My Fortune-Blessed Leading Lady
Chapter 440: Audition for "City of Temptation

Chapter 440: Chapter 440: Audition for "City of Temptation

"City of Temptation" was a project that Huanya gave up on two years ago but then reinstated two years later; all the paperwork was settled, and the announcement for the casting call was made.

Two years ago, "City of Temptation" had already garnered a lot of attention, reflected not only in the script itself but also in the production team.

As soon as the news broke, netizens flocked to see it.

The internal strife within Huanya had become clear, with the company clearly divided. It was just a matter of seeing whether Xi Nian or his competitor would prove to be more capable.

Only then could it be decided who would ultimately take the helm.

Internally, it was well-known that there was a plan to share the spoils; both individuals would invest in and initiate their own film projects to see who would come out on top at the box office. The loser would have to leave of their own accord.

During the initial meeting, Xi Nian had watched his opponent boast eloquently without saying anything himself. Xi Nian was not one to wear his emotions on his sleeve, and many couldn’t fathom his thoughts.

No one knew which move he would make next.

But it was different for Xi Gu. Although Huanya was shareholder-based, it was also a family business, and both Xi Nian and Xi Gu were descendants of the Xi Family.

Naturally, they both had the capability to take charge.

Even though it wasn’t public knowledge, factions within Huanya had already begun to emerge. Xi Nian, without raising any fuss, had attracted quite a few people, while Xi Gu, who had believed his victory was secure, had never anticipated the day he might capsize.

It wasn’t that his supporters had diminished, but rather that the number of neutral parties had significantly increased.

During a major company meeting, Xi Gu took the opportunity to mock Xi Nian, "No matter what shameful things you’ve done in the dark, I will not lose to a despicable person like you."

Xi Nian gazed at Xi Gu’s fierce and twisted face with a calm composure. His features were soft and gentle, in stark contrast to Xi Gu’s well-defined appearance, yet this did not make him seem weak. On the contrary, he seemed very steady.

And Xi Gu was excessively impatient.

The reason for his agitation and lack of self-confidence, which had unsettled many of his supporting shareholders, was because the two-year dispute had not progressed in the direction he had anticipated. This caused doubt in the minds of some shareholders about whether they had chosen the right side.

During his competitive presentation, Xi Nian had stated that if Huanya ended up in his hands, those shareholders who had once supported his competitor would have to get out.

Of course, the same went for the shareholders who supported him; if they lost alongside him, they would have to leave together.

It was a battle of power where no one could guarantee victory; many shareholders believed Xi Gu, who had been steeped in Huanya for many years, had a great chance of winning due to his tenure.

But Xi Nian’s performance was indeed much better than Xi Gu’s.

Take the "City of Temptation" project, for example; it was among the first batch discarded by Xi Gu, but Xi Nian had quietly preserved it for two years.

In the toughest two years, he had never given up, evolving from a nominal figurehead dropped in from above to now having half of the authority of a leader.

That was not something just anyone could achieve, and it all happened within just three years.

Two years later, he restarted the "City of Temptation" project, intending to settle the final wager with Xi Gu and thus determine the ultimate ownership of the Huanya Asia Division.

Xi Nian was too enigmatic.

Xi Nian casually withdrew his gaze, glanced around at the gathered shareholders, and fixed his eyes upon Xi Gu, "Do you know why your years of usurping the nest have been such a failure?

Why you couldn’t even secure the support of half of Huanya?"

Xi Gu’s eyes bulged, looking somewhat terrifying, "You, an abandoned outcast by the family, dare to spout such nonsense in front of me?"

Xi Nian’s gaze was profound, his expression indifferent, "Between an abandoned child and a bastard, which sounds a little nicer?"

He never condescended to engage in a war of words, finding it meaningless. However, Xi Gu always had the knack for stepping on his most painful spots; if someone caused him a slight pain, he’d make sure to return it tenfold.

Xi Gu fell silent, "Fine, I won’t compete with you for heroism. We’ll see."

After the meeting, Xi Nian’s assistant followed behind him. It was only when they reached a quiet corner that he slowly spoke up, "President Xi, for the project ’Miss Rose’ that Xi Gu initiated, they’ve invited the international movie star Ou Jinchu. Back when she was developing her career domestically, her popularity was unmatched among actresses, only Bo Yan was significantly more successful;

After all, Bo Yan is a phenomenon in the cinema world with few rivals in the circle, but Ou Jinchu’s box office appeal is also very impressive internationally;

Should we..."

Xi Nian interrupted his assistant, "No need. If he can get Ou Jinchu for a female star, does he also think he can get Bo Yan for a male star?"

The assistant fell silent, of course that was not possible.

The relationship between Bo Yan and Yuran was something he was vaguely aware of through his close care for Xi Nian. So, what did President Xi mean?

As if knowing what the Little Assistant was pondering when he looked his way, Xi Nian promptly vetoed, "No, inviting Bo Yan to star in ’City of Temptation’ would be to underuse him. I plan to look for a newcomer."

The Little Assistant was puzzled, "President Xi, our chances of winning are slim with this approach. Do you really intend to..." hand over Huanya on a silver platter?

Xi Nian raised his hand, stopping the Little Assistant’s incessant chatter, "I have my own considerations. You don’t need to question anything. I have it all figured out."

Handing over Huanya?

Impossible.

Even if Huanya were to slip from his hands, it would only be a deeply flawed Huanya.

Xi Gu wants to reap the benefits without effort? Wishful thinking.

In terms of means and abilities, Xi Nian was capable of anything. His investment in Huanya was merely due to some private reasons, that’s all.

The Little Assistant didn’t understand his boss’s thoughts and, of course, didn’t dare to inquire further.

Come November, the temperature began to drop after the onset of winter, and Huanya also officially announced the audition dates for ’City of Temptation’, with a list of dozens of potential actresses attached.

In keeping with the principle of fairness and justice, the auditions for ’City of Temptation’ were conducted in an open manner and streamed live.

This unprecedented move, upon revealing the names of those actresses, with their own idols included, sparked widespread discussion. As for the rival production ’Miss Rose,’ they directly announced the cast.

Xi Nian’s guess was right. They managed to secure Ou Jinchu, but getting Bo Yan was certainly out of the question. Thus, after several revisions of the script, the male actor was confirmed to be a young, slightly famous, Chinese American actor in Hollywood.

Netizens joked about hiring two foreigners to enact our country’s historical tale—did they even understand the significance of the story itself?

Some also noted that Ou Jinchu was not a foreign Chinese national.

But there was no evidence to the contrary. The topic of ’Miss Rose’ soared in popularity, but with it came tumbling negative commentary.

Xi Gu, who was in charge of production and investment, was extremely annoyed, instructing his team to suppress the negative press while hoping the crew would start shooting soon, even if just an initial trailer could be made.

He was eager to prove his eye for selecting actors, craving the audience’s approval, and yearning to win this war without smoke. He was desperately keen to trample Xi Nian underfoot and ridicule Xi Nian’s arrogance. Comparing himself to Xi Nian? Ridiculous.

Yet on Xi Nian’s side, things were moving calmly and unhurriedly.

It was as if the commotion from Xi Gu’s camp had nothing to do with him.