FLME Ch2: Company

The cool guy glanced at him, then lowered his head again, his fingers flying rapidly across his laptop keyboard.

The rain was clamorous, violently smashing against the world. It sounded like pearls falling onto a jade plate filling the ears; the ground, the awnings, the grass, the leaves… all merging into an endless cacophony.

Yu Wen sat down, stretching his legs amidst the loud sound of the rain, and stared blankly at the soaking wet tips of his shoes.

He had no real interest in becoming a big star, but compared to a PA (production assistant) or an extra, an official actor would definitely have it a bit easier.

Yu Wen had been lazy since childhood. If a goal could be achieved with seventy percent effort, he would definitely not exert the remaining thirty percent just to achieve so-called perfection. This was to the point where his mentor used to poke him in the forehead every day, resentful of his failure to meet expectations.

This lazy mentality didn’t change in the slightest even when stranded in a strange world. He wasn’t sure if the role of “Passerby A” had any restrictions, but since he had started off in the same crew as the protagonist bottom, for prudence’s sake, it was better to stay closer to the protagonist top and bottom. In an entertainment circle novel, the people around the protagonists were either staff members or colleagues.

So now the problem was, how could he become a third-tier actor?

He knew about the assistant director’s invitation. It wasn’t that he was acting aloof and insisting on eating from the communal extra pot, but rather that he didn’t even have an ID card yet. He had almost thought he was an unregistered citizen, right up until he received a message on his phone yesterday from an official public account notifying him that his ID card was currently in production.

Roughly estimating, it would still take about half a month to get it.

Thank goodness he wasn’t an unregistered citizen.

Yu Wen was lost in thought and didn’t notice the rain slowly letting up.

As the sound of the rain died down, the tapping of the keyboard next to him became exceptionally crisp.

The laptop screen resting on the cool guy’s lap displayed a PowerPoint presentation, with large words like “Company Prospects” on a subtitle. Yu Wen’s gaze swept past it and landed on the pair of fair, slender hands on the pure black keyboard.

The cool guy’s typing speed was so fast it left afterimages. During occasional pauses, his hands rested relaxedly on the edge of the keyboard, tapping idly. The knuckles on his slender fingers were slightly prominent, and there were a few distinct veins on the cold white back of his hands that pulled taut as his palms flexed, silently exuding sexual tension.

Watching someone with beautiful hands work was also a kind of enjoyment. Yu Wen stared for a moment, couldn’t help but space out, and thought of the upright piano at home. Hands like these would definitely look beautiful playing the piano…

In the blink of an eye, Yu Wen’s thoughts drifted beyond the clouds.

When he snapped back, he only heard a “swish” next to his ear.

A black umbrella had been opened above his head.

Yu Wen shifted his gaze upward and saw that the cool guy had packed up his laptop at some point and was currently standing in front of him, pinching the shoulder strap of his backpack behind him with one hand.

“I…”

“Do you want the umbrella?”

“Pretty.”

The cool guy: “…”

Yu Wen blinked, not actually feeling embarrassed. He had subconsciously assumed that the other person standing in front of him was definitely offended by his staring and had come over to confront him. In a moment of a quick-lipped slip, he accidentally blurted out what was in his heart.

The cool guy tilted his head slightly, ignoring the comment. The expression on his deep, handsome face was indifferent as he tilted the umbrella handle towards him.

This meant he wanted him to take the umbrella. Yu Wen understood, thinking to himself how embarrassing this was.

“…What about you?”

The cool guy was concise, “I’m close.”

Yu Wen noticed a small geometric hoop earring on the cartilage of his right ear. It was tiny and very inconspicuous, reflecting a cold luster that contrasted with the cool guy’s strikingly handsome features, adding to his attractiveness.

Yu Wen thought it was really cool.

He reached out to take the umbrella and gave the other person a smile.

“Thank you.”

When he went to take the umbrella, he didn’t hold it steady. It tilted backward and was scooped back up by the cool guy in one smooth motion.

The rainwater traced a beautiful arc right in front of Yu Wen’s eyes.

The edge of the umbrella was pinched by a fair hand. Following the line of sight upward was the sharp jawline of the cool guy’s profile.

“Hold it steady.”

When he let go, Yu Wen saw water stains sliding down his slender wrist bones and disappearing into his sleeve.

It wasn’t until he got on the bus that Yu Wen remembered he had forgotten to ask this good Samaritan’s name.

Spring rain is the most unpredictable. Just a moment ago it had shown signs of stopping, but now it became intense again, pelting the car windows like dropping beans.

From the rear window, he could see the cool guy hadn’t gone far. His tall, lean figure was enveloped in the misty rain, walking while looking down at his phone. Yu Wen couldn’t help but marvel: Not wearing a hood in such heavy rain, he really has personality…

Just as the thought arose, the person looked up at the sky and reached back to pull his hood up.

