Entertainment 2000: Supporting female stars will bring you a hundredfold return

Chapter 418 Casting Begins

Tang Wen had dinner with some people that evening; they were high-ranking executives from the three major telecommunications companies.

It's not good to cancel at this dinner party.

Fortunately, we don't have to talk about anything serious at night.

The money from Tang Wen and Lan Xing's ringtone revenue sharing arrived very promptly.

Tang Wen's decision to have dinner with them was a way of showing his gratitude and thanking them.

Dinner was arranged at Tang Palace, starting at 8 pm and ending at 10 pm. All five or six key leaders at the table were taken down by Tang Wen and the public relations department of Lanxing.

Many of the people at Blue Star Public Relations also went bankrupt.

Tang Wen instructed Xia Tian to settle everyone in order, and then he went out and took a plane with Tang Tang, flying overnight to Zhongzhou.

At this time, Liu Liu's mother was at the Provincial People's Hospital in Zhongzhou.

Before boarding the plane, Tang Wen contacted Professor Zhao, the head of Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

By the time the two arrived in Zhongzhou and went to the hospital, it was already past midnight.

Liu Liu, her mother, and her younger sister Liu Qing are all in the hospital.

When Liu Liu was woken up, she saw her best friend Tang Tang and thought she was dreaming.

"Weren't you in the capital? You came here overnight?"

"How is Auntie?" Tang Tang grabbed her best friend's hand and asked in a low voice.

"It's alright, he just keeps asking to go home and doesn't want to be hospitalized for surgery."

After saying that, Liu Liu fully woke up, glanced at the figure at the door of the ward, guessed what was going on, and said with some difficulty, "Tangtang, I have to stay at home, my mom and sister can't leave..."

"Let's not talk about that now," Tang Tang interrupted. "How much will the treatment cost?"

"Yes, surgery is needed, along with better medication. The total cost will be around 10 yuan."

"I'll pay for this, consider it a loan from me." Tang Tang said before her best friend could speak, without any conditions.

The Tang family had borrowed money from relatives and friends before, and they knew how difficult it was to ask for money.

Liu Liu's eyes instantly reddened, and she lowered her head, resting her forehead on Tang Tang's shoulder.

The latter didn't say anything, but gently patted her back.

Several minutes passed before Liu Liu managed to compose herself and wipe away her tears.

Afraid of disturbing the other patients in the ward, she got dressed and went to the corridor with Tangtang.

Under the dim yellow light, a few people stood at the end of the corridor.

Liu Liu: "Tangtang, it may take me a long time to pay you back this money."

"Don't worry, I'm not in a hurry."

In 2003, the starting salary for graduates of Central State University was around 1000.

Having 10 in debt is a real headache.

Tang Tang asked about other details, then glanced at Tang Wen at the end of the corridor: "My brother is here too. Do you want to meet him before you decide?"

"Huh?" Liu Liu's face was full of surprise.

As a young woman, she was aware of Tang Wen's influence and status.

To put it bluntly.

If it weren't for her good luck in being best friends with Tang Tang...

Even if he struggled his whole life, he probably wouldn't be able to sit at the same table as Tang Wen now.

"Look, they're standing over there." Tang Tang gestured towards the doorway with her eyes.

Liu Liu quickly straightened her clothes, tied her hair up, and mustered her courage to say, "I... I definitely want to go see him."

"Go ahead! Don't be afraid, I'm here. If he says anything rude, I'll hang him up and whip him." Tang Tang exuded domineering confidence.

Liu Liu was amused by her best friend's words.

The sudden surprise and tension in my heart dissipated considerably.

But both emotionally and logically, she had to go see Tang Wen.

But as she took her first step, she asked, quite uncertainly, "Will this be okay?"

“What’s wrong with that? Don’t treat him like anyone special, he’s just my brother.”

Even so, Liu Liu couldn't take it seriously.

After mustering my courage several times, I went to the door and saw the young man I usually only saw in newspapers and online.

"Mr. Tang, hello. You're even more handsome than in the poster."

Logically, the first thing to say should be to thank Tang Wen for accompanying Tang Tang on her long journey to visit her mother.

But seeing idols of millions, big stars.

I was still nervous.

Tang Wen smiled and said, "Hello, how is Auntie doing?"

"It's not bad, thank you for coming all this way."

After the pleasantries.

Tang Wen took out his phone and, to Liu Liu's surprise, showed her several text messages:

“My sister sent me Auntie’s condition and test results. Things happened so suddenly that I consulted a cancer specialist in Beijing without your permission. Here are his results. Take a look.”

Liu Liu was stunned for a moment, looking at Tang Wen's genuinely concerned gaze, and didn't know what to say.

My heart tightened, fearing I would lose my composure, so I quickly looked down and took the phone.

[Sender: Professor Zhao (Oncology Expert and Head of Peking Union Medical College Hospital)]

[Director Tang, hello... This patient is currently in the early stages, and we are quite confident in achieving a cure...]

