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Chapter 2624 Schemes

Shen Ranran's statement about pursuing Su Ning was not just empty talk.

She went back and thought about it over and over for several days.

Given Suning's status and personality, it would be foolish to directly attach themselves to them.

After all, Suning has seen all kinds of women in the mall, so this kind of tactic probably won't even make a splash.

Sending something as a gift? What does Suning lack?

Inviting someone to dinner? Suning's dinner schedule is fuller than Shen Ranran's public appearances.

Shen Ranran needs a natural entry point that allows Su Ning to see her dedication and ability.

After thinking about it for several days, I finally came up with a direction.

After winter passed and spring came, apart from her and Zhuangzhuang who were doing relatively well because they entered Suning's system by chance, everyone else was having a tough time.

Although Xu Shengli worked odd jobs on the film set, after Director Weng's film wrapped up, Xu Shengli had no fixed place to go and returned to the state of doing odd jobs and waiting for opportunities. He lived in that basement cubicle, writing scripts at night with the lights on and moving goods during the day.

Xiao Dongbei stayed at a distant relative's house, working as a construction worker and a day laborer, going wherever there was work.

Guo Zongbao still repairs home appliances everywhere, riding a broken bicycle all over Beijing. Business is getting harder and harder; sometimes he runs around all day until the bicycle chain breaks and he still can't get a single job.

Tao Liangliang plays the saxophone under the overpass. Even though his fingers get frostbite in the winter, he persists. Passersby occasionally throw him a few cents.

Cao Ye huddled in that pigeonhole next to the art academy, drawing illustrations for people. His fees were inconsistent; sometimes he would get several orders a month, and sometimes he would go two months without any income.

Shen Ranran mentally went through each of these people, matching them one by one with the existing departmental structure of Huayu Film and Television.

Xu Shengli is a good writer; even Director Weng praised his characters' dialogues for being spirited, saying that his lines were alive.

It's a real shame that someone like this isn't in a screenwriting team. If they could work with experienced screenwriters for a few years, they might actually make a name for themselves.

Xiao Dongbei and Guo Zongbao may not have professional skills, but they are reliable and hardworking. The logistics department is exactly lacking people like them who can do any job without being picky. Equipment management, prop handling, set setup—as long as they are willing to learn, there is nothing they cannot learn.

Tao Liangliang has formally studied music and has a solid foundation in playing the saxophone. The music department of Huayu Film and Television is responsible for film and television scores and sound effects, and they are in need of people who can play musical instruments. If he goes there, he can not only play the saxophone, but also participate in the score arrangement.

She had seen Cao Ye's drawing skills; he had a solid foundation in sketching and a wild imagination. His talent was a perfect fit for the art department's scene design and storyboarding. The things he scribbled in his rented room would become creative works in film and television art direction.

After clarifying these thoughts, Shen Ranran did not rush to find Zhuangzhuang as she had done before.

She felt that since this was her own business, she had to speak up for herself.

Moreover, Zhuangzhuang used to be the one to ask Su Ning for her, but this time she's asking Su Ning for someone else's sake, so she wants to see if Su Ning will give her face.

We'll have to see if Suning's favor is unique to Zhuangzhuang, and then decide on the next steps based on the specific results.

Mr. Shen Ranran greeted Zhou Xingping and said he wanted to report something to President Su, hoping that Zhou Xingping could help him confirm the time.

Zhou Xingping didn't think much of it and indeed helped her confirm that Su Ning was in the office that afternoon and had no plans to go out.

……

When Shen Ranran arrived at the Tianchao Group headquarters, Suning was in his office reviewing the weekly progress report on the construction of the Qingdao commercial vehicle base.

Zhuangzhuang saw her in the corridor and paused for a moment.

The two exchanged a glance in the corridor, and a complex emotion flashed in Zhuangzhuang's eyes.

"Ranran, what brings you here?" Zhuangzhuang asked.

"I've come to report something to General Manager Su."

Zhuangzhuang nodded, led Shen Ranran into Suning's office, poured a cup of tea and placed it on the coffee table in front of the sofa, then retreated to the outer room.

As she left, she paused at the doorway, turned back, and gave Shen Ranran a complicated look.

Zhuangzhuang gently closed the door.

Su Ning closed the folder, leaned back in her chair, and looked at Shen Ranran, waiting for her to speak.

Shen Ranran sat down on the sofa and, without beating around the bush, directly stated her thoughts one by one.

She spoke very systematically, unlike her previous rambling conversations. Instead, she listed everyone's name, special skills, suitable positions, and reasons for recommendation in detail.

"Xu Shengli is good at screenwriting. Director Weng personally praised his character dialogues as being vivid. He has been writing in the basement for several years. What he lacks is the polishing of a professional team. Xiao Dongbei and Guo Zongbao are good at coordination and management. They don't have professional skills, but they are down-to-earth and willing to do any dirty or hard work. The logistics team is just missing this kind of person. Tao Liangliang studied music. The saxophone is just his best skill. In fact, he has a comprehensive understanding of music theory. The music team is missing someone who knows multiple instruments. Cao Ye, you have seen his paintings before. His imagination can be used in film and television scene design."

