Chapter 81

"Congratulations!"

As soon as Li Zhengxi answered the phone, the sound of He Jiwon's voice came through, but her voice was somewhat low, and it seemed she wasn't in a good mood. She then added, "Do you know the ratings for 'Secret'?"

"I know, I heard it was around 18%, which should be pretty good..." Li Zhengxi nodded. With the ratings, there would naturally be some who were happy and some who were worried. In Korea, the success or failure of a TV drama's ratings not only put pressure on producers and directors but also on the actors.

Many actors could become famous due to a popular TV drama, while others might become unpopular due to a poorly received one, leading to a decline in their careers. Some directors and actors even committed suicide due to the pressure.

He Jiwon had just gone through a contract termination issue and was now just starting out at the newly established Empire Entertainment, so she was probably not very settled.

Therefore, Li Zhengxi understood her feelings very well and said earnestly, "First, I want to say that the TV drama's poor performance is not your fault. Also, you don't need to worry about your future. You are an extremely talented actor, and I can guarantee that in one or two years, you will become a superstar in Korea and even in Asia..."

His words were sincere, and He Jiwon could tell. Although she felt a bit embarrassed by such praise, it made her feel good, as everyone likes to be praised.

Of course, she also appreciated his sensitivity and consideration for her low mood. Her mood improved, and she smiled, "No, you misunderstood me. I'm not worried about my future because I trust you..."

She continued, her heart soft and a bit embarrassed, and quickly added, "Well, it might be because 'Secret's ratings weren't as good as 'Blue生死恋' (Blue生死恋 is a placeholder for the actual title, which is 'Blue生死恋' in the original text, but it should be 'Blue生死恋' or 'Blue生死恋' in English). Today, the producer and director were scolding people, and I was the worst off, as if it was all my fault..."

Originally, she didn't plan to tell him these things; she just felt down and wanted to chat with him casually. She had said it out of nervousness.

Li Zhengxi was taken aback but quickly understood. If everyone was treated the same, it wouldn't be strange, but since He Jiwon was treated the worst, it was clear there was something fishy going on. Even a knee-jerk reaction would tell you that Wellmade was behind it, and the producer and director were taking advantage of the situation.

With a slight sneer, he nodded, "I understand. If you're not feeling well, we can skip the shoot today!" When He Jiwon was taken aback, he added, "Let Bai Xiuying take the call!"

He Jiwon immediately understood his intentions. She was a strong-willed person and thought she could handle it, and she didn't want to trouble him over this. However, she also understood the pride and dominance hidden beneath his gentle exterior.

She pouted slightly, a cute gesture, and hummed softly, feeling very happy, before passing the phone to her agent, Bai Xiuying.

When Bai Xiuying took the call, Li Zhengxi didn't get angry because this wasn't her fault. As an agent, it was natural to maintain good relations with producers and directors to avoid trouble for the artists, and it was very common for actors to be scolded in Korea.

"Xiuying, I heard that the atmosphere on set today was very tense!" Li Zhengxi's voice was calm, but his words were not, "I won't say more, but you need to remember one thing: you are part of Empire Entertainment, and our artists are in high demand. Therefore, no one is allowed to bully our artists if they haven't done anything wrong, and you don't need to be too polite to them..."

Bai Xiuying, being the best agent chosen by Li Zhengxi for Empire Entertainment, understood his meaning almost instantly. She chuckled and replied, "I understand, boss. If anything makes me or Jiwon uncomfortable, I will consider pausing the production..."

"Very good!" Li Zhengxi praised her openly and then asked her to pass the phone back to He Jiwon.

He Jiwon had been listening in from the side and already knew what he had said. When she took the phone, she was touched and said with a playful scold, "Why are you being so reckless? It's not a big deal..."

Li Zhengxi shook his head, "No, this isn't being reckless. You need to remember that, apart from family and friends, no one should be allowed to criticize you without a reason. Moreover, you represent not just yourself but also Empire Entertainment. Do you understand?"

He Jiwon pouted, but her face showed genuine happiness. However, something that annoyed her happened again. She had called him to chat, but he said, "Alright, if there's nothing else, I'll hang up!"

