Actor: Thank you.

The Jiangnan region is beautiful, and spring comes early.

While it's still snowing in Beijing, Hengdian already has a touch of spring.

Meanwhile, the crew of "Empresses in the Palace," who are currently filming the final few major scenes, are filled with the spirit of spring.

There were dozens of middle-aged women of all kinds.

Zhang Yuan, with the intention of taking a good look at the film set, strode onto the set.

Instead of a seductive spring scene, what I saw was a face that looked utterly dejected.

Teacher Chen Jianbing sat listlessly on a rest chair, with a pair of earmuffs hanging on his head for soundproofing.

The air around me was filled with the chattering and laughter of women.

Zhang Yuan's foot, which was about to step into the film set, froze in mid-air.

You don't even need to get close; from a distance, you can feel your brain about to boil over.

Especially Ada Choi, who played the Empress, with her thick Cantonese-accented Mandarin and hoarse voice, oh my god...

The crucial point is that we can't say anything, because the Empress is pregnant at the moment.

She really went all out, filming while several months pregnant wearing platform shoes.

Women who make it big in the film and television industry generally don't consider themselves human.

Zhang Yuan took a few deep breaths and mentally prepared himself before stepping inside.

"Teacher Chen, thank you for your hard work." He came to Daju's side.

"If your heart isn't bitter, your life will be bitter." Teacher Chen stood up and greeted him with a bitter expression.

"Oh my, our investors are here!"

"Girls, get ready to serve our customers!"

Someone shouted something, and a group of actresses surrounded her.

He squeezed in the middle to give him this greeting.

Zhang Yuan was even teased...

"Hello everyone, let's get to work."

"We were just taking a break when a big star friend of ours came to visit."

"Yes, yes, we should treat everyone to a meal."

"Please have a drink."

Zhang Yuan glanced at Chen Jianbing, and Chen Jianbing looked at him in return.

The two nodded to each other in silence.

I can feel your pain.

After filming this movie, Chen Jianbing went home and probably felt that his wife Jiang Qinqin was mute.

My hearing will drop several levels.

This is so noisy... even more so than the cats swarming in the alley outside his house in the middle of the night in spring.

At this moment, Zhang Yuan thought about how lucky he was to be surrounded by gentle and quiet women, with Yang Mi being the most "mischievous" of them all.

You should treat me to milk tea.

Not only did he treat the entire crew to drinks, but he also bought a bunch of pizzas as snacks.

Mao Xiaotong, Tang Yixin, and Reyizha, these three girls, came over to greet him with drinks and snacks.

A few months after signing the contract, they discovered that their boss didn't insist on sleeping with each of them as rumored.

He didn't even have time to meet with them, so he became bolder.

I was much more relaxed when I spoke, and I even dared to joke with him.

Actually, Zhang Yuan was mainly too busy.

"Hey, congratulations on completing your first major film directed by a renowned director."

"I hope your careers will continue to flourish in the future."

Zhang Yuan took three Chanel handbags he had bought abroad from his assistant and gave them to them as a wrap-up gift.

"Thank you, boss." X3.

The three of them held their bags on their shoulders and gestured in front of them, making many of the young women in their group envious.

Tan Songyun, who had refused his invitation, looked up and wrinkled his nose.

Zhang Yuan didn't feel sorry for anyone; everyone has their own destiny.

If they don't want to come, they don't have to. Business is about mutual consent.

Just like the DJI case, although there were techniques involved in the negotiations, it was still primarily a matter of mutual consent.

He just took advantage of Zhang Yimou's fame. Otherwise, if he had rushed in as an actor, Zhang Yimou, who was an engineering student with a technical background, might not have been willing to pay attention to him or might have had doubts and not want him to join.

Cooperation is only possible when people share the same goals and can communicate effectively.

Tan Songyun was someone you couldn't talk to.

Zhang Yuan also considered it, but the other person's appearance and acting style were actually quite limited, so it was nothing special.

