Actor: Thank you.

Chapter 972 Two Tigers Fighting
After returning home from that noisy annual party, Zhang Yuan spent a few quiet days.

Just stay at home quietly, and when you have time, go to the courtyard to chat with Mr. Yuan and visit him.

I've been resting at home and drinking tea, and I finally have time to carefully read the scripts for "Bodyguards and Assassins" that I just received, as well as the script for "The Message" from Huayi Brothers.

Careful study of the works is also a fundamental skill for an actor.

He looked at the script and found it interesting.

In previous years, most of the films he acted in were period dramas.

These years, however, have become the subject matter and content of the period from the late Qing Dynasty to the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The trends in the film and television industry are changing.

In fact, a little research will reveal that the changes in film and television that mainland China is currently experiencing are the same ones that Hong Kong went through back then.

From the earliest period dramas and kung fu films to later works with modern themes.

If it were set in Hong Kong, it would be used to film early Hong Kong British government events, including famous works like the biography of Lui Lok.

Then came a surge of comedies and family-friendly works, which dominated the top market share.

Then... things started to go downhill.

This is Hong Kong.

Fortunately, animation and science fiction later became two more avenues for development in mainland China, but they were still very difficult.

The roads are all similar; the key is how you choose to walk them.

Every era has its share of people who complain about the "bad environment" or criticize the audience.

However, neither pirated DVDs, video games, nor short videos are the main reasons for the poor state of the film and television industry.

Why is it bad? Don't you people sitting on the stage talking so eloquently and confidently have any idea?

If they don't even know how much a box of eggs costs or how much a pound of rice costs, it's a miracle if the audience likes what they produce.

Therefore, he understood that following Huayi's model was not a viable path.

In particular, the Wang brothers started a "splurging" mode after the company went public, making a series of reckless investments.

Since money comes easily, they can follow others and invest hundreds of millions in emerging internet companies.

But you're not in their circle. They simply can't get in touch with the truly high-quality entrepreneurs and companies.

"Make good external investments to complement the film and television industry."

This is the path Zhang Yuan intends to take.

They make money solely by producing and filming movies and then selling them at the box office.

In the end, you'll find that making money through movies with Alvin Chau is still faster.

Then he was struck by lightning...

Movies can only be one part of the play, and even an important part, but not the whole thing.

The Lunar New Year is just a few weeks away, and everyone is busy.

Cheng Hao graduated smoothly from the Central Academy of Drama with a master's degree.

The next question is whether she plans to pursue further studies, stay at the university to find a job in administration, or continue working on the front lines while gradually moving behind the scenes.

There are many paths; it depends on what you want.

Shu Chang went to various places to help him check his accounts.

It all depends on how much money she can help me collect.

I wanted to invite Brother Qian to dinner, but before the Lunar New Year he was also on tour with Teacher Guo, with a full schedule of commercial performances.

It's estimated that Brother Qian will earn back several hundred yuan in performance fees from this wave before the Lunar New Year.

The initial funding needed to establish a pet park.

With no one to drink with and no one to "serve him in bed," he was left all alone at home, cultivating his mind.

He had previously obtained some meditation attributes from Lu Jingshan, and after trying them out, he found them quite useful.

It can help relax the brain and mind.

In addition to martial arts training, it gives one a sense of cultivating both inner and outer strength.

I gained a rare sense of peace of mind and body.

He's already cut back on smoking and drinking by more than half; if he were to abstain from sex as well, he could go to a temple.

However, news from Hong Kong soon brought him back to reality.

"The Dragon and the Phoenix" has officially ended its run, with a final box office of 1.2 million yuan, which is quite good.

By operating under the name of a film company on both sides of the strait, the company handles both production and distribution, ultimately raking in over 40 to 50 million yuan.

Zhang Yuan immediately called Jiang Wen to tell her that the initial funding for "Let the Bullets Fly" had been secured.

That very night, this man arrived at Zhang Yuan's house with several bottles of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), disrupting Zhang Yuan's tranquil and ascetic life.

And he didn't even come alone.

Zhou Yun didn't come this time; she stayed home taking care of her newborn baby.

Jiang Wen is the eldest daughter from her first marriage to a Frenchman.

The girl is only about 14 years old at the time, still a minor.

Since school was on holiday and she was just glaring at her dad at home, I took her out to see the world.

However, she does have foreign genes, so she looks more mature than the average domestic girl, and she's also taller, probably over 1.6 meters.

Even though it's winter, once you take off your coat and overcoat, you're still dressed quite lightly underneath.

Her curvaceous figure doesn't look like that of a child.

The moment he opened his mouth, Zhang Yuan was completely taken aback.

"Hello, Uncle."

Zhang Yuan: …

Uncle is uncle, and he even has an old man in his name.

Besides, Guan Xiaotong calls me "brother," so why should you call me "uncle"?

"From now on, you can call him Uncle."

“I have a younger uncle,” Jiang Yilang replied, blinking his big eyes.

She was probably referring to Jiang Wu.

"Fine, call me whatever you want."

