Traffic Star Development Program

Chapter 39 This person is different

Zeng Hao didn't listen carefully to the other three people's answers because they were false.

What he wants to see is the way the person answers.

Whether to think or to respond, whether to organize the language in one's mind or to take it directly from somewhere else.

Zhou Zhennan paused for nearly four seconds, then said, "I want to show them myself, not the self I prepared, but the self I wasn't prepared for."

The four-second pause wasn't about thinking of an answer, but about confirming whether or not to give that answer.

This detail illustrates that this person has self-awareness and knows that self-awareness is valuable; he judges whether it is worth using it in a given situation.

Zeng Hao paused the video, picked up a pen, and wrote two words next to the "Comprehensive Comments" section for Zhou Zhennan in the report: "Captain".

He also watched Chen Linong's videos. There were no problems. He was a top-tier performer, very steady, but perhaps a little too steady, to the point of almost being a performance.

Such people look great on camera, but when faced with unexpected situations on stage, their composure crumbles first, then rebuilds, leaving a gap in between.

This gap might seem realistic to fans, but to him it's a flaw that needs to be fixed through training.

He wrote three words in Chen Linong's column: storefront, patching.

He didn't write about the other two people separately, but at the bottom of the report he wrote: "Join the group as planned and follow instructions."

He put down his pen and sent Xu Wen a message: Zhou Zhennan will be the leader of the boy band, Chen Linong will be the face of the group, and the other two will proceed according to the plan. He will be notified of them this week, and the contracts will be discussed next week.

Xu Wenhui: Okay, I'll contact you today.

Then he added: "President Zeng, after Zhou Zhennan's initial interview, he privately asked about our training direction, saying he wanted to know what the company's positioning of the boy group is, whether it's idols or talent."

Zeng Hao finished reading the message and his lips twitched slightly.

That's a smart question.

Most trainees wait for notifications, messages, or someone to tell them where to go next after their initial interview.

Zhou Zhennan asked the question directly before leaving the house.

Moreover, the question wasn't about treatment or pay, but about positioning and what the company wanted to make this boy band.

This shows that he didn't just want to come in; he was assessing whether it was worthwhile for him to come in.

Zeng Hao replied to Xu Wen: Tell him to have both. Idols are the admission ticket, while talent is the lifeline. The company won't support someone who only has one leg.

Xu Wen: ...Okay, I'll relay your words verbatim.

Zeng Hao put down his phone, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

This answer wasn't meant for Zhou Zhennan to see; it was meant for Zhou Zhennan's brain to see.

He'll wait and see how he thinks after receiving this answer, whether he can understand it, and whether he'll still be willing to sign it.

At 11 a.m., Xu Wen sent another message: Zhou Zhennan said that he had thought it through and was willing to sign.

Zeng Hao glanced at the message and replied: "Contract discussion next week, at the company. Tell him to be there on time."

Xu Wen: Okay.

The process for forming a boy group took nearly three weeks from initial screening to finalizing the team leader, which is considered fast in the industry.

Because what he needs isn't speed, but accuracy.

Choosing the wrong leader will steer the boy band astray, and the cost of correcting that steer is doubled. He doesn't want to calculate that.

There's no need to calculate it now.

In the afternoon, he drove to the filming location of "Diamond Lover".

It wasn't because he needed to keep an eye on things, but because Dilireba's contract appendix was due this month, and he wanted to personally confirm the fulfillment of the resource terms for the first phase.

It's not enough to just let Xu Wen look at this; he knows the contents of the contract attachments better than Xu Wen, so he needs to check them himself.

The filming location was a commercial building complex in the suburbs of Qianhu City. The lobby and corridor of the commercial building complex were one of the main scenes in "Diamond Lover".

We've already filmed over a dozen scenes in the past two weeks. Today's scene is the female lead waiting for someone in the company lobby. The setting is simple, but the dialogue is dense.

When he arrived, filming was underway, and the assistant director stood on the sidelines raising his hand to signal for quiet.

The camera was pointed at the entrance to the corridor. Dilireba stood in the center of the hall, with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall behind her. Light shone in from outside the glass, illuminating her profile clearly.

She was waiting for her lines.

The male actor opposite her said something, and she caught it, turned around, and spoke half a word faster than before, but without losing control. She took two steps forward, stopped in the middle of the corridor, pushed her bag strap over her shoulder, turned back, and said the last thing: put it away.

Peng Bing glanced at the monitor, then looked up. "That's enough. Get ready for the next round."

Dilireba took the bag strap off her shoulder, took the water cup handed to her by her assistant, and looked up to see Zeng Hao standing by the corridor.

She paused for less than a second, caught the water glass, and nodded at him.

Zeng Haochong gestured to Peng Bing, who saw it and walked over. "President Zeng, you're in good shape today. You filmed three scenes this morning. One scene was cut twice, but the other two were done in one take. There are two more scenes this afternoon."

