Chapter 50
"@Juyou grocery store: I've arrived."
"@Jiang Tang Will Definitely Be Famous Next Year: OK, I'm coming down to meet you!"
Jiang Tang, who was lying in bed, suddenly sat up with a start.
The person who said she was coming down was now rapidly tidying up her room, afraid that her neat-freak sister would come up and scold her.
Downstairs, Jiang Juyou was wearing a down jacket and a knit cap, keeping herself very warm. She stood there waiting for her sister while scrolling through messages online.
Since entering this circle, Jiang Juyou had become an internet addict, rarely letting go of her phone and maintaining several alternate accounts on various platforms.
After the show's theme song was released, she had been constantly checking for audience feedback on different platforms.
In the company's group chat, Li Yao and the others were chattering away, sending Jiang Juyou screenshots and links from various platforms, discussing listener reactions together.
This time, it could be said that the song was chosen by all of them. Initially, it was the three of them who screened the songs, and they were the ones who suggested choosing a theme song different from before. In the end, Jiang Juyou picked one from the twenty or so songs they had selected to be the final theme song.
Li Yao created a small group chat for them, and while looking at online comments, she sighed:
"Li Yao: It's so emotional. Before, I used to anxiously wait for comebacks, now it's my turn to wait for fan feedback."
"Zhao Xu: I'm quite satisfied with myself, at least the words 'terrible to listen to' didn't trend."
"Li Yao: I can only say that we truly have golden ears. It turns out it wasn't my problem that I couldn't stand listening to my bias's title track before."
"Yang Siyu: Well, look at how long we spent screening songs."
They had joined the company just days after it was established, and song screening had been a part of their work ever since. When selecting songs, they completely adopted a fan's perspective, but not just any ordinary fan.
Having been in the fan circles for many years and following several idols, they knew a crucial principle: swimming against the current is the way to success.
When the market was flooded with elimination-style survival shows, they launched a non-elimination survival competition. When all other programs were openly exploiting fans and secretly making money, they played the sincerity card, with all income being transparent and calculable. When all survival show theme songs were EDM dance tracks, they took a different approach and chose a completely new style.
It's just like how after someone pioneered with a Girls Crush group in the market, suddenly the entire market was filled with Girls Crush groups. All those following the trend would eventually fade away like waves on the beach, but only by going against the current can one reach new territories.
After Jiang Juyou selected this song, the four of them had a very long meeting, discussing everything from the musical style to the concept, from the setup to the main and supporting elements. They didn't want this song to be a one-hit wonder, nor did they want its popularity to be limited to just the show's fans. So, from story setting to stage design, all four of them put in a tremendous amount of effort.
The three of them had at least been fans before, having listened to and seen probably over a thousand songs and performances. It was relatively easy for them to judge whether a song and stage had appeal. The one who struggled the most was Jiang Juyou. She didn't have this background, so basically from the moment the company was founded, she had been learning about this field.
After selecting this song, Jiang Juyou first wrote the initial lyrics based on the concept she had in mind. After getting tired of listening to it, she put it aside for a month without listening to it again. Only after a month did she bring it back out.
The reason for doing this was to ensure that even after a period of time, listening to it again would still bring a fresh feeling, rather than being brainwashed by the melody due to excessive listening.
After repeatedly testing the song several times, it was finally confirmed, and the confirmation time was just when the show had started filming.
Jiang Juyou looked at the discussions in the group chat, seeing that the feedback was all positive, and felt relieved.
"Over here!" After Jiang Tang came out, she immediately spotted her sister standing dumbly in the distance. She was quietly looking down at her phone, and several people passing by looked at her, but Jiang Juyou didn't notice at all.
Jiang Tang wrapped her coat tightly and quickly ran towards her sister. "Are you stupid? Standing in the draft?" She said, while forcefully patting Jiang Juyou's back.
"Ah! Ouch!" Even through the thick clothes, Jiang Juyou still felt her sister's vicious hand strength. She rubbed her back, her expression contorting.
It was the afternoon, and many film crews were returning from work. There were many people coming and going.
Jiang Tang didn't want to make a scene with her sister here, so she grabbed her arm and headed into the hotel.
Jiang Juyou, who had been surfing the internet until now, finally noticed the appearance of the hotel where her sister was staying. She frowned and asked quietly, "Is this where you're staying?"
Jiang Tang immediately covered her mouth upon hearing this. "Can you wait until we're in my room before you open your mouth?"
Jiang Juyou, with her mouth covered: "..." She could only nod.
The hotel was completely different from what Jiang Juyou had imagined celebrities would stay in. It looked more like a decently renovated student dormitory.
The hotel had several floors, with a simple white tile exterior. The interior wasn't very luxurious either, and because there were quite a few people coming and going at this time, the hallways were messy and the floors were quite dirty.
Jiang Juyou looked around, her eyebrows completely furrowed. She really hadn't expected that the living conditions for celebrities during filming would be so harsh.
