My Virtual Girlfriend-Chapter 152 I Can’t Control Myself! (1200 monthly tickets plus more!)

Chapter 152: Chapter 152 I Can’t Control Myself! (1200 monthly tickets plus more!)

For a moment, Yang Rou even doubted her professional prowess.

Was her strength not as formidable as she thought, or was her boss simply a genius?

Why did her choices exactly match his?

Gradually, as she looked over the list, she entertained other thoughts...

Could it just be a coincidence in the beginning?

After all, everyone had discussed the top few important choices during the meetings. With a bit of luck, the subsequent choices turned out to be appropriate as well. That could explain it, right?

Maybe... the rest would be different?

While guessing, Yang Rou continued to read on.

Though she found many excuses for the "coincidence" at the beginning, the truth was undeniable.

The more she read the list, the more shocked she became, and she read faster and faster.

Because... she didn’t need to look very carefully or analyze further. All the names on the list were the same as hers, the same, the same, still the same!

Most of the choices on this list were thought out by her last night!

For a moment, Yang Rou even suspected that Chen Yan had stolen her list!

Finally, after she finished reading the entire list, Yang Rou realized that this list and the one she had stayed up making last night were about 95% the same!

What was even scarier was...

Upon closer consideration of the remaining 5% where they differed, she actually thought... Chen Yan’s choices seemed more reasonable!

Because... last night, she had only compared horizontally among several people for the same position, forgetting to consider if some people could work together more efficiently.

And Chen Yan... had considered that.

In his list, there were several position choices who had worked together multiple times and had good relationships. They would perform even better by working together in the same crew!

This revelation also dispelled Yang Rou’s initial thought that "Chen Yan had stolen her list."

How could he possibly steal a list...

Have you ever seen someone who scored 99 points steal the answers from someone who scored 90?

Now, Chen Yan and Yang Rou were just like that.

After going through the list once more, Yang Rou realised that besides a few choices she didn’t quite understand, all the other people on the list were nearly perfect.

She couldn’t help but look up at Chen Yan, who was sitting on the sofa.

Her boss...

Was no ordinary man.

Whether he made these choices himself or had help from someone else, it proved that he was far from simple as he appeared.

No wonder he had the confidence to take back the decision-making power on personnel choices from her.

He must be using this method to subtly remind her that his understanding and judgment of this industry were deep, not the slightest bit inferior to hers.

He was telling her to focus on her work without other distractions.

With this in mind, Yang Rou put the list down and then spoke to Chen Yan, "President Chen. I’ve finished looking over the list."

"Very perfect..."

Chen Yan looked up, "Really?"

Yang Rou nodded earnestly and then said, "Even more perfect than what I had considered. This list truly surprised me."

Since the company was founded, it was rare for Yang Rou to praise anyone, but Chen Yan couldn’t help but smile.

It seems... [Xiao Ha’s Instant Camera] really works.

If his top talent thinks this highly of it, then there shouldn’t be any issues.

While he was thinking this, Yang Rou continued, "However... I still have a few disagreements with you."

As she spoke, she opened her drawer, pulled out a list of her own, and boldly placed it on the table.

Chen Yan walked over.

Yang Rou stood up, picked up a pen, and while comparing the two lists, circled a few names and drew a few horizontal lines.

Then she sincerely said, "Actually, I made a backup list last night too."

"The circles and horizontal lines represent our disagreements."

"The horizontal lines are where I’ve thought it over and believe your choices are more fitting."

"The circles are what I don’t quite understand."

As she spoke, she pointed to the circle over the director’s name, "Especially the director. He’s crucial to a film, and using Director Teng, who has never directed a commercial film before, isn’t that too risky?"

Chen Yan had anticipated this issue.

Yesterday, when he found out that Teng Yufei was more suitable for this film than other directors, he was curious too.

So he looked up Teng Yufei’s information and even watched two of his films, carefully studying his style of directing films to generally figure out why.

He began, "No, no. I actually think Director Teng is really a good fit for our movie."

"I’ve seen his work. His previous films, though artsy, were not pretentious but rather straightforward in their narrative."

"His visual style also matches our movie very well."

Saying so, Chen Yan took out his phone and showed her prepared data, "Look, in his film...." frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

For the next ten minutes, Chen Yan played to his strengths and touted Teng Yufei’s talents.

As a top producer, Yang Rou quietly listened to Chen Yan’s narrative and gradually began to revise her judgement of Teng Yufei.

Gradually, she realized that Teng Yufei indeed seemed very suitable for this film.

Of course, she wasn’t swayed by Chen Yan’s words.

To her, Chen Yan’s praise seemed... um, a bit amateur, not really hitting the mark.

She found many points where Teng Yufei matched the film from this information.

Of course, she still needed more investigation and study.

But at least now, in her mind, Teng Yufei was on par with Director Yuan as the first choice for the film’s director.

Thinking this, she couldn’t help but look at Chen Yan.

Looking at the data her boss had prepared.

Could it be... this was really his own chosen list?

