Extracting skills from movies

After the leader finished speaking, Du Sheng smiled and replied:

"After the movie 'The Grandmaster' became popular, Bajiquan also became popular."

I suggest that the authorities organize more promotional activities for traditional martial arts, striking while the iron is hot.

He paused, then added:
"As for the issue of Ye's materials, I really didn't think much about it before."

"If the company has any major initiatives in the future, we will definitely report to the leadership immediately and will never resort to surprise attacks."

The leader nodded repeatedly, a smile on his face, then changed the subject and got to the point:

"Next year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. I heard you've made a film to commemorate it."

It seems like they've already started casting, so why haven't they sent the script yet?

Some of our comrades here can't wait to see it.

It refers to the interactive film "Adrift".

Du Sheng originally planned to start filming next spring, and Wang Jinhua has indeed been busy selecting actors recently.

It's already spread throughout the industry.

When Star Media is about to make a big move, Guan Fang is naturally keeping a close eye on it.

According to the rules, the actors have almost been cast, and the script should have been submitted for approval long ago.

Now that almost everyone is here, there's still no sign of the script, which is obviously a bit strange.

The leader was afraid that Du Sheng would "take an unconventional approach" again, so he talked to him in advance.

You were right.

Du Sheng had his own plans, he explained:
"I plan to make this film, 'Adrift,' into a streaming movie."

According to current regulations, only filing is required; no further procedures are needed.

Upon hearing this, the leader smiled.

Currently, online dramas and online movies are just emerging, and regulation is lagging behind, making it a "gray area."

As long as you register with the relevant department and get a number, you can directly stream the content, saving you from layers of approval.

Of course, the platform must take responsibility.

At that time, platform supervision was also lax. Kuaibo was still "serving the public," and pirated and vulgar content was rampant. Who could control it?
After listening, the leader's smile remained unchanged, but his tone became steady:
"We must carefully select films commemorating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, whether they are shown in theaters or on streaming platforms."

When it's convenient for you, please send the script over for a quick review. It will put everyone's minds at ease.

Du Sheng nodded without hesitation:

"Okay, I'll have someone send the script over as soon as I get back."

The group chatted for a while, but the core of their conversation boiled down to one sentence:
Speak and act prudently, and communicate more when necessary.

Du Sheng understood this in his heart.

His current influence has become so great that the other party has to take him seriously, and even be somewhat "afraid".

This is not an exaggeration.

He was an international star with fans all over the world; he could make headlines with just a few words.
More importantly, he also controls two major traffic platforms, TVING and Lianzhong.
If they want to make their voices heard, they can stir up a huge wave in no time, and even break through national borders to influence international perceptions.

Take this leaf problem as an example.

He relied on his personal appeal and the platform's traffic to directly crush other similar projects.

The impact on Huayi Brothers and the Hong Kong entertainment circle was even more severe, with several projects losing all their money, celebrities' reputations collapsing, and the entire industry being affected.

To put it bluntly, Du Sheng's current energy is even more "exciting" than Elon Musk's later energy.

From a positive perspective, this is a good thing.

He is a benchmark artist in China, patriotic and reliable, and a master of cultural export. His work, such as "The Grandmaster," has shown the world the core of Chinese martial arts.

On the other hand, if someone has too much influence, it can also be a "small burden" for the other party.

If one day I say the wrong thing, or if it doesn't align with the general direction, the consequences are unpredictable.

That's why leaders specifically emphasize communication in handling matters.

However, there are some things that Du Sheng might not be able to do.

He is a person who doesn't like to be confined by rules. When creating content, sometimes you have to "break the mold" to stand out.

But looking at it from another perspective, it's not easy for him to have the treatment he has today.

If it weren't for the official connections he had backing, coupled with his previous substantial contributions to cultural export and the spread of positive energy, anyone else would have been summoned for questioning eight hundred times over.

Unlike now, when leaders can calmly discuss things with him and give him face.

At the end of the conversation, Du Sheng spoke up and made a statement.

Upon hearing this, the leader smiled with satisfaction.
"I knew you were a smart person."

You are talented and responsible, and we hope you can go all out and do your best.

As long as we keep in touch, any problem can be solved.

As she walked out of the office, Ye Jingzhi whispered:
"I didn't expect the leader to take it so seriously. Luckily, you handled it well."

Du Sheng smiled slightly:
"Actually, Guan Fang was also afraid of something going wrong."

As long as we maintain a proper balance, adhering to principles while also cooperating with the overall situation, there will be no problem.

As soon as he got in the car, he leaned back in his seat, squinted and pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke:
"The script for 'The Great Waves' will be sent to Shenyang as is. If it is returned, then it will not be changed."

This movie will most likely not be shown in theaters.

