Actor: Thank you.

While Feng Xiaogang was "complaining" to Xiao Wang,

He certainly wouldn't just say it once; he would complain about it frequently.

Zhang Yuan and Zheng Xiaolong went to Hengdian to discuss set construction with a local group.

He thought that Zheng Xiaolong would carry more weight, after all, he was a famous director.

Moreover, as a director, one is required to be in control of the situation on set.

Upon hearing that Zheng Xiaolong was coming, they didn't even ask what movie he was filming.

Li Jianping, the deputy general manager of Hengdian World Studios, had arranged a dinner in advance.

He then instructed his secretary to take them to the site first.

The other party was even more excited when they learned that they were going to invest tens of millions of yuan in the project.

A big wave of his hand.

Instead of shooting in small scenic areas for TV dramas, we can go directly to "high-end areas" used for filming movies.

This place has only been around for a little over a decade since it was established.

In 96, Xie Jin was filming "The Opium War" but lacked suitable locations for outdoor shooting.

Hengdian Group invested money and manpower to bring Director Xie and the crew to Hengdian and build the first set in the entire Hengdian World Studios, "Guangzhou Street".

Next came "The Emperor's Shadow," which cost Huayi a fortune, and Hengdian was brought in to build the Qin Palace.

The secretary also bluntly told them that Chen Shiren still receives contractual payments from Hengdian Group every year.

The implication was, "Director Zheng, come here, let's talk about a kickback."

Zheng Xiaolong cleared his throat repeatedly.

"This... Mr. Zhang Yuan is not only an actor, but also an investor in our production."

secretary:……

Zhang Yuan didn't elaborate, but the other party assumed that Zheng Xiaolong had brought the lead actors to scout the location.

Little did they know that their flattery backfired.

He told the investors that he would give the director a kickback.

Zhang Yuan was also embarrassed.

I should be under the car, not here...

He understood that this was the industry standard.

Directors have many ways to make money, basically the same as some unscrupulous lawyers and judges, they all take advantage of their superiors and their subordinates.

Set construction, post-production, casting, sponsorship... they can make money from any of these.

Zheng Xiaolong is considered to be very professional and has a high level of professional ethics.

"It's alright, just send me a red envelope every year from now on."

"I also want to experience Director Chen's joy," Zhang Yuan said with a smile, trying to smooth things over.

Therefore, subordinates need to be perceptive, but not too perceptive, otherwise they are prone to saying too much and making mistakes.

But this person, being the deputy general manager's secretary, quickly came to his senses.

"Mr. Zhang, I've heard so much about you."

"I never imagined you had such lofty ambitions, aiming to personally lead our Chinese film and television industry to greater heights."

"I admire you."

"Actually, if you'd like, you can come to Hengdian World Studios to set up a studio or company."

"I will provide you with a full range of door-to-door services, ensuring that you can get everything done without leaving your home."

"And as long as Director Zheng and your film come to Hengdian, the rent for the studio space is negotiable."

Zhang Yuan believed this.

The Xu family behind Hengdian Group is known for their long-term vision and magnanimity.

Otherwise, Hengdian wouldn't be known as the Hollywood of the East.

Moreover, the other party is very influential locally, or in Dongyang City, which is at the next higher level, or even JH City, which is at the next higher level.

Their status in the local area is no less than that of the penguins in Nanshan District.

There's almost nothing he can't handle.

"I can consider it. I'll think about it when I get back."

"This requires long-term planning."

"Since you have treated me to a meal, I cannot come empty-handed."

"You're too kind." The secretary was somewhat relieved to see that the other party didn't seem to care about what had just happened and was even answering questions.

After walking around, I found that this place has all kinds of scenery.

The Mummy 3 also built some scenes here, which were later transformed into an experiential project by Hengdian.

The most famous Ming and Qing palace gardens later hosted a large-scale song and dance show called "The Forbidden City Grand Ceremony".

