Entertainment from Divorce

In late autumn in Beijing, the morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the Cultural Bureau building in the city center already exuded a calm and composed atmosphere.

In the director's office, Ye Wen sat behind a large mahogany desk, a pen between her fingers, her gaze focused intently on the documents in front of her.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the blinds, casting neat shadows on the documents. The air was filled with the faint scent of ink and the rich aroma of coffee, outlining the decisive and efficient aura of this female bureau chief.

Ye Wen wore a navy blue suit skirt, her hair neatly tied into a low bun, with a few stray hairs carefully styled at her temples, exuding both feminine gentleness and the competence of someone in an important position.

As the director of the State Administration of Culture, she holds the power to review and supervise film, television, and literary works nationwide.

The files I have to process every day are piled up to be half a person high.

From approving local cultural and artistic activities to formulating national film and television policies, everything requires her review and approval.

"Director, this is a summary table of film and television projects submitted for review by various units in the past two weeks. Please take a look."

The office door was gently pushed open, and the assistant, Xiaolin, walked in carrying a black folder, placing the file on Ye Wen's desk with light steps.

"I have marked several key projects in red."

"Put it here." Ye Wen didn't even look up, her voice steady and strong, her pen still rapidly annotating the document.

She is always meticulous in her work, and even basic documents such as summary tables must be reviewed by her personally, for fear of missing any key information.

Xiaolin nodded, quietly withdrew, and gently closed the office door.

After Ye Wen finished processing the approval documents at hand, she picked up the summary table.

The cover features a list of film and television projects submitted for review, with neat and clear lettering.

She turned to the first page, her eyes quickly scanning over information such as project name, applicant organization, and subject matter, her finger occasionally sliding across the page to mark projects that needed special attention.

Recently, higher authorities have attached great importance to science fiction-themed artistic creations, emphasizing in meetings on multiple occasions the need to support a number of high-quality science fiction film and television projects, promote the development of China's science fiction industry, and break Hollywood's monopoly in the global science fiction market.

As the director of the State Administration of Culture, Ye Wen naturally took this instruction to heart and kept a close eye on science fiction works on the market.

However, after flipping through a few pages, she found that most of the works were urban, period, or realistic themes. Occasionally, one or two science fiction works appeared, but they were mostly soft science fiction, focusing on romance or suspense elements, lacking the core and depth of hard science fiction, which made her slightly disappointed.

"Isn't there a single hard science fiction work that's truly presentable?" Ye Wen murmured to herself, her fingertips tapping lightly on the pages as she continued to flip through the book.

Suddenly, her fingers stopped.

"The Three-Body Problem?" Ye Wen frowned slightly, her gaze falling on the words "screenwriter: Tan Yue," a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Ye Wen had never heard of Tan Yue preparing a science fiction TV series, especially a hard science fiction one.

It's important to know that filming a hard science fiction TV series is far more difficult than filming a movie.

Television dramas are longer and require more details and plot, which places extremely high demands on the logical rigor of the script, the continuity of special effects production, and the stability of the actors' performances.

Globally, there are very few successful hard science fiction TV series, not to mention in the Chinese film and television market, where hard science fiction TV series are almost non-existent.

Tan Yue's willingness to venture into this field truly surprised her.

"Tan Yue never fights a battle unprepared. Since he dared to do it, he must be very confident," Ye Wen thought to herself.

The success of "Interstellar" gave her full confidence in Tan Yue's science fiction writing ability; however, TV series and movies are different after all.

She was very curious about how Tan Yue would integrate the core of hard science fiction into the narrative of the TV series, and what surprises he would bring.

She picked up the landline on the table, intending to call Tan Yue directly to ask about the specifics of "The Three-Body Problem".

After all, this is currently the only hard science fiction TV series to be submitted for approval, which perfectly aligns with the support policies of higher authorities.

If a project is indeed of high quality, the State Administration of Radio and Television can provide certain support and guidance to help it proceed smoothly.

But Ye Wen stopped as soon as her finger touched the dial button.

inappropriate.

"Let's stick to the rules." Ye Wen put down the phone and sighed softly, but her curiosity about "The Three-Body Problem" grew even stronger.

She wanted to know what the core story of this drama was.
Does it maintain the scientific rigor of "Interstellar"?
What about the production team and cast?
When can I officially submit it for review?

A series of questions swirled in her mind, making her somewhat restless.

