Chapter 39: Suppressing the Newcomer

Chapter 39: Suppressing the Newcomer

Hearing Qi Tong's words, Ren Jia couldn't help but reveal a triumphant expression.

The people from the surrounding team seemed accustomed to Ren Jia's behavior; no one showed any extra emotion.

Competition in the entertainment industry is fierce, especially for actresses. Whether it is beauty, acting skills, or background, every track is nearly saturated, yet newcomers continue to sprout up like bamboo shoots after a rain.

Although Ren Jia was currently at the height of her popularity, she was highly career-oriented and remained constantly vigilant. Suppressing newcomers with outstanding qualities was a common competitive tactic, and she didn't see anything wrong with it.

Such matters were considered basic in the industry; there were far more underhanded dealings than this.

Shen Li had only just placed one foot in the door of the entertainment industry; how could she understand such things? Thus, when she was notified to stay backstage to wait for arrangements, she nodded obediently, unaware that without her knowledge, her eligibility to appear at the press conference had already been secretly revoked.

With her credentials, if she could secure camera time at the press conference, she would certainly attract the audience's attention, even if it wasn't much. This was her only chance to gain public exposure as a newcomer before her official debut.

Ren Jia knew all too well which tactics to use and when to use them to suppress a newcomer. Once this opportunity was lost, if Shen Li wanted to appear before the audience again, she would have to wait for the promotion after the drama wrapped.

At the earliest, that would be six months.

Watching the main cast members take the stage one after another, Shen Li didn't dare leave the backstage, fearing that the staff wouldn't be able to find her later.

"Eh? Little beauty, why aren't you going on stage?"

When Ren Jia passed by the backstage on her way to the venue and saw Shen Li, she actually feigned surprise as she greeted her.

Shen Li hurriedly stood up and said softly, "The staff told me to wait here. They said it might take a while before it's my turn."

Ren Jia nodded understandingly and smiled. "Then wait here. Don't wander off; it would be a hassle if they can't find you later."

"I know. You go ahead, Sister Ren Jia."

As she watched Ren Jia leave the backstage accompanied by her team, the once noisy and busy backstage instantly became exceptionally quiet. All the actors participating in the press conference had gone to the venue, leaving her all alone.

As time passed minute by minute, there was a monitor in the backstage connected to a transmitter that showed the live press conference. Shen Li, who should have been appearing on the screen, had instead become an audience member outside of it.

"Shen Li?"

Just then, Yu Hong returned to the backstage to pick up some things. Seeing Shen Li sitting in a chair in a daze, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "What are you doing here? Why aren't you on stage?"

Seeing Yu Hong, Shen Li hurriedly stood up. "Teacher, I... I'm waiting for arrangements."

"Waiting for arrangements?" Yu Hong looked around. Aside from a few cleaning staff, there was no one else. She frowned and asked, "Who told you to wait here for arrangements?"

"A staff member," Shen Li said truthfully.

Having been a manager for nearly twenty years, Yu Hong was well-versed in the inner workings of the entertainment industry. She understood instantly that Shen Li was being targeted by someone with ulterior motives.

"You silly girl, the press conference is already halfway over. If no one came to call you, didn't you think to go ask?" Yu Hong sighed, but instead of taking Shen Li to find the staff, she used the situation to make a point: "If you had a company behind you, or if you were under my management, do you think they would dare treat you like this?"

Shen Li realized belatedly that she had been sidelined.

"Teacher, why?" Shen Li asked with a look of pure confusion. "I... I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

"Remember, in the future, don't ask 'why' in the entertainment industry, because many things simply have no 'why'." Yu Hong patted her shoulder and said, "The press conference is being live-streamed. Since you didn't go on stage with them, you can't go up halfway through. Learn your lesson from this incident and keep your eyes open in the future."

Shen Li's nose felt a bit sour, and her watery eyes turned slightly red.

She couldn't understand it. She clearly hadn't done anything wrong, and she had even arrived at the venue two hours early to wait for this press conference, yet she had inexplicably been sidelined.

And she wasn't even allowed to ask why—what kind of logic was that?

Seeing her pitiful appearance, Yu Hong also showed a look of helplessness. While not every newcomer faced unfair treatment when they first entered the industry, the more outstanding their qualities, the more likely they were to encounter it.

This also served as proof that Shen Li was excellent; even before her debut, she had already made certain people feel threatened.

She couldn't let such a good talent slip through her fingers.

"Don't feel wronged. If you had given me an answer sooner, wouldn't I have been able to bring you along to today's press conference?" Yu Hong asked gently at the right moment. "Are you still undecided about signing?"

Shen Li adjusted her mindset and said softly, "No, Teacher. I wanted to give you my answer in person today to make it official. I didn't expect something like this to happen."

"I've decided. I am willing to sign," Shen Li said, her heart more determined than ever before.

Today's incident made her realize that with her blank-slate experience, if no one guided her and showed her the way, she would surely suffer endless losses in the future.

She needed a company to rely on, and more importantly, she needed an experienced manager.

Hearing her agree to sign, Yu Hong revealed a gratified smile. "That's right. When you have time, come to the company to find me, and we'll sit down to discuss the details properly."

Shen Li pursed her lips and nodded, asking cautiously, "Then today..."

"Don't think about today. If you don't want things to be awkward later, you can leave now," Yu Hong said.

Shen Li naturally felt aggrieved and unwilling, but she didn't make a scene; she silently accepted the outcome.

In the dormitory, Wang Chuhan and the others were sitting together watching the live stream of the press conference. At first, they were all excited, waiting for the main cast to appear so they could see Shen Li make her beautiful debut.

But even as the press conference approached its end, there was no sign of Shen Li.

"Wait, what's going on? Where is Shen Li?"

"Yeah, she left home two or three hours early. Could she have gone to the wrong place?"

"Impossible. She sent me a message early on saying she was already waiting backstage and even said she saw several celebrities."

The group was full of confusion. Finally, Zhao Meina took out her phone to message Shen Li to ask, but there was no reply.

In another dormitory, Xu Zishan was also watching the live stream. Her mindset was the exact opposite of Wang Chuhan's group; at first, she was filled with anxiety, fearing that Shen Li would actually appear among the main cast at the press conference.

But after watching for a long time without Shen Li appearing, she let out a long sigh of relief.

"I told you it was impossible. No matter how good Shen Li's conditions are, there's no way she could land an important role in such a large IP project."

"Shanshan, stop overthinking it."

(End of Chapter)