Their target was the Ming and Qing imperial palaces.

Along the way, I also met several acquaintances, all of whom were there to film a movie.

It's so easy to run into colleagues in this area.

"Hey." After a few steps, he saw another one.

"What a coincidence."

He has good eyesight and spotted a man and a woman from afar.

It was Deng Chao and Sun Li, a couple.

"What a coincidence!"

"Hello."

After patting each other on the shoulder and exchanging greetings, the two then respectfully met with Director Zheng.

"Filming a movie?" Zhang Yuan asked, inviting them to come along.

"Hehe, no acting roles." Deng Chao glanced at his girlfriend and said helplessly.

"what happened?"

"Your job was stolen?" Zhang Yuan asked.

"It wasn't me, it was her." Chao pointed to his girlfriend: "She's been having some bad luck lately."

"A film had just started production when it was suddenly halted."

"I'm bored, so I'll keep her company."

"Then you two have a good relationship."

Sun Li seems to be having a run of bad luck lately.

His career seems to be thriving, and he's taking on quite a few roles, especially movies.

However, "Little Aunt Duohe" was banned for several years.

He poured his heart and soul into the film, "Gold Mountain," which he made with Leung Ka-fai for a low salary, but it was banned from being shown in China.

I recently collaborated with Liu Zhenwei on "Just Another Pandora's Box," and he thought it went quite well, and I was able to let loose.

They then called him to film a new movie, "The Fairy Tale".

"The Treasure Box" is a parody of the Three Kingdoms, and "The Fairy Tale" is a parody of the Water Margin.

Liu Zhenwei is someone who makes money whenever he can; he can start filming several movies a year.

This film, "The Fairy Tale of the Celestials," is the later "The Fairy Tale of the Celestials," the film in which Guo Jingming dressed as a woman.

The problem is that less than two months after filming began, the investors withdrew their funding.

So filming for this movie actually started in 09, but it wasn't released until 14.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it. It's his own fault for not coming to me." Zhang Yuan shrugged after hearing this.

“Yes, who else is as trustworthy as our Brother Yuan?” Deng Chao also praised.

Not only Sun Li, but he has also been feeling down lately.

After signing with Huayi Brothers, not only was she no match for Huang Xiaoming, but she also couldn't compete with him.

Now that Huayi has gone public, Xiaoming has acquired a considerable number of shares, and his net worth on paper exceeds 100 million.

But they arrived late, and unfortunately, Deng Xiaoping missed out on Mao Zedong's opportunity.

Seeing Huang Xiaoming make a fortune, he felt very uneasy.

But while he was unsuccessful in his career... well, not really unsuccessful, he was successful in his love life.

"Let's not talk about that anymore. We plan to get married before the Chinese New Year this year," Deng Chao said, putting his arm around Sun Li's shoulder.

"congratulations."

"Should we get a marriage certificate or have a wedding banquet?"

"Get the certificate."

"Oh, then remember to let me know when you hold the banquet, I'll definitely bring a big red envelope."

The two set the date for getting their marriage certificate on Deng Chao's birthday.

It seems that Sun Li is spoiling Deng Chao, but Zhang Yuan reasonably suspects that Sun Li is doing this in order to give one less gift each year and to celebrate their wedding anniversary and birthday together.

Otherwise, given Deng Xiaoping's antics...

"Then let's skip the red envelopes for now, I'll give you another gift first."

“I’ve inquired about the play ‘Little Aunt Duohe’, and there shouldn’t be any problems.”

"Have the production company submit it for review again."

"Really!" Sun Li exclaimed with delight.

"We've been trying for several years, and investors have tried to pull strings several times, but it hasn't worked out."

"It has to be you; you got it all sorted out in one go."

"It's nothing, don't mention it. I hope to see you on TV soon."

This incident cleared a sliver of sunshine from Sun Li's recent gloom.

[Received a thank you from Sun Li, adding 1 point to my folk dance skills!]

