133: Well said

Feng Yueshan felt he really needed a good few days of rest, otherwise, why did it take Zhou Yuanlin calling him several times for him to snap back to reality?

"Ah, what is it?" Feng Yueshan responded.

"What do you mean, 'what is it'?" Zhou Yuanlin chuckled. "You haven't gotten stupid from drinking, have you?"

"What else can I do besides drink? Are you going to help me negotiate those contracts?"

"Negotiate my ass, I haven't even finished my own." Zhou Yuanlin was about to sit down when he looked up and saw Sun Binghe opposite him. Immediately, he felt like he had nails in his butt and dragged Feng Yueshan to another seat.

Feng Yueshan glanced back seemingly unintentionally, and only after they had walked further away did he ask, "Who was that person sitting next to me just now? He looks unfamiliar, first time I've seen him."

"His name is Chen Mu, I've also never seen him before," Zhou Yuanlin said. "Yilan said he's a friend of Shen Lian, a barely known celebrity, and plans to recruit him to Star Opening. Oh, and I heard the shampoo and conditioner endorsement he got is from Ding Tian International."

"Oh?" Feng Yueshan raised an eyebrow. Ding Tian International was his Feng family's business. "A barely known celebrity gets that kind of treatment?"

"If Yilan intends to promote him, then he does," Zhou Yuanlin replied. "Besides, do you still care about these things? There are so many celebrities endorsing your company's products, you probably can't even remember their faces anymore, right?"

"I never remembered them," Feng Yueshan scoffed. "They all look the same."

Though he said that, the image of the young man just now, averting his head to avoid the apricot blossoms hitting his eyes, suddenly appeared in his mind. Compared to Shen Lian's exquisite brilliance, Chen Mu seemed ordinary, yet that face, unadorned by any foundation or makeup, was unforgettable.

When Shen Lian returned, Kuang Chenghai had also finished his conversation. The three of them, including Chen Mu, sat together to discuss future salary and benefits.

Without Shen Lian, recruiting Chen Mu wouldn't have required Kuang Chenghai's presence at all. Even if he was scolded into a quail by Sun Binghe, he was still the head of Star Opening.

Kuang Chenghai spoke with a bit of officialdom. He wasn't very optimistic about Chen Mu, but since CEO Chu personally instructed it, then the company supporting another Chen Mu wasn't a problem. Resources could be held back for now, and if it really didn't work out, they could slowly be reduced. When it came to humoring people, Kuang Chenghai was an old hand.

Shen Lian took a sip of tea, finding it fresh, elegant, and pleasantly fragrant. Remembering that Chen Mu had made it, he couldn't help but ask, "Eight-tenths done? Did you pan-fry the tea leaves?"

"No, I didn't pan-fry them," Chen Mu said softly. "Just lightly roasted them twice until the tips of the leaves curled slightly, then brewed them with warm water. Boiling water makes the tea aroma too strong, and it wouldn't bring out this apricot flavor."

Shen Lian understood. "That's impressive."

Chen Mu smiled faintly. "I researched it when I was bored."

Kuang Chenghai: "What school did you graduate from?"

"Yunhai Academy of Drama."

"Oh?" Kuang Chenghai's eyes brightened. "That's a top-tier school connected to our industry! What was your score for professional theory?"

Chen Mu: "Full marks."

Sun Binghe looked up upon hearing this, a strange glint in his eyes. Chen Mu in his eyes seemed to have suddenly evolved. Full marks, what a pleasant phrase.

Shen Lian: "A top student?"

Chen Mu shook his head. "No, it's all theoretical knowledge, it's all in the textbooks, just need to memorize it."

Kuang Chenghai: "...So, a total of five large books, and for the exam, you... you memorized all of them?"

Chen Mu: "Memorizing isn't difficult."

As soon as these words were spoken, the air around them quieted considerably.

Feng Yueshan felt the noodles in his hand were a bit hard to swallow. Memorizing isn't difficult? Then why did he always get almost zero for poetry fill-in-the-blanks and classical Chinese excerpts in his Chinese exams?