Relying on these external data and amateur judgments, he actually selected such an accurate list?

For a moment...

Yang Rou found her boss a bit terrifying.

She wasn’t being sarcastic; she truly thought so.

Relying purely on external data and then randomly analyzing them, finally trusting his intuition to choose a list. What was that? That was talent!

The film industry most importantly lacks this kind of talent!

Film projects are so uncertain, sometimes analysis doesn’t help at all. Various accidents happen.

But, if someone naturally has the right vision and intuition, then there’s nothing to fear.

The combinations picked by intuition might just be more suitable than those others spend days analyzing. They might instantly become blockbusters.

Thus, those with such talent are all either the Golden Touch or industry giants.

Yang Rou had this talent, only slightly weaker, so she still needed to perform another round of judgement and analysis when it came to projects.

And her boss clearly had this talent too, and much stronger...

With these thoughts, Yang Rou couldn’t help but take another look at Chen Yan.

Perhaps it was an illusion, but she felt that today’s boss seemed different, like... he was somewhat radiant, exuding confidence that made her want to keep looking...

Could this be the charm of a confident man?

Yang Rou nodded slightly.

Then, she and Chen Yan continued to discuss the list, and after confirming there were no major issues, they approved it.

Seeing that the hard work he put into the past two hours was recognized by the top talent, Chen Yan felt a bit proud.

But he hadn’t forgotten his purpose.

He asked, "President Yang. Do you think there’s still room to optimize this list?"

Yang Rou’s voice seemed much softer, "You mean...?"

Chen Yan said, "Is there... a way to add some more impressive talents?"

Yang Rou looked at Chen Yan, shook her head slightly, "It’s not likely. This list has already been selected based on suitability, schedules, and their willingness."

"The others either aren’t suitable or their schedules don’t fit, or they’re closely associated with Xu Brothers Film Company and Director Zhang."

Chen Yan’s brows furrowed slightly, then he added, "Then... is there still a way to increase the box office?"

Seeing Yang Rou about to speak, Chen Yan quickly added, "Without inflating the box office numbers."

Yang Rou smiled lightly.

This was the first time Chen Yan saw her smile, and unexpectedly, without her strong-woman facade, she revealed a charming allure of a mature woman.

Yang Rou’s smile faded quickly, and she said, "Actually, there is another way."

Chen Yan asked, "What way?"

Yang Rou, "Distribution."

"If we can find a good distribution partner to work with, who can get us higher placements and more screens from various cinemas, and massive promotion resources from various online platforms, or even join hands in distribution, then... we might significantly increase our box office."

"By then, if we cooperate with them and intensify our advertising... reaching 500 million at the box office might not be impossible."

Chen Yan lowered his head in thought...

This method seemed... worth considering.

Especially since he had "Xiao Ha’s Instant Camera," which could instantly determine which distribution plan was better, perhaps even adding another 100 million to the box office was possible.

However... this idea was good.

But where could he find such a good distributor?

Chen Yan kept this in mind, feeling that he would research it thoroughly in the next few days.

After finding a way to solve the remaining 100 million box office, Chen Yan felt reassured.

Then, he spoke with Yang Rou for a while about the preliminary preparations of the production team, before leaving Yang Rou’s office to head back to the gaming company.

As he was leaving the film company, Chen Yan took a slight detour to Lu Man’s practice room. He had initially wanted to nod at Lu Man through the window and make his presence felt.

But unexpectedly, perhaps to prevent peeping, the practice room’s glass had been covered from the inside, and the door was tightly shut; he couldn’t see anything.

Plan B was not successful, but Chen Yan didn’t mind too much. He shrugged and left the film company to head back to the game company office.

In the afternoon, after lunch, the film company held a meeting about the drama crew’s member list.

Chen Yan and Yang Rou chaired the meeting, with Mei Li and Lu Man, the two company shareholders, also attending.

Once all the company employees had arrived, people took their seats.

Chen Yan sat in the main seat, with Yang Rou on his left and Lu Man and Mei Li on his right.

Under normal circumstances, as the company’s second largest shareholder next to Chen Yan, Lu Man would sit right next to Chen Yan.

However, this time, she purposely let Mei Li sit in front to keep a distance between herself and Chen Yan.

The company employees didn’t notice this abnormality, but Chen Yan did—although he didn’t mind.

After everyone arrived, he cleared his throat and said, "Today’s meeting is mainly to finalize the matters concerning the drama crew."

"The first item is to finalize the list of the drama crew members."

"Yesterday and this morning, President Yang and I carefully compared our candidate list, and then finalized the final selections."

"Shortly, President Yang’s assistant, Xiao Wenn, will distribute the printed list to all departments."

"After the meeting, the production department and the External Relations department should discuss and then contact the listed individuals, inviting them to participate in the filming or informing them they passed the audition."

"Then promptly confirm their schedules and willingness. If there are any issues, compile them and report back to President Yang."

As a novice in the industry with not much authority in the company, Chen Yan felt more like a mascot. So after he finished speaking, although everyone nodding seriously to give face to the big boss, they all looked toward Yang Rou, the backbone of the company, seeking her opinion.