There is a character limit for text messages, so Professor Zhao sent a total of three.

I wrote more than three hundred words.

You can tell from the words that the other person replied with care.

Both treatment methods and prognosis plans were mentioned.

The only thing not mentioned was the cost of treatment.

Liu Liu read it twice. Regarding Professor Zhao's text message saying that she was basically completely cured and would be able to live like a normal person after a period of rest...

She was very tempted.

Such a statement carries a responsibility.

Given the current limited medical resources, even if a doctor is highly confident in curing the disease, they wouldn't say so.

If given the opportunity, who wouldn't want to provide their family with the best treatment?
But what about the cost?
Liu Liu frowned: Originally, everything was going well.

She accepted the offer from her best friend, resigned from her internship, and planned to learn how to be an assistant under Lanxing's arrangement.

As a result, an employee received a pre-employment benefit-based health checkup for their entire family.

Such a big thing was discovered.

Seeing that her family couldn't do without her...

Tang Wen knew all this, and could guess what she was thinking, but he pretended not to know:

"You don't need to rush to start work. This is a special case; your aunt can't be left alone. I'll give you a month of paid leave. You can officially start work after your aunt has had surgery and is discharged from the hospital."

Liu Liu was shocked and opened her mouth as if to say something.

Tang Wen raised his hand, interrupting:
"My assistant position is special. After one month, you will need to devote all your energy to learning."

As long as you pass the assessment and successfully take the job, the annual income from this job can cover all your and your family's expenses.

"The company will help transfer your mother to the Beijing Cancer Hospital for treatment."

Liu Liu's lips parted slightly, but she couldn't bring herself to say no.

There is no reason to refuse.

Tang Wen offered such generous terms, eliminating my worries, so why should I refuse?

However, having grown up in a poor family, she is used to considering things more thoroughly.

After calming down, he first expressed his gratitude to Tang Wen.

Then I asked a few practical questions.

How long is the assessment period?

If I don't pass the test, do I have to leave the company?

Tang Wen did not answer each question individually; he did not want Liu Liu to think that he could not do without her as his assistant.

"My sister thinks you have a good personality and are a good person. As long as you have good learning ability and are serious about your work, you have a good chance of passing the assessment."

Even if you fail, the company will have other plans for you.

only……"

Tang Wen didn't say anything more.

Liu Liu knew in her heart that being Tang Wen's assistant would definitely have a completely different treatment than doing other jobs in the company.

After the two finished talking, the matter of the assistant was settled.

Liu Liu is a grateful person. She saved her mother and will also take care of her younger sister.

This person is basically safe to use.

After half an hour.

Tang Wen and his sister left the hospital, leaving behind a staff member to help Liu Liu with the transfer to another hospital.

"Where should we go at this hour? Let's find a hotel nearby, sis."

After spending quite a while at the hospital, it was already dawn. Tang Tang rubbed her stomach and said, "I'm hungry. There's a place near our school that makes pretty good spicy soup and layered pancakes."

"Let's go then, I haven't eaten in ages."

It was early morning in October, and the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Perfect timing, a bowl of spicy soup to warm you up.

The streetlights were still on along the street.

Under the dim yellow light, sanitation workers pushing tricycles had already cleaned half the street.

Tang Wen glanced at the Patek Philippe in his hand; it was not yet five o'clock.

He glanced outside again and saw an aunt with half-gray hair diligently sweeping up fallen leaves.

Yes, my mother used to run a small shop by herself. She would go to get the goods in the morning, around this time.

Fortunately, it's all in the past now.

Leaving aside the present, the mother in the original timeline lived a good life in her later years.

Although it wasn't because of myself, it was because my eldest and second eldest sisters were more successful.

"Sis, how about we donate this year's Blue Star charity donations to sanitation workers?"

Tang Tang also saw the workers outside the window and smiled, "It would be best to buy some practical supplies and distribute them to them directly."

"Let's do it this way." Tang Wen thought so too, and sent Xia Tian a text message.

The amount of charitable funds is limited.

Then let's donate it to the sanitation workers in my hometown first.

"Sis, once Liu Liu becomes my assistant, don't let her report on my affairs to you." Tang Wen picked up the vinegar bottle and, in a flattering manner, added a few drops of vinegar to his older sister's bowl.

"I won't ask," Tang Tang glared at her younger brother, picked up a freshly baked layered pancake, and shoved it into the bowl to drown it: "I'm afraid you'll drive me crazy if I ask."

"It's not that exaggerated." Tang Wen's voice grew softer and softer, and she lowered her head, not daring to meet her sister's gaze.

Tang Tang shook her head helplessly, pondering her work and entrepreneurship.

Liu Liu's mother has completed the transfer to another hospital.

The change in conditions from Zhongzhou to the capital was so drastic that it felt like a dream.

Liu's mother felt very uneasy.

