Actor: Thank you.

"You want to...act?" Qin Hailu's expression was hard to describe after hearing his words.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Zhang Yuan spread his hands and laughed easily, "Can't I bring my own investment to join the crew?"

"Who talks about themselves like that?" Qin Hailu waved his hand with a smile.

"Stop making excuses."

“You’re not my employee, we’re friends, and you’re the female lead chosen by the director.”

"If you have any ideas, just say them." Zhang Yuan gestured to her, indicating, "Please begin your performance."

"I heard that you only act in commercial films?"

“Wrong,” Zhang Yuan replied immediately. “I’ve also acted in films that aren’t commercial movies.”

"The Piano in a Factory" can be broadly categorized as an art film, but it's not quite that artistic; it leans more towards a narrative film.

Because Zhang Meng was Zhao Benshan's screenwriter, he incorporated a lot of his own Northeastern humor into the film.

It's not the kind of humor found in comedies; it's more like the humor of Northeast China—the kind that's serious yet unserious.

The whole show is very down-to-earth, from the characters to the story.

This is also what Qin Hailu is worried about.

He thought Zhang Yuan's appearance was too fashionable.

The build is suitable; people from Northeast China are generally taller, averaging about ten centimeters taller than those from coastal areas like Fujian.

Therefore, girls from Northeast China are not popular abroad. Foreigners, especially white people, prefer girls who are ugly, thin, yellow, and short.

Girls from Northeast China are generally tall and fair-skinned.

Less sunlight results in fairer skin, and tall stature is a common characteristic of all races in cold regions, including Scandinavians.

Women in Denmark, Iceland, and other places are generally over 1.8 meters tall, with legs as long as sticks.

Zhang Yuan is tall enough, but he's not from Northeast China, and Qin Hailu is worried that he won't be able to portray the character with the right feel.

What does it taste like?

First of all, the male lead in this script is a middle-aged man in his thirties who is a bit slovenly.

The main storyline revolves around building a musical instrument, the reason being to fight his ex-wife for custody of their daughter.

His daughter needs to practice piano, but he can't afford to buy one.

Even if you manage to make a piano, you still won't be able to get your daughter back.

Zhang Meng used this point to metaphorically describe the current situation in Northeast China.

Some things cannot be regained by the working class through hard work alone.

Industry requires a lot of infrastructure, but Northeast China has a huge drawback: its climate!
Zhang Yuan knew this all too well; nearly half of the region in Northeast China is unable to carry out construction for at least three months every year.

Construction can be suspended for four to five months in extreme areas.

How can you build houses and carry out infrastructure construction when the temperature is tens of degrees below zero?

Even the construction approach is different from that in the south.

Southern architecture emphasizes heat insulation, while Northeastern architecture emphasizes heat preservation.

Construction could only proceed during spring, summer, and part of autumn, unlike in the south, which greatly hampered the modernization process in Northeast China.

In addition, there are very few ice-free ports, and maritime transport in most areas is forced to stop during the winter.

Therefore, during the development of the Third Front construction, a large amount of industrial base was transferred to the south.

With this, the industrial era in Northeast China began to decline.

Originally, a factory was a city in itself.

The hospital, school, canteen, elderly care facilities, and all aspects of daily life were provided by the factory.

People in Northeast China used to live carefree lives, enjoying the simplest forms of labor and happiness.

Now, this joy is shrouded in a gloomy sense of despondency.

These events have shaped the character of the people of Northeast China today: warm, humorous, but this humor is tinged with bitterness and helplessness.

Roasted chicken frame, a famous snack in Northeast China, is a dish that people who really love eating chicken frames love to suck on the bones but don't like to eat the meat.

Northern Europe, with a climate similar to that of Northeast China, has the highest rates of depression and suicide in the world, and the entire population is withdrawn.

But the people of Northeast China have displayed a unique kind of everyday humor.

Life is already this bad, if I don't try to cheer myself up and have some fun, I really can't go on.

This kind of attitude, which is both dejected and humorous, and cynical, is not easy for people who are not from Northeast China to grasp.

It's true that it's hard to find someone with that kind of charisma.

“I can portray this character well.” Zhang Yuan looked into the other person’s dark brown eyes for a long time before speaking slowly.

"I am not an idol artist."

"Therefore, I also need some works to constantly remind others of this."

"As for whether I make money or not, I don't care," Zhang Yuan said quite frankly.

This film wasn't made with the intention of making money.

The box office was a complete disaster in its previous life!
Many people attribute this to its release at the same time as "Transformers 3".

Actually it is not.

Even with the best release date, the box office performance might not be that good.

But just like any sect needs both face and substance.

I've already made enough films that make me money, so it's not a big problem for me to occasionally make a less profitable one.

Moreover, there are several types of movies that don't make money. After a commercially bad movie is released, it does lower one's value.

Even if such artistic works don't do well at the box office, it won't affect the commercial value of the lead actors.

