A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 107 "Equivalence"

Moving shouldn't be rushed.

Although the family of three is eager to move in and is quite satisfied with, even fond of, the existing decoration, and doesn't plan to make any changes to the decoration for the time being, they still want to at least have someone do a thorough cleaning.

Su Huilun's new album "Duck" has been completely recorded, and even though her Cantonese album "Talking about Su Huilun's X-Files" is mainly sold in Hong Kong, Rock Records doesn't plan to secure much promotional resources for her, clearly indicating that they still don't have high hopes for her Cantonese route. So, of course, there's no need to record any programs in advance. Therefore, this past week has been relatively free for her. On the other hand, Chen Shuhua still has a lot of work to do after finishing her album, such as styling, shooting cover photos, designing lyric pages, and so on. So, Su Huilun is in charge of overseeing the cleaning of her new home.

After a brief two-day break, Lin Jianlu immediately got busy again.

Taking the time to have a meal with Alyssa Chia was a real treat amidst his busy schedule. He got up early on November 7th and took a plane, first flying to Hong Kong, then stopping over and transferring to Shanghai.

When I accepted the commercial performance, it was already arranged that Shinji Tanimura's concert in Shanghai would be on the evening of November 8th. I had already received the money, so naturally I had to come and fulfill my duties as a guest performer.

Because Sony Columbia attaches great importance to Shinji Tanimura's series of concerts and music performances, there was a rehearsal in the afternoon for the previous show in Tokyo, and this time they also need to come on the morning of the 8th. Waiting until early to catch the plane would definitely be too late, so they had to come a day earlier.

However, in mainland China, it's best to avoid showing off long, white legs. It has a negative impact.

This is Lin Jianlu's first time visiting Shanghai in her life.

Of course, it's hard to compare with what it will be like thirty years from now, but for the mainland in this era, the foundation of being the economic leader is still there. There are even more high-rise buildings than in the capital, and it looks advanced and modern at first glance.

The taxi driver actually recognized him and kept glancing back in the rearview mirror along the way. When they stopped at a traffic light, the driver took the initiative to ask him. When he heard that it was indeed Lin Jianlu, he was very excited and immediately opened the glove compartment and took out the cassette tape of "Cold to the End"—luckily, Lin Jianlu carried a pen with him and signed it quickly.

So we chatted all the way to the hotel.

The organizers had already booked her hotel room. After checking in and putting down her simple luggage, Lin Jianlu went downstairs for a stroll. She then spotted a nice little shop on the roadside and went in to eat something.

In early November, Shanghai, especially at midday, was not cold at all, even though it was cloudy today.

The air is a bit more humid than in the capital, but far less so than in Hong Kong and Taiwan—a casual stroll through the streets is cool and refreshing, offering a completely different kind of comfort compared to the capital, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

As he was walking, he received a call from Zhang Aijia—the trip would take three or four days, and the time spent on the plane was insignificant; the main issue was that Columbia, as a top global record company, still had a bit of arrogance. Upon landing, Zhao Mingxin went straight to the company without resting, supposedly to meet with Columbia's global president. However, he still had to wait, and that wait lasted three days.

Just now, actually midnight Eastern Time, a senior music director from Columbia Music suddenly called Zhao Mingxin. According to Zhang Aijia, the other party was quite excited, asking if there were any demos, and then hoping to meet the composer of the three songs immediately. After being confirmed to be Chinese, the musician shouted "genius" loudly. It was already arranged that the three of them would go to Columbia Music headquarters again tomorrow to discuss a series of matters such as borrowing the recording studio, musicians, backing vocalists, etc.

Then, I need to go to New York, to Columbia's branch office, to meet the music director.

Of course, the contract was only verbal. If Lin Jianlu wanted to come and record, he would have to pay for everything himself, including the fees for the musicians, backing vocalists, the expenses of the entire recording team, and the rental fees for the recording studio.

However, it doesn't matter. Once the recording is complete and Columbia is satisfied, they will definitely reimburse the cost once the contract with Sony Columbia is signed.

As for why the recording had to be done in America—the material conditions for recording were objectively similar, and the musicians and backing vocalists in America were more likely to meet Lin Jianlu's expectations, which is obvious, but not the main reason. The main reason was that Lin Jianlu needed to put on another show for everyone.

Just like how he would scribble and revise his manuscripts three times.

There's nothing we can do about it. In the world of Chinese music, you can brag all you want, believe it or not, it's up to them!
In the end, everyone has to admit that those great works are all the result of genius, without a doubt.

