The Television Industry

Time flew by, and July arrived.

Tengsheng Fruits was busy expanding in Shijingshan District, and Chen An'an was already on summer break.

Song Yanxi spent her days taking her everywhere to play, though she usually stayed at the company during the daytime.

She had been too busy before to properly take care of the little girl, but now that she had time, she was determined to give her a happy childhood.

Sitting in the passenger seat of a Bentley, little An'an hugged a bag of chips, crunching away noisily.

Today, Liu Fen suddenly called her back for a meal, though she had no idea why.

Ever since her family bought a villa, their relatives in the capital had become unexpectedly enthusiastic.

One day, a cousin would invite her to a birthday dinner. The next day, an older cousin would introduce a new girlfriend and invite her to a meal.

The day after that, an aunt would claim she wasn't feeling well and ask her to visit.

At first, she would oblige, but after realizing every visit led to roundabout ways of borrowing money, she decisively cut them off.

When she was poor, they looked down on her. Now that she was wealthy, they came begging.

Not a chance.

She was now driving a convertible sports car, exuding the aura of a true goddess.

Looking at her now, who would remember the days when she worked during the day and sold flowers at the night market just to get by?

This time, Liu Fen called her back to discuss Song Wu's situation.

Her younger sister had recently graduated but had no foothold in the entertainment industry.

At most, she could land some insignificant roles, barely making enough to support herself.

Compared to her sister, who now drove a Bentley, the gap was astronomical.

When Song Yanxi arrived home, Liu Fen greeted her with the finest tea and utmost hospitality.

"Mom, cut it out. I really don't need this."

"Yanxi, you and Ping Sheng gifted his younger sister an Audi A4 without a second thought. Now that your own sister has graduated, her job is far away, and she still has to squeeze into buses and subways to get to filming. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Liu Fen made no attempt to hide her intentions—there was no need to pretend in front of her own daughter. They were all adults.

Song Yanxi frowned. "You called me back just for this?"

"How is this not important?" Liu Fen reasoned. "Your father and I don't need your support, but you only have one sister. You can't just leave her struggling, can you?"

"I'll help her, sure. If she wants a car, that's fine. But first, she has to apologize to Ping Sheng."

Song Yanxi wouldn't abandon her only sister, but she had her principles.

The main issue was that Song Wu had gone too far in the past.

Every holiday, she would call to persuade her to divorce.

If not that, she would try to convince Chen Pingsheng to leave, claiming he wasn't worthy of her sister.

If she just handed over a car without any conditions, even if her husband didn't say anything, he would certainly feel resentful inside.

Liu Fen immediately pulled Song Wu over to apologize. She wasn't as arrogant as before.

The entertainment industry had forced her to face reality.

So what if she had graduated? She was still just an extra, barely scraping by with 200 yuan a day.

"Big Sis, I was wrong before. But I was only looking out for you. Back then, Brother-in-law was just a street vendor selling durians. I only wanted you to find someone better."

Song Wu admitted she had mistreated Chen Pingsheng.

But she never had any selfish motives.

"All you ever do is look down on this and that."

Song Yanxi scoffed. "Look around. Which successful businessman didn't start off hustling like your brother-in-law? As long as someone is willing to work hard and seize opportunities, they can rise to the top."

Song Wu thought about it carefully and had to agree. No matter how much she had criticized him over the years, she had never once called Chen Pingsheng lazy.

Because he really was willing to work himself to the bone for money.

That thought led her to another realization.

"By the way, Sis, I need to tell you something. Didn't Brother-in-law invest in a TV drama in the entertainment industry? And he cast Zhao Liying as the lead actress?"

"The drama has already wrapped filming. Several regional TV executives have seen it and given it glowing reviews. Right now, they're competing to secure the broadcasting rights. Brother-in-law is definitely going to make a fortune off this investment."

"Really?"

Song Yanxi was surprised. This was completely unexpected.

She had assumed her husband was just throwing money around without much thought. Who would have thought he actually pulled it off?

She vaguely remembered he had invested five million.

"He put in five million. We don't know much about the entertainment industry, but if this drama airs on a major network, how much do you think our family could make?"

Song Wu thought for a moment. "At least ten million, but it depends on the ratings. If it becomes the top-rated regional drama of the year, profits could increase tenfold. Even if it just makes it into the top ten, we're looking at around twenty million."

"That profitable?"

Song Yanxi was genuinely shocked. No wonder her husband always had money.

Turned out he had been making huge returns on his investments elsewhere.

"This was a successful investment. More importantly, Zhao Liying is a genuinely talented actress. After this drama, she'll probably land third or fourth lead roles in big productions."

Song Wu was openly envious.

Getting into a major production, even as a minor supporting role, was already a huge step up.

"I'll ask him more about it when I get back. You should also take the initiative to apologize to him. He's not a petty person."

Song Yanxi wasn't going to leave her sister struggling.

"Don't feel wronged. Just think about all the trouble you've given him over the years. If he can put up with that, what's stopping you from swallowing your pride?"

Song Wu nodded. Her mother had already apologized. There was no point in being stubborn.

Besides, her brother-in-law had truly made it big—he was even investing in the entertainment industry now.

Her sister's life was something anyone would envy.

Even their relatives had changed their tune.

Now, they all said that if you were going to marry, you should marry someone like Chen Pingsheng.

When he was poor, he worked himself to the bone.

When he got rich, he spoiled his wife endlessly.

For a woman, wasn't finding a man like that the best thing in life?

Compared to unreliable second-generation rich kids, he was the dream.

Back at the company, Yang Jiancheng and Zhao Liying happened to be there.

One was here to discuss their previous investment partnership, and the other was here to talk about future plans.

As a first-time director, Yang Jiancheng's debut drama was a success.

Once the bidding war was settled, Chen Pingsheng would receive his investment returns.

According to Yang Jiancheng's estimates, the drama could sell for at least 30 million—possibly even 50 million.

With his 5-million investment securing a 40% stake, Chen Pingsheng stood to make anywhere from 12 to 20 million.

"I just received a script," Yang Jiancheng said. "It's about Lu Zhen, the daughter of an ancient merchant family.

"She goes from fleeing assassins to being forced into the palace, rising from a lowly maid to earning Emperor Xiaozhao's favor and becoming a high-ranking female official. It's a classic strong-female-lead story."

He handed over the script.

These kinds of dramas were popular now, but they required a much larger investment—at least 30 million.

The best thing about investing with Chen Pingsheng was that he never interfered in creative decisions.

He just provided the money.

For a director, he was the ideal investor. So naturally, Yang Jiancheng wanted to work with him again.

"Alright, let me think about it for a few days," Chen Pingsheng agreed. "But if I invest, Zhao Liying has to play Lu Zhen."

For him, it wasn't just about short-term profits. He valued Zhao Liying's future potential.

If he could help create an A-list star, no one in the capital's fruit market could compete with him.

And when he expanded into other industries, success would come even easier.

That was real, long-term value.

Zhao Liying had been busy with filming lately and hadn't had the time to properly visit him. Seeing his growing success now, she was genuinely happy for him.

The two of them chatted for a long time before finally parting ways.

Now that she had become a leading actress, she naturally no longer lived in her old rental apartment—she had long since moved to a place near Hengdian.