Actor: Thank you.

Blah blah blah, blah blah.

It's the same big dining hall where we ate a few days ago.

Nowadays, the large round tables for meals have been removed and replaced with square tables.

The diners have also changed their name to "gamblers".

Since it wasn't yet the Lantern Festival and everyone still had some free time, Zhang Yuan, just like in previous years, invited Wang Fei and the others to his house to play cards.

Now we finally have a place to play, instead of having to set up a shed in the yard like before.

I called up almost all the acquaintances I knew in Huayi.

Huang Xiaoming, Deng Chao, and several others were present.

Zhou Xun arrived; she's good at playing cards.

Director Feng and his wife were also there, and Deng Chao and Sun Li were also called over by him.

Ning Hao and Wu Jing were also summoned by him.

Big Head was quite pleased that Zhang Yuan would contact him every few days, which meant that Zhang Yuan's previous statement about "gentlemen seeking harmony without uniformity" was not just empty talk, and that he still considered him a friend.

Baoqiang went to film a movie, while Huang Bo was busy promoting "Cow" which was scheduled to be released after the New Year.

The other employees were given the freedom to choose whether or not to come.

Coming here is a great opportunity to make connections, and it's okay if you don't want to meet guests or have other things to do.

Unlike Hua Yi, who sees entertaining the boss as part of his job.

"Brother Hanyu, have one." He took out his cigar box and cut one for Zhang Hanyu.

His original intention was to gather the main cast of "The Message," which was to be filmed soon, for a team-building activity to build rapport and facilitate future collaboration.

Let alone getting everyone together, it would be difficult to even get half of them.

Aside from filming, actor Wang Zhiwen rarely interacts with younger generations.

Su Youpeng is still in Taiwan and hasn't come over yet.

The University of England can't come.

Because Zhang Yuan had invited Liu Tao and his apprentice Song Dandan to come.

If Teacher Song were here and I were to call Yingda myself, he would probably turn against me.

Why didn't Sister Bingbing come?

After Zhang Yuan sat down, he handed a cigar to both Wang Fei and Zhou Xun.

Old Wang was delighted, because she couldn't smoke at home.

My daughter is in poor health and needs frequent surgeries. Our brother Li takes good care of her and doesn't let her smoke.

He finally got his fill.

Zhang Yuan wasn't referring to Fan Bingbing, but rather to Li Bingbing.

We'll also be collaborating on "The Message" later.

Zhang Yuan called out to her, but she politely declined.

"Who knows?" Zhou Xun said. "He claims to be a germaphobe and doesn't touch poker or mahjong."

"They probably think we're dirty."

Zhang Yuan pursed his lips.

Xun Ge's words were sarcastic enough.

It seems the battle for the top spot at Huayi High School continues.

"But when I sit in the boss's lap, I don't have any germaphobia anymore." Xun Ge shook his head and took a puff of his cigar.

"Yes, back when we were filming 'A World Without Thieves,' they stuck their tongues in my mouth, and I wasn't a germaphobe..." Zhang Yuan recalled.

She had a hotel room with Ken Chu when they were filming "Sky City" years ago, and she wasn't particularly fastidious about cleanliness.

Zhang Yuan seemed to have heard that the person had a slight obsession with cleanliness when he was studying at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, but it wasn't serious.

Later, when filming, I would bring my own sheets and blankets, as everything had to be changed at the hotel.

That's normal; many people, especially actresses, are like that.

But he also heard that his condition seemed to have worsened in recent years.

In short, as her status and wealth increased, her obsession with cleanliness became more and more severe.

“I heard that Bingbing changed more than twenty nannies last year.” Xu Fan at another table looked up and said, “Bingbing changed more than twenty nannies last year.”

"His obsessive-compulsive disorder is really severe."

"She can't stand anyone coming."

"No, you misheard." Huang Xiaoming raised his hand: "It's not twenty-odd."

"I resigned from more than thirty jobs."

"At most, we fired both new employees in one day."

Zhang Yuan finally understood: this was a disease of affluence.

Only those with money can afford to go through such trouble, changing over thirty nannies...

People who work 996 and are poor can't develop this level of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Zhang Yuan had also heard that Li Bingbing had always been rude to her staff and often swore at them.

It's probably related to this problem.

Severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be a real problem; even the smallest things can drive someone crazy.

Fortunately, Lao Li is quite dedicated when acting and doesn't make mistakes on set.

"Sister Xun, how's Chen Kun doing lately?" Zhang Yuan asked, tossing over a five of coins.