Winning awards can enhance one's value and industry standing.

When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when people are well-fed and clothed, they think of lust... That's roughly the idea.

He's not that short of money now; he should focus on creating works that can enhance the depth of his career.

He believed that "The Piano in a Factory" was a good opportunity.

After all, I'm currently lacking in awards, so I need to look for opportunities.

"Here, take this." Zhang Yuan took out a CD and handed it to the other person.

"This is a movie I acted in before, 'Shanghai Dreams'."

"This movie was the first time I walked the red carpet abroad."

"He played a young, reserved worker in the film."

"Although my personality is very different from the male lead in the new drama, our professions are similar."

"You can show it to the director and then consider my idea."

Since the other party has already sold their house, they certainly wouldn't want an unsuitable person to "pollute" their work.

They're not like royalty; they'll do anything for money.

"Qinghong...it was very influential, Gao Yuanyuan starred in it, right?"

"Correct."

"You're filming this movie with the two of them?" Qin Hailu asked with a sidelong glance and a smile.

Zhang Yuan realized that this person was just a gossip.

"Let's not bring up the past." Zhang Yuan didn't admit it, but that was tantamount to an admission.

"You're pretty impressive... Just so you know, don't fall for me." Qin Hailu said with a sly smile.

Because in "The Piano in a Factory", the male and female protagonists are lovers.

Zhang Yuan: …

The other person smiled and left, while he flipped through his notebook and began to ponder the character.

With me involved, this film might make more money.

The schedule has to be arranged so as not to affect the filming of "Qian Xuesen".

Fortunately, "The Piano in a Factory" had a low budget and a short filming period.

These kinds of art films can usually be completed in one or two months, so they don't take much time.

Shortly after, a rapid phone call interrupted his train of thought.

"Tudou.com is in complete chaos!"

Gu Yongqiang's extremely excited voice came through the loudspeaker.

"Calm down, Mr. Gu, calm down."

“We’re shareholders of a listed company, we need to be elegant,” Zhang Yuan advised, not answering directly but jokingly.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Even the usually reserved and gentle Boss Gu couldn't hide his excitement at this moment and burst into carefree laughter.

He was as happy as a child weighing about 200 pounds.

Others may not understand, but doesn't he?

Compared to Tudou.com, Youku's only weakness is its several-month cycle.

But with his ex-wife filing a lawsuit and freezing his assets, is this really a big deal after just a few months?
Although an out-of-court settlement can be reached, the process can be completed quickly.

But even that would take up to a month.

Moreover, the other side came with great force. Just like what Hu Qian said when he saw Zhang Mazi in "Let the Bullets Fly".

"This can't be settled with a 20/80 split!"

Yang Lei is the same; the way he puts himself in tells you that this is not something that can be settled for a few million!
In the end, they lost $700 million in cash alone.

Ten years ago, $7 million could buy an old villa in downtown Shanghai.

Gu Yongqiang was overjoyed.

He was so excited upon hearing the news that his hands trembled.

Victory is a foregone conclusion!

Youku already has an advantage in terms of technology and user numbers. If it goes public earlier than its competitors, that advantage will be amplified even further!
By leveraging this advantage through financial leverage, it won't be long before we crush this old rival.

In his eyes, Zhang Yuan had been holding back for so long and had finally come up with a killer move.

Not only did it not disappoint him, it even surprised him.

The other party refused to tell at the time, and I couldn't guess it either, but now it seems perfectly reasonable.

Who could have imagined such powerful off-field factors?

In fact, Zhang Yuan did nothing; he simply watched the torrent of cause and effect surge forward without getting a single drop on it.

But in the other party's eyes, this must have been arranged by him!

It must be kept secret... Yes, it must be kept secret.

Gu Yongqiang thought about it and realized it made sense.

If it were leaked, Potato would have been prepared in advance, and the matter would have been resolved.

The other party will definitely be able to come up with a solution.

Even if Wang Wei can't handle it, those resourceful shareholders will find a way to resolve it.

In fact, Yang Lei has a huge advantage over ordinary people.

That is, she is a public figure and a host on Shanghai TV.

Her work provided her with a protective layer.

Furthermore, since this matter is being handled publicly and in a very high-profile manner, it's even more unacceptable to harm her.

"I'll book a table, let's have a drink," Boss Gu invited.

“Mr. Gu, I think we should forget about it.” Zhang Yuan declined the other party’s offer: “Let’s keep a low profile for now.”

"Stay calm until the goal is achieved."

"I've fulfilled my promise; now it's your turn."

"Good!" Gu Yongqiang thought to himself, "It's good to be mature and play it safe."

To avoid getting into trouble.

"Don't worry, I will keep my promise. I'll let you know when I have good news."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Yuan hummed a tune from the neighborhood.

The Youku Tudou incident proves a point once again.

Stay calm and focus on doing your job well, no matter what.

