Chapter 63: Thank You So Much

became a little impatient and said, "If you like chatting so much, you should book a private room! It’s too noisy and chaotic at this booth, how can anyone hear anything""What's the point of a privat..."I am Jung Soo-jung, thank you for your help. Do you have time recently I'd like to treat you to a meal."

Upon seeing this message, Chi Jingyuan was taken aback and couldn't figure out what was going on.

Of course, he knows Jung Soo-jung. She's a senior from FX, and they met several times backstage before EXO announced their comeback the week before their album release.

I've only met them a few times, and we haven't really spoken much. We didn't even exchange contact information.

Every time she encounters or is in the same frame as him, she hides among the members, doesn't speak much, just claps and laughs nonstop.

Speaking of which, she's quite similar to Chi Jingyuan on this side.

But what does this text message mean, Li Jingyuan didn't understand.

Just when he was at a loss, his phone rang again. Ji Jingyuan saw that it was Kim Eun-suk calling. He said to the members, 'I'll take this call,' and then stood up and walked out of the private room. He found a secluded spot and answered the phone.

"Enshununa, yo bu se yo."

“Nei, Jingyuan ah.”

Kim Eun-sook's voice sounds very enthusiastic and has a very approachable feeling.

She has been busy these days modifying the script and liaising with Ji-seong, while Ji-seong has also been asking his older brother about various aspects of the project and relaying them to Kim Eun-sook. This has proven very beneficial for her, providing her with a wealth of inspiration.

The two first chatted casually for a bit. It seems Kim Eun-sook has now completely transferred her previous admiration for Lee Min-ho to Ji Chang-wook. Besides thinking that Ji Chang-wook is the most suitable actor to play Jin Tan, she also seems to have become a half fan of his.

After some casual chat, we got down to business.

"Jingyuan, the actress playing Lee Bo-na has been decided. It's going to be Jung Soo-jung from your **."

Kim Eun-sook suddenly mentioned Jung Soo-jung, and Ji-seong immediately felt that his previous doubts were about to be solved. He followed the other's words and said:

"It turns out it's senior actress Jung So Min."

“For this role, the acting requirements aren't very high; it just needs to be natural. The main requirement is for the actor to have a good appearance and some inherent popularity. Besides a few young professional actors, several idols who want to become actors are also competing for this role. Their agencies are putting in quite a lot of effort behind the scenes.”

Kim Eun-sook gave a brief introduction to the situation, her tone laced with a hint of self-importance.

Her reputation in the television drama industry has been established. Several consecutive years of scriptwriting projects have all been hugely successful. This year's new work, "The Heirs," naturally received widespread attention. The competition for each major role was fierce, and the actors and artists who were able to secure roles had economic companies putting an unknown amount of effort and connections behind them.

"After all, it's En Shunu's new work, so we can only say that these agencies really have a good eye for talent."

Pool Jingyuan took the opportunity to flatter him.

"Haha, this is something people often say, but hearing it from you, Jingyuan, makes me the happiest. I won't say more..."

"In the end, there were three candidates left. After discussing with the main creative team of the show and people from the TV station, I proposed choosing Jung So-min to play the role. This idol has a good appearance and is quite popular, plus she's in the same company as you, making communication more convenient. After discussion, it was decided."

Kim Eun-sook said the key point: "By the way, what I heard from ** is that it was because of you that they chose her."

Her main point was the last sentence, which specifically mentioned the favor she did.

"Jia How come I received thank you texts from both the company and senior Soo-jeong It turns out it was Eun-shul's help, really... Gomawo."

Chi Jingyuan smacked his lips, already understanding the situation. He didn't know what to say for a moment, but he quickly expressed his gratitude. After all, the other party had given him face.

To be honest, he isn't really familiar with Jung Se-ah at all. If Kim Eun-sook really asked for his opinion, based on Ji Chang-wook's personality and preferences, he would probably recommend Choi Soo-young, or even Jeong Eun-ji. No one could possibly replace Jung Se-ah.