The couple thanked them repeatedly.

Zhang Yuan said he didn't put in much effort and it wasn't necessary.

They thought he was just being polite, but in reality he didn't put in much effort.

The key is still time.

Because of the recent rise to power of this island nation's top leader, relations between the two countries have warmed up, and restrictions on this type of subject matter have been relaxed considerably.

Moreover, you have to find the right person and the right place for this.

If the production team searches again, they can at most reach the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

Zhang Yuan then called the person from the Court of State Ceremonial who had previously "trained" him.

There is no clear rule on whether a film can be shown; the scope of discretion is very large.

But this could cause problems, so the higher-ups will be cautious, since nobody wants to take the blame.

He searched and asked around and confirmed that the Court of State Ceremonial was not in charge.

It's fine if you don't care.

Whether you're in charge or not, I've already notified you.

When I contacted the State Administration of Radio and Television again, they said they had already contacted the Court of State Ceremonial.

I only made a few phone calls to inquire.

The main reason is that times have changed. If it were a time of tension between China and Japan, this film would definitely still not be able to be shown.

Hurry up, if we don't broadcast this soon, Hatoyama-san will be forced to step down...

"You've been really good to them both," Zheng Xiaolong said as he walked away with his hands behind his back after they parted.

"Both husband and wife are talented people in our industry, and they are also good people."

"Oh..." Director Zheng replied vaguely.

“They both own companies, and they’re both big companies in their respective industries,” Zheng Xiaolong added after a while.

This indicates that he knew what Zhang Yuan wanted to do.

I've already said he's a talented person.

Of course, we need to attract and retain talented people.

But he was also afraid that Zhang Yuan would mess things up and cause trouble.

After all, he still wanted to use Sun Li.

"Don't worry, I never offend my colleagues."

"Ha ha……"

"What are you laughing at?"

Zheng Xiaolong glanced at him sideways.

It means not offending anyone, because you don't go through the process of offending anyone.

They were all going straight for the kill.

I had dinner with the vice president of Hengdian World Studios. During the meal, he mentioned that the first phase of investment was 3000 million yuan, and there would be a second and third phase of investment later.

The other party thought he was just making empty promises.

Little did they know that Zhang Yuan was sincere.

He was also asked to leave some space around the scene in the first phase so that he could add more later.

Whether they believe it or not, I've made up my mind.

At least Hengdian has a decent reputation; it hasn't done anything short-sighted or detrimental.

There are many other places where tourist attractions have lured film crews in and ripped them off.

It must be said that the business environment in the Yangtze River Delta region is generally quite good. Hengdian is naturally happy to invest heavily in it.

Because the money Zhang Yuan invested in and the sets he built will directly become part of Hengdian World Studios' assets.

They built their business by "borrowing resources to create wealth".

They had a very pleasant conversation.

Things went very smoothly.

Besides handling business, Zhang Yuan also met Zheng Xiaolong's two "apprentices".

"Apprentice" is an old term, meaning he mentored her all the way through.

One male and one female.

The woman's name is Cao Ping. She is a protégé of the TV production center and participates in the production of Zheng Xiaolong's films.

The man's name is Guo Qi. He graduated from the Beijing Film Academy and appears in almost every film starring Zheng Xiaolong.

However, the two have different roles: the woman takes care of the home, while the man takes care of external affairs.

Zhang Yuan also communicated extensively with these two individuals.

In theory, if he invests, he can be listed as a producer or executive producer.

But he felt it was unnecessary and that it was better to keep a low profile.

I'm particularly interested in these two people, after all, they're professionals.

Moreover, Zhang Yuan remembers that this Guo Qi was later poached by Alibaba and went to Alibaba Pictures to work as a vice president, which is quite prestigious.

It's not appropriate to directly poach Zheng Xiaolong.

And they might not even be willing to follow you.

But it's still possible to get to know each other better.

