Xingkai

Biodata

Background / History

Establishment

Chu Yilan established Xingkai as Hengtai’s entertainment subsidiary to gain a share of the industry’s profits. Its early business connections include a brand endorsement involving Li Jiabo, which Yang Bin identifies after Chu questions whether Li has any deals with the company 9.

Recruiting Shen Lian

When Shen Lian expresses a need for industry connections, Chu invites him to join Xingkai. The company assigns Hu Kailan as his liaison and manager before his Xingtu Entertainment contract has officially ended, postponing formal negotiations until that departure is settled 23 24.

An Xingtu executive threatens companies willing to take Shen in, but Xingkai’s Hengtai backing allows it to disregard the pressure. Shen announces the move through his reclaimed Weibo account, and Xingkai confirms it by reposting his announcement with a handshake emoji 26.

Hu redirects Shen toward acting rather than relying on variety shows or cosplay exposure. He offers a supporting role in Dai Tong’s Silent Words, despite concerns about Shen’s acting and the presence of Zheng Ge as the male lead. Jiang You also transfers to Xingkai at Shen’s request 26 27.

Recruiting Chen Mu

After learning that Chen Mu helped Shen, Chu offers him a place at Xingkai if he leaves Dawnlight Media. Shen encourages Chen to continue acting and asks him to keep the planned transfer confidential 131.

Kuang personally discusses Chen’s salary and benefits. Initially cautious, he becomes more convinced of Chen’s potential after learning about his abilities and strong academic record. Xingkai promises an agent, assistant, endorsements, and acting roles, with a Skyreach International endorsement serving as an initial trial 133.

Chen subsequently lands a third-male-lead role and produces successive breakout performances. Xingkai’s later decision to promote him heavily rests primarily on those results, rather than Shen’s recommendation alone 153 235.

Later Artist Development

By Chapter 257, Shen is Xingkai’s biggest money-spinner and identifies himself as its number-one artist. The company is also heavily promoting a second group of artists, including Chen, whose roles over the preceding year have consistently generated attention 257.

Management & Personnel

• Chu Yilan — Founder and owner. He authorizes recruitment and intervenes in investment decisions, including increased funding for Silent Words to prevent Shen’s removal 9 23 35 131.
• Kuang Chenghai — President and senior decision-maker. He participates personally in artist negotiations, studio arrangements, and introductions to influential business figures 106 133 199.
• Hu Kailan — One of Xingkai’s top managers, with experience guiding major stars. As Shen’s manager, he selects scripts, pursues opportunities, coordinates publicity, and arranges commercial appearances 24 74 125 142.
• Vice President Liu — Executive whose inappropriate attention toward Shen is confronted by Sun Binghe. Kuang supports Sun’s intervention, and Liu backs down 94.
• Sun Binghe — Chu’s special assistant, not an ordinary Xingkai assistant. His authority includes handling investment arrangements and questioning the company’s expenses 31 94 110.

Artists & Support Teams

• Shen Lian — Joins from Xingtu and becomes Xingkai’s leading earner. His career develops through roles secured or supported by the company, alongside Hu’s management 26 35 257.
• Chen Mu — Recruited after being suppressed at Dawnlight Media. His performances earn sustained company promotion and growing resources 131 133 235 257.
• Jiang You — Shen’s junior assistant, brought over from Xingtu with Hu’s agreement to approach HR. She accompanies Shen on assignments after the transfer 26 27.
• Li Yi — Member of Shen’s assistant team, attending commercial shoots and executive gatherings with him 42 94 103.

Business Activities

Production Investment

Studios & Artist Resources

• Hu arranges a well-equipped studio for Shen with a sixteen-person staff; Kuang personally shows him around 106.
• Shen and Chen later have studios near one another at Xingkai 257.
• Chen’s recruitment package includes representation, assistant support, endorsements, and acting opportunities 133.

Publicity & Networking

• Hu coordinates Shen’s social-media activity and seeks an early release of Silent Words character posters when Shen’s visibility declines 36 74.
• Executive gatherings give artists access to company leadership and business contacts. Hu invites Shen to meet Xingkai executives at the Star Club, while Kuang later introduces him to influential figures at a company event 93 199.
• Xingkai attempts to suppress news of Shen’s abduction, while his studio repeatedly denies it. The information nevertheless reaches fans, who remain concerned about him 179.

Financial Oversight

• Xingkai meets its financial targets for the first half of the year discussed in Chapter 94 94.
• Sun questions whether expensive executive dinners are fully charged to the company. Kuang says such visits occur at most once every two weeks and that other parties usually pay on other occasions 94.
• Kuang attends Hengtai’s subsidiary executive meetings, where Sun scrutinizes his work, including inconsistent signatures that require additional verification 93 141 165.

Corporate Relationships

• Hengtai — Parent company and source of backing that allows Xingkai to resist pressure from rival entertainment executives 9 26.
• Xingtu Entertainment — Shen’s former agency. Its attempted pressure fails to prevent Xingkai from signing him, and Jiang You follows him to the new company 26 27.
• Chang’an Media — Competitor represented in the story by its artist Wei Fanchen 28.
• Dawnlight Media — Chen’s former company, accused of deliberately suppressing him. Shen later assures both Chen and Dawnlight head Song Yuan that Xingkai will protect Chen 133 142 143.
• Skyreach International — Provides Chen’s trial endorsement, arranged by Sun 133.

Artist Protection & Internal Tensions

• Kuang joins Sun and senior executives when they arrive with bodyguards to remove Shen from Jin Lei’s coercive encounter 95 96.
• During the Tianchong confrontation, Kuang helps Shen, Sun, and Yang Bin fight. Sun thanks him by promising not to criticize him at the next executive meeting 140 141.
• Kuang becomes protective of Chen because Chen tends to yield during conflicts. Outsiders misinterpret this concern as romantic interest 257.
• Sun Kedong attempts to create rivalry between Shen and Chen at Xingkai. Shen rejects the insinuation, crediting Chen’s progress to hard work and ability and stating that he would respect anyone capable of surpassing him 257.