After a brief conversation, Zhang Yuan could tell that this girl and her father didn't get along very well.

Indeed, the time when Jiang Wen separated from her biological mother coincided with the time when her father met Zhou Yun while filming "Warriors of Heaven and Earth".

The stepmother was the cause of the parents' separation; it would be strange if she could be dealt with.

However, compared to Xiao Wang's daughter from a few days ago, Jiang Wen's daughter, although a bit rebellious and speaking to her father with barbs, is still quite different.

But he is quite polite, and his personality is gentle and generous.

Perhaps this is the French rose: bright yet thorny.

Wow, you have a Steinway!

While leading the father and daughter around in circles, the girl saw his piano.

The daughter of a star director, of course she practiced piano when she was young.

So their eyes light up whenever they see something good.

"If you can play, you can give it a try."

“Okay.” Jiang Yilang rubbed his hands together. “Where’s your bathroom? I’ll go wash my hands first.”

They were quite well-behaved; they knew the instrument was expensive and didn't want to get it dirty.

After washing his hands a short while, he returned and sat steadily on the piano bench to play.

He played "Moonlight Sonata," a piece he was very familiar with.

The skill level is quite average; many syllables were played incorrectly, indicating a lack of familiarity with the game.

Zhang Yuan then sat down and played a piece with her.

"If you like, you can come and play the piano often," Zhang Yuan said politely after they finished playing together.

"Uncle, are you trying to pursue me?" Jiang Yilang asked, staring at him with wide eyes.

Zhang Yuan: …

How about we communicate in Chinese?

Are you speaking French? I can't understand a word you're saying.

I'll be polite.

Zhang Yuan quickly turned around to look at Jiang Wen.

Zhang Yuan was relieved to see his older brother laughing with his arms crossed, showing no intention of beating him up.

"Let's eat..." He didn't know what else to say.

While they were eating and drinking, the girl spoke up again while Jiang Wen went to the restroom.

"Uncle, do you have a cigarette?"

Zhang Yuan: …

She was quite quiet while playing the piano, but now she's acting like a delinquent, asking for cigarettes.

Zhang Yuan grabbed a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes and threw it on the table.

This girl is just like Jiang Wen; she has both an artistic flair and a wild side.

She picked up her cigarette, smiled, and took a sip from her father's glass of baijiu.

"Ha..." He even made a tsk-tsk sound after finishing his drink.

So if he got a perm, Zhang Yuan would think Brother Qian had arrived.

"elder brother."

After finishing his cigarette and drink, this guy started calling me "brother."

"You looked quite handsome playing the piano just now."

"If you pursue me, I won't tell my dad."

Zhang Yuan shook his head slightly, seeing her acting like a little adult.

"You're still in school, right? Don't be in a relationship yet." "Old-fashioned." After drinking, she became bolder: "I've already had two boyfriends."

"Does your father know?"

"Why should he know?" Ichiro said, dissatisfied. "He didn't tell me when he was looking for a girlfriend."

Zhang Yuan knew that this person had quite a conflict with Zhou Yun.

Rebellious girls are such a hassle; they smoke, drink, and even have boyfriends.

Zhang Yuan thought that if he had a daughter and things were like this, he would probably be worried to death.

A short while later, Jiang Wen returned. Jiang Yilang had already put out his cigarette and was pretending that nothing had happened, drinking juice and eating vegetables on the side.

Have you seen it recently?

After drinking another cup, Jiang Wen suddenly asked.

"what's up?"

"The thing between Xiaogang and that woman, that female host."

“I saw it, and I saw the secondary crime scene,” Zhang Yuan replied immediately.

Jiang Yilang, a friend who was not quite grown up, also listened with great interest.

Women are indeed gossipy.

He recounted what he saw and heard at the annual meeting, including the embarrassing incident involving Xu Fan's magazine.

"Oh, then it seems to be true." Jiang Wen pondered.

"Not only Xiaogang, but also Kaige has been making headlines online recently, did you know?"

Zhang Yuan quickly shook his head, indicating that he did not know.

In fact, he knew.

Because we pay close attention.

After Director Feng's overnight stay scandal was exposed, he kept a close eye on the news online.

Sure enough, within a few days, Huayi's retaliation arrived.

First, let's talk about Chen Hong and Teng Wenji's past.

Topics like how they lived together back then, how many romantic relationships they had, and how the poet Chen ultimately ended up being the one left holding the bag suddenly became popular.

The article also revealed Chen Shiren's past relationship with Ni Ping, as well as the famous scene where Chen Hong, heavily pregnant, forced him to marry her, forcing the two men to separate and marry her.

This is a benchmarking.

Director Feng was exposed for gossip, so they retaliated with gossip of their own.

After Chen Hong's incident was exposed, the conflict between Director Feng and Wang Shuo from their early years was also brought up again.

The falling out that occurred after the filming of "The Dream Factory" was also brought up again.

It directly points to problems with Director Feng's private morality.

He cheated on his wife and fell out with an old friend; his character is questionable.

But not long after, they pulled back to their original positions.