From now on, I'll just focus on making lighthearted and fun films; I'm too lazy to get involved in other trivial matters.

"Go back and meet with Sister Zhen again. Break down the company's various business units, sort out the shareholding structure, and establish some funds and subsidiaries for cross-shareholding to disperse the shares and prevent them from being held in the open."

Upon hearing this, Ye Jingzhi paused in surprise:
"The leader didn't say we couldn't take pictures, they just told us to communicate more."

Besides, we still need to contribute to many things these days.

Du Sheng shook his head and smiled:

"This isn't something I'm deliberately emphasizing; it's something I've figured out myself."

After talking with him today, I realized that I have indeed been drifting a bit these past two years.

First, they attacked Lu Chuan Taro, which devastated Huayi Brothers and caused half of the Hong Kong entertainment circle to be shattered.
The filming of "The Grandmaster" has stirred up international public opinion once again.

Trying to cram a bunch of ideas into "The Great Waves" now is definitely going too far.

Some things really don't need to be fought to the death.

With our current influence, we don't need to hide, but we also shouldn't be too flamboyant or competitive.

From now on, just make some movies that make people laugh and feel good. Isn't that easy?
I'm comfortable, and my partner is at ease—a win-win situation, isn't that great?

He never held back his words from Ye Jingzhi, and these were all the truths in his heart.

Given the current situation, there's really no need to wade into deeper waters.

He occasionally films movies, wins prizes to upgrade himself, has more money than he can spend, and is surrounded by a bunch of beautiful women. His life couldn't be more comfortable.

At most, I can dig out some good things about traditional culture in my spare time and donate some money to charity, that's enough.

When you have more children, you can gradually convert the money into family assets and pass it down steadily. Wouldn't that be better?

Even if it expands, at most it will just buy an island in Southeast Asia and create a replica of Singapore.

Since Du Sheng had already said so, Ye Jingzhi naturally had no objections.

She had long hoped that Du Sheng would cause less trouble and live a peaceful life.

Without saying a word, she took out her phone and started writing it down.

In the days that followed, Du Sheng kept a low profile.

He spent every day on the set of "Agent 3", busy with reshoots and wrap-up.

With Inception scheduled for its global premiere during the Christmas season, he had to get everything settled in China by mid-next month, leaving him no time to think about anything else.

Sure enough, a few days later, the script for "The Stormy Seas" was returned, with the reasons clearly stated:

"The subject matter is too sensitive and doesn't fit the current trend in propaganda."

Du Sheng shook his head and smiled, pondering a new idea:
"Why not just rewrite the script and turn it into a first-person interactive game, like 'Red Alert,' but set in World War II?"

Players can freely choose a country to start with, experience the vicissitudes of war, eventually establish their own nation, and gradually develop it into a powerful country. Telling history through games is both fun and safe, without requiring personal intervention…

Days passed by like this. Although I spent all my time on set and in the studio, which seemed monotonous, time flew by.

That afternoon, the clapperboard snapped shut as the final interior scene began.

Filming for Agent 3 has officially wrapped!
The set instantly erupted in cheers.

The crew was busy packing up equipment, the actors hugged each other in celebration, and director Lin Chaoxian was all smiles, his eyes practically disappearing as he put his arm around Du Sheng.
"Phew, finally finished filming!"
With you here, the production went smoothly and quickly, even half a month ahead of schedule.

Du Sheng smiled and patted his shoulder in return:

"Thanks to everyone's hard work, we can finally catch our breath after all this hard work."

Ye Jingzhi also made a special trip to give each member of the crew a wrap-up red envelope.

She walked up to Du Sheng, handed him a bottle of water, and smiled.
"Now that I'm done with all that work, I can focus on preparing for the premiere of Inception."

Du Sheng took the water, unscrewed the cap, took a sip, and nodded.

"Okay, we'll leave the post-production to the team. Next month, we'll fly abroad to attend the global premiere."

He paused, then asked:

"How did your talk with Sister Zhen go about the company split?"

While adjusting his collar, Ye Jingzhi answered:

"Sister Zhen thinks the plan is reliable. The legal and financial departments are already working on the plan, and the first draft will be available by the beginning of next month."

"That's good."

Du Sheng nodded in satisfaction.

After getting into the car, as expected, I heard the notification for the lottery settlement.

Given that he had acquired the purple skill "Gun and Explosive Devices" in the previous game, he didn't have high expectations and just randomly drew it.

As expected, what we got was all within the norm.

For example, a neon-colored police car, a Glock 17 pistol, and two assault grenades.

There's also a rather funny script for "No Time to Die" (007).

This appears to be the 25th film in the 007 series, with a lifespan that's ridiculously awesome.

Most importantly, it grossed nearly $8 million worldwide and won an Academy Award...

