I'm just trying to ride the wave of popularity!

Chapter 15 Conflict!

"Hello, Director An, are you really working with... this production team of 'Sun Wukong vs. Superman 2'?"

"Director An, this is Xiao Chen, a reporter from [Yanjing Entertainment]. Is everything this 'General Manager Zhou' said true? You've signed a strategic cooperation agreement with this... cough, cough 'Sun Wukong vs. Superman 2'?"

"Director An... do you really think this movie, this 'Sun Wukong vs. something, cough cough,' is even a movie?"

"Ahem, Director An, is it possible that these guys... might come to the set to freeload?"

"A new chapter in the history of Chinese cinema, what a boastful statement! Even Ma Kaige, the leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese directors, wouldn't dare to say something like that..."

"..."

The morning sunlight was very bright.

Some people couldn't open their eyes because of the light.

The film crew was bustling with noise in the early morning, their ears filled with countless clamors.

An Xiaoshi stared blankly as waves of media surged towards her.

this life……

If you want to find the most awkward scene.

That will probably be today.

Her mind went blank for a moment as she looked at Zhou Yang, who was being interviewed in the crowd, and how arrogant he was.

What is Zhou Yang saying?
What Eastern fantasy, what East-West battle, what epic, what shocking...

It seemed that Zhou Yang was trying to incorporate any element related to blockbusters into their "Sun Wukong vs. Superman 2," seizing every opportunity to grab attention...

There were bewildered and skeptical people in the crowd, but there were also bursts of shrill laughter.

In the sunlight, An Xiaoshi saw someone looking at the poster for "Sun Wukong vs. Superman 2" and laughing so hard they couldn't stand up straight...

I also saw people with cameras interviewing Zhou Yang, who looked serious on camera. The conversation kept veerging towards various ambiguous points, while Zhou Yang continued to shamelessly claim that his film was comparable to any blockbuster and crushed the entertainment industry...

The scene was filled with laughter, as if watching a clown.

……

As more and more people gathered around, including many unsuspecting passersby...

An Xiaoshi took a deep breath, her face burning hot, and she was filled with a sense of dread!
It's over! It's over!

This is incredibly embarrassing!
"Zhou Yang, stop talking..."

An Xiaoshi's face flushed red, and she was spitting as she spoke, as if she was about to exaggerate to the heavens. She hurriedly asked the security guards to pull this guy away and immediately sealed off the scene!
Security personnel nodded and rushed over to stop the reporters and onlookers who were constantly taking pictures of the posters, preventing the situation from escalating...

But the reporters, always eager for a good show, became even more excited, and the security personnel couldn't stop them for a while...

Fortunately, it happened at this time...

Screams came from not far away.

"Zheng Yichen is here!"

"Wow!"

"I'm coming!"

"..."

Countless cameras finally stopped rushing towards this direction and instead focused on the nanny van of the male protagonist, Zheng Yichen, not far away.

This finally brought the farce back to calm!

........................

"what's the situation?"

"What strategic cooperation agreement, what 'Monkey King vs. Superman 2'..."

"What is this?"

"When did our 'Love Ferris Wheel' sign a strategic cooperation agreement with this kind of messy production team?"

"Also, why was the actor for the third male lead suddenly changed? Wasn't it agreed that Chen Liang would play the role? Why was he replaced at the last minute?"

"..."

in the office.

After finishing the interview, Zheng Yichen walked into the office with a gloomy expression, staring at An Xiaoshi sitting in the office, and Zhang Jingya, who had just returned and was somewhat confused.

An Xiaoshi's face turned bright red as she looked at Zheng Yichen and coughed lightly, "Senior brother, I, I... We were just telling you today that the actor for the third male lead had been cast, but we didn't expect this to happen this morning..."

"Hey, wait, who is this?"

Zheng Yichen took a deep breath and looked at Zhou Yang, who was standing next to him in a suit and tie.

