After finishing recording a program with Su Xiao and Chen Xiaoyong, they were having a meeting at the company. After Xia Zixuan gave a concluding speech and announced the tasks for each stage, he let the various departments have another meeting.
Manager Wang first summarized the performance of each agent, "Everyone has done well."
Shen Tong was doodling in her notebook, distracted, thinking she needed to find an opportunity to talk with Su Xiao, but Chen Xiaoyong was always clinging to Su Xiao's side, leaving her no chance to speak with him alone.
Manager Wang changed the topic and said, "However, Little Shen!"
Shen Tong was startled and didn't react immediately. The person next to her gave her a push, and she smiled respectfully at the displeased Manager Wang, asking, "Manager Wang! What instructions do you have?"
Manager Wang's expression improved as he said, "Little Shen, I'm not criticizing you, but one of your two celebrities has a scandal that's causing chaos, though at least they've gained some fame. As for the other one, well, the scandal is fine, but I watched the program he recorded, and he's too cold! This is not what the audience wants."
"Yes, yes," Shen Tong nodded repeatedly, smiling very obediently and saying, "Manager Wang is right, how did I not think of that? Indeed, the manager sees things more clearly than I do."
Hearing this, Manager Wang immediately became pleased and said with a smile, "Little Shen, you're still young, it's normal to make some mistakes. I've received several phone calls saying that after the program aired, the response was mediocre, the ratings weren't good, especially for that male artist you're managing. He's too aloof, he needs to be more enthusiastic! Also, that new TV drama, the ratings were higher during the scandal, but later they weren't so good. You need to pay attention to cultivating the artists' qualities."
"Yes, yes," Shen Tong agreed repeatedly, "I will definitely do well!"
"Hmm, I like this attitude. If every agent were like you, I wouldn't have to worry about so many things."
"Don't worry, Manager. I will definitely be an agent that puts your mind at ease." Shen Tong knew how to handle the situation, aware that with people who have been in such positions for a long time, one must never talk back, only say nice things and flatter them.
"Good!" Manager Wang's leadership ego was greatly satisfied, and he no longer dwelled on Shen Tong's trivial matters. He then moved on to criticize the next person.
Shen Tong returned to the studio and gathered the two for a brief meeting. As usual, it was about summarizing and assigning tasks, as well as reprimanding Su Xiao. However, it seemed that Su Xiao wasn't listening at all, absentmindedly playing with the pen in his hand.
"Manager Wang said that the response to those programs was mediocre. Su Xiao, you need to be more enthusiastic," Shen Tong said from across the table.
Su Xiao completely ignored her, only looking at the pen in his hand and the work assignment papers, wondering how much of it Shen Tong had obtained by selling him out.
Seeing Su Xiao like this, Shen Tong was silent for a while, then carefully said, "Perhaps you don't care, but I hope you can become even more popular. Maybe I can arrange for you to have another scandal with Chen Xiaoyong."
"No!" Su Xiao immediately refused, his attitude more resolute than ever before, almost glaring at Shen Tong with reddened eyes.
"But what's the use of you recording programs so lifelessly?" Shen Tong sharply pointed out the problem. This was the one thing she couldn't allow Su Xiao to be willful about. "Do you think recording programs is like playing house?"
Chen Xiaoyong watched the two confronting each other with satisfaction, enjoying the show from the side. No matter which side won, she wouldn't be harmed.
"Dirty tactics," Su Xiao said, then looked at Shen Tong with disgust, as if seeing something filthy.
Chen Xiaoyong's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but she held back her anger.
Shen Tong looked angrily at Su Xiao. Realizing that harsh methods wouldn't work with someone like him, she began to slowly regain her composure. After taking a few deep breaths, she turned to Chen Xiaoyong and said seriously, "Can I speak with Su Xiao alone?"
"No," Su Xiao immediately refused without hesitation, not even moving his eyebrows, his proud face covered in frost.
Chen Xiaoyong slightly curled her lips at Shen Tong, her eyes full of triumph. You're having your day now, I'm not leaving, what can you do about it?
Shen Tong looked at Su Xiao in disbelief. What on earth had she done that was so terrible to make him misunderstand her so deeply?
"Do you really have to be like this?" Shen Tong stared angrily at Su Xiao.
Su Xiao didn't even give Shen Tong a proper look, just coldly averting his gaze, completely ignoring her question.
Just as the three were at an impasse, Chen Xiaoyong's phone rang. She walked to the window and answered the call in a low voice. Afterwards, she became restless, her expression full of worry, but she still stubbornly refused to leave. A few minutes later, she finally decided to pick up her bag and leave in her high heels, throwing out a "I'm leaving."
"Click" At the sound of the door closing, the two remained silent. The room was so quiet that they could hear the car horns and voices from downstairs. The city's busy nightlife had already begun. Even the night couldn't hide the city's lights and true desires.