Du Sheng thought about it carefully. It seemed that this movie was released ten years later in his previous life. It was the ancestor of the spy series, and the action scenes and special effects were quite exciting. It was also facing an unprecedented crisis, so it was not surprising that it could be tricked into being released through a lottery.

If his own "Agent" series can continue, this would be a great sequel.

Moreover, it can cut off the 007 treasure vault in advance, killing two birds with one stone, not bad at all.

Du Sheng glanced at the last item.

【Tactical Master Title LV1/Blue (10/1000)】
It gives you extraordinary analytical and reasoning abilities, enabling you to make quick and correct judgments and decisions in rapidly changing battle situations.

As you level up, you can turn disadvantages into advantages and devise ingenious counterattacks.

All I can say is, it’s better than nothing.

After all, we live in a time of peace. He wouldn't be so bored as to become a mercenary and join the war just for a thrill.

However, nothing is absolute, and there may be opportunities to use it in the future.

On the way back, Du Sheng's phone suddenly rang.

When I picked it up, I saw it was a call from Huang Deli.

"Ah Sheng, I just got a call from our hometown county. Secretary Chen specifically asked to see you."

Huang Deli's tone was somewhat hesitant, as if there was something he couldn't say directly.

Du Sheng understood immediately.

This kind of thing was bound to happen sooner or later.

He had long anticipated that now that he had become a "big shot," his hometown would likely be restless.

Which place that wants to develop its economy doesn't first think about the "capable people" who have left the local area?
This is called "local benefactors giving back to their hometown," and it has been the same throughout history.

Given his current status, there's no reason why his hometown wouldn't come looking for him.

I just didn't expect it to happen at this time.

After all, the excitement of the Olympics has only just faded, and it seems the county is really in a hurry.

For local governments to develop their economies, in addition to hard conditions such as policies and location, the leadership's courage and willingness to take action are also crucial.

The fact that they contacted him at this point means that Secretary Chen was truly out of options and had no choice but to resort to his "golden reputation".

"Did Secretary Chen mention any specific details?" Du Sheng asked.

The two talked on the phone for almost ten minutes before Du Sheng finally understood what had happened.

It turns out that in his hometown town, there was an old factory called "Feiyue Sewing Equipment Factory" that was on the verge of collapse.

More than two thousand workers in the factory are on the verge of losing their jobs.

This year has seen the subprime mortgage crisis, a depreciating dollar, and soaring raw material prices...

Many businesses couldn't withstand the pressure, and this factory suffered as a result.

But this factory is not an ordinary factory.

With a history spanning several decades, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it has supported generations of people in the county.

The equipment is of excellent quality and has won many awards in Zhejiang Province.

When Du Sheng was a child, he often heard his family members say that they were quite proud of which neighbor had a relative working in the factory.

After the reform and opening up, this factory became not only the county's "tax king" but also the people's "rice bowl".

Du Sheng's grandfather, along with several other relatives and friends, all worked at this factory.

Now things are really messed up: the goods can't be sold, wages can't be paid, and the workers are even going hungry.

This was not an isolated case; many state-owned enterprises did the same thing at the time.

Those that can't hold on should just close down.

Those that survived mostly relied on introducing social capital, restructuring and reorganization, and some even soared to great heights.

Secretary Chen sought out Du Sheng, hoping he would intervene.

As long as money comes in and production resumes, the factory can survive, and the county's "cash cow" can be saved.

But if the factory goes bankrupt, the entire county will be left without any decent industry. This is the pain of third- and fourth-tier small counties.

Unlike the wealthy counties in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta, where even a small town can be supported by several industrial chains.

Du Sheng has an attachment to his hometown and now has the ability to help. He can help the factory overcome its difficulties, so he has no reason to refuse.

Moreover, he had his own plans.

If we invest our own money, and take advantage of the momentum from this Olympics, plus the factory's decades-long reputation, we might be able to make it an industry leader.

Even without him, the "Flying Leap Sewing Equipment Factory" could have survived under normal circumstances in its previous life.

By 2025, Du Shengji's factory had become one of the few listed companies in the city, with annual revenue exceeding 10 billion yuan, and it accounted for 30% of the county's tax revenue.

The importance can be imagined.

As someone who came from his hometown and isn't a careless person, he has an unshirkable responsibility for this matter.

Not to mention, what man could refuse the chance to "return home in glory"?

From now on, everyone in the city who uses this factory's equipment will say:
"This factory was saved by Du Sheng."

This prestige and honor are more valuable than making money.

Du Sheng thought for a moment and said:
"How much more is needed, Secretary Chen?"

Huang Deli replied:

"It's about fifty million, mainly for paying salaries, paying off debts, and upgrading equipment."

The cost of later promotion and marketing hasn't even been factored in.

…(End of this chapter)