Investment and Return

Finding the right project is just the first step—now it's time to make things happen.

To turn a novel into a TV series, the first step is to contact the author and purchase the rights.

For any author, this is like winning the lottery.

Through the novel's publishing platform, Chen Pingsheng reached out to the author of Hua Qian Gu. When the author learned that her work was about to be adapted into a TV series, she was even more stunned than he was.

She nearly passed out from shock.

Overjoyed, she didn't even dare to ask for a price, afraid that if she set it too high, the deal would fall through.

To be honest, most novelists have a tough time.

Only a handful ever achieve success, while failure is the norm.

Having a novel adapted into a TV series? That's pure luck—like being chosen by fate itself.

If the show becomes a hit, all of the author's future works will attract attention from the industry.

One breakthrough, and they become a household name.

Chen Pingsheng invited her to Beijing for a face-to-face discussion. First, because the return on investment was so high that price wasn't an issue.

Second, adapting a novel requires a lot of specialized work.

Having the author as the scriptwriter would help maintain the authenticity of the story.

Zhao Liying felt relieved when she heard he had already reached out.

She had a good feeling about this script and the character Hua Qian Gu.

There was a gap in the market for this kind of show.

The chances of it becoming popular were high—but even she didn't expect just how big it would get.

"Liying, I'm planning to invest 100 million yuan in this project. After finishing Lu Zhen, you can start filming this right away."

A hundred million—this was an S+ level project.

Top-tier industry resources.

While he had already secured the lead actress, the rest of the cast was still undecided.

They would finalize the casting once Yang Jiancheng and the author arrived.

With so many female roles, Chen Pingsheng mused to himself—if he wanted to take advantage of the situation…

He could probably sleep with actresses from New Year's to Christmas.

From peak masculinity to utter exhaustion.

In the entertainment industry, having money really does mean you can sleep with whoever you want.

Unfortunately, that wasn't his goal.

He was here for the money.

If Tengying thrived, it might even go public one day.

Becoming the founder of a publicly traded company—now that would be something.

However, after investing this 100 million, he would only have about 30 million left.

That meant no more big projects for now—only smaller investments.

Chen Pingsheng prepared the contract and had Zhao Liying sign it.

Tengying Entertainment officially had its first signed artist.

At noon, the two went downstairs to the International Trade Center for lunch.

When Yang Jiancheng arrived, Chen Pingsheng immediately brought up the Hua Qian Gu investment.

Yang Jiancheng was the director he trusted most, so of course, he prioritized his people for good projects.

A 100-million-yuan investment—this was on a completely different level compared to his previous two dramas.

A serious challenge. If he could pull it off, he would secure his place in the director's circle.

As always, Chen Pingsheng had no intention of interfering with the script or filming.

Professional work should be left to professionals.

On its first day, Tengying Entertainment not only signed Zhao Liying but also brought in Yang Jiancheng.

Now that he had both a director and an actress, the next step was finding a top-tier manager and operations team.

But there was no rush.

A manager's job was mainly to secure projects and endorsements for artists, but since Tengying was self-funding its productions, they didn't need one immediately.

As for an operations team, that could wait until Zhao truly became a superstar.

Every major celebrity had an entire team supporting them.

From makeup and styling to media control—each aspect required dedicated personnel.

That meal cemented Tengying's development plan in the entertainment industry.

By 4 PM, Chen Pingsheng finally wrapped up his day's work.

He even spent an hour cleaning up.

It was clear—he needed to hire a secretary just for cleaning duties.

On his way home, he turned on his ride-hailing app again.

Whether by luck or fate, he ended up picking up Bai Xin once more.

The moment she got in the car, she asked,

"Uncle, were you waiting just for me?"

"What are you thinking? I just got off work and took a ride request on my way home."

"Uncle, you get off work pretty early, huh?"

Her face was still a little dirty.

Actresses like her—extras, really—couldn't even dream of having a personal makeup artist.

If someone in the crew did their makeup at all, it was already a blessing.

"If I don't leave work early, how can I enjoy life?" Chen Pingsheng chuckled.

Bai Xin's phone rang—a video call.

"Sister Wu."

"Bai Xin, you're taking a cab home, right? There's a small role as a courtesan tomorrow—want to come with me?"

"A courtesan? Isn't that… a risqué role?"

"What are you thinking? Do you think actresses like us get steamy scenes? We just show up in a belly band, then get killed off immediately. 400 yuan a day—are you in or not?"

Bai Xin's eyes lit up. "I'm in! Save me a spot!"

They quickly made plans. It was obvious her friend was also just a small-time extra.

But something about that voice seemed familiar.

Chen Pingsheng asked, "You called her Sister Wu—her last name isn't Song, is it?"

"How'd you know?"

Bai Xin looked surprised. "Song Wu is my senior. We met while working as extras. Uncle, don't tell me you know her too?"

Not just know her—she was practically family.

Song Yanxi had bought her a BMW and then left her to her own devices.

Back then, Song Wu had been as proud as a peacock.

After Chen Pingsheng entered the entertainment industry, he never checked in on her.

Now that he had established Tengying Entertainment, she had no idea.

"I guess you could say I know her."

"What do you mean, 'guess'? Uncle, your connections are pretty wide, huh?"

"Heh, I used to be an extra too. It's normal to know a few people in the industry."

"You were an extra?"

Bai Xin immediately became interested and leaned in.

These young actresses—so full of life.

Pretty, too—just a tad below his wife.

Chen Pingsheng shared a few stories from his early days.

Back then, even Zhao Liying had just been an extra—just an incredibly dedicated one.

The entertainment industry had two widely recognized success stories.

One was Bao Qiang—an absolute grassroots legend.

The other was Liying, who hadn't even truly made it big yet.

But among extras, she was already an inspiration.

Bai Xin also lived in Shijingshan.

As she got out of the car, she asked, "Uncle, are you heading to the Second Ring Road tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Let's add each other on WeChat. I'll message you if I need a ride."

"Sure."

An hour-long drive with a young girl wasn't bad at all.

They exchanged contacts.

His WeChat name had stayed the same for ages—Work Hard for the Rest of Your Life.

The profile picture? A family of three.

Warm and happy.

"Uncle, you're married?"

"What, got ideas?"

"Ugh, no! I'm going to be a big star! Uncle, you're really nice."

"Pfft…" Chen Pingsheng laughed and walked away.

Bai Xin hummed as she left.

A cheerful girl, indeed.