"I'm fine, I'm resting at home."

"He even said he wanted to hang out with me."

"But I recently found a new boyfriend, so I'm too busy," Xun Ge casually remarked.

"new?"

"Did you break up with Da Qi?" Zhang Yuan asked gossipily.

She had previously said that she couldn't live without Li Daqi.

Li Daqi is a well-known stylist in Taiwan, and he has used this identity to date many female celebrities.

"Our relationship has come to an end."

After chatting for a while, I learned that her current boyfriend is Wang Shuo, one of the Four Young Masters of Beijing, the one whose stepmother is Qing'er.

Before Li Daqi, Zhou Xun's boyfriend was Brother Li.

Zhang Yuan glanced at Xun Ge, who was sitting opposite Wang Fei.

They were "of the same origin, why are they so different?"

The imperial circle is chaotic enough, with only a few people changing hands repeatedly.

While we were playing and chatting, the topic of Xiao Shenyang, who had become incredibly popular, came up.

All the veteran actors present exclaimed that this kid was incredibly lucky, becoming famous overnight and now a true top star.

There is no one in the whole country who doesn't know him.

"Just a few days ago, Benshan said he wanted to ask me to act in a movie."

"He said he wanted me to play some kind of female role, and that it was a Zhang Yimou film."

"I was quite excited at first, but then they said I wasn't old enough," Song Dandan complained. "That old Zhao is just playing with people."

Zhang Yuan understood immediately; it referred to the story of "A Simple Noodle Story".

The female lead was originally intended to be played by Wang Xiaohua, who is under Benshan Media.

She is the wife of the actor who plays Xie Guangkun in "Country Love".

Later, this person really couldn't perform, and even Zhang Yimou got anxious.

It was probably only at this moment that Teacher Zhao remembered his old partner.

In the end, because the assistant director was Shang Jing, they called Yan Ni over.

Zhang Yuan glanced at Song Dandan. It was better if she didn't act; it would save her from embarrassment.

That way, she won't be blamed if the box office is bad.

When talking about Xiao Shenyang, people also mentioned that a comedian has recently emerged in Shanghai, the "Magic City" in the south.

They started some kind of "Shanghai-style stand-up comedy" and are touring around the country; it's very popular.

Zhang Yuan knew that it was Zhou Libo, who always had slicked-back hair.

Whenever this person is mentioned, these people in the imperial circle, especially Feng Xiaogang, immediately start cursing.

"What the hell is this garbage? How can something like this become famous?"

In an attempt to attract attention, Zhou Libo publicly presented his famous "coffee and garlic theory" during a performance.

It's said that Southerners drink coffee and Northerners eat garlic.

This is actually just hype, but the audience is so interested in it that they get excited as soon as they hear it.

Just like how sweet soy milk and savory soy milk, sweet tofu pudding and savory tofu pudding sparked conversations.

The internet is currently flooded with rhetoric and attacks between the North and the South.

In fact, people like Zhou Libo are called scoundrels in Shanghai, hooligans in Tianjin, and thugs in Beijing.

He lost several business opportunities in his early years, and later he was sentenced to prison for injuring his father-in-law.

The phrase "injured father-in-law in a one-on-one fight" doesn't quite sound like Chinese.

But in his early years, while performing and doing business, he met a famous Peking Opera artist from the south named Guan Dongtian.

This guy is quite something; his father, Guan Tianming, was a disciple of Mr. Ma Lianliang.

I am quite famous in the Peking Opera world. My performances of major operas such as "The Prosperous Era of Zhenguan" and "Emperor Qianlong's Journey to the South" with Shang Changrong, the son of the child actor king Shang Xiaoyun, caused a sensation in the southern folk art circles.

Furthermore, this Mr. Guan is also a well-known "entertainment businessman." He was the one who negotiated the earliest English Premier League broadcast in Shanghai and made a fortune from it.

Zhou Libo's rise to fame is entirely due to his own efforts in promoting and hyping himself up. After all, he is a renowned Peking Opera artist with abundant theater resources.

Mr. Guan's plan for Mr. Zhou was to only do offline performances and not participate in any online activities such as interviews, programs, or film and television works.

If you want to see Zhou Libo, you can only come to the theater and buy a ticket to watch the show!
Through this method, the VIP ticket price for "Shanghai-style stand-up comedy" was once inflated to over 10,000 yuan!
But not long after he became famous, Mr. Zhou had second thoughts and started appearing on TV shows like crazy to make money, and he kicked Mr. Guan, who had helped him up.

