Wang Lele paused for a moment, almost dazed, as if he thought his own thoughts were too narrow-minded.
Fortunately, Gu Tingshen only glanced at him before looking away. He hesitated, then also lowered his head and continued eating.
The three of them ate for a while, with Jing Li between them, and the atmosphere at the table remained relatively harmonious.
When they had nearly finished eating, Jing Li put down his chopsticks and suddenly said, “By the way, I plan to open my own studio. What do you guys think?”
Wang Lele paused but said nothing.
Gu Tingshen glanced at him upon hearing this, probably guessing his thoughts. After a moment, he also put down his chopsticks and said, “I think it’s feasible.”
“You already have a mature team, and now is the peak of your career, which will benefit your future development.”
“And having your own studio gives you more freedom than being signed to a company.”
It was hard to imagine that Gu Tingshen would be the first to voice his support, especially since last year, he had been trying his best to persuade Jing Li to sign with his company, Tusen1The raws say Tusen but the author used Sentu in earlier chapters. I’m not sure if they changed the name halfway, or if this is a typo, but since Tusen was still used at the latter part of this chapter, I will be using Tusen from now. Entertainment.
Jing Li obviously thought of this too, smiling and giving him a teasing look before turning to Wang Lele, “What about you, Lele?”
Wang Lele hesitated before nodding, “I think it’s feasible too. You just won two awards, it’s the perfect time to build your reputation, so you’ll definitely have plenty of…”
“Then why don’t you come and try it with me?” Jing Li suddenly cut him off, meeting his slightly startled expression with a smile. “What’s wrong? I remember your contract with your current company expires in July, right?”
“Don’t worry, with your talent, I’ll give you the best and most suitable contract terms if you’re willing to join me. If you’re used to your own team, you can sign them under my studio too.”
“It’s not that,” Wang Lele’s feelings were complicated. He glanced at Jing Li and hesitated, “Did you… overhear my conversation with Li Wenjian at the hotel, so that’s why you…”
Wang Lele’s lips moved, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask.
He really didn’t want to lay bare those dark and dirty things, nor did he want to pollute his friendship with Jing Li because of money.
Although he had resolved to work hard, not disappoint Jing Li’s kindness, and quickly rise to a level where he could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Jing Li, he absolutely did not want to step on Jing Li’s shoulders to get ahead.
“Hm?” Jing Li tilted his head, seeming not to understand what he meant. He blinked and said, “Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t assign you too much or too complicated work, and the scripts you take on will be entirely up to you. So, what do you think? Want to consider it?”
“I’ll consider it…”
Seeing Wang Lele’s reluctant expression, Jing Li’s face immediately fell. He called out to him unhappily, “Wang Lele! Don’t tell me you don’t have faith in my abilities and think you’ll end up on the streets if you follow me? That would really hurt my feelings!”
“Of course not!” Wang Lele was indeed taken aback by his reaction and reflexively reassured him.
After speaking, he met Jing Li’s gaze, took a deep breath, and finally braced himself to say, “Jing Li, I know you want to help me, but you really don’t need to go this far.”
“I did have an unpleasant experience with the company and don’t plan to renew my contract with them, but that’s not a reason for me to leech off of you.”
“We’re friends, but I don’t want to be a burden to you!”
“You’re on the rise now, with so many jealous eyes watching you. What good would it do to burden yourself with me?”
“Who said you’d be a burden?” Jing Li’s expression became more somber, clearly displeased at Wang Lele’s characterization. “I see your potential and want to sign you to properly cultivate you. How does that make you a leech?”
“Besides, opening a studio isn’t just for you,” Jing Li looked at him. “After being in this circle for a year and seeing its dark side, I had this idea. I just didn’t have the means to act on it until now. This is also an opportunity to establish a firm footing.”
“Everyone has the right to pursue their dreams, which shouldn’t be constrained by unwritten rules. I just want to provide a clean, fair place for aspiring young people to wholeheartedly strive for their dreams in acting.”
“I remember what you said when we first met – this circle is full of people chasing fame and fortune. But as long as you live an upright life, you have nothing to be ashamed of.”
As he spoke, Jing Li’s expression grew serious, eyes fixed on Wang Lele. “So, I sincerely invite you to join me and strive together to uphold this ideal. What do you say?”
Wang Lele stared at him, never expecting such words. In his many drifting years in the industry, accustomed to deceit and scheming, he had never met anyone who could live as transparently and uprightly as Jing Li.
Wasn’t he, too, once brimming with such dreams when he first entered this circle? Even when battered bloody by reality, his initial aspirations never wavered.
Unknowingly, Wang Lele’s eyes grew red.
