Xia Yun pushed up her glasses. "I still need to think it over. Sister Wen, are you really done with acting for good? I was hoping to base a character on you."

Tan You thought for a moment. "I won’t be acting for the next two years. We’ll see after that. The script adaptation is excellent. Sister Li, have you finalized things with the new talent?"

Sister Li made an "OK" sign. "All settled. The contracts were signed yesterday. They have classes right now, so you’ll get to see them tonight. The few you picked all have great potential. If our show airs smoothly, the reception will definitely be great."

Tan You replied, "Of course. I was very selective."

’Lu Wen’s memories really are quite useful,’ she thought. ’It’s best to get my hands on some of these potential stars early on. Rather than letting them struggle and scrape by in the industry later, I might as well sign them to the studio now.’

’As for people being fickle... well, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.’

Tan You knew the pressure she was about to face wouldn’t be small. Once her studio produced a hit show, the first thing she’d have to deal with was being swarmed by all sorts of major investors. At this thought, Tan You tapped the table. ’I need to plan this out carefully.’

Not acting was Tan You’s own choice. For one, she just wasn’t cut out for it. For another, with Qi Yu and Hu Yize blocking her way, the roles she could get were limited anyway.

So, Tan You decided to lay low and work behind the scenes. Once her career took off, those who wanted to control her would be powerless, left to fume in impotent rage.

「Five years passed in a flash.」

What can change in five years? It seemed like a lot had changed, yet at the same time, it felt like nothing had changed at all. Of course, in the eyes of Lu Wen’s fans, her journey over these five years was nothing short of legendary.

Who would have thought that a star, once blacklisted and plagued by scandals, would disappear from the screen, only to move behind the scenes and build a thriving business?

It wasn’t just a studio anymore; it was a full-fledged entertainment company. It had numerous artists under its banner, yet not a single one had left since the company was founded. It had to be because the benefits and compensation were just that good.

Moreover, the company was fully dedicated to developing its artists’ careers, and they rarely had any negative press. You could say that if you were a fan of one of the company’s artists, you never had to worry about them getting canceled. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

When Lu Wen was still active in the industry, no one thought she was particularly special. But after she moved behind the scenes and her company grew, more and more people became curious about her.

People wondered: How could Lu Wen consistently produce good scripts and creative ideas? Why did she always have such a keen eye for signing talented artists?

Why had her company’s TV dramas and variety shows never flopped? She seemed to have her finger firmly on the pulse of the market, never once failing.

Countless people started doing deep dives on Lu Wen’s past. But aside from the few TV dramas she had acted in, her most recent appearance was on a romance variety show she’d signed on for just before terminating her contract with her previous agency.

On that romance show, everyone saw a different side of Lu Wen. She was always rational, always composed, and never let her negative emotions show.

Throughout the show, Tan You had created countless iconic moments. Whether it was them tackling challenges together, her dancing in the studio, or the times she protected Ji Mingxi, fans rewatched those clips over and over again.

Sister Li held up a tablet. "Your fans are getting really antsy. They’re begging you to do more interviews."

Tan You raised an eyebrow. "They’re not begging me to film a show or go on a variety program?"

"They’ve resigned themselves to it," Sister Li said, rolling her eyes. "They know you don’t like being in the public eye. It’s strange, though. When you were still acting, you only had a few million followers."

"But now that you’ve moved behind the scenes and become a boss, everyone’s gone crazy for you."

"People just admire a success story," Tan You said, her brow slightly furrowed. "It’s nothing more than the old saying: people always want what they can’t have. I’m incredibly busy. Where would I find the time to go on those shows?"

"Then how did you have time to appear on Sister Xin’s talk show?" Sister Li asked, a little confused.

Tan You paused. "She... she helped me out before. I remember when my first drama was released, the cast went on Sister Xin’s show. Back then, Liu Xin was just a junior host on the program, and she took good care of me."

She was, of course, talking about Lu Wen’s experience. At the time, Lu Wen had just been a minor character in the cast.

"So you’ve been wanting to repay her all this time?" Sister Li finally understood. "I was wondering... I’d never seen you interact with Liu Xin before. Why would someone who rarely does interviews go on her show?"

"You could say that. I really admire Liu Xin; she’s an excellent host." Tan You opened the folder in front of her. "Little Wei is about to wrap up filming, isn’t he?"

"Yes, Wei Wei and Wan Yi are expected to finish their scenes today. They called me yesterday, mainly to ask if the company has another project lined up for them."

The gossip session over, Sister Li switched to business. "They’re all eyeing the scripts you’re holding onto."

Tan You said, "I have two TV drama scripts, but for the big screen... I need to take another look at Wei Wei’s and Wan Yi’s acting."

"The company has grown well over the past few years, but in the eyes of those major players, we’re still small-time. The big screen is where the real money is made quickly. Once we start making movies, all sorts of investors will be waiting for us."

Sister Li was worried. "What will they do?"

"The usual. Block our access to theaters, cut off our promotional channels, and stir up trouble online." Tan You mused for a moment. "But the groundwork I’ve laid for the past few years should finally come in handy."

Sister Li’s eyes widened. "So you’ve been focusing on building up our own theater chain all these years? All for this day?"

"Mhm, all for this day," Tan You didn’t deny it. "What’s the fun in always letting others hold your fate in their hands?"

"Promotional channels... you don’t need to worry about that, either. Now, as long as the acting from Wei Wei and the others is up to par, it’ll be time to set the plan in motion."

Sister Li’s heart swelled with excitement. "I’m so looking forward to that day. All our hard work and planning won’t have been in vain."

Tan You smiled. "Yes. Waiting is always agonizing, but it’s also worth it."

After the meeting with Sister Li and evaluating the actors’ performances, Tan You announced at the next day’s morning meeting that the company’s first feature film was officially on the schedule.

As soon as the news broke, everyone in the company was thrilled. Of course, the Beauty System also gave Tan You some feedback.

"Host, five people tried to leak the information. I’ve intercepted all of them." A fluffy white puppy sat in front of Tan You, a look on its doggy face that was clearly fishing for praise.

"Five people?" Tan You raised an eyebrow. "I seem to recall it was only three last time. Two more have joined them? Give me the list."

The Beauty System replied, "They’re all from major entertainment companies in the industry. One of them is even a company veteran."