China Entertainment’s rescue plan is hard to come by

Chapter 988 Senior Sister Yu's "Heavenly Pit"! [Two Chapters Combined]

On the first day of the National Day Golden Week holiday, Beijing shed its usual suffocatingly fast pace and showed a rare sense of leisure.

The traffic on Chang'an Avenue had thinned out considerably, the aroma of stewed meat wafted from the alleyways, and the sky was a rare, clear blue.

Sun Yi and Liu Yifei didn't go anywhere; they planned to stay in their small home in Beijing.

In Liu Yifei's words, the entire month of September felt like being chased with a whip—auditing, negotiating, and signing contracts in the United States, then returning to China and immediately attending the Golden Rooster Awards, returning to Beijing, visiting China Film Group, and being bombarded by Weibo posts.

Of course, although the "bombing" didn't hit her, it did hit her dear husband, which is practically the same as hitting her.

After working non-stop for a month, even someone as energetic and playful as her completely gave up the idea of ​​traveling.

In the morning, as soon as she woke up, Liu Yifei lazily curled up on the bed, looking like someone had been too tight on her skin.

Sun Yi even tempted her, asking where she wanted to go during the holiday and if she wanted to go out and have fun.

She kept shaking her head, "No, I'm not going anywhere. I'll just stay home. My legs are weak, and I don't want to move at all!"

"Even if we could move, we wouldn't want to go. With our status, where in China can we go? Every scenic spot is packed with people. We wouldn't be enjoying the scenery; the whole country would be watching us. We might even end up on the news."

During the National Day holiday, "Sun Yi and Liu Yifei were spotted in a certain ancient town, attracting crowds of tourists and causing massive traffic jams." Ugh~ just thinking about it gives me a headache. Besides, there's also what about Senior Sister Yu's situation.

Sun Yi didn't expect her to suddenly understand, but he agreed wholeheartedly and suggested, "Then let's stay home and go see our parents together tonight. I also need to think carefully about the promotion of 'Superman' and the situation with 'Lucy'."

"Look at Mom and Dad! This is great, I'd love to have this~ I miss them so much~"

And so, their National Day holiday was decided.

On the first night, he obediently went back to Sun Yi's parents' house.

Ms. Zhang Qin and Mr. Sun were overjoyed to see their son and daughter-in-law, and they couldn't stop smiling. They put all their energy into preparing a large table of their signature dishes.

The braised pork belly was glossy and oily, the steamed fish was tender and fresh, the crab meat lion's head meatballs were plump and full, and there were also spare ribs that Sun Yi had loved since childhood and several side dishes that Liu Yifei preferred.

After the meal, Liu Yifei touched her slightly bulging belly and lamented that this meal had at least equaled half a month's worth of "weight loss targets." However, she didn't miss out on any of the fresh fruit after the meal; she took all of it as long as Sun Yi fed her.

On the second day, the two went to see Liu Xiaoli again; they couldn't show favoritism.

Liu's mother now lives alone in Beijing, but she is in surprisingly good condition.

She single-handedly managed the charitable foundation established in her daughter's name, and now that the two are married, it can be considered a joint venture between the young couple.

From project selection and funding review to implementation follow-up, she personally handled everything, keeping herself busy and fulfilled.

Once a person finds a worthwhile goal to pursue, their eyes light up, their speech is full of energy, and there is no trace of emptiness or loneliness left.

Seeing her mother like this made Liu Yifei happier than anything else.

On the afternoon of October 3rd, the third day of the holiday, it was time to meet with Yu Feihong as agreed.

Before leaving, Liu Yifei hesitated a bit, trying on different outfits in front of the mirror in the dressing room:

"Honey, what's going on with Senior Sister Yu being so secretive? Could it be that some big shot in the industry wants to discuss a collaboration and is using her as a intermediary? Should I dress more formally, in case it's some important occasion?"

Sun Yi remained calm, casually picking out a comfortable light gray cashmere sweater and casual pants, and waved his hand in reply:

"Didn't my senior sister say on the phone that she specifically invited you to discuss something with us? Just dress casually. If it were a really formal business negotiation, we wouldn't schedule it on a holiday, much less go through a personal relationship like yours."

"Heh~ that's true, then this outfit of yours will match perfectly!"

Following the address sent by Yu Feihong, the two found a Chinese teahouse located in a secluded alley near Houhai.

The teahouse has a small but antique-style facade. Two red lanterns at the entrance sway gently in the afternoon breeze, and the serene environment doesn't seem like a place for business discussions.

Sun Yi felt that this place was very similar to the place where Senior Sister Yu had introduced him to Director Tong Gang last time; both were very elegant and refined.

The waitress, dressed in a cheongsam, seemed unfazed by the two men and politely led them through the courtyard to a private room by the water.

