To Be A Star - ZhanYi

Chapter - 11

Xiao Zhan spent a solid two months in Hengdian. During this time, he mingled with the extras who had been there for years, picking up on all the rumours and soaking in technical tips from the seasoned technicians. Surprisingly, he didn't shy away from confessing his unwavering admiration for YiBo, and the technicians who had worked alongside YiBo had a lot to share about him.

Even the actors in the eighteenth line had their fair share of stories about YiBo. They mentioned how he brought a skateboard coach to practice whenever he had free time, how he danced with everyone, and never seemed bothered. The technicians were all praises for his dedication to each character and how much he cared about everyone in the crew.

Xiao Zhan discovered that Ke ChunXi was quite enjoyable company. After their initial chat, Ke ChunXi would sit down with the extras and share stories about his time at ShengLi Entertainment, which Xiao Zhan knew was a competitor to MingXing Entertainment.

Xiao Zhan had a hunch that Ke ChunXi might become a rival to Wang YiBo in the near future. He speculated that Ke ChunXi could be the nephew of ShengLi's president. Despite Zheng Lei's inability to dig up information on Ke ChunXi, Xiao Zhan advised him to put it on hold, as it didn't seem too crucial at the moment.

Ke ChunXi was genuinely sweet, winning the hearts of everyone around him. Xiao Zhan could tell it wasn't an act as it radiated from his sincere eyes. Surprisingly, he spent more time hanging out with the extras than with the main actors.

After his ten-day stint, when Ke ChunXi completed his role, he went the extra mile. He treated the Eighteenth-line actors and leaned in to whisper to Xiao Zhan, "Ge, if you ever think about becoming an idol, our agency would gladly welcome you, you know, if you've got the talent." Xiao Zhan couldn't help but laugh along with Ke ChunXi.

By the end of November, he packed his bag and said goodbye to his roommates, who were genuinely saddened by his departure. He expressed gratitude to the street stall vendor and hopped on a bus to YiWu. Initially, he had come to Hengdian to meet Wang YiBo, but the journey turned into a significant life experience, igniting his aspiration to become someone widely recognized, to be a star.

Becoming a star doesn't just rely on luck. Setting a goal, seizing opportunities, putting in effort, and staying persistent can give you everything you need. But Wang YiBo had emphasized something even more crucial – after reaching your goal, don't get lazy. Keep putting in the effort to stay where you are.

As he sat on the train to Beijing, those words echoed in his mind. He took a moment to reflect, asking himself some important questions. Do I have a goal? Yes, Wang YiBo is my goal. Have I made use of opportunities? Yes, and I will keep doing so. Am I giving my best in everything I do? Well, yeah, I guess so. Am I persistent? Sort of. Recognizing areas for improvement, he was determined to enhance himself in the areas where he fell short.

Upon arriving in Beijing, he felt a sense of life returning. Eagerly, he rushed home and warmly embraced his bed. The room he had in Hengdian was a far cry from his place in Tianjin, which was not only bigger but also tidier than his rented single-room apartment. Despite lacking some facilities and furniture, it held a sense of comfort.

His thoughts drifted to his grandmother, a resilient woman. Knowing he no longer dwelled on thoughts of death would have brought her happiness.

Wanting to connect with Tang Jia, he tried calling, but the line was busy. Their last conversation about being in Hengdian didn't go well, and since then, they hadn't spoken.

He scrolled through Weibo and stumbled upon Wang YiBo's December itinerary, a treasure trove circulated by his fangirls in his supertopic. During the two months, Wang YiBo had been quiet on Weibo, merely reposting his endorsements without adding any captions. It appeared that he was deeply engrossed in his police movie project.

The schedule revealed that Wang YiBo was set to attend Tencent Starlight-2018, and there was a juicy rumour floating around. It hinted that Wang YiBo might perform his latest single, 'The Rules Of My World'. The mischievous thought sparked a smirk on his face.

Eager to gather more details, he messaged Xiao-Ji, the ultimate fanboy of YiBo who seemed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of YiBo's schedule. Xiao Zhan marvelled at how Xiao-Ji gathered all these tidbits. He also confessed that he became a fan of Wang YiBo from the very day they met at their fitness centre.

"Made in D." Xiao Zhan grinned at the information.

After returning to Beijing, Xiao Zhan called Zheng Lei. He started by letting him know about his return.

"If you've got nothing going on, come over. Let's handle the recycling factory together," Zheng Lei suggested. "It's quite enjoyable, not much work. I mostly supervise, just checking in. I'm living the good life."

Curious, Zheng Lei asked, "So, how was Hengdian?"

"Why so chatty? Anyway, Hengdian was interesting. Learned a lot about the entertainment industry, but the pay wasn't great. Too much work for too little money. But it was worth diving into the trenches to understand how things operate," Xiao Zhan reflected, thinking about the eighteenth-line actors and technicians.

"It was good... really good. I even had a dialogue in one of the scenes."

"Ah, right. If it was so good, why bother coming back here? You could've just stayed there! ZhanZhan, I seriously can't stand you for this. Do you realize how much profit we're making from the business? You're already rich, but look at what you're doing," Zheng Lei grumbled.

"Lao Zheng, I've always said I want to work, it satisfies me. But leave that aside, I need your help," Xiao Zhan replied.

"Here we go again. Tell me, who do you want information on this time?" Zheng Lei asked.

"As if you can find the information immediately. Don't forget who struggled to find Ke ChunXi's aunt," Xiao Zhan rolled his eyes.

"Xiao Zhan, I've been saying I find something off about him. I couldn't find any family data, and even his surname is different from his father and brother," Zheng Lei explained.

"Ah, forget that. He's not suspicious. He's genuinely good; I saw it with my own eyes. But that's not the help I need from you this time. It's something different," Xiao Zhan said.

"What is it?"

"Do you know anyone at Made in D?"

"The dance studio? Yes, I know the owner, but we're not that close," Zheng Lei replied.

"I want to be a dancer there."

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Hi there! Happy New Year to you all. Not sure how many of you are still reading this one. I am not sure I will be updating in the near future. I may try scheduling the parts, Let see how it goes. So this one, I am republishing it, clearing all the unwanted messes I have made. I have read and re-read this story but not sure what impresses you people, this looks like shit. I might write some more stories with a better plot but let's see how the future goes. It highly depends on my personal life. Not sure why I said these. And, regarding the Mushroom Effect, I definitely need a very long vacation to complete it. I don't know when I will get such a vacation. I wish I could be as young as you people and get a summer vacation but all I am getting is dark circles and eyebags after coming out of my work. Cheers, let this year be a blessed one to us all!