Who is Wen Ning?
If Mr. Gu is the Midas touch in the business world, the myth-maker of Gu’s Entertainment.
Then Wen Ning is the golden talent scout for celebrities, the soul of Gu’s Entertainment.
Countless stars now dominate film, television, and music, with new flowers and grass blooming annually.
People say the entertainment industry is rife with drama and that fame is fleeting.
Yet, every artist signed by Gu’s Entertainment becomes famous, with few scandals, let alone artists falling out with their agents or the company. This is something that absolutely would not happen at Gu’s Entertainment.
This is not only due to Mr. Gu’s discerning eye but also to Wen Ning’s ironclad methods.
Compared to Mr. Gu’s enigmatic nature, Wen Ning’s background is far more transparent.
An undeniable powerhouse, she helps artists reach career peaks, and in private, she is strict and impartial.
There was an incident where she kicked a renowned director who tried to proposition a female artist. The director had boasted that he would make it impossible for Wen Ning to survive in the entertainment industry.
However, three weeks later, that director retired from the industry entirely, reportedly now devoted to Buddhism and detached from worldly affairs.
It was then that people discovered Wen Ning’s ancestor was the famed General Wen, a founding father. The Wen family remains very active in military and political circles to this day.
This stunned those who were waiting to see Gu’s Entertainment in trouble, and those who thought they had offended someone were equally shocked, all wondering where Mr. Gu had found such a formidable figure.
As for Wen Ning, she offered no explanations and paid no heed. She continued to guide her actors and fly around the world negotiating business deals.
Under forty, she had already brought forth one Best Actor, three Best Actress winners, and a new King of Pop who consistently topped music charts and received countless awards.
When these artists speak of Wen Ning, they often shiver, hence Wen Ning is frequently called the "Demoness" by her artists' fans.
Such an agent actually contacted her personally…
Xia Qingtian’s mind went blank for a moment, then she thought of Mobius.
Could this have been Mobius's doing?
Otherwise, why would such a prominent agent be involved in a pilot project for a virtual idol?
Although virtual idols are indeed a lucrative venture in the future, and Mo Jianing achieved fame and fortune with her voice.
Currently, virtual idols have only made a ripple in niche circles.
After some hesitation, Xia Qingtian still took a screenshot of the message and sent it to Mobius, along with a nervous emoji.
Soon, Xia Qingtian received a reply from Mobius: "Wen Ning has contacted you? She’s actually very reasonable, sharp-tongued but kind-hearted. Don’t be nervous."
"As expected!" Xia Qingtian knew from this message that Mobius was definitely behind this.
A surge of gratitude and emotion washed over her.
For the first time, Xia Qingtian felt she could be so close to her dream.
She turned her head to look out the window. The sky was filled with the sunset, its red light filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the library and into her eyes.
An indescribable emotion lingered.
After a long while, Xia Qingtian replied to Mobius with just two words: "Thank you."
"You're welcome, it's what I should do," Mobius replied simply.
No extra words were exchanged, yet both understood that they would have more interactions in the future.
Seeing that it was getting late, Xia Qingtian returned her unread book and left the library.
As soon as she stepped out of the hall, Xia Qingtian’s phone rang.
Glancing at the caller ID, Xia Qingtian’s lips curved into a subtle arc, and she answered the call, "Hello."
"I've called you so many times these past few days, why haven't you answered any of them!" a voice on the other end exclaimed, sounding agitated and anxious.
"I've been in military training these past few days, it's strange I can even answer the phone, right? Doesn't your school have military training?" Xia Qingtian retorted.
"I..." The other person stammered, then continued, "Anyway, anyway, have you thought about the virtual idol matter? I've returned your money, you should start recording songs now, right?"
Hearing Mo Jianing speak of returning the money as if she had generously gifted Xia Qingtian a large sum, Xia Qingtian couldn't help but want to applaud her.
She had seen shameless people, but someone this shameless was truly rare.
"Recording songs? But I heard professional recording equipment is very expensive. And for the first song, we have to record it in a studio for clearer sound, right?" A hint of slyness flickered in Xia Qingtian’s eyes.
Mo Jianing wanted to get something for nothing; she, on the other hand, wanted Mo Jianing to lose everything!
"This... aren't you very rich?" Mo Jianing said.
"As I said, I'm not using my family's money anymore. I need to save now," Xia Qingtian replied.
"Then, what about the money I owe you? It's tens of thousands!" Mo Jianing felt a pang of pain just thinking about the money. If she hadn't found someone reliable, she wouldn't have been able to borrow so much.
Although the interest was a bit high, the lender didn't ask for collateral, seemed like a rich second-generation, and called them friends, so the interest rate was already favorable.
All Mo Jianing had to do was repay the money on time.
Therefore, Mo Jianing was eager to find Xia Qingtian to record songs so that she could quickly get the voice to sign with Sister Su. That was Gu's Entertainment.
She had inquired and learned that Gu's Entertainment was always generous. Even for a newcomer like her, receiving 300,000 yuan would be normal.
Then she could casually give Xia Qingtian 200,000 yuan, which would definitely coax her into recording songs more diligently.
This way, she would profit from both ends!
Thinking of this, Mo Jianing felt that the current small investment was worthwhile.
Making a lot of money in the future was the real priority.
"The money you owed me? I bought a bag with it," Xia Qingtian said casually.
"Bought a bag? You! Didn't you say you needed to save!" Mo Jianing felt Xia Qingtian was utterly absurd.
"I didn't expect you to actually return the money, so this is like unexpected wealth. It's better to spend unexpected wealth quickly," Xia Qingtian said with a straight face and a light tone, enough to infuriate the other party.
As expected, upon hearing Xia Qingtian's words, Mo Jianing almost couldn't breathe and felt her eyes roll back, about to faint.
"You!" Mo Jianing was truly fed up with Xia Qingtian, this prodigal, brainless rich girl.
"So, if we're going to record songs, you'll need to prepare quickly," Xia Qingtian said. "Even basic equipment, including a microphone, preamp, sound card, headphones, and monitor speakers... it would cost at least 30,000 yuan. Even recording in a studio incurs fees. Decent ones charge around 500 yuan per hour. To pursue quality and some post-production... it would be at least 1,000 yuan."
"Okay, I'll give you 1,000 yuan first," Mo Jianing said, taking a deep breath. "We'll talk about the equipment later."
Mo Jianing just wanted to sign the contract quickly and get the money.
"Why should I take your money?" Mo Jianing thought. If Mo Jianing wanted to give it, she also had to see if Xia Qingtian wanted it.
Regardless, she wasn't the one in a hurry.