China Entertainment's Standout

Chapter 1088 The Number One Sister Reveals Her True Colors, Sending You to the Clouds

"Has Teacher Pan gained a little weight?"

Zhou Yutang looked at the makeup test photos for "The Wrath of Xiangxi" on the tablet, tapped the screen lightly with her finger, and frowned slightly.

Most of the indoor scenes and street scenes in this drama were filmed at the Tangcheng Film and Television Base.

The initial preparations took more than eight months, and the crew built the entire Pingshan Ancient Tomb set on location.

Although it didn't involve the extravagant investments of poet Chen's frequent city-building projects, it was still quite costly and genuinely boosted the local film and television industry chain, contributing to economic development.

As a prequel to the "Ghost Blows Out the Light" series, "The Wrath of Xiangxi" tells a story of tomb raiding during the warlord era of the Republic of China.

Speaking of the cast, aside from Pan Yueming, who plays the young Chen Yulou, he is definitely a top-tier actor.

Other actors, such as Xin Zhilei who played Hong Guniang and Gao Weiguang who played Partridge Whistle, can be considered economical and practical actors.

The pay is reasonable, the acting skills are solid, and there is no excessive premium for popularity.

The total remuneration of the entire leading cast was strictly controlled to be within 30% of the total budget.

Continuing the fine tradition of the Jiangdong family, most of the production costs were actually spent on practical things.

The key lies with Pan Yueming.

The young Chen Yulou is the central character of this drama. What kind of person is he?
The chief of Changsheng Mountain and the third-generation leader of the Unloading Ridge Warriors, he controlled more than 100,000 bandits in 13 provinces across the south and north!

They secretly supported several warlord factions in Hunan Province equipped with British and German weapons, and monopolized the opium and arms trade in western Hunan.

He was born with night vision and was skilled in the art of "observation, listening, questioning, and palpation." He once explored the Yuan Dynasty tomb at Ping Mountain with Partridge Whistle, Red Girl, and others.

Such a powerful and ambitious figure was naturally full of vigor and ambition.

When he was young, Pan Yueming was undeniably dashing and debonair, thanks to his handsome appearance.

Now that he's older, he's gracing the "handsome older man" route and still attracts countless fans.

However, being overweight ruins everything.

In Chen Yulou's makeup test photo, his cheeks were noticeably rounder and his figure more robust, showing no trace of the ruthless and domineering demeanor of a bandit leader.
She falls far short of Zhou Yutang's standards; to use a popular internet phrase, she appears somewhat greasy.
"That's right. Teacher Pan took on a role in a drama in the middle of this year, and gained 20 pounds for the part."

Jiang Xuerou quickly provided an explanation: "He has already started a weight loss plan and is expected to lose 15 pounds by the time filming officially begins at the end of the month."

Hearing this, Zhou Yutang didn't say anything more.

It is perfectly acceptable for professional actors to adjust their weight for a role.

Losing weight may be a major challenge for ordinary people, but it's not that difficult for professional actors who have a whole team to support them.

Take Matthew McConaughey and Joaquin Phoenix, for example; they can lose tens of kilograms in no time.

Pan Yueming's professional competence is evident to all, and Zhou Yutang has confidence in him.

……

Meanwhile, Yang Mi, who had just won the Best Actress award at the Hundred Flowers Awards, was riding high on her success.

The day after the awards ceremony, she returned to Beijing, and her street style photos at the airport went viral. The camel-colored winter coat she wore from Yu Sheng Jia sold out within half a day.

This actually served as free advertising for Yu Sheng Jia's new winter collection.

Da Mimi passed by her home without going in, heading straight for the Poetry Retreat.

"Congratulations to Mimi on becoming the Queen of Flowers."

"Thank you, let's go up together."

Tang Yan, another of the three beauties from the Legend of Sword and Fairy series, is still on her way. Yang Mi exchanged a few pleasantries with Liu Shishi's assistant who was waiting downstairs.

