Chapter 1358: Chapter 709: People Talking on Stars (Part 3)
She was afraid Yuk Chu would get caught up in family and children matters and wouldn’t have the mind to work anymore.
Zhou Lan returned to the company to meet with He Yong.
She first discussed Yuk Chu’s situation with He Yong, then said, "President He, I heard the company bought the ’People Talking on Stars’ IP?"
"Yes, you got the news quickly. We just signed the contract yesterday." He Yong smiled, "We bought it for Xu Siyao. She has her eye on this novel and wants to play the female lead. Why, does Xiao Yun want the role? If Xiao Yun wants it, I could try to persuade Xu Siyao to give it up."
"Come on, President He, you only said that because you’re sure Xiao Yun isn’t interested in this kind of idol drama anymore." Zhou Lan playfully accused He Yong before revealing her true thoughts, "The male lead for this drama hasn’t been decided yet, right? I’ve read the original novel, and in it, the male lead is an athlete. I want to recommend Huang Zicheng; he used to be a professional athlete, so he would be perfect for this role."
He Yong said, "Huang Zicheng? He’s indeed quite good, but he’s a newcomer. If he teams up with Xu Siyao, I’m afraid she won’t be pleased. I originally thought of pairing her with Zhang Mo, but even that she wasn’t happy about. She insisted on having a top-tier celebrity partner."
Zhou Lan said, "President He, you spent a fortune to acquire this IP, and you’d be okay with outsiders playing the male lead? Real top-tier actors wouldn’t want to be in a romance idol drama. What you’ll find are just some traffic stars, and their ability to carry shows has been visibly declining in recent years."
He Yong said, "But hasn’t Huang Zicheng never played a male lead before?"
"What does that matter? Xu Siyao is so capable at carrying shows. Are you saying she can’t handle a newcomer?" Zhou Lan said. "You’re underestimating her. I see her as Xiao Yun’s rival; to qualify as Xiao Yun’s rival, her business skills must be top-notch. If you use a newcomer like Huang Zicheng as the male lead, and if the show succeeds, doesn’t it further prove Xu Siyao’s ability to carry a show?"
He Yong nodded at Zhou Lan with a smile, saying, "You have a way with words, but this show is tricky. If Xu Siyao doesn’t agree, I can’t just arrange it by force. She’s my biggest ace."
"Hmm? Xiao Yun isn’t your biggest ace?" Zhou Lan asked with a smile.
He Yong chuckled, "An ace in your own hand is what truly counts. You surely understand this."
The two nodded in understanding.
Zhou Lan didn’t pursue the matter further.
"Huang Zicheng is signed with the company. He’s perfect for this show. If he becomes famous, wouldn’t it benefit the company too?" Zhou Lan said. "Currently, the company is short on male actors. Other than Zhang Mo, there’s no young talent to carry the weight. We can’t have Zhang Mo as the sole face of the company, can we?"
He Yong shrugged, saying, "Zhou Jianfeng is also quite popular now. Besides, with you and Xiao Yun around, it’s only a matter of time before Huang Zicheng becomes famous. I’m never worried."
Zhou Lan silently cursed He Yong for being so sly.
To put it bluntly, He Yong just didn’t want to give Huang Zicheng the opportunity.
Zhou Lan glanced at him and said, "President He, since Huang Zicheng signed with the company, he hasn’t been in a single company production."
He Yong was about to speak.
Zhou Lan hurriedly added, "Cameos don’t count."
He Yong: "..."
Zhou Lan said, "President He, have you considered that if the company keeps leaving Huang Zicheng on the back burner, if he does become famous, he might not want to stay?"
"With an agent as dedicated as you, he’d be reluctant to leave," He Yong said. "Plus, Zhou Lan, to be honest, I have no problem with letting Huang Zicheng play the male lead in ’People Talking on Stars.’ I’m okay with it, but as I said, the key is whether Xu Siyao agrees. The reason this show is getting made is because Xu Siyao wants to act in it. If not for Xu Siyao, the company certainly wouldn’t produce this drama. You know how the market is now."
Zhou Lan frowned.
Having reached this point, Zhou Lan knew that talking to He Yong was futile.
Does it really depend on Xu Siyao’s nod?
Zhou Lan didn’t buy it.
If He Yong truly wanted to do it, there must be a way to sort things out with Xu Siyao.
But since this matter didn’t benefit He Yong, and Huang Zicheng wasn’t his artist, He Yong was unwilling to lend a hand.
Zhou Lan pondered, wondering if there was a breakthrough with Xu Siyao.
This breakthrough seemed too difficult to find.
Given the significant conflict between Xu Siyao and Zhou Yun, suggesting Huang Zicheng for the male lead was clearly something Xu Siyao wouldn’t agree to.
