Actor: Thank you.

"You're providing both money and people for Liu Ye's wedding, aren't you going?"

at home.

Zhang Yuan, who had just returned, went to the courtyard to check on the progress of the renovation.

Zhao Decai personally found people and sent his manager to supervise the work.

It's the same person who helped with the renovation before.

Last time was last time.

This time they're coming again, so I have to treat them to a meal, a full Massagi meal is necessary.

Moreover, he also had to go to the event to "show off".

I need to demonstrate my professional skills to the workers.

It's not that I'm itching to use my hands, or that I want to show off.

People always say that ordinary people are simple and sincere.

Yes, some people are quite good.

But the construction site is mostly filled with "cunning, lazy, greedy, slippery, and bad people".

Imagine yourself using the company's water and electricity during work hours, trying to find a way to take a paid bathroom break and slack off.

And this is all while sitting in an office, surrounded by "civilized people".

In the relatively "wild" environment of a construction site, everything is magnified.

There are two things that workers love to do most.

One of them is urinating and defecating anywhere.

Therefore, someone must keep an eye on it.

Secondly, there's petty theft.

This situation is extremely common.

He simply put the tools in his pocket and left.

They grabbed the materials and ran.

Any process may be intentionally or unintentionally disregarded, as long as it works, you don't need to worry about how it works.

"What's going on here?" Zhang Yuan personally picked up a hammer, chiseled open a wall, and pulled out a wire with more than a dozen sections attached to it.

This is a typical example of using various scraps to piece together a section of wire, allowing you to pocket the complete wire yourself.

Anyway, it's a hidden wire inside the wall, so you won't be able to see it after the renovation is complete.

They'll give you a 1.5mm cable if you have a 4mm cable, and take the expensive one. Don't do things like this too often.

If the circuit breaks down in a year or two, who will you contact?

"What does this mean?" Zhang Yuan wrapped a piece of string around a lighter and used it as a makeshift plumb bob, pointing to a wall that had been crookedly built.

“This brick isn’t right either.” He used his fingers to pry a piece off.

The squad leader, who was about to retort, was so frightened that he swallowed his words.

"And this cement, the color is wrong, the grade is wrong, and the proportions are wrong."

"Do you know how to do it?"

After saying that, he took matters into his own hands and poured out a bag of cement.

Use a shovel to create a "mini Mount Fuji" with a depression in the middle, then use a bucket to add water to the depression.

It should be done in one go, without adding flour when there's too much water, or adding water when there's too much flour, and so on.

Then, first mix it with a large shovel, and then stir it with a plastering knife.

Finally, with swift movements of both hands, a shovelful of cement was produced, with a relatively smooth surface, no obvious particles or air bubbles, and a moderate moisture content.

He picked up a brick, slapped it a couple of times, shaved off a third of it, smeared it with cement, and placed it in the gap at the corner of the wall.

Perfect fit!

With another shovel, the excess cement from the squeezed gaps is removed, and the job is done.

He clapped his hands and stood up.

"The materials for water, electricity, and earthwork all need to be re-inspected."

"The process also needs to be adjusted."

"Inspect all concealed lines, and ensure that the colors of the ground wires and the neutral wires are uniform and meet the standards."

"No excess cement is allowed to be poured down the drain. Otherwise, if the whole alley is blocked, whoever did it will have to pay for digging up the pipes and rebuilding the alley."

That's why he came here specifically to "perform".

He wanted all the workers, especially the foremen, to know that he was knowledgeable in the field.

This is just like being on a film set.

If a director finds that an investor is clueless, he'll try to squeeze as much money out of them as possible.

If the investor is a seasoned veteran in the film and television industry, then they need to tone it down.

It's the same in every industry: if the leaders don't understand, the subordinates will deceive them.

If the leaders are knowledgeable, especially those on the front lines, then their subordinates will be more cautious.

At least they can do a good job of putting on a good show.

Being lazy and cunning is an instinct for people in the workplace, but one must have psychological restraint.

"I'm sorry." Zhao Decai's manager greeted him and apologized repeatedly.

He'll definitely go check on his subordinates and give them a good scolding later.

That achieves the goal.

Zhang Yuan and Zhao Decai were separated by one layer, then the manager was separated by another layer, and then the foreman was separated by yet another layer.

With these layers separating us, human relationships become as bland as plain water; who cares who you are?