When Tang Yan arrived, carrying gift bags, they took the elevator upstairs side by side.

Since we were all sisters, we didn't stand on ceremony and even chatted about Donghu Manor for a bit.

The Grand Commander of Jiangdong has invested a huge sum of money to build a top-tier manor house in the suburbs of Beijing, which will be ready for residents to move in next year.

Given their status in the fishpond, Tangmi and her partner had already reserved a set each, and they were even neighbors.

If an outsider were to overhear their conversation, it would seem absurd.

Good heavens, can you play it this fancy?
But Yang Mi and Tang Yan thought this was normal.

Having been immersed in this glamorous circle for so long, their values ​​have long since deviated from those of ordinary people.

In the minds of the molasses, having a place in Donghu Manor is more like a reflection of their status in the fishpond.

This visit to Sister Yi was because we had originally planned a small gathering of sisters at the Hundred Flowers Awards ceremony, but she was unable to attend due to illness.

With recent reports that Liu Shishi's team has turned down numerous business engagements and year-end galas, speculation is inevitable.

Tangren Media's official explanation was that Liu Shishi was "feeling unwell due to overwork," and they also released a side profile photo of Liu Shishi at the hospital.

The woman was wearing a light gray long skirt, a light gray long cardigan, and white flat shoes.

She put her hair up, bowed her head, and leaned against the hospital bed with her arms wrapped around her shoulders.

Although the photos are a bit blurry, you can still see the elegant and gentle temperament, and the atmosphere is full of charm.

This photo even went viral online, becoming a popular image that went viral.

Some say it's a marketing stunt by a professional team, while others say it's the lead actress filming a movie.

In short, she ended up in the hospital, and many people are speculating whether she has a serious illness.

There are many rumors circulating outside, and as the left and right protectors of the Legend of Sword and Fairy Alliance, Tang Mi and her partner naturally have a lot of speculation behind the scenes.

The eldest sister only vaguely mentioned that she had a minor health issue, changing the subject, which inevitably made the two of them speculate.

Right there in the elevator, Yang Mi, who prided herself on being resourceful, began to analyze the situation.
"I estimate it's definitely not a small problem, otherwise why didn't they just tell us?"

"Many schedules are scheduled in advance, which may be due to chronic illnesses that require long-term treatment, so it's not easy to disclose them to the public."

"You really are a genius."

"Then you still need to tell me?"

This wasn't the first time Tang Mi and her companion had visited Liu Shishi's home, but they were slightly surprised to see Liu's mother, and then greeted her politely.
"Hello Auntie."

"Well, you came all this way, and you even brought so much stuff."

Liu's mother welcomed the two in and greeted them warmly, saying, "Don't do that again next time."

The two of them, Tang Mi, naturally didn't come empty-handed; they bought a bunch of high-end tonics, such as Indonesian traceable bird's nest and wild ginseng from Changbai Mountain.

"Of course, we should help Shishi recover."

While speaking, Da Mimi was secretly observing Liu's mother's expression.

Seeing that Liu's mother had no worries at all, but was full of smiles, Yang Mi thought to herself: Parents all over the world love their children, and they always have to take care of their daughters at times like this.

"Shishi is in her room. You'll all have dinner at home later."

After finishing her words, Liu's mother turned around and busied herself with instructing the renowned chef arranged by Governor Zhou to prepare a family banquet.

The two women entered Liu Shishi's bedroom, just as they were thinking of what comforting words to say, when Liu Shishi pulled them together and, with a happy expression, took the initiative to say:

"Honey, Sugar, I'm pregnant."

"what!?"

"Are you kidding me?"

A sudden, unexpected clap of thunder shook Yang Mi's pupils.

Today isn't April Fool's Day, so why are they playing jokes?
When the eldest sister presented the hospital's diagnosis to the two of them, they felt as if they had stepped off a towering building and lost their footing, or as if their boat had broken its moorings and capsized in the middle of the Yangtze River; they were stunned and couldn't recover for a long time.