Just then, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

Her daughter, Chen Ye, isn't she Tan Yue's secretary?
"Asking my daughter isn't against the rules, is it?" Ye Wen smiled slightly, finally finding an outlet for her curiosity.

At 6 p.m., Ye Wen finished her work and left work on time.

The car smoothly entered the evening rush hour traffic.

The street scene outside the window rushed past. Ye Wen looked at the road, but the name "The Three-Body Problem" kept popping into her mind. She was thinking about how to ask her daughter about the situation that night.

Chen Ye was sensible and well-behaved from a young age, and after starting work, she adhered to professional ethics and never said anything she shouldn't have.

As a secretary, confidentiality is a fundamental principle, especially for a large company like Brilliant Entertainment, where information about key projects is kept strictly confidential.

Getting information out of her daughter won't be easy.

The car drove into the familiar residential area and stopped in front of a villa.

When Ye Wen got out of the car and walked into her house, Chen Ye had already returned.

"Mom, you're back?" Hearing the door open, Chen Ye poked her head out with a gentle smile on her face. "I made your favorite dish today, it'll be ready soon."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, my darling daughter." Ye Wen changed her shoes and walked into the kitchen. Watching her daughter's busy figure, she felt gratified.

"Have you been busy with work lately? Is there a lot going on with President Tan?" Ye Wen asked casually, her gaze falling on her daughter's busy hands.

"It's alright, quite busy, but everything's going smoothly," Chen Ye replied while stirring the vegetables in the pan. "President Tan is currently pushing forward with a key project, and we've all been busy with it." "A key project? What kind of project?" Ye Wen's heart skipped a beat, and she finally got to the point, trying to keep her tone natural. "Is it a movie or a TV series?"

Chen Ye paused in his stir-frying, turned to look at his mother, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes: "Mom, why are you asking this? Company project information is confidential, I can't just say it casually."

"Mom was just asking casually, showing concern for your work," Ye Wen smiled, concealing her true intentions.

“Think about it, you’re always busy with Mr. Tan, and Mom doesn’t even know what you’re busy with. She’s always a little worried about you.”

"Besides, Tan Yue is a very talented director. His projects must be very interesting. I'm just curious."

"No matter how interesting it is, I can't say it. That's my work principle." Chen Ye shook his head and continued stir-frying the vegetables.

“Mom, you know that the most important thing for me as Mr. Tan’s secretary is to keep my mouth shut. If I leak company secrets, not only will I lose my job, but I will also cause trouble for Mr. Tan and the company. I can’t do that.”

Ye Wen knew her daughter's personality; once she was determined to do something, it was difficult to persuade her.

Instead of pressing further, she changed her approach: "Today at work, I saw a summary table of submitted projects, and I saw that your company submitted a TV series called 'The Three-Body Problem,' with Tan Yue as the screenwriter and a hard science fiction theme. Is this the key project you mentioned?"

Chen Ye's body visibly stiffened, and he looked at his mother in surprise: "Mom, how do you know about 'The Three-Body Problem'?"

“I’m the director of the State Administration of Culture. Of course I can see the application information for film and television projects nationwide.” Ye Wen smiled. “What, did I guess right? This ‘Three-Body Problem’ is your company’s key project?”

Chen Ye hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, 'The Three-Body Problem' is indeed our company's key project this year, with a large investment, and President Tan attaches great importance to it."

"I knew it! Tan Yue's judgment is definitely sound." Ye Wen was overjoyed and quickly asked, "What story is 'The Three-Body Problem' about? Is it hard science fiction? How rigorous are the scientific settings? Has the cast been finalized? When will filming begin?"

A series of questions were thrown out, and Ye Wen's eyes were full of curiosity and anticipation.

Chen Ye smiled helplessly: "Mom, I can't answer all these questions at once."

Turn off the gas stove and put the cooked dish into a plate.

"The specific plot and details of 'The Three-Body Problem' are core secrets of the company, and I really can't say. However, I can tell you that it is indeed a hard science fiction TV series. Mr. Tan put a lot of effort into the scriptwriting and invited experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences to serve as scientific advisors to ensure the rigor of the scientific settings."

"Really? That's great!" Ye Wen exclaimed excitedly.

"There are too few hard science fiction works in China now, especially TV series, which are almost non-existent."

