Chapter 12#
Chapter 12: Turning Point#
A week later, Su Mo returned from a business trip. After getting off the plane, instead of heading home to rest, he went straight to the company to have a look. For a workaholic, the company always held more presence than home.
Su Mo sat in the spacious and comfortable office chair, flipping through the reports in his hand. He read very quickly, nearly skimming a page at a glance, but he didn’t miss a single detail—a skill honed over more than a decade of work. Any excellence came at the cost of immense effort behind the scenes.
Su Jue sat on the sofa across the way, legs crossed, a full smile on his face. Though he appeared relaxed, there was an underlying tension in his eyes. This wasn’t the first time he had handled company affairs while Su Mo was away on business; from initial inexperience to now being accustomed to it, he still felt a bit anxious each time, like a child eager for approval from an elder.
Su Mo put down the reports and offered a rare smile. “Well handled. Xiaojue, you’re becoming more capable of standing on your own.”
Su Jue immediately showed a hint of smugness at the praise. Only in front of Su Mo did he ever reveal such a side.
Su Mo gave a slight nod, signaling that Su Jue could do as he pleased, then buried himself in the work on his desk—the proposals Su Jue had left for him that were more important or difficult to decide on.
Su Jue stood up. He initially meant to leave, but after a moment’s thought, he paced back and walked over to Su Mo. “Big brother, do you still remember that Lu Yan?”
Su Mo looked up, somewhat surprised that he suddenly brought this up. He nodded. “Of course. What’s wrong?”
Su Jue’s lips curled. “I had someone investigate him. This Lu Yan is pretty remarkable. He just shot one drama together with the acting emperor Gu Yang and managed to build a bond—not only did Gu Yang recommend him for the male lead role in Yu Cheng’s New Year film, but he also helped him get a contract with Huanyu.”
Su Mo set down the file in his hand and looked up at Su Jue. “And then?” He knew Su Jue wasn’t going to stop there.
Sure enough, Su Jue gave a sly grin and lowered his voice, as if seeking credit. “Then, with one phone call from me, none of that is his anymore. I’ve already put the word out—I’d wager there aren’t many companies willing to sign him now.”
Su Mo looked a bit helpless. “Why go after him like this?”
Su Jue raised an eyebrow. “Since he dared to reject you, he has to face the consequences. Big brother, you might not care, but I can’t just do nothing. Just wait—he’ll come crawling back begging you soon enough.”
Su Mo calmly countered, “Then has he come?”
Su Jue let out an “uh,” shook his head with slight discouragement, “No.” Then he added confidently, “But I’m sure if we wait a few more days, he’ll give in.”
Su Mo looked at Su Jue with a faint, knowing smile, and said with certainty, “He won’t. No matter how long we wait, he won’t.”
“How do you know, big brother?”
Su Mo tapped the desk thoughtfully. “This man is more complicated than you think. I’ve observed him a few times—he’s calm and rational, not the type to act on impulse. If he were going to give in, he would never have refused in the first place. Otherwise, he’ll never lower his head.”
Su Jue was momentarily at a loss for words. Su Mo stood up and walked over. “Xiaojue, you handled this poorly. As things stand, Starry Sky is doing well, but it’s not the only dominant player. Sure, some small companies won’t want to offend Starry Sky, but don’t forget our competitors. Lu Yan is talented; given time, he’ll become a big name. Pushing him too hard will only drive him into our rivals’ arms. There will always be someone who doesn’t fear Starry Sky, or who would even be willing to prop him up just to spite us. Once his wings are fully grown and he carves out a place in the entertainment industry, what you’ve done today will not only cost us a promising talent but also create an enemy—a loss that outweighs the gain.”
Su Jue muttered softly, “But what he did to you, big brother…”
Su Mo gently pressed a hand on his shoulder, cutting him off. “Work is work, personal is personal. Haven’t you always kept them separate and handled it well?” That was precisely why he had never meddled in Su Jue’s personal life.
Su Jue lowered his head, a bit regretful. “I’m sorry, big brother. I was wrong.”
Su Mo’s heart softened. He lightly ruffled Su Jue’s hair and said gently, “It’s okay. As long as I’m here, you’re allowed to make mistakes.”
He turned back to his desk. “I’ll handle this. From now on, you don’t need to get involved with anything concerning Lu Yan.”
Su Jue nodded. “I understand, big brother. I’ll go out now.”
After Su Jue left, Su Mo thought for a moment, then dialed an internal number.
That evening, Lu Yan received another phone call.
“Hello, is this Mr. Lu Yan?”
“Yes, speaking. Who is this?”
“Hello, Mr. Lu. I’m Lu Yu, special assistant to Mr. Su Mo. May I ask if you have any other arrangements tomorrow at 10 a.m.? If it’s convenient, could you come to Starry Sky Entertainment? Mr. Su has important matters he’d like to discuss with you.”
“Sure, no problem.”