Yang Rou, sitting next to Chen Yan, nodded slightly, and the company employees knew that this was a decision made after consultation between Chen Yan and Yang Rou, which put their minds at ease.

After all... "The incident where Chen Yan and Yang Rou disagreed yesterday and he took back the decision-making power on crew personnel" had spread widely within the company.

Having been in the film industry for so many years, everyone knew the horror of being led by a novice. So, they were all somewhat nervous throughout the day.

They feared that moving to a new company and encountering a novice boss might lead to disaster.

That could potentially affect their reputation and qualifications within the industry.

They might even be doubted by new companies on their capability to switch jobs.

Now seeing that Yang Rou, the golden producer, had nodded, they felt reassured.

As for how Yang Rou and Chen Yan coordinated, they felt they could guess.

It was nothing more than a long argument between the insider Yang Rou and Chen Yan, with both making compromises and finally producing a list they both could accept.

This situation... was too common in the industry.

But, it was already a very good outcome.

Thus, people from various departments were relieved and looked at Chen Yan with ease.

Chen Yan gave a few more instructions, then Yang Rou’s assistant, Xiao Wenn, knocked on the door of the meeting room and walked in with a stack of documents.

After coming in, she said to Chen Yan, "President Chen, the lists have been printed."

Chen Yan raised his hand, "Okay. Distribute them so everyone can have a look."

Xiao Wenn obediently began distributing the lists.

Chen Yan had been talking for a while and was a bit tired. He picked up a bottle of mineral water, took a couple of sips, and moistened his throat...

...

Today, after a day of targeted acting practice at the company, possibly due to the good guidance from professional teachers or because her mood matched the "heartbreak" scene, Lu Man felt her acting had improved quite a bit.

This left her feeling much more relieved amidst her anxious mood.

In the afternoon, there was a company meeting, but initially, Lu Man didn’t want to attend.

She felt... like she didn’t know how to face Chen Yan anymore.

What happened last night had made her decide to keep her distance from Chen Yan, and they would just have a normal cooperative relationship from now on. She indeed did this.

But... this morning’s attraction from Chen Yan made her involuntarily look at him, which left her feeling panicked and at a loss.

What was going on with her?

Why did she suddenly feel the urge to look at Chen Yan more?

She had never been like this before.

For a while, Lu Man couldn’t quite figure out her own emotional state.

She felt like Chen Yan came with his spotlight, drawing her gaze wherever he went, making her want to follow and glance at him a few times.

She hesitated.

Could it be... because of last night’s incident, she was harboring feelings for him?

Lu Man was somewhat perplexed.

She couldn’t understand her own thoughts.

But... her strength was in avoiding things she couldn’t understand.

So, it was her afternoon intention not to come to the meeting, wanting to stay away from Chen Yan to calm down.

But... her idea was good, Mei Li disagreed.

According to Mei Li, if Lu Man wants to transition from a traffic celebrity to a capital-heavy figure in the industry, becoming "Sister Man," "Director Man," she must participate in company affairs.

Lu Man might not understand the operations of the company, but she couldn’t just ignore it or be a hands-off boss. She needed to know about the company’s development and express her opinions timely.

Otherwise, the industry would only see Lu Man as a caged "golden canary," not as a boss of the film and the talent agency.

Lu Man... didn’t actually have many ambitions.

She just wanted to be famous, to become a superstar, and be adored by thousands of fans.

But since Mei Li had persuaded for so long, she couldn’t just ignore it, so she came to the meeting.

But after arriving and seeing Chen Yan again, she realized... something was really wrong.

Even though she changed seats to keep a distance from Chen Yan, her gaze still involuntarily shifted towards him.

Even though she had lowered her head like an ostrich, whenever she lost focus, her head would involuntarily tilt to the left, and when she came to her senses, her gaze was filled with the image of Chen Yan again.

Lu Man felt desperate!

She thought she was broken!

Or perhaps she was bewitched!

Otherwise, why would she always unconsciously want to look at Chen Yan.

And what was scarier was...

Maybe because she looked at Chen Yan too much, or maybe because Chen Yan had groomed himself before going out today, every time Lu Man "stole a glance" at Chen Yan, she felt... Chen Yan seemed a lot more handsome.

’He wasn’t this handsome last night.’

’What’s going on...’

’Is it her problem, or his?’

’Could it be...’

Lu Man thought about it and suddenly came up with a very "scary" speculation...

——————

Today added 4000 words. A 10,000-word update!

Don’t think I’m updating slowly... I actually add content every week, and last week I even added two Chapters, afraid you might think 2000 words per Chapter doesn’t count as added content, I didn’t include it in the updates.

This time with an added 4000 words, can it be considered to make up one update?

With this, the update for the 1200 monthly tickets this month is settled. Completely not owing any updates.

If the monthly tickets exceed 1800 (seems to be a few short), will add one more update. 3000-4000 words.

Oh. There’s one more Chapter on the next page.