As the saying goes, when one door closes, another opens. Tan Songyun was envious of Mao Xiaotong and the others getting the bags.

Then an even more important person approached him.

"Mr. Zhang?"

"Don't mention it." Zhang Yuan turned around and saw that it was Sun Li calling him.

"Just call me by my name, what's up?"

"Come here, let's talk privately."

I pulled him to a corner, beaming with smiles.

The three girls, who had just received their bags, became gossipy and secretly followed.

"What are you doing here?" The three of them turned around, and Tan Songyun also leaned in.

"You're not from our company."

"Tch!" The girl turned and left.

The remaining three wanted to gossip, but were stopped by the "assistant" one.

"What are you doing?"

"Let's take a look around," Tang Yixing replied with a grin.

"Brother Zhang Yuan is talking business, don't come near." After saying that, he clenched his fist, which made a cracking sound.

Upon seeing this, the three girls turned and ran away; they couldn't afford to mess with them.

The boss also keeps female bodyguards.

They had also heard about Zhao Dandan slapping Yu Zheng, and no one wanted to become a little "Yu Zheng".

In the corner, Sun Li chatted about everyday things for a while.

After saying a few words, Zhang Yuan interrupted.

"It's not that I don't want to chat with you, I've just been a bit busy lately."

"Tell me what it is right away, I have other things to do."

"Hehehe." The empress chuckled.

Sun Li has a very deceptive appearance.

He is very intelligent, with the shrewdness typical of people from Shanghai, but his face and eyebrows are rather "honest," so he doesn't look cunning.

At that moment, she made a "clever" move.

"Do you remember when you suggested that I set up my own studio?"

"I remember, but this is just my suggestion. What you and Brother Chao think is up to you." Zhang Yuan understood immediately, but didn't show excessive enthusiasm.

Because he knew that he had brought this up a long time ago, but the other party had not responded.

Should we respond now?

why?
It's all because of Zhang Yimou!
There are many film and television companies of all sizes in China, but there is only one Zhang Yimou!
After I got the big flag, the other side got really excited.

We can't call someone "cunning" or "opportunistic"; that's called assessing the situation.

Why did the Yellow Turban Army shout slogans like "The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise; in the year of Jiazi, great fortune will come to the world"?

Only by displaying a large banner can we attract people to participate.

The same principle applies to Mengde's "holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords".

Sun Li's words clearly indicate that she wants to get close to him and wants to act in Zhang Yimou's films.

She has always wanted to break into the film industry.

This is also a common problem among actors: they think that movies are the highest level of entertainment.

Even though I'm already a top star in the TV drama or theater industry, I still want to move into the film industry.

Even if it's a supporting role and the pay is low, it doesn't matter.

"So, do you still support us opening our own studio?" Sun Li asked with a smile and raised her eyebrows.

"Of course I support it," Zhang Yuanxian stated his position first.

Because Sun Li is not just Sun Li, binding her is equivalent to binding Deng Chao as well, killing two birds with one stone.

Both of them are capable and have good character.

But he is not the same person he used to be; the situation is different now.

At this time, he not only had two famous directors, Zhang Yimou and Da Naozi, under his wing, but also gained a lot of wealth due to Youku's listing.

In just one year, his strength had become incomparable to what it was before.

With strength comes the ability to speak the truth.

"But I can't guarantee you'll be able to star in a film directed by Zhang Yimou."

Upon hearing this, Sun Li's expression stiffened; the other party had seen through her thoughts.

"I myself would not casually give roles to famous directors."

"When choosing actors for a good production, the most important thing is not fame, but suitability."

He was very polite before, and he's not being impolite now either.

But I'm making it clear upfront that you don't want to blame me if you can't get the part.

"Think about it yourself."

"Let's discuss it with my brother Chao too."

"Yes." The other party nodded slightly in agreement, without saying anything more.

"So when I go back to the capital next week, you should have finished filming here too."

"Come to my house for dinner with Chao and me."

"Okay." The other party agreed without any hesitation.

Seeing this reaction, Zhang Yuan understood that the probability of success was still extremely high.

