"...Professor Li, I can only help put in a word, but I can't guarantee anything... The roles for Princess Pearl have pretty much been finalized. They were personally decided by the higher-ups at Jinshu, and I can't change them... Yes, no problem, I'll probably be back soon..."
Qin Palace.
This was Ren Jingxi's fourth day in Suzhou. She had finally disembarked in the morning, while a certain man seemed determined to never set foot on land again.
After hanging up her phone, Ren Jingxi, standing by the tall palace walls, walked over to a nearby crowd. Chen Qing noticed her approach and waved her over, smiling as she introduced her: "Jingxi, this is Director Chen. Director Chen, this is Ren Jingxi. She's currently working at Jinshu Media, overseeing a TV drama project."
"Hello, Director Chen. I've seen your Farewell My Concubine. It's an honor to meet you."
"Hello, Miss Ren."
"Just call me Xiao Ren," Ren Jingxi said, though she didn't particularly like the way Director Chen was looking at her. She still handed him her business card. "Director Chen, here's my card."
"Oh, I'm so busy today, my apologies."
"No problem."
After some small talk, Chen Qing suggested they tour the Qin Palace set to see how Director Chen was arranging the shooting locations. For the next half hour, they wandered through the vast palace grounds. Although many areas were still under construction, the modified sets gave a clear impression of the solemn and majestic atmosphere that would dominate during filming.
After parting ways with Director Chen, the two women continued their tour of the palace. Chen Qing remarked, "The boss mentioned that we could continue collaborating with Director Chen on set design. It's like getting a free design consultant. Director Chen is quite skilled in this area."
Ren Jingxi, walking beside Chen Qing, asked, "If that's the case, why didn't we invite Director Chen to join Jinshu, like we did with Director Zhang?"
Chen Qing smiled faintly. "We did invite him, but he declined."
Ren Jingxi tilted her head slightly, sensing there was more to the story.
Chen Qing didn't beat around the bush. "After the invitation, Director Chen initially refused. Then, our side... well, we didn't exactly go out of our way to persuade him. The main reason is that Director Chen's film style doesn't quite align with Jinshu's direction. If you've been paying attention, you should've noticed that by now."
Ren Jingxi thought hard but still shook her head.
Having just entered the industry, Chen Qing wasn't surprised by her confusion. "The boss has set Jinshu's tone as entertainment-focused. Whether it's movies, TV, or future projects, the goal is to entertain the masses. To put it bluntly, it's all about ratings and box office revenue. The ultimate goal is to make money."
Now Ren Jingxi understood.
Thinking back to some of Director Chen's works, like Farewell My Concubine, without the accolades, many people probably wouldn't find them very engaging.
As they spoke, they passed through a square in front of the Qin Palace's main hall. Chen Qing walked leisurely, noticing Ren Jingxi's thoughtful expression, and casually asked, "Who were you talking to on the phone earlier? It sounded like a long conversation."
Ren Jingxi hesitated before answering, "A professor from the Beijing Film Academy. You know, I've been auditing some courses there recently. He called to ask about the Hollywood exchange program."
"Oh, what did you tell him?"
"I said I could only put in a word."
Chen Qing smiled again. "So, who are you planning to talk to?"
"..."
"Alright, don't bother the boss with this. I'll give you one spot. You can use it as a favor."
Ren Jingxi's eyes widened slightly.
Wait... it could be that simple?
Chen Qing noticed her expression and chuckled. "What did you expect?"
"He... probably wants to select some talented individuals, right?"
"Of course," Chen Qing nodded. "But here's the thing: out of the 30 spots available, half will be selected from the top three students in each eligible class. The other half? Well, that's for us to use as favors. While you were on the phone, Director Chen also mentioned this to me, and I promised him a spot. Actually, a lot of people have been asking about this recently. Everyone knows that a stint in Hollywood can be a golden ticket. Whether they come back or stay in the USA, it's a valuable credential."
"..."
"Does that seem unfair to you?"
Ren Jingxi nodded.
