"What? Sister Wenxi, are you dissatisfied with the two of them?"
Luo Zheng leaned lazily against the sofa, deliberately teasing her with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"You—!"
Huo Wenxi nearly lost her composure again.
She took several deep breaths in succession, her chest rising and falling beneath her fitted blouse. The motion was so dramatic that even Luo Zheng couldn't help glancing down instinctively.
After calming herself with difficulty, she noticed the amusement in his eyes and immediately realized he had been provoking her on purpose.
This little bastard.
Every time she tried to maintain the dignified image of a gold-medal manager in front of him, he always found a way to ruin it within seconds.
Huo Wenxi crossed her arms tightly and sat back down.
"Fine. Since you're so confident, explain it to me."
"What exactly do those two have that makes you value them so much?"
This time her tone became serious.
After all, Blue Whale Entertainment was no longer a small workshop company.
Every artist contract represented resources, investment, and future planning.
She trusted Luo Zheng's vision, but she still wanted to understand his reasoning.
Seeing her finally calm down, Luo Zheng stopped teasing her.
He picked up the files on the table and casually explained.
"Wang Baoqiang has a very unique temperament. He looks honest, simple, stubborn, and grounded. There's a natural sincerity in him that most actors can't imitate."
"He's perfect for the role of Shagen."
Huo Wenxi immediately reacted.
"The role from A World Without Thieves?"
"That's right."
Luo Zheng nodded calmly.
"Besides that, the company recently invested in Blind Shaft. He'll be the lead actor there too."
Hearing this, even Huo Wenxi was slightly shocked.
"You're pushing him this hard from the start?"
Luo Zheng smiled.
"He's one of our own. Why wouldn't I support him?"
The sentence sounded casual, but it carried enormous weight.
Many entertainment companies only treated artists as tools for making money. Once someone stopped being profitable, they were abandoned without hesitation.
But Luo Zheng clearly wasn't playing that game.
At least, not entirely.
Huo Wenxi slowly nodded before flipping to the next file.
"What about Huang Bo?"
"He's more versatile," Luo Zheng explained. "He can sing, dance, perform on stage, and act. We'll first release an EP for him. Once he gains some popularity, we can develop him further."
"Commercial performances, variety shows, supporting roles…"
"He needs polishing first."
Huo Wenxi looked down at Huang Bo's information sheet and suddenly paused.
"He got accepted into the Beijing Film Academy?"
"The vocational class," Luo Zheng replied casually. "Doesn't matter much. As long as he manages his schedule properly."
Huo Wenxi rubbed her forehead helplessly.
"Fine. You're the boss. You decide."
Even though his arrangements sounded reasonable, she still felt a headache coming.
Jane Zhang was easy to manage because she possessed clear talent and a straightforward personality.
But these two…
Especially Wang Baoqiang…
Something told her they wouldn't be worry-free in the future.
—
Meanwhile, inside the Human Resources office, Huang Bo and Wang Baoqiang were nervously signing their artist contracts.
Neither of them brought lawyers.
Neither carefully reviewed every clause.
To them, such behavior was completely unnecessary.
Blue Whale Entertainment's reputation was already famous throughout the industry.
And Luo Zheng himself was practically a legend.
Why would someone like him bother scheming against insignificant nobodies like them?
After briefly listening to the HR manager explain the contract duration and revenue split, the two hurriedly signed their names.
The contracts offered several options.
Five years.
Ten years.
Fifteen years.
Twenty years.
Longer contracts naturally meant more training resources and greater investment from the company.
Originally, both Huang Bo and Wang Baoqiang wanted to sign directly for twenty years.
In their eyes, that wasn't exploitation at all.
It was security.
Unfortunately, the company only approved fifteen-year contracts for them, though a priority renewal clause was added.
The reason was simple.
Luo Zheng knew their future value too clearly.
Signing them for excessively long periods was meaningless.
Sooner or later, both would reach the point where they opened independent studios.
There was no need to squeeze them too hard early on.
Then came the breach-of-contract penalty.
Five million yuan.
The moment the number appeared, both men inhaled sharply.
In 2002, that amount was astronomical.
Even famous artists from large companies often only had penalties worth a few hundred thousand.
For comparison, Fan Bingbing's contract penalty at Huayi Brothers was only around two hundred thousand.
Finally came the profit split.
Ninety percent for the company.
Ten percent for the artist.
Completely standard rookie treatment.
The company would later adjust the percentage according to fame and contribution.
After explaining everything, the HR manager suddenly smiled.
"There's one more thing."
"President Luo specifically instructed the company to provide each of you with a monthly salary of two thousand yuan."
"Additionally, company dormitories will be free."
The room instantly fell silent.
Huang Bo froze.
Wang Baoqiang froze.
For a few seconds, neither spoke.
Then Wang Baoqiang's eyes suddenly turned red.
Only people who had truly experienced hunger, poverty, and sleeping outdoors could understand what those words meant.
Two thousand yuan a month.
Free accommodation.
To many celebrities, this wasn't even enough for one dinner.
But for Wang Baoqiang…
It was salvation.
Before this, he had squeezed together with five other people in a coal yard dormitory just to save money.
During winter nights, the cold seeped into his bones.
Sometimes he only ate steamed buns and pickles for days.
Now, everything had changed.