After finishing these tasks, he rushed to complete his pre-Lunar New Year work at home, just to make time for his trip to Africa.

As for training... training my ass!

Do I need to train my physique?

Besides, he really didn't have time for systematic training.

Unlike Liu Qianqian, who is genuinely idle at home with nothing to do.

A little over a week later, he had his driver take him to the villa complex early in the morning.

"You're here!" Liu Qianqian ran over to open the door after receiving his call.

I glanced at it.

Her skin was fair with a rosy glow, and she looked quite energetic.

Her eyes shone with anticipation.

It seems her recent training has put her in excellent condition.

"Have you been waiting long?"

"It's okay, but I woke up very early today."

"That's good, at least I can rest on the plane."

We picked her up and loaded several large suitcases into the car.

She then greeted Liu Xiaoli, who was looking at them with her arms crossed and giving instructions to her daughter.

"Sisi, make sure you bring your sun protection clothing."

"Remember to apply sunscreen."

"Also, remember to bring cold medicine and stomach medicine."

"I'm all ready. I'm not a child anymore." Unlike most girls, Little Dragon Girl wasn't impatient with her mother. She hugged her and said goodbye.

"You guys go have fun."

"Zhang Yuan." Liu Xiaoli waved, "Please take good care of me along the way."

"Definitely, I'll bring you a souvenir." Zhang Yuan leaned out of the car window to wave goodbye.

"No need, don't waste money..." Liu Xiaoli thought to herself, just bring me this kind of "souvenir" instead of two people going and three people coming back.

Previously, Zhang Yuan mostly flew domestic flights.

The furthest I ever flew was from Hollywood to New York.

This is impressive; they flew from Beijing to Tanzania.

But there are also some troublesome aspects.

The fuel tank is too small.

Most business jets cannot achieve direct global flights.

Zhang Yuan discovered this problem when he was making the plans.

Therefore, we can only refuel and prepare in Doha, the capital of Qatar, and make a stopover there.

Don't be fooled by the fact that this country later granted visa-free access to Chinese citizens, allowing them to stay for up to 30 days.

But the regulations are quite strict right now.

Applying for flight routes and making port calls are quite troublesome.

I asked the mountaineering company to help me apply, but they couldn't handle it.

In the end, Zhang Yuan contacted the F1 team and asked Ross Brawn to help him apply for flight routes in the team's name.

Because Qatar not only has a racetrack, but also serves as a testing ground for winter.

Furthermore, the final F1 race of the year will be held in Abu Dhabi, just a few hours' drive from Doha.

So this excuse solved the problem immediately.

It's still more effective for white people to use facial recognition.

It took more than eight hours to land.

Even though private jets are more comfortable than first class, the group was still a bit tired when they got off the plane.

It was already past midnight, so it was impossible to leave immediately. We decided to spend a day or two in Doha before heading out. That was our plan.

But there are always unexpected things that happen.

After getting off my plane and collecting my luggage, I was surprised to find myself going through security.

Zhang Yuan scratched his head, feeling a bit dazed from the long flight.

Because previously, no formal security checks were required wherever I went.

At most, it will go through an X-ray machine.

This requires manual inspection.

In North America and Europe.

Because in capitalist countries, it's assumed that anyone who can afford a private jet can do whatever they want.

They're already so rich, what if we investigate and find out something?
But when they got to the territory of the Middle Eastern oil tycoons...

Chief: Who are you calling rich?

private plane?

Isn't this something everyone has?
I have several of them at home.

I don't care about this or that.

I never make friends based on money, because it's impossible for them to be richer than me.

My money all "came out of the ground".

Having money is no big deal to them; they can just do whatever they want.

Moreover, they are an Islamic country with very strict customs.

They're mainly worried that you might bring things that go against their doctrines.

The treatment is pretty good; it's not a public inspection area.

Instead, there are dedicated personnel and a special channel to handle this matter.

"Do we need to open the box again?"

