Chapter 168 - 168: Director Zhou’s Fall From Grace

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Zhou Chongshan hurriedly called his friend again, asking him to provide him with An Xiran’s contact information immediately.

He didn’t want to waste time and wanted to secure the connection before he lost the opportunity.

After packing their belongings, An Xiran and Nan Yan returned to the car. As they got into the car and fastened their seatbelts, An Xiran’s phone rang.

It was an unfamiliar number…

Could it be a sponsor?

Before each competition, numerous sponsors would call him, hoping for collaboration to have their products used during the matches. However, the sponsors for this competition had been finalized long ago, and there wasn’t enough time for new negotiations.

Despite his suspicions, he still had to answer the call.

“Hello, this is An Xiran,” he answered, identifying himself first.

“Mr. An, hello, this is Zhou Chongshan.”

“Oh, it’s Chairman Zhou. Hello,” An Xiran replied.

Director Zhou Chongshan’s name seemed somewhat familiar to An Xiran, but he couldn’t recall who he was exactly.

“I’m not Chairman Zhou, I’m Director Zhou!” Zhou Chongshan emphasized his title a bit more firmly. “Mr. An, I’d like to talk to you about your sister.” “My sister?” An Xiran instinctively looked at Nan Yan. “What’s going on?” But in the next moment, he suddenly realized who he was talking to.

Zhou Chongshan! ! !

How on earth did this renowned director end up calling him, a nobody? And to talk about his sister?

“I think your sister would be a great fit for the leading role in my next film. I’d like to offer her a contract,” Zhou Chongshan continued speaking.

Before Zhou Chongshan could finish his sentence, An Xiran hung up the phone without hesitation.

Zhou Chongshan: 1′???”

Why did he hang up on him?

Did he appear so much like a scammer? Nan Yan glanced at him, asking, “Whose call was it?”

“A scammer,” An Xiran muttered angrily.

It must have been due to that photo he sent. Some people were interested in Nan Yan’s potential and wanted to lure her into the entertainment industry!

Humph!

Who did he think he was fooling? To dare claim to be Zhou Chongshan!

Even if he had said he was Li Jingze, An Xiran would have had a little more belief in that!

How could someone like Zhou Chongshan personally contact him…

“That’s enough, don’t bother with him.”

“Sure.”

An Xiran proceeded to block Zhou Chongshan’s number and then drove the car.

Meanwhile, Zhou Chongshan attempted to call An Xiran again, only to discover that he had been added to the blocked list.

Zhou Chongshan:

A respected director like him, blocked by someone? This was a first.

In the past, he was the one who blocked others.

After feeling both frustrated and amused, Zhou Chongshan suppressed his emotions, borrowed someone else’s phone, and dialed An Xiran’s number once more.

Hearing the ringing tone, An Xiran furrowed his brows. “Why are there so many calls today? Yanyan, could you answer for me?”

Nan Yan picked up his phone and answered the call on speaker.

“Mr. An, hello. I really am Zhou Chongshan. If you’d like, I can provide you with my ID number as proof!” Zhou Chongshan took the initiative to counter An Xiran’s skepticism.

“Why is it him again!” An Xiran couldn’t help but comment. “Yanyan, don’t bother with him. He’s just a scammer.”

Zhou Chongshan: “I’m really not a scammer!!!”

“Sure, he’s not a scammer,” Nan Yan spoke calmly. “When we were at the hotel, I met him. He gave me his business card.”

“Exactly! I’m really not a scammer!” Zhou Chongshan felt excited for the first time someone acknowledged his identity. “Mr. An, I sincerely want to talk to you. I want to ask if your sister is interested in entering the entertainment industry. I’m inviting her to act in my next film as the leading actress.”

An Xiran was speechless.

He was so excited that he almost turned the steering wheel.

Fortunately, there were no cars here. Otherwise, something would have happened.

“Director Zhou, I’m sorry. I thought you were a liar, so… Hehe…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I didn’t think it through. I didn’t expect to be treated as a liar one day.”

Zhou Chongshan said humorously,” I just wanted to ask Mr. An, does your sister have any intention of entering the entertainment industry? I sincerely invite her to act as the female lead in my next drama.”

“Ah, about that, just tell my sister directly. Yanyan, Director Zhou wants to discuss something with you regarding acting in his film. What do you think?” An Xiran’s mood was still overwhelmed.

The fact that Director Zhou personally sought them out to invite his sister to be the leading actress in his next film—what were the odds?

Even buying a lottery ticket probably wouldn’t offer such slim chances!

As long as Yanyan has the inclination to act, this role in the upcoming film could undoubtedly propel her to stardom for three to five years!

Director Zhou’s reputation and standing are unblemished guarantees. Each lead actor and actress he has chosen for his films has become a top-tier presence in the entertainment industry today.

Truly living up to his reputation as a star-maker!

But before he could finish his excited thoughts, he heard his sister’s calm response, devoid of any fluctuation in tone. “Not interested.”

“Director Zhou, I don’t want to act, and I have no interest in the entertainment industry. That’s it, I’m hanging up.”

Click—

The phone was disconnected mercilessly for the second time.

Zhou Chongshan stared at his phone, questioning his life choices.

An Xiran was stunned by Nan Yan’s reaction.

That was Director Zhou, after all!

The first time he hung up, it was due to ignorance.

But now that they knew who he was…

An Xiran swallowed hard, and with an embarrassed expression, asked,

“Yanyan, you… you really don’t want to act?”

Zhou Chongshan’s films were difficult to land roles in. He personally selected his male and female leads. If he chose you, it was a rare opportunity!

Nan Yan’s face remained indifferent. “It’s a waste of time and trouble.’ “If I have the time to waste, I’d rather go make money.”

Her laboratory required so much funding. Without making more effort, she probably wouldn’t be able to afford it for another year.

“Being a celebrity is quite profitable!” An Xiran explained, providing her with insights. “Look at those famous stars. They earn millions for a single project, and for some, even tens of millions. They’re also paid well for appearing on variety shows.”

“Even Fourth Brother is a relatively minor celebrity, I start at a million for appearances on shows. Filming takes only a few days, and sometimes as little as two or three hours.”

“And those top-tier stars earn even more, raking in billions a year, just like child’s play.”

Nan Yan: “I see…”

She hadn’t realized that acting could be so lucrative. Though she could earn hundreds of thousands or even a million for one race. that came with its own risks.

But as a celebrity, you only had to act and film, and you could earn so much money.

Thinking of this, she did not seem to be so resistant to acting.

After talking for a long time, An Xiran finally reacted.” Yanyan, are you short of money?

If you need it, just tell Fourth Brother. I’ve saved up quite a bit over the years from managing my esports team, and it’s completely separate from the An family’s finances.

Nan Yan declined, “No need. Fourth Brother, you should keep your money.” “I’ll find ways to earn money on my own.”

“Yan, you don’t need to be so polite with Fourth Brother. I can’t really spend that much money on my own, so I need someone to help me spend it.” “If you tell me how much you need, I’ll transfer it to you.”

Nan Yan looked at him and said plainly, “I need at least several billion, and that’s just for the initial investment.”

Running a laboratory was like pouring water—it required continuous funding.

To really get things moving, you had to multiply that amount by ten.

An Xiran: