MACRM Chapter 50

Fifteen minutes later, the station director tried to break out of the private room to duel with Zhong Yao, but was stopped by several deputy station directors who fought desperately to the death.

“The trailer is only three and a half minutes long, three and a half minutes!”

The station director roared, “While others are showcasing their acting skills, he’s showing off his agent! While others are demonstrating their acting prowess, he’s showing off his agent!! While others are thanking the judges and the audience, he’s thanking his agent!!!”

The powerful parallel structure startled the editor, who nodded hesitantly, “Your summary is very accurate…”

The station director picked up his chopsticks to poke three transparent holes in Zhong Yao, but was persuaded to stop. He then sat at the table and angrily smashed eggs.

“On the day of the recording, I felt that Zhong-laoshi and his agent had a really good relationship. He took on the responsibility of being the assistant for publicity and resources all by himself, and even the late-night snacks were specially ordered for him.”

Sitting next to him was the male actor who was competing against Zhong Yao. He had also watched the entire trailer and couldn’t help but exclaim, “If I had such a good agent, I wouldn’t be able to resist going out and showing off…”

“I’m really envious, I want to snatch him… I wonder if Zhong-laoshi will be willing to let him go.”

The middle-aged actor on the other side nodded and joked with a smile, “Zhong-laoshi’s kindness is not easy to come by, so please don’t provoke him.” 

This generation of professionally trained actors had a delayed careers thanks to the current trend of preferring hype over abilities. They did have the time to temper their mindset and hone their acting skills, but they also suffered a lot of missed opportunities. 

In this industry, not being famous is the original sin. Those who work independently can’t get resources, and those who are signed with a company either sit on the sidelines or are relegated to supporting roles; life isn’t easy for either of them.

With the unexpected popularity of this issue of [Light and Shadow] as a starting point, the road ahead will be much easier, regardless of whether they win an award or not.

Everyone was in a good mood, offering words of comfort one after another, which finally made the station director’s expression improve. “Am I not going to let him confess? It’s just that I’m afraid the audience will get annoyed by this. Last time they insisted on pairing up some kind of on-screen CP, and we were criticized so badly. Their respective fan groups almost started a fucking war!” 

The program had been airing for several tens of minutes, and the station director grew increasingly uneasy. He pulled the deputy director aside and urged, “Quickly check what’s being said online. This is such nonsense and inappropriate behavior; we’ll get criticized again later…”

Feeling guilty, the deputy director repeatedly agreed and took out his phone to open Weibo.

In the lounge, Zhong Yao leaned back on the sofa, scrolling through Weibo comments. Lin Zhu leaned over to watch, peeling the-now lukewarm egg.

The trailer is only three and a half minutes long, but there’s plenty of footage of Zhong Yao. The editing is meticulous, and the shots are timely. This addition to the otherwise exciting competitive variety show trailer has brought a calmer and gentler rhythm to the entire program.

Half an hour later, instead of being criticized, the livestream had completely piqued the interest of the waiting netizens. 

The comments section on both Weibo accounts was finally quiet. Netizens flooded the program team’s Weibo account, stirring up trouble and relentlessly demanding to know why the scenes from the trailer didn’t appear anywhere. The online platform’s viewership also jumped up by another percentage point in the blink of an eye.

“Now I don’t need to post on Weibo anymore…”

Lin Zhu’s face flushed as he watched the trailer. With his last bit of willpower, he instructed the PR team to send a gift to the show’s team. He coughed lightly and handed a peeled egg to Zhong Yao. “Shall we… go back for dinner?”

“No rush.” ​​Zhong Yao reached into his pocket while his other hand reached for the egg. “Let the station director calm down a bit more…”

He came out just ten minutes before the livestream started, successfully avoiding the station director’s outburst. While he was talking to the deputy station director, he overheard the production team gossiping, saying that the station director had lost his temper and yelled at the agent fiercely, even slamming the door at the end. Nobody knew what kind of grudge they had.

Zhong Yao preferred to err on the side of caution and decided to stay away from the outside world with his agent for a while longer.

Unexpectedly, Zhong Yao was able to pull out an egg. Lin Zhu’s eyes widened, and he couldn’t help but lean over and rummage through Zhong Yao’s pocket.

