Fortunately, the thing Qi Hao lacked the least was casting directors.

He's now quite influential.

A while ago, he talked about investing in films to support new directors, attracting dozens of young people to join him.

Some of them realized they couldn't fool Qi Hao and had to leave helplessly.

There was no other way; Qi Hao has been in the industry for almost fifteen years, accustomed to all aspects of the entertainment world, and could see through people's capabilities almost immediately, or at least within a few days of working together.

If there was no potential at all, then they shouldn't waste any more time.

However, there were also a dozen individuals who received Qi Hao's approval.

While not everyone among them could grab a script and funding to make films, they at least held some hope.

At the very least, they could become assistant directors or executive directors.

They could rely on this job.

If an assistant director on a set could join two groups a year, it translates into an income of about a hundred thousand or so.

That's even higher than the salary of white-collar workers.

Most importantly, they might only have to work for about six months a year.

Why do people get tired and annoyed at work?

On one hand, it's because they see no hope; the bosses just paint dreams, while their plans to buy a car or a house seem far away.

On the other hand, the work content is dull and repetitive, doing the same mundane tasks over and over again.

The film crew isn't like that.

Every production features a different team, leading to all sorts of experiences.

The small actors are found by these assistant directors.

Some of the assistant directors even started a "Class Belle" topic on Weibo, with many students posting photos of the class belle in the topic.

Of course, most schools and classes don't actually have any class belles.

The evaluations mainly come from the users' own impressions.

And truth be told, this method turned out to be highly effective; the directors collected many suitable young girls' photos.

The priority was to choose those around the same age.

Fifteen or sixteen.

Then choose the pretty ones.

An Feng, in her youth, may have been immature, but she could never be ugly.

The way she looked at fifteen or sixteen was visible to everyone.

Fifteen during "Golden Family," sixteen during "Heavenly Dragon Eight Books."

Through their screening, they did find a few suitable candidates.

Young people are very proactive.

They got the contact details and immediately arranged for offline meetings, mainly to assess their acting skills and understand a bit about their family background.

Going down the actor route, acting skills are indeed important.

Even if it's minimal, you can't entirely be without it.

Family background is also crucial.

Fifteen or sixteen is the age of ninth grade or freshman year in high school, the most critical period for academics.

Does the individual wish to enter the entertainment industry?

Or are they planning to steadily complete their studies and perhaps pursue graduate studies or public office exams in the future?

The entertainment industry is lucrative, but it's also intimidating.

Not all parents are willing to send their kids in for big money.

If the family is genuinely wealthy, with fathers like the likes of the two Mas, then it's even less likely for them to enter showbiz.

Ultimately, it was a young girl, barely sixteen, who was brought before Qi Hao.

Her name was Jiang Fengzhu, from Chengdu, Sichuan.

After some courtesy, the other side's parent straightforwardly stated their condition.

"The child is very interested in acting. Although we're quite worried, we must admit that this is a path that might prove to be easier than working or living through conventional means..."

"I understand, but in any industry, it's the top that reaps all the benefits; only those at the pinnacle truly earn money."

Qi Hao started venturing out when he was fifteen or sixteen, and looking back now, all he saw in retrospect was madness and impulsiveness.

His parents, who had been conservative all their lives, nevertheless tolerated him in every way.

He only hoped his own children would be more prudent.

"Our family is ordinary, and it won't be easy for the child to pursue any career, but this is at least a rare opportunity, and more importantly, the child likes it, so we were thinking if your company could sign her."

This was indeed the most important demand from the parents.

As for which was stronger between Zhonghao and Mrs. Hua, there was still debate.

Last year, Zhonghao Entertainment was very strong, but this year it seemed to perform rather average.

Of course, this was all relative.

"Carry Love to the End" surpassed two hundred million at the box office, with only a thirty-million investment, earning Zhonghao Entertainment at least tens of millions.

Another investment, "Single Men and Women," cost twenty million, crossed a hundred million at the box office, and made a small profit.

Both made money, but compared to last year, they were far behind.

While Mrs. Hua's investment of 120 million in "New Shaolin Temple" brought a total global box office of about 400 million, not falling short of Zhonghao Entertainment.

So, both sides still need to keep clashing.

In terms of strength, it's hard to say which is superior, but in reputation, the difference is like night and day.

Mrs. Hua has a notorious reputation due to numerous scandals.

