Translator: Atlas Studios
Editor: Atlas Studios
Star Talent Entertainment was one of the top ten entertaining companies in the country. They had contracts with countless talents and had numerous A-list stars. Their robust capital enabled the company to own the entire office building.
Qin Baobao circled around the hexagonal building which consisted of thirty floors. The light reflected from its glass walls was blinding. They found a parking space on the dark path behind the building. The mini BMW drew a perfect arc and slid into its parking space. Qin Baobao got her license in high school. She had been driving for the past five to six years.
Unlike most of her peers who would keep their license as souvenirs in their drawers, she would drive Qin Ze around in their father’s car during their summer and winter holidays. She would drive without a fixed destination, stop wherever she wanted, and use Qin Ze’s living expenses for food or coffee as she sat under the afternoon sun.
It was the most uncomfortable time for Qin Ze when that happened. Passers-by were often attracted by Qin Baobao’s beauty and stopped for another glance. Qin Ze felt those people had gathered around to view a giant panda.
After he alighted the car, Qin Ze checked the time. It was half-past nine. They drove for exactly one hour. He had two hours before his mission ended at 11:30 AM.
It was the morning rush hour. Men in suits and stylish-dressed women moved in and out as they stood in front of the building Star Talent Entertainment. The only people who worked in this building were white-collared employees with a high income. Qin Baobao didn’t look surprised. She walked into the building. Her black heels made loud clicking sounds in her wake. Qin Ze, on the other hand, was a bit restrained. He was still an undergraduate who had not been exposed to this hierarchy and situation.
They entered the lobby and asked for the audition location from the lady at the reception. It was in room two on the seventh floor. They waited for the fourth elevator before there was a space for them. Initially, Qin Ze had wanted to squeeze their way into the first three elevators, but Qin Baobao rolled her eyes at him and said people might try to touch her buttocks.
Qin Ze thought it was such a valid reason that he had no response.
Once bitten, twice shy. Qin Baobao had an unpleasant experience when she was in junior high. She had taken the subway to go home after school. It was also the rush hour when most people finished work. The cabin was packed like a sardine. A weird man secretly took advantage of her. Without a word, Qin Baobao turned around and kneed the pedophile at his lower body where it hurt the most. From then on, their father would send or pick her up from school. If he was busy, he would arrange for a taxi.
The lady at the front desk on the seventh floor opened the door and asked them for the purpose of their visit. She then gave a number to Qin Baobao as she said smiling, “Conference room is straight ahead on the left.”
“Thank you.” Qin Baobao kept the number in her bag, pulled Qin Ze, and walked in that direction.
A dozen handsome men and women were either standing or sitting in the bright and spacious corridor. A woman dressed neatly in a business suit stood outside the door. A lanyard with her name tag hung on her neck. When she saw Qin Baobao and Qin Ze, she smiled in a welcoming manner. Without a glance towards Qin Ze, she asked, “May I have your resume and number?”
Qin Baobao had prepared her resume in advance. She took it out of her bag along with the number and gave it to the female assistant. After verifying Qin Baobao was on the audition list, she said politely, “Please wait a moment.”
Qin Baobao took Qin Ze and sat on chairs along the corridor. She played with her cell phone while they waited.
“I’m so pissed,” Qin Ze whispered.
“What for?” Qin Baobao slanted her head and looked at him curiously.
“She didn’t even look at me just now.”
Qin Baobao said, laughing, “That means she has taste.”
“You don’t look anxious.” Qin Ze jabbed his elbow at his sister’s tiny waist.
“It’s you who seemed nervous,” Qin Baobao retorted.
“I’m not nervous. I just feel uneasy. They are staring at you.”
Qin Baobao turned her head and looked at the smartly-dressed hunks. Some of them avoided her eyes subconsciously while others smiled in return like they had received a boost to their ego. Qin Baobao’s smile widened which made the men’s hearts thump wildly.
She turned her attention back to Qin Ze and snorted. “Don’t bother yourself with them. I’m used to it anyway.”
“But I’m not. You are a giant panda wherever you go, and I become the bamboo by your side.” Qin Ze was frustrated. “Even bamboo has dignity.”
“Alright now, my dear bamboo. Come and let this giant panda have a bite.” She moved her delicate face over and pretended to bite Qin Ze’s face.
He pushed her face away and whispered, “What are you doing? People are staring.”
Qin Baobao made a noise and went back to playing with her cell phone. “I’m not nervous at all. What’s the big deal? If I don’t succeed with this company, I can always go to another one. The entertainment companies have so many ways to discover new talent. An ordinary person can become a star through so many avenues and numerous talent-based variety shows.”
“Wang Lihong.”
“It’s my turn?”
“You can come in.”
The interviewee before him was a cute and pretty girl. She came out of the room, head hung low and looking crestfallen as though she was about to break into tears.
“How was it? Did you pass the audition?”
“What kind of questions did they ask?”
People began to flock around her immediately in an attempt to find out more about the interviewing process.
Qin Ze, too, tried to eavesdrop on their conversation.
The girl shook her head. “They said I can’t sing and I didn’t graduate from drama school… which were the requirements to sign on with them.”
This was another girl who wanted to break into the industry with her looks. Qin Ze shifted his attention back to the great beauty beside him. She also wanted to do the same like the girl.
“What? I can sing.” The beauty glared at him.
Time flew quickly. One by one, the interviewees entered the room. Some emerged five minutes later, looking overjoyed, while the others were dejected.
