"Ahem, well, I guess not for me. Our kid is already seven years old; it doesn't seem quite right."

Hu Zhenglun was about to say something when Chu Tian spoke first.

"Is that so? That's a pity. I thought Teacher Lu was quite suitable. However, let's stick to volunteering; it makes the show run smoother."

What does that mean? Is that it?

Lu Yongxin, who had been expecting a few more invitations, was a bit taken aback. How did this youngster not follow the usual script?

Hu Zhenglun glanced at Chu Tian, then at Lu Yongxin. Although he really wanted to push a bit more, the show wasn't in his hands yet, so whatever he said didn't count. He could only sigh.

Chen Sheng, seeing that President Chu didn't seem too keen on Lu Yongxin and knowing Lu Yongxin's temperament well, quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"Oh, come on, Teacher Lu, it's just a one-year difference, not too much, right, President Chu?"

After finishing, he gave Lu Yongxin a look and continued to facilitate, "Teacher Lu is just shy. I think it's quite suitable. President Chu, why not have a chat with Teacher Lu? Maybe you'll have your first guest pair right there."

Chu Tian knew when to stop. He had merely given the other party a subtle warning, letting them know he wouldn't fall for their act and they shouldn't try any mind games with him. That was all.

Moreover, he was here primarily to expand his contacts. It wasn't about making friends and maintaining personal relationships, but even in business interactions, it wasn't good to burn bridges.

Asserting himself slightly was enough, so he nodded as if suddenly understanding.

"Indeed. It's just that I don't know if Teacher Lu is willing. A one-year difference really isn't much. If Teacher Lu is willing, shall we have a chat?"

Lu Yongxin looked at Chu Tian's expression, inwardly cursing him as a little fox.

But since Chen Sheng had spoken up for him and an out was offered, if he resisted any longer, he probably wouldn't stand a chance.

Besides, he was pragmatic but not foolish. If he could avoid making enemies, he would. Even though they were a small company, who could guarantee there wasn't a big player behind the scenes? What if they were some big boss's child? If I offended them and they spoke ill of me later, causing me trouble, wouldn't that be a huge loss?

So he too decided it was best to accept the offer, quickly saying, "A chat sounds good. I find this show quite interesting. Since the one-year difference isn't an issue, that's even better. My daughter just turned seven this year; quite fitting."

With Lu Yongxin joining, the group's discussion became livelier. Having someone with a child allowed them to consider some aspects more thoroughly.

Although Chu Tian had the most detailed plan, there was no harm in letting everyone discuss it. Who knows, they might even spark some brilliant ideas.

As for Chen Sheng, Chu Tian was very satisfied with his timely interventions and his peacemaker attitude. Having such an emotionally intelligent person with broad connections could be very helpful to him. Moreover, Chen Sheng was tactful, appeared to have good character, was skilled at maintaining relationships, and was also highly competent.

This was indeed a valuable resource, Chu Tian thought, resolving to build a connection with him. At the same time, another idea began to form in his mind.

Just then, voices were heard from outside the door. Wei Liangxiao's voice, in particular, was audible even through the closed door.

The people inside looked up just in time to see Wei Chuan push the door open, with Wei Liangxiao following closely behind.

"Come on in! We were just waiting for you two. If you hadn't come soon, we would have started serving the food."

Chen Sheng, seeing the newcomers, quickly got up, rushed over, and pulled a man who looked about thirty, saying, "You finally made it! Why so slow? You've kept everyone waiting."

The man, seeing so many people, was visibly flustered and a bit embarrassed, stuttering, "Brother Chen, everyone, I'm really sorry. I just got off the plane this afternoon and got a bit stuck in traffic on the way here. That delayed me a little. My apologies!"

Wei Liangxiao quickly tried to smooth things over with a laugh; as the host, he had to ensure everyone felt comfortable. "It's alright, no big deal. Please, take a seat. This is a good opportunity to introduce you all."

After saying this, he pulled over another person and said, "This is a friend of mine, actor Xiang Lin. Despite his youth, his acting skills are quite good. He's worked with my dad before."