Zhang Yuan's cunning was honed through his interactions with these foremen and workers.

Then we walked around again.

The pond was shoveled and renovated into a modern style, paved with white gravel, and illuminated with simple metal ground lights.

They're also digging a swimming pool and installing an imported warm water circulation system.

They also ordered a jacuzzi.

The other garden has also been redesigned.

Zhang Yuan also arranged for several security company personnel to supervise the construction.

He knew that petty theft would still occur, and he could only try his best to avoid it.

I took a stroll around and went home, just in time to find Cheng Hao there on business.

When I arrived, I knew he had gone out, and I thought he was going to Liu Ye's wedding.

"I won't go; it would only cause them trouble." Zhang Yuan sat down and drank tea.

"Look at you, why are you so dirty?" The kind older sister helped him brush off the dust with one hand.

Besides ash, there were also mud spots.

Looks like I'm still getting rusty.

"Go wash it."

"I'll just throw it away," Zhang Yuan said, indicating he would change it later.

Anyway, he has plenty of casual clothes provided by sponsors.

"I'm deliberately not going to Liu Ye's place."

“Because Lu Chuan was the best man,” he explained.

"Oh..." Cheng Hao understood.

Lu Chuan became his good buddy because of filming.

Besides, all the members of Chang Jihong's faction went there.

Jiang Wenli, Gu Changwei, Zhao Baogang.

Lao Han and Kang Honglei were also invited.

Liu Ye has quite a good network of connections within the industry.

They even hired Liu Yiwei as the emcee.

Anyway, it was called a "family wedding," but it was actually an all-star event.

However, they didn't bring in a bunch of sponsors, which is considered conservative.

The couple had registered their marriage in Nice, France, a few months earlier and had a party there.

This wedding near the Temple of Heaven was actually the second one.

After that, they will go to France for a third grand wedding banquet.

Furthermore, even the domestic version was semi-French style, not entirely Chinese style.

The two matches abroad were entirely French-style.

Because although his wife was French, she was actually of Jewish descent.

Their culture is very strong; whether it's marrying or being married off, you have to follow their rules.

It seems that Liu Ye didn't invite Hu Jun to her wedding...

Have you forgotten Jun'er by Daming Lake?
Zhang Yuan dispatched security personnel to maintain order, especially to prevent media and paparazzi from sneaking in.

They even made me bring a big red envelope.

Eighty-eight thousand eight.

As long as the favor is done, people will remember it.

Celebrity weddings are big events, so it's probably better if he doesn't get involved.

The media, sensing the opportunity, are quick to react and can easily cause trouble.

A few days ago, someone even went to Hunan TV to confront Xie Na and ask her about her feelings on Liu Ye's marriage.

Xie Na behaved reasonably well, offering her blessings and hoping the other person would find happiness.

She and Liu Ye were once truly in love; being able to wish each other well is a good ending.

It's better than how Zhang Yuqi reacted when she was asked about Wang Xiaofei's wedding later.

However, when it comes to stirring up trouble, Lu Chuan is the one who truly knows how to do it.

Everyone else was fine, but Lu Taijun, the best man, caused a huge scandal.

At that time, Sina had just launched Weibo and was looking for celebrities to join and bring in traffic.

Zhang Yuan also received an invitation and opened an account.

However, he didn't use the name "Zhang Yuan" but rather the official account of Zhang Yuan Studio, a very legitimate name.

In its early days, Weibo was a chaotic mess, with a bunch of celebrities using it as a form of private messaging.

There are people swearing, people who engage in sexual misconduct, people who expose their private lives—you name it.

If not handled properly, it could easily lead to a major disaster.

Therefore, he was ahead of the curve and formalized the account, having Zeng Jia manage it on his behalf.

They also established rules for publishing content, following their own workflow.

The focus is on publicity, not on revealing private life details.

If my private life were to be exposed, it would truly be an explosion...

This also provides a good opportunity for Zeng Jia to practice and learn how to cultivate the image of her artists in the internet age, thereby strengthening her management skills.

Zhang Yuan was essentially using himself as an experiment.

Lu Chuan, this "internet addict middle-aged man," also opened a Weibo account.

He really loves to express his opinions online, which is why he's always getting criticized.

This time, she posted on Weibo that Liu Ye cried yesterday.

And then... that's it!

He posted this later, wanting to express his excitement about his friend's wedding, how a tough guy shed tears for his beautiful wife, and how precious relationships are.