After hanging up, Lu Yan deliberately checked the call record—it had lasted less than a minute. He couldn’t help but remark inwardly that those from big companies sure knew how to be efficient and to the point.
Receiving this call, Lu Yan wasn’t very surprised—or rather, he had been waiting for it. He had even set a mental deadline: if the call didn’t come by then, he planned to look up the contact information of the president of Huashi.
Regardless, since they were the ones to contact him first, at least he held a bit more leverage. He began to look forward to the meeting the next day, like a general about to go into battle, his blood stirring with excitement.
The next morning, Lu Yan arrived at Starry Sky Entertainment on time. Starry Sky was located in the city center, a twenty-eight-story building that looked magnificent and grand on the outside, with an equally opulent interior, every detail oozing modernity. And this was just a subsidiary of the Su Group. Across from Starry Sky stood a more imposing, thirty-eight-story building—older and exuding a steady, dignified aura—which housed the Su Group headquarters.
Just these two buildings alone revealed how extraordinary Su Mo was, and what he possessed went far beyond that. Lu Yan didn’t feel the need to bow his head, but he couldn’t help feeling a renewed sense of admiration.
As soon as he stepped into the first-floor lobby, a security guard politely stopped him. “Hello, please show your work ID. Non-staff members are not allowed entry.”
Lu Yan didn’t mind such rules. As a film and television entertainment company, a large portion of people coming and going were artists and celebrities. If anyone could just walk in, the place would probably be swarmed by fans.
Lu Yan responded calmly, “I have an appointment with your President Su.”
“In that case, please contact the service desk over here.” The guard politely guided him over.
The beautiful receptionist at the front desk offered a professional smile, warm and welcoming. “Hello, sir. May I ask who you’re here to see?”
Lu Yan smiled politely. “I have a 10 a.m. appointment with Mr. Su.”
The receptionist quickly made a phone call. After hanging up, her smile dimmed a bit, though she remained courteous. “I’m not sure if you might have misremembered the time, sir. Our President Su isn’t in the company right now.”
Lu Yan paused, as if recalling something, and said in a lower voice, “Not Su Jue. Su Mo.”
The receptionist froze for a moment, then quickly dialed again. After hanging up, her smile turned warm once more. “Apologies, sir. Chairman Su is already waiting for you. Please take the elevator over there. Chairman Su’s office is on the twenty-eighth floor.”
After the elevator doors closed, the two equally young and beautiful hostesses nearby huddled together. “Wow, that guy is so handsome. Haven’t seen him before—is he a new artist the company signed?” the one called Xiaomei asked, starry-eyed.
Lucy, the receptionist who had just handled Lu Yan, shook her head. “Not sure.”
Xiaomei looked dreamy. “If he is a new artist, we’d get to see him often. Guys of this type are exactly my type.”
Sijia lightly bumped her and chuckled. “Stop drooling. No matter how handsome he is, you can only look. By the way, was he here to see President Su?”
“No,” Lucy lowered her voice mysteriously. “He had an appointment with Chairman Su.”
“Wow, no way,” Xiaomei exclaimed softly. “Chairman Su only comes to Starry Sky a few times a year.”
The three girls exchanged glances, a hint of ambiguity in their eyes, then whispered a few teasing remarks before moving on to other gossip.
With a “ding,” the elevator stopped at the twenty-eighth floor. Lu Yan didn’t need to look for where Su Mo’s office was—the entire twenty-eighth floor held only one office.
In front of the office door was another young, beautiful receptionist. Starry Sky really was an entertainment company; every receptionist was above average in looks.
Lu Yan walked over and greeted politely, “Hello, I have an appointment with Mr. Su.”
Daisy stepped out and smiled. “You must be Mr. Lu. Chairman Su has already arrived.” She walked to the office door, gave a soft knock, and raised her voice slightly. “Chairman Su, Mr. Lu is here.”
A somewhat low voice came from inside. “Come in.”
Daisy turned the handle and pushed the door open, making a gesture for Lu Yan to enter, and he walked in.
Su Mo was on the phone behind the desk. When he saw Lu Yan enter, he gestured for him to take a seat.
Lu Yan sat down on the sofa while quietly observing the room. The office was very large, with excellent natural light, simply furnished but not feeling empty.
As he was looking around, Daisy came in carrying a glass of water, which she placed in front of Lu Yan. Bending slightly, she asked, “Mr. Lu, what would you like to drink? Coffee or a soft drink?”
“Give Mr. Lu a cup of tea.” Before Lu Yan could answer, a voice interjected. Su Mo had finished his call and walked over.
Daisy nodded and exited. Su Mo sat on the sofa beside Lu Yan. Although his tone was polite, his whole manner exuded an air of habitual command. “Last time at the set, I noticed you seemed quite fond of tea. I hope you don’t mind me taking the liberty.”
Lu Yan smiled. “A guest does as the host pleases. You’re very attentive, Mr. Su.”