He looked at Jing Li intently before finally hoarsely replying, “Okay.”
For their dreams and the countless struggling youths unable to find a path, he was willing to try with Jing Li.
Seeing his agreement, Jing Li finally relaxed and smiled.
He raised his glass, lightly clinking Wang Lele’s, and said with a smile, “To our dreams!”
“To our dreams!” Wang Lele echoed, raising his glass before draining it.
Having successfully persuaded Wang Lele, Jing Li was in high spirits and excitedly discussed plans for the new studio.
Gu Tingshen quietly observed them, his gaze lingering on Jing Li’s smiling profile, his eyes unknowingly softening.
He knew his Xiao Jing had always been this kind and pure.
With that thought, he inwardly resolved to have people make arrangements to support his little fish2小鱼儿 (xiǎoyúér) – little fish + suffix -er, basically little fishie‘s studio as much as possible. It would be even better if he could persuade his little fish to affiliate the studio directly under his name.
The meal ended in this atmosphere. Afterward, they returned to the hotel room.
Jing Li was a man of action; once he decided to prepare the studio, he immediately got to work.
First, he selected one of his properties as the studio’s location and had it renovated. Then he had his assistant handle registration and other relevant matters.
During this time, Gu Tingshen tried to persuade him to place the studio directly under Tusen but failed. He then proposed sharing Tusen’s resources, with Tusen taking a profit share as an investor.
This time, Jing Li didn’t refuse. He knew Gu Tingshen genuinely wanted to help, and he didn’t want to completely reject his goodwill. This win-win approach seemed ideal. However, he insisted on giving Tusen an additional 10% profit share as thanks.
Though somewhat helpless to Jing Li’s insistence, Gu Tingshen agreed.
After a busy period getting everything settled, the studio’s affairs were mostly in order, and the office renovations were completed. Just as Wang Lele’s contract expired, Jing Li took him to check out the new office and sign the contract.
The office Jing Li chose was located in the city center, surrounded by various major corporate buildings. The Gu Group headquarters was right across the street, its logo visible from the office windows.
Jing Li seemed very satisfied with every aspect of the office. After signing the contract with Wang Lele, he took some photos and officially announced the studio’s establishment on his Weibo.
Jing Li V: Jing Li Studio is officially established, thanks for everyone’s support. Let’s work hard together in the future @Wang Lele
Wang Lele also reposted and replied.
Wang Lele V: Boss Xiao Jing, please take care of me in the future~!
Seeing their posts, Jing Li’s Koi fans and Wang Lele’s fans were thrilled.
“Wow, Jing Shao really knows how to make a splash when he does something!”
“Ahh, I was just saying it would be great if our Jing Shaio had his own studio to help out, and the dream came true so quickly!!”
“Congratulations to Jing Shao on establishing his personal studio. Koi fans will continue to accompany and support you!!”
“**3This was in the raws. Maybe a censored word lol!! What does our Lele mean? Don’t tell me he also signed with Jing Shao’s studio?”
“Wuwu, I was worried about Lele before, but seeing him sign with Jing Shao, I can finally be at ease!”
“Jing Shao, we’re leaving our Lele to you!!”
“Li Le…Sorry, looks like another weird CP has emerged.”
“Wow, as expected of the young master of the Jing family, so wealthy and powerful!”
“Just won an award and already setting up a studio, not afraid of biting off more than he can chew.”
“What’s the use of starting a studio? If you have no resources, it’s still worthless. Unless he plans to invest heavily in scripts and filming, then never mind!”
……
There were all kinds of comments online, but since it was just the studio establishment announcement, it didn’t attract too much attention beyond Jing Li and Wang Lele’s fans celebrating and congratulating them.
Not long after Jing Li’s announcement, many acquaintances and past collaborators also reposted to congratulate and show support, including numerous well-known and unknown directors, various actors and celebrities, and even some immediately expressing interest in working with Jing Li.
This wave of reposts and congratulations did attract more attention, especially from the celebrity fans who reposted. They followed their idols in sending Jing Li well wishes, sparking a bout of discussion admiring Jing Li’s widespread connections.
Of course, there were also sour grapes claiming his success was just due to family backing, but these comments didn’t resonate with many and were quickly drowned out by the congratulations.
Amidst this celebratory online atmosphere, Director Wen Zheng, who had previously collaborated with Jing Li on ‘The Last Remnant’, also called to say he had a decent new script he wanted to discuss with Jing Li.
The studio had just been established, and it was the perfect time to make a name with a good script. A script that Wen Zheng favored was likely to be promising.
Jing Li was somewhat tempted, but he didn’t show it. He simply arranged a time to meet with Wen Zheng, deciding to read the script first before making any decisions.
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