Actor: Thank you.

In the latter half of the dinner, director Zhang Meng drank quite a bit.

Looking at a beautiful woman under the lamplight makes her more and more attractive.

Unfortunately, the beauty is no longer allowed to be chatted with, let alone even looked at.

After all, Ning Hao had already said that she was his "sister-in-law".

I can't possibly love my sister-in-law, can I?

But this was only Ning Hao's understanding; he was unaware of what had happened between Zhang Yuan and Li Xiaoran.

It still has a big head, because the background of "The Golden Robbery" is set in a fictional place in Manchukuo.

The story is primarily based on three locations: Harbin, Changchun (the actual capital of the puppet state of Manchukuo), and Shenyang (the stronghold of Zhang Zuolin, the warlord of Northeast China).

These are the three most developed cities in Northeast China during the Republic of China period.

They happen to be located in the three provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning.

So he had a long chat with director Zhang Meng, who was "from" the black soil of Northeast China, and asked him to help him correct the errors in the setting and story scenes.

Making a new friend improved Zhang Meng's mood somewhat.

Otherwise, he would have already started spouting nonsense in his mind like "women only care about looks" and "being handsome is nothing special."

Zhang Yuan, on the other hand, had a pleasant conversation with Qin Hailu and Teacher Wang, among others.

He didn't talk much to Li Xiaoran, who was staring at him expectantly.

"boss."

As the meal progressed, everyone started to become drowsy, smoking and chatting instead of eating. At that moment, Brother Long ran up to him and whispered something in his ear.

"what happened?"

It has a tail.

Are you from over there?

"Ah."

The two exchanged a few words and understood each other perfectly.

People from Fengxing Studio, including Zhuo Wei's group, appeared nearby and were watching them.

"Is it a direct descendant or an outsider?"

"Direct relatives".

"I understand. Tell me roughly what to wear, then keep an eye on me from the shadows and pretend you don't know anything."

After Zhang Yuan finished speaking, he gently waved his hand, signaling Brother Long to continue working.

Zhuo Wei is formidable, but he's not someone to be trifled with either.

The security company has a large workforce.

Zhang Yuan leveraged his strengths: he had a large workforce and plenty of money.

Paparazzi can target me, but I can't target them?

It's hard to avoid paparazzi because I'm in the open while the enemy is in the shadows.

With so many paparazzi around, you can only defend yourself with a shield, which puts you in a very passive position.

But now he's having Brother Long find some capable brothers to keep an eye on Fengxing Studio instead.

Zhuo Wei's weakness is that he hasn't made a fortune yet, and his company has fewer than 10 people in total.

I'll find twenty or thirty people to work in three shifts, one-on-one monitoring.

Forget Jokic, Curry, James, and even Jordan, I could defend him.

If you keep an eye on me, I'll find someone else to keep an eye on you.

I made you think you were in the shadows while I was in the light, but in reality, I anticipated your predictions.

It's just a little money.

Alipay!

Zhuo Wei and her group of friends should know exactly which takeout restaurant they order every day.

Not to mention business trips or work.

He knew all the addresses perfectly.

Zhang Yuan is a public figure, and Zhuo Wei's studio address is also publicly available.

He has now gathered information on more than 35 people, and he knows about many of his regular informants.

Among them are hotel receptionists, airport ground staff, beauty salon employees, and security guards in upscale residential areas—people who may seem inconspicuous but often come into contact with celebrities, especially those who can spot their whereabouts.

That makes sense. Without an inside accomplice, where would paparazzi get information like hotel check-in records and flight itineraries?
Even if the paparazzi expose this information, the hotels and airports, knowing there's a mole among their staff, will pretend not to know and refuse to admit it in order to shirk responsibility, thus creating a dead end.

I can't possibly buy houses in every major city in the country and then buy a private jet just for this... but it doesn't seem impossible.

He guessed that someone like Zhuo Wei would take his attitude as "confrontation," and would not only not back down, but would also find it interesting and challenging.

Sure enough, someone came.

It's just that it wasn't him, which is a bit disappointing.

After all, the first time they met, he personally ganked them from the bushes, so they probably wouldn't dare to break through alone.

However, they still sent one of the few people in the studio to keep a close watch on the situation.

Zhang Yuan thought to himself, "I have indeed been keeping a clean record lately, so the other party probably won't be able to get any substantial footage."

But then his gaze fell on his teacher, who was always smiling and looking at him with his chin resting on his hand.

It's white, really white.

Because of her fair skin, the shadows in the creases appeared even deeper and darker.

As the saying goes, a good horse doesn't eat the grass it has already grazed.

But then again, I am a human, not a horse.

What a coincidence, it's been so long since we last met.

Rather than...

