Chapter 749 - 375: Sister Xiao Hua: I Don’t Want to Be a Supporting Character Anymore

Chapter 749: Chapter 375: Sister Xiao Hua: I Don’t Want to Be a Supporting Character Anymore

The woman who appeared beside Chen Jincheng was none other than Meng Ziyi, greeting him with a radiant smile.

He already knew what this Xiaohua was after, so he smiled and asked, "Miss Meng, it seems your performance hasn’t started yet!"

Meng Ziyi said with a sunny smile, "I’m one of the last to go on, so I have plenty of time. I... have something I’d like to discuss with you, President Chen."

"Oh?" Chen Jincheng gave her a teasing look, playing dumb. "And what is it that Miss Meng would like to discuss?"

Meng Ziyi took a deep breath and said, "President Chen, my contract has expired, and I’m looking for a new company."

"You want to join us at Second-Life Star?" Chen Jincheng asked.

"Yes." Meng Ziyi nodded.

’Just as I thought,’ Chen Jincheng mused. He smiled and asked, "Miss Meng, what movies or shows have you filmed so far?"

Meng Ziyi said, "Nothing major. I haven’t had much work recently, either. I’m just about to join the cast for a small supporting role in *Demon Path Grandmaster*—oh, right, it didn’t pass review, so they changed it to *The Untamed*. In any case, it’s a role without much of a story arc."

"*The Untamed*?" Chen Jincheng was a little surprised to hear that.

’This world has that show, too?’

He chatted with Meng Ziyi for a moment and learned that the show was more or less identical to the one in his previous life, right down to the two male leads.

The series starred Xiao Zhan.

In the other world, public opinion on Xiao Zhan was completely polarized. His die-hard female fans loved him to death, while most men constantly roasted him. But you had to admit, the show itself was truly phenomenal.

It was filmed in a mere 80 days and completed in just over 100—an undeniably rapid pace. The promotional window was also short. Crucially, due to censorship issues, a lot of the plot was deleted or drastically altered. And yet, it still became the ratings king.

It took everyone completely by surprise.

Xiao Zhan’s status in the industry also skyrocketed because of the show.

And yet, the show was once viewed with extreme pessimism. The reason was apparent from its original title, *Demon Path Grandmaster*. It faced censorship problems, and the plot had to be changed significantly to get approved. Consequently, fans of the original novel weren’t on board. Even before its release, leaked plot details led to widespread flaming and ridicule.

Then there was the casting. Fans of the original work were still dissatisfied, feeling that Wang Yibo didn’t have the right kind of cold, aloof temperament and that Xiao Zhan had no acting skills.

But who could have guessed that the final show would be radiating with so much romantic tension between the male leads that it attracted a huge following of female BL fans? Even the fans of the original novel were satisfied in the end.

After all, the novel’s core fanbase *was* the largest community of female BL fans.

However, the fact that the show was once viewed so negatively was, in part, the original fanbase’s own doing. The drastic alterations required to pass censorship review led to their backlash, and when the director felt the budget was insufficient, he was unwilling to seek additional investment in the face of such pessimism.

But Penguin was also very lucky. They didn’t pay an exorbitant price to acquire the show, and in the end, they reaped the rewards of the year’s top drama.

It was even more popular than *Go Go Squid!*, which was terrifying to think about.

Naturally, the profits *The Untamed* brought to Penguin were also enormous. Setting aside the sheer view count, the paid early-access screening alone generated 256 million in revenue.

The show’s immense popularity attracted pre-roll advertising revenue that totaled no less than 400 million, and other ad placements added up to at least another 500 million.

That’s not to mention the enormous profits from licensing and merchandise.

The show’s total revenue likely reached 2 billion.

Most importantly, 10 million users subscribed to a premium membership for the early-access screening alone. The total number of new subscribers driven by the show was even higher. To put that in perspective, Penguin’s daily active users at the time were only just over 100 million.

This influx of traffic and new subscribers was the greatest benefit Penguin received.

The immense benefits brought by the show were clear to see.

Penguin spent 350 million to acquire the show; the rest was pure profit.

The key was that Penguin had co-invested in the show with three other film and television companies, so there were virtually no competitors. Outsiders couldn’t get a foot in the door.

Chen Jincheng, however, grew pensive. ’Aren’t Penguin and iQiyi trying to block my content by driving up prices?’

’If they want to play games, I’ll play a round with them. I have to get my hands on *The Untamed*, even if I have to win it through a hostile bidding war.’

’If Penguin spent 350 million to buy out *The Untamed*, I’ll spend 450 million. If that doesn’t work, I’ll spend 500 million. I refuse to believe the other three production companies and the main producer wouldn’t agree to sell then.’

’Even if it costs me a billion, I wouldn’t be at a loss. I’d still make a huge profit. More importantly, the new subscribers and traffic it would bring to the Second Life Star Film and Television Network would be an enormous advantage.’

’I get to clash with Penguin while reaping enormous benefits for myself. Why wouldn’t I do it?’

Of course, since Penguin was one of the investors, it would be very difficult for other companies to get involved under normal circumstances.

This made him look at the Xiaohua beside him.

After all, she had been made the scapegoat for *The Untamed* for a long time.

Rumor had it that she’d paid her way onto the set of *The Untamed*. Because the original investors were unwilling to put in more money, the director naturally had to keep the one who brought in her own capital happy.

So, they forcibly added so much screen time to her minor role that she was practically the female lead, even getting paired up with the male protagonist as a couple.

Moreover, because of its financial problems, the production team cut corners on set construction wherever possible. This led to a fire that cost two crew members their lives.

And it was this incident that Meng Ziyi was made to take the fall for.

The trouble, of course, was stirred up by the fans of a certain male celebrity. A rumor started that she had offered him a cup of water she had already drunk from. His fans lost it and began slandering her without any evidence. This was one of the reasons why, despite having so many die-hard female fans, that particular celebrity was also loathed by countless people.

She ended up fighting a long legal battle over these fabricated rumors before she finally won.

"I imagine Second-Life Star isn’t the only company you’ve approached recently, right?" Chen Jincheng asked, looking at her with a faint smile.

In the other world, the fact that she was able to pay her way onto the set said a lot.

An actress who was neither popular nor obscure and who only ever landed supporting roles, yet was able to bring her own funding to a project... that was no simple matter.