Actor: Thank you.

Didn't you say you weren't getting enough to eat?

"Hey, now I'll give you a chance to eat your fill and prove yourself."

The next day, Zhang Yuan invited Cao Yunjing to his home for a detailed discussion.

Brother Qian also came, after all, he is the other party's "godfather".

"I'll help you find a place, get the permits, rent the venue, and cover the initial operating funds."

"I'll take care of all of that."

"They'll also find a bunch of celebrities to support you and help generate buzz."

"I will also speak to the media reporters."

"I guarantee that your team will be up and running within a few weeks."

“However, I also have conditions. After all, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Zhang Yuan took a sip of tea and looked at Jin Zi, who was somewhat reserved in front of him.

I'm usually afraid of getting beaten up when I see him, but now that he's at his house, I'm even less likely to run away.

"First, I will use my investment company to invest 30% in this new team."

“But I want to have 70% of the voting rights.”

"Profits will be distributed according to shares; I'm not greedy for that."

"There's no need to rush to pay back the initial investment; just take it slow."

Zhang Yuan's goal was not to make him a lot of money, but to gain control of the narrative.

Just like Lao Han at China Film Group, which has been losing money for many years because of subsidies and sponsorships for many film crews.

But it's okay to lose money; that's how Lao Han gained influence and a voice – he "lost" it all.

Once you have control over the narrative, you'll have a share of whatever money you make in this industry in the future.

The overall market for crosstalk is not large, but its advantage is that it generates a lot of revenue and has many commercial performances.

Furthermore, if one wants to maintain a position in the Chinese Quyi Artists Association, one needs a "base".

But after he finished speaking, Cao Yunjing was not very happy.

If there were a "Guo Degang Imitation Contest," Mr. Guo would at most get top three spots, while Cao Yunjing would get first place.

Not only were they greatly influenced by Mr. Guo in their art, but they were also very similar in personality.

They don't want to be controlled by others and want to be the boss themselves.

"I...I think I can do it myself..."

“Okay, I know you’re capable.” Zhang Yuan wasn’t surprised at all.

“But let me tell you, without me guiding you, you’re not just starting out, you’re betraying your sect.”

"And once our group recovers, do you think the market will still have room for you?"

“There are quite a few people who listen to crosstalk, and I also have my own fans,” Jinzi replied stubbornly.

"Looks like I still haven't explained myself clearly." Zhang Yuan shook his head: "What I mean is, the market can accommodate you, but I can't!"

Cao Yunjing: ...

"Whether it's from your master or from the Chinese Quyi Association, you won't get through this without my support."

"His body is made of iron with a few nails stuck in it."

"Believe it or not, I'll spread the word that no one in the entire crosstalk industry in the country will dare to cooperate with you."

"What will you say when you're all alone on stage?"

I'm mainstream and non-mainstream at the same time, how can I not handle you?
"Hey, hey, don't scare the child." At this moment, Brother Qian spoke up to smooth things over.

"Jinzi, your martial uncle is joking. Look how scared you are."

"They're all on our side, do you think they'd really go against you?"

"Especially under these circumstances, we are all united against external forces."

Only after his godfather spoke did the guy nod.

But in my heart I was thinking, is this a joke?
If someone truly does what they say, it's no joke!

It's easy to talk about others, but I know my uncle-master well; he's more ruthless than he's verbally!
"The team is in trouble right now, so I'm giving you this task because I value you and believe you have the ability to take on this responsibility." Brother Qian played the good cop, patiently guiding you.

"Why not look for someone else? Think about it."

"It's because only you can do it."

After hearing about this matter before Yu Qian arrived, he understood it after a little thought.

"So that's what you were up to."

My brother has a really good eye for opportunities!
At this point, Degang was completely helpless and unable to do anything, and he was the one who caused the trouble.

So they pretended to repair the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass, thus diverting the people in the group.

Tsk... Brother Qian squinted and took a drag of his cigarette.

But that’s not right!

Doing this will inevitably lead to hidden problems.

De Gang is not a very magnanimous person.

If Deyuan Society really collapses, then so be it.

If things calm down, this matter will become a thorn in his side, constantly pricking his heart.

Brother Qian rubbed his chin, guessing that Zhang Yuan had probably thought of this as well, and he wondered what he would do next.

