Nina thought it was a bad idea.
“It’s true that I was the cause of all that happened, but we can’t just cover up the mistake like this,” she said, analyzing the situation for him. “Mr. Jensen, I haven’t clarified my end of the story. If you announced that we’re together, it won’t undo the damage on your reputation. In fact, it might even worsen things.”
“It won’t,” the assistant said seriously, unlike his usual light-hearted demeanor.
He had his glasses on, and began explaining meticulously to Nina.
“Ms. Ashlee, take a look at this document.”
It was an Excel sheet detailing the persona of every single celebrity in the industry. Marcus’s line described him as a gutsy yet tragic main lead persona.
“We’ve discussed and decided that since public opinion is raging at this moment, why don’t we ride the waves and shift Mr. Jensen’s persona?”
Competition was getting increasingly intense in the entertainment industry. Although Marcus was awarded the Best Actor award once, many producers have recently begun favoring celebrities with tragic main lead personas.
Celebrities who were popular and boasted huge fan bases were, in turn, not as greatly favored.
Marcus was very outstanding, but it wasn’t enough for him to rely merely on that one award he won. His handsome looks made people doubt that he had won the award with his merit alone.
The mere mention of that upset his assistant.
“Over the past two years, we’ve been finding the perfect opportunity to switch Mr. Jensen’s persona. To think that the best chance has come amidst this crisis.”
He raised the example of a previous superstar.
“That senior was a top A-lister, a male celebrity on a global level. But after he made an official announcement that he was taken, he was lambasted on social media. Despite that, time proved that he made the right decision. His persona shifted from a popular young celebrity to a man with guts and resolve. He had his hands full with taking on roles in many mainstream drama series.”
The assistant’s eyes lit up with admiration. Then, he turned to look at Nina pleadingly.
If she remembered it right, the assistant had looked at her in disdain just a few moments ago. What a sharp and astute person he was!
Nina looked away in embarrassment. Her face was turning red under his stare.
Marcus was a good judge of character; over the years, he had earned the reputation of being a prestigious actor in the industry.
Many young ladies in showbiz had expressed their interest in him. Some bolder ones even knocked on his door.
“Are you afraid he’ll get angry?”
This man! How was he able to keep guessing what she was thinking?!
“I find something rather strange,” Marcus went on.
This was his first time seeing Nina in person. If it weren’t for Fanny, he would never have had the chance to meet the much-hated editor-in-chief in his entire life.
For the first time, he was glad that he came to see Fanny today.
“How does someone like you hide in the grass to take photos and spread rumors of people like us?”
The mention of her profession made Nina suddenly feel that bit more confident. She pushed her black-rimmed glasses up her nose.
“What do you mean, someone like me? Can’t someone like me take on a job like this?”
She loved being an entertainment reporter.
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