Only Sun Binghe put down his phone and gently applauded, "Well said."

Everyone: "..."

Shen Lian had privately told Kuang Chenghai that Chen Mu had been deliberately suppressed and blacklisted by Luminous, but he himself was not bad. Kuang Chenghai had an unclear understanding of this "not bad" concept, but now he was gradually gaining a clearer picture.

Kuang Chenghai promised that if Chen Mu came over, he would be provided with a capable Agent, a reliable Assistant, endorsements, and acting roles. The product endorsement for Ding Tian International a few days later, personally arranged by Sun Binghe, was considered a trial run.

Everyone stayed until the afternoon.

Aside from the good scenery, entertainment facilities here were pitifully few.

"It's been half a day, how come I haven't heard you complain?" Chu Yilan asked curiously.

Feng Yueshan glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Chu Yilan got straight to the point: "Usually, when there's a lack of things to do, you act like it's killing you after half an hour, urging and arguing to go back. Today, you're surprisingly quiet."

"Brother Chu! CEO Chu! Dad Chu!" Feng Yueshan leaned back in his chair, listless. "I'm human, OK? I've been working non-stop for over a week, I've practically worn out the thresholds of several clubs and restaurants. Today is a rare rest day."

Chu Yilan always felt this reason wasn't quite reasonable. In the past, Feng Yueshan's way of resting was to not talk business and instead go challenge extreme sports; his blood was hot like a husky's, he simply couldn't stop.

Feng Yueshan squinted, looking like he was about to fall asleep.

But from Shen Lian's perspective, the light in his eyes was clearly focused and precise.

Shen Lian turned his head. In the Apricot Forest not far away, only Chen Mu stood. The young man really liked natural scenery and was holding his old phone, which he had used for over four years, trying to find the right angle for a photo.

For some reason, Shen Lian paid a little attention.

On the way back, Chen Mu also took Chu Yilan's car. The driver who brought them was taken by Feng Yueshan, and Sun Binghe was driving, so Chen Mu went to the passenger seat.

The rest of the way, Shen Lian listened to Sun Binghe and Chen Mu converse.

Converse about what? Grades.

It was also the first time Shen Lian knew that Chen Mu's scores were astonishing, regardless of the size of the test.

Chu Yilan could clearly feel that after Chen Mu stated a number that satisfied Sun Binghe, his assistant pressed the accelerator with even more force.

It wasn't Sun Binghe's fault; among the people he interacted with, most had good grades but no brains. For example, the interns the company recruited every year. Assistant Sun initially greeted them with full enthusiasm, but within a day, he would be complaining to Chu Yilan with a headache, "Too stupid," "Unbearable," "His practical ability is inversely proportional to his scores in every sense," "I might have really committed a crime, Boss, send me abroad, I don't want to mentor anymore."

Chen Mu was gentle and steady, and it was clear he had hidden talents.

For Sun Binghe, this was a bonus.

"If you don't want to act in the future, you can find an office job," Sun Binghe sincerely suggested. "I'll introduce you to connections, the pay will definitely not be bad."

He finally understood why Teacher Shen wanted to give Chen Mu a chance; talent shouldn't be wasted.

"Assistant Sun," Chu Yilan couldn't help but say, "Are you a part-time HR now?"

Sun Binghe drove attentively, not looking sideways.

Chen Mu insisted on getting off at a bus stop. After he left, Sun Binghe noted that it was the No. 96 bus, which goes to the suburbs on the other side, where there are many urban villages and self-built houses, a gathering place for migrant workers where rent is relatively cheap. Thus, it seemed Chen Mu's financial situation was indeed tight.

"Can he rest for a few days?" Chu Yilan asked.

Shen Lian: "Yes, yes, yes."

Even if he rested for a day or two, Chu Yilan would feel more at ease. Shen Lian had already informed Hu Kailan; there were no scripts right now anyway, and his progress on ad shoots was always fast, so it wouldn't cause any delays.