The two of them, one fighting and the other coaxing, left Cao Yunjing completely helpless.

With a senior martial uncle and a godfather, what else could he do?

He already had a tense relationship with his master and mistress; if he broke off relations with them, he would truly be all alone.

A 30% stake means that 30% of the profits will be distributed.

Gan!
That's better than now, where you only make a few thousand dollars for a full month of performances!
Moreover, after starting my own business, I became the boss and was free to go out and do business. Whenever I wanted to come back and perform crosstalk, I could just put on my clothes and start.

It won't be like it is now, where I'm met with cold stares from a bunch of people.

In fact, it wasn't just his master who had a problem with him; there were many sycophants within the team who, upon seeing that Teacher Guo was dissatisfied with him, would chime in with their words to belittle him.

When I saw him, I wasn't as polite as before.

Just like in the entertainment industry, if they think you're about to lose power, they'll turn on you faster than flipping through a book.

The three of them ate and drank together and chatted for half the night before finally settling everything down.

The next day, Zhang Yuan got up in the morning, washed up, ate something, and then asked his subordinates to handle the "Xinhe Liansheng" matter.

He then made phone calls one by one.

Call a woman.

I'd like to ask someone out.

As a result, Cheng Hao decided to direct a play.

Shu Chang went to film a movie; she's on set.

Yang Mi is on set.

Liu Shishi is on set...

So you're all working while I'm just sitting around doing nothing... It makes me seem like I'm not working hard at all.

Fortunately, a "salted fish" balanced his mindset.

"Why did you suddenly decide to ask me to go to the movies?" After lunch, Liu Qianqian arrived at his large courtyard house.

She's the only one with nothing to do...

Her mother also came, but this time Zhang Yuan invited her to come along.

"It's a rare gathering, watching a movie is just a pretext."

"Actually, it was just to see you," Zhang Yuan whispered to her while her mother was observing the flowers and plants.

Although Xiaolongnu did not answer, the slightly upturned corners of her mouth and her satisfied expression showed that she was in a good mood.

"Let's go then. I've packed my scarf, sunglasses, and baseball cap."

Which cinema?

“My home,” Zhang Yuan said, pointing to the small theater.

Now it's much easier for him to watch movies; he just needs to have someone from the theater company come to his door to put the copies on.

It saves me from being photographed when I go out.

"Oh, not bad, not bad," Liu Xiaoli said repeatedly.

The conditions are now favorable.

Actually, Liu Xiaoli doesn't like being photographed, but because she often follows her daughter, she has become a celebrity and is often recognized when she goes out.

Whenever someone asks her if she is Liu Qianqian's mother, she always says no, that she has mistaken her for someone else.

"What movie are you watching... It's a proper movie, isn't it?" Little Dragon Girl tilted her head and looked at him.

I still vividly remember watching "Apple" together in my early years.

Now she has strange thoughts whenever she sees a bathroom.

“I already told you to bring your mom along, so it must be a legitimate movie!” Zhang Yuan replied immediately.

Although this theater hasn't shown many serious movies since the renovation...

But today is different.

Besides, if you're being inappropriate, why don't you just ask Brother Qian?

He doesn't even look at the serious stuff.

When Brother Qian watches romance movies, he won't touch anything unless there's action.

"Zhang Yimou's new film, 'Under the Hawthorn Tree'."

“I’ve heard of it.” Liu Xiaoli nodded immediately.

We invited Aunt Liu to watch it together because the film's historical setting matched hers.

The story is set in the 70s, when Liu Xiaoli was a young girl, a few years younger than the protagonist Jingqiu, and probably around the age of first love.

Everyone has a youth, and with Liu Xiaoli's looks, she must have had many suitors when she was young.

I imagine watching this film will be very immersive.

"Zhang Yimou's romantic films are pretty good. Let's take a look and learn from him."

"It can't be any worse than Chen's 'The Promise' from back then."

“That’s true.” Sisi nodded vigorously, though she still didn’t quite understand what “The Promise” was about.

The three of them sat in the theater and the movie began.

The main content of the film is a sadomasochistic love affair between a young woman sent to the countryside and an educated youth.

It's not love, it's sadomasochism.

Because the male and female protagonists love each other but cannot be together.

The male protagonist eventually died of leukemia.