"Is the budget still within the acceptable range?" Zeng Hao asked.

"Yes," Peng Bing said. "Today's prop cost was 800 yuan more than the budget. It was because we added a prop at the last minute. I had the assistant director write it down, and we'll use it from the reserve fund later."

"Understood," Zeng Hao said. "Continue."

Peng Bing nodded and turned back to prepare for the next match.

After finishing her water, Dilireba walked over and stood next to Zeng Hao, her voice low, "Is there something you need today?"

"Contract attachments," Zeng Hao said, "This month is the deadline. I'm here to see if the 'Diamond Lover' clause counts."

Dilireba put the lid back on the water cup, "It's fine as long as it's calculated."

She said this in a very calm tone; it wasn't out of relief or gratitude, but simply to acknowledge a fact and then let it go.

Zeng Hao glanced at her.

clever.

The first phase of the resource clause in the contract appendix states:

Within six months of signing the contract, the company guarantees to secure a lead or important supporting role for Party B in a TV series broadcast on an online or satellite TV platform.

Taking "Diamond Lover" as an example, Dilraba Dilmurat played the second female lead in the drama, meeting the standard of "important supporting role", and the terms were fulfilled.

But she didn't say thank you, nor did she say I know. She just said, "It's fine as long as it counts."

These four words mean: I don't need your explanation. I understand the contract myself. You are here to confirm it, not to bestow a favor.

This attitude is far more useful than gratitude.

Grateful people are easily swayed by their emotions, while those who understand the rules are able to maximize their potential within those frameworks.

Zeng Hao turned his gaze back to the present. "The deadline for the second phase of the terms is next June. You know that, right?"

"I know," Dilireba said. "I'm waiting."

After he finished speaking, the crowd shouted for them to get ready.

She handed the water glass to her assistant, walked back to the center of the corridor, and prepared for the next scene. Her silhouette was clearly visible in the corridor light, and her back was straight.

Zeng Hao stood on the sidelines for about half an hour, reviewing the day's filming. Peng Bing maintained a steady command of the scene, and there were no obvious flaws in the coordination between the script supervisor and the props team.

Dilraba's performance has improved significantly compared to the first day. Her delivery of lines is more precise, and her eyes convey more emotion. It's not something she's memorized; it's something she's truly embodied.

"Going in" means that she was no longer thinking about her lines; she was thinking about what the character was thinking.

This change occurred in the third week of filming, almost a week earlier than he had expected.

He turned and walked towards the exit.

Behind him, the assistant director shouted "Action!" The lights in the corridor came back on, and the sound of filming began behind him, then was blocked by the door of the corridor.

He walked to the parking lot, got into the car, and the engine began to run smoothly.

My phone vibrated; it was a message from Xue Zhijian, sent to Xu Wen, and forwarded by Xu Wen:

Teacher, I listened to the arrangement of "Ugly Monster" again today. I think the feeling of the second verse is right now, but the timing of the drums in the chorus is still half a beat too early. I can't explain it, but it feels a bit rushed. What do you think?

After reading the message, Zeng Hao put his phone on his lap and mentally reviewed the arrangement and rhythm of the chorus.

Too early.

He had heard this song countless times in his past life. The original version had the drums starting at that exact position in the chorus, but the original version was meant to create a sense of sudden, explosive energy. In the current version's arrangement, if the emotions in the first two verses are built up more deeply than in the original, then the drums starting half a beat earlier in the chorus would indeed seem rushed, not explosive, but rather urging.

Xue Zhijian's ears were right once again.

He replied to Xu Wen: Tell Xue Zhijian that he is right. Have the arranger move the chorus back half a beat in the drums. After that, the three of us should listen to it together. He, the arranger, and Xu Wen all said that there was no problem before sending it to me. I then confirmed it.

Xu Wen: Okay.

A few seconds later, another message came from Xue Zhijian's side, forwarded from Xu Wen: I knew it, thank you, teacher.

Zeng Hao read the message but did not reply.

What are you thanking me for?

This song is a company asset; if the arrangement is right, it will benefit the company.

Xue Zhijian's ears are definitely a valuable asset to the company. He's right; he's not helping Xue Zhijian, he's helping the company.

The point isn't to express gratitude, but to speak up next time you encounter a problem. Don't bottle it up, and don't think that giving feedback is a hassle. It's the feedback that's useful to the company.

He started the car and drove it out of the parking lot.

As the car entered the city, the streetlights were already on. In Qianhu City, it gets dark early in winter. At five o'clock in the afternoon, the sky was already like seven o'clock in the evening. The lights from the shop signs blended together, turning the road into a mottled color.

He parked his car in front of a convenience store on the side of the road, got out to buy a bottle of water, grabbed two pieces of chocolate, put them on the counter, scanned the code, took the bag, and got back into his car.