"Hello..." Zhou Yang smiled and extended his hand.

But Zheng Yichen frowned, not only refusing to shake hands with Zhou Yang, but also ignoring Zhou Yang's smile and staring at An Xiaoshi: "Changing actors at the last minute is a big taboo in movies, do you know that?"

A brief silence fell over the office.

After a moment, An Xiaoshi took a deep breath and looked at Zheng Yichen seriously: "Director Zhang and I have discussed it, and we both feel that Mr. Zhou is more suitable for the character in our script, while Chen Liang, after repeated comparisons, we feel that they are somewhat lacking in temperament..."

"What does it feel like?"

“It’s that kind of noble air…” Zhang Jingya replied immediately, seeing An Xiaoshi hesitate for a moment.

"Heh, so noble?" When Zheng Yichen heard this, he turned around and looked at Zhou Yang, who was standing not far away from him, with a gentle smile on his face.

He saw a cheap suit of an unknown brand...

I also saw a pair of leather shoes without even a label, so cheap it was unbelievable...

And then I saw a gentle smile that made me very uncomfortable...

"...I'm sorry, but from his clothes and appearance, I can't see any of that so-called noble air about him..." Zheng Yichen's face gradually turned cold: "Casting for a movie is extremely important; it's not just anyone who can take on a role..."

"But……"

An Xiaoshi was about to say something, but Zheng Yichen quickly interrupted her: "Before the film was even approved, I had already found a suitable team for you. I've told you many times that you just need to make the film well. After it's finished, I will hire a professional company to edit, review, and distribute it. Then, I will push you to be nominated for the Best New Director Award... These days, I have painstakingly planned every step for you, just to prevent you from taking any unnecessary detours in your first film."

"Senior, I think he's suitable!" An Xiaoshi bit her lip, looking a little aggrieved, but still stared at Zheng Yichen: "Senior, you can try out his role, his acting skills are fine..."

When Zheng Yichen heard this, he turned to look at Zhou Yang, his gaze growing colder and colder.

Zhou Yang faced Zheng Yichen calmly, still wearing a gentlemanly smile, appearing neither humble nor arrogant.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Zhou, I'm a very realistic person and I speak quite bluntly. I don't consider anyone's feelings. After all, you know that in the entertainment industry, everyone speaks through their work and strength." Zheng Yichen stared at Zhou Yang's calm and composed demeanor, and for some reason, felt a little uncomfortable.

After listening, Zhou Yang simply nodded seriously and smiled as he looked at Zheng Yichen: "We both like to let our work speak for itself."

"So, Mr. Zhou, I would like to ask if you graduated from Shanghai Film Academy, or Yanying Film Academy, or perhaps from an arts school in Hong Kong? Or, do you have any overseas study experience?" Zheng Yichen squinted his eyes.

"Neither..." Zhou Yang said frankly.

"So, are there any members of Mr. Zhou's family in the performing arts? Are there any directors, actors, crew members, or other people working in the arts?"

"Not at the moment," Zhou Yang continued, shaking his head.

"So, Mr. Zhou, what kind of car do you drive? What kind of car do your parents drive?" Zheng Yichen pressed on when he heard this.

"I don't have a car." Zhou Yang remained calm and gentle in the face of a barrage of questions.

"Then you must be very talented, right? What books have you published, what shows have you been on?" Zheng Yichen's eyes gradually grew colder.

"Not yet."

"So what blockbusters have you acted in? How much did they gross? Tens of millions, hundreds of millions? Have you directed any movies? Have you ever played minor roles? If so, give an example?" When Zheng Yichen said this, he was already looking down at Zhou Yang as if he could see through everything, and he no longer hid his disgust.

"nor."

in the office.

Zheng Yichen asked one question after another.

Zhou Yang kept shaking his head, responding to each sentence with a calm expression.