Chen Xiaoyong, who had walked out, stood at the door for a few seconds, seemingly thinking of something. She took out her phone and sent a message to someone, then chuckled lightly. Now let's see how you two talk.
"What do I have to do for you to be satisfied with me as your agent?" Shen Tong asked with a sad expression, looking straight at Su Xiao. "I know you've been biased against me from the beginning. Although I did trick you into filming that movie at first, I promised I would let you release an album. When I, Shen Tong, make a promise, I keep it!" Shen Tong's last few sentences were forceful, spoken while looking directly at Su Xiao.
Su Xiao snorted and laughed coldly, "Lies? Just lies?"
Shen Tong immediately replied, looking straight at Su Xiao and speaking word by word, "I've never lied to you. I don't know what else I've done wrong besides lying!"
"You... you know very well what you've done!" Su Xiao said coldly, turning his head away from Shen Tong to look out the window.
"Can you... tell me exactly what I haven't done well?" Shen Tong asked weakly: I can only be gentle, I can't be forceful, I can't be forceful.
"Do you really just want me to become famous? Don't you have other impure motives? For example, fame equals money." Su Xiao asked in a low voice: a glimmer of expectation flashed in his eyes.
"I..."
Just as Shen Tong was about to say something in her defense, suddenly her phone in her pocket vibrated with an incoming call. Seeing the name on the screen, Shen Tong's expression changed. She carefully glanced at Su Xiao in front of her and decided to take the call outside.
Su Xiao's face instantly turned blue, sitting in place and angrily staring at the floor.
"Hello, what's the matter?" Shen Tong's tone was a bit harsh, not hiding her displeased mood.
"You think I like calling you? If it weren't for that recording... I wouldn't want to contact someone like you," the director who had previously attempted to molest Shen Tong said through gritted teeth on the other end. "As agreed, the shampoo commercial, I'll send you the information later, see if it works for you."
"Hmm, I got it," Shen Tong said indifferently.
"How long do you intend to use that recording to threaten me?" the director asked loudly on the other end: full of dissatisfaction.
"Until my artist becomes famous," Shen Tong straightforwardly expressed her thoughts, "By then, I'll find better directors."
"You..." The director was speechless with anger, his words becoming incoherent, "You... you vicious woman!"
"That's all, I have other matters to attend to, goodbye." Shen Tong said and hung up the phone. She still had unfinished business with Su Xiao.
Shen Tong returned to the office wanting to continue their unfinished conversation, only to find Su Xiao standing by the fax machine looking at a piece of paper. Shen Tong went over to look and saw that it was about the shampoo commercial they had just discussed. It contained the commercial outline and key points, so she began to explain, "This commercial is also from that director from last time. He thought you were good, so he wanted to invite you to participate in his..."
Shen Tong was talking to herself, completely unaware of Su Xiao's already livid face and the paper crumpled in his hand. The veins on his hand were visible, his patience had its limits. Anger was almost bursting from his eyes. Finally, Su Xiao let out a low roar at Shen Tong, "Enough!"
Shen Tong was startled and looked at Su Xiao in confusion, asking, "I've looked at this commercial and it fits your image very well. There shouldn't be any major problems. It's not like you're being asked to act in a drama, it can't be that difficult, right?"
Su Xiao looked at Shen Tong with a livid face, his eyes full of deep contempt, and asked in a low voice, "That director again? Your relationship with him isn't even good, why does he keep giving you opportunities?"
Shen Tong was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered and said with a righteous smile, "Don't worry about all that. I have no relationship with him. I naturally have my ways of getting these commercials. You can go ahead without worrying, he won't give you a hard time." After saying this, she pouted her lips and looked at Su Xiao somewhat proudly.
Su Xiao laughed coldly, looking at the woman full of lies in front of him. The anger in his heart erupted, "How much of it is really obtained through your own ability? You know it in your heart."
Shen Tong also couldn't contain her anger anymore and shouted, "What's wrong with me being vicious? Are there rules in this circle that forbid using tactics? The entertainment industry isn't that clean!"
Su Xiao looked at Shen Tong with disappointment and said, "I really misjudged you."
"I don't care how you see me, as long as you follow my arrangements," Shen Tong said coldly: she felt that arguing like this was meaningless, just a waste of time.
"I won't do this commercial," Su Xiao said resolutely, staring at Shen Tong word by word.
"Why?" Shen Tong questioned loudly, "Do you just love being difficult?"
"You and your dirty deals!" Su Xiao coldly threw out these words and walked out the door without hesitation, as if staying a second longer would be extravagant. His eyes were full of deep contempt; he absolutely couldn't agree with such practices.
Shen Tong sat in the chair like a deflated balloon, her face full of bewilderment, like a child who had lost their mother, her brows revealing a faint sadness. She didn't understand what she had done wrong to make Su Xiao hate her so much, to the point of arguing with her. If it was because of the director incident, she didn't feel she had done anything wrong at all.