Top Dupe CH 043 Lift Him Up Quickly! Part 1

"I appreciate your kindness. But just now, when I smelled that cup of tea, the aroma didn't seem right. Next time, I'll take you to taste some truly good Longjing tea."

Jiang Yinchuan's comment about the "tea aroma not being right" made Jiang Yunxie's face even more unsightly, and Hu Wei's expression also became stiff.

Jiang Yinchuan pretended not to care and chatted with Luo Yu about the situation in the "Counterattack" crew, but deep down, his heart felt a thin layer of frost covering it.

This brother of his caused so much trouble, had no ability, and only spent the company's money to pamper his little lovers. When the board held him accountable for losses, their foolish father would use Jiang Yinchuan's achievements to cover for Jiang Yunxie's mess ups. Yet Jiang Yunxie, who had no self-awareness, was even scheming against him.

The Pu'er tea was served. Jiang Yinchuan swirled the clear tea, took a sip, and said, "Good tea."

Opposite him, Jiang Yunxie saw the two of them chatting happily, treating him as invisible, and sneered inwardly.

Hu Wei quickly tried to shift the focus back to Jiang Yunxie, "Luo Yu, since you're here, why not toast President Jiang with a drink? After all, the contract you're signing needs President Jiang's approval!"

The implication was clear: if you want better terms, you need to cozy up to Jiang Yunxie.

After speaking, Hu Wei pushed a full glass of red wine in front of Luo Yu.

Luo Yu smiled. How could he not know what Hu Wei was up to?

He knew Luo Yu's drinking capacity was poor, and with such a large glass of red wine, he would surely get drunk. Then, Jiang Yunxie could do whatever he wanted. Most importantly, this glass of red wine had been sitting alone because it was spiked.

A cold laugh sounded, and Jiang Yinchuan spoke up, "But doesn't Luo Yu have other options besides signing with Honghe Film and Television? From what I hear, Dijun Media has offered a contract with very favorable terms in regards to profit sharing, resource allocation, and freedom."

Having experienced Jiang Yinchuan's efficiency in obtaining information in his previous life, Luo Yu was not at all surprised that he knew about the Dijun Media contract.

Jiang Yunxie was startled. Could this be why Luo Yu's agent hadn't responded to their contract? If Jiang Hui found out he missed out on another hot artist, he would definitely get scolded again!

Hu Wei, seeing Jiang Yunxie's displeased expression, quickly tried to smooth things over, "That... that's absolutely impossible... Vice President Jiang, you probably don't go online much. You don't know how fiercely He Mu of Dijun Media and Luo Yu have clashed! They already have a top star like He Mu, why would they offer such good terms to sign Luo Yu? Besides... besides... everyone knows Luo Yu has suffered so much because of Dijun Media's suppression."

Hearing Hu Wei's explanation, Jiang Yunxie's expression improved somewhat. The key was that Hu Wei was sensible enough to address Jiang Yinchuan as "Vice President."

However, Jiang Yinchuan, while playing with a lighter, said, "The past is the past, and now is now. Dijun Media doesn't lack the likes of He Mu. They have created too many fast-moving idols, and over-reliance on traffic marketing has become a problem for them. It takes a lot of funds to maintain the popularity of their artists. It looks glamorous on the surface, but if this continues, they'll be hollowed out. That's why Ou Juntao has been pushing He Mu into the works of famous directors."

"Isn't that just having He Mu ride on the coattails of famous directors? It's still a form of traffic hype. There's no fundamental difference from buying trending topics!" Wen Zhilan said.

Jiang Yinchuan chuckled. What he said, Hu Wei, Wen Zhilan, and even Jiang Yunxie all understood, but they wouldn't think about the future as long as they could solve problems with money now.

He looked at Luo Yu and lifted his chin, "What about you? What's your take on this?"

Although he didn't know how Luo Yu discovered the problem with the Longjing tea, Jiang Yinchuan had a good impression of him and was curious since he didn't choose to cozy up to Jiang Yunxie or stay silent.

Everyone's eyes turned to Luo Yu.

Luo Yu knew Jiang Yinchuan was testing him, trying to see if this actor, who had already sparked some discussion before his dramas even aired, was on the same page as him.

"Dijun Media wants someone like Gu Xiaowei, a genuine top-tier star with inherent traffic, high social recognition, loyal fans, and strong public favor. Sending He Mu to the works of famous directors aims to enhance He Mu's social recognition."

"Social recognition is too empty. To put it bluntly, it can just be created with money," Jiang Yunxie said from the opposite side. He could admit he liked Luo Yu's voice and his non-aggressive demeanor.

Unlike some empty-headed beauties, Luo Yu had his own thoughts. But the more thoughtful a person was, the harder they were to control. And the harder they were to control, the more desire he had to conquer them.

Luo Yu took a sip of Pu'er tea, "Social recognition, in my opinion, is the part most difficult for capital to manipulate. It's the audience's true inclination. For example, Cheng Fei is a typical combination of acting skills and strength. When his works come out, people naturally believe the drama or movie isn't a flop without needing any marketing or hype. Even if the work is bad, the audience's trust in him can salvage some of its value."

Luo Yu's voice had a clear quality with a depth that made Jiang Yunxie want to keep it to himself.

"And there's no one in Dijun Media who can fit that label. For instance, He Mu..." Jiang Yinchuan looked at Jiang Yunxie opposite him, "You're very familiar with him, often taking him out for meals and playing golf. When you introduce him, do you say, 'This is He Mu, an actor with great acting skills' or 'He Mu, a top star'?"