"What's with those expressions? Aren't you happy for me?"

"I'm just so happy."

Yang Mi stared blankly, while Tang Yan's lips moved, managing to force a smile: "Then congratulations, Shi Shi."

"I just went to the hospital for a check-up a couple of days ago, just over a month ago. Yu Tang said, 'Don't tell anyone yet.'"

Liu Shishi smiled and said, "You are my best friends. I told you so you wouldn't worry. By the way, Mimi, congratulations on winning the title of Hundred Flowers Queen!"

"Thank you." Yang Mi forced a smile, but her heart was filled with mixed feelings.

If possible, I'd like to switch with you.

What good is winning the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress?
Liu Shishi swept across both the big and small screens, crushing her contemporaries in television awards. Not only did she win the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress, but she also won the Hong Kong Film Award and the Golden Horse Award.

The little lions often use the following tactic to attack their rivals: What kind of actress are you?
None of these are the key points. The key point is that she will soon be the mother of Zhou Yutang's child.

This is the real trump card.

If it's a daughter, that's fine, but if it's a son, he could use the crown prince to control Governor Zhou!
Liu Yifei and Fan Bingbing are all out of the running.

I'm so happy for you.

Yang Mi gave a somewhat bittersweet smile, lacking any of the composure expected of a folk artist.

Then, she didn't remember what gossip Liu Shishi was talking about at all. Zhou Yutang specially prepared a famous chef for the top sister, whose skills were superb. The dinner was supposed to be lavish, but she couldn't even taste the saltiness.

Compared to Yang Mi, who seemed distracted, Tang Yan, who was forcing a smile, looked even more forlorn.

Of the three, she was the oldest, and she should have sat at the same table as Teacher Fan.

But in terms of actual achievements and status, they came in last.

At least Yang Mi has a Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress, which her fans can still brag about in the future.

But even now, her most notable achievement is still being a supporting actress in a drama series.

Being a "sea king" isn't so easy. After the three beauties from the Legend of Sword and Fairy had a small gathering, Governor Zhou, who was thousands of miles away, felt the pressure.

After appeasing Yang Mi, it's not so easy to appease both Yang Mi and Tang Yan equally.

Chen Duling was somewhat impressed by her boss's abnormal energy.

After passionately painting a rosy picture, he turned and threw himself into his work with an indescribable focus.

Thanks to the good condition of Zhang Hanyu and others, the climax scene in the play was filmed smoothly.

Today's scene was relatively light; it was about the area control center's reaction after the flight went missing.

Air traffic control is responsible for providing critical ground support when an aircraft encounters a crisis. Although it is not in the center of the crisis, it can indirectly create a tense atmosphere.

"Hello, Mr. Zhou."

"Ah hello."

Upon seeing Kan Qingzi again, Zhou Yutang nodded slightly to her as a greeting.

Look at her, wearing a sky-blue air traffic controller uniform, smiling radiantly, as if she has emerged from the shadow of heartbreak.

As the best friend of the "Sweet Princess," Kan Qingzi also benefited from the situation.

I got into the production team through connections and made a cameo appearance as an air traffic controller in the terminal control room of the Southwest Air Traffic Management Bureau.

Upon confirming that 3U8633 had lost contact and that its flight altitude and trajectory were abnormal, the atmosphere in the air traffic control center instantly froze.

Compared to the supporting characters who had much more screen time, Kan Qingzi only had a few scenes.

This means that upon receiving the distress signal from the crew, the controller calmly and promptly provided effective assistance.

"Sichuan 8633, Sichuan 8633, Chengdu is calling you!"

"Sichuan 8633, please respond if you hear me!"

Kan Qingzi is a veteran actress, and she perfectly demonstrated the professionalism of an air traffic controller.