If I didn't know my daughter well, and if I didn't know that Liu Liu was just pretty but not a great beauty.

She was starting to think her daughter was being kept by someone.

Hearing that her daughter had found a new job, arranged by her new employer, Liu's mother was even less inclined to believe it:
“Da Ya, you might as well say that you’ve been targeted by a rich man. I think that’s more believable.”

Tang Wen and his sister Tang Tang arrived just in time, which dispelled Liu's mother's suspicions.

My daughter has a good friend named Tang Tang, and she knows that.

I've known for several years that, starting from her junior and senior years of college, Tang Tang would call Liu Liu during the Chinese New Year to wish Liu's mother a happy new year.

Tang Wen is Tang Tang's younger brother, as Liu Liu has mentioned.

I just had no idea before, and I didn't think it would have anything to do with my family.

Unexpectedly, something bad has happened at home.

The person who offered help was actually the daughter's best friend!

Liu's mother was moved to tears. Tang Wen made a brief appearance and chatted with Professor Zhao for a while before leaving.

He also has to promote "Pirates of the Caribbean" on a promotional tour today.

A few days ago, Blue Star officially announced the casting for "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils".

Martial arts dramas have become very popular in the past two years.

The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils is said to have an investment of 5 million!

Lanxing has announced that it will invest 1.5 million yuan to build another film and television city in Hengdian for this drama!

It can be described as a grand undertaking that is unique in the industry.

The news caused a sensation.

In addition, Tang Wenhui personally selected the actors.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the entertainment industry. Regardless of whether they had time or not, everyone wanted to make an appearance in front of Tang Wen!
The costs announced by Bluestar are obviously exaggerated.

According to the production department's estimate, the film could be secured for a maximum of 3500 million.

The later mention of building a film and television city with 1.5 million yuan is indeed true.

The original Hu Jun version of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" also had a film studio built.

However, it was built in Yunnan Province.

Tang Wen has strong connections there, and Hengdian Group is very welcoming of his cooperation.

They proactively offered to help with the operation of the film and television city, since it was located in Hengdian...

Tang Wen had connections in Jiangnan, so he wasn't afraid of them causing trouble, and the two sides signed a cooperation agreement.

The TV series "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" uses a multi-narrative structure.

There are three male protagonists.

There are quite a few outstanding female characters.

Judging from Blue Star's previous behavior, there must be someone within Blue Star who has decided on the female lead.

But surely not all of them would be in our hands?

Actors in the industry are very enthusiastic about signing up.

We received over a thousand resumes.

After being eliminated in the next round, there are still dozens of people who made it to the finals.

After Tang Wen finished his roadshow in Beijing, news of his return to China spread.

My phone has a lot more missed calls now.

Just as he was about to reply, Fan Bingbing called.

As expected, this workaholic came to ask for a role: "Brother, you just sent me a set of ancient costume photos. Do you think she looks like Wang Yuyan?"

Tang Wen chuckled and said, "No need to look, it doesn't seem like it."

"Heartless! How is it not similar? Wang Yuyan was a beauty of unparalleled grace, and my country was a beauty of exceptional talent..."

Tang Wen: "I've decided on Wang Yuyan for Qianqian. This was agreed upon a long time ago."

"Uh, okay. What about Azhu?"

"A'Zhu is portrayed as dignified, gentle, and understanding. Which of those qualities do you possess?"

Fan Bingbing huffed, "Where am I not good at understanding people?"

"You've never even undressed me, so what makes you think you're good at undressing people?"

Fan Bingbing: "...When I turn around to untie it, don't run away."

"Tch, I'll be waiting for you~"

After hanging up the phone, Fan Bingbing understood Tang Wen's attitude: don't get involved in this matter.

She didn't care; as a Cannes Film Festival Best Actress, she had no shortage of roles to play.

There are plenty of well-known screenwriters in the industry who can tailor-make scripts for her!
She is currently in contact with several of them, and they are all somewhat disillusioned with television dramas.

Tang Wen then returned Wang Jinhua's call, as well as those of Li Bingbing and her sister, Zhao Baogang, and Liu Yanming...

They are all prominent figures in the industry.

Wang Jinhua recommended male artists from Huayi.

Li Bingbing naturally asked herself if there was a suitable role.

Zhao Baogang recommended Li Xiaolu.

As a Golden Horse Award-winning actress who rose to fame at a young age, her family has considerable connections in Beijing's social circles.

As for Liu Yanming, he was naturally making the call for his own boss, Sun Li.

When the call connected, Tang Wen was very polite.

In reality, they only gave them limited face, saying that the drama was the culmination of the company's hard work.

You can audition, but the final result is not guaranteed.

That's right, not even supporting roles are acceptable.

Originally, Hu Jun's version of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" was regarded as a classic by a generation.

Now that the filming rights are in Tang Wen's hands, even if it doesn't surpass the original by much, it certainly can't be worse than the original, right?
(End of this chapter)