“There’s really none left this time. I left in a hurry and didn’t even bring any candy. I was just thinking of grabbing a handful of sunflower seeds.”

Zhong Yao rubbed the head that was pressed against his chest, and opened his pockets for him to check. “Should I ask them to bring a plate of peanuts? Let’s eat some for a while before going back, then the station director probably won’t stab us both with his chopsticks.”

Lin Zhu couldn’t help but chuckle, took out a few pieces of candy to replenish Zhong Yao’s supplies, and then, remembering what the PR staff had just reported to him, squatted down beside the actor. “Ge, do you have anything to do after lunch this afternoon? I want to go back to the company…”

“Canxing?” Zhong Yao hadn’t thought about this much lately. Hearing this, he was slightly taken aback. He picked up his agent and put him back on the sofa. “I’m free this afternoon. Should I go with you?”

“No need, no need, I can go by myself.” Lin Zhu quickly shook his head. “It’s just about coordinating resources. I’m always worried that they might be up to something.”

Zhong Yao’s relationship with the company is at least superficially harmonious, but Lin Zhu’s relationship with the top management of Canxing has completely broken down. These recent clashes have left Canxing with no advantage whatsoever, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they went back and started fighting over a minor disagreement.

Canxing’s backing is far less clean than that of the [Light and Shadow] program crew. It’s alright if he only has a conflict with the company, but once Zhong Yao gets involved, the nature of the matter becomes serious.

Zhong Yao understood his concerns and nodded. “Take a few more people with you, and call me anytime.”

Lin Zhu was relieved and nodded in agreement. He ate a plate of peanuts with Zhong Yao and they went back to the private room together.

The trailer turned out surprisingly well. The station director’s anger had subsided, but he was still holding a grudge, ignoring Zhong Yao and focusing on eating with his head turned to the side.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Zhong Yao didn’t let Lin Zhu get involved and get scolded. After everyone was chatting happily, he poured himself a glass of wine and said, “Director Lin, I’ve caused the station a lot of trouble and haven’t had a chance to thank you yet… Thank you all for your hard work at Tianxing TV.”

The station director calmed down a bit. Seeing his sincere attitude, he couldn’t stay angry. He sighed and said, “You know your agent is good, but do you have to tell everyone you meet? Is this your first time having an agent? And I even told him in front of him that you know how to behave…”

Zhong Yao smiled and lowered his head. “This is the first time I’ve had something this good.”

The station director hesitated, recalling what Zhong Yao had gone through before, and felt a pang of sadness. In the end, his anger subsided, and he earnestly advised, “The better you are, the more you should keep it to yourself. Do you know what they were saying when you went out just now?”

Zhong Yao raised his eyebrows.

The station director had been planning to correct this habit of his, and in a moment of inspiration, he pointed to each of them and complained, “The one on the left said that if he had such a good agent, he would also show off.” 

Zhong Yao’s eyes narrowed slightly as he sat up straight and looked up.

The station director added insult to injury: “The one on the right said he wanted to steal your agent when you aren’t looking.”

Zhong Yao frowned.

The station director continued, “The guy on the phone in the corner is even worse. He said he’s jealous and wants to snatch your agent away. He wondered if you’re willing to give him up…”

Zhong Yao’s heart sank.

Everyone in the room was intrigued by the trailer, and everyone wanted to say a few words to Zhong Yao’s agent. Lin Zhu was inadvertently pulled aside to exchange pleasantries, and was talking to two artists who had just been publicly criticized by the station director.

Zhong Yao suddenly stood up, startling the station director, who grabbed him and said, “What are you doing? This isn’t the station; there might be paparazzi lurking outside— sit down!”

They were making quite a racket. While the others were engrossed in their conversation and didn’t notice, Lin Zhu, focused on their situation, quickly apologized to the two men and rushed over. “Ge, what’s wrong? Is something the matter—”

“It’s alright, it’s alright. I’m talking to your Zhong-laoshi. Do your business.”

Feeling guilty for complaining behind his back, the station director patted Lin Zhu on the back, spun him around, and sent him out. He then asked Zhong Yao in a low voice, “Did you remember this time?”

Zhong Yao was silent for a moment before muttering, “I’ve remembered.”

The station director pressed on. “Will you keep showing off?”

Zhong Yao shook his head.

