93: Unlucky guy

Shen Lian had work the next day, so Chu Yilan didn't dare to go too far with him.

Even so, when Shen Lian's alarm went off and he sat up, the first thing he did was press his hand against his waist.

Luckily I'm young, Shen Lian thought to himself.

Chu Yilan had already left for the company. That "blue sea project" was progressing steadily, and with so many interests involved, Chu Yilan had to handle it with caution. Shen Lian washed up and went downstairs; it was not even seven o'clock by the time he finished the breakfast Aunt Fen had prepared.

The film crew started work at eight. When Shen Lian arrived, there were hardly any people on set. The stylist worked on him first. When he came out, the director had just taken out his phone, only to be startled upon seeing Shen Lian: "When did you get here?"

"A while ago," Shen Lian chuckled. "I said I wouldn't be late."

The director nodded, thinking to himself that he must collaborate with him again if given the chance.

When Chang Qing came out, he looked a bit listless. Seeing this, Shen Lian frowned, put down his prop sword, and stepped forward to check the temperature of his forehead: "Do you have a fever?"

"I caught a bit of a cold," Chang Qing said. "I forgot to close the window when I went to sleep last night."

Despite this, Chang Qing showed no signs of discomfort while filming. They only had a few lines of dialogue, then Venerable Xian Yi fell. The protagonist flew forward, only to touch nothingness amidst the scattering golden light. An unbelievable sorrow overflowed from his eyes, tears forced out in an instant, only to return to silence after he closed and opened his eyes again.

Watching from a close distance, Shen Lian felt that Chang Qing was indeed capable.

With that, Shen Lian's scenes were finished.

It really was that simple.

Hu Kailan's phone call came at just the right time, as if to pick him up. "Shen Lian, are you free this afternoon? How about going to the 'Star Club'? You see, your popularity is rising now, and the company's high-level management has noticed. CEO Kuang said he'd take you out to have some fun, don't worry." Hu Kailan lowered his voice: "CEO Kuang is a good man and knows his boundaries. Brother Hu won't make you do things like accompanying people for drinks."

"How can you say that, Brother Hu? Could I possibly doubt you?" Shen Lian agreed, "Alright, send me the address, I'll head over in a bit."

Shen Lian wasn't the type of person whose tail would wag in the air just because of a little success. Having Chu Yilan as a backer was one thing, but smoothing out his own interpersonal relationships was another. Star Opening was also one of the top entertainment companies in the industry. An invitation from the higher-ups was an opportunity; there was no need for Shen Lian to put on airs.

Furthermore, Hu Kailan had already been very attentive toward him.

By the time Chang Qing finished this segment, Shen Lian's assistant, Li Yi, had returned with medicine.

Chang Qing's voice was a bit raspy: "I brought medicine, there's no need to buy more."

"Isn't it because I'm worried it won't be enough?" Shen Lian said. "I have plans this afternoon. If you feel any discomfort, contact me or Chu Yilan."

"It's just a small cold," Chang Qing emphasized. "I'll be fine after a night's sleep. Go ahead and get busy."

"Alright." Shen Lian informed the directing team and got into the car, heading straight for the club.

He arrived early. Word must have been sent ahead because as soon as the waiter heard his name, he led him up to the eighth floor.

Jiang You and Li Yi followed by Shen Lian's side.

The club was massive, with four buildings connected in a winding fashion, leaving a huge, evenly partitioned ball court in the middle. Shen Lian stood in the observation elevator, his expression indifferent.

Suddenly, his heart felt like it had been pricked. Shen Lian didn't know where the sense of direction came from, but he precisely locked onto a certain floor in the building to his right. In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, a group of people were indeed standing there. Because of the distance, their features weren't clear, but he could generally see they were looking this way.

Anyone else might have thought it was a coincidence; after all, those who could come to such a place were either rich or noble, and opportunities were hidden everywhere, so people couldn't help but look twice.

But Shen Lian was different; he took note of it.

After Shen Lian arrived, he first took care of everything he was supposed to do based on the information Hu Kailan had sent.

