After a month and a half, the shooting for the second season wrapped up.
Only half a month was left before it would be released at the start of the spring.
"Pack up!" The director yelled, brightening the faces of the crew members.
The final scene had gone smoothly.
They were even ahead of the shooting schedule, finishing ten days before the deadline.
Now, the drama would go into post-production.
The cast would only be called for some voiceovers; however, that wasn't some heavy work.
After the shoot, Aren was in his hotel room when his door was knocked on.
Knock. Knock.
Aren went and opened the door, greeted by the sight of Mikhail grinning at him.
Mikhail was only twenty-six, so he wasn't stuck up or too serious like the director. He had even become friends with Aren in the last two months.
Aren smiled back and stepped aside: "Come in," he offered.
Mikhail shook his head, revealing the purpose of his visit: "I came to call you. There is someone who wants to meet you."
"Who?" Aren asked with a bit of surprise and confusion on his face.
"Come and see for yourself." Mikhail gave a knowing smile, as if teasing him. "This might be a pleasant surprise — even for you."
His tone was playful, seemingly in a good mood.
"Give me a minute." Aren went inside his room, got ready, and then followed Mikhail to a private VIP room on the first floor of the hotel.
Mikhail didn't knock on the door, simply entering inside, Aren trailing behind.
The room was twice the size of a normal hotel room; in the center, a luxurious sofa set could be seen to let meetings take place comfortably.
On the couch, a woman sat, giving Aren a welcoming smile.
Relaxed on the sofa — really relaxed — she was a complete invitation, and her lengthy, blue hair, brightened with pink, cascaded down her back. A close-fitting, dark-blue dress showed off all her good shape, its low cut not quite holding in her abundant, weighty chest, which lifted and lowered gently as she breathed. Sheer black stockings, to the top of the thigh, stuck to her nicely formed legs, the thin material gleaming as they went into the shockingly brief skirt, which sat very high on her pale upper thighs. Her knowing blue eyes and mischievous grin hinted at great enjoyment to come.
[Image.]
"You two have a talk. I will take my leave." Mikhail pointed to the sofa in front of her and spoke before leaving politely.
He closed the door on his way out.
Aren, however, was shocked to see her here; his eyes widening in surprise and confusion.
He knew this woman. She was a leading talent scouting team head in his former agency.
She was Livia Entis, a 36-year-old woman at the peak of her career.
She rose gracefully and smiled professionally at Aren: "Please come and take a seat."
Aren could guess why she was here just from seeing her smile.
He said nothing, simply crossing to the sofa and settling in calmly.
"Let me introduce myself." She sat opposite, her voice laced with pride as she slid a business card across the glass table between them. "I'm Livia Entis, head of Talent Management Team B at Titan Crest Entertainment. I'd like to extend a scouting offer from our agency."
She watched him smugly, expecting excitement or awe at the name of such a powerhouse. But Aren stayed indifferent.
"Let's hear the details first." Aren muttered in a flat tone, leaning back on the sofa relaxedly.
'Has he received an offer from a big agency already?' Livia wondered upon seeing his indifferent expression.
However, she was confident that no agency could compete with Titan Crest Entertainment in terms of resources. Any intelligent individual would choose their agency over others.
"We offer a five-year beginner contract. We'll handle your roles, negotiations, publicity for your projects, suppress negative comments, secure better opportunities, and more. In exchange, we take thirty percent of your earnings."
Aren nodded silently as she elaborated on the perks.
After she was finished, he could only sneer inwardly: 'So shameless. I'm already popular, with solid acting skills. And they still push a beginner deal?'
He shook his head with a sigh. 'Well, at least they only asked for thirty percent. Most beginner contracts demand fifty.'
It was only big agencies like Titan Crest who dared to ask for such a high commission. They had huge connections and resources, making it worthwhile for the actors to sign with them.
Smaller agencies only asked for ten to fifteen percent usually.
"So?" She eyed him expectantly, her confident smile unwavering. "What do you think?"
Aren didn't even need to think about it as he shook his head with a sigh: "No. I'm not interested."
Livia's confident smile faltered, turning strained and forced.
'Has he really been offered a better contract from a rival agency?' She thought tensely.
"Then what if we reduce the commission to twenty percent?" She held up two fingers, speaking quickly.
Aren let out a disappointed sigh.
Interlocking his fingers, he leaned forward, asking with a serious gaze: "What about creative freedom? Can I choose my roles?"
"Our experts know best," she replied confidently. "With their experience, you can trust them to guide your career."
Aren had only asked to check if they were sincere about getting him to sign with them. However, it seemed they were only trying to catch a fish with big potential before it realized its potential.
They simply wanted to trap him with a contract just by flaunting their big name.
Moreover, it wouldn't matter even if they offered the top contract to him. He would never sign under the agency where Neil was the owner.
He wanted to take revenge on him.
Not work for him!
Instead, he saw an opportunity to hurt his agency in front of him.
Unlike Neil, Aren had paid attention to the staff of his agency. He knew who were the talented individuals that contributed to the success of Titan Crest Management.
If there was one name he gave the most credit to, then it would be Livia Entis, the woman sitting in front of him.
Her management skills were top notch. Moreover, she had a keen ability to maintain good relations with people. She had discovered many talents for the agency in the past who were now top talents, benefiting the agency.
Even now, it was probably her who recognized his worth before anyone else and came to offer him a contract.
Otherwise, someone like her wouldn't have come personally. She would've just sent some subordinate of hers to carry on the deal.
Suddenly, he felt excited at the thought of snatching her away from Titan Crest Entertainment. If she were to leave, the new and promising talents that she would discover in the future wouldn't get snagged by Titan Crest.
He looked at her with an excited shine in his eyes:
"I would like to offer you a deal instead. Would you hear me out?"
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(A/N - Thanks for reading. ^..^)