“That’s good then.” There were very few people as easy to fool as Zhong Yao these days. The station director breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in satisfaction. “He has done a lot for you. You know it yourself. There’s no need to let everyone know— he’s an agent under Canxing Entertainment, right?”

Because the livestream went so well, everyone agreed to have a quick interview while everyone was still here. The station director, really not wanting to be bombarded with their PDA anymore, became even more earnest. “His contract is still with Canxing, after all. He might not be able to keep bringing only you along. What if someone in your company gets jealous and tries to steal him from you? Will you give in? What if he insists on managing more celebrities? Will you let him?”

Zhong Yao didn’t speak, his gaze fixed on Lin Zhu.

Having determined that the time was right, the station director nodded in satisfaction. “Alright, come to the station this afternoon for an interview. Go find your agent.”

Zhong Yao frowned. “This afternoon?”

“Do you have any scheduled appointments?” The station director picked up a crab and came over. “Even if you do, you’ll have to cancel them. This time it’s not just people from within the station; the film and television channel is sending people too. They’re a channel under CCTV¹China’s national TV station with impeccable credentials; if they act like divas, they’ll be publicly criticized…”

Lin Zhu had agreed to go to the company this afternoon, and Zhong Yao really didn’t want to go, but didn’t want to put Lin Zhu in a difficult position: “How long?”

The station director ignored this and was taken aback when he heard this. Based on his experience, he guessed, “It’s not an exclusive interview, it’s just for a briefing. Probably an hour.” 

An hour isn’t a long time; it should be enough to pick Lin Zhu up and take him home.

Zhong Yao nodded, keeping his agent firmly by his side, and not letting him out to contact anyone inside or outside the station for even a single meal.

In the afternoon, Zhong Yao went to Tianxing to prepare for an interview. Lin Zhu accompanied him to the door, and they agreed to go home together for dinner that evening. Lin Zhu then took his team to Canxing.

Lin Zhu could only follow the arrangement. This time, the State Administration of Radio and Television was determined to establish role models for actors and films and television dramas. The interviews were very in-depth, and the actors who were interviewed were all deeply moved. They talked about their past experiences and had a lot of feelings. Before they knew it, the interview had dragged on for a long time.

With four guests and a group interview, it took three hours for all the interviews to be completed.

Since his debut, Zhong Yao has appeared on various CCTV channels. Several of the reporters and hosts who interviewed him were familiar faces, and the accompanying director was also an old acquaintance, so there was no need for extra formalities. While the hosts and the others chatted casually, he took an unopened bottle of water to the side and took out his phone.

Lin Zhu said he was going to the company to see if there was anything fishy going on, which means things might not be resolved well. Whether it’s because it’s difficult to resolve or because Lin Zhu was afraid of bothering Zhong Yao, the agent hasn’t sent him a message yet.

Zhong Yao thought for a moment, then typed: [The interview is over. Did it go well?]

After sending the message, there was still no response. Zhong Yao fiddled with his phone for a while, then stood up again.

The station director is right, Lin Zhu’s contract is with Canxing.

Neither of them needed to worry, but the contract was legally binding and they couldn’t be forced to breach it.

In the public eye, Canxing remains the same loyal and generous company that treated its artists well. The falling out between the two parties will inevitably have an impact on him, especially at this time, making him more likely to be labeled as “arrogant” and “ungrateful”.

If Lin Zhu wants to protect him, he might be coerced and constrained by the conditions set by Canxing.

Lin Zhu rarely let him worry about company matters. Zhong Yao was unsure just how shameless Canxing could be, and without receiving a reply from Lin Zhu, he couldn’t calm down.

The interview took place in Tianxing TV’s old studio, which was familiar to Zhong Yao. Unable to stay seated, he got up and took a look.

“Zhong-laoshi, is there anything you need?” A coordinator from Tianxing, who was standing by the field, quickly stepped forward to greet him as he approached. “Just tell us, and we’ll get it for you—”

Zhong Yao shook his head and smiled. “I’ve been here before, and I couldn’t help but take a look— has this studio never been renovated?”

His tone was gentle, and the coordinator relaxed, waving his hand with a smile. “Three years ago. But the condition is still fine today, so no further renovation has been done since then.“ 

Zhong Yao was slightly taken aback.