Because your partner might accidentally ruin their own life someday.

The winner is not necessarily the strongest; often, it's simply the one who survives to the end.

Just like what Mr. Guo said, a bunch of crosstalk performers are cursing each other, and the one who survives to the end is the veteran artist.

Sima Yi's ability to control the overall situation was largely due to his long life.

Outlast all the talented people, and even if you're only average, you can still become king.

Speaking of Sima Yi... Zhang Yuan's mind stirred.

Shouldn't we reverse the liquidation?
He decided to create some public pressure on the Wang brothers!
First, he invited his old friends from the Beijing music scene to his house to watch "Ip Man 2".

Incidentally, the topic of Hua Yi's previous attempt to seize the music copyright for "Old Boys" came up.

These people all know that this song is now a hit all over China.

Zhang Yuan even specially invited the Chopsticks Brothers over.

Unlike last time, when he was indifferent, he is now kind and gentle, though not exactly unworthy of her attention.

Although the two brothers are not mainstream, they are popular enough!

Moreover, it's a cover song, not an original folk song like Dao Lang's. There is some conflict with them, but not that much.

"What did I say last time?"

"Once you become famous, you'll be surrounded by good people." Zhang Yuan patted the two brothers on the shoulder.

Wang Taili and Xiao Yang also clearly noticed this.

The speed at which these people changed their tune caught them off guard.

I admire Zhang Yuan even more now. The fact that he was able to bring all these people together shows that he is stronger than them.

The main purpose was not to let these two brothers experience the treatment of becoming famous.

He wanted to use these people to pass on a message.

Soon, news spread throughout the music industry that Hua Yi had tried to seize the copyright of "Old Boys".

Let them fight it out; the winner takes all.

But you haven't managed to grab it yet!

To rob is bad, to fail to rob is stupid.

Hua Yi was labeled as both stupid and wicked.

"Giggle cluck..."

Wang Wei was sued by his ex-wife, but Zhang Yuan was not happy.

He was overjoyed to see the news spread like wildfire within the industry.

It's true that doing bad things is the most fun.

"Why are you laughing like a villain?"

Cheng Hao pointed to his eyebrows and said, "I'll bring him tickets to the play so he can go see my performance."

"What kind of talk is that!"

"Can't I be happy?"

"Okay, okay, what are you so happy about?"

"Tell me about it so I can have a laugh too." She swayed her hips and sat down next to him.

"Do you believe in karma?"

"I don't believe it," the older sister shook her head.

She has seen too many people who are clearly immoral but still manage to thrive.

"It's alright, I'll make people believe it."

"People will believe it even if they don't want to."

Because he immediately pinned the blame for the interruption of potato sales on Hua Yi!
"They took the shares from me but broke their promise and betrayed their trust."

"Look, God's retribution has come!"

"Even if you steal it, you won't need it!"

What were the consequences for Sima Yi breaking the oath made at the Luo River?
The descendants of the Sima family became insane, mentally unstable, and prone to fighting amongst themselves.

The Jin Dynasty was established in 266, and the War of the Eight Princes broke out in 290.

Sima Zhao: Twenty years ago, I assassinated Cao Mao in the street, and the Chinese nation was thus unified.

Wherever I go, the people welcome me with all their heart; I truly have the advantage of perfect timing.

That vibrant, flourishing scene is still vivid in my mind. How could it have become the burial ground of my Sima family in just twenty years?
Chinese history has repeatedly proven that a nation that is not founded righteously will inevitably suffer a backlash.

The Sima family suffered a terrible fate for breaking their oath at the Luo River; they were almost wiped out.

Zhang Yuan already knew that the entertainment industry, especially the film and television industry, was a rather superstitious circle, especially after adopting some customs from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Sima Yi has already suffered retribution, do you think you, Sima Yi, can escape it?
Zhang Yuan planned to invite many friends over for drinks to spread the word about retribution!
"Don't be too mean," Cheng Hao said, nudging his arm after hearing this.

"Isn't this retribution?"

"Yeah, I'm starting to believe it myself..." the older sister chuckled sheepishly.

"Whether you believe it or not is not really important," Zhang Yuan said, stroking her long hair to soothe her.

"The important thing is that the entire Tudou.com is now in complete chaos."

Everyone was furious.

"At this moment, I've put someone out there to be the scapegoat. What would everyone do?"

Even if you don't believe it, you'll pretend to believe it!
At least find someone to take responsibility. Even if they don't, it's good to vent your anger!
Moreover, many big bosses are even more superstitious than those in the entertainment industry.

Moreover, this is a series of schemes, and those who betray their promises will be punished, which aligns with everyone's values.

"Take this opportunity to undermine your competitors' industry reputation and thus damage their position."

"I think I understand." Cheng Hao blinked after thinking for a moment.

"No, you don't fully understand."

"Simply giving them digs in the dirt isn't enough!" (End of Chapter)