After listening, Su Ning asked, "Did you come up with all of this yourself?"

Shen Ranran nodded: "It was my own idea. I understand everyone's situation, and I also asked President Zhou about the requirements of each position. It wasn't just a random assignment."

Su Ning then asked, "What direct relationship do you have with any of these people?"

Shen Ranran thought for a moment and answered honestly, "There's no direct connection. We lived together in the 'Winter Comes and Spring Comes' program before, and we went through hardships together. I know they are all talented, but no one gave them a chance. I've read Xu Shengli's scripts; he's truly talented. When Tao Liangliang plays the saxophone, his pitch is beyond amateur level. Cao Ye's paintings are also very charming and artistic. They just lack a connection and opportunity. I'm currently at Huayu Entertainment, and President Zhou has treated me well. I have this ability to recommend people, so I might as well use it."

Suning leaned back in his chair and remained silent for a moment.

I know what Shen Ranran is doing... Shen Ranran is using the method of arranging work for others to demonstrate her organizational skills and judgment of people in front of me.

This is what smart people do.

Instead of directly stating what she wants, she first shows you what she can do.

The ability to scoop up a group of people scattered in various places and accurately place them in suitable positions—this understanding of human nature and the capacity for resource integration—is rare in any company.

Furthermore, Shen Ranran's gaze towards him was particularly obvious, as if she wanted to pounce on him directly.

Su Ning didn't directly address Shen Ranran's concerns, but simply said, "The daily operations of Huayu Film & Television are managed by President Zhou. For personnel arrangements, you should directly discuss them with President Zhou. If he thinks these people are capable, I have no objection. Professional matters should be left to professionals to judge."

When Shen Ranran came out of Suning's office, she couldn't help but clench her fist tightly in the corridor.

As he passed Zhuangzhuang's workstation, he paused, bent down, and whispered in her ear, "Zhuangzhuang, President Su asked me to discuss this with President Zhou. He said my recommendation was excellent."

Zhuangzhuang looked up at her, a faint smile appearing on her face. "Then go ahead."

Next, Shen Ranran went to Zhou Xingping and explained everyone's situation again.

After listening, Zhou Xingping leaned back in his chair and laughed. "Shen Ranran, this list of yours is more reliable than some of the legitimate recommendations I've received. Where did you find all these people?"

Shen Ranran said, "President Zhou, I lived with them for a year, and I know their capabilities. They are not people who slack off; they were just unlucky."

Zhou Xingping nodded and immediately made several phone calls to notify the human resources department to arrange interviews.

……

A few days later, several people received their job offers.

Xu Shengli was eating braised pork offal on the street when he received the notification.

His pager went off, and when he saw the phone number for the HR department of Huayu Film & Television on the screen, he initially thought he had been scammed.

It wasn't until he called back and the HR person gave him the interview time and address that Xu Shengli realized it was real, and he almost dropped his bowl. On the day of the interview, Xu Shengli talked with the head of the screenwriting team for a full hour and a half, from character arcs to dialogue rhythm, and then the two of them took out pens and drew plot structure diagrams on the whiteboard, pouring out all the things he had been thinking about in his basement for years.

The team leader immediately made the decision and told him to report for duty next Monday.

Xiao Dongbei and Guo Zongbao were assigned to the logistics department of Huayu Film and Television, where they were responsible for equipment and prop management.

The work is varied, involving cameras, lighting, props, costumes, and everything else, but it's stable with a fixed salary, a workstation, and your own locker.

On their first day of work, after receiving their employee badges, the two walked out of the logistics office and looked at each other's new badges in the corridor. They stood there and laughed.

Xiao Dongbei said, "We finally don't have to carry bricks on the construction site anymore."

Guo Zongbao said, "I'm not moving bricks anymore, but moving props is also quite heavy. However, moving props is better than moving bricks, at least there's a shed so I don't have to be in the sun, and the work and salary are stable."

When Tao Liangliang interviewed for the music department, he brought his old saxophone with him.

He played a jazz piece that he had arranged himself.

After he finished playing, the department head was silent for a long time. "You were playing that under the overpass earlier?"

Tao Liangliang said, "Yes."

The director then asked, "Besides playing the saxophone, what else can you do?"

Tao Liangliang said, "I have learned several musical instruments. I can play the piano, trumpet, and clarinet. My major is the saxophone, but I can also compose music and write scores. I have also studied music theory."

The director put his glasses back on, looked at Tao Liangliang, and said in a serious tone: "You can't turn your hobby into your job. I hope you understand that. Playing the saxophone under a bridge is completely different from doing background music in our recording studio. If you make a mistake under a bridge, no one will care. But in a recording studio, if you're off-key, you have to start over."

Tao Liangliang gripped his saxophone nervously. "Director, you mean..."

