Entertainment from Divorce

On Monday morning, the Beijing sun, carrying the warmth of early summer, cast a bright patch of light on Tan Yue's ebony desk through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his top-floor office in the Brilliant Entertainment headquarters building.

Tiny dust particles floated in the light spots, creating a striking contrast with the thick stack of documents spread out on the table.

That was the budget proposal for the "Sky Road" project submitted by the film department. The A3-sized paper was densely covered with detailed notes on various expenses, from actor salaries and location rentals to special effects production. Different colored annotations were attached next to the numbers, clearly the result of repeated calculations by the team in the early stages.

Tan Yue sat in a black leather chair, leaning slightly forward, a silver-gray fountain pen in his hand, the nib hovering over the page with the "Actors' Salaries" section, hesitant to write it down.

His gaze lingered on the figure of "800 million for top-tier actors" for a long time, his brows furrowing slightly. He then drew a line lightly on the margin of the document and muttered to himself, "We can cut the actors' fees by another 5%. We're looking for 'suitable' actors, not 'most expensive' ones, so that we can ensure the quality of the character portrayal while also freeing up more budget."

As he spoke, he flipped through the actor recommendation list in the attachment, his fingertip swiping across the profile pages of several actors.

The pen tip quickly jots down revisions on the document, occasionally pausing to glance at the team's qualification certificates and past work examples in the attachments.

Time slipped away quietly as I focused on my work. The sunlight outside the window gradually rose, moving from the desk to the wall, making the commemorative poster for "Interstellar," which had grossed over 50 billion dollars worldwide, stand out prominently.

On the poster, against the backdrop of a vast universe, the "Brilliant Entertainment" logo shines brightly, as if silently witnessing the company's growth.

Before he knew it, more than two hours had passed. Tan Yue finally signed his name on the last page of the budget proposal. He closed the document, stretched, and his cervical spine made a slight "creaking" sound. Working in one position for a long time had made his shoulders and neck a little stiff.

Tan Yue got up and walked to the window, pushing it open halfway. The morning air, carrying a hint of locust tree fragrance, wafted in, mixed with the subtle sounds of traffic on the street below, gradually relaxing his tense nerves.

He raised his hand to rub his shoulder, took out his phone to check the time, but found an unread message notification popping up on the screen. The sender was Lin Qingye.

Upon opening the message, Lin Qingye's text was filled with obvious excitement: "Good morning, President Tan! The filming of the old watch shop attic scene for 'Time Ticks' was successfully completed yesterday. Teacher Zhou Ming is amazing!"

The message was accompanied by five photos from the set.

The first picture shows Zhou Ming squatting on the attic floor, holding a mahogany toolbox in his hands, his eyes intently focused on the tools inside.

The second photo shows Wang Hao holding an old-fashioned camera, adjusting the focus under the guidance of staff, with a shy smile on his lips.

The third picture shows the props displayed by the props team: an old pocket watch, old photos, and yellowed newspapers neatly arranged on the table.

The fourth picture shows the lighting crew adjusting their equipment, with warm yellow light illuminating the entire attic scene.

The fifth picture shows the meal on set. It was a simple meal of two dishes and a soup, but it was arranged very neatly, which shows the team's attention to detail.

Looking at the photo, Tan Yue couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

He has always been very confident in Lin Qingye's work attitude.

Since the start of filming for "Time Ticks", Lin Qingye has been sending a filming report every morning at eight o'clock sharp. He not only reports on the progress, but also describes in detail the actors' condition, prop preparation, and team collaboration. When problems arise, such as "Zhou Ming has a different understanding of a certain line" or "the floor material of the attic scene does not match the era", he will communicate solutions immediately and never let him worry.

This kind of conscientiousness and responsibility—responding to every matter and ensuring that every issue is resolved—is an essential quality of an excellent director.

He quickly typed on the screen and replied: "I'm glad the filming went smoothly. Thank you for your hard work, you and the team. You don't need to send detailed reports every day. Focus your energy on managing the set."

After sending the message, Tan Yue leaned against the railing by the window, gazing at the distant TV tower, his thoughts drifting away.

His strong support for Lin Qingye was not solely due to Lin Qingye's demonstrated talent.

He saw in Lin Qingye a “reverence for film”.

