Chapter 142
"Is this really necessary?" Jing Yi looked up bewildered at Jing Zeyou and Jing Zeqian.
Jing Zeqian was displeased, "North river is so big! What if he lures you into some corner? I think we should add more self-defense tools." He truly wasn't at ease with just this small thing.
Jing Yi sighed, "Second brother, if I'm carrying so many defensive items, wouldn't even an idiot like Wang Boqi notice something's off?"
[Moreover, if anything were to happen, direct action would be more effective than using tools.]
Jing Zeqian was at a loss for words, realizing she had a point.
"Besides, I haven't even started meeting Wang Boqi yet, why prepare so much already?"
Jing Zeyou handed the bracelet to Jing Yi, "It's better to be prepared in advance, so we can have some peace of mind."
So Jing Yi had no choice but to obediently go along with their arrangements. After all, it was her choice to get involved in this.
Jing Yi's guess was correct. Since Wang Boqi had already started making moves, his actions wouldn't be slow. Within a few days, she received an invitation from Wang Boqi.
Jing Yi glanced into the Western restaurant. Inside, apart from Wang Boqi standing up, there were only waiters.
It seemed the whole place had been reserved, he really went all out.
Jing Yi adjusted her smile and followed the waiter inside. "Mr. Wang, sorry to keep you waiting."
Wang Boqi smiled warmly, "Waiting for a beautiful lady is never too long."
Jing Yi smiled politely, still feeling as uncomfortable as ever.
She pretended to look around curiously, "This restaurant seems quite empty?"
A flash of contempt crossed Wang Boqi's eyes, but his expression remained gentle, "For my first dinner with Miss Jing, I wanted it to be more formal."
Jing Yi feigned surprise, smiling as she lowered her head.
Whether it was truly for formality or to avoid being seen by others, probably only Wang Boqi knew.
The entire dinner process was indeed formal and solemn. Wang Boqi didn't mention anything about the Jing family at all, as if he was truly there just for Jing Yi herself.
"Miss Jing, until we meet again next time."
Jing Yi smiled and waved at the person outside the car window. Only when she saw the sedan gradually drive away did the curve of her lips drop.
Wang Boqi, our game begins now. I hope you won't disappoint me too much.
I want to see what kind of magic you possess that caused both Jiang Miaomiao and 'Jing Yi' to suffer because of you.
......
At Startrack Entertainment, Jing Zeqian watched the artists performing their self-introductions in front of him, his brows furrowed as he flipped through their profiles.
Beside him sat Startrack's department heads, occasionally taking notes, but always keeping an eye on Jing Zeqian's displeased expression.
As time went on, these people grew increasingly nervous.
Finally, "Stop!" Jing Zeqian's tone was full of impatience. He looked up at the boys in front of him, his whole demeanor exuding authority.
"Is this all you have to show after more than half a year?"
Jing Zeqian had started preparing to create a boy group a year ago. This was an area Startrack was currently lacking in. Although the company had several popular singer-dancers, they had never successfully formed a group.
More importantly, this was the current market trend and audience preference.
Seeing Jing Zeqian's displeased expression, the talent director beside him hurriedly explained, "The time was indeed a bit short..."
Jing Zeqian's brows remained furrowed, "I'm not asking them to perform on stage right now, but can you explain why their current stage presence is even worse than their initial auditions?"
He remembered these boys all had dance backgrounds. How did they regress after more than half a year of training?
The talent director stammered, unable to speak. What could he say?
After joining Startrack, based on the previous star-making plan, they had opened social media accounts for each of them to document their training process. Thanks to Startrack's star-making system, they all had a small fan base now.
People tend to become lazy once they can see the path ahead...
Plus, seeing that the data looked good, he hadn't managed them too strictly.
The boys huddled together, their eyes full of panic. They figured they would become famous anyway, so why bother being so serious? In today's entertainment industry, who cares about your abilities? As long as you're good-looking, that's enough.
Jing Zeqian's face darkened. He didn't mind artists using Startrack as a stepping stone, after all, it was mutually beneficial. But this was the first time he had heard of people getting cocky before even becoming famous.
It seems he had been too lenient with the company's people. No wonder Jing Yi looked down on his company's artists. Bringing out people like this would simply be embarrassing!
"Terminate the contracts!" Jing Zeqian didn't mince words. He didn't care about wasting all that time. These people were already ruined, there was no point in wasting more time on them.
The boys' faces turned pale. Before they could say much, Jing Zeqian had already left the training room with his entourage.
It turned out they were never indispensable. The entertainment industry never lacked new talent.
"Everyone involved in this 'S' boy group project will have their annual bonuses deducted. As for Director Chen, you're demoted. You'll be transferred from your current project management role and start over as a basic talent agent."
Jing Zeqian's voice brooked no argument. Director Chen's face turned pale. He wanted to explain something, but Jing Zeqian didn't give him the chance. "The remaining work will be handed over to Deputy Director Li."
The person mentioned raised her head. A flash of joy crossed her eyes, quickly suppressed as she said seriously, "Understood, Mr. Jing."
Jing Zeqian stopped walking. The displeasure in his eyes hadn't dissipated. "I hope everyone understands the importance of focusing on their own duties. Don't put the cart before the horse. We'll have an internal training session next week."
Really, Startrack had so many issues. Did he need to personally oversee every single one?
The more Jing Zeqian thought about it, the angrier he became. All that time wasted! It would have been better to directly sign those talent show boys Jing Yi had seen!
Suddenly, Jing Zeqian seemed to think of something. He turned to the newly promoted Director Li and instructed, "There's a trainee reality show on Blue TV recently. Go check it out, focusing on a few specific contestants."
What were their names again? Never mind, he'd ask Jing Yi to send him the list later.
"I'll send you the list later."
"Understood."
Aliali: 6744813cc4f3f33ac44271f6Since they were in the business of creating stars anyway, rather than wasting time on those 'losers', it would be better to create a few that Jing Yi found interesting. At least she might come to Startrack more often out of interest, right?
Meanwhile, before the mess at Startrack was fully resolved, Jing Zeyou threw another challenge at Jing Zeqian.
"Hongli's banquet? Brother, can't you just go yourself? Why drag me along?" Jing Zeqian looked annoyed. He already hated Wang Boqi to the bone, why should he attend his banquet?
He crossed his arms and leaned back on the sofa, looking completely resistant.
Jing Zeyou leaned back in his office chair, looking calm and unruffled.
"If we don't let you show up, how will Wang Boqi know how far his plan has progressed?"
Wang Boqi had been frequently inviting Jing Yi out lately, for dinners, go-karting, and various other entertainment activities. Apart from normal meals and casual chats about daily likes and habits, he hadn't shown any other intentions.
He hadn't even mentioned the Jing family or the Wang family, as if their interactions were purely personal.
Jing Zeyou knew what Wang Boqi was waiting for.
He was waiting for news to come from the Jing family.