As you push open the door, a faint scent of sandalwood mixed with the aroma of tea wafts out.

Inside, Yu Feihong had already arrived and was sitting in front of the tea set by the window, skillfully warming the teacups. Sitting next to her was a refined-looking middle-aged man, around fifty years old.

Upon seeing the man, Sun Yi paused slightly, quickly recalling his memories.
Unexpectedly, it was this person.

Liu Yifei also felt that the other person looked somewhat familiar, and frowned slightly in thought.

When Yu Feihong saw them, she stood up with a smile: "You've come? Come in and sit down."

Then, she introduced the middle-aged man: "Uncle, this is Sun Yi, and this is Liu Yifei."

Before Sun Yi could reply, the middle-aged man stood up first, smiling warmly, and extended his hand: "Director Sun, Miss Liu, do you still recognize me? It's been a long time. I'm Yu Yuanshan."

"Director Yu!" Sun Yi quickly stepped forward to shake hands, his attitude respectful. "How could I not recognize you? It's been a long time. You still look as radiant as ever. If it weren't for you representing CCTV to make the decision to choose me and Qianqian for 'My Love from the Star,' we wouldn't have achieved such great success later on."

"My Love from the Star"? CCTV!

Upon hearing Sun Yi mention this, Liu Yifei's memories flooded back like a floodgate, and a genuine smile immediately appeared on her pretty face as she bowed slightly: "Hello, Director Yu."

She remembered that this was Yu Yuanshan, the director of CCTV's drama channel, who was the only one who had stood by the majority and made the decisive decision to buy the first broadcast rights on CCTV's platform when the first TV series she and Sun Yi filmed, "My Love from the Star," was released a few years ago. At that time, the major local TV stations generally held a wait-and-see attitude or even a negative attitude because the subject matter was too novel and the TV station was not well-known.

At that time, it was Senior Sister Yu who helped to connect us and set the connection; it was a timely help in our time of need.

After the drama aired, it sparked a phenomenal craze across the country, officially establishing her status as one of the "Four Little Actresses" in the industry and laying a solid fan base for her later rise to the top.

This also made Xingkong Pictures an instant hit in the television drama field, allowing them to firmly establish themselves. In a way, he was indeed one of the benefactors of Xingkong, her, and Sun Yi.

"Sit down, everyone, please sit down, don't be shy." Yu Yuanshan seemed very easygoing, waving his hand to indicate that everyone should sit down. "It's a private gathering today, so just call me Uncle Yu, or like Xiao Hong, you can call me Uncle."

Yu Feihong smiled and poured freshly brewed Jin Jun Mei tea for Sun Yi and Liu Yifei. The tea soup was bright orange-red and had a high aroma. As she poured, she introduced, "My uncle was transferred to another job mid-year and is no longer working on the TV drama channel."

"Oh? You got promoted? Congratulations, Uncle Yu."

Sun Yi followed up on the conversation, but in his heart he thought, "So it really is a new official taking office after a job transfer. In that case, it's highly likely that he'll be discussing some kind of cooperation with Xingkong."

Yu Yuanshan waved his hand, a hint of humility in his smile: "It's not a promotion, just a change of position. I'm currently the deputy director of the station's arts and culture program center."

Arts and Culture Programs Center?

Sun Yi had a fairly good understanding of CCTV's structure. He knew that it was a department independent of the various channels, with a higher level, specifically responsible for all the station's large-scale cultural and artistic programs and key cultural and artistic performances. There were even cases where the deputy director also served as the head of the station, so it had a lot of power.

If that's the case, then it is indeed a promotion.

He was about to offer a few polite words of congratulations when Yu Yuanshan unexpectedly cut to the chase.

"I've taken the liberty of asking Xiao Hong to arrange for you two to come over today, partly on behalf of the center and partly as a personal request."

Yu Yuanshan looked at Sun Yi with a sincere gaze, and his tone became more formal, "We would like to formally invite Director Sun Yi to serve as the chief director of this year's, 2014 CCTV Spring Festival Gala."

!!!

Sun Yi:
Liu Yifei:
The elegant room fell silent instantly. Only the teapot on the small electric stove made a soft "bubbling" sound.

Sun Yi was stunned. His hand holding the teacup froze in mid-air, and his first reaction was to look at Yu Feihong.

The latter was fiddling with the tea leaves in the tea scoop when she felt his gaze. She looked up and gave him a complex smile that was slightly innocent but also seemed to say, "I knew this would happen."

Sun Yi immediately understood that his senior sister's actions were not a simple "matchmaking" but rather that she had known about it all along, and might even have been "conspiring" to "trick" him into facing this important invitation.

