Chapter 10: The Ingenious Use of Spies!

In the security passage beside Sugar Man Company.

Ji Yu stood in the darkness, listening to conversations transmitted through his earpiece.

He had been listening for over an hour—ordinary employee gossip from the break room, complaints about slacking off in the restroom.

He had gathered nearly all the information about the meeting content from the conference room.

He was also well-informed about Sugar Man’s situation.

Employees’ grumbling about the company was nothing unusual; every worker complains.

But the gossip was somewhat interesting—Sugar Man was currently filming "Legend of the Heavens: The Precious Lotus Lantern."

Several employees were complaining about the Hong Kong and Taiwan artists involved.

They said those artists were incredibly arrogant and very difficult to work with.

Meanwhile, the executives in the conference room were discussing how to penetrate the local industry circles.

All the dramas Sugar Man was shooting were currently staffed by Hong Kong and Taiwan teams, with resources and connections all from Hong Kong.

Although cooperating with several mainland companies, Sugar Man was more of a broker than a true company owner.

She couldn’t fully control any projects in these collaborations.

Most crucially, those partners didn’t consider her one of their own.

The Beijing entertainment circle was too hard to integrate into. "Legend of the Heavens" had two dramas, both controlled by Beijing circles; she was merely a tool to book actors.

They couldn’t get in there!

So, Old Cai planned to collaborate with the Shanghai Film Group on a television drama.

If they couldn’t break into the Beijing circle, then they’d enter the Shanghai circle!

However, this project was initiated by Shanghai Film Group and was an urban spy drama—not Sugar Man’s usual style.

Many in the company were skeptical of the project.

The main issue was that the production team wasn’t from Sugar Man; even the director belonged to Shanghai Film Group.

Such cooperation was even less favorable than working with the Beijing circle!

Old Cai was helpless but said after some thought, “We still have to invest and focus on the cast—pack it with people! We must get Sugar Man’s name on it!”

For the dramas "Legend of the Heavens: The Fish Beauty" and "The Peerless Twins," Sugar Man’s name didn’t appear in the credits at all!

The news only mentioned the Beijing circle and a few Hong Kong and Taiwan companies; Sugar Man was nowhere to be seen.

Old Cai decided that this time, with Shanghai Film Group, Sugar Man’s name must be visible!

They couldn’t keep being the patsy forever!

But Sugar Man currently had very few mainland artists; those without projects but fit to be lead actors numbered only one—Li Yapeng.

On the female side, Guan Yonghe was still filming other dramas; the only available actress was Sun Li.

However, this meant the female lead and several key male roles had to be handed over to Shanghai Film Group.

To strengthen the cast, they had to invite people from Hong Kong.

But Shanghai Film Group also pointed out that if too many Hong Kong actors were involved, even in co-productions, Sugar Man would fall into an awkward position.

She wanted to establish roots in the mainland, not continue as a broker for cross-border projects.

Mainland artists with Sugar Man were in short supply!

Old Cai was also troubled. She had visited several major mainland art schools, but the promising talents had long been snatched up.

There was no chance for her.

Established artists were impossible to secure in the short term.

Good prospects wouldn’t just fall from the sky!

Hearing this conversation, Ji Yu’s lips curved into a smile.

What a coincidence!

He was here to bring some warmth!

“A brother Ji just dropped from the sky~~”

Humming a tune, Ji Yu approached the front desk, smiling as he handed over his resume.

“Hi, we meet again. Could you please give this to your boss? Here’s a coffee for you, with milk and sugar.”

The receptionist was a bit taken by Ji Yu’s handsome appearance, accepting the coffee and resume, saying, “Wait for me a moment.”

Ji Yu nodded with a smile, listening to the sounds inside. He reminded her, “If you head to the conference room now, you should just catch President Cai.”

The receptionist was momentarily stunned, feeling Ji Yu was a little mysterious. But for the handsome guy and the coffee, she still walked inside.

At the conference room door, she was surprised to actually see President Cai come out, freezing on the spot.

So precise?!

She instinctively handed over the resume, saying, “Hello, President Cai! Someone’s here for you!”

Old Cai was taken aback, glanced at the resume, and seeing the bright, sunny smile of the handsome man on the cover, her interest immediately piqued.

She couldn’t help but ask, “Someone came to us actively to sign a contract?”

This was truly the first time she’d encountered someone selling themselves!

The receptionist nodded and couldn’t help but say, “President Cai, he’s really handsome!”

Old Cai glanced at the coffee and the receptionist’s dreamy expression, then quietly understood the situation.

Just moments before, they had been discussing expanding their roster of artists, and now someone showed up at the doorstep—it felt like a fateful coincidence!

She closed the resume and said, “Take him to my office.”

“Okay, President Cai!” The receptionist happily ran out to tell Ji Yu the good news.

Ji Yu wasn’t surprised at all. As a spy, timing was everything!

Having overheard key information, tailoring the approach accordingly, and not getting a meeting would be a failure.

After thanking the receptionist, Ji Yu followed her to meet Old Cai.

At this time, Old Cai was still quite young, not yet thirty.

She was also quite attractive—a rare beautiful boss in the entertainment industry.

Old Cai sat down, appraising Ji Yu from head to toe.

Ji Yu’s first impression was stunning.

He didn’t look like a typical mainlander.

His fashion sense was very stylish and tasteful, far more fashionable than many Hong Kong actors.

His looks might not be perfect, but easily a solid ninety points.

Coupled with his attire, he was genuinely likable.

The only drawback was that he hadn’t graduated from a professional academy; his resume stated he was a vocational school graduate.

After graduation, he had worked as an extra for nearly two years.

That counted as some work experience.

Old Cai couldn’t help but nod slightly and said to the receptionist, “Pour two cups of coffee.”

The receptionist nodded, and as she turned, whispered to Ji Yu, “Good luck!”

After the receptionist left, Ji Yu smiled and greeted, “Hello, President Cai, I’m Ji Yu.”

“Hello.” Old Cai pointed at the chair in front of her. “Please, have a seat.”

Ji Yu sat down, and Old Cai examined his facial features and skin closely before saying, “You have good conditions. Have any talent scouts ever approached you?”

“Yes, but I refused,” Ji Yu boldly claimed, “I don’t like the old-fashioned vibe of mainland companies; they always feel a bit decayed.”

Old Cai nodded, understanding that mainland companies indeed had such a reputation.

Her goodwill toward Ji Yu deepened.

She thought for a moment and started chatting with Ji Yu about the entertainment industry and film and television topics.

After more than ten minutes, she realized she had finished her coffee without noticing.

Every one of Ji Yu’s answers seemed to hit her heart.

It was like a breath of fresh air, naturally finishing the coffee.

Old Cai set down her cup and extended her hand, saying, “Congratulations on joining Sugar Man!”

Ji Yu shook her hand, smiling, “Congratulations to you for gaining an excellent talent!”

Old Cai couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “I like your confidence. I hope you won’t disappoint me!”

Ji Yu replied confidently, “Absolutely not!”