He asked the former station director about his farewell press conference organizer twice, but was only given vague answers, with the only explanation being that they had only collaborated with the organizer once and it wouldn’t be easy to find them again. He tried asking other people in the station, but didn’t get a clear answer either.

Zhong Yao paused, a somewhat outlandish conjecture popping into his mind. 

“Don’t laugh at me, but this is just a studio, and we didn’t even buy it ourselves.”

The coordinator was young and bold, and he laughed as he told him the gossip he knew, “I heard some rich kid, trying to win a smile from a beauty, probably— probably… held some kind of press conference? He thought our old studio was too run-down, so he just bought a new one. He didn’t even let reporters in casually; the screening is so strict, any staff member who isn’t good-looking gets kicked out…”

Zhong Yao’s heart suddenly tightened, and his heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.

The station director had talked to Lin Zhu about the past once, and although reluctant, he still helped him keep quiet. Everyone who knew the truth knew that what happened back then couldn’t be spread. Unfortunately, the staff only had a superficial understanding from a hearsay. It was, at most, 20% true. It wasn’t enough to warrant a cover-up.

Noticing Zhong Yao’s interest, the staff grew even bolder, enthusiastically gossiping. “I heard that rich kid is such a coward! He just stood by the door and watched the whole press conference, then left. He didn’t even dare to say a word, and he even threw away the roses he brought…”

He paused, looking at Zhong Yao’s expression, then a smidge of hesitation gnawed his mind. “What’s wrong? Isn’t… isn’t it funny?”

Zhong Yao closed his eyes briefly. “It’s not funny.”

He hesitated, then said softly, “They weren’t roses. They were wild golden money flower.”

“Golden money flower… wild flowers?” The coordinator blinked. “Those little wild daisies you can pick by the handful off the roadside? Who’d like that? If he had money to buy a studio, he couldn’t afford proper flowers—”

Zhong Yao couldn’t listen anymore. He told the host he had an urgent matter at home, then left in a rush.

Everyone there knew him well. Seeing his expression, they didn’t pry, just sent him off politely.

He got into the car, gave the driver Canxing’s address, and leaned back, pressing a hand to his eyes.

The coordinator didn’t know that three years ago this tiny local station had been poor and deserted. No launch event would’ve chosen it.

That entire year, only one press conference had been held there. Zhong Yao’s.

He closed his eyes tight.

He couldn’t stop imagining it: a twenty-year-old Lin Zhu going alone into the TV building, paying an enormous sum to buy the studio, standing guard at the entrance screening reporters, watching the whole press conference where no one could see him, slipping the flowers into Zhong Yao’s car, then watching him leave for a country across the ocean.

His agent, who flushed when he saw him, who was thrilled for half a day over a single signed autograph, who sat on the carpet smiling over his small stash of merchandise.

What had that twenty-year-old been thinking while watching him leave?

Zhong Yao didn’t want to keep thinking. He rubbed his brow hard.

He couldn’t remember whether he’d even glanced back that day, whether he’d shaken hands with fans. His decision to leave had been rushed. Life overseas was fulfilling. Every day he learned something new, pushed himself out of the shadows, even considered never returning.

He had no idea that back home, there was a young agent with the brightest smile, quietly waiting for him to come back.

Zhong Yao opened his palm, remembering that moment he’d gotten into the car and been startled by the bright golden bouquet of wild flowers.

Those worthless wild flowers could only be handpicked. There were plenty in autumn fields, but to gather them one by one, bundle them neatly into a bouquet good enough to give someone… who knew how much effort that took.

He hadn’t understood the meaning back then, only that he shouldn’t treat it lightly. He’d kept them at home and even tucked one flower into a book to take abroad.

One day, a director friend flipping through his books stumbled upon the pressed flower. Only then did Zhong Yao learn the meaning of that bouquet.

The flower language of the wild golden money flower is “I’ll think about it, I’ll do my best.”

<I will find a way. I will give everything I can.>

The flower Zhong Yao got is 金钱花 (jin qian hua; literally golden money flower). Other name is 旋覆花 (xuan fu hua). From Google and Baidu, this should be Inula japonica, commonly called Japanese Inula or Japanese Fleabane in English. I chose to use the Chinese common name instead for the translation. It looks more like a small sunflower to me rather than daisy, honestly.

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  China’s national TV station