But as Zhang Yuan knows, many people in the early days of Weibo did not understand that this is Weibo, not a confessional.

Did the groom cry the night before the wedding?
The media started speculating. "That means he doesn't want to get married!"

Combined with Xie Na's previous blessings, it all makes sense!

Rumors started circulating that Liu Ye couldn't forget Xie Na, and even cried about it before their wedding.

Furthermore, there were already rumors that Liu Ye planned to immigrate abroad after marrying a French woman.

In the past two years, many big-name celebrities have been exposed for immigrating, so people have developed a habitual way of thinking.

In conjunction with this incident, tabloids reported that a French woman knew about Liu Ye's affair with Xie Na, and therefore forced him to leave China.

The more it was spread, the more believable it seemed; Zhang Yuan almost believed it after reading it.

This is a bloody incident triggered by a Weibo post.

Unfortunately, Lu Chuan, the instigator, never learned his lesson.

"How's the flight?" The two of them had prepared some food for themselves.

I made scrambled eggs with tomatoes, shredded pork with green peppers, steamed a fish, and a seaweed and dried shrimp soup.

Cheng Hao particularly enjoyed this atmosphere of daily life, and he followed suit.

While eating, he asked Cheng Hao about going home.

"It's alright, private jets are always better than commercial airliners."

"I took my parents to Tianchi Lake for a trip."

“My dad is in poor health and rarely agrees to travel far from home.”

"They're happy, and I'm happy too."

“If you’re happy, I’m happy too,” Zhang Yuan replied.

Cheng chuckled and placed a piece of fish belly on his plate.

"It's just too expensive, I can't afford it."

"Yes, so I plan to return it in two months."

"You still plan to use it?"

"I'm going to Hollywood in a few days."

"Hmm, you're too busy. How long will you be gone before you come back?"

"Not necessarily, but I will go to Hong Kong to discuss 'Ip Man 2' after I get back."

"I still have to go and discuss the work on the next 'Fast & Furious 5' with Universal Pictures."

"Alright, alright..." Cheng Hao shook her head after hearing that.

I have nowhere to catch you.

"I'm happy that your career is going well, but you also need to take care of yourself and not overwork yourself."

"You'll be so busy afterwards, but you're free tonight..." The older sister had clearly come to her senses.

"It'll be a bit later, I've arranged for Ning Hao and the others to come over for a chat."

"Then I'll wait for you." She shook her head helplessly.

Not long after, Ning Hao and Huang Bo each arrived with their wives.

Since there aren't many people, we won't make it too formal; we'll just invite them for tea and snacks.

The reason I contacted Ning Hao today was because Hua Yi called him.

And it was Xiao Wang who called personally.

His attitude was warm and friendly, showing no sign that he had just been tricked by Zhang Yuan, who had let Liu Qianqian steal Chen Shengsheng's prize.

But the more he acted this way, the more cautious Zhang Yuan became.

Showing courtesy for nothing is either cheating or stealing.

Is he planning to rape me or steal from me?

"I heard you have a new play and you're looking for Sha Yi and Yao Cheng?" After exchanging pleasantries, Wang Zhonglei got straight to the point.

"Yes, I don't know if the two actors are interested."

"The audience is really looking forward to their return." Zhang Yuan knew it couldn't be anything good.

He knew that he would definitely have to negotiate terms.

Otherwise, why would the other party hold onto the person and refuse to let go?
According to Shang Jing, these two originally wanted to come and did not refuse.

That's Huayi stopping them.

The purpose of blocking them is either money, people, or both.

So Zhang Yuan spoke first, to give a heads-up.

"Mr. Wang, the budget for this film is limited, so please be understanding, both actors."

What if they ask me for an exorbitant brokerage fee?

"Money is a small matter, you and I both know that," Xiao Wang replied casually. "The key is actually people."

He first mentioned his recent schedule, noting that the release of "The Message" was not far off.

Zhang Yuan immediately stated that he would participate in the entire publicity campaign.

"This is what I should do."

"After all, I've put a lot of effort into this film, and I hope it will be good."

For the sake of the work, he could only spare time to cooperate.

But this is just an appetizer.

Then comes the main topic.

“We have communicated with Ning Hao several times recently, but we haven’t made a decision yet.”

"Please try to persuade him again."

"I'll also try to persuade Sha Yi and Yao Cheng."