Finally, even An Xiaoshi couldn't stand it anymore and became anxious: "Senior brother, isn't our movie about acting skills? These things have nothing to do with acting skills... We can have him perform a scene..."

Zheng Yichen didn't look at An Xiaoshi, but continued to stare at Zhou Yang: "I've always felt that not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can make or act in movies. Sorry, I'm just being blunt."

Zhou Yang nodded, his expression serious, but his smile was exceptionally bright as he looked Zheng Yichen up and down: "I agree with that. It's not something just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can do."

When Zheng Yichen heard this, his face suddenly turned extremely gloomy.

But he ignored Zhou Yang and instead stared at An Xiaoshi and Zhang Jingya: "The roles have been decided, so don't change them. Otherwise, everything I've done for you guys in the industry for 'Love Ferris Wheel' will be for nothing!"

"But……"

An Xiaoshi's face flushed red. She wanted to say something more, but was interrupted again. Zheng Yichen's voice was firm and unyielding: "Chen Liang's role cannot be changed. No one in the crew whom I've decided on can be changed. Otherwise, I won't accept it, the distributors won't accept it, and the fans certainly won't accept it..."

“But we are investors! Don’t investors even have this much right?” An Xiaoshi trembled and stared intently at Zheng Yichen.

“I’m also an investor and a producer. Do you know how many favors I’ve done for this movie over the past few months? It’s more than you, not less!” Zheng Yichen’s face was already extremely cold: “Remember, I’m paving the way for the two of you, the path that everyone else dreams of—a formal entry into the film industry!”

An Xiaoshi lowered her head, her eyes slightly red.

Zhang Jingya remained seated in her chair, keeping silent throughout.

After a brief silence, Zheng Yichen looked at everyone in the room, finally fixing his gaze on Zhou Yang: "Excuse me, Mr. Zhou, what we're about to discuss is an internal matter concerning 'Love Ferris Wheel,' and you're not suitable to be here. If possible, I would like to ask your entire crew—well, let's just call it a crew for now—to stay away from me. I don't want any mocking remarks to affect our film..."

Zhou Yang stood there with a gentle smile, as if watching a farce that had nothing to do with him, and as if treating Zheng Yichen as air, no longer responding to him, but silently playing with the small stone on the office table.

Zheng Yichen's face instantly turned ashen!

Just as he was about to explode, An Xiaoshi suddenly stood up. Although her eyes were red, her gaze was firm: "Senior brother, I invited him here! He's part of our crew! We signed a contract, and I just want a role. Can't I even decide for myself if I want a role?"

When Zheng Yichen heard this, his eyes turned very ugly, but he didn't lash out. He just stared at An Xiaoshi and said, "I can make decisions in the future, but not for this movie!"

“But…” An Xiaoshi froze, her eyes bloodshot, she gritted her teeth, and finally couldn’t say anything.

Zhang Jingya quietly came to An Xiaoshi's side and took her hand.

A brief silence fell over the office once again.

In the silence, an invisible sense of oppression lingered in their hearts.

Just then, Zhou Yang's phone rang.

Zhou Yang glanced at the number, then at the people in the room, and finally shook his head: "Director An, how about we collaborate another time..."

“Zhou Yang, you don’t need to. Actually, I…we didn’t mean that, I…”

"I'll go out and take this call. I'll handle the rest. I'll wait for you outside!"

"..."

Zhou Yang looked at his phone, but ultimately didn't look at An Xiaoshi, and turned to leave the office.

..............................

outside the window.

The farce in "Love Ferris Wheel" finally came to an end thanks to the security personnel.

Shen Long and Chen Jianfeng sat in a corner, looking at each other, both feeling somewhat helpless.

After finishing the call, Zhou Yang sat quietly on a chair by the office door and waited.

About ten minutes later.

The office door opened.

An Xiaoshi came out, and when she saw Zhou Yang, her eyes reddened. She silently lowered her head and sat down next to Zhou Yang.

(End of this chapter)