Jiang Yunxie was taken aback. He might say “top star He Mu,” but if he introduced him as “talented actor He Mu,” it would sound ridiculous, and the listeners would definitely laugh. For some reason, after Jiang Yinchuan’s comments, being acquainted with He Mu didn’t seem like something worth boasting about.

Luo Yu lowered his eyes, his tone very indifferent, without bias or dislike, “Currently, most of the artists at Dijun Media follow the traffic route, with rapid turnover. To maintain freshness, they need to continuously cultivate new talents and invest heavily, but He Mu…”

“What about He Mu?” Hu Wei asked impatiently.

Hu Wei had always wanted to climb up to Dijun Media, thinking Luo Yu was just a washed-up actor and had no right to comment on a top star like He Mu.

Jiang Yinchuan unceremoniously continued, “A puppet beauty like He Mu can’t act well or maintain high viewership. His past guest appearances haven’t boosted ratings, so no investor would dare to risk giving him a high-paid leading role. Relying solely on variety shows and concerts, Dijun Media probably can’t recoup the marketing costs spent to keep him popular.”

“Well, even so, Dijun Media can just find a college student from a film or drama academy to promote! Why would they seek out someone they had previous bad feelings with like Luo Yu…?”

Hu Wei was extremely bitter, realizing that the rumors about Dijun Media wanting to sign Luo Yu were true. They not just bypassed Hu Wei, they even sought out the heavily criticized Luo Yu. Wasn’t this putting the cart before the horse?

Jiang Yinchuan laughed mockingly, looking at Hu Wei as if he were a fool overestimating himself.

“Because Luo Yu’s appearance surpasses He Mu’s, and his acting skills are leagues ahead of many in the industry. Just one decent work could elevate him into the ranks of skilled actors, and he has Director Lin Yue’s favor. Among the resources Dijun Media can access, only Luo Yu has the potential to be elevated to Gu Xiaowei’s status. If they don’t choose him, who else can they choose?”

Jiang Yinchuan’s words left Jiang Yunxie stunned.

If he hadn’t seen Luo Yu in person, he would have laughed at Jiang Yinchuan. But having seen him, Jiang Yunxie also knew Luo Yu was indeed more outstanding than He Mu.

Hu Wei, hearing Jiang Yinchuan’s words, felt an intense bitterness, as if he were nauseated—was he really inferior to Luo Yu?

Dijun Media wanted to create a true top star with both talent and acting skills, but what did Hu Wei lack?

At this point, the waiter started serving the dishes, each exquisitely plated like a work of art. Some appreciated it, while others lost their appetite entirely.

Wen Zhilan clung to Jiang Yunxie, alternately praising the dishes and Jiang Yunxie’s taste, but Jiang Yunxie was distracted, his eyes on Luo Yu across the table.

Luo Yu’s fingers were long and elegant, and he looked good using chopsticks. He wasn’t restrained for the sake of manners; his movements were relaxed, and his eating style was natural. If he liked something, he nodded; if he wasn’t interested, he put down his chopsticks. He was neither pretentious nor affected, making him pleasant to watch.

Jiang Yunxie was waiting, waiting for Luo Yu to come over and toast him.

But so far, Luo Yu hadn’t raised his full glass of red wine.

This made Jiang Yunxie increasingly impatient.

His original plan was to spike Jiang Yinchuan’s Longjing tea, wait until Luo Yu passed out, and then put him and Jiang Yinchuan in a room together. Jiang Yinchuan, having lost his senses, wouldn’t be able to resist. The arranged reporters would swarm, securing a headline, and Jiang Yinchuan would be completely ruined!

But now he had changed his mind; he wanted to take Luo Yu away, instead of giving his older brother the benefit.

More dishes were served, but Luo Yu moved the red wine aside without even taking a sip, which made Jiang Yunxie even more impatient.

Jiang Yunxie stood up with his glass of red wine, “Luo Yu, I didn’t understand you well enough before and didn’t have the legal department draft a reasonable contract for you. I hope you won’t rush to sign with another company; we can still discuss the contract terms.”

Luo Yu didn’t raise his wine glass but picked up his teacup, still filled with Pu’er tea, “Thank you so much, President Jiang! Let me toast you with tea instead of wine. I’m not good at drinking; I get drunk easily and might lose my composure. Please forgive me.”

Jiang Yunxie looked at the teacup, feeling extremely displeased. He took the initiative to drink with him, yet Luo Yu was putting on airs?

Hu Wei quickly spoke up, “Luo Yu! President Jiang thinks so highly of you! He personally came to drink with you, and you’re using tea? How rude!”

“Ah… I…” Luo Yu showed a troubled expression.

Jiang Yinchuan coldly interjected, “Drinking is supposed to be voluntary, right?”

Luo Yu lowered his eyes, seeming to make a decision, “I didn’t think it through. This is my first time at such a dinner, and I don’t know what to say or how to toast. Please forgive me, President Jiang.”

After hearing this, Jiang Yunxie felt much better. At least this Luo Yu was quite naive; not knowing those pretentious social tricks was a good thing.

Luo Yu lowered his head, locking eyes with Jiang Yinchuan, who saw a cold glint in Luo Yu’s gaze and a smirk.

Jiang Yinchuan paused slightly, realizing that Luo Yu wasn’t an ignorant person needing his protection. His younger brother, spoiled by their father, had a few tricks up his sleeve, but if he wanted to consume Luo Yu, he might end up with a mouthful of nails. Whether he’d spit blood or suffer internal injuries… depended on Luo Yu.

Luo Yu walked around the table towards Jiang Yunxie, holding his wine glass. Passing by Hu Wei, he bumped Hu Wei’s chair.

“Aiya…”

The wine spilled right down Hu Wei’s neck.