Sun Yi was stunned, and Liu Yifei was even more surprised, her mouth slightly agape. She looked at Yu Yuanshan, then at Sun Yi, her big eyes filled with disbelief.

Before coming, she and Sun Yi had considered countless possibilities:

Perhaps a bigwig wanted to collaborate with Starry Sky on a film project? Perhaps some company or organization needed Starry Sky Digital to provide visual effects technical support? Maybe they wanted to invite the couple to participate in a major program, or perhaps they wanted to ask the couple to help promote a newcomer. But no matter how many options they had, they never expected that "Spring Festival Gala director" would be chosen!

"Spring Festival Gala director?" Sun Yi put down his teacup, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the warm rim, trying to process the information. He smiled wryly and said, "Uncle Yu, are you... joking with me?"

"This is not something to be joked about."

Yu Yuanshan looked serious as he took a document from his briefcase, but instead of opening it immediately, he placed it beside him and explained:
"This is the official invitation. I know this is sudden. Actually, rumors about reforming this year's Spring Festival Gala and trying to invite outside directors to collaborate have been circulating for a long time. I believe you have heard about it."

Liu Yifei glanced at Sun Yi, nodded, and couldn't help but interject, "Yeah, I remember the news reported that they were going to break the internal director contract system and find outside help. But it's been more than a month, and nothing's been decided yet?"

Sun Yi had the same question. When the two first arrived in North America, Miss Liu saw this message and jokingly suggested that Sun Yi should take the position. Unexpectedly, his words came true today, and he was actually invited.

Faced with Liu Yifei's question, Yu Yuanshan gave a wry smile. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then slowly said, "Since you and Xiao Hong are fellow disciples and have a close relationship, I'll just speak frankly about family matters today."

He adjusted his posture, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness stemming from his predicament:

"The number one task of the Arts and Culture Center every year is the Spring Festival Gala. The center has one director and two deputy directors. The director had already set the tone for this year's gala: 'approachable, joyful, and innovative.' As for me, I'm a newcomer who was transferred here in the middle of the year, and I have the least seniority. My job is to cooperate with the other deputy director, who has worked in the center for many years and has a lot of experience, and just carry out the tone set by the director."

He paused, glancing at Sun Yi and Liu Yifei who were listening quietly: "But a while ago, this former deputy director, following his usual approach and connections, invited Director Feng Xiaogang. As a result, Director Feng politely declined."

Sun Yi's eyes flashed.

He vaguely remembered that Feng Xiaogang was indeed the chief director of the Spring Festival Gala one year, but he wasn't sure if there was any instance of him declining the offer.

But now that Yu Yuanshan, an insider, has said it himself, it's highly likely to be true.

"With Director Feng's refusal, things have reached a stalemate."

Yu Yuanshan sighed softly, "The director inquired about the progress, and the former deputy director doesn't have a more suitable or reliable candidate to hire right now. The director probably wants to see if I, the newcomer, have any other connections or new ideas, so he asked about the remaining candidates. You can probably guess what that means."

Sun Yi nodded slightly.

At this point, he understood completely.

This was not a regular, well-planned invitation; it was more like a "let's try our luck" attempt, even carrying a sense of "trying anything as a last resort."

Yu Yuanshan is a new official and needs to make a name for himself. If he can invite a director of the same or even higher level that even the old deputy director couldn't get, it would undoubtedly be a remarkable achievement.

In the entire Chinese film and television industry, there are very few people who can consistently outshine director Feng Xiaogang.

Unfortunately, Sun Yi was one of those people.

And because of his relationship with Yu Feihong and their past friendship, he came into Yu Yuanshan's sights.

As for why I think I might agree, it might be because I'm young, energetic, and have a good reputation for innovation and technology application. Or perhaps it's simply because I have a successful working relationship with Yu Yuanshan and am considered "one of our own," making it easier for me to ask.

The question Sun Yi didn't ask aloud, "Why did Feng Xiaogang refuse and instead invite me?", was hinted at by Yu Yuanshan, though he didn't answer directly—because he couldn't get anyone else to come, he needed to find a potential candidate to break the ice.

At this moment, Liu Yifei, who had been listening quietly, suddenly touched Sun Yi's hand gently, then looked at Yu Yuanshan and asked the question Sun Yi had hesitated to ask: "Uncle Yu, may I ask, what was the main reason Director Feng refused? Was it because of time, or something else?"

Sun Yi glanced at Miss Liu and thought to himself.

The food I fed at home wasn't wasted; she really is my daughter-in-law, always there for me when I need her help.

Yu Yuanshan glanced at the two of them, knowing that the couple had a perfect understanding. After a moment's thought, he chose a more tactful but universally understood explanation:
"In my opinion, Director Feng is a smart man with rich experience. The Spring Festival Gala is a show that is watched by the whole world and carries a great responsibility. The resources that the director has to coordinate, the pressure he has to bear, and the scrutiny he has to face are all top-notch."