In the past, when she monopolized the scene, no one dared to speak, but now Zhanqi Laiden would occasionally expose her.

In the eyes of the general public, Mrs. Hua was nothing more than a cesspit.

Jiang Fengzhu's parents had naturally heard about it too.

Regarding Qi Hao's side,

First, he had solid strength, outshining the listed Mrs. Hua even without being listed himself.

Secondly, the boss knew the ropes; Qi Hao had debuted for over ten years and achieved top-tier status in both acting and directing within the industry.

Getting signed by him would entail receiving the most professional planning and guidance.

As for the Wang Brothers, outside playing with women, it seemed no one knew what they were really good at.

Lastly, in terms of personal life.

In the past, Qi Hao's rumors were indeed many; it seemed like every woman who worked with him had been rumored to be romantically involved with him.

This led to Qi Hao's playboy image.

But ever since he got together with An Feng, his reputation took a complete turnaround.

Rumors were just rumors; none of them were proven true.

Instead, he was relentlessly devoted to An Feng, announcing their relationship at the peak of his career and quickly getting married, making them a couple envied by many.

Netizens even captured numerous screenshots.

As long as An Feng was present, Qi Hao didn't even bother to look at anyone else.

A boss with such a proper conduct is extremely rare in the entertainment industry.

Looking at the others,

The likes of the Wang Brothers were considered scum, and Yu Dong wasn't any better.

By comparison, Qi Hao stood out quite impressively.

An additional consideration was that Qi Hao's company had very few signed artists, just one Zhao Jinmai.

Zhao Jinmai was only nine years old and already the hottest child star.

She managed both her studies and acting seamlessly.

The company hadn't shown any signs of exploiting her popularity, instead rejecting many film offers.

This detail particularly pleased the concerned parents.

"So, um... Jiang Fengzhu, right? What grade are you in now?"

Qi Hao found this to be a bit of a hot potato.

"I'm a freshman in high school."

The chosen girl indeed looked quite pretty, although somewhat immature.

If you had to say how she was similar to An Feng,

there wasn't much resemblance.

"Do you believe you can get into any university?"

Qi Hao engaged her in a casual chat, seemingly purposeless, but with every question he was assessing her.

"My grades aren't very good. I... maybe I'm thinking of applying to the Beijing Film Academy."

Jiang Fengzhu apparently hadn't considered this matter before.

Previously, she felt just earning a bachelor's degree was good enough.

Preferably in Chengdu, so she could visit her parents often.

However, after wanting to become an actress, this idea changed subtly.

Especially since now she was waiting for filming to start on the Beijing Film Academy campus.

The desire to attend Beijing Film Academy quickly surged.

Being asked by Qi Hao made her a bit hesitant,

"Do you want to become a star like An Feng?"

Qi Hao looked at An Feng, who was busy elsewhere, and he himself seemed relatively free by comparison.

There was nothing he could do because the drama was invested by An Feng, making her the executive producer.

"I do!"

Who wouldn't want to become like An Feng?

Jiang Fengzhu nodded without hesitation.

"Have you understood everything she's been through, and do you think you could withstand the same level of pressure if you faced similar attacks?"

Qi Hao didn't give her time to think and immediately followed up with another question.

"I... I don't know either..."

Jiang Fengzhu initially wanted to say she could handle it, but upon considering the online abuse An Feng had faced, she instantly lost her confidence.

In the showbiz environment, even claims that An Feng was a man had a lot of believers.

She didn't think she was that strong.

Reflecting on it, An Feng was indeed strong, nothing like the weak and ethereal image many assumed.

"If being signed with us, you must rely on your skills to get into the Beijing Film Academy; Central Academy of Drama or Shanghai Theatre Academy would also work. In any case, you can't neglect your studies."

Qi Hao took a look at the time.

Honestly, saying this much was superfluous.

The person was already here, filming was about to start today, and there was no way to find another young actress.

"I understand, I agree!"

Jiang Fengzhu nodded vigorously, having no other options either.

"The journey is long, and how you walk it is up to you. The school spirit of Beijing Film Academy seems to be cultivation of virtue, diligent learning, mastery of the craft, and practical application... Half of those who graduate can't even achieve those. You should strive in this direction more."

Qi Hao concluded with a few reflective comments.

Since the event was at Beijing Film Academy and there were people from there assisting at the scene, hearing him say this made them only able to smile awkwardly.

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