“What I mean is,” the director stood up, walked over to him, and pointed to the saxophone in his hand, “stop playing on the overpass and come work in our recording studio. Report for duty next Monday, and bring all your instruments. The trial period is three months, mainly doing background music and sound effects. There won’t be many opportunities to play the saxophone, but since you have a foundation in music theory, you should be able to learn it quickly.”

Tao Liangliang jumped up from his chair, bowed deeply in gratitude, and said, "Thank you, Director! I will definitely work hard!"

"Don't just thank me. Go back and think carefully about how to adapt your work for use in a recording studio."

"clear."

After returning home, Tao Liangliang tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.

He carefully considered the director's words and gradually realized that the director was not very satisfied with him.

The director wasn't interested in his musical background or his amateurish playing style under the overpass.

This opportunity wasn't because he was capable enough, but because someone recommended him, which is why the director was willing to spend time evaluating him.

If it weren't for Shen Ranran's recommendation, he wouldn't even have had a chance for an interview.

Tao Liangliang said to the ceiling in the darkness, "Ranran, I will not let you down."

After Cao Ye joined the art department, he was noticed by the director at his first scene discussion meeting.

The art group leader asked Cao Ye to try drawing a set of concept art for a period drama...

The suspended pavilions on the cliffs, the underground palaces in the desert, and the rainy night streets of the Jiangnan water towns—each picture has a unique style that blends realism and fantasy in its composition and lighting.

After looking at the drawing, the director examined it repeatedly and asked the art director, "Where did this person work before?"

The team leader said, "I don't know! He was just hired and doesn't have much work experience."

The director put down the drawing and said, "We've struck gold. Let him be the lead designer for the next fantasy project."

"clear."

……

That day, Shen Ranran made a special trip to Zhuangzhuang's dormitory and told her about everyone's situation in detail.

After listening, Zhuangzhuang was quiet for a while, then said, "Ranran, you did something I've always wanted to do but couldn't. Last time we were eating at a restaurant, everyone was around a round table drinking beer. Xiao Dongbei said he was carrying bricks at a construction site, and Cao Ye said he was drawing illustrations for people and his fees were sometimes there and sometimes not. I thought to myself, if only I could bring them all in. But I can only think about it, I don't have that ability."

Shen Ranran smiled and said, "You used to always stand up for me. This time, I'll do it myself. I'm at Huayu now, and all I have is the ability to recommend people. I've used all the ones I can. They're not just sitting around doing nothing either. They've all done a pretty good job since they got in, and they haven't let us down."

Zhuangzhuang stood up, went to the small kitchen, poured two glasses of water, brought them over, sat down next to Shen Ranran, and handed her one of the glasses. "Here, let's have some water instead of wine. You're not leaving tonight, are you? Stay here with me, and we can have a good chat."

Shen Ranran took the cup, clinked it with Zhuangzhuang's, and took a sip.

The two leaned against each other on the sofa. The night outside the window was already deep, and they could see the lights of thousands of homes in Beijing in the distance.

Shen Ranran held her cup in silence for a while, then suddenly spoke meaningfully, "Zhuangzhuang, they've all been settled. Now I should start preparing for what's next."

"what's up?"

“I’d like to invite President Su to dinner.” Shen Ranran turned to Zhuang Zhuang, “to thank him for his help. Thank him for recommending me to President Zhou; thank him for helping me resolve Chu Caiyuan’s matter; thank him for giving us a way out. Aren’t those reasons sufficient?”

"and then?"

"And then..." Shen Ranran put down her glass and gestured, "Find a restaurant with music and atmosphere, set out a table of fine food and wine, don't make the lights too bright, and play some soft piano music in the background. I'll toast him a few times and say the right things. I don't believe he can remain completely unmoved by me in such an atmosphere. If all goes well, I can climb into his bed that very night."

Zhuangzhuang paused for a moment, holding the cup. She looked at Shen Ranran in front of her, her eyes filled with a complex emotion.

She knew that Shen Ranran was not joking, nor was it an impulsive act.

From that night on the sofa when I said I wanted to pursue Suning, to helping a few old friends find jobs and showcasing my organizational skills, and now to the dinner invitation and the fatal temptation plan...

Every step was carefully considered.

"Ranran, do you think President Su will fall for this?" Zhuangzhuang asked.

How will you know if you don't try?

"..."

“Zhuangzhuang, I’m not playing around, I’m serious. I’ve been drifting in Beijing for so long and I’ve seen all kinds of men. Some say one thing and mean another, some say one thing to your face and another behind your back. I’ve never actively pursued anyone before. Mr. Su is the first person who makes me feel that any price is worth paying.”

Zhuangzhuang turned to look at Shen Ranran with a complicated expression and asked, "Aren't you afraid he'll take advantage of you and then abandon you? After all, he's so rich, what kind of woman can't he have?"

"I said! I'm willing to pay the price for this, and I believe he won't abandon me after starting something." However, Shen Ranran's expression was very firm.

"..."

"Zhuangzhuang, I hope you can wish me well. After all, it's not easy to come to this conclusion and take this step."

"..."

...(End of this chapter)