"Open it, open it..." someone said as Zhang Yuan was being scanned by a detector.

The other person opened their pile of suitcases, put on blue plastic gloves, and carefully searched through them.

Zhang Yuan is upright and has nothing to fear.

I don't touch gambling or drugs.

When they searched through the bodyguard Brother Long's suitcase, they pulled out nunchucks, a military dagger, a stun gun, a baton...

Brother Long spread his hands and said, "This is my livelihood, so it's perfectly reasonable for me to carry these things."

Upon opening the assistant's suitcase, the security officer found Lao Gan Ma chili sauce, Fuling pickled mustard tubers, and pickled radish strips...

"I'm afraid I won't be able to get used to African food," Zhao Dandan said, scratching her face sheepishly.

"I can see that you all possess extraordinary skills," Zhang Yuan praised.

Little Dragon Girl was also watching from the side, smiling.

But soon, she stopped laughing.

Her suitcase was alright; it contained only everyday items and, at most, a bunch of ugly clothes.

But when you turn to Zhang Yuan's side, something goes wrong!

First, someone found out the entire Marlboro.

"I don't like you smoking." Liu Qianqian pouted when she saw it.

"You don't understand, this is hard currency."

Zhang Yuan brought it along specifically so that it could be used as a tip when they arrived at Uncle Hei's territory.

But soon, the security guard found a cookie tin in the corner of his suitcase.

The other party opened the box and pulled out a long string of things.

The older sister looked at Zhang Yuan.

Zhang Yuan looked at his older sister.

The other person was holding a string of ten small plastic packages.

Each plastic package had some English letters written on it and was also encased in a circular protrusion.

The long flight made him forget that he was carrying "equipment".

He was even extra careful, deliberately unpacking it and putting it in a "Cute & Delicious" cookie box.

I never expected that the security check would be discovered by someone.

Because he had seen "Lord of War," in which the protagonist Yuri goes to Africa to do arms business.

The dictator sent him two beautiful black women, but he refused them.

Because not only is AZ rampant in Lao Hei's area, but it's also very difficult to buy family planning products.

He thought that I could bring my own, right?

Liu Qianqian has never eaten pork, but she has seen pigs run.

Upon seeing this thing, his face immediately turned red.

But it's not over yet.

The security guard found another box of Oreos, and from that box she found a ten-pack.

There was also an Orion box, which they pulled out as a 10-pack.

Liu Qianqian's mouth was wide open.

If the first one appeared, it was out of shyness.

When the second one appeared, it was out of surprise.

But when the third one appeared, she got a little scared.

He squinted and turned to look at Zhang Yuan.

Zhang Yuan awkwardly touched his nose.

How could that lady in the black headscarf be so clueless!
They dug out all my hard currency.

“This…” Zhang Yuanqi thought to himself, pointing to his assistant.

"Dandan, this is outrageous!"

Put your things in my suitcase!

Zhao Dandan: Huh?
Zhang Yuan frantically tried to wink at her.

The assistant thought to herself, "I don't even have a boyfriend, and you're trying to pin this on me?"
"I bought it." The assistant was stunned for a long time before replying.

I'm not lying. She usually helps me buy things, so I'm used to it.

Liu Qianqian put one hand on her hip in an annoyed manner.

"Dandan, don't let him bully you all the time."

After saying that, he added another sentence.

“It’s been a long time since we last met. If you have some free time in the evenings these next few days, keep me company and let’s chat.”

"Oh, okay," the assistant agreed with a silly grin.

She didn't understand at all that the other party meant for her to sleep with them to protect herself from being harassed.

After saying that, Xiaolongnu dragged her luggage and took a few steps forward.

"Brother Zhang Yuan, did I say something wrong?"

"He's still too slow to react," the assistant said, approaching him.

"It's alright." Zhang Yuan patted his arm with a smile on his face.

"Everything you just did and said will be reflected in your year-end bonus."

Zhao Dandan: ... (End of Chapter)