But with English, it's not surprising that you can write similar rhythms and beats to popular English songs. You can get some results by imitating others. But if you're not someone who's been around this environment, how do you explain the rap you're going to come up with, those melodies, rhythms, and accompaniments that still sound particularly avant-garde and novel even in today's Europe and America?
Is that genius too?

Even the most talented person needs to see a crack in the door before they can push it open!
So, I was going to come here and hang out for a few days, meet some American musicians, have some fun and chat, and then, hey, suddenly I got an inspiration, and started writing... and it all flowed smoothly.

With this step, we can save ourselves a lot of trouble in the future.

…………

After wandering around for a while, we returned to the hotel.

While the unfamiliar street scenes were certainly novel, Lin Jianlu had already seen many of them before.

But sitting idly is just as boring.

Suddenly, I remembered someone, but unfortunately, I didn't have their number saved in my notebook. So I called back to the capital and asked Lao Xue to look it up for me. Only then did I write it down in my notebook and call the person.

Shen Aojun, um, now she's called Zhao Yan.

The dormitory supervisor called out loudly on the other end of the phone, and after a while, Shen Aojun's panting voice was heard, "Hello, this is Zhao Yan, who is this?"

"Do you remember me, Lin Jianlu?"

"Oh my god... Lin... really?"

"Hey! How could this be fake... Let me tell you something. You laughed so many times the other day that the director was furious, and you almost cried on the spot. What did I tell you? I said, 'It's not that bad. Actually, it's normal to laugh. I also think that looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle is a bit pretentious...'"

"Oh my god, it really is you! Hello, Brother Lu!"

She was overjoyed instantly.

Upon learning that Lin Jianlu was actually performing in Shanghai, she was even happier. "Where do you live? I'll come over and visit you!" she asked, then added generously, "I'll treat you to dinner tonight!"

Lin Jianlu smiled and said, "Sure! I'll mooch a meal from you!" Then she gave him the hotel name and room number.

Half an hour later, the girl arrived.

It had been almost half a year since they last met, and even half a year ago, they had only worked together for a day and a half, but neither of them felt too unfamiliar with the other. It was incredibly convenient for her to see Lin Jianlu's face; there were still many posters of her on the streets, and she could see them as soon as she went out shopping. Lin Jianlu's impression of her face didn't even come from this life, but from dozens of episodes of a TV series in her previous life.

The only surprise was that, in her memory, this girl was a particularly straightforward person once she got to know her, and the phone call earlier confirmed that Lin Jianlu was not mistaken. But when she knocked on the door and Lin Jianlu opened it, she was still taken aback for a moment—not the carefree girl in jeans and a T-shirt that she vaguely remembered. Today, the girl was wearing a pale yellow dress, the kind that looked quite expensive, and she even wore light makeup, which instantly raised the level of her delicate features and stunning beauty by several levels!
Her features are naturally striking and bright. Without makeup, she might appear somewhat rustic. But once she puts on light makeup, that rustic look that's common among girls in mainland China these days disappears instantly.

This is absolutely beautiful!

"Wow! You've come here for a date?"

She actually smiled shyly and embarrassedly, tugging at her skirt. "Didn't you tell me? As a performing arts student, I need to consider taking on roles and auditions, so I need to get myself a nice outfit! So... I bought this, it cost over three thousand, it hurt my wallet! This is the first time I've worn it since that other day!"

She turned around and around, her face slightly flushed, and asked, "Does it look good?"

"Beautiful! It's fucking beautiful!"

However, he felt a little embarrassed as he said this—"Get yourself a nice outfit, you'll need it for auditions! First impressions are everything!" He couldn't even remember saying this to a few girls!
I never expected that I would make that girl spend over three thousand yuan on this dress.

Speaking of which, I remember she only received about six thousand yuan for that music video she filmed? That's more than half of it gone!

We sat down, ordered a pot of hot coffee from the hotel, and chatted.

I remember when we first met, the girl was very reserved and polite at first. After filming for almost a day, we gradually became familiar with each other. Mainly because Lin Jianlu, this big star, was really down-to-earth, the girl gradually opened up.

However, the music video was filmed the next morning.

Several months passed after that separation.

When we met again, she seemed to still vividly remember how we felt when we first became close. She spoke very casually, talking about how she had recently filmed an advertisement and shot a cover for a magazine, and so on.

Everyone is very happy.

Speak your mind. No matter when, being good-looking can always be a way to make money.

Like her, a '95 graduate, she's only a sophomore now. Although she's in the acting department, she doesn't get many real roles and no one promotes her. However, even so, she took on a music video in the first half of the year, an advertisement in the second half, and did some magazine shoots. It didn't take much effort, and she already earned more than 10,000 yuan.

