Chapter 77: Preparations to Join the Team—What Is Bai Ling’s Goal?

Although she grumbled inwardly, Ou Qianqin could only go along with Wen Yan's reasoning, firmly insisting that Bai Ling's luck was simply extraordinary. She also stated that regardless of anything else, the script was already secured, the cast finalized, and there would be no changes. Ou Qianqin reassured Wen Yan to be at ease; once the new drama aired, her popularity would soar rapidly. Then, she wouldn’t need to return to that girl group. She could debut openly as an actress.

Upon hearing this comfort, Wen Yan felt somewhat relieved, though she doubted she would get much sleep that night. In contrast, Bai Ling slept soundly. What was all that 'hard work' for, if not for sleeping peacefully at night? If she wasn't naturally carefree, then at least she made sure not to suffer losses herself.

The next morning, Bai Ling didn't bother checking her increase in fans. Those numbers were nothing but digits. Whether they rose or fell, it only affected endorsement income. Bai Ling had no endorsements yet, so there was no need to care. What truly mattered was her actions and her works.

Through these recent events, Bai Ling had proven that real talent was the best way to endure in this industry, especially for someone like her without any background. If it were Wen Yan, Bai Ling would advise her to flush everything she just said down the toilet and never mention it again.

Of course, Bai Ling had enough self-awareness. Her so-called "works" were thanks to the blessings of her previous life. She dared not shamelessly claim full credit. She considered whether she should find an opportunity to burn incense and pray for the artists of her previous world who produced those fine works, wishing they could flourish in their own realm. However, this thought quickly slipped her mind, replaced by something else.

The system began to activate. "Congratulations, host, for your excellent performance. You have received one Acting Training Card!"

Perhaps the system knew Bai Ling would never check it late at night, so it appeared when she was wide awake, giving her a reward. "Acting Training Card... didn't I already have one?" Bai Ling muttered. Two training cards—clearly the system was urging her to work harder at acting.

Tsk! After all, this role was one Bai Ling had fought for herself, overcoming her laziness, so she didn't complain about the system's pressure at this moment. Since the system was prompting her, Bai Ling knew she shouldn't delay. She set out for Chunqiu Company and greeted Sister Ge.

"Bai Ling, you came at just the right time!"

"You have good news for me?"

"Congratulations, your number of fans has reached seven and a half million. You're just a step away from the ten million milestone."

Bai Ling laughed, "Two and a half million away—is that really a step?"

Sister Ge laughed heartily. "I'm serious. Many people don't even have a fraction of your fan count after two and a half years. At your current rate, two and a half million is hardly anything."

"Alright, Sister Ge, I'm not here to banter with you. Can you help me arrange the filming?"

Bai Ling was just an artist; her responsibilities were singing, dancing, acting—well, no rap, just acting. Although she knew she'd be filming soon, she had no idea about the process. She’d never filmed before. At such times, seeking advice from a seasoned agent was the wisest choice.

Sister Ge looked at Bai Ling in surprise. "Are you really Bai Ling? Or has your body been possessed? What’s going on? You’re so proactive about work—unbelievable!"

Her expressions and gestures were exaggerated. Originally, she intended to take Bai Ling out for a celebratory feast, but Bai Ling's unexpected initiative truly shocked her. Was this still the Bai Ling she knew?

Bai Ling looked at Sister Ge’s theatrics with resignation. "Sister Ge, thankfully you’re an agent, not an actress. Otherwise, your over-the-top performance would earn you endless criticism."

Sister Ge composed herself and grew a bit more serious. "Tell me, what really changed you?"

Bai Ling sighed, leaned in, and whispered a few words. Sister Ge’s expression became even more solemn.

"So that's your plan. Well, it’s a good idea. I’ll support you. After all, it’s a meaningful endeavor."

Bai Ling had expected to argue her case, but Sister Ge proved quite reasonable. "Alright, I'll leave it to you then?"

Ge Fenfen replied, "I'm your agent, of course I'll handle it. As for other artists, I can have my assistants take care of them."

After leaving the office, Bai Ling went home to wait for news. By afternoon, she was added to a messaging group. There were many familiar faces: Bai Ling, Sister Ge, Miao Miao, Xiang Zi, Ouyang Ruofeng, Zhuge Ming, and one unfamiliar—Yi Jing.

Bai Ling was certain she didn’t know this person, but guessed he must be a friend of Zhuge Ming and Ouyang, likely related to the drama production.

While Bai Ling pondered this, Ouyang appeared in the group, posting announcements and documents. Bai Ling opened them to find details about the official formation of the cast, the start ceremony, and other arrangements. She also received a contract, which appeared to be an investment and participation contract, presumably negotiated between Ouyang Ruofeng and Sister Ge.

Thanks to these documents, Bai Ling understood the general process—when to join the crew, when to participate in promotion. However, seeing that the project would begin tomorrow, she couldn’t help but complain inwardly. Could Ouyang not slow down a bit? This pace was outrageous.

Grumbling inwardly, Bai Ling quietly sent a "got it." Tomorrow it would be, then. The sooner filming was done, the sooner it would be released, and the sooner she could achieve her goal. It was a decent outcome.

Time flew; the next morning, Xiang Zi and Miao Miao came to pick up Bai Ling. Today was the day to join the crew, so they flew to the holy land of costume drama filming—Hengdian.

This was a famous site for historical drama productions. Of course, many Republican-era and modern dramas were filmed here too, though not as many as historical ones. Bai Ling arrived near evening and checked into a hotel.

Having spent half the day on a plane, Bai Ling had little appetite and hadn’t eaten much. That night, she went out intending to grab some street food. Coincidentally, many people here finished filming late at night. The restaurants and street stalls catered to extras and some actors, so Bai Ling had no trouble finding a place to eat.