Chapter Two
Whether Shen Qianzhan would face immediate retribution was unknown, but Su Zan’s punishment for his loose tongue had arrived right on cue.
If Shen Qianzhan hadn’t retained a shred of rationality and remembered that Su Zan was supposed to drink on her behalf tonight, she might have beaten him until he was paralyzed from the waist down, disabled, and scrambling to find his own head. At the very least, he would have ended up unable to take care of himself.
A scumbag woman who tricks men into bed?
Even if that’s what you think, you don’t fucking say it out loud!
However, it was clear that violent outbursts were one of the top two best ways to vent emotions.
The thousands of kilometers of pent-up frustration Shen Qianzhan had accumulated both domestically and abroad were released and alleviated in a remarkably healthy manner after she finished beating up Su Zan.
Refreshed and invigorated, she no longer even minded the regret of not having a young hunk to accompany her tonight. Glancing at her watch, she lowered the seatback and ordered, “Wake me up ten minutes before we reach the hotel. I need to touch up my makeup.”
Beijing’s rush hour began at 4:30 p.m., like a spark of oil igniting and spreading from the main arteries of the Second and Third Ring Roads, sweeping across overpasses, toll gates, and side roads, clogging all major thoroughfares within the Fourth Ring Road to a standstill, with traffic maps glowing red all the way.
The business car squeezed into the tide of returning vehicles, inching along for nearly five kilometers before finally breaking free like a fish returning to the sea, flowing smoothly once more.
Shen Qianzhan woke up on her own before Su Zan could call her.
She had always been disciplined in her work, a discipline that extended not only to her mental demands but also strictly to her personal attire and overall image.
At the very least, outside of Shen Qianzhan’s messy den, Su Zan had never seen her behave inappropriately or out of line while out and about. She was always polished, proper, and radiant.
Shen Qianzhan called this professional integrity and a pursuit of quality.
If Su Zan hadn’t witnessed the living standards behind her radiant facade, which were worse than those of a street performer with just a bedroll, he might have been completely fooled into believing her.
He skillfully handed Shen Qianzhan a box of highlighter and a powder brush, watching her sweep it from her forehead, brow tails, nose bridge, cheeks, and chin, before finally pulling down her collar to dab a few strokes of shimmering highlighter powder on her collarbones.
Even Xiang Qianqian wasn’t this meticulous when walking the red carpet…
Shen Qianzhan applied her lipstick as if no one else were around, lightly pressed her lips together in the mirror, and glanced around. Confirming that her looks could withstand every unflattering angle, she snapped the mirror shut and smiled with captivating charm. “Let’s go. Sister Zhan will take you to turn the world upside down.”
—
Jichun Erwan Hotel.
Shen Qianzhan was a regular at this hotel, from small gatherings and meals to hosting distinguished guests, and even Thousand Lights Entertainment’s annual galas and exchange summits—all were held at Jichun Erwan.
From the lobby manager to the housekeeping staff, no one at the hotel was unfamiliar with Shen Qianzhan.
If Su Zan hadn’t been with her for two years and known that Shen Qianzhan simply enjoyed the face-recognition credit service at Jichun Erwan, he would have suspected, given her devotion to this hotel, that Sister Zhan was taking hefty kickbacks and profiting from the difference.
As always.
From the moment Shen Qianzhan stepped out of the car, the doorman, security, and lobby manager all came forward to greet her. “Miss Shen, it’s been a while since you last visited. You must have been very busy lately?”
Shen Qianzhan smiled warmly, exchanging pleasantries with each of them. Before entering the private room, she couldn’t help but turn back and sigh to Su Zan, “You see, this is what a good hotel is like—making customers feel right at home.”
Su Zan forced a stiff smile, inwardly grumbling: If you weren’t a cash cow, let’s see if they’d still make you feel at home.
—Shen Qianzhan arrived at the private room and glanced at the time—6:20 PM.
It was still early.
Aside from her and Su Zan, only the hotel staff assigned to the room were present.
She signaled for a menu to order dishes in advance, then spent some time replacing the decorative flowers in the room. After carefully adjusting the temperature and humidity, she was about to swap out the rug for a more pleasing one when someone finally arrived.
The first to arrive was Ai Yi, the deputy general manager of Shiyue Video.