Zhang Yuan squinted, seemingly lost in thought.

The dinner party ended not long after.

I can't stay up late; I have to work tomorrow.

He told the director and fellow actors to go back to the hotel first, while he and Ning Hao would take a walk to clear their heads and relax after having a few drinks.

Knowing they must have something to say, I didn't stop them and they all went their separate ways.

After he and Ning Hao went out, Li Xiaoran put on her coat, shivered slightly from the northwest wind, hugged her shoulders, and then naturally followed.

"Aren't you...cold?"

"It's alright, it's a little hard to get used to, but the snow scenery in Northeast China is quite nice," Da Bai replied casually.

Ning Hao glanced at him, and Zhang Yuan shook his head, indicating that it was alright.

The three of them lined up in a row, but kept a little distance between them, and wandered the streets of Northeast China at night.

"Beep beep..." Zhang Yuan heard his phone ring, took it out to look at it, and then sent a message to reply.

He pricked up his ears, turned his head to talk to Ning Hao, and glanced at the shadow of a building next to a utility pole not far away.

Even with his excellent eyesight and hearing, he had to concentrate to spot the middle-aged man in a dark wool coat hiding over there.

Professional!
Do not wear down jackets or mink coats.

Because these materials are reflective.

He pretended not to see it and continued walking and talking.

"Haozi, I've already spoken to the Hong Kong guys about your matter."

"Specific details..." Zhang Yuan was about to speak when Ning Hao gave him a wink.

He gestured for Li Xiaoran to be present, asking if he could speak.

"It doesn't matter, we are all family."

After he finished speaking, Big White smiled, clearly pleased to hear it.

It was just a nice remark; he wouldn't say anything that couldn't be revealed.

“I’ve mentioned to you before that I want you to join the cross-strait film industry and sign a long-term contract.”

"You can choose to work as an individual, or start your own company, or work as a studio."

"We will sign several film contracts, with a certain number of years between them."

"After what happened with 'No Man's Land,' you should understand that in today's market, no company will sign a simple cooperation agreement."

"There will be performance requirements."

"And it won't be too low," Zhang Yuan said honestly.

"I understand." Big Head also understood that times had changed; it was no longer the era of cooperating with local bosses or having film studios fund things.

Back then, if we lost money, we lost money; at worst, we'd get scolded or even beaten.

Things are different now. You have to sign a contract of servitude. If you don't meet the standards, you not only won't get any money, but you'll also have to pay compensation.

“There will definitely be pressure,” Zhang Yuan continued.

"But you know I won't treat you unfairly." "So I proposed to the other shareholders that you be given the opportunity to purchase a portion of the shares in Cross-Strait Films as a reward for joining the company."

"Oh!" Big Head perked up as soon as he heard that.

This is the same approach Hua Yi uses to deal with Feng Xiaogang!

Director Feng is now the richest director in mainland China, almost without exception.

They relied on the benefits of Huayi's listing on the stock exchange.

Although the shares are still under protection and cannot be cashed out, their paper value is already several hundred million.

If cross-strait film companies can go public, I can hold shares and become the next Feng Xiaogang.

The question is whether it can be listed on the stock exchange.

Without thinking too much, he chose to believe Zhang Yuan!

He can probably accomplish anything he sets his mind to.

And to this day, he still keeps his word.

Just like at the press conference for "Let the Bullets Fly" a while ago, I said I would outperform Director Feng, and I did.

At the time, people in the industry thought he was making grand pronouncements, but he delivered on his promises.

Now, he's not only overshadowing Director Feng, but his peers have also seen it clearly. His "Ip Man 2" was sandwiched between two films by Director Feng and Director Chen, yet it didn't lose out at all.

It remains to be seen whether he was surrounded by two renowned directors or surrounded by two directors by himself.

I went out for a walk and found that drinking soup was still the most comfortable thing to do.

This is called word of mouth.

“I’ve already spoken to the Hong Kongers about these things, and they’re not too happy about it,” Zhang Yuan stated frankly.

"Whether they like it or not, I'm going to do it."

“If we do everything according to their wishes, we’ll just be wasting our lives.” Zhang Yuan spoke his mind frankly, not caring at all that Li Xiaoran might hear him.

I would say that even in front of these Hong Kongers.

disagree?
Let's put our people to the test. If your people can earn more money than me, then I'll follow your methods.

"It's okay, I don't miss them."

"I'm only thinking of your kindness." Ning Hao shook his head.

"Speak the truth."

"If it weren't for you, I might not have come to this company."

Zhang Yuan smiled and nodded.

No matter what industry you're in, the higher you climb, the more important personal relationships become.

The Western culture of recommendation letters and the Eastern culture of "recommending filial and incorrupt officials" are essentially the same.

