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Once, the male lead seized another opportunity to make a comeback. He made money through investments, and his life improved, but this old dog fell ill.

The male lead took him to a pet hospital for treatment, where the veterinarian recognized him.

It turned out he had met this old dog long ago. Back then, he had still been high-spirited and had not gone bankrupt. He saw a dog get hit by a car in the middle of the road. Cars passed back and forth, yet no one stopped for him. But the male lead did. He stopped, picked up the dog, and took him for treatment.

The place he took him to was this very pet hospital. Back then, he had left behind a large sum of money and departed without waiting for the dog to recover, saying only that the owner could find someone to adopt him.

But afterward, the old dog broke out of his cage and ran away on his own.

"Did he find him?" Xuan Yu asked.

Cai Jinbai said, "Yes, he found him."

He found the upscale neighborhood where the male lead lived. Every day, he would sit at the entrance for a while before leaving again.

And that short while happened to be when the male lead went to and from work each day.

Later, Hope died of illness, and the male lead happened to learn about it from the neighborhood security guard.

The story itself was very simple from beginning to end.

But Li Hua was an exceptionally skilled screenwriter, capable of giving even a simple story profound meaning and depth.

Xuan Yu said, "Every time, they missed each other."

Cai Jinbai turned his head and smiled. "You really know how to get to the point."

Missing each other, realizing it too late, and only then learning to cherish what one had.

It was not only about missing the dog, but also about the estrangement he had once had with his wife and his lack of concern for his son.

By the time he came to his senses, the dog was gone. Fortunately, his wife and son were still by his side...

"This movie was actually adapted from a true story."

The protagonist of the story was the owner of Hope Mall.

He could see that the movie's Wealth Aura was connected to Zheng Jingyuan's, with the film and the man elevating each other.

So when news came that Zheng Jingyuan had successfully passed his audition, Cai Jinbai was not surprised at all.

Soon afterward, Director Li called Cai Jinbai as well, thanking him for recommending such a delightful candidate. Zheng Jingyuan was simply perfect for the role of Chen Fei, the male lead of the film, and had portrayed him brilliantly.

After hanging up, Director Li could not help calling Chen Chengrong too. He sighed, "No wonder you recommended President Cai as an investor. Tell me, how did President Cai develop such an incredible eye? It's simply unbelievable."

Chen Chengrong said, "Exactly. It's incredible. Truly incredible."

He could not have agreed more.

During the filming period, Xu Yuqing gave him no shortage of surprises as well.

He could foresee that once the movie was released, the role Xu Yuqing played would definitely become a hit.

Chapter 32

The movie "A Man and a Dog's Wanderings" was not in a rush to begin filming. There was still preparatory work to do, and Zheng Jingyuan would first join the production of Family Matters. Fortunately, his role did not require many scenes, so once he finished early, he could move straight into the movie's production without any gap.

Cai Jinbai currently had quite a few projects under investment, but next, he planned to launch production on a television drama.

More precisely, it was an idol drama. He intended to use newcomers and some actors who had not previously been well-known.

Naturally, those resources fell to the actors participating in the third season of The Actors. Thus, after achieving their rankings, they would not only receive contracts from Jinbai Entertainment, but would immediately gain a television drama opportunity. The idol drama would use an original script and adopt a film-while-airing format.

At present, no one in the entertainment industry had yet adopted such a new model.

But Cai Jinbai intended to make a bold attempt.

While the third season of The Actors was still underway, the project had already begun.

There was not much information circulating online, but that did not mean industry insiders were unaware of it, especially those closely following Jinbai Entertainment.

"An original idol drama script, using neither popular stars nor established names but newcomers and little-known actors, and with a film-while-airing format?" Gao Su gave a derisive snort and said mockingly, "He's young after all. Bold, daring, willing to charge ahead, and utterly unafraid of losing every last cent."

He truly did not know the immensity of heaven and earth. Just because he had a bit of background, he was arrogant and high-minded, thinking entertainment investments were so easy.

The assistant echoed, "President Cai entered the industry and started investing in all kinds of projects everywhere. He has spent the money, but it has yet to bring any returns. Yet he has no idea how to rein himself in. First, he became a judge on a variety show, and now he has launched an idol drama script in this format... All one can say is that when he loses money and suffers for it, President Cai will finally learn restraint."

Looking back over President Cai's experience since charging into the entertainment industry, he was like a fierce tiger or a giant crocodile, only knowing how to forge blindly ahead with tremendous momentum, without realizing he should pause and observe more. Little did he know that he was not the only fierce tiger or giant crocodile in this industry. The moment he stalled, the other wolves, tigers, and leopards would swarm him and tear him to pieces, leaving not even scraps behind.