The radio in the convenience store was on, playing a music program. It was playing a song he didn't recognize. It was sung by a woman, her voice wasn't high, but her pronunciation was very clear. The chorus went up a register, a bit forcefully, but without breaking.

He turned on the water bottle, took a sip, listened for about ten seconds, and then started the car.

The songs on the radio were shut out as the car windows closed.

He drove towards the company, as there was still one thing he hadn't finished dealing with that day. Sister Liu said the iQiyi revenue share for "Go Princess Go" would arrive next week, and he needed to update the transaction details after that. The figures in the accounts had to be accurate at all times, not just from memory.

Regarding the budget expenditure progress of "Diamond Lover," Peng Bing said it was within the acceptable range, but being within the range does not mean there is no risk.

As filming progressed into its third week, the process became increasingly complex, and the more complex the scenes, the more likely they were to exceed the budget. He wanted Sister Liu to report on this matter weekly, not monthly.

We need to get Sister Liu to change the budget expenditure for "Diamond Lover" into a weekly report.

At 9:00 a.m. sharp, Zhou Zhennan appeared at the company entrance on time.

Before Zeng Hao even arrived at the conference room, Xu Wen was already waiting at the front desk.

Upon seeing the man enter, they led him to a small conference room, poured him a glass of water, placed it on the table, and said that General Manager Zeng would be there soon, asking him to wait a moment.

Zhou Zhennan took the water glass, but didn't drink it. He put it on the table, took off his coat and draped it over the back of the chair, then sat down.

He wore a light gray suit, not custom-made, with a slightly stiff cut and high shoulders. It was the kind of ready-made clothing you buy in a department store. It didn't look bad on him, but you could tell at a glance that he didn't wear it often. The collar buttons were fastened very carefully, which made him look even more stiff.

Xu Wen sat down on the chair next to him, looked down at his phone, and didn't say anything in particular.

The meeting room window faces east, and the morning light slants in through the curtains, casting a thin, bright line on the table, where dust motes slowly swirl.

Zeng Hao came in at 9:05.

He pushed open the door, draped his coat over the back of the chair next to him, sat down opposite Zhou Zhennan, took the contract out of the file bag, placed it in the middle of the table, and glanced at Zhou Zhennan.

"Have you finished watching?"

Xu Wen had sent the contract to Zhou Zhennan beforehand, which was standard procedure.

"I've finished reading it," Zhou Zhennan said. "There's one thing I'd like to ask."

Zeng Hao didn't speak, but gestured for him to speak.

"Article 11," Zhou Zhennan turned to that page of the contract, pointing to the clause, "The training direction is uniformly determined by the company, and artists are not allowed to change it without authorization. That's fine, but I'd like to know if I can offer my opinion if I feel that a certain direction is wrong."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment.

Xu Wen turned the pen cap around without saying a word.

Zeng Hao looked at Zhou Zhennan for a few seconds, going over the question in his mind.

This isn't about the terms; it's about the boundaries of power. He's asking: If I sign this contract, will I still have a voice within it?

Most trainees ask about pay, training subsidies, and debut date; nobody asks this.

The person who asked this question is either genuinely concerned about their direction or trying to find out what kind of boss Zeng Hao is.

He considered both possibilities before speaking.

"You can bring it up," Zeng Hao said, "but bringing it up doesn't mean I'll necessarily change it. Whether I change it or not is my decision, and whether you bring it up or not is your right. These are two different things, so make that clear."

After hearing this, Zhou Zhennan remained silent for about three seconds.

Three seconds isn't long, but in the quiet meeting room, those three seconds felt real, landing on the table with a certain weight.

Then he picked up the pen, turned to the last page, and signed his name in the signature column.

Zeng Hao took the contract, glanced at the signature, then casually flipped to Article 7, crossed out one line, wrote a few words next to it, and pushed it back.

"I've changed one thing here. The right to use the music library provided by the company during the training period, which was originally set for twelve months after signing the contract, is now set for six months. This is to your advantage, not a concession, but I think this arrangement is more reasonable."

Zhou Zhennan looked over the changes, removed the cap from his pen, and signed his name to confirm the changes.

His hand was steady, but the pen tip lingered on the paper for almost two seconds before falling.

Those two seconds show that he saw the logic behind the changes; he was thinking about why, and he signed only after he understood it, rather than blindly accepting it.

Such people are useful in the future, but they can also be troublesome. However, the results of their troubles are valuable.

Zeng Hao put the contract away, stood up, and said, "Training starts next Monday. Xu Wen will send you the location. Be there on time."

Zhou Zhennan also stood up, "Okay."

He picked up his coat from the back of the chair, walked out, paused at the door without turning back, and said, "Thank you for answering that question."

Zeng Hao remained silent.

The door closed.

Xu Wen put the contract back into the file bag and said in a low voice, "President Zeng, this person... seems a bit different."