If he hadn't been so nice earlier, she would have called him a jerk. This time, she decided to let it go.

Li Zhengxi didn't know what He Jiwon was thinking. He felt they had talked enough, and he was busy, so he hung up.

He was indeed busy. As soon as he hung up, he called Zhang Dongguo and told him about what had happened, asking him to put more pressure on the production team. After all, Bai Xiuying was a woman and just an agent, so the production team might not take her seriously.

After explaining the situation, he added, "Brother, remember this: arrange as soon as possible to meet with Choi In-ho, the author of 'Business Strategy,' to discuss the TV adaptation rights. Also, the author of 'Women of the World,' Park Jong-ho, has passed away. Check if the TV adaptation rights are still with his family, and if so, buy them. The price is not an issue..."

Zhang Dongguo had no objections to He Jiwon's issue, but he smiled and said, "We already have six TV drama scripts and two movie scripts. If we add two more, won't you be too busy?"

"That's true," Li Zhengxi smiled, "But because I'm too busy, don't you think we should expand the company's scale?"

Good scripts are invaluable resources. If possible, Li Zhengxi would take them all without hesitation, regardless of others' opinions.

With good scripts, he would have more opportunities to earn money and expand his influence in the industry. For example, his recent bold actions were due to his possession of good scripts. If he were provoked, he was confident he could cut off MBC's supply of good dramas, turning the future Korean drama kingdom into a kingdom of bad dramas.

Moreover, having so many scripts would not only increase his influence but also build a strong network of contacts, which Empire Entertainment desperately needed. This was the foundation for his rapid establishment of film and TV production companies.

Only with a well-established film and TV production company would Li Zhengxi truly be able to relax in the future.

After explaining this to Zhang Dongguo, he understood and smiled, "Alright, you handle the brain work, and I'll handle the physical labor!"

Li Zhengxi also smiled, "Brother, you're a top student from Yonsei University, very smart!" He paused for a moment and then patted his head, "Right, Choi In-ho is also a Yonsei graduate, your alumnus. This might be useful for your negotiations..."

Zhang Dongguo laughed, "You know him better than I do," he paused and then frowned, "By the way, I didn't plan to tell you, but I'm afraid Jin Byung-chul might take action against you, so I'll warn you..."

"Jin Byung-chul!" Li Zhengxi's eyes narrowed. This name was too familiar. Zhang Dongguo nodded, "Yes, life is full of twists and turns. You probably didn't expect it, but that guy used to be quite polite to me. However, a few days ago, he came to me and said he wanted to invest in our company."

He continued, with a disdainful laugh, "But he didn't plan to pay any money. He said he would ensure our safety..."

Indeed, it was unexpected, but Li Zhengxi already knew. He smiled, but his smile was cold, "That guy probably knows that Funnyplan and Wellmade have issues with us, so he's trying to take advantage of the situation..."

"Right, he did mention Wellmade and told me to be careful," Zhang Dongguo added, with another disdainful laugh, "But it sounded like a threat..."

Since he had come to them, it was time to settle old and new grievances. Li Zhengxi listened to Zhang Dongguo and thought for a moment before saying, "Brother, let's make an example out of him. If they join forces, we'll be at a disadvantage..."

Zhang Dongguo was taken aback. Li Zhengxi's words were full of determination. However, after a moment's thought, he realized that since this couldn't be resolved peacefully, Li Zhengxi's suggestion was correct.

"What do you mean?" Zhang Dongguo had a rough idea but didn't say it directly.

Li Zhengxi smiled grimly, "Since he wants to play, let's set up a trap and play along..."

He then explained his plan in detail and asked Zhang Dongguo to think it through and refine the details. Finally, he said coldly, "This time, I'll get my father and uncle to help. Since we're playing, we'll make sure Jin Byung-chul is finished for real..."

Zhang Dongguo laughed, a bit puzzled by Li Zhengxi's intense determination against Jin Byung-chul. Perhaps it was because of their first meeting at his house, where Li Zhengxi seemed to dislike Jin Byung-chul from the start...

PS: The number of recommendation votes is a bit low. Dear reader, please support me. Thank you!

[Page Flip AD Start]

[Page Flip AD End]