Chapter 54: A Better Actress Than an Oscar Winner

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: A Better Actress Than an Oscar Winner

Hearing this, Ian Collins’ first thought was sheer gratitude. The big boss was finally considering the feasibility of the variety show! Listening to the two of them going back and forth, he thought they were one step away from setting it in stone and starting production tomorrow. His heart was truly on a roller coaster.

Hearing her hesitation, Grayson almost panicked but managed to steady himself. "President Rian, why wouldn’t it work? I still think it’s very doable! These issues are exactly what the state cares about! With the government backing us, how could anything go wrong?"

"But aren’t I worried that I might get canceled before the state’s protection even kicks in? We need to consider this carefully! It would only make things worse for those who are being coerced, fueling the arrogance of those law-breaking artists."

Rian Sinclair’s words practically spelled it out—without the state’s protective shield, she wouldn’t use this Ultimate.

Grayson was momentarily left speechless. The big boss’s concerns weren’t unfounded. The pre-production of the variety show would take some time. If external pressure mounted during this period and they were crushed before the state’s protection arrived, what then?

However, he had entered the company with a hidden identity. He couldn’t exactly declare to her face that she should shoot the show boldly because the state had their backs one hundred percent.

Yet, he was even more unwilling to give up on this variety show!

It was the fastest way to uncover the entertainment industry’s inner workings. A live broadcast would also serve as a wake-up call to the public, warning them against blindly worshiping celebrities. It was a good deed that would benefit both the nation and its people. Furthermore, any lawbreakers within the entertainment circle could be rooted out as quickly as possible.

"President Rian, your concerns are valid, but we shouldn’t miss this opportunity either," Grayson suggested. "We could report this to the higher-ups and gain their support. I believe the state wouldn’t reject such a beneficial initiative for the country and its people. We can take our time prepping for the shoot once we get the official nod."

Grayson had his own motives for phrasing it this way. He didn’t want to expose his identity so soon, so he purposely left himself an out. Whether or not he actually pulled strings behind the scenes later would be up to him. As long as the big boss reported it, this project was bound to succeed!

Rian, of course, knew Grayson’s true identity and caught the hidden meaning behind his words. With this implicit verbal promise, producing the variety show just became much easier.

In truth, she could still produce it without Grayson. When she met with Chief Young previously, they had touched upon matters concerning the entertainment industry, and she knew she could approach him if anything came up. However, that had merely been a casual chat. Moreover, since they had just met, Rian wasn’t keen on begging for help. Fortunately, Grayson had delivered himself right to her doorstep—and as her own employee, no less.

A free favor shouldn’t go to waste.

Rian considered it for a few seconds, pretending to weigh the feasibility of Grayson’s suggestion. After a show of hesitation, she nodded. "You make a good point, Grayson. I’ll submit an application to the higher-ups. If it gets approved, this variety show is already more than halfway to success."

Hearing this, Grayson breathed a sigh of relief. He had been terrified the big boss would refuse. After all, once the entertainment industry intersected with political matters, it had to be strictly regulated. But as long as one didn’t commit fundamental errors, endanger the country, or harm the people’s interests, the state would protect them.

Rian smiled and looked at the three of them.

"Since I proposed this variety show, you’ve probably guessed my intentions. I won’t speak for the entire entertainment industry, but within Radiant Entertainment, illegal activities are strictly prohibited. Skirting the rules will not be tolerated. All resources will be allocated based on merit, not by climbing into someone’s bed.

"If certain partners demand sexual transactions, we will outright abandon those collaborations. Any unnecessary partnerships can be terminated right now."

Rian rested her chin on her interlaced fingers. "As I said earlier, I am the capital. Money is completely out of the equation. All I ask for is a clean company—one where every artist can withstand scrutiny."

After leaving the CEO’s office, Ian looked at the beaming Grayson. "You rascal. Going back and forth with the boss like that in there, I was terrified she’d let it get to her head and just agree on the spot."

Grayson rubbed his nose. "I was just too excited, Ian! Besides, the boss definitely sees the big picture! The company is bound to reach new heights like this!"

Ron Sherman smiled and nodded in agreement. "Come on, Ian, you know what Grayson’s goals are. He just wants the entertainment industry to stay clean. Hearing the big boss’s words naturally got him fired up."

Ian understood this well enough. The big boss had immense foresight, and as her employees, they needed to keep up! "I don’t know what goes on in the big boss’s head to come up with such a game-changing variety show. Once this show airs, I’m afraid the entertainment industry will be forced to behave itself for many years to come!"

Ian notably didn’t say for a lifetime. To him, a lifetime was completely unrealistic. The entertainment industry was simply too lucrative; there would always be an endless stream of capitalists swooping in, and plenty of ordinary people willing to be bought and sold as commodities.

Grayson was also thrilled. Although the big boss had only provided a rough outline and the lower-level staff would have to flesh out the rest of the show, having a general direction was more than enough. With the framework set, everyone would rack their brains to fill in the gaps.

Were they afraid of it being too outrageous?

Not at all!

Their only fear was that it wouldn’t be outrageous enough!

Ian still harbored some concerns. After all, becoming a breath of fresh air in the entertainment industry meant they would eventually face public condemnation from the rest of it. He worried that the big boss, being so young, might not be able to handle the backlash later on, rendering all their efforts completely futile. He just didn’t want this rich kid to get her heart broken during her first foray into the corporate world!

Meanwhile, back in the office, Rian was beaming. She patted Quentin Sinclair’s arm. "Quentin, how was my acting?"

Quentin thought for a moment. "Better than an Oscar-winning actress."

Rian was pleased but also slightly skeptical. Had she really acted that well?

Whatever, she shouldn’t overthink it. The matters at hand were more important.

Deflated, Rian stared at the endless stack of contracts. There were investments for various variety shows, charity galas, and luxury brands needing spokespeople. She had to review every single one of them. She was truly growing numb.

Sure enough, professional matters should be left to the professionals.

With that thought, she handed the documents in her hands to Quentin beside her. Quentin looked up but didn’t say a word, simply taking the papers and placing them on top of a towering pile of files nearby.

Rian flushed slightly as she glanced at the stack, quickly averting her gaze. She would gladly pass on that kind of blessing.

"Quentin, later on, let’s transfer some people from here over to the headquarters," she said. "The Glacial Spire needs to house the executives from our various companies. You can decide who to pull to the headquarters when the time comes."

Quentin nodded in acknowledgment. He had already received news from Donovan Sinclair that The Glacial Spire was going to be established as the group’s headquarters, and Fiona Sinclair was currently helping out with operations there.

Then there was the new tech company the young lady had just acquired. It was a research and development firm that demanded a massive influx of capital, with zero chance of generating returns in the near future. Moreover, the current research projects at the tech company weren’t exactly too difficult—rather, the insiders were simply biting off more than they could chew.

To put it plainly, the project they were currently researching—the very one that had forced the original boss out—was an attempt to develop a 1-nanometer lithography machine.

Did they even understand the weight of researching a lithography machine? It was something even more complex than building an atomic bomb!

After two or three years of research, they felt it wasn’t panning out and gave up. Then, shockingly, they pivoted to developing microchips.

Great. Wonderful. Microchips literally relied on lithography machines to be manufactured! Trying to develop chips without the tools to make them was even more pointless than researching the lithography machine itself.

After that, they shifted gears yet again to medical equipment. They really wanted to gorge themselves into giants in a single bite, only to end up leaking from every seam.