Wei Chuan, hearing his son, nodded in agreement. "Lin is indeed quite good, very promising."

Xiang Lin, looking flattered, quickly expressed his thanks. He then nodded to each person as a greeting, as he hardly recognized anyone.

When he reached Lu Yongxin, he quickly went up and gave him a warm hug. "Ah, Teacher Lu! I didn't expect to see you here."

"And where else did you expect to see me? Go find a seat first."

Finally experiencing the respect of others, Lu Yongxin felt quite pleased and showed great warmth towards Xiang Lin.

The last one to be introduced was the young man who had apologized earlier. This time, it wasn't Wei Liangxiao who spoke, but Chen Sheng. "This is a young friend of mine, the singer Ding Lei. I brought him along to broaden his horizons."

Ding Lei offered another round of apologies and greetings. By now, nearly everyone who was expected had arrived.

Wei Liangxiao quickly signaled the waiter to start serving the food.

At the table, with the arrival of the two newcomers, everyone tactfully paused the previous conversation. They realized that these young men were strangers, and some topics might not be appropriate to discuss in front of them.

For a moment, the atmosphere became somewhat subdued. Lu Yongxin, perhaps wanting to display his status as a mentor, or perhaps genuinely wanting to help this former student, was the first to speak, "This is Xiang Lin, from our Film Academy. You graduated the year before last, right?"

Xiang Lin nodded hurriedly, an awkward and visibly naive smile on his face.

"I remember quite clearly. A very spirited young man. Though you weren't officially my student, you did attend a few of my performance classes, so you could be considered half a student of mine." Lu Yongxin continued, "Don't be shy. We're all acquaintances here—seniors, directors, and even our sponsor, President Chu. An opportunity might arise for you, so be confident and present yourself well."

His feigned stern admonishment, to an outsider, looked like genuine support from a mentor.

After this brief 'lesson,' Lu Yongxin shifted the conversation, "I heard you recently landed a role in a costume drama?"

"Yes, Teacher Lu. It's called *Eternal Love at Peach Blossom Rapids*. We had finished filming, but some scenes needed reshoots. I just got back today, which is why I was late."

Chu Tian's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the name; it sounded vaguely familiar.

Lu Yongxin, who knew something about it, asked, "Is that the one directed by Liu Bing? I recall it wrapped up about a month ago. Why are you doing reshoots now?"

Speaking of this, Xiang Lin gave a wry smile and explained, "We've been waiting for the theme song. Initially, Xu Qingqiu was supposed to sing it, but then Qin Xiao was chosen. Director Liu wasn't satisfied with that choice. However, it seems there was some cooperation with Baise Entertainment, so the release was postponed."

The others showed little reaction, as such occurrences were quite common in the industry. Chu Tian, however, was struck by a thought as something clicked in his memory. This was the very project he had previously arranged with Xu Qingqiu! It had been snatched by Qin Xiao, and now it seemed it wasn't even finalized yet? If that's the case, perhaps there's still a chance to cause them some trouble.

Lost in thought, he didn't notice Wei Liangxiao and Hou Yichuan exchange a quick, meaningful glance. Others might not know, but they were well aware that their boss seemed to have a somewhat unclear relationship with Xu Qingqiu.

Seeing Chu Tian's displeased expression, Wei Liangxiao quickly changed the subject. "Weren't we just talking about President Chu's show? Where did we leave off?"

No one else spoke. Chu Tian glanced at him and said, "We've discussed most of it. I'll bring out the proposal later and show it to Director Hu. If it's suitable, we can then discuss cooperation."

Hearing that they had pretty much finished discussing it, Wei Liangxiao didn't press further. Instead, he shifted the topic again, "By the way, President Chu, has our company considered expanding into the film industry?"

It was just casual small talk; he wasn't probing too deeply. Such matters weren't a big deal. Information that was meant to be known couldn't be hidden, and anything that could be hidden wasn't worth knowing.

Meanwhile, Wei Chuan stood to the side, glaring daggers at his son, practically fuming. He wished he could give him a good thrashing. I asked you to sound him out, and *this* is how you do it?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.