Perfect Superstar.

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Chen Fei'er has been in the industry for over a decade, long past the age of being a naive little girl. As a pop singer, she's extraordinarily gifted. Her Heavenly, Sound-like voice has won over countless fans.

In addition to her one-of-a-kind vocal tone that countless aspiring singers dream of, Chen Fei'er also has stunning looks, naturally beautiful, never touched by a surgeon's knife. She's widely regarded as the queen of classic beauty in the pop music world.

But as an entertainer, her luck is even better.

Debuting at the age of fifteen, Chen Fei'er's career has been smooth sailing. Though she's had her ups and downs, she's always had powerful allies and avoided true danger. Today, her position in the music scene is nearly untouchable.

For someone so blessed by the heavens, winning her heart is no easy feat.

First of all, she doesn't lack money. There have been rumors in the entertainment circle that a tycoon tried to "keep" her with huge sums of money. But those were proven to be nothing more than vicious slander. 

Years ago, she was already making nearly a hundred million annually just from endorsements. On top of that, she runs her own studio and doesn't need to split profits with a management company, money is never a concern for her.

Chen Fei'er also has her own private investment team and has made impressive gains, truly earning the title of a wealthy woman.

Trying to buy her love with money? What a joke!

As for fame, that goes without saying. There are only a handful of people in the entertainment industry ranked higher than her.

Maybe it's because she's standing at such a high place that she feels the chill of loneliness. No man has ever truly made her open her heart. All those rumors about her love life? Just media hype or others trying to ride her fame?

But then came Lu Chen, with just one song, he managed to crack open her tightly sealed heart and remind her of the innocence she once had.

"I want to fly everywhere with you,

Travel the world and take in the view.

No worries, no sorrow in sight,

Free and carefree, heart so light.

Forget the pain, let's leave that place,

And set off together, to drift and chase..."

The lyrics were simple, but paired with Lu Chen's heartfelt performance, they resonated deeply with her soul.

And stirred a hint of affection.

After the song, Chen Fei'er leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes.

A long moment passed before she softly said, "This song is yours to give to me. From now on, can you sing it only for me?"

Lu Chen smiled. "As long as you like it."

Chen Fei'er smiled sweetly, turned her head, and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

Lu Chen said, "It's getting late, let me take you home."

He was afraid that if this glamorous Heavenly Queen kept teasing him, he wouldn't be able to hold himself back.

At that point… whether he was a beast or worse than a beast, well, who could say?

Chen Fei'er pouted playfully. "What? Can't wait to kick me out already?"

Lu Chen immediately rose to the challenge, spreading his arms as he lunged toward her. "Then just stay the night with me!"

Who's afraid of whom!

Chen Fei'er giggled, scooting back as she replied, "Sister Zhang and the others are waiting downstairs. You should go home too."

After the playful moment, Lu Chen walked her downstairs.

He watched as her car drove away, then headed back to his own place.

Tonight was undoubtedly a wonderful one for Lu Chen. His relationship with Chen Fei'er had taken a significant step forward.

And Chen Fei'er was as efficient as she was decisive. Very soon, she introduced Lu Chen to a film production company.

The company was Baolong Pictures, a well-known name in China. They had produced successful shows like Capital Storm, Skies So Clear, and The Great Shang, and helped launch the careers of many popular stars.

The person who met with Lu Chen was Zhu Minghe, Deputy Manager of Baolong's Film Production Department.

Their meeting place was Avant-Garde Café in the New Era Art Zone of the capital.

This zone is home to a dense cluster of well-known domestic companies in film, music, literature, and visual arts. There are thousands of studios and firms here, a true cultural hub.

Flying Stone Records' headquarters is also located here, as is Baolong Pictures.

The Avant-Garde Café is a favorite hangout spot among creatives in the district. It offers affordable but tasty coffee and pastries, free Wi-Fi, and the freedom to sit all day with a single order, without ever being rushed out by staff.

Thanks to its relaxing vibe, many professionals choose it as a venue for client meetings.

Zhu Minghe was a refined middle-aged man in his 40s, wearing glasses and exuding a cultured aura. He brought a young female assistant along when he arrived.

"Hello."

"Nice to meet you."

After the usual polite handshake and some small talk full of well-worn formalities, they sat down.

Zhu Minghe's attitude toward Lu Chen was polite but carried a hint of aloofness. At his level, he'd met countless big-name celebrities. Lu Chen, as a newcomer in the music world, hadn't reached the threshold that would command Zhu's full respect.

By contrast, his female assistant seemed far more interested in Lu Chen.

After sitting down, the Deputy Manager of Baolong Pictures got straight to the point and asked, "Mr. Lu Chen, you're looking to collaborate with our company to shoot and produce a drama script, correct?"

"Yes," Lu Chen nodded and handed over the script outline he had prepared in advance. "Manager Zhu, this is a script I wrote myself. Please have a look and share your feedback."

Besides the outline, he had also completed the first four episodes of Autumn in My Heart and brought them along today, though there was no need to hand over the full script just yet.

First, he had to get Zhu Minghe interested in the story; only then would deeper discussions be worthwhile.

After all, this wasn't a commissioned production, it required deep collaboration and joint investment from both sides.

Lu Chen couldn't pull it off alone.

So in front of Zhu Minghe, Lu Chen kept his posture calm and composed, neither arrogant nor submissive.

After all, in this industry, he was still a total rookie.

And the film and TV world ran much deeper than the pop music scene.

Zhu Minghe accepted the draft with a light smile. "Alright, I'll take a look."

He was rather pleased with Lu Chen's attitude. The newcomer showed enough respect and didn't have the arrogant airs many up-and-comers got after just a taste of fame. Lu Chen knew how to carry himself, that much was clear.

That alone gave Zhu Minghe some interest in the manuscript.

Baolong Pictures was indeed on the hunt for good scripts. Not long ago, they'd even spent big to purchase the film and TV rights to two hit online novels. They were planning to make a big push in the next couple of years to grab a larger share of the booming TV drama market.

As deputy manager in charge of script evaluation, Zhu Minghe was feeling the heat.

He wasn't the final decision-maker, but if he overlooked a good script, or greenlit a bad one, he'd be held accountable.

He started reading Lu Chen's story outline carefully.

Whether it's a novel or a script, the story outline is key.

A seasoned pro can tell from an outline how skilled the writer is, whether the story has commercial potential, and even estimate the budget required for production.

Zhu Minghe read with full focus.

But soon, his brows began to furrow, deeper and deeper, until they formed the character (chuan) on his forehead.

Clearly, he was conflicted inside.

Lu Chen couldn't help but grow a bit anxious, feeling like even the coffee in his mouth had turned bitter.

That expression didn't exactly scream "This is promising"...

After about ten minutes, Zhu Minghe set the papers down and asked seriously, "Mr. Lu Chen, regarding this TV drama, how exactly are you proposing to collaborate with our company?"

Lu Chen had already thought this through and answered without hesitation, "Manager Zhu, I hope we can do a joint investment. If we can bring in a third-party investor as well, that's great. The specifics of the investment terms can be discussed in detail."

"As for the production side, I'd like to play the male lead myself. The female lead and director, I already have suitable candidates in mind. As for the supporting roles, your company can either recommend actors or hold public auditions."

The first half of what Lu Chen said didn't faze Zhu Minghe, he listened calmly.

Joint investment and shared risk/profit were fairly normal. Given Lu Chen's name and the mutual connection who introduced him, letting him in on the investment wasn't a big deal.

But then Lu Chen went a step further, wanting to play the male lead, and already naming the director and female lead?

What did he take Baolong Pictures for?

Some kind of back-alley theater troupe?

Zhu Minghe felt secretly annoyed. Whatever goodwill he had for Lu Chen instantly vanished.

Too arrogant. Clueless about how the industry works!

Of course, Zhu Minghe was a man of deep restraint. Even if he was annoyed, he wouldn't show it openly.

After a pause, he gently said, "Mr. Lu Chen, since you were introduced by Sister Li, and we're all friends here, I'll be frank with you. I hope you won't mind."

Lu Chen smiled. "Please go ahead. I can accept any feedback."

"Great," Zhu Minghe smiled back. "Actually, the story of your drama isn't bad, but the plot, especially the ending, doesn't align with current trends. The audience won't like it, so it'll need significant changes."

"As for the director and lead roles, our company will make those decisions. They can't be decided unilaterally."

"As for investment, our company won't be contributing a large amount. We'd prefer you bring in a third-party investor."

"And finally…"

Lu Chen kept smiling on the surface, but he was already sighing in his heart.

Baolong Pictures… Definitely not gonna happen.

(End of chapter)