In short, Gao Su did not think highly of Jinbai Entertainment's upcoming idol drama.

He asked, "Does the company have any idol drama projects in production lately?"

The assistant said, "Yes, Boss Gao. The company has bought several major IP idol drama scripts, all adapted from popular novels."

A smile appeared at the corner of Gao Su's mouth. "Pick the best one. Hire some of the entertainment industry's hottest stars. I want the biggest and most popular names. Put more funding into it and increase the promotional effort."

The assistant understood. "Boss Gao, do you want to go head-to-head with Jinbai Entertainment?"

Gao Su's gaze darkened. "Jinbai Entertainment tripped me up before, causing Starlight's stock price to fall and internal turmoil to break out. I have to collect some interest on that debt."

"Yes. I'll arrange it right away, Boss Gao." The assistant left.

Cai Jinbai had no idea that Gao Su intended to compete with him. Even if he had known, he would not have cared in the slightest.

Amid the sustained popularity of The Actors, viewers voted for the most popular actor and the winning group each round, and the final victors emerged.

In the final season, Chu Rong accepted the trophy with tears streaming down her face.

She was the undisputed champion, the choice everyone expected, without the slightest trace of manipulation.

"Thank you, thank you, everyone." Chu Rong choked up. "Thank you for the support from President Cai and President Xuan. Thank you to all the judges, and thank you to every netizen who voted for me. I truly never expected..."

She cried too hard to continue. Her eyes were blurred with tears, and someone beside her turned and gave her a hug.

[Was she going to say that she never expected this show to actually be so fair? There wasn't any insider manipulation at all. Every actor earned the ranking they deserved through their own ability, instead of it depending on who sent you here or how much seniority you had.]

[My heart aches for Sister Rong. She had it so hard before—her agent screwed her over, and she had no background. Thankfully, she finally made it through with The Actors.]

[Sister Rong, your good luck is still ahead of you. I recommend signing with Jinbai Entertainment. Don't hesitate!]

[Right, don't hesitate. At the very least, we can be sure President Cai and President Xuan won't make you submit to unspoken rules.]

[Sister Rong is so beautiful. She really would be better off at Jinbai Entertainment.]

[Congratulations to Chu Rong for winning the third season of The Actors. This is something all of us recognize—you deserved it. At the same time, Qiu Ziyao's runner-up finish was well deserved, and newcomer actress Xie Qianxue was such a pleasant surprise. Congratulations on taking third place. Your acting was deeply moving too. I'm truly so happy I kept following this show. It never gave viewers anything frustrating enough to cause breast pain. This show really achieved fairness. Still, I sincerely hope it can continue to maintain that standard. Sigh, why won't President Cai and President Xuan serve as judges for the fourth season? Without President Cai and President Xuan to safeguard it, I'm really afraid the fourth season will turn back into the first two. Then what would I even watch...]

Netizens cheered and celebrated the success of the third season of The Actors. First, the show had remained immensely popular since its premiere. Every episode generated endless trending topics, and its ratings continued to rise, standing far ahead of everything else and creating countless iconic moments.

Second, the young and newcomer actors participating in the show had all gained a measure of popularity.

At the very least, the show had raised their profiles and earned them plenty of goodwill from casual viewers and fans.

Fans had witnessed their acting skills on the show, and surely others in the entertainment industry would be prompted to invest in them as well. They would not lack resources afterward. It was not quite soaring to the heavens in one leap, but they had climbed several steps in succession, made a breakthrough, and were no longer unknown.

Third, and most importantly, they had gained the chance to sign with Jinbai Entertainment through the show.

And once they signed, they would immediately be given a project.

Backstage, Yuan Guangjin brought over the original idol drama script Cai Jinbai had taken a liking to, Glory—every role in the drama was important. There were no so-called vicious second female leads or cannon fodder characters. Even supporting roles had their own shining points.

Yuan Guangjin said, "After you sign with the company, you will immediately be arranged to audition for Glory. Then, before joining the production, you will need training in aristocratic etiquette, physical bearing, and certain professional terminology. Even the clothes you wear in the drama will need to be specially tailored."

Cai Jinbai was not making the kind of shoddily produced idol drama people usually saw.

He wanted to make an unprecedented idol drama, one that would remain irreplaceable afterward.

The reason idols were idols was that they should bring good influence.

It was not merely about falling in love and making people indulge in unrealistic fantasies. It was about making people feel that only by striving forward in life could they live brilliantly.

Yuan Guangjin said, "If you do not wish to sign with Jinbai Entertainment, this reward can also be exchanged for something else. It all depends on your own decision."