“If it goes well, the credit may not go entirely to the director; but if there is any oversight or dissatisfaction, the director will definitely bear the brunt of the pressure from public opinion. In our private jokes, it’s easy to be ‘pleasing to both sides and disliked by everyone.’ Director Feng probably felt that the return on investment was not ideal and it was not worth taking the risk.”

Yu Yuanshan's words were frank and realistic.

Sun Yi nodded silently. This was pretty much what he had in mind. The director of the Spring Festival Gala knew it was a difficult and thankless task with high risks.

Looking at Sun Yi's pensive face, Yu Yuanshan's tone became even more earnest:
"Xiao Sun, let me be frank with you. I'm here today partly because I hope to complete the task, but on the other hand, I genuinely believe that you might be the one who can bring something different to the Spring Festival Gala. You're young, have an international perspective, and are at the forefront of film technology application and audiovisual language innovation."

"More importantly, the projects you've worked on, whether it's a TV series like 'My Love from the Star,' an animated film like 'Monkey King: Hero Is Back,' or 'Mountain Cry,' which just won a Golden Rooster Award, or 'Gravity,' which previously won an international award, all demonstrate that you can grasp popular aesthetics and market acceptance very well."

"In the end, the Spring Festival Gala is a large-scale comprehensive audio-visual program for the people of the whole country, and these capabilities are exactly what is needed."

He paused, took a sip of tea, and continued:

"Of course, I fully understand the significance and difficulty of this invitation. So today, I'm also taking a try-and-see approach. Whether it works out or not, our friendship will remain. Even if you decline, I will absolutely understand, and it will not affect our future cooperation in other areas."

Having said all that, they've already adopted a very humble attitude.

Sun Yi could sense Yu Yuanshan's sincerity, as well as the pressure he felt in his new position to make a breakthrough.

However, he also had his concerns.

“Uncle Yu,” Sun Yi began carefully, his tone sincere, “I am very grateful for your and the center’s trust in placing this opportunity in my hands. To be honest, the Spring Festival Gala is an opportunity that any director cannot ignore, both in terms of honor and challenge, but…”

He then changed the subject: "I also have to be honest with you. My schedule is indeed very full. Not to mention anything else, there are still some reshoots for a movie directed by Senior Sister Yu that I and Xixi need to finish around the beginning of winter. This was arranged a long time ago, and the crew is waiting for it."

Yu Feihong nodded in confirmation.

Sun Yi continued listing: "Secondly, I just acquired the full rights to a science fiction project from Hollywood, and we're currently working intensively on the preliminary preparations. It must be launched before the end of the year. This is related to our future international strategy for Starry Sky, and we can't afford to delay it."

"Then, next year, a movie that is a key collaboration with the Ministry of Public Security will start filming. Pre-production and the lead actors' life experience have already begun. My schedule is really packed."

He was telling the truth; he wasn't exaggerating.

“So,” Sun Yi concluded, “this invitation is too much for me to take seriously. I need time to consider it carefully and thoroughly, and I also need to communicate fully with my team and family to assess whether the allocation of my time and energy is feasible. I cannot give you a definite answer right now, and I hope you can understand.”

Yu Yuanshan listened attentively, his expectation slightly diminished but not completely disappeared. He knew this was the truth and an important factor that Sun Yi needed to consider. Moreover, he never expected that a single meeting today would be enough to get Sun Yi to agree; he was simply testing the waters first.

The fact that Sun Yi didn't refuse outright and left room for maneuver was already a relatively good outcome that Yu Yuanshan had anticipated. He knew the weight of this decision; if Sun Yi had agreed immediately, he would have worried about whether the other party had considered everything thoroughly.

"I understand, I completely understand." Yu Yuanshan stood up and shook hands with Sun Yi again.
"Director Sun, I'm very grateful that you've given this serious consideration. Here's my personal contact information; feel free to contact me anytime if you have any thoughts. Regardless of the final outcome, I've benefited greatly from this in-depth exchange with the two of you today. I won't disturb your gathering any longer; I'll take my leave now."

He exchanged a few more words with Yu Feihong, then tactfully left, leaving the rest of the time to Yu Feihong and Sun Yi.

After seeing Yu Yuanshan off, the elegant room fell silent for a moment. Yu Feihong boiled water again, brewing a more mellow Pu'er tea. The deep red tea liquor was poured into the cup, its aroma calm and mellow.

Sun Yi picked up his teacup, downed it in one gulp, and looked at Yu Feihong with a helpless expression.

"Senior sister, you've dug a rather deep hole!"

(End of this chapter)