Upon hearing that the crew had lost contact, the information was immediately relayed to the area controller, who then made a decision.

"what happened?"

"8633 has lost contact!"

The chief controller realized the urgency of the situation and immediately issued the order: "Activate the emergency plan immediately!"

"Report to the Air Traffic Management Bureau's Operations Center!"

"Monitor all flights in the area and immediately halt all regional clearances!"

"Immediately issue traffic control measures! Mobilize all available resources for search and rescue!"

……

In the film market, "Shadow," the top film of the National Day holiday, can no longer compete, with its daily box office dropping by less than a million.

As the top-grossing film during the National Day holiday, it has received considerable media coverage.

"Director-General's new film 'Shadow' has accumulated a total box office of 10.39 billion yuan, leading the National Day box office by a wide margin!"

"Another domestic film has joined the billion-yuan club this year, but its overseas screenings are insufficient, suggesting a possible box office slump!"

According to an interview with Wang Changtian, the head of Enlight Media, one of the film's producers, the film has fully recouped its production costs and is now profitable!

Jiangdong Entertainment is not publicly listed and has never disclosed the profitability of its projects.

However, other producers of the project always mention it in interviews.

Industry insiders can also estimate the approximate profit situation by using information from various sources.

Compared to its production costs, this film by the renowned director is definitely a worthwhile investment.

The box office revenue alone has already recouped the costs, and with the addition of various downstream derivative income, all industry peers are envious.

What's even more enviable is that after Wang Changtian gave the interview, Enlight Media's stock price immediately hit the daily limit.

"Haha, thank you, Boss Wang, thank you, Grand Commander! This wave of all-in profits is awesome!"

"I slapped my thigh. Damn it, which bastard said the National Day box office was weak? I sold off my stock early and missed a great opportunity."

"I remember Zhou Yutang was a shareholder of Enlight Media, he must have made a fortune from this."

"Would the Grand Commander be interested in such a paltry sum?"

The stock market was in an uproar, with Enlight Media seemingly becoming the leading entertainment stock besides Mingjie.

The fact that it was deeply associated with the Grand Commander of Jiangdong gave investors boundless confidence.

We may not understand investing, but we at least understand the value of being the richest person in China.

Since the Grand Marshal is a shareholder of Enlight Media, it means that Enlight Media has a promising future and a story to tell!
When Wang Jianlin brought Zhou Dudu into the game, it seemed that he suffered some losses, and there were quite a few rumors about it in the industry.

Now it seems that Mr. Wang has a long-term vision and is playing a very big game.

It was precisely because of this relationship with Governor Zhou that Guangxian was able to repeatedly follow the train to Jiangdong.

In the capital market, this is all incredibly positive news; it doesn't need any manipulation, it will naturally take hold.

Institutional investors and speculative funds sensed an opportunity and rushed in to make a fortune.

A favorable wind will carry you to the clouds.

In stark contrast to the radiant scenery, Huayi next door is mired in a quagmire.

During this period, several subsidiaries of Huayi were summoned by the tax authorities due to tax issues, and a total of RMB 2.1 million in back taxes and fines were paid.

Several film and television projects have been halted due to broken funding chains or other force majeure events, including the highly anticipated "Cell Phone 2".

The two kings were in a terrible predicament. To fill the financial hole, they even sold off their private collection of calligraphy and paintings, which they used to flaunt.

Then look at Wang Changtian, who took off with ease and wielded immense power in the capital market. Jealousy makes people jealous, and jealousy can distort one's very nature.

All I can say is that it's a matter of timing, luck, and fate.

Back then, the two brothers dominated the entertainment industry, looking down on everyone, and could even use the reputation and heritage of the old dragon head to overshadow Governor Zhou of Jiangdong.

I never imagined things would turn out this way.

In terms of size, the two companies are not even in the same league.

They could only look up at Governor Zhou, who stood atop the mountain.

Even worse, they would be trampled underfoot by the light.
(End of this chapter)