A dashing young man came out of the conference room full of joy. He scanned around their corridor with a disdainful look before he strode towards Qin Baobao and sat beside her. “Hi Gorgeous. My name is Gou Dai.”
Qin Baobao looked at him with a smile. “Hi.”
“You’re also here for an audition? You have such good qualities. I guarantee they will sign you on. Since we will be colleagues, why don’t we have lunch together later?” The young man was clearly smitten by her smile.
Qin Baobao looked back at Qin Ze with her hands around his elbow. “Honey, shall we have hot and spicy soup for lunch?”
“Okay, but not at night.”
“I hate you.”
Gou Dai walked away in embarrassment.
Qin Ze looked at his dejected back and lashed out at Qin Baobao. “Hot and spicy soup is such an old tactic. Next time, change it to a newer one!”
“Qin Baobao.”
The female assistant called from the doorway.
“It’s my turn.” Qin Baobao gave her bag to Qin Ze. Her heels made loud clicking sounds against the terrazzo floor tiles as her hips swayed charmingly.
She pushed the wooden door. A long conference table was placed beside the French window. The interviewers, three beer-bellied old men and two middle-aged women, sat behind the table.
A light lit up in the three men’s eyes the moment they saw Qin Baobao.
She was more gorgeous than her photo.
No wonder she had the confidence to try her luck in the entertainment industry. These years, one simply didn’t have the courage to try one’s luck if one didn’t have the looks.
Qin Baobao could acutely sense the blazing eyes moving along her body like a scanner. She shuddered internally, recalling the time when Qin Ze had told her about a method to divide a man and a boy which was prevalent online. It was quite simple actually. A boy’s eyes would go for the looks and stay on the woman’s face. Once the boy had gained experience—like driving, his attention would shift from the face and began to pay more attention to the body. Finally, after he became experienced, like a seasoned driver; his eyes would forever move upwards from the feet of a woman whenever he looked at one.
At that time, Qin Baobao had asked him which category he was in.
Qin Ze had seemed embarrassed. He stressed he was a full-fledged man in theory.
Qin Baobao thought: These are all seasoned drivers.
Without a flinch, she smiled while keeping her cool demeanor. “Teachers, my name is Qin Baobao.”
One of the middle-aged women cut her off coldly. “We have your resume.”
A frown appeared on Qin Baobao’s refined face. She felt the woman’s malice.
A man beside the woman coughed. He diffused the hostile atmosphere with a pleasant smile. “Have a seat.”
Qin Baobao nodded and sat in the chair meant for the interviewees, knees together, and hands overlapped at her stomach. Without any stockings, everyone had full access to her slender and beautiful legs.
The middle-aged man in the middle gave a quick look at her thighs, paused, and smiled. He said, “Miss Qin, we have gone through your resume. You graduated from Fudan and worked for a year in a foreign-owned enterprise. You were widely praised by everyone in school and at work. With such a bright future, why have you chosen to become an artist?”
Five pairs of eyes looked at her in unison. Qin Baobao was not intimidated by them as she sat upright in her chair. “It is my dream.”
“What’s so great about your dream?” a woman said under her breath.
The middle-aged man dismissed that with a smile and said gently, “Allow me to be frank with you. With your academic qualification and capability, you are more than welcome to join us. However, we are not keen to sign you on as an artist. First and foremost, you are not formally trained. A minute on stage requires ten years of hard work. Acting is not something that you can pick up just like that. To train someone from scratch, we prefer one with potential rather than quality.”
Qin Baobao thought her interview had not started well. It threw her off her balance.
“Nevertheless, I do happen to know many famous artists who had no professional training in acting.”
“Do you know how many years they spent as an extra on set? Or how long it took for them to have a break?”
Qin Baobao was beyond words.
“Why don’t we do this? My office is short of a secretary at the moment. You graduated from an ivy-league university, and you have relevant experience with an outstanding performance. If you are agreeable, come and work for me. We can discuss your remuneration right now.”
I have enough of being someone’s secretary. To he*ll with that.
Qin Baobao asked, “Teacher, how do I address you?”
“My last name is Zhang, the General Manager of the Human Resource department.”
“General Manager Zhang, I felt unjust with what you’ve just said. I’m not totally without any foundation having practiced dancing in primary school and junior high. Besides, I sing well…”
Surprised, the middle-aged woman asked, “Can you sing ‘Qing Qing Zi Jin’?”
Qin Baobao nodded. “Yes.”
The woman gestured for her to start. “Let’s hear a verse from you.”
Qin Baobao pursed her lips smudged with lipstick and began singing. Her voice was soft, magnetic, and sultry. It complemented the powerful and emotional song perfectly.
The middle-aged woman’s expression changed because her singing was too good. Initially, she was under the impression that Qin Baobao, who had no formal training, had said she could sing well in general. She even thought the latter might be touting them. However, the moment she started singing the song and its lyrics, her voice sounded so good regardless of the numerous mistakes. It was not perfect, and yet her crispy but numbing tone caused one’s heart to yearn for more.
“Stop, stop.” The woman called for Qin Baobao to stop. Her expression had not changed. “Not a bad voice, but one knows you’re a layman from the way you sing. To put it bluntly, you are singing nonsense. It’s very hard to fix when you are recording in the studio.”
The look on Qin Baobao’s face became cold and hostile. Her refined face resembled more and more like a Greek sculpture. If Qin Ze—a person who knew her well—was to see her, he would know that his sister was on the verge of rage.