"If 'The Three-Body Problem' can be filmed well, it will definitely be a major breakthrough for China's film and television industry, and it will also respond to the call of higher authorities and promote the development of the science fiction industry."

"I believe in Mr. Tan's abilities; he will definitely be able to make 'The Three-Body Problem' a success," Chen Ye said firmly.

"Has the cast been finalized? Have any veteran actors been invited?" Ye Wen asked again, her eyes full of anticipation.

"The cast is basically finalized. Most of them are artists under our company, and there are also a few veteran actors invited from outside. They are all very talented." Chen Ye did not reveal the names of the actors, but only gave a vague answer.

"The company will officially announce the specific cast when filming begins."

"When will it be turned on?" This was Ye Wen's biggest concern.

Chen Ye thought for a moment and decided that the start date wasn't a top secret, and the company would be making an official announcement soon anyway, so he said, "It'll be soon. All the preparations are progressing steadily. The storyboard has been completed, and the crew, props, and costumes are all being prepared. We estimate that filming will start next month."

"Next month? That's wonderful!" Ye Wen's face lit up with a relieved smile, her anticipation growing even stronger.

She had already begun to imagine the sensation that "The Three-Body Problem" would cause when it aired, and that China would finally have a decent hard science fiction TV series.

"Mom, why are you so interested in 'The Three-Body Problem'?" Chen Ye asked, placing the food on the table and looking at his mother with a puzzled expression. "You've never paid this much attention to film and television projects before."

"Because the higher-ups have recently been paying a lot of attention to science fiction works and want to support a number of high-quality science fiction projects." Ye Wen sat down and picked up her chopsticks.

"As the only hard science fiction TV series to be submitted for approval so far, The Three-Body Problem is naturally a key focus."

"Moreover, this is Tan Yue's work, and I have confidence in him. I believe that 'The Three-Body Problem' will definitely become an excellent work and set a benchmark for China's science fiction film and television industry."

"I believe it too." Chen Ye nodded.

"President Tan has put in a lot of effort for 'The Three-Body Problem,' not only serving as the screenwriter himself, but also participating in the entire project preparation process, personally handling everything from actor selection to polishing the storyboard. 'The Three-Body Problem' will definitely not disappoint everyone."

The mother and daughter ate and chatted, their conversation revolving around "The Three-Body Problem".

Although Ye Wen didn't get much specific information from her daughter, it was enough to make her excited and expectant.

She knew that since Tan Yue dared to take on the challenge of a hard science fiction TV series, he must have been absolutely confident.

The success of "The Three-Body Problem" will not only elevate Brilliant Entertainment to new heights, but also drive the development of the entire Chinese science fiction film and television industry, which is exactly what she and her superiors hope to see.

After dinner, Chen Ye cleared the dishes, while Ye Wen sat on the sofa in the living room, picked up her phone, and searched for information about "The Three-Body Problem".

However, there are almost no related reports online, which shows that Brilliant Entertainment has done a very good job of keeping this project a secret.

"Looks like I can only wait patiently for the official announcement of the film's release," Ye Wen thought to herself as she put down her phone.

She has decided that when the complete script of "The Three-Body Problem" is submitted for review, she will personally review it, provide the greatest support and guidance, and help the work pass the review smoothly and meet the audience as soon as possible.

She even started planning how to coordinate relevant resources once the filming of "The Three-Body Problem" was completed.

To hold a grand premiere for this drama.

To attract more attention to this hard science fiction TV series and promote the dissemination and development of Chinese science fiction films and television.

After Chen Ye finished clearing away the dishes, he walked into the living room and saw his mother sitting on the sofa in a daze, her eyes full of anticipation. He couldn't help but smile and said, "Mom, are you already looking forward to the broadcast of 'The Three-Body Problem'?"

“Of course.” Ye Wen came back to her senses and said with a smile, “I not only look forward to it, but I also have high hopes for this series. I believe that ‘The Three-Body Problem’ will definitely become a phenomenal work and take Chinese science fiction films and television to new heights.”

“I think so too.” Chen Ye sat down next to his mother, leaning on her shoulder. “When ‘The Three-Body Problem’ airs, let’s watch it together at home, okay?”

"Okay!" Ye Wen nodded, gently patted her daughter's hand, her heart filled with anticipation.

As night deepened, moonlight streamed through the sheer curtains, illuminating a corner of the living room. (End of Chapter)