Chapter 288: A Change of Plans
As soon as Xu Youyou left the company, she ran into He Zhilan.
It was quite the coincidence — He Zhilan was also talking about the trip to Hong Kong.
“You all seem to value this trip to Hong Kong a lot. I thought it was just an ordinary art exchange event,” Xu Youyou said.
He Zhilan showed a strange expression and replied, “Miss Xu, there’s no such thing as an ‘ordinary’ art exchange event.”
Xu Youyou was momentarily stunned.
He Zhilan softly explained, “In a way, antiques don’t have much practical significance — at most they carry some historical value. But the fact that this circle has existed for thousands of years means there’s a reason it’s been sustained.”
“Every one of these so-called exchange events is both an exchange and a battle. From the moment it starts, changes are already underway. Some people will rise to great heights, while others will see their towers collapse overnight.”
Xu Youyou understood what she meant.
“And what do you think my situation is right now?” Xu Youyou asked with a smile.
He Zhilan said, “You’re in the process of building a skyscraper — a skyscraper I can’t even imagine. Even if you don’t believe in yourself, you should believe in us. The He family has never chosen the wrong leader.”
Xu Youyou quickly said, “Don’t say that. We’re partners. There’s no such thing as anyone being the leader.”
Although He Zhilan didn’t argue, her attitude and mannerisms clearly placed Xu Youyou first.
In the blink of an eye, the day of departure arrived. As usual, Xu Youyou’s private jet would be used.
However, since there were too many people accompanying her, some had to board Lu Jingyao’s plane. As for Lu Jingyao, he still squeezed onto Xu Youyou’s jet.
There was, however, one person traveling with them that Lu Jingyao wasn’t thrilled about — Song Zhibai.
Under Lu Jingyao’s wary gaze, Ouyang Ouyang awkwardly explained, “We have a scene to shoot in Hong Kong… Once we finish, Xiao Song will have to shave his head for the next part. We have to film this scene first. Also, we need to attend the Asian TV Drama Awards.”
Lu Jingyao frowned slightly and asked, “Just one month to prepare a whole movie? That fast?”
He had heard plenty of stories about famous directors taking years to finish a single film, so his concern was natural.
Ouyang Ouyang quickly replied, “Mr. Lu, you might not know, but our company has a very low turnover rate. Most people who join us don’t want to leave, and the staff are all very experienced. Even the freelance crew we work with are veterans who’ve collaborated with us many times. Because of this familiarity, preparation work moves quickly.”
Lu Jingyao nodded.
When Xu Youyou heard about the TV Drama Awards, she pulled Ouyang Ouyang aside and asked, “The Asian TV Drama Awards? I heard Xie Ran wasn’t planning to do any PR for Xiao Song to win an award. If he travels all this way for nothing, won’t the fans just get angry again?”
For top-tier celebrities, participating in film and television award events was very particular — even if they didn’t win, showing up for prestigious awards was worth it. But for smaller, less recognized awards, big stars usually only attended if they were sure they’d win.
This so-called Asian TV Drama Awards sounded grand, but was actually a privately organized event — not particularly prestigious.
Ouyang Ouyang lowered his voice and said, “Boss, the organizers hinted that Xiao Song will win an award. That’s why we made this trip.”
Xu Youyou nodded. As long as he won, the fans wouldn’t cause trouble.
“Xiao Song has been in the industry for less than three years, and he’s about to win Best Actor. This is a huge win for us. His agent even had press releases prepared in advance, ready to go once he wins,” Ouyang Ouyang added.
Xu Youyou frowned slightly. “You already prepared the press releases?”
Ouyang Ouyang didn’t notice anything wrong. In the entertainment industry, this was standard — as soon as a celebrity achieved something, they would immediately trend online to boost their influence and personal brand.
Since Song Zhibai was a top-tier superstar, his popularity was easier to leverage. His team mostly needed to go with the flow, unlike other celebrities who had to rack their brains for attention.
Many celebrities even bought year-long trending packages — trending for wearing a hat one day, or for getting a small cut on their hand the next. Song Zhibai wasn’t the celebrity with the most trending topics, but he had the highest percentage of real trending topics.
Xu Youyou’s heart skipped a beat. She said, “I usually don’t interfere with your work, but something feels off this time. Don’t buy press releases in advance. Song Zhibai doesn’t need to follow the same scandal-driven path as other celebrities. His focus now should be on stability.”
“He’s already a top-tier star and a rare one who relies on his work to speak for him. He’s ahead of the other celebrities now. All he needs to do is maintain stability — there’s no need to blindly expand.”
Xu Youyou viewed the agent’s pre-purchase of press releases as “blind expansion.” Ouyang Ouyang was stunned at first, but gradually regained his senses.
“Boss, you’re right. No matter what, caution is most important,” Ouyang Ouyang said.
After landing, Xu Youyou and Lu Jingyao rode together to stay at the Lu family’s property in Hong Kong, while Ouyang Ouyang, Song Zhibai, and the others checked into a luxury hotel.
Taking Xu Youyou’s instructions seriously, Ouyang Ouyang immediately sought out Song Zhibai’s agent once they arrived.
The agent frowned slightly. “The boss is being too cautious. If the organizers hinted he’d win, it’s basically guaranteed. Preparing the press releases ahead of time just helps us grab the first wave of publicity.”
But Ouyang Ouyang remained serious. “Our boss made her fortune spotting overlooked treasures. Her judgment and decisiveness are unmatched. I suggest you trust her.”
The agent still thought it was unnecessary, but reluctantly said, “She’s the boss. If she says so, I’ll follow. It’s just a pity — we already paid deposits to various media outlets, and that money can’t be refunded. Not sure if the company will reimburse it.”
Ouyang Ouyang reassured him, “Don’t worry. Since the boss personally ordered it, just inform Director Xie, and he’ll let finance know. It’s a small matter. Don’t go against the boss over something like this. If we mess up and cause a scandal, she’ll start questioning your capabilities.”
The agent immediately called his assistant — a young guy in his early twenties. After hearing the new instructions, the assistant immediately objected, “Brother Wang, we already made promises. How can we suddenly change plans?”