To recreate the authentic scene of an old watch shop, Lin Qingye spent half a month observing the old shops in the alley and even learned simple watch repair techniques from the old craftsmen.

"Brilliant Entertainment needs more directors like this," Tan Yue murmured to himself.

Today, although Interstellar has opened the door to the international market and won box office and critical acclaim overseas, it cannot rely on just one film or just one director to gain a foothold in the international entertainment market.

He hopes that Lin Qingye can grow into a world-class director and lead the film team of Brilliant Entertainment to create more works that can transcend cultural barriers, allowing the world to see the strength of Chinese films and enabling Brilliant Entertainment to truly move towards becoming a "world-class" company.

He recalled the difficulties he faced when he first transitioned into film directing.

Back at his desk, Tan Yue had just put the budget proposal for "The Road to Heaven" into the document basket awaiting approval and was about to pick up the next document, "Newcomer Training Plan for Artist Management Department," when there was a gentle knock on the office door, accompanied by Chen Ye's slightly hurried voice: "President Tan, is this a convenient time? I have some very important news to report to you!"

"Come in." Tan Yue looked up and saw Chen Ye holding a printed press release. He walked quickly to the desk, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement, and his breathing was even a little rapid.

She handed the press release to Tan Yue with both hands, her voice filled with excitement: "President Tan, just ten minutes ago, the International Cultural Center's official website updated its latest ranking of world entertainment companies! Our Brilliant Entertainment has jumped directly from the top tier in China to a second-tier world entertainment company, ranking first among all newly listed companies, and is also one of the fastest-rising entertainment companies in this ranking! This is the highest recognition our company has received on the international stage since its establishment, and it is definitely a significant milestone in our development!"

Tan Yue quickly took the press release, his fingertips trembling slightly with excitement. The press release was titled "World Entertainment Company Rankings Released: Several Asian Companies Enter Second-Tier, China's Brilliant Entertainment Performs Outstandingly," and the body of the text detailed the ranking criteria.
The ranking list included the following comment: "With the global box office success of the science fiction film Interstellar and the rapid expansion of its overseas distribution channels, Brilliant Entertainment has successfully risen from a top regional entertainment company to a second-tier global company, demonstrating strong development potential and an international vision."

"That's great!" Tan Yue couldn't help but stand up after reading the news report, a bright smile spreading across his face, a warm feeling welling up inside him.

"This news must be communicated to all departments in the company immediately!" Tan Yue turned to Chen Ye and said, his tone full of excitement. "Go and contact the public relations department now and have them write a press release immediately. Release it simultaneously on all platforms, including the company's official website, Weibo, WeChat official account, and Douyin. Also, contact mainstream entertainment media in China, such as the China Film News and Entertainment Weekly, as well as overseas media like The Hollywood Reporter, to ensure that more people know about this good news and further enhance the company's brand awareness and international influence."

"Okay, Mr. Tan, I'll go and coordinate with the public relations department right away!" Chen Ye replied and turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Tan Yue called out to him, adding, "Also, arrange for the administration department to prepare a celebration event, which will be held in the company lobby before the end of the workday this afternoon."

"No problem, Mr. Tan. I'll have the administration department come up with a plan within two hours to ensure the afternoon's celebration goes smoothly!" Chen Ye nodded with a smile and left the office with light steps, even his back view exuding excitement.

Watching Chen Ye's departing figure, Tan Yue leaned back in his chair, picked up his phone, found the name "Chen Ziyu" in his contacts, and dialed it without hesitation.

The phone was answered after only one ring, and Chen Ziyu's gentle voice came through the receiver, carrying a hint of sleepiness: "Hey, Tan Yue, why are you calling me at this hour? I was looking at the profiles of new talents in the artist management department, and I fell asleep while I was looking at them."

She wasn't feeling well and was working from home.

"Ziyu, I have some amazing news to tell you!" Tan Yue's voice was full of excitement as he eagerly shared, "Our company has been promoted to a world-class entertainment company! The International Cultural Center just released its rankings, and we are the highest-ranked among the newly promoted companies!"

"Really?!" Chen Ziyu's voice instantly cleared, filled with surprise. "I thought we'd have to wait at least another year or two to break into the second tier, but I didn't expect to do it so quickly! All our hard work over the past few years has finally paid off, and we've finally taken the most crucial step towards becoming a world-class entertainment company!"