The fate of the world is in my hands!
In high spirits, he hummed a tune as he returned to the set of "Empresses in the Palace," greeted Zheng Xiaolong, and arranged a dinner.

"Hehe, junior brother, you're here."

As we were chatting, a sweet voice came from behind us.

"Did you come to see me?" Liu Shishi appeared beside him, wearing a traditional Chinese winter outfit with a white fleece scarf, her hands behind her back.

Under his arrangement, "Palace," "Scarlet Heart," and "Empresses in the Palace" shared the same film set, so the crews of the three productions often ran into each other.

"Yes, of course I came to see you."

"I'm in a hurry to leave, but I came to see you just in time to check on you and see how you are." "You seem to be doing well."

The other person circled around in front of him.

"Are you leaving today?" The little lion asked, frowning, after stopping.

"Yes, I'll be leaving after dinner." Zhang Yuan told a little lie; he would actually be staying overnight, but he had other things to do.

"Ugh..." she whimpered in dissatisfaction, "I have a night shoot tonight."

"Why don't you tell the director to switch places? I'll go with you."

"No, I can't let personal matters affect my work."

"Just focus on filming," Zhang Yuan said, then repeated meaningfully, "Focus on filming."

"Do less of what you do."

"Immerse myself wholeheartedly in the works and the characters."

"But don't get too involved; you need to distinguish between the play and reality."

"Stop talking, my head is all muddled." Liu Shishi hugged her already not-so-bright head.

I need to get into character, but not too much. So, should I get into character or not?

Zhang Yuan sighed silently.

"Remember to think of me often, and call me when you have time."

"I'll come to see you when the film is almost finished."

"Okay, I'm looking forward to it."

"But it'll be a long wait," she pouted, dissatisfied.

"I'll bring you a limited edition bag then."

"I want you."

"Don't you want a bag?"

"Also..."

As before, he asked the other party to provide him with a list, and he would ask someone else to buy it for him.

After this brief reunion, before they could even rest, a staff member from Hengdian World Studios arrived.

"Mr. Zhang, you've arrived."

The other party's representative was the company's vice president.

After chatting for a while, Zhang Yuan understood the other party's general meaning.

It was the same thing that someone had mentioned to him before.

That is, an investment of hundreds of millions.

People are hoping that Zhang Yimou's new film can be filmed in Hengdian.

The filming location had already been agreed upon and couldn't be changed easily, so he could only apologize.

As for investing...

He didn't refuse; he said he could consider it.

But the amount was so large that he couldn't possibly consume it all by himself.

We need to have a meeting with those Hong Kong business owners to discuss this.

It would be best to bring in a few more companies to do it together, with everyone contributing money and effort.

Because most projects don't have the profitability of "Empresses in the Palace," it's a top-tier anomaly.

"It's alright, you can take your time to think it over. We can keep in touch." The other person wasn't in a hurry either.

Zhang Yuan could sense the Xu family's control.

I've only been here a short time, yet the other party not only knows about me but also pinpoints my location and comes knocking on my door. It's clear that they have spies everywhere.

It's fair to say that their family has infiltrated every aspect of the city.

In ancient times, such a family would surely have been known as "Xu the Half-City".

With such power and capability, cooperation is worth considering.

As Zhang Yuan walked, he thought, "If this doesn't work, I'll ask Xiao Ma and the others to have a meal together and work on it together."

Both of these companies need to use filming locations.

As he was thinking, his assistant handed him his phone; there was an incoming call.

Just as Zhang Yuan was about to take it, he saw Zhao Dandan's disdainful expression.

"what happened?"

"Traitor." The other party used the simplest and most accurate words to describe the caller.

Zhang Yuan took the call and saw that it was from Yao Cheng.

Zhao Dandan, with her impetuous nature, despised this kind of person.

Unfortunately, there are quite a few people like this in the industry.

“Traitors are human too,” Zhang Yuan replied with a smile.

"Hey."

"Hello, Mr. Zhang."

