Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

Chapter 36: Chapter 33: Out-hustling the Old Folks

On the third day of the holiday, Ni Bingyan arrived at the company bright and early, meeting Wei Shuojie, who had gotten there five minutes before her, downstairs.

"Have you had breakfast?"

Wei Shuojie’s name was a bit masculine, but she was, in fact, very feminine.

She was wearing a silver tie-neck blouse paired with gray dress pants and silver strappy high heels. Her only accessory was an exquisite diamond watch. As she spoke, she casually lifted her wrist to check the time. The pale pink watch face shimmered in the sunlight, creating a stunning, iridescent glow.

Ni Bingyan was in a white crop top, gray leggings, and white sneakers. She wore no jewelry, just a new pair of luxury sunglasses. Despite the simple outfit, she looked inexplicably fashionable and captivating.

Her figure, honed by consistent workouts, was full in all the right places—a world away from the gaunt look of those who starved themselves thin through dieting.

Combined with her perfect proportions, she had only been standing downstairs for a few moments, yet many passersby were already staring at her.

These onlookers weren’t just men, but women too, and they ranged from young to old.

Since a major entertainment company was located here, people working nearby were used to seeing handsome men and beautiful women. The fact that they still stared at her spoke volumes about just how exceptional her appearance was.

Wei Shuojie silently made a mental note. ’I’ll have to get her a magazine feature, something like an exclusive interview on autumn fashion. It’s sure to be a hit.’

’The seasons are about to change. If magazine sales go up, I might be able to find a way to land her an endorsement, maybe an inner-page spread. After her movie comes out next year, I could probably leverage the buzz to get her a cover shoot.’

Actresses with strong sales-driving power never lack for Fashion resources. After all, brands hire spokespeople to boost sales.

Ni Bingyan wasn’t taking the idol route. Without a fanbase to drive up sales for her, she could only rely on her own outstanding qualities.

Wei Shuojie had already slipped into agent mode, while Ni Bingyan was still talking about her breakfast.

"I made a bowl of braised beef noodles at home before I left. I stewed the beef last night after you left, and this morning I picked some lettuce from the backyard. Homegrown, it’s amazing!"

’The Old Ni Family’s secret beef noodle recipe. It’s so good you could open a restaurant with it. Absolutely delicious!’

’Starting tomorrow, I’ll be filming indoor scenes at a nearby studio. I can just keep the cooked beef in the fridge and scoop some into my noodles in the morning. So convenient.’

She hadn’t bought enough blueberry seedlings before, leaving two empty plots in her backyard. She had sown lettuce seeds there before going back to her hometown and had been watering them remotely. After more than a month, they were now perfect for harvesting.

What was perfectly normal for Ni Bingyan left Wei Shuojie so stunned her glasses slid down her nose again.

"It’s not even eight! You would have hit morning rush hour driving into the city. What time did you even get up? And you still had time to cook noodles?"

Ni Bingyan blinked. "A little after five, I guess!"

’And I even did half an hour of yoga before breakfast!’

’Holy crap!’

"So what time do you go to sleep?" Wei Shuojie tried to keep her expression composed, quickly making up an excuse. "That way, if I need to reach you for something, I’ll know when to avoid bothering you."

For an actress, getting enough sleep was crucial for maintaining her looks. A beauty could be a star; a plain face was just a wallflower.

"Unless I’m working overtime, I’m usually in bed around ten."

She didn’t like to play on her phone and could fall asleep within five minutes of getting into bed. Since she also exercised and ate a healthy diet, she was in great shape. About seven hours of sleep a night was all she needed.

As long as she wasn’t working overtime on a film set, she stuck to this routine.

’A young person these days who goes to bed around ten?’

These were personal habits she could never have uncovered in her background research. Hearing them now, Wei Shuojie was in disbelief.

’What a dull life. Is she in an arms race with a bunch of senior citizens?’

’But there was no reason for her to lie about it.’

"Never mind. I was going to take you out for breakfast, but let’s just head upstairs. We’ll get the official business out of the way, and then I’ll treat you to lunch."

Wei Shuojie had assumed she’d already eaten, given how late it was, so Ni Bingyan naturally had no objections.

The two went upstairs to the legal department and met with the lawyer in charge of talent contracts. After asking about both of their requirements, the lawyer quickly drafted a professional management agreement.

Both parties added their own conditions to the basic framework. Once the lawyer confirmed everything was legal, they both signed without any issues.

The contract was signed in triplicate: one copy for each of them, and one for the legal department’s archives.