That's why this drama is so popular in South Korea, because it fits the Korean aesthetic.

Car accidents, cancer, leukemia... these three elements are the most frequently used elements in Korean dramas after the millennium.

It seems like it would be a disservice to the audience if a few people didn't die.

The original work is adapted from a true story and edited into a book based on the memoir of the female protagonist.

The advertising slogan used when it was published was "the purest love novel in history".

Whether it's clean or not isn't really a big deal, Zhang Yuan felt. This story has a very strong female perspective, after all, it's adapted from the female protagonist's memoir. Judging from the story, the female protagonist comes from a poor family with a bad class background, while the male protagonist is the commander's son, who falls for her at first sight and can't live without her.

By modern standards, this would be considered "The domineering CEO falls in love with me".

The commander's son fell in love with me, and even on his deathbed, he thought of me.

It's a rather bland story.

Zhang Yuan watched the whole thing and thought it was alright, the quality was still there, and Zhang Yimou didn't embarrass him.

It's much better than "A Simple Noodle Story".

This film is at least a proper romance, and it's made very properly.

But to say he was deeply moved wouldn't be an exaggeration. Zhang Yuan wasn't touched by their love, nor had he experienced that era.

Such a tragic separation of life and death carries a hint of deliberate sentimentality.

Especially when he saw the male lead lying in bed with extremely tragic, seriously ill makeup on before his death, Zhang Yuan almost burst out laughing, even though it was a bit disrespectful.

The reason he almost laughed and remained unmoved was the same: he knew what kind of people the male and female leads, who pretended to be innocent in the film, were really like.

One is a greasy little prince who doesn't want to take any detours, becomes a full-time Tony teacher, and specializes in targeting rich women.

The other one is kind-hearted but ruthless, seemingly innocent but actually a big player who does everything.

Zhang Yuan shook his head slightly. This play proves a point even more.

We need to separate the character from the actor!
The actors and their roles are often vastly different.

Instead, it was a young actress playing a nurse in the film that caught his attention.

It was Gao Ye, who was not yet famous, and later became the sister-in-law in "The Storm".

But the Liu mother and daughter didn't know that they were quite moved after watching it.

Not only did she sniffle, but she also frequently wiped away tears with the back of her hand.

Seeing this, Zhang Yuan hurriedly took advantage of the fact that the lights were not yet on to "make up" himself.

"Not bad, it's pretty good."

After the light came on, Aunt Liu held a tissue and said.

"Yes, this kind of pure love is beautiful," Sisi said.

"Yes, yes, I was moved too." Zhang Yuan wiped his moist eyes.

"I've prepared some food and drinks, please stay and have a meal with me."

He then got up and went to the living room.

Halfway there, Sisi leaned slightly towards him and spoke.

"You really think this movie is good?"

"Very good, it describes a beautiful love story. Even I, a grown man, was moved by it."

"Hypocrite!" Little Dragon Girl suddenly wrinkled her nose: "I saw you lick your eyes."

Zhang Yuan: …

“Is it dirty?”

"Go wash your face."

"Hehehe..." Zhang Yuan laughed awkwardly, but quickly realized what he meant.

"Hey, wait a minute, when you watch a movie you should be looking at the screen, why are you staring at me?"

"Oh, I see. You were secretly watching me, weren't you? It made me feel really embarrassed."

"You'd better have some shame." Sisi pushed him with her hand.

“I think you don’t have to conform to others. It’s so much better to just be yourself,” she complained.

"At least you can be yourself in front of me."

"Okay, I'll try to relax. I'm usually too tense when I'm out." Zhang Yuan sighed.

There's no way around it; when you're out in public, you can't not pretend.

After having dinner with them, I respectfully saw them off.

Liu Xiaoli also specifically thanked him for finding a new job for Qianqian.

"About what you said before, about the trip." She asked her mother to wait a moment, then whispered something before leaving.

"I spend too much time in the city, and I want to go to places with better natural scenery."

"It's best to keep quiet; nobody recognizes us."

"Yes, I'll consider it, when we both have time."

"it is good."

After a cheek kiss goodbye, Zhang Yuan waved at the taillights, then closed the gate and took out his phone.

He made a phone call to the film's producer, Zhang Yimou.