Yu Wen: “…”

Alright, knowing when to yield and when to stand tall was also very cool.

Returning to his rental apartment, Yu Wen first took a hot shower, then turned on his high-end desktop computer. He searched for the company’s information using the business card given by the assistant director and sent a resume to their official email.

Yu Wen was clear about his own worth. He knew absolutely nothing about acting, and couldn’t sing or dance at all; he only had a good-looking face. If he rashly called, the other party might give him a chance out of respect for the assistant director, but with his level of skill, joining the company would only make things difficult for the assistant director.

He picked and chose again, compiling information on five or six legitimate entertainment companies, and sent out resumes to them one by one—who knows, maybe one of them would be blind enough to take him?

The dreary rain continued outside the window. The rental room had poor lighting, and even with the lamp on, it still looked dim. The monitor illuminated Yu Wen’s fair face, revealing a seriousness and rigor that belied his childish appearance.

He was currently selecting the most cost-effective acting training institution—when it came to spending money, one must be cautious.

Yu Wen had lived a life free of worries about food and clothing for the past twenty years and had never tasted financial straits. When he first arrived here and faced the single fifty-yuan bill left in his pocket, he was very lost for a while. Fortunately, his adaptability was quite good. He quickly threw himself into the great cause of making a living, and even taught himself how to save money without a teacher.

After comparing many options, he finally chose an acting training institute with medium prices and excellent word of mouth, and also signed up for a vocal class that allowed monthly installment payments.

As the saying goes… having many skills is never a burden. Just in case he wasn’t cut out to be an actor, he could still be an eighteenth-tier singing and dancing minor star.

Yu Wen counted his meager remaining balance and sighed secretly.

Yu Wen had sent out his resumes with the mentality of a blind cat bumping into a dead mouse, but he got a reply in less than two days.

And it was from the very talent agency the assistant director had originally introduced him to.

He couldn’t figure out what they saw in him, but Yu Wen still showed up for the appointment on time. The person interviewing him was the boss of Starlight Film and Television Media Co., Ltd., a middle-aged man with slightly long hair and a ring of short stubble on his chin, who gave off the vibe of a decadent, handsome older man when he smiled.

He introduced his surname as Xie and quickly got to the point.

Boss Xie: “Do you have any special talents?”

Yu Wen: “Singing, dancing, arranging music, acting…”

The handsome uncle was overjoyed: “You know them all?”

Yu Wen replied sincerely: “I don’t know any of them, I’m currently learning.”

Yu Wen didn’t have a deep understanding of the tricks of interviewing. The other party asked, so he answered absent-mindedly.

However, the other party seemed to be just like him, focusing purely on sincerity.

The handsome uncle rubbed his hands together. “To be honest with you, our Starlight Media was just established and is still in the startup phase. We might not be able to give you very good resources…”

Yu Wen, with a serious face: “I know, you’ve only been established for half a month, and you don’t have a single artist under your banner.”

Although he was a bit muddled, he had done his homework in advance. He checked information online and asked familiar industry insiders. The conclusion was: Starlight Media had no track record, but no bad records either. The company’s boss had mingled in quite a few circles, had a wide network of contacts, and was a legitimate company with certain prospects.

Prospects didn’t matter. Yu Wen just needed a contract proving he could be an actor. Besides, Boss Xie indeed had a wide network. When Yu Wen asked around, many people guaranteed: Old Xie is occasionally unreliable, but he is absolutely an honest man.

The handsome uncle hesitated. “If… there are no gigs for one or two months…”

“That’s okay,” Yu Wen said. “Is there a base salary?”

The handsome uncle’s gaze lingered on his outstanding features, then he nodded heavily. “Yes! And there’s social security and a housing provident fund too!”

Yu Wen was overjoyed, leaning in to ask further: “How much is the base salary? Is accommodation included? Does the company reimburse training expenses?”

“Five thousand, accommodation included, and the company covers training.”

By the end of the conversation, Yu Wen was beside himself with joy. He even felt a bit of trepidation inside, unable to stop asking himself: Do I deserve this? Isn’t this too much? Maybe I should take charge of cleaning the company’s office? Taking this money makes me feel quite uneasy…

He read through it carefully, ensuring there were no issues with the contract. Before signing, he said coyly, “Maybe your esteemed company should reconsider? After all, I know nothing and have to learn everything from scratch…”

The handsome uncle solemnly retorted: “You are an unpolished jade covered in dust. Polishing you is our duty. If signing a contract required you to know everything, then what would you need us for? Believe me! The company will make you shine!”

Yu Wen grasped his hands. “I also believe your esteemed company will shine brightly one day. Starlight Media is worth it! I want to work at Starlight Media until I die!”

Both sides held hands and looked at each other with teary eyes, both feeling like they had gotten the better end of the deal.