A small film and television company in Beijing called Mirimite suddenly launched an attack, suing the production team of "Mei Lanfang".

He claimed that the film rights to "Mei Lanfang" belonged to him and that Chen Shiren was filming it illegally.

The film hasn't even been released yet, and it's already caused a lawsuit.

The thing is, back in 04, this company had a first draft of the script and approached China Film Group to co-produce it.

An investment agreement was signed, but no filming contract was signed, and filming has not yet started.

A few years later, China Film Group didn't contact the company and directly hired Chen Shiren to film the movie.

It's like abandoning the original partner.

Actually, Lao Han felt that the script had been revised several times over the past few years and was no longer the original.

They were confident in the film and thought it could make money, so why should they let outsiders benefit from it?

These kinds of things happen neither early nor late; they usually happen during the crucial period before or after a film's release.

They're angry, and even though they know they can't beat China Film Group, they still want to annoy you guys.

This matter was widely reported.

Zhang Yuan understood that even if Hua Yi didn't choose them, they still played a role in pushing things along.

You said Xiaogang has problems with his personal ethics.

Fine, if the copyright of your film is questionable, and you kick out your collaborators, who has bad morals?
The two sides went back and forth, creating quite a commotion.

It brought countless joys to the people who were exhausted before the New Year and were struggling to hold down their posts for the last time.

Watching the drama unfold is so much fun!

Especially since it involves two big-name directors.

Actually, the most infuriating thing wasn't their bickering.

What angered them the most was that Zhang Yimou won without lifting a finger!

After a series of scandals and negative news about the two, the last of the three directors directed a world-renowned opening ceremony this year.

They immediately praised Zhang Yimou.

People online say that Zhang Yimou is the only great director in China.

This is what you call relying entirely on the contrast with your peers.

Even if you do nothing, if your opponent ruins you, then you are an artist.

But the audience just talked about it.

In a year or two, when people see "A Simple Noodle Story," the ones who criticize Zhang Yimou the most will be the same people who are currently praising him so vehemently.

Whether the audience is happy or not, Zhang Yuan is very happy.

Seeing the two of them start arguing meant I had achieved my goal.

Jiang Yilang listened with great interest. The young woman had never imagined that these influential figures, who were the same age as her father, had such scandalous private lives.

Suddenly, I realized that compared to my dad, he's not so bad after all.

She's actually quite good; Jiang Wen is a genuine person.

Those who openly admire women with beautiful feet and large breasts also have a preference for women with strong personalities.

Liu Xiaoqing, Ning Jing, the French woman, and Zhou Yun—none of them are easy to deal with.

"I hate it when they keep making a fuss like this!" Jiang Wen said, slamming down the empty wine bottle.

"Just make movies, why bother with things outside of movies?"

"All they know is making money and messing with people."

Is there an end to making money?

"Is there a leader in this internal strife?"

"Damage!" After drinking too much, Director Jiang revealed his cynical nature.

Then he started cursing in a rough voice.

"Brother Wen, the child is here."

“I’m not a child,” Jiang Yilang said, raising his hand.

Neither of these two, father and daughter, is easy to deal with.

We finally managed to get them both drunk and send them off.

Zhang Yuan discovered that they hadn't discussed anything substantial about the film "Let the Bullets Fly".

The girl even stole the whole pack of cigarettes from his desk.

“He’s quite different from the typical director who’s all talk about money.” Zhang Yuan strolled around the courtyard.

The next day, he took the initiative to call Wu Jing.

The TV series "Wolf Warrior" has also been taken off the air, and in fact, it was taken off the air even earlier than "The Emperor and the Phoenix".

Logically, the data should have been compiled long ago.

But the kung fu kid on the phone stammered, his words tinged with guilt.

How much did it gross?

"A little over 9 million."

"Okay, I get it now."

They definitely lost money, no doubt about it.

Judging solely by box office revenue, it's impossible to break even.

"Come eat here during the Chinese New Year." He didn't say much more, then turned to contact Jiang Zhiqiang to see if he could make some money by distributing the product overseas or selling DVDs.

The movie "Nightclub" is about to be taken off the air.

Its performance was far better than that of "Wolf Warrior".

Although he was heavily criticized online for trying to ride the coattails of the popularity of "Crazy Stone".

But it can attract people to buy tickets just by its name.

Ultimately, this low-budget film, with an investment of less than 300 million yuan, grossed nearly 2200 million yuan at the box office, which is quite impressive.

"Very good, let's have dinner during the Chinese New Year."

"I'll give you a big red envelope."

"you are welcome."

Unlike Wu Jing's chuckling and bewildered manner, Shan Zheng's words were full of joy.

The movie made money, so I'm definitely happy.

Moreover, when others say they'll give a red envelope, they might be bragging or just giving a token amount.

But Zhang Yuan is well-known, so his amount must be considerable, which naturally makes him very happy.

Zhang Yuan put down his phone and snapped his fingers.

"Once this show is finished, we'll start planning the 'Lost in..."

Zhang Yuan instructed his assistant and bodyguards to get ready; he needed to make a trip to North America first…

(End of this chapter)