If she weren't pretty, who would want to date her?
More than 10,000 yuan in income! Back when he had just been discharged from the army last winter, everyone in the tenement building thought that Lin Jianlu was doing well to earn 300 to 500 yuan a month.
However, this is only the beginning!

The next thirty years will truly be an era where as long as you're beautiful, you can make money!

If you take on a high-end role, you don't need to be a superstar. Just an ordinary role, like the third, fourth, or fifth female lead, is fine. Your salary will follow the market. If you act for ten or twenty years, you can earn enough wealth that most people can only dream of in a lifetime.

Sell ​​them at a low price; as long as they're pretty enough, you can still make a good profit every year!

She can save up a fortune before she turns thirty, marry an honest man, and be pampered by him—a life of ease and happiness!

Lin Jianlu didn't really know what happened to Shen Aojun in his previous life. He didn't even know when she would change her name to Shen Aojun. He just had a deep impression of the two dramas she starred in in his previous life, so he had a good impression of her. The girl was poised and composed, and she had once captivated Lin Jianlu.

After chatting for a while, it was almost five o'clock when I urged the girl to go to the restroom, which made her blush. Then the two of us went downstairs to find something to eat. Suddenly, a breeze picked up. The climate in Shanghai is so strange. It felt calm all day, but a cool breeze suddenly arose, and I noticed that the girl, who was only wearing a skirt, was shivering.

She was going to go far to find a restaurant to treat them, but Lin Jianlu immediately rejected the idea—"See that? Salted duck. I've heard about it before, but I've never tried it. Let's have one. And over there, crab roe noodles. It sounds delicious! One bowl each. I have a big appetite, so I'll have two bowls with the salted duck. How about that?"

The girl was both surprised and amused, and couldn't help but laugh. But she quickly nodded in agreement, "Okay! I'll eat it like that, whatever you say!"—Wow, Northeastern girls are so straightforward!

We ate a lot of food, nothing too expensive, but it was quite satisfying.

After finishing their meal and walking out onto the street, sure enough, with food in her stomach, the girl no longer felt cold. She even invited Lin Jianlu to take a walk—the Bund was actually not far away.

Let's go for a walk.

The Bund was already quite popular back then.

The lights shone on the Huangpu River, refracting a colorful array of light. As you stroll along the shore, the hem of the girl's pale yellow dress fluttered in the evening breeze, and her hair was occasionally tousled by the wind. She would then reach out and smooth it back down. In this dappled night, she exuded an indescribable stunning beauty.

As we walked, talked, and laughed, I could increasingly sense that the girl was indeed outgoing, talkative, and cheerful. The more we talked, the more topics we had to discuss, and we actually found ourselves quite compatible.

This girl is a very honest person.

She has classic, striking, and beautiful features, a tall and slender figure, and even her personality is exceptionally free-spirited—all typical characteristics of a northern girl.

Lin Jianlu likes dealing with girls like this—they don't have so much fuss!

So, what was originally just a spur-of-the-moment decision turned into something else. As they walked, Lin Jianlu told her to come back the next afternoon. He said he would try to get two tickets to Shinji Tanimura's concert in the morning, and she could pick them up in the afternoon.

The girl wasn't coy at all; she readily agreed and thanked him.

Passing by a post office on the way, which was still brightly lit even though it was almost seven o'clock, Lin Jianlu had an idea. He called the girl over and they went in to browse. He saw a Nokia 8110 that he liked, sold with a number, priced at 7998 yuan, and it required a 2500 yuan deposit for the phone fee. He took out his credit card, bought the phone, and then immediately handed it to the girl, saying, "Take it, I'll save the number later, so it'll be convenient to ask you for a meal later."

The girl hesitated for several seconds and declined several times, but Lin Jianlu must have seen that he was sincere and really wanted to give her a gift. She felt that and finally accepted it and thanked him.

I took her home by taxi.

That evening at the hotel, I chatted on the phone with Su Huilun and Chen Shuhua for a long time. I listened to them talking back and forth about how well they were doing with the new house. Su Huilun did most of the talking, as she was the one doing the work. She was naturally very talkative, and I could only hear Chen Shuhua interjecting from time to time. They were at the new house, which was still a bit empty. I could clearly hear the clatter of Chen Shuhua's high heels on the floor.

Soothing and elegant.

