manynovel Chapter 133 Refusal
Chapter 133 Refusal
When Zhang Manli left Lin Zhou's office, she was still puzzled deep down.
The people on that list were all unknown figures in Hong Kong, so why were they recruited by Lin Zhou?
She stood by the window in the corridor and carefully scanned the names on the list again. The names at the top of the list already carried some weight in the Hong Kong entertainment industry; they weren't superstars, but they were still quite well-known.
As she scrolled down, she came across names she had never heard of before. After glancing at the vague descriptions following the names, she figured they were people from the lower rungs of society who worked on film sets and in nightclubs and couldn't even make ends meet.
She recalled the terms Lin Zhou had offered: "The compensation is the highest in the industry, and there will be a profit-sharing agreement after signing the contract."
"We can't force those who don't want to come; we should leave a good impression."
Zhang Manli composed herself, tucked the list into a hidden compartment of her briefcase, and turned to walk towards the elevator.
She first went back to her office, found a thick address book, and then called the TV station's driver team to ask them to prepare a car.
"Let's go to Star Overseas Studios in Wan Chai first," Zhang Manli instructed the driver in the car.
The first significant name on the list is Chow Yun-fat, who is currently filming a low-budget martial arts movie.
The driver drove smoothly, but Zhang Manli leaned back in her seat, feeling a little uneasy.
She had worked at RTV for several years and had witnessed many celebrities signing and terminating contracts, so she was well aware of the realities of the industry.
Those who have already tasted the sweetness of fame are mostly ambitious and picky.
ATV's current popularity is far inferior to that of TVB, so poaching talent from them won't be easy.
When the car stopped at the entrance of Star Shine Studios, it was the hottest time of the afternoon.
The iron gate to the film set was ajar, and the sounds of fighting and the director's shouts could be heard from inside.
Zhang Manli told the driver to wait there, then pushed open the door and went inside.
At a glance, you can see a man dressed in coarse ancient clothing with his hair tied up with a hairband sitting on a bench by the side of the field.
That person was Chow Yun-fat.
At this moment, Chow Yun-fat still had makeup on his face and was holding a half-eaten char siu bun in his hand, chatting idly with the production assistant next to him.
He played supporting roles in several TVB dramas a few years ago, and with his angular face, he gained some popularity with the audience.
He just hadn't encountered a role that would make him an overnight sensation, and his life remained lukewarm.
Zhang Manli stepped forward and politely handed over a business card: "Hello Mr. Zhou, I am Zhang Manli from RTV. I apologize for bothering you."
Chow Yun-fat paused for a moment, put down the char siu bao he was holding, took the business card, glanced at it, and asked with a hint of detachment in his eyes, "RTV? Miss Zhang wants to see me about something?"
"That's right." Zhang Manli tried her best to make her tone sound sincere.
"Our company, RTV, recently acquired the TV adaptation rights to 'A Step into the Past' and is preparing to produce a TV series."
Mr. Lin Zhou specifically asked me to contact you, hoping to invite you to join Rediffusion.
Regarding compensation, we can offer the highest standards in the industry, and the station will tailor-make a script for you, vigorously promoting you to become ATV's most popular star.
As soon as she finished speaking, the stagehand next to Chow Yun-fat whistled and joked with a smile:
"Brother Fa, this is great news! Is RTV going to go all out to poach talent?"
Chow Yun-fat simply smiled faintly, shook his head, and handed the business card back to Zhang Manli.
He stood up, dusted himself off, and spoke with a hint of apology, yet with an undeniable firmness.
"Thank you for your kindness, TV station and Ms. Cheung. However, I recently signed a new contract with TVB. Although I am only playing a supporting role, I cannot break my promise."
Besides, I'm quite settled at TVB now, and I have no plans to move around anytime soon.
He paused, then added, "I appreciate Li's kindness, and we could cooperate in the future if there's an opportunity."
Having said that, Zhang Manli knew that further persuasion would be useless.
She didn't force herself at all, but just smiled and nodded: "Mr. Zhou, you're too kind. Our Mr. Lin said that if someone doesn't want to come, we won't force them."
It's fate that we met today. I hope to have the opportunity to guide you in the future.
She didn't linger and turned to leave the set.
The smile on his face vanished the moment he stepped out of the iron gate.
She took out the list and drew a small cross next to Chow Yun-fat's name.
He was extremely frustrated, having failed to recruit anyone on his first attempt; it was a disastrous start.
In the following period, Zhang Manli practically ran herself ragged.
Following the order on the list, she went to find several other celebrities who were already somewhat famous.
Andy Lau had just graduated from TVB's training class not long ago. With his handsome face, he played some minor roles in a few dramas and barely became a familiar face.
When Zhang Manli found him, he was in the TVB dressing room, waiting to audition for a minor supporting role.
Upon hearing Zhang Manli's purpose, Andy Lau scratched his head, a somewhat troubled expression on his face.
"Miss Zhang, I'm so sorry. I've been in the training class for so long, and it's only with great difficulty that I've finally made it through."
Although TVB didn't give me many roles, the advantage was the large platform, which allowed more people to see me.
"Rediffusion... I heard they recently changed owners, and your ratings aren't doing too well. I'm afraid if I go there, I'll lose my chance to appear on screen."
His words left Zhang Manli speechless. RTV's ratings had indeed been poor recently, and it had been lukewarm since "The Legend of Huo Yuanjia" ended.
Zhang Manli understood, but she still exchanged a few polite words, left a business card, and then hurriedly left.
Next up is Anita Mui, who was already somewhat famous in nightclubs.
When Zhang Manli found her, she had just finished singing at a nightclub and was having a late-night snack backstage with a few musicians while holding her guitar.
Anita Mui had a clear and bright voice, and had already accumulated a large number of fans in the nightclub scene.
Upon hearing Li's invitation, she simply pursed her lips and shook her head.
"Thank you for your recognition, RTV, but I'd like to focus on singing right now. I haven't considered acting yet."
Moreover, I have a long-term resident singing contract with this nightclub, so I'm afraid I won't be able to get away."
One rejection after another was like buckets of cold water, chilling Zhang Manli to the bone.
Those who had already established themselves in the industry, even if only with a small foothold, all declined her invitation without exception.
The reasons varied, with some saying they couldn't break a contract once it was signed.
Some felt that Rediffusion's platform was not as promising as wireless, while others already had their own plans and were unwilling to change them easily.
Each time she was rejected, Zhang Manli showed no displeasure, always remembering Lin Zhou's instructions, remaining sincere and courteous.
She would smile and say, "It's okay, we can work together again in the future," hand over her business card, listen attentively to the other person's reasons for refusing, and then turn and leave.
After a few days, she crossed out all the somewhat well-known names at the top of the list.
Looking at those forks, she couldn't help but feel a little frustrated.
These were all people Lin Zhou had specially listed. If he could recruit them, it would definitely give Li a boost in confidence. But so far, not a single one has been recruited.
Sitting in the car, watching the street scenes flash by outside the window, she couldn't help but wonder if those people whose names she had never even heard of could really become stars.
With this doubt in mind, Zhang Manli turned her attention to the names in the latter half of the list.
The first name is Tony Leung.