Smile Code (Lost Laughter) 失笑 - Zhu Le 祖乐

62

"I'm banned from performing worldwide?"

If Liu Ran's speech hadn't been unusually fast, as though cutting her off, Gu Yi would've thought she misheard. Since signing the contract, she hadn't gotten any commercial gigs through the agency, and now, when she found one herself, they wanted to take a cut. She was starting to lose trust in Liu Ran: "It's been almost three months since signing, and I've done everything I could. You Worry is clearly not a good platform. Do you think the actors aren't trying hard? Acting as a middleman and charging fees, this isn't even how arranged marriages work!"

"Gu Yi, the contract was signed this way. It's not that we don't want you to perform, we just handle the commercial gigs, and we can establish stable relationships with future clients." It was clear she was on another call, as the line went quiet for a moment before Liu Ran came back: "If you breach the contract and get banned from performing worldwide, it will really hurt your chances of performing."

Gu Yi was too angry to know how to argue. Liu Ran continued: "Gu Yi, the posters from previous performances, our boss found them really interesting. The schedule for next month's performances is out, could you please draw some more posters for us? Just deliver them by the end of the month."

"Will there be any pay?"

"Signed actors help the company, and we all work together to make You Worry succeed. If we don't put in effort, how can the company rise?"

Gu Yi gritted her teeth: "Liu Ran, how can you make it sound so good when you're stealing from me?"

Unable to argue over the phone, Liu Ran skillfully deflected the confrontation. On her way home, Gu Yi privately messaged a few friends from the actor group and found out more than she expected. Not only was there no performance opportunity, but the comedy center was funded by the actors themselves. The most surprising thing was a tall and confident girl from Shandong, who privately messaged Gu Yi saying her boss had invited her to dinner with a district leader, and during the meal, she was touched inappropriately and told that You Worry selected actors according to the standards of flight attendants. Gu Yi was furious. When she asked the girl if she wanted to break the contract and take legal action, the girl replied that there was no evidence, and if it got out, it would ruin her reputation. Finally, Liu Ran added: "Gu Yi, you have a slave mentality, why do you feel like we're commanding you? You signed the contract, we're all working for the same goal. Why turn yourself into a slave?"

"Fck your father!"

Liang Daiwen couldn't get through to Gu Yi's phone and searched everywhere she might go in the middle of the night-at Ounce, outside the company building, at bars she frequented, her old residence, and near Xu Guanrui's place. The more he thought about it, the more something seemed off, so he called Yu Dule. The two of them searched the inner ring, and Yu Dule mentioned a small alley behind Ounce, thinking she might be hiding there.

When they arrived, Gu Yi was holding a beer bottle, her cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish, her nose probably stuffy from crying, exhaling deeply in place. As soon as she saw Liang Daiwen, she turned and started walking away. Liang Daiwen shouted from behind, "Don't follow me! I have no face to see anyone, after tonight, I'll die with Liu Ran!"

"How are you going to die with her?"

"I'll buy some explosives and blow up the boss and Liu Ran's house." Gu Yi gritted her teeth. Liang Daiwen could tell she was drunk and angry. Without hesitation, he took out his phone.

"Don't take pictures! I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I let them make me accept this, fcking slave mentality." Gu Yi frowned, tilting her head and pouting, swearing: "Where does this slave mentality come from? I have such a strong backbone. I've never considered taking shortcuts. I've sold my soul to three companies, each one trying to PUA me. What slave am I? A slave to destiny? I've gotten nothing I wanted. No salary, rent is sky-high, I have to split two hundred bucks with others. Finally, I got love, and it's you-don't take pictures!"