high.

We’re just a coal boss; we can’t cover the sky with one hand.

Moreover, forcing them together would just lead to disaster, like how forcibly promoting someone won’t make them popular.

"Well, that’s true... Let’s work on an art film first, preferably one in which Fei can also participate in the project. This way, we can have work-related exchanges."

Gao Yang is somewhat rational.

"By the way... I’m curious, why do you spoil Gao Fei so much?"

Qi Hao was born into a very normal family and is surrounded by normal people, so he really couldn’t understand the feuds and dramas of wealthy families.

"I wronged her mother, made a mistake that men often make..."

Gao Yang rarely had someone he could confide in, and he genuinely treated Qi Hao as a peer.

While the two were drinking, on the highway to Hengdian, the Chinese Paladin 3 actress Tang Yan was chatting with her manager, Ji Rujing.

After graduation, she signed with Chengtian, and Ji Rujing was her second manager.

She helped her secure the second female lead role in Chinese Paladin 3.

"Even though it’s the second female lead, Qi Hao, who is acting with you, has been elevated to a co-lead position with the male lead, so your scenes will also increase. Do you understand?"

Ji Rujing, seeing that Tang Yan had no intention of resting, decided to chat with her about the drama.

"Yes, I understand." Tang Yan nodded.

"For Qi Hao, Chinese Paladin 3 is nothing at all. People in the industry know that his previous management company helped him get this project. Otherwise, considering his status, he wouldn’t take such a sequel drama without being the absolute lead."

Ji Rujing specifically told Tang Yan about Qi Hao, who she would perform with.

"I heard his pay is three times that of Hu Ge!"

Tang Yan was quite envious, and she could also see Qi Hao’s stature by his compensation.

"He’s worth the money; he’s been in the industry for ten years, and his fame and awards have put him ahead of other male artists of his age. Now, it’s even harder to get him to act than Huang Xiaoming. As long as you work hard, you might not catch up to him anytime soon, but at least reaching half his level shouldn’t be a problem."

Ji Rujing encouraged Tang Yan.

But it was just encouragement. She used to be a star in the entertainment industry, and she knew that minor fame depends on luck and major fame depends on destiny.

"Wow, catching up to half of his level is something I don’t dare imagine. But acting alongside him this time, you have no idea how much pressure I’m under. Look at my forehead, it’s already big, and when the pressure is high, I always tend to lose hair. If it falls out any more, I might as well go next door and play a brother in the other production."

Tang Yan started kicking her feet at the thought of it.

But she couldn’t contain her smile, probably displaying a mix of anticipation and anxiety.

"Pfft, what brother," Ji Rujing was amused and said, "Don’t be under too much pressure. Other actresses would be envious."

"How can there be no pressure, it’s a three-lifetime entanglement..."

Tang Yan covered her face, feeling that she must look like an idiot now, luckily there were only her manager and driver in the car.

"Maybe if you’re flexible, you might just get famous," Ji Rujing chuckled.

"Huh? Flexible? What do you mean?" Tang Yan asked, puzzled, as she turned her head.

"There’s a rumor in the circle that Qi Hao brings ’Fortunate Wife’s Destiny,’ and actresses rumored with him get famous. Look at Fan Xuexue, Sun Li, An Feng, Gao Yuanyuan..."

Ji Rujing counted on her fingers and found she didn’t have enough fingers to count.

"You mean..." Tang Yan asked, surprised, "You want me to be rumored with him? But I’m playing his girlfriend this time; there are bound to be some rumors, right?"

"That’s hard to say, Yang Mi worked with him in ’The Return of the Condor Heroes,’ but unfortunately An Feng was there, and she had no chance of sparking a rumor. Maybe this time she’s determined, and also Liu Shishi from Sugarman, I heard Sugarman originally planned to use gossip to promote their artists."

Ji Rujing had extensive connections and numerous sources of information.

She even had acquaintances within Sugarman who shared information with her. Her ability to snag roles for Tang Yan wasn’t just about capital-level maneuvering.

"Wow, they’re making Qi Hao seem like Elder Tang, and we’re like female demons."

Despite the astonishment, Tang Yan felt even more pressure.

She couldn’t imagine: if she played a couple with Qi Hao, but it was someone else who sparked rumors with him, would she become a laughingstock?

"The talk of ’Fortunate Wife’s Destiny’ is quite absurd, yet people believe it. I debuted earlier than you; I’ve seen even more bizarre things, countless ones like offering Buddha plaques or raising little sprites."

Ji Rujing was just as worried as Tang Yan.

If Qi Hao spread rumors with other actresses in the cast, it would definitely not be good for Tang Yan, who was his official couple in the show.

"What should we do then?" Tang Yan didn’t mind being rumored with Qi Hao.

She was even a "light" fan of Qi Hao or a casual fan, someone with a certain fondness.

She deeply admired Qi Hao’s efforts over the years since his debut and envied Qi Hao’s achievements now.

"Actually... I don’t really hope for you to get too close to him."

Ji Rujing didn’t encourage Tang Yan to exploit the natural advantage of acting for clout with Qi Hao, nor did she want her to make a big fuss over rumors.

Hmm, just try to prevent others from spreading rumors with Qi Hao.

"Why?" Tang Yan asked, surprised.

She was ready to make sacrifices, but then you advised me to abandon the plan.

"You... dive into roles too easily, and after investing emotions, you quickly lose yourself..."

Ji Rujing, after spending some days together, somewhat understood what kind of person Tang Yan was.

Upon taking on Tang Yan’s manager work, the first thing she did was to understand and analyze Tang Yan.

"You’re saying I’m a romance fool?" Tang Yan felt a bit hurt.

"That’s pretty much what I mean, don’t deny it. I’m taking this opportunity to openly talk with you to remind you not to stumble on the emotional side."

Ji Rujing had seen many stars fall due to emotions.

When a romance fool really gets overwhelmed, even a sentinel can’t pull them back.

"I understand, I won’t, I’m thinking of boosting my career. But..." Tang Yan couldn’t hold back and asked curiously, "Since everyone wants to be rumored with Qi Hao, if I really date him, wouldn’t it be twice the effect?"

"Huh?" Ji Rujing looked at her in surprise and said, "You? You think you can win Qi Hao over?"

"Ahem, just if..." Tang Yan’s voice grew softer.

"No matter how you think ’if,’ it’s impossible. Just look at the people who sparking rumors with him; some are prettier than you, some have better figures, some have higher status, and some have better personalities... But has anyone really won Qi Hao over?"

Ji Rujing didn’t just study her artists; she also researched Qi Hao, her partner in this collaboration.

She found that this Qi Hao had been in the industry for ten years, with numerous rumors.

But real, confirmed romances were few and far between.

No, not few, none at all.

The only explanation was either he had no interest in those women, or he liked men.

Regardless of the reason, Tang Yan, being somewhat naive, was unlikely to succeed.

If she really got caught up, she’d suffer greatly.

his character they referred to as Elder Tang also headed for Hengdian the next day.

Even though he’s an acclaimed actor, it’s not good to delay joining the crew until the last moment.

Qi Hao wasn’t too keen on taking this role, but once he did, he wouldn’t give a bad performance.

Take the money and do the work.

For now, Qi Hao didn’t have an assistant or driver so he brought the workaholic Zhang Nan along as part of the crew.

It’s predictable that the upcoming days will see him excessively PUA’d by the staff.