Lu Ming returned to Xun Rong Company. Jiang Lan was still working desperately late into the night.
Seeing Lu Ming arrive, Jiang Lan quietly asked, "How did things go with your sister?"
Lu Ming replied, "No problems. The scoundrels harassing her have been dealt with."
Jiang Lan breathed a sigh of relief.
Though she had disagreements with Jiang Mengxin, their sisterly bond remained. After all, Jiang Mengxin had always looked out for her since they were young, and Jiang Lan didn't want her sister being bothered by bad people.
"It's good that it's settled," Jiang Lan said, returning to her work.
Lu Ming walked over and glanced at her screen. "What are you busy with? Is there anything I can help with?"
Jiang Lan replied, "I'm planning for tomorrow's advertisement shoot."
"Advertisement shoot?"
"Yes," Jiang Lan explained. "To build up the Jiang family brand, I've decided to hire a famous female celebrity as our image ambassador. We've arranged for her to come to the company tomorrow to shoot a set of photos first."
Lu Ming showed some interest. "Which big star?"
Jiang Lan said, "Shen Ziyi."
Lu Ming asked, "The lead actress from that recently popular Xianxia drama?"
"Yes, her."
Shen Ziyi was a rising superstar, incredibly beautiful with excellent resources, and had over thirty million followers on Weibo. It was an astonishing number. With Shen Ziyi at the peak of her fame, her endorsement would surely yield excellent results. However, the price was also considerable.
Jiang Lan continued, "Putting aside other fees, just for her appearance tomorrow to take photos, she's charging two million for one hour. It's outrageous. These traffic stars make money so easily after becoming famous."
Lu Ming smiled and said nothing. If Shen Ziyi's fame could boost the Jiang family, the expense would be worth it. What else could one do when relying on someone else's traffic and reputation?
The next day.
Jiang Lan had arranged for employees to welcome the guest early. A red carpet was laid out at the entrance, with flower baskets on either side. Around 10 AM, a silver Maybach pulled up to the entrance.
First, bodyguards emerged, scanning the surroundings to ensure no unwanted individuals were present. Then, they opened the car door, shielding Shen Ziyi as she stepped out.
Shen Ziyi's appearance instantly drew everyone's attention. Deep V, black silk, sunglasses, wavy hair. She exuded a seductive allure, yet also a commanding presence that made ordinary people feel inferior just by standing before her. Even Jiang Lan, a top beauty, felt overshadowed by Shen Ziyi's aura. Truly a top-tier star, her presence was undeniable.
As they entered the company, Shen Ziyi removed her sunglasses and looked coldly at Jiang Lan. "Are you Manager Jiang?"
Jiang Lan nodded. "I am."
Shen Ziyi glanced at her watch. "It's 10:08 AM. I'll give you one hour. The photos must be finished by 11:08 AM. Not a minute more. Understand?"
Jiang Lan inwardly marveled. Was this big star's schedule that packed? Not wasting a single minute, she was truly impressive. With no room to argue, Jiang Lan immediately arranged for the shoot. Fortunately, Jiang Lan had prepared everything in advance. The studio was fully equipped, and Shen Ziyi only needed to change outfits and strike a few poses. If everything went smoothly, it might not even take an hour.
However, Shen Ziyi did not enter the studio. Instead, she had her assistant bring a chair for her to sit on.
Jiang Lan asked, "Teacher Shen, you are...?"
Shen Ziyi arrogantly replied, "I've been sitting in the car all the way here. I'm tired. Let me rest for ten minutes first."
Damn it! Jiang Lan wanted to curse. You're really good at business! Charging two million an hour, not willing to waste a minute, yet demanding a ten-minute rest first. Truly remarkable.
Jiang Lan felt annoyed but managed to suppress her anger and had someone bring the outfits for the shoot. The assistant brought three outfits and presented them to Shen Ziyi one by one. After looking them over, Shen Ziyi frowned. "What kind of trash are these? With my status, how can I wear such rubbish? If my fans saw this, wouldn't it ruin my reputation?"
Jiang Lan explained, "These three outfits were decided upon initially. Teacher Shen, you reviewed and agreed to them."
"Did I?" Shen Ziyi gave a disdainful look. "But I'm not satisfied now."
This... isn't this just playing games? Jiang Lan felt like losing her temper, but the assistant said, "It's okay. Our company has over a dozen more outfits. I'll bring them all for Teacher Shen to look at. She can wear whichever she likes. It won't cause delays."
Soon, the assistant brought over more than ten outfits, displaying them one by one. Shen Ziyi found fault with this one and that one was unsuitable. After much deliberation, she reluctantly chose one. This whole process took half an hour.
Jiang Lan urged them to begin the shoot. Shen Ziyi glared at her. "What's the rush? Are you in a hurry to be reborn?"
Jiang Lan suppressed her anger. "Teacher Shen, time is short. Please consider our situation."
"Hmph, trash company, so many demands. Just wait." Shen Ziyi grudgingly changed into the outfit and walked into the studio. Finally, they could proceed with the normal shoot.
Jiang Lan instructed them to speed up. The photographer nodded, understanding, and started shooting rapidly. However, after only a dozen shots, Shen Ziyi's expression changed slightly. She walked over to the photographer. "You're shooting so fast. Aren't you just randomly taking pictures?"
The photographer replied, "Teacher Shen, please rest assured. I am a professional photographer. Even if I shoot quickly, I guarantee the quality."
"Is that so? Show me the photos you've taken so far."
"Alright." The photographer brought up the recent shots and opened them for Shen Ziyi to see. Shen Ziyi frowned as she looked. "What kind of rubbish is this? A professional photographer? My dog takes better pictures."
Uh... the photographer was quite embarrassed. Jiang Lan also walked over to inspect the photos. "There are no problems with the shooting. The quality is quite good. I'm very satisfied with this level of quality."
"You're satisfied? When will I be satisfied?" Shen Ziyi pushed Jiang Lan aside and retorted, "Don't use your inferior taste to challenge me!"
Jiang Lan was furious. But looking at the time, with only about twenty minutes left, she couldn't afford to argue. Jiang Lan told the photographer, "Delete all the photos just taken. Reshoot them. This time, shoot slower. Fewer photos are fine, as long as the quality is improved."
The photographer nodded. However, just as the photographer was about to start shooting, Shen Ziyi caused another problem. She clutched her stomach and said, "Stop, stop, stop. I'm hungry. I can't shoot anymore. Manager Jiang, go quickly and get me a bowl of spicy oil noodles. I need to eat to have the energy to continue shooting."
With that said, Shen Ziyi walked out of the studio and plopped down on a sofa chair.