Ai Yi was in her forties, well-maintained and exuding an outstanding presence. Her face was slightly square-shaped, with eyes that slanted upward at the corners, giving her a somewhat sharp appearance. Fortunately, her straight nose and delicate lips elevated the sophistication of her features. Paired with a neat short haircut and high-end professional attire, she radiated the unmistakable aura of a powerful female executive.
As a leading player in the domestic video industry, Shiyue had always maintained a strong collaborative relationship with Thousand Lights.
The partnership between Shen Qianzhan and Ai Yi was widely regarded as a golden duo in the industry, guaranteeing high viewership ratings.
One was responsible for the creation and production of television dramas, while the other handled post-release distribution channels and audience exposure. Whenever the two collaborated, whether the project was a youth dream series or an intense war drama, advertisers would compete eagerly once the bidding began.
As soon as the two women sat down, they naturally had plenty to talk about.
At first, Su Zan listened as Shen Qianzhan earnestly discussed project progress and future plans. But in the blink of an eye, she and Ai Yi had shifted from discussing the latest haute couture from fashion week to limited-edition handbags, and from there to Ai Yi’s pregnancy preparations.
By the time their conversation had galloped off like a runaway horse to topics like which hospital to choose for childbirth, which maternity nurse was better, and which kindergarten to send the child to, the production company representative finally arrived, right on time at 7 PM.
The production company for the tribute drama was Boxuan Film and Television, which held exclusive authorization and possessed a top-tier television production license issued by the regulatory authority, specializing in producing and distributing mainstream films and television series.
Tonight’s dinner guest was none other than Jiang Yecheng, the second-in-command at Boxuan Film and Television.
Su Zan instinctively glanced at Shen Qianzhan.
Typically, the brightness of Shen Qianzhan’s smile when facing production company representatives was directly proportional to the project’s potential profitability. The more radiant her smile, the higher the project’s quality and the greater the company’s return on investment.
Judging by Shen Qianzhan’s current enthusiastic demeanor, it was clear that this tribute drama, slated for production next year, held a rock-solid position in her mind.
After all, a project that had been fiercely contested by dozens of film and television companies was bound to be a hot commodity for anyone.
Once everyone was seated and the customary pleasantries were exchanged, Shen Qianzhan glanced at the empty seat beside Jiang Yecheng and casually remarked, “This time coincides with rush hour, and the traffic is terrible. Is your friend still on the way, Mr. Jiang?”
Jiang Yecheng, in his fifties with nearly three decades of industry experience, immediately understood Shen Qianzhan’s underlying question: Was the investor he had promised to introduce tonight running late or had they stood them up?
With a smile, he explained, “Xiao Ji is still stuck on the airport expressway. Don’t worry about him—let’s start without him.”
So, they were running late.
Understandable, completely understandable.
As long as the investor didn’t bail, she could still call them “daddy.”
With one person missing, Shen Qianzhan’s prepared opening remarks went unused.Fortunately, Jiang Yecheng and Ai Yi weren't complete strangers, so the group spent over half an hour discussing next year's trends in the film and television industry and the new guidelines from the regulatory authorities.
Due to its unique position in the industry, Baixuan Film and Television was always treated as an honored guest.
Initially, Shen Qianzhan had worried that Jiang Yecheng, as a heavyweight, might come across as overly imposing. Unexpectedly, he was approachable and amiable, showing no airs at all. Instead, he was an excellent listener, genuinely interested in hearing the perspectives and suggestions of younger professionals in the industry regarding its development.
If it hadn't been for Jiang Yecheng's assistant receiving a phone call midway through and excusing himself from the table, Shen Qianzhan might have almost forgotten that another important figure was yet to make an appearance that evening.
She glanced sideways in the direction the assistant had left and nudged Su Zan, who hadn't yet caught on, with the tip of her shoe. Taking advantage of the moment when Jiang Yecheng and Ai Yi were speaking in low tones, she whispered a reminder: "Go."
"Accompany Mr. Jiang's assistant to greet the guest."
With that, she smiled and nodded, seamlessly rejoining the conversation between the other two without a trace of disruption.
Su Zan suddenly understood and discreetly left the table.
Not long after, the phone Shen Qianzhan had placed under her palm vibrated with a new message notification.
She lowered her gaze and swiped to unlock it.
In her WeChat list, a message from Su Zan had jumped to the top: "Holy shit, Sister Zhan, you'll never guess who the investor is!"