If the selection were purely based on grades, just the top three students from each class across two major universities, including undergraduates and graduate students, would far exceed the 30 spots. By cutting that number in half, many outstanding students would miss out.
Chen Qing simply shrugged. "That's why, in recent years, some people in the country have been advocating for quality education, even pushing for Western-style 'happy education,' reducing academic pressure, and not focusing solely on grades. It's all a mess. And then many parents and students follow along, thinking it makes sense. I think they're being foolish."
Ren Jingxi was puzzled again. She was aware of the 'reduce academic pressure' movement, which had gained traction in recent years. "I think... it might have some merit..."
Chen Qing glanced at her. "You think so too?"
Ren Jingxi quickly realized her mistake and didn't respond.
Chen Qing suddenly laughed. "Of course, you'd think so now. I also think it makes sense because we've already climbed to the top of the pyramid. If the country implements quality education and stops focusing solely on grades, then in the future, our juniors, as long as they have connections, could get into any school they want, even if their grades are abysmal. After all, we shouldn't focus solely on grades, right?"
"..."
"That's how it is in the USA. The president's idiot son—that's the boss's exact words—can get into Yale just because of his status. The son of a millionaire can donate a few hundred thousand and get into Harvard, even if his grades are terrible. Many people in the country probably fantasize about that kind of treatment, but most forget that they don't have a president for a father or billions in the bank. If we really implement quality education, well, I'm looking forward to it."
Ren Jingxi remained silent.
Chen Qing, with her hands behind her back, slowly walked out of the palace gates before suddenly turning to Ren Jingxi. "It's all about competing for resources. Natural resources are resources, and so are social resources. Survival of the fittest—that's what the boss said. I'm passing that on to you."
A black Mercedes was driven over from the parking lot by an attendant. The two women got in, and as Chen Qing instructed the driver to head to the nearby Ming-Qing Palace planning site, Ren Jingxi returned to the earlier topic. "But the exchange program is supposed to be for selecting talent for ourselves, right? Is it appropriate to do it this way?"
"Of course. Half of the spots are for selecting outstanding individuals—that's the professional talent we need. The other half? Even if they just go to Hollywood to have fun, the people behind them who helped secure their spots are connections for us. We might need them someday, so none of it is wasted."
As they continued walking and discussing various matters, Ren Jingxi occasionally sensed that the woman beside her had been shaped by a certain man's worldview, and now that powerful worldview was being subtly instilled in her.
Even when she realized it, she didn't feel much resistance.
She also recalled a line from Eileen Chang's Lust, Caution that had once made her blush and feel resistant.
Back then, she thought, How could that be possible?
Now, or rather, in the past few days, she felt it made sense.
Because whenever she quieted down, she couldn't help but think of a certain man, longing for him even though she could clearly sense his indifference—or rather, his aloofness—toward her and the other women around him. Yet, she felt like a rabbit caught by a lion.
Knowing she couldn't escape, she even began to feel like she didn't want to.
Because he was too powerful.
The last stop of the morning was a newly built office complex at the foot of Sun Mountain.
This would be Jinshu Media's Suzhou headquarters.
Additionally, the Jinshu special effects team, which Chen Qing and someone had discussed a few days ago, would also be based here.
Ren Jingxi, deeply impressed by the stunning special effects in Hollywood movies, couldn't help but dream of China producing similarly awe-inspiring films.
Perhaps, as she had mentioned, the Legend of the Swordsmen trilogy could be something to look forward to.
"Computer talent has been in short supply in the country in recent years. For Jinshu's special effects team, since it involves specialized software that hasn't been widely accessible before, we can only select talent from various universities and provide targeted training. For those willing to take on this work, it's both a blessing and a curse."
Inside the still largely empty Jinshu special effects office building, Chen Qing once again shared her unique perspective.
Ren Jingxi listened attentively and asked, "Why is that?"
Chen Qing's hand slid across a row of desks as she explained, "The blessing is that once they enter this field, as part of the first generation of Chinese CG special effects engineers, they won't have to worry about making a living for the next two to three decades. China's labor costs are significantly lower than the West's, so there will be no shortage of orders. The curse is that once they're in this field, unless they're willing to start over from scratch, what seems like a dream job is actually quite monotonous. The industry's ceiling is very low. At best, they can go independent and start their own special effects studio, but ultimately, they'll still be doing special effects, adding polish to one movie after another."