Jiang Tang kept an eye on Jiang Juyou all the way until they swiped the card and entered the room. Only then did she let go of Jiang Juyou's hand. "I'm just playing a maid, what kind of good hotel did you expect me to stay in?"
She closed the door and went to get the electric kettle, preparing to pour some hot water for her sister.
The room wasn't large, just over ten square meters. There was a bed, a table, and a bathroom, nothing else. However, the table was covered with quite a few things Jiang Tang had brought with her.
Jiang Juyou surveyed the room again, then glanced at the unmade bed. "..."
Jiang Tang read her expression and quickly pulled out the chair from the table for her to sit. "Sit here."
At this moment, Jiang Juyou was very obedient and sat directly on the chair.
"Generally, low-budget TV dramas and web dramas' crews stay in this area. Only the lead roles in big productions can stay in the better hotel next door. Although I'm participating in a big production, my role is small. I'm just playing a maid, how could they arrange such good accommodation for me?" Jiang Tang explained as she handed the hot water to Jiang Juyou, letting her warm her hands.
Jiang Tang continued to explain to Jiang Juyou, but before coming here, Jiang Juyou had been to another place, the hotel next door.
She had gone to see Zhai Ke'er, who was now playing the princess role that was originally supposed to be played by Jiang Tang. The role was no longer a supporting character but a special guest star, and the screen time had increased from the original three episodes to six episodes.
When Jiang Juyou learned that Jiang Tang wasn't staying there, she had simply assumed that one hotel couldn't accommodate everyone, so half the cast was arranged in another location.
The reality was that they were indeed arranged in another place, but not for that reason.
Jiang Tang was living here alone, without an assistant, taking care of everything herself, while Zhai Ke'er over there had her own assistant and bodyguard.
Jiang Juyou once again sighed at how important the word "popular" is for celebrities. Even if Zhai Ke'er had a bad reputation online, she still had her own fans, and the production team knew that having Zhai Ke'er play this role could potentially be a small opportunity for viral marketing, so naturally, her treatment was not bad.
After entering the room, Jiang Tang had been pacing back and forth in this tiny space, seeming a bit uneasy. Seeing this, Jiang Juyou said, "Sis, sit down first."
"The main reason for my visit is to see you, and to help you request leave in advance. You'll need to fly over for the final performance live stream. Another thing isβ" Jiang Juyou said, pulling out a fairly thin script from her bag, "The company has set up its own film and television department, and this is the first TV drama production. Take a look."
Ignoring Jiang Tang's surprised gaze, she lowered her eyes and continued to explain: "It's an original script. The story outline and character profiles are on the first page. As for the lead role, it might be a bit challenging for you, sis, but you could pick one of the supporting roles. After all, it's our own company's production."
"The story isn't long, currently estimated to be about sixteen episodes."
"The genre is mystery."
"There's a character who, although doesn't have many scenes, is quite an important supporting role," Jiang Juyou said, not daring to look up. When other companies produce dramas, they always prioritize their own actors as leads, but in her case, she could only offer a supporting role. Jiang Juyou felt that her businesslike manner might be off-putting, so she didn't dare to meet her sister's eyes.
However, to her surprise, Jiang Tang's attention was entirely focused on the script. After just reading two lines, she had already identified the character Jiang Juyou mentioned and looked up to ask, "Is it this one called Chen Ke?"
"Yes," Jiang Juyou replied, suppressing her inner frustration and perking up to face her sister.
She continued to explain, "The current plan is to wait until all sixteen episodes of the script are completed before we start meeting actors. Because our company doesn't have any noteworthy productions yet, and the director and scriptwriter don't have experience with leading roles, the actors might not have much confidence in us. If you're okay with it, you'd be the first confirmed actor."
As soon as Jiang Juyou finished speaking, Jiang Tang eagerly responded, "I'm okay with it, of course I'm okay with it!" She couldn't understand why Jiang Juyou would think she wouldn't want to perform.
Her excitement actually made Jiang Juyou feel a bit flustered. "Then... then alright. Has your crew finished work for the day?"
Jiang Juyou kept rubbing her palms on her pants, unsure of how to handle the current situation.
After hearing this, Jiang Tang checked her phone and looked at the crew's group chat before replying to Jiang Juyou, "They've wrapped up. They said the director has already returned to the hotel."
Before Jiang Juyou could make an excuse to leave, Jiang Tang said, "You should hurry over there then!"
"...I'll head over first, and I'll message you when I'm done. Then we can go for hot pot."
"Okay!"
It wasn't until the door clicked shut that Jiang Juyou realized what she had just said in the room.
"..."
How could requesting leave for an artist possibly require her involvement? Jiang Juyou's main task this time was to meet the lead actress of Jiang Tang's drama. There were rumors in the industry that she was planning not to renew her contract with her current company, so Cheng Yuan hoped Jiang Juyou could negotiate and secure her.
For some reason, Jiang Juyou suddenly felt as if she reeked of money.
Jiang Juyou: Wuwuwu, I'm sorry, sister!