"That's because of Jingyuan, you really helped me a lot. And the crew's preparation time is already a bit tight. Otherwise, this role would have to be discussed for a few more days before being finalized. Besides, the other candidates are not bad either, and it's not necessarily that they would choose Jung So-jeong. This favor is no small matter, your company and she should thank you properly…"

After finishing this matter, Kim Eun-sook also told Park Ji-hoon about the crew's preparations.

After several days of intensive script revisions, some plot points have diverged significantly from the original version. The protagonist Jin Tan's character has been greatly refined, and his charisma is much stronger than in the previous draft.

It also includes the interactions between characters from different financial backgrounds, their daily life, and dialogue, all of which have become more realistic thanks to Ji-sung's help. The portrayal of class distinctions between people from different backgrounds is much stronger than before.

Kim Eun Sook can confidently say that the new script is definitely better than the original.

The script is now in the final stages of polishing and will be ready soon. The crew has also begun preparations, with advance personnel heading to LA, USA, to book filming locations and hotels.

According to Kim Eun Sook, the shooting was originally scheduled to begin in September. However, it seems the production team will start earlier, possibly assembling in late August and holding a script workshop around then. After that, the entire crew will fly to America by chartered plane to officially commence filming.

The first few episodes of the drama "Inheritors" were all filmed on location in LA across the sea.

After chatting about the preparation news, Ji Jingyuan and Kim Eun-sook bid farewell and hung up the phone. Then he took out the message Zheng Xiujing had just sent him.

He looked at the words on the message, squinting his eyes and considering for a while, as if lost in thought.

Two or three minutes later, he tapped his phone to reply:

"No need to be so formal, senior. FX and XO have been quite busy lately, let's catch up when we have time."

After sending the message, Chi Jingyuan looked at the "Message sent" notification with a faint smile on his face. He shook his head and turned back into the private room.

What's infuriating is that the food has already been served, but this group of people just started eating without waiting for him at all.

…………

"Well then, no need for formalities, senior…"

In the nanny car, Jung Soo-jung looked at the reply on the screen, her whole person seemed a little lost in thought. Only her hands clutching the phone were clenching tightly.

She really poured her heart and soul into the role of Lee Bon-na lately.

She herself strived for the role, researching and memorizing lines from the incomplete script fragments she had in hand every day. She pondered the characters' emotions and practiced in front of the mirror.

Besides her own efforts, ** company and FX's management team have also been working tirelessly, contacting their network of people and relationships in an attempt to gain an advantage in the role competition.

This is the current state of the Peninsula's film and television industry. Although a considerable number of TV dramas are produced each year, only a few stand out with immense potential and widespread attention before airing. It's a highly competitive environment where resources are scarce ("僧多粥少"). Every role requires rigorous competition among agencies for talent acquisition.

Unless you are a top-tier actor with immense popularity and influence, screenplays won't just come knocking on your door.

It's a pity that Jung Se-kyo isn't. She's an idol turned actress, and in the acting world hierarchy, she occupies a lower position. Every opportunity is very precious for her, especially a script by Kim Eun-sook.

After so many days of effort, Jung Soo-jeong went to the television station for auditions several times, but unfortunately, there was no follow-up.

According to my agent, several of her competitors' agencies have been very active recently and making good progress. ** might be struggling in this area.

Originally, Jung Soo-jeong had given up all hope. She would still flip through the script every day, feeling a twinge of resentment as she read lines she knew by heart.

Unexpectedly, this morning, her manager called her out excitedly and told her that she had been officially confirmed for the role. The company had received a formal invitation.

Before she could even feel happy, her manager followed up and explained the reasons why she stood out and was chosen...

Zheng Xiujing looked at the plain text reply on her phone, and couldn't help but purse her lips. Images of the figure she had seen backstage and on stage after a performance flashed through her mind. She silently muttered his name:

Chi Jingyuan...

First release on Traditional Novels Networkbut his hands still proactively tilted the screen so she could see it more comfortably.""Heh heh..."Jessica Jung flashed a playful smile and winked at him.Her assistant shook her head and turned away...