He instructed the waiter on how to brew Pu'er for those who liked it, explaining the process and the amount of water needed; he also arranged for those who liked a certain brand of red wine, specifying what to add after opening. He didn't usually handle these things, but he did them with ease. Li Yi and Jiang You watched with wide eyes, completely unable to help.

"Brother Shen, where did you learn all this?" Jiang You asked curiously.

Shen Lian chuckled: "If you want to enter a certain field, as long as there are people involved, the foundation you need to handle is interpersonal relationships. You don't need to stand out; you just need to be natural and meticulous with the details, and you'll eventually get an opportunity. Of course, this is just based on my experience."

In his previous life, he didn't have Chu Yilan. Scrambling up from a newcomer, he started by smiling and taking care of people while also having to protect himself. Shen Lian had put in a lot of effort.

His way of doing things had one characteristic: it made people feel comfortable.

Shen Lian ordered drinks and a fruit platter for his two assistants. The waiter came in, but there was someone else following behind him.

"Oh, it's my Brother Roaster," Shen Lian said, amused.

Sun Binghe said helplessly, "Teacher Shen, is this my new nickname?"

"Doesn't everyone in Hengtai call you that?" Shen Lian gestured for Sun Binghe to come and sit.

Sun Binghe thought to himself, it must have been the Boss who said it.

As soon as Sun Binghe sat down, Li Yi and Jiang You both stood up at the same time. Jiang You even had a piece of watermelon in his hand.

Swept by Sun Binghe's gaze, Jiang You stood up straight and offered the watermelon: "Special Assistant Sun, please eat."

Sun Binghe: "I won't, thank you."

After a pause, Sun Binghe asked: "How is your studying going?"

"I'm taking the Level 6 exam in half a month."

"How confident are you?"

Jiang You's eyes were firm: "One hundred percent!"

It was clear that Sun Binghe was very satisfied with this answer, as his slightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.

Shen Lian sat on the armrest of the sofa and smiled at the sight: "Who upset you?"

"Those people at the company..." Sun Binghe pressed his brow, swallowing back his aggressive words. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have held out hope for the newcomers. I thought with their aptitude, they should have been eliminated in the first round of screening. Fortunately, a call from the Boss pulled me out of that misery. It's still more comfortable here with Teacher Shen."

Nonsense, Shen Lian thought. Wouldn't the people around me be roasted into a corner by you?

Chu Yilan believed Shen Lian could handle it, but he couldn't stand the thought of one or two blind fools sneaking in. With Sun Binghe following him, he was always more at ease.

After a bit of small talk, Sun Binghe's mood improved. A gentle and elegant smile returned to his face, and he even ate a couple of pieces of pineapple.

The door opened again, and this time a crowd of people swarmed in. There were about seven or eight of them, all high-level executives from Star Opening, including CEO Kuang.

Kuang Chenghai was in his forties with a beer belly, but he looked proper and high-spirited. He let out an "Hmm?" and said, "What fragrant Pu'er. This brewing is quite interesting!"

Then he noticed Shen Lian and saw the complete set of items on the table. Without needing to spend time making arrangements, his mood instantly brightened. "Shen Lian..."

Kuang Chenghai reached out his hand with a peaceful expression, but after taking a couple of steps, he saw Sun Binghe, who happened to look up from behind Shen Lian.

Sun Binghe raised an eyebrow slightly.

Kuang Chenghai almost stumbled and fell to the floor.

"Oh, CEO Kuang, what's wrong?" A manager was quick to react.

Kuang Chenghai swallowed hard, his natural smile instantly turning into a forced one. "It's nothing, the floor is slippery."

The branch managers' meetings were held every six months at the slowest and every three months at the fastest. All the CEOs in charge of the various industries under Hengtai would meet, so Kuang Chenghai had seen Sun Binghe before.

Shen Lian guessed something. He leaned back slightly and whispered to Sun Binghe: "Been roasted by you?"

"Roasted," Sun Binghe said. "His signature is very ugly, and it's different every time. I always have to spend over ten seconds verifying it. I wouldn't be human if I didn't roast him."

Shen Lian understood. What an unlucky egg.