You know what, even though he's a traitor, he's quite eloquent, unlike others.

You won't even call me General Manager Zhang...

"Hello." Zhang Yuan's attitude was indifferent, unlike when he was facing Mao Xiaotong and her friends or Sun Li.

The coldness was very obvious; the other party would definitely notice.

But Big Mouth Sister didn't take it seriously at all, and her tone remained incredibly enthusiastic.

"I want to thank you."

"The movie version of 'My Own Swordsman' was very successful, and it grossed more than 200 million yuan at the box office."

"Without your help and support, I wouldn't be able to appear in this show, or even play the role of Guo Furong in the first place."

Because he poached the talented actress "Cui Ping," Yao Dazui is now relying entirely on the "Guo Furong" IP to stay afloat.

The other party was sincere and spoke very concisely.

"So I'd like to invite you to dinner alone to express my gratitude."

"Oh, I see." Zhang Yuan nodded, without answering whether he would go or not, but went straight to the point.

"When does your contract with Huayi expire?"

"Uh..." The other person's throat seemed to be stuck.

Just like Sun Li before her, he saw through her little schemes.

However, Sun Li and he had a good relationship, so neither of them cared, but this person was different.

"I'm asking you something."

"Asking a question and not answering it is very impolite," Zhang Yuan said bluntly.

"the end of this year."

Humph.

He snorted inwardly.

He had previously signed a five-year contract with the other party in early 06.

But after only a year, he "rebelled".

He also signed a five-year contract with Huayi.

So he quickly figured out that her contract would expire at the end of this year.

The expiration of the contract with Huayi means two things.

Firstly, she needs to find another job.

Secondly, she will lose Huayi as a protective shell.

Are you coming to find me now?
You want to treat me to a meal?
The car knows to turn when it's about to hit a wall.

The snot was already in its mouth when it was shaken off.

Even after the child dies, milk still comes.

The contract expired, and they finally came to talk to me.

Wow, how come you're so "clever"?

She's much "smarter" than Sun Li.

If everyone in the entertainment industry were as "smart" as you, our line of work would be so much easier.

It's over, it's not easy to survive anymore.

Zhang Yuan's tone was serious, with a metallic sound like striking cast iron.

"I have something I need to tell you."

“I made you act in the movie version of ‘My Own Swordsman’ and even negotiated some conditions with Hua Yi for it, paying a small price.”

"It's not because of personal feelings, but purely for the sake of the work and to meet the audience's expectations for the original cast."

"This is my response to the audience, and I hope they are happy."

"This has nothing to do with you. Whether it's you or not, I'll still do it."

He wanted to tell the other party that this was not a sign of reconciliation, and that they shouldn't get the wrong idea.

"I know you're very professional; I made a mistake before."

"After these years of study, I have made progress and realized my mistakes."

"I hope you can give me a chance. I want to apologize in person," Yao Dazui said, showing no embarrassment whatsoever.

"It seems you still have some misunderstandings about me." Zhang Yuan smiled at her, a rare occurrence for him.

Have you seen Stephen Chow's "The God of Cookery"?

"Seen."

"Watch it again, especially the part where the main character is at Shaolin Temple."

"Let's talk after we've finished watching."

After saying that, Zhang Yuan hung up the phone.

Yao Cheng found it all baffling. Watching a movie?

But I didn't dare to be careless, so I quickly found my computer and searched for videos.

Zhang Yuan told her to watch the Shaolin Temple segment, so she skipped the earlier parts and skipped directly to that part.

"You're finished this time, the abbot is so petty!"

Snapped!
The novice monk who spoke strange words was killed with a single blow.

"I hate it most when people talk badly about me behind my back."

……

"Hey, ha!"

"The Eighteen Bronze Men of Shaolin Temple!"

Eighteen men, their bodies covered in gold powder, bald heads, baring their teeth and brandishing their claws, with the leader shouting out their lines.

"You have offended the abbot and still want to leave?"

"It's not that easy!" (End of Chapter)