Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

Chapter 51: Chapter 47: January Talk

"You’ll never guess!"

Wei Shuojie was thrilled. "The National Poverty Alleviation Office has invited you to be a poverty alleviation ambassador! You’ll attend their annual summary conference!"

This was a great opportunity to expand her social influence. Even without any pay, many celebrities would be fighting for it.

Just like the Spring Festival Gala.

Everyone paid their own expenses, running back and forth with their teams.

The number of rehearsals was terrifyingly high, and the rules were just as numerous, but none of that dampened the celebrities’ enthusiasm.

Receiving this kind of job was like having a meat pie fall from the sky. But given her previous work promoting products for poverty alleviation, Ni Bingyan wasn’t too surprised.

After all, she was the "kid" who had been praised by the *X Daily*. She couldn’t be that excitable.

"You know Mango has a lot of subsidiaries, right? One of them is a magazine called *January Talk*. Have you heard of it?"

Seeing how composed she was, Wei Shuojie threw another big, hot meat pie right in her face with a SPLAT.

"Of course I’ve heard of it! How could I not know about that one!"

Ni Bingyan shot up as if her feet had been scalded, grabbing Wei Shuojie’s hand to try and see the contract she was holding.

"Don’t snatch it, don’t snatch it!"

Wei Shuojie chuckled and handed her the contract. "*January Talk* has invited you to be their December cover star. You’ll have an interview to briefly discuss the social value of a celebrity. I’ll go with you tomorrow after we finish filming *Aiyou Refrigerator*."

Ni Bingyan was ecstatic. She threw her arms around Wei Shuojie and gave her a big SMOOCH!

Because of the hair tie incident, she had realized this world was a bit different from her own. She had not only looked up this world’s luxury brands but had also researched many other things along the way.

The resources that celebrities coveted were at the top of her list!

Compared to the "five major and two minor" magazines that focused more on fashion, *January Talk* was aimed at a much broader readership. Its cover stars were chosen based on their positive social impact, not how fashionable they were or how many fans they had.

This was clear from their past cover stars.

Sometimes it was an Olympic champion, other times a business tycoon, and sometimes even a contemporary public figure or a model worker from various industries.

The magazine had government support. In terms of social standing, it was no less prestigious than the "five major" magazines, and its influence was arguably even greater.

Landing the cover of *January Talk* was an incredibly prestigious accomplishment!

Getting on the "five majors" was a step toward becoming a top-tier actress, but getting on *January Talk* was a step toward becoming a true artist.

This was especially rare for the younger generation of celebrities.

To put it this way, with Sister Wei’s help, she was confident she could eventually land on the "five majors" with enough hard work. But without sufficient social value, she would probably never get on the cover of *January Talk*.

It was like how idols almost never made it into the *X Daily*.

’No wonder Sister Wei is insisting on coming along this time. She’s probably worried that I’m inexperienced and will say the wrong thing during the interview.’

Ni Bingyan understood now, and the worry in her heart subsided.

When she had helped Wutong County promote its products, she had simply acted from the heart, wanting to help those in need. Building up her social reputation was just a side effect, not something she was actively seeking, let alone aiming for these kinds of resources.

Seeing her so happy, Wei Shuojie was happy too. "Now that you know what’s going on, hurry up and pack your bags!"

Ni Bingyan obediently found her suitcase and started packing her clothes.

Wei Shuojie followed her into the walk-in closet and said, seemingly casually, "These are all fantastic opportunities, and I was afraid we’d miss them if I hesitated. I didn’t have time to notify you, so I went ahead and confirmed them."

This was common in the industry. Management contracts often included a clause authorizing the manager to sign contracts on the artist’s behalf.

If the artist had a bad relationship with their manager, or if the manager had poor character and disregarded the artist’s long-term development, they would just treat the artist as a cash cow and book them for tons and tons of jobs.

If the contracts were breached, the artist would bear all the responsibility, while the manager who signed for them would face no consequences.

That’s why many artists, before their management contracts expired, could only follow their manager’s arrangements, running themselves ragged to make money for the agency.

If they decided to slack off, not only would they owe a mountain of breach-of-contract fees, but they would also be "shelved" by their agency. Barring a miracle, their career would be over.

Ni Bingyan was afraid of this happening to her, too. So, in addition to placing restrictions in the contract, the two of them also had a private agreement: if a "glorious, righteous, and positive" opportunity—the kind most celebrities could never dream of—came along, Wei Shuojie could sign for it without consulting her first.