Besides, his original plan was to tie himself to Ning Hao, and he was just "lending" the name of the film company to both sides of the strait in order to increase the company's capital.

The lighthouse said that Qian Xuesen was worth five divisions.

Because the U.S. Army only has ten divisions in total.

As it turns out, the lighthouse underestimated the old money.

Ten aircraft carrier battle groups bundled together are not worth as much as a fortune!

This is the value of a person: it cannot be calculated, but it can be estimated.

The same applies to film and television companies; associating with famous directors can greatly increase the company's visibility and value in the eyes of investors.

Hua Yi has contradictions with herself, but enemies are often the most worthy of learning.

We must not let hatred and complaints blind us; we must see the good in others.

"Anyway, as long as you're willing to come, consider these as a first birthday gift for your son, Shitou," Zhang Yuan added.

Ning Hao felt a lump in his throat when he heard him mention his son.

I remembered the pure gold orchid that I had given myself before.

When you're out and about, you still have to rely on your buddies.

[Received thanks from Ning Hao, script understanding +1, screenwriting skills +1!]

"Ahem, well, you drank quite a bit today, are you feeling dizzy now?" Zhang Yuan asked with concern.

"I'm not dizzy, you know my alcohol tolerance." Big Head patted his chest confidently.

"Aren't you dizzy?"

"Not dizzy."

"This can make you dizzy."

Ning Hao: ...

He glanced at Li Xiaoran on the other side.

Why didn't you say so sooner? If you had told me earlier, I would have known.

"I'm dizzy, I'm going back." He said, turning around and leaving the handsome man and beautiful woman behind.

As soon as Ning Hao left, Li Xiaoran immediately stepped forward, shortening the distance between them.

"Are you dizzy?" Zhang Yuan looked at him expressionlessly, while turning back to wave goodbye to Ning Hao, actually observing the "tail" in the distance.

"I was smitten the moment I saw you," Teacher Da Bai said flirtatiously.

As he spoke, his eyes narrowed slightly and his mouth opened slightly.

Given her appearance, tone, and content, even a young virgin would have confessed on the spot, both physically and mentally.

Male college students can't last a single round against Baymax; they can't even hold their breath for more than three minutes, no matter how hard they try.

Zhang Yuan slowed down to let the "tail" get closer.

"If you feel dizzy, you should go back to the capital to rest after filming, instead of coming to this colder place."

Big White gritted its teeth, suppressing its dissatisfaction.

"Why did I work so hard, taking a plane and then a car to get here after finishing my work? Don't you understand?"

Anshan has an airport, which later became Teng'ao Airport.

A soaring turtle... This airport name is interesting enough.

Anshan Airport was originally a military airport, but civil aviation was opened at the end of 09.

But civil aviation has been suspended since last month.

After that, civil aviation services became intermittent, sometimes available and sometimes not, and remained in this state for a long time.

Aside from the incomplete civilian facilities that need to be upgraded, there are many military facilities and research institutes in Northeast China.

For example, the well-known Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.

Therefore, this entire area is frequently occupied with missions, and thus its operations are intermittently suspended to make way for military missions.

Anshan also has the giant Ansteel, which produces more than just civilian materials.

So when Da Bai said that turning from an airplane into a car is very tiring, he wasn't just making it up.

"How have you been lately? Aren't you in a relationship?" Zhang Yuan asked.

"You're asking a question you already know the answer to." Da Bai brushed a strand of long hair from his temple. "We broke up."

"Because of what?"

"We're not getting along, plus... things aren't going well," she said, pursing her lips.

"It's not that he's not very good, it's that he's perfectly normal."

"But you're not normal."

Zhang Yuan: …

"It's not abnormal, it's exceptionally good."

"Of course, this is just your smallest advantage, no, your largest advantage, no, it's just one of your strengths."

Zhang Yuan raised his hand to stop her from saying anything more.

What she meant was something like, "After getting used to Jiangxi-style spicy stir-fry, Guangdong-style spicy stir-fry just doesn't taste right."

After it was expanded into a two-way 16-lane road, the Chery QQ felt strangely empty when driving through it.

Are you mistaking me for a black man?
"I miss you so much." Li Xiaoran breathed out white puffs of air and bit her lip. "Not just in that way."

"And emotionally as well."

“Yes,” Zhang Yuan agreed with her.

“Do you remember how we met? It was because of that incident in the underground parking garage of the Imperial Capital VIP Hotel that year…” Zhang Yuan raised his voice slightly.

So that people in the distance can hear it more clearly.

You're not trying to stalk me, investigate me, dig into my private life, or find out anything about me.

come on.

No need to dig, I'll "tell you".

Go investigate... (End of Chapter)