Zhang Yuan finally understood.

This sounds like mutual assistance, but it actually carries these threats.

If I can't help him deal with Ning Hao, then Sha Yi and Yao Cheng most likely won't release him.

Hey!
I don't want to mess with you, so why do you keep getting involved?
Zhang Yuan was also very upset.

Look, am I trying to put eye drops on them?
They brought this on themselves!
You choose not to take the path to heaven, but choose to walk into hell when there is no way out.

Originally, I thought that I shouldn't keep trying to fleece the same sheep, or I'd end up like Ge You, who suffered from excessive exploitation.

But if I don't pluck them, the sheep get upset!
They even made excuses to pressure me.

I've never heard of such a request in my entire life.

Such practices of mutual obstruction and mutual transactions are quite common in the film and television industry.

"Is the script for that new movie completely finished?" he asked Ning Hao as he poured tea.

"It's pretty much settled. We're currently communicating with various locations to select the final filming locations," Big Head said honestly.

Zhang Yuan put down the teapot and nodded.

"We've known each other for a long time. I have something to tell you the truth."

He had previously advised Ning Hao to play both sides so that he could obtain the best conditions.

He did the same.

Several companies invested in him and offered him a pretty good salary, at least 500 million or more.

This is already considered a high salary in China's film directing industry.

Zhang Yuan explained the current conflict between himself and Hua Yi. Ning Hao and his wife Xing Aina exchanged glances, and then exchanged looks with Huang Bo and his wife.

"So... Huayi is using these conditions to force you to come to me."

“Yes,” Zhang Yuan replied with a firm gaze.

Ning Hao was a little taken aback by his sincerity.

In these kinds of situations, don't you usually have to use a combination of coaxing and deception?
Zhang Yuan made it clear to everyone.

Because Ning Hao's personality isn't the subdued type; he's quite straightforward and loyal.

The best way to treat a righteous person is with sincerity.

"I called you here today to talk about this."

"I know, you also had a good chat with the fiber optic side."

"I've also been getting along well with fiber optics lately."

"Personally, I would recommend you go for fiber optic."

"But that's the situation right now."

"The reason I speak frankly is that I want to be honest with my friends."

"But it's not like I'm forcing you to do me this favor."

Huang Bo grinned and opened his mouth.

"Of course, you would have preferred to have Haozi listen to you, so you wouldn't have said it directly."

"Yes, my thinking has always been the same. Even if the deal falls through, we can still be friends and our friendship will remain unchanged."

Zhang Yuan inquired carefully about the conditions offered by the two companies.

Huayi is clearly more generous!
After all, they're about to go public, so money isn't an issue.

However, Ning Hao's main concerns were Zhang Yuan's past experiences and Hua Yi's request to insert a large number of sponsored advertisements into the film.

"So, if you're willing and trust me."

"I'll go talk to them for you."

"I'll have my lawyer assist with the contract."

"As for advertising, I will also include it in the contract, requiring the other party to reduce the amount of product placement and only include the parts that you agree to."

"It's probably impossible to cancel them all."

Seeing his sincerity, Ning Hao scratched his head sheepishly.

After making a fortune with two films, he was no longer the artsy director he once was.

Now it's all about money.

Of course, I hope to earn more.

Moreover, Zhang Yuan didn't lie to him or try to fool him. This straightforward attitude made him feel embarrassed.

After all, they had helped me a lot.

Zhang Yuan observed his expression and felt a little guilty himself.

After all, it's like pushing your buddy into a "fire pit".

But this "fire pit" was actually dug by Ning Hao himself; it's just a matter of who he leads it towards.

Moreover, Zhang Yuan has things to do right now, and we can't let him disrupt our plans.

I figured if something really went wrong, I could just pull my brother out of the woods.

"Think about it." Zhang Yuan didn't force him to make a decision on the spot.

But judging from his expression and his own guarantee, he was actually a little tempted.

"But as before, don't rush to reply."

"If it's interesting, I'll speak up for you."

"With me as a third party, it's not easy for the terms to fall through."

"Yes, yes, yes..." Big Head praised repeatedly, then glanced at his wife's belly.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Yuan noticed this detail.

"Actually, I've come here today with some good news to share," Big Head said with a grin.

"Aina is pregnant."

"That's great news!" Zhang Yuan quickly offered his congratulations.

Having a child means needing even more money… (End of Chapter)