Since Guan Dongtian's role is similar to that of an agent, he is definitely entitled to a share of the profits.

In the end, it all comes down to money.

When they're helping you out, they call you "big brother" in front of everyone, but when they make money, they think, "Why should I share with you?"

Such people are very common in the performing arts industry; there are many of them.

It's just that Mr. Zhou is popular, so there's a lot of talk about him.

Such incidents were not uncommon at Deyuan Society; many apprentices and actors left, also because of money.

Zhang Yuan felt lucky; among his subordinates so far, only Yao Cheng was so ungrateful.

"Director Feng, just as Xiao Shenyang became famous overnight, Zhou Libo can't be stopped from becoming famous overnight."

"That's how it is in our line of work; you never know which cloud will bring rain." Zhang Yuan didn't think it was a problem between the North and the South; it was purely a problem with certain people.

"Oh, and congratulations to you too."

"If You Are the One won the box office champion during this year's Spring Festival."

"Come on, everyone, let's give Director Feng a round of applause! He's set a new record!" Zhang Yuan led the way by standing up, and everyone else joined in the celebration.

"Thank you, thank you..." Director Feng stood up, clasped his hands together, and bowed to express his gratitude.

His gaze kept glancing at Zhang Yuan, and the smile on his lips didn't seem very genuine.

Box office exceeded 3 million!
Isn't he satisfied with this?

Actually, I'm satisfied; this result is enough for Huayi to report back.

Because the total cost of the film was only 4000 million. And it also included a lot of product placement.

If spread out, the cost might only be a little over ten million.

They made over 300 million, they really hit the jackpot!

"Director Feng, the bonus this time must be quite substantial, right?"

"I won't let you go without paying a hefty price today."

“That’s right!” Song Dandan immediately chimed in, “They’re selling so well, yet they don’t even give us red envelopes.”

"You didn't even invite me to dinner, how stingy of you."

"Zhang Yuan didn't give you any red envelopes either, but he earns way more than me," Director Feng muttered.

Then she raised her hand and pointed at him.

"He's the one who makes a fortune quietly."

"An animated film sold for over 100 million, but outsiders don't even know it's his."

"what!"

"Yo!"

Hearing Director Feng's words, everyone perked up.

"A treat, a treat is a must!"

"Yes, that's outrageous!"

With just one sentence from Director Feng, all the criticism was shifted to him.

Feng Xiaogang thought to himself, "How much did I get in director's fees and bonuses?"

The Wang brothers brought this up a few days ago when they asked him to look at the Spring Festival film schedule.

"Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf" grossed 1.3 million yuan, and the production company received more than 5000 million yuan in box office revenue.

You've made tens of millions just from this animation, and you still have the nerve to criticize me!
What angered Director Feng even more was...

"We need more than just invite them; we need to invite a big one!"

"Because he made money not only from animation."

"He's still the leading man at this year's box office." Feng Xiaogang said this through gritted teeth.

According to box office statistics for the Spring Festival season, "If You Are the One" grossed 3.04 million yuan, a very good result.

However, it did not surpass the 3.15 million yuan gross of "Painted Skin".

This made "Painted Skin" the highest-grossing Chinese-language film of fiscal year 08!
If the movie becomes the champion, then he is the champion leading man.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the leading man of the year.

"You're too kind, you're too kind. I was just lucky." Zhang Yuan clasped his hands in thanks and expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

Correct!
Director Feng was furious.

My movie was relegated to second place.

A few days ago, the Wang brothers spent a long time discussing it and found that this kid had taken all the good things.

Moreover, after some analysis, it was discovered that...

If Director Feng and Poet Chen hadn't fought, the screening schedules of their films wouldn't have been affected, and the animation might not have made as much money.

Moreover, if the two of them didn't fight and the screening schedule wasn't affected, "If You Are the One" might have even achieved higher box office results.

That way, Zhang Yuan won't get the honor of being the leading man of the year.

The Wang brothers also found it unbelievable.

The more I looked at it, the more I felt something was wrong.

After thinking it over and over, I finally slapped my forehead.

"I understand!"

"This kid must be incredibly lucky."

I'd rather believe Zhang Yuan was just lucky than suspect something fishy was going on.

Just like many ordinary people, when they hear that their classmate or fellow villager has made a fortune, their first reaction is that this person is lucky and has caught a good time.

Because if it's not luck, then it's because they're hardworking, talented, willing to study, and intelligent...

