Chapter 689: Chapter 689

Luo You received a message and went to a meeting while He Jinxia officially set off to attend the premiere of "Musical Youth" in the U.S., joining the initial promotional lineup.

There was a slight hiccup with the "Musical Youth" production team; they didn’t manage to release the film on June 1 for Children’s Day, and the worldwide simultaneous release that Director Wilson promised also failed to materialize.

Upon learning this news, He Jinxia realized that although a global simultaneous release wasn’t possible, the release dates in different regions wouldn’t vary too much. For example, in North America, today was the launch, and three days later, the Asia-Pacific Region would also be able to screen the movie.

Meanwhile, while she was still on the plane, Luo You had already arrived at the conference room to start discussing the next steps in He Jinxia’s career plan.

Tonghua Entertainment hadn’t yet had a breakthrough with a new top-tier celebrity this year. The higher-ups were optimistic about several candidates, but they were all slightly lacking and needed the company’s support for a push.

He Jinxia’s sudden rise to fame, reaching the standards and popularity of a top-tier star, was unexpected. Her rise was too swift!

"According to the survey from the promotional department, He Jinxia’s popularity has reached the basic standard of a top-tier celebrity. Just add a little more effort and an explosive topic, and she can ascend to top-tier status. That’s what we’ve gathered here to discuss—how to allocate our resources for her next move."

In the conference room, a senior executive spoke solemnly, and the other veteran agents exchanged surprised glances at the speed of He Jinxia’s ascendancy.

Although these were artists from the same company, and not personally managed by them, everyone was earnestly trying to think of strategies, including Zhang Ming who was also present.

Each agent in the group had a first-line star under their wing, and although Luo You was He Jinxia’s agent, he was the least experienced among them, and everyone overlooked him.

The agents offered many ideas: participating in a large-scale reality show for publicity, releasing an album to validate popularity and achieve promotion, and some suggested acting in a movie that either must be a box-office hit or must win awards.

In the midst of eager discussions, Zhang Ming did not speak up. After a moment of contemplation, the senior executive looked towards him and asked, "What’s your opinion?"

The discussion among the agents suddenly quieted down, and everyone looked at him.

As the agent of a superstar, no one in the room had more authority to speak than Zhang Ming.

Zhang Ming’s expression was grave; he didn’t speak but instead turned his gaze towards Luo You, unexpectedly passing the question to him, "As her agent, you should be very aware of what He Jinxia’s thoughts and philosophy are. What does she want to do?"

Luo You’s heart pounded loudly, feeling a bit anxious under everyone’s gaze. He took a deep breath to maintain a calm voice and said, "Jinxia wants to act."

Zhang Ming listened and seemed to have been relieved of a burden, responding easily, "Indeed, acting, that’s more straightforward to handle."

One agent voiced doubts, "There are only a few blockbusters in a year, and TV dramas don’t guarantee a role with status, making earned popularity easy to lose. Movies do offer the right status, but it’s hard to find a good film. Are you sure you want to advance through acting?"

Another agent commented, "Moreover, half of the other top-tier star candidates in the company also want to use acting to advance. Even if the company has blockbuster resources, it’s impossible to give everyone a turn!"

There was an unspoken concern that regardless of whether the company invested and produced the film, they couldn’t guarantee a box-office smash—it required not just a good script but also luck!

Zhang Ming nodded, "Among all top-tier stars, actors are the most stable; their popularity doesn’t decline quickly. The key is that they also have the chance to become explosively popular if they find the right film, so many stars hope to act in a good film to achieve promotion."

"I’ve reviewed the list of top candidate names, and there are several singers among them," Zhang Ming said. "Everyone knows that stars who can sing aren’t necessarily cut out to act, so my suggestion is that within the company, we prioritize film and television resources for those who are already actors. That way, we can eliminate more than half of them."

Without waiting for the other agents to respond, Zhang Ming continued, "After eliminating them, only three actors would be left competing for resources, including He Jinxia."

"At this stage, I recommend individuals strive for these opportunities on their own merit rather than company allocations," he said. "We all recommend these three actors to the director, but we don’t interfere with who the director wants to use. The director makes the decision."

"I disagree, this isn’t fair. Those singers have also been waiting a long time for such a chance!" an agent quickly objected.

Some agents echoed in agreement, "Exactly, singers have been waiting for an opportunity , some for two years, wasting precious time. Now, just because one more person is included, you say singers can’t compete. This will make them feel dissatisfied."

Zhang Ming’s stance was clear, "I’m not saying singers can’t transition into actors, but wanting to land the lead role in a major film without any prior acting experience is virtually impossible. Not everyone is Zhao Sui, who managed to become an overnight sensation with a single movie."

"Even if Tonghua Entertainment wants to push singers into acting, it also depends on whether the directors are willing," he added. "Last month, there was an audition opportunity for a blockbuster, and according to the priority system, the company let the singers audition first. You all know the outcome better than I do."

Some agents looked upset, the results? Naturally, they were less than satisfying.

After just one audition, the director made it clear that none of them could be cast as the female lead. Some even said that in terms of acting, some singers couldn’t even match up to extras.

They all knew how difficult it was for a singer to transition into an actor and take on a leading role without substantial experience, but the entertainment circle had seen Zhao Sui go from a second-tier singer to a global superstar actor with just one film!

The lure of wealth and opportunity tempted them, and they too hoped for a singer to become the next Zhao Sui. Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveI-Fire.ɴet

In silence, a senior executive slowly said, "It’s fine for everything to be contested on merit, including the singers. In the future, when there are big film resources, let’s recommend all the candidates, and let the director pick."

"If the director selects several suitable candidates, then we can have an internal discussion about whom to choose," the executive continued.

Zhang Ming said decisively, "I have no objections."

Regaining his focus, Luo You quickly followed, "I have no objections either!"

Some agents did hope the singers would get more chances, preferably recommending only singers as candidates, but everyone knew that was impossible, so they went along with the decision.

There were agents who preferred an allocation, ideally giving each actor one film each, but since not many big productions happened every year, competing on their own merit was fair enough.

One agent pondered something and asked, "Wait, what if a candidate secures two major film resources in a row, then what?"

The senior executive couldn’t help but laugh, saying profoundly, "Resources are limited, and looking at the current situation, we can’t even distribute one part fairly to each person, which is why we need to rely on individual merit."

"If an actor is capable enough to secure two resources in a row, then let them have it! Why not, if they are that outstanding?" he added.

"Of course, the limit is two parts. They can’t receive any more after that, unless it’s an external resource coming to them," the executive concluded with additional clarification.