But for anything else, that was not allowed.

This was Ni Bingyan’s bottom line.

Knowing that Sister Wei was bringing this up to prevent any resentment from forming and to be considerate of their future, Ni Bingyan replied while keeping her head down and opening a case:

"Sister Wei, you have far more life experience than I do. I trust your judgment. As long as it’s a good job like this that helps enhance my social value, feel free to accept it."

The implication was clear: for any other type of work, she was not to make decisions on her own.

Ni Bingyan stood firm on her bottom line, and Wei Shuojie, having tested the limits, naturally didn’t bring up the matter again.

"Sister Wei, can you help me see what clothes and jewelry would be appropriate to bring?"

She didn’t have a dedicated styling team yet. For important events, she trusted Wei Shuojie’s judgment more than her own.

"For *Aiyou Refrigerator*, something comfortable and casual will be fine. Pick two outfits that show off your figure, make your legs look long, and highlight your beauty. No need for anything too formal, just keep it simple."

Wei Shuojie put down her things and came over to inspect her wardrobe. "These are almost out of season, and they’re still new. What a waste!"

It was Wei Shuojie’s first time in Ni Bingyan’s walk-in closet, and she was astonished!

It was no less impressive than Granny Sun’s. How much must she have spent on her wardrobe this past year!

’Then again, she’s a rich second-generation kid,’ Wei Shuojie thought, so she didn’t ask any more questions and focused on helping her choose:

"*January Talk* wants you to bring your own clothes, so you can bring a few more sets and let them choose. It’s best to go for a clean, sharp look—something mature and intellectual. Solid-colored dresses don’t take up much space, so you can pack a few of those. As for jewelry, pearls and small diamonds are good choices. Jadeite and other gems are a bit too grand. If you have a white jade bangle, that could work with a dress to give you a gentle look. For formal wear, a watch is a better match. A simple one is best; anything too flashy isn’t appropriate..."

Jiang Sheng was incredibly wealthy and had been exceptionally generous to the original owner of this body. When she didn’t want clothes or jewelry, he would buy her entire collections. Perhaps he felt he owed her too much emotionally, which was why he was so open-handed.

It’s not like she was walking the red carpet. Wearing last season’s clothes in daily life was called "timeless classic." Someone as frugal as Ni Bingyan couldn’t bear to sell them off cheap as second-hand items.

Wei Shuojie didn’t ask, and Ni Bingyan didn’t elaborate. She just quietly opened her safe and started picking out watches and jewelry.

These things had to be sent for maintenance every so often, which was a hassle. But when you needed them, they were a real lifesaver.

Every wealthy family had a safe; it was just a matter of style. Wei Shuojie didn’t find it strange. She quickly selected a few items, then turned back and asked:

"Later, I’m going to introduce you to a few friends with whom I have business dealings. Do you want to go? Don’t worry, it’s not anything shady."

"Thank you for the opportunity, Sister Wei."

Understanding her meaning, Ni Bingyan took the clothes and quickly packed them in the suitcase.

A manager spoon-feeding you resources and a manager introducing you to people who can give you resources are two completely different concepts.

It was like the difference between an ordinary person bringing her delicious food, and her father and senior brothers always taking her to meet chefs with extraordinary skills.

The former would be lost without their "feeder," while the latter could find food on their own and wouldn’t starve if the feeder left.

They were completely different.

Clearly, Wei Shuojie was doing this because she saw greater potential in her.

Ni Bingyan wasn’t blinded by the friendship between them. She knew clearly that she and Wei Shuojie were business partners. Their relationship was held together not by affection, but by mutual interest.

They were good friends on the foundation of sufficient mutual benefit. If their interests didn’t align, she had no confidence that Wei Shuojie would treat her the same way she treated Granny Sun.

Wei Shuojie liked people like this, who understood the important things and knew how to be grateful.

She nodded, not stingy with her praise. "You’re a good packer. Other people would probably need two suitcases for all this, but you fit it all into one. It’s so neat, and you were so fast. It’s really satisfying to watch."

In her past life, she had to do everything herself. And since she was a keen learner, she had naturally learned how to pack a suitcase properly.

Ni Bingyan chuckled and locked the suitcase. "If everything’s good, let’s get going! I can’t wait!"

Anyone would be impatient when they were about to get nearly 200,000 yuan, after taxes, in at most two days.