Then she received another call from Xu Qing. The preparations for Qingkong Films were progressing quickly; the office address had been rented and was undergoing simple renovations. It wasn't large, about 100 square meters was enough, and they were in the registration process. Old Ma was quite diligent and seemed very concerned about this matter. She also met with Haiyan and Ma Wei again today because the script was basically finalized. Haiyan wanted to find a director named Zhao Baogang to direct it.

It is said that they had worked together before, and Haiyan had a lot of faith in Zhao Baogang's abilities.

Before even making contact, he needed to ask the major shareholder's opinion first—Lin Jianlu knew Zhao Baogang. However, after only a slight hesitation, he agreed; it's business, after all!

Although Lin Jianlu knew for certain that Zhao Baogang was, to some extent, a peripheral member of the Beijing elite circle—in short, a follower of Wang Shuo—it was also true that while Lin Jianlu disliked the Beijing elite circle and Wang Shuo, it didn't mean he hated people involved in it. In fact, children of high-ranking officials like Haiyan were quintessential members of the Beijing elite circle! Within this broad concept of the Beijing elite circle, he was even considered one of its core members!

Feng Xiaogang and Zhao Baogang are actually not as central as him!
Ever since "Plainclothes Policeman," he's been a small force. It's just that early TV dramas didn't sell well, but the success of the dramas was that TV stations had dramas to broadcast and actors could become famous. The people who made the dramas didn't actually suffer any losses. So now, he just needs to start a second business!
Now, even Wang Shuo has fled, so what's the point of mentioning the so-called Beijing circle...?

Later, Leung Wing-ki called again, saying that her manager was missing and had vanished. But her first album was about to be released—the date was set for November 11th. What could she do if her manager was not around?
Ugh……

Too many women are a nuisance!

I could only reassure her that her agent was busy with other things, which were almost finished, around the 10th, and she would be going back to Hong Kong soon. I told her not to worry, and if she couldn't come back, I would drop everything and go to support her!
They were finally calmed down.

Then, calculating the time, Ge Fuhong and Zhang Aijia must have already gotten up by Eastern Time, so I called Ge Fuhong. Ge Fuhong laughed and said, "She's just a little girl! It's her first time! She already called me earlier, and I promised to be back on the 10th. She's just being affectionate with you! If I can't make it back then, I'll have to trouble you to go and support her!"

Lin Jianlu smiled wryly, but after thinking about it, she finally agreed.

I can't just sleep with someone so many times for nothing, can I?

Others give this and that, never stingy with help and support. On the other hand, this girl gave you her virginity. She's so young, at the age when she should be most impulsive and spirited, yet she's just silently enduring your love and hasn't complained for a long time. Now that you've had your fun, it's only right that you go and support her when it matters!
…………

The rehearsal went smoothly the next morning, since there were only two songs.

Shinji Tanimura had a translator with him. Since it was just a rehearsal, things were very relaxed. So after the song, I was able to stand by the stage, have a drink of water, and chat with Shinji Tanimura for a while.

But when they returned from rehearsals and entered the hotel, Shen Aojun suddenly jumped up from the lobby lounge area and ran over, beaming. She had her hands hidden behind her back. Once they were in her room, the girl pulled out something from behind her back, looking like she wanted praise, and handed her a cardboard box. "This is for you! I saved my number in it! Mine is blue, so I'm giving you a white one!"

I took it... completely bewildered... Isn't this also a Nokia 8110?!
Hey... this girl...

Lin Jianlu was stunned for several seconds, then burst into laughter.

…………

He often receives gifts and often gives gifts to others, but this was the first time he'd ever had such an "equal exchange," leaving him somewhat bewildered. "Are you crazy? You've wiped out all your savings now!"

She smiled a little shyly, but readily agreed, "It's okay! We can always earn more if we run out!"

Lin Jianlu laughed again.

Holding a cell phone in my hand, I felt a bit helpless and speechless.

It would be difficult to return it, and besides, it's a token of the girl's goodwill—well, I'll accept it!
She was in a hurry to leave, saying she had a long class in the afternoon, so I quickly took out two tickets for her. They weren't complimentary tickets; the seats were excellent. And even though it's this day and age, Shinji Tanimura's concerts are incredibly popular, with tickets selling very well. The prices ranged from 180 to 580 yuan, and there were just over 6000 tickets available, which were already sold out long ago. The two tickets I gave Shen Aojun were 480 yuan tickets!

The girl took it, thanked him, and quickly ran away.

But after she left, Lin Jianlu thought for a moment and then picked up his phone to call Zhang Zien. Regarding the investment in "Kangxi's Private Visits," no contract had been signed yet, but Lin