At that moment, Wang Baoqiang genuinely felt like his bitter days were finally over.
After signing the contracts, the two walked out of Blue Whale Entertainment holding their documents tightly.
They laughed.
Then suddenly cried.
Then laughed again.
"Brother Bo…"
Wang Baoqiang looked dazed.
"Pinch me. I feel like I'm dreaming."
"Hahaha!"
Huang Bo immediately wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
"Don't worry, Baoqiang! This is real!"
"The two of us are about to rise to the heavens!"
Passersby turned to look at the strangely emotional pair shouting on the street.
But neither cared.
At that moment, they felt like the entire world had brightened.
"Brother Bo!"
Baoqiang suddenly spoke seriously.
"I'll treat you to a meal today. The best one!"
As he spoke, he tightly clutched the envelope containing the company's advance salary.
But Huang Bo immediately shook his head.
"That won't do. I'm older than you, so this meal is on me."
He knew Baoqiang's family situation.
The kid would definitely send most of the money home.
How could he bear letting him spend it?
Besides…
Huang Bo suddenly thought of something.
His eyes slowly brightened.
"Come on!"
He waved excitedly.
"I know a place where we can eat without spending a single cent!"
Baoqiang blinked blankly.
"There's really a place like that?"
"There is!"
Huang Bo directly hailed a taxi and dragged him away.
Soon, the two arrived outside the "Ye Lai Xiang" bar where Huang Bo often performed.
It was still early afternoon, so the bar hadn't officially opened yet.
Several staff members were cleaning tables and arranging chairs.
The moment they saw Huang Bo, one waiter immediately greeted him enthusiastically.
"Brother Bo! You're here!"
"I'll call Manager Zhang!"
"Go, go."
Huang Bo waved casually before sitting at the counter with Baoqiang.
The bartender walked over.
"What would you like to drink, Brother Bo?"
"No drinks yet. Got anything to eat?"
"Huh?"
The bartender looked stunned.
Coming to a bar… for food?
After hesitating briefly, he eventually dug out a plate of complimentary peanuts.
"Will this do?"
"It's fine, it's fine."
Huang Bo immediately pushed the plate toward Baoqiang.
"Eat! Don't be shy."
Baoqiang obediently grabbed two peanuts while smiling awkwardly.
The nearby staff were completely confused.
Why bring someone to a bar just to eat free peanuts?
At that moment, the manager hurried over from the back.
"Yo! Isn't this Little Bo?"
"I heard you got into the Beijing Film Academy!"
"You're not too good for our small place now, are you?"
"Haha! How could that happen?"
Even while laughing, Huang Bo still carried that uniquely high emotional intelligence of his.
"Brother Zhang, even if I really become successful one day, I'll never forget all you brothers here."
After speaking, he even gave the manager an exaggerated street-style handshake.
Those gestures were extremely trendy back then.
Manager Zhang laughed loudly before suddenly asking curiously:
"So what brings you here today?"
"Did tuition become difficult again?"
Unexpectedly, Huang Bo's grin widened instantly.
"Difficult?"
"No!"
"This time I came here specifically to show off!"
The entire bar immediately became interested.
Seeing the timing was perfect, Huang Bo dramatically slapped his artist contract onto the counter.
"Look carefully!"
Everyone immediately leaned forward.
At the top of the contract, several words stood out clearly.
Artist Management Contract.
Party A: Blue Whale Entertainment Culture Co., Ltd.
Party B: Huang Bo.
Silence filled the room.
Then everyone simultaneously widened their eyes.
"Holy shit…"
"Is this real?!"
Manager Zhang couldn't even believe it.
Before he could grab the contract for a closer look, Huang Bo already snatched it back protectively.
"Careful! This thing is precious!"
"But it's real!"
As he spoke proudly, he slapped Wang Baoqiang beside him.
"My little brother here got signed too!"
"He can testify!"
Everyone immediately turned toward Baoqiang.
After all, honest-looking people naturally seemed more trustworthy.
Baoqiang immediately nodded nervously.
"It's true…"
The entire bar exploded instantly.
"Brother Bo is really going to make it big!"
"Don't forget us after becoming famous!"
"I knew you'd succeed someday!"
"Tonight we celebrate!"
Manager Zhang directly grabbed Huang Bo's arm.
"Today everything is on me!"
"No arguments!"
Watching the lively crowd surrounding him, Huang Bo suddenly felt his nose turning sour.
Before becoming famous, the people around you always seemed especially genuine.
—
At the same time, inside another apartment in Beijing, Luo Zheng sat alone on the sofa, seriously considering whether he should attempt a triple lottery draw.
After completing several recent tasks, the system had rewarded him with three additional chances.
His heart itched with anticipation.
Just as he was debating whether to gamble everything at once—
the bathroom door suddenly opened.
Warm mist drifted outward.
Then Gao Yuanyuan slowly walked out wrapped in a white bath towel.
Her damp long hair rested against her shoulders while droplets of water slid down her fair skin.
Under the soft yellow light, her straight slender legs looked dazzlingly beautiful.
Luo Zheng's gaze immediately locked onto them.
For a moment, even the system lottery was forgotten completely.
Those legs…
Long.
Elegant.
Perfectly toned.
Just looking at them made people imagine how powerful they would feel wrapped around a waist.