The contract clearly revealed each party’s biggest concerns.

Wei Shuojie was most worried about her being boy-crazy, so she included numerous clauses restricting her romantic life.

For example, she was forbidden from dating in secret, dating married men, dating much older men, dating minors, or even dating beautiful women...

As a public figure, she was forbidden from engaging in any type of relationship that the general public would find unacceptable.

None of this went against her personal values, so Ni Bingyan accepted the terms without hesitation.

As for her own biggest fear, it was her agent accepting jobs she disliked behind her back—like endorsing brands that were embroiled in controversy for insulting China, or taking roles in productions destined to be cancelled or pulled from distribution.

She felt the novels she’d read in her past life offered some guidance here. She would rather die than risk starring in a production that could be taken down because a cast member broke the law, or a show that would never see the light of day because it failed to pass censorship.

Unfortunately, Wei Shuojie didn’t know about these future pitfalls. Many of those brands were major players, and the productions were often large-scale. By industry standards, they were all desirable projects. If her agent had sole discretion, the risk of her falling into one of these traps was too high.

So, she specifically requested a clause in the contract stating that all work-related decisions must be made jointly, preventing her agent from having unilateral authority.

Wei Shuojie assumed she was just afraid of being exploited. Although she found it a little exasperating, she agreed.

Better to be clear upfront to avoid confusion later.

Laying all their cards on the table from the start felt open and honest, and it wouldn’t cause hard feelings down the line. Both of them felt this was a good approach.

As for Ni Bingyan’s other conditions—no fabricated romance scandals, no "yin-yang contracts," no "unspoken rules," and absolutely no illegal activities—the list was long. But a top agent like Wei Shuojie wasn’t shortsighted, so she naturally agreed to everything.

The two of them hit it off instantly. With no further complications, the contract was signed, officially making them partners.

After the signing, they returned to Wei Shuojie’s office to discuss Ni Bingyan’s current work schedule.

The films her body’s previous owner had made were already released. The two supporting roles she’d filmed recently were too minor to require any promotional appearances, so Ni Bingyan explained:

"I’m only signed on for two projects right now. In early November, after I finish filming *Children of the Mountains*, I’ll join the set of *Breakup*. That one should wrap up filming before the Lunar New Year, and it’s scheduled for a Valentine’s Day release."

Although Wei Shuojie already knew Ni Bingyan wasn’t a big star and didn’t have much work, she hadn’t expected her schedule to be *this* empty.

Wei Shuojie was aghast. "An actress’s golden years only last a decade or so! Are you just going to let your prime go to waste like this?"

Compared to the constantly busy Sun Lizhi, Ni Bingyan seemed like a total slacker!

What 25-year-old actress lives this leisurely?

She actually doesn’t go anywhere besides film sets!

’Does she have scenes to shoot every single day?’

When most actors aren’t on set, they’re either shooting commercials or juggling roles on another production. Otherwise, how do you think those A-list actresses who release several projects a year manage to get it all done?

’Do they film them in their sleep or something?’

In Wei Shuojie’s opinion, this was a criminal waste of talent!

"Have you never done any magazine shoots, commercials, or variety shows before? How many endorsements do you have right now?"

Wei Shuojie had been so focused on understanding Ni Bingyan as a person that she hadn’t looked into her past work history yet, so of course, she had to ask.

Ni Bingyan answered honestly, "None of the above. As for endorsements, a tractor company invited me to be their spokesperson, but I turned it down."

Wei Shuojie’s vision swam. She nearly fainted on the spot.

’An actress with her looks, five years into her career, and not a single endorsement to her name?’

"So I suppose I should be grateful you didn’t agree to endorse tractors?"

Ni Bingyan looked sheepish. "Well, I didn’t have an agent, you know."

Her previous agent had quit in a huff because of the body’s original owner, and she’d been left to fend for herself ever since.

If she were just any other actress, the company would never have allowed her to be such a slacker. But with Jiang Sheng backing her, she had managed to muddle through.

That did make sense.

Wei Shuojie silently conceded the point.

Without an agent or an extensive network, finding the few projects she had was already impressive. One couldn’t really ask for more.

Besides, finding resources for actors—especially Fashion resources—was precisely why she was here.

And so, Wei Shuojie quickly composed herself and said in a gentle tone:

"You’ve been cooped up on set for the last six months. A lack of exposure is unacceptable. Low-key doesn’t mean nonexistent. Wait for my call."

Ni Bingyan nodded, of course.

’A professional agent really is on another level!’

Soon enough, Wei Shuojie presented her with several opportunities.