Admitting that someone is better than you is no different from eating shit!
They still haven't figured out Zhang Yuan's plan to kill the wolf.

"I'll definitely treat everyone to dinner. Tonight I'll have the kitchen prepare a seafood feast."

"How about two pounds of seaweed per person?"

"Go to hell..."

Zhang Yuan feigned a smug expression.

Cheng Hao, who was playing cards with Xu Fan and the others, saw his expression and felt both liking and disliking it.

She likes him because she thinks her man is doing well and has an outstanding career.

Dislike is from the perspective of an outsider.

You've earned so much money, yet you still have that fierce look on your face. Aren't you annoying?

But there's something even more annoying!
"Director Feng, I also went to see your movie."

"The scenery of Xixi Wetland inside is really amazing."

Zhang Yuan brought it up.

Many viewers of this film will likely remember the Jiangnan water town villas with waterfront terraces where one could easily step onto a covered boat.

"Hey, that's all for filming," Director Feng said, turning around with a face full of excitement.

"That house was specially decorated; it's actually an office villa in a creative park."

"It's just next to Xixi Wetland."

"The villas inside Xixi Wetland are truly awesome!"

At this point, Xu Fan chimed in, "That's right, I went there when Xiaogang was filming."

"The newly built hotel villas of Aman are truly a paradise on earth."

"The outdoor scenes of boating in the movie were taken from that hotel."

Aman is a world-renowned resort hotel brand.

Xixi Wetland is a national park and nature reserve.

This company managed to carve out a plot of land for building villas.

That tells you how powerful their background is.

The happiness of the rich is something ordinary people can't even imagine.

It cost 100 million yuan to build fewer than 30 houses and a series of top-notch supporting facilities.

The smallest is over 70 square meters, and the largest is over 300 square meters.

Bali has those overwater villas, which many people have seen.

The one Aman built in Xixi Wetland is similar to this, except that the one is at sea, while this one is surrounded by green waters and reed marshes in Jiangnan.

And just like those seaside villas, although they are located in the water, the largest houses are still equipped with large swimming pools.

Add water to water, and it will flourish upon contact with water.

"Really?" Zhang Yuan got up with great interest and went to Director Feng's table.

"Do they have this house for sale?"

"Hiss... I think so. What do you want to do?" Director Feng recalled.

Aman and Hilton are different hotels; they don't build tall buildings, they all build standalone villas.

Therefore, annual rent is accepted, and it can even be sold.

However, the management fee is quite high, much higher than the property management fee for a typical villa.

However, the environment and facilities will far exceed those of a typical villa community.

The Amanyangyun in Shanghai is an example of this; some of the villas built along with the hotel are sold to quickly recoup funds.

The movie "If You Are the One" was filmed at Xixi Wetland, and both the local scenic area and Aman Resorts paid for the filming.

They want to attract tourists through the movie.

Just like advertising the Bird's Nest Hotel in Hainan in the second movie.

After "If You Are the One 2" aired, that hotel became a hot spot for many years.

"Buy one to use as a vacation villa."

"Sister Fan has good taste and is very knowledgeable. If she says it's good, then the house must be decent."

“You… Aman’s houses are expensive.” Director Feng was startled by his thought.

"It's okay, I just made a lot of money, I need to enjoy myself."

Zhang Yuan is currently in a state of making money from money.

No sooner had it been "emptied out" than the profits from "Painted Skin" were already pouring in.

Once the box office revenue from the animation is received, he can also get a significant share from the animation company.

In the blink of an eye, it was fully recovered.

Feng Xiaogang clicked his tongue.

You kid...

Yes, after some thought, he realized that the person had made tens of millions over the Chinese New Year, so they weren't short of money.

"You must be familiar with them, could you help me get in touch?"

"Okay," Director Feng agreed.

Zhang Yuan clapped his hands: "Once everything is settled, I'll invite everyone to visit the water towns of Jiangnan."

"Let's have a party at Xixi Wetland."

Everyone cheered "Yes!" and were overjoyed.

But director Feng, whose film had just lost its annual box office champion title, wasn't really smiling.

What if I flaunt my wealth in front of you?

Then I remembered Zhang Yuan boasting about his various investments at the annual meeting.

You were just a minor supporting actor in my crew back then, what are you so arrogant about... Director Feng smiled politely, but that's what he was thinking.

The villain succeeds!

Seeing the slight twitching of his lips and the hint of dissatisfaction deep in his eyes, Zhang Yuan nodded with satisfaction.

Okay, that's great! (End of Chapter)