Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Luosang stopped walking and asked, “She uses drugs?”
“Eh… It hasn’t been proved yet. I just heard about it but don’t know if it’s true,” said Director Tang. “But I can tell that she has lost some serious weight.”
Luosang nodded. Zhong Yi looked awful, indeed. Back when they were in school, Zhong Yi’s appearance was considered better than average, even though she wasn’t as pretty as Luosang.
“After her scandals were exposed, those advertising companies all came to her and asked for penalties. She paid out tens of millions. I guess she doesn’t have much money left now. Ah, you can never guess the end of a story in the entertainment industry.” Director Tang shook his head, then said goodbye to Nian Junting and left.
On the way back to the villa, Luosang stayed silent the whole time. Nian Junting turned down the music and started a conversation. “Are you thinking about Zhong Yi?”
“Yeah.” Luosang rested a hand on the window. The wind ruffled her hair. “I used to be good friends with Zhong Yi. She is definitely not a decent person, but seeing her like that, I just don’t know how to describe my feelings.”
“If you ask me, I’d say that she deserves what she got.” Nian Junting said blandly, “People can make serious money in the entertainment industry. But still, so many other people who are paid thousands per month are living peaceful lives. She worked in the entertainment industry for a couple of years. She should at least have some money left. However, she just refused to face reality. Instead, she hooked up with that Mr. Miao and tried to take a shortcut to success. Some people are just like that. They climbed high, and they’ll do whatever they can to stay there. They’re just so afraid of falling back to the bottom.”
Luosang nodded, sighing. He was so right.
“Speaking of the entertainment industry, actors and actress do make big money. Compared to them, you dubbers are too cheap, aren’t you?” Nian Junting recalled the price he had heard at dinner. “Four hundred and eighty per episode?” His face was filled with disbelief. “You can only make twenty or thirty thousand after you do the whole series, and you must get all the emotions right. It’s not easier than acting.”
“That’s the normal price. Did you think my job could make a fortune?” Luosang said.
“I thought you could at least earn hundreds of thousands from one TV series.” Nian Junting gave her a glance and said, “You’re so cheap.”
Hearing what he said, Luosang was upset. “I don’t only do the main female character. I’ll also do other characters. Normally, I’ll do three to five voices in a show. So in total, I can make sixty or seventy thousand in one show, and if I do ten shows a year, I’ll make six or seven hundred thousand per year. In fact, that’s already good enough for most people.”
Nian Junting shook his head and responded, “Except for Nian Xi, you make the least amount of money among all the people I know.”
Luosang felt frustrated, so she responded impatiently, “I’m sorry for not making a lot of money.”
“It’s alright. I’m rich, anyway. I’m just wondering why you chose voice acting. In fact, you’re capable enough to be a singer or an actress. You’d be making so much more than you are now.”
“I’m not doing it for money. I simply love voice acting. My grandma was a dubbing artist. Back in her time, a dubber could only make a hundred yuan from one movie. However, my grandma was proud of her job until the day she passed away. I am just like her. This industry needs voice acting. The film and television market is becoming more and more international. Many people from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, even some foreigners come here to shoot movies and shows. Voice actors and actresses are needed. You don’t understand. Every time a dubbed movie was on, I felt so proud when I heard the voices of the leading characters in it.
“Some actors can only do dozens of films in their lives, but we dubbers can do hundreds, even thousands of films. Our voices made countless characters more real. I’m proud of what I do.”
Nian Junting listened to her speech. Her snow-white face was glowing, looking especially charming.