Chapter 763: Jiaojiao 43

As long as they weren’t the ones getting called out, everyone breathed a sigh of relief while also offering their two colleagues silent condolences. President Chen was a bona fide big shot now. How could working for a big shot ever be easy?

But no one saw the two colleagues being broken down or threatened. Instead, the pair was working with exceptional drive. Why? Tan You, who saw it all, allowed a small smile to touch her lips.

In the massive arena of fame and fortune that was the entertainment industry, every on-camera artist inevitably had a team behind the scenes. When an artist’s work became famous, the value of their team would rise accordingly—a rising tide lifts all boats. The two were inextricably linked.

And the lyrics and music she had crafted for Chen Jiao were truly exceptional; Tan You was supremely confident of this. So, when faced with such outstanding material, how could the recording engineer and music arranger not be tempted?

Even if they were just helping with the production, their own reputations would be made if the album blew up later. And so, the desire for future fortune had completely overwhelmed their fear of Chen Jiao’s fearsome reputation. It just went to show that poverty truly is the most painful affliction in the world.

While Chen Jiao was grinding away in the recording studio, the company’s first television series officially began filming. The director was Liu Fu, who had just been signed, and the cast consisted entirely of the company’s own artists.

The whole company sprang into action, and everything ran seamlessly. With Zong Qi keeping an eye on things, operations were calm and orderly, allowing everyone to focus their energy on filming the television series.

G City had a booming entertainment industry, and its tabloids were relentless. Yet, even though Chen Jiao was an industry insider, no one dared to report on her. After all, people in the media always have the best intel.

They knew better than anyone who they could report on and who was off-limits.

After finally finishing the recording for all twelve songs, Chen Jiao felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders. She was working for Tan You now, so of course she wanted Tan You to start earning money as soon as possible. ‘It can’t always be Tan You spending money on me, right?’

Tan You understood Chen Jiao’s intentions. Chen Jiao was a rare client who never tried to nickel-and-dime her. While most of her previous clients had only joked about it, Tan You was still very fond of Chen Jiao’s character.

There was one thing, though. Chen Jiao was too straight-laced—so much so that at times she came off as awkward, like a clumsy child.

With a personality like that, if she met someone who appreciated it, they would cherish and protect that part of her. But if she met the wrong person…

Zong Qi poured Chen Jiao a cup of tea. “Have some water and rest for a bit. You’ve been working hard.”

Chen Jiao downed the cup of water. “It was actually fine.”

She really was doing fine. At least the company’s recording engineer wasn’t nearly as demanding as Tan You. Tan You was a true demon for discipline; if one take wasn’t good enough, they’d do another. As a complete amateur, Chen Jiao had been painstakingly molded by her.

But for as much as her confidence was battered by Tan You, she received just as much praise from the recording engineer. Since she had already passed Tan You’s muster, Chen Jiao nailed most of the official studio recordings in a single take, rarely needing a second or third try.

According to the recording engineer, Chen Jiao was already an established singer. Once this album was released, it was guaranteed to go diamond.

A smile flashed in Zong Qi’s eyes. “What are your plans now? You’ve finished recording the album, so all that’s left is post-production. Are you going to work on your script? When are you thinking of filming?”

Chen Jiao sighed. “I’m not ready yet, so there’s no hurry. Even if we do film it, it will have to wait until after next June.”

Zong Qi nodded slightly. “So for now, the main focus will be on managing the company?”

Chen Jiao nodded. “Yes, that’s the plan. Besides, making a movie requires a lot of money, and the company’s accounts are short at the moment.”

Although she didn’t get involved in the company’s operations, Chen Jiao knew that investing in a movie was no small matter. Plus, the company was currently in pre-production for a TV series, which was where the bulk of the money was going.

Furthermore, her own acting skills were still far from adequate, which was why she said she would wait until next year to start planning.

Zong Qi didn’t press the matter. He knew better than anyone that Chen Jiao had a clear plan for her career. It was just that…

“People are already asking about Qingyou,” he said. “The public has heard about the new series our company is producing. Once your album is released, Qingyou’s reputation will soar even higher. It’s an incomparable talent.”

Chen Jiao waved a hand listlessly. “Don’t mention the name Qingyou. It gives me a headache.”

‘I don’t want to claim that name, but how can I explain it to the public? I can’t just pull a person out of thin air, can I? I’m… I’m just a total slacker from grade school, and now I have to pretend to be this gifted genius. I’m freaking out!’

Zong Qi chuckled, amused. “What’s wrong with being talented? It’s a much better reputation than ‘gangster’s wife,’ isn’t it?”

Chen Jiao sighed. ‘Whether it’s the ‘talented genius’ or the ‘gangster’s wife,’ that’s all Mr. Tan,’ she thought. ‘What does any of it have to do with a slacker like me? This won’t do. I have to start studying today. Otherwise, when people ask me things, I’ll be completely clueless and won’t be able to explain myself!’

Chen Jiao steeled her resolve. Sensing this, Tan You raised an eyebrow. ‘Looks like it’s time to add to Chen Jiao’s curriculum,’ she thought. She didn’t expect Chen Jiao to become an expert on all things past and present, but she had to at least possess a fundamental cultural literacy.

After she finished recording the album, Chen Jiao seemed to vanish. She didn’t visit the set of the new TV series even once, but despite her absence, no one on the crew dared to cause trouble. Everyone simply focused on their work.

I mean, come on. She had openly humiliated the Three Dragons Gang and was still walking around perfectly safe. Who *didn’t* know about that?

Then there was Brother Hu. Once a master of the nightlife scene, he had now completely vanished from it. As for the rumors circulating about his impotence… well, they weren’t just rumors. They were facts.

Inside the meeting hall of the Three Dragons Gang, Old Cai sat on a sofa, a serious expression on his face as he took Brother Hu’s pulse. If not for the passage of time, the scene would have been identical to the one from a month prior.

Brother Long, Leopard Brother, and the various Hall Masters and Incense Masters all sat to one side, watching. Over the past month, they had been observing Brother Hu’s condition. It was truly bizarre; the moment Brother Hu closed his eyes, the dreams would begin.

At first, it was just beautiful women turning into skeletons—that was the beginner level. Later, the seductive beauties began to transform into all sorts of other things, not even limited to human forms.

One second, it would be a beautiful woman; the next, a gigantic insect. No one could handle that. At the very least, Brother Hu couldn’t. In just one month, the torment had caused him to lose over thirty pounds.

Now, he didn’t even dare to sleep. After all, staying awake felt like a blessing compared to the alternative.

Leopard Brother spoke up. “Doctor, how is he? He’s lost so much weight; that can’t be good for his health, can it?”

Old Cai withdrew his hand, pondering for a long moment before speaking. “Although he appears to have lost a lot of weight, my pulse diagnosis indicates that Brother Hu’s constitution has actually grown stronger. His pulse is forceful, no longer weak like a spent arrow at the end of its flight, as it was before.”