"Director Zhang, I've seen your new film, and I was deeply moved!"

"That's fantastic! I wish you great box office success."

"You're too kind, let's get together again sometime."

It was just a casual chat, catching up on old times.

"Don't even think about having another chance. Are you free lately?"

"Come to my house for another meal."

"Sigh... let's wait a while," the old strategist said hesitantly.

"There's something I can't say," Zhang Yuan said, seemingly unintentionally revealing the truth. "Is it inappropriate for you to meet me?"

"Haha, no, I've been busy lately."

"That's true, with a new movie being released, I'm definitely busy."

"Let's talk about that later."

Zhang Yimou put down his phone, feeling a little uneasy.

Why should I hide away? Can't I even make friends?

They even called to congratulate us right away, how wonderful!

As for the box office hit the other party mentioned... Zhang Yimou didn't have high hopes.

Because this film is a romance, not a special effects action blockbuster.

Romance films have a relatively low box office ceiling, and their European and American copyrights are not easy to sell, so expectations are not high.

But the cost wasn't high either, unlike "Curse of the Golden Flower" which cost hundreds of millions.

So the profit is still acceptable, but it won't be too much.

So why does Zhang Yimou make romance films?

First of all, he has great artistic ambitions; he wants to film all kinds of subjects and prove himself in everything.

Secondly, the failure of "A Simple Noodle Story" affected his reputation as a "national director," and financing became less convenient than before.

Not only is financing difficult, but even scheduling screenings is impossible.

For the past ten years or so, his films have all been released during the best Lunar New Year season of the year, which complemented each other and resulted in huge box office success.

But this movie is now scheduled for the post-summer season, which is the period after the summer vacation and the start of the school term.

This release window is neither too hot nor too cold. Many people are tired of watching Hollywood blockbusters with special effects during the summer season, so it's nice to have something different.

It's never as good as the Lunar New Year films.

The market is ruthless; a single bad film can lead to utter ruin.

In other words, the fact that Zhang Yimou is well-regarded and that the armor is relatively thick means that the impact is not that significant.

It's not that I'm afraid of bad things happening, it's that I'm afraid of a lack of good people.

Zhang Yimou thought Zhang Yuan was a good person and even called to say hello.

Little did Zhang Yuan know, he immediately called Jia Shikai, who was skilled at fabricating dirt on others.

"Use online trolls to stir things up."

"The content states that the 'National Master's' glory days are over, and it will be difficult to continue the box office miracle."

Is Zhang Yimou still doing well?

Why are box office numbers getting lower and lower?

Zhang Yuan came up with several titles.

"I'll post another one once all of this has become a hot topic."

"Zhang Yimou and Zhang Weiping have fallen out over box office issues; can their collaboration continue?"

"Be discreet, don't let anyone find out it was us."

"Okay... but why should we do this?"

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. Knowing too much isn't good for you," Zhang Yuan replied coldly.

This guy is a professional at using online trolls to attack Black people.

Zhang Yuan wasn't worried and started whistling as he strolled through the garden at night.

The following day, he dealt with many more film crews, directors, and investors who came to him.

As before, most of them were obscure little works, which he wasn't very interested in.

With limited funds and energy, we can't handle it all.

But soon, the big one arrived.

"Hello, are you Mr. Zhang Yuan?"

"It's me, who is it?"

"Hello, my name is Jin Chen, and I am a director."

"We have a project here that we'd like to discuss with you."

"The project, what do you mean?"

"The film had a total investment of over 100 million yuan, and the investors were very generous with the actors' salaries."

“No…” Zhang Yuan rubbed his brow.

"I meant the details of the work."

You keep bringing up money with me, and the more you say that, the more panicked I get.

If all they talk about is money, it means the work isn't very good.

Could it be that some rich guy is planning to patronize his secretary?

This kind of thing happens often, and people often come to him.

However, Zeng Jia now filters out most of these small production crews.

This person was able to find him directly, so it seems they have some connections.

"Oh, details about the work."

"That's right, the historical background of our drama is the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods."

"It tells the story of the struggle between Sun Bin and Pang Juan, as well as his love story with the princess of Wei."

Zhang Yuan: …

He felt a little numb when he heard these things.

Because of the time and budget constraints, this is practically a scene from the Warring States period! (End of Chapter)