At first, Ren Jingxi thought that didn't sound so bad.
After all, isn't that what most people do—repeat the same work day after day, year after year?
But upon further reflection, she understood the deeper meaning in Chen Qing's words.
It really was quite unfortunate.
Most people's jobs, like her parents' teaching careers, while ordinary, still had room for growth. They could become head teachers, department heads, or even principals. Some might even transition into government roles.
But for special effects engineers, no matter how high they climb, they're still special effects engineers.
They're just one cog in the film industry machine.
To change that, as Chen Qing said, they'd have to start over from scratch. Or perhaps there were other possibilities, like transitioning from special effects to directing, but the odds of that were terrifyingly low.
After touring the Jinshu Media office complex, the morning's agenda concluded. Chen Qing took Ren Jingxi to a nearby restaurant.
Ren Jingxi secretly wished she could return to the boat and have lunch with him.
But it seemed that wasn't going to happen this time.
"After lunch, you can head back. As for Princess Pearl, even though you're very invested in it, consider this a personal reminder: don't let yourself get as disheveled as you've been these past few days. It's been annoying to look at."
Chen Qing's words were blunt, and Ren Jingxi listened quietly, feeling a bit guilty.
"I know you want to learn as much as possible, so I took you around today to show you the ropes. But you can't become an expert overnight. Delegate tasks when necessary. Since you're the boss's woman, it's best to keep yourself looking pretty."
"I understand."
"And what do you think of the roles the boss picked for you?"
"I don't know much about them yet."
"Seems like you still don't trust the boss."
"That's not it."
"Just kidding," Chen Qing smiled, then turned serious. "Actually, you should think about how the boss got to where he is. Even in China, if he wants to get into film, he's a hundred times more capable than you, a rookie. This time, the boss handled the crucial casting for you, which is something many people would beg for."
"I understand."
Ren Jingxi said this softly, but she couldn't help but picture the three girls carefully kneeling at his feet.
"You still don't get it," Chen Qing smirked. "You think the boss just randomly picked those people? Of course not. For your little project, he had someone collect thousands of actor profiles, went through them himself, and only then selected those few."
Ren Jingxi couldn't quite imagine it.
Him, lounging in the cabin with women on either side, flipping through thousands of actor profiles?
But since Chen Qing said so, she didn't have much reason to doubt her.
There was no reason for the woman across from her to lie about this.
Then, Ren Jingxi couldn't help but think of Jiang Anqi.
She was his first choice for the role of Ziwei, and clearly, she was still his woman. But because Ren Jingxi thought her salary was too high, she had decided against her. When she had someone relay this to him a few days ago, she had worried he might be displeased.
But this time, he didn't even mention it, simply presenting her with three new candidates.
Indeed.
Flocks of women, flocks of women, flocks of women.
And he had once said that one day, he might just forget about her.
Turns out, that wasn't a joke at all.
She couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for herself.
But Chen Qing had no intention of comforting Ren Jingxi's self-pity. After lunch, she sent Ren Jingxi off and returned to the boat on Taihu Lake.
The boat the boss had decided to build during the New Year was still in the design phase. This one had been bought as a stopgap, and Chen Qing wasn't entirely satisfied with it, but it would have to do for now.
Back on the boat's third-floor lounge, she found her boss with two women this time—one older, one younger.
Chen Qing walked over, pinched the cheek of the little girl named Miumiu, who was nestled in the boss's arms, and greeted the other woman before squeezing onto the couch. She glanced at the stack of resumes the boss was flipping through.
One look at the photo on the resume revealed an obvious Asian face, but one that felt distinctly different from a Chinese person.
Chen Qing knew this was a Korean.
Having discussed this with her boss earlier, she had a good idea of what he was doing.
Selecting puppets.
Puppets to help the Westeros system take over the South Korean economy.
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/INNIT
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.