“Yeah, I still feel like I’m dreaming,” Tan Yue said with a smile, her fingertips gently stroking the phone case. “After get off work tonight, let’s have a proper celebration. I’ll book a table at that private restaurant you mentioned you wanted to eat at, or if you want to eat at home, I’ll make you your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs when I get back.”

“Let’s eat at home. I’ll go back early this afternoon to buy groceries and make you your favorite braised pork and a pork rib soup. We can eat and talk about the company’s upcoming plans.” Chen Ziyu’s voice was full of warmth. “Oh, and don’t forget to call Mom and Dad. They’ve always been very concerned about the company’s development and will definitely be happy for us.”

"Okay, I'll call back in a bit," Tan Yue replied. He chatted with Chen Ziyu for a few more minutes about work arrangements before reluctantly hanging up the phone.

He picked up the press release about the world's entertainment companies again and carefully read through the list of the top ten companies.

"The gap is the direction for our efforts." Tan Yue wrote this sentence in his notebook, then opened his computer, created a new document titled "Brilliant Entertainment International Development Plan," and began to outline the company's next development plans:
First, regarding overseas market expansion, in addition to deepening existing cooperation, we also need to establish an office in Hollywood and recruit local professional distribution talent.
Second, in terms of content creation, we will increase investment in diverse themes.

In addition to continuing to delve into science fiction and realistic themes, we will also expand into genres such as animated films, suspense thrillers, and family comedies, and establish a dedicated "International Content Creation Department" to invite overseas screenwriters and directors to join us in creating stories that can transcend cultural barriers.

At the same time, the "Global New Director Program" was launched, selecting 10 young directors from different countries each year, providing them with funding and technical support, and cultivating creative talents with an international perspective.

Third, in terms of improving the industry chain, a "derivative product development company" has been established to be responsible for the design and sales of derivative products of film and music IPs. It will cooperate with well-known global brands to launch co-branded products, such as co-developing Interstellar-themed dolls and co-launching limited-edition film-themed accessories with luxury brands. At the same time, it will explore offline entertainment scenarios, such as building "Brilliant Entertainment Experience Halls" in major cities in China to showcase the company's classic film props and provide immersive viewing, interactive games and other services to enhance the monetization capabilities of IPs.

fourth
At 4:30 p.m., the lobby on the first floor of Brilliant Entertainment was already bustling with activity.

The administrative staff are busy setting up the venue.

A red banner was hung in the center of the hall, its gold lettering standing out prominently under the lights.

Pink and blue balloons, each bearing the company's logo, were wrapped around the pillars on both sides. Display shelves in the lobby featured overseas box office posters for "Interstellar," photos of signed international cooperation projects, and a timeline of the company's development from its inception to the present.

The staff also set up tables on both sides of the hall, with celebratory gifts neatly arranged on them.

The gift box contains silver commemorative coins, and the envelope contains red shopping cards.

At 5:00 PM sharp, as the get off work bell rang, employees arrived at the lobby one after another, and were pleasantly surprised to see the prepared area.

Everyone shared the good news of the company's promotion to a world-class level. Some people took photos with their phones and posted them on WeChat Moments, while others excitedly discussed their upcoming work plans. The entire hall was filled with laughter and joy.

At 5:10, Tan Yue and Chen Ziyu walked into the hall side by side, and the employees immediately quieted down, all eyes focused on them.

Tan Yue took the microphone from the public relations department, walked to the stage in the center of the hall, and looked at the familiar faces below the stage.

There were long-time employees who had been with him since the company's inception, and newcomers who had just joined. Everyone's face was filled with joy and pride, and his heart was filled with emotion.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" Tan Yue's voice echoed throughout the hall through the speakers. "Today is a day to remember. Our Brilliant Entertainment has successfully been promoted to a world-class entertainment company! This achievement is not due to the efforts of Ziyu and me alone, but to the hard work of every employee."

Tan Yue has never been so high-profile before. This unusual behavior is intended to boost employees' confidence in the company.

This will motivate everyone even more.

Brilliant Entertainment Company will continue to grow. (End of Chapter)