Before she could reply, another WeChat message buzzed through.
"Here's a crucial hint."
"The one I've been idolizing lately!"
At this, Shen Qianzhan raised an eyebrow slightly.
That bootlicker Su Zan would prostrate himself before any wealthier second-generation heir he encountered. Who knew which name from his list he was referring to now?
—"The grandmaster who, despite your repeated visits, remained unimpressed and dismissive not long ago."
Shen Qianzhan frowned, trying hard to recall.
People like her probably robbed banks, guarded prisons, or worked in demolition in a past life, which is why their luck in this life was so poor, leading them to become producers.
In her early years in the industry, when times were tough, luck was scarce, and her skills were lacking, it was common for her to seek help everywhere.
Even now, with hit dramas under her belt, when encountering a director who prided himself on his talent or an artist with an inflated ego, she still had to swallow her pride to negotiate collaborations.
Thus, Su Zan's brief description failed to jog her notoriously short-term memory.
—"His great-grandson said you were as clingy as a spider spirit from the Cobweb Cave and told his uncle to hurry back and deal with you!"
—"Ji Qingzhen, Old Master Ji!"
—"Damn, I just can't keep my mouth shut."
Shen Qianzhan was momentarily stunned. When the realization hit, her expression of "everyone's happiness is true happiness" nearly cracked. Gritting her teeth, she mentally noted Su Zan's indiscretion while maintaining a calm facade, raising her glass to toast everyone from a distance.
Ji Qingzhen was a top-tier watch restorer in China.
This national treasure-level watch restorer had earlier restored a wooden temple bell returned from overseas free of charge. Given the bell's significant symbolic value upon its return, Baixuan Film and Television specially produced a three-episode documentary on its restoration.
It was this documentary that inspired Shen Qianzhan, enabling her to secure Baixuan Film and Television's tribute project centered on the theme of craftsmanship and heritage.
For this reason, before going abroad, she had specifically made time to travel to Xi'an to invite Old Master Ji to serve as a special consultant for the tribute series.
She did meet him, but the response she received was: "I've worked hard all my life and am now retired, enjoying my golden years."Shen Qianzhan still held a lingering regret and hadn’t completely given up, making two more visits afterward.
During the second visit, she left behind the project proposal, thinking that Old Master Ji might at least waver a little. Unexpectedly, on her third visit, when she made her final attempt, the great-grandson of Old Master Ji, whom she had encountered every time, spewed venom, saying she was as clingy as the spider spirits of the Silk Cave and telling her not to come again, lest his great-grandfather’s reputation be tarnished in his later years.
Though it was a child’s innocent remark, Old Master Ji’s attitude was clear—he had no interest.
Jiang Yecheng was swamped with responsibilities and couldn’t be moved to attend to anything unrelated to projects. That he had taken the initiative to organize tonight’s gathering to attract investment already surprised Shen Qianzhan. How could the guest of honor possibly be Old Master Ji, who had shown no interest in the project?
Shen Qianzhan was utterly perplexed and, for once, replied: “Old Master Ji? Hasn’t the old man retired to enjoy his later years?”
Though Ji Qingzhen was a watch restorer, he was backed by the world-class luxury brand—Endless Year. He had created the "Twilight Years" series of watches and three highly collectible clocks for its watch brand.
Old Master Ji might not be interested in the project, but that didn’t mean Endless Year wasn’t!
Su Zan hadn’t expected Shen Qianzhan to be so slow on the uptake at such a moment. He was deeply dissatisfied with her uncharacteristic dullness during his moment of excitement and indignantly snapped: “Foolish! Utterly foolish!”
Shen Qianzhan let out a soft chuckle, the smile just reaching the corners of her eyes when the private room door swung inward. Su Zan’s sycophantic voice pierced through with remarkable force: “…Our producer was just saying you don’t understand what it means for beauty to be a feast for the eyes.”
Shen Qianzhan’s brow twitched sharply as she followed the sound.
The cool amusement in the young man’s eyes hadn’t fully faded, and in that half-smiling moment, he immediately caught her gaze. It was a look she once knew well—always overly calm after the tide of desire had receded.
As always, it howled with the wind and burned with the fire.
Shen Qianzhan’s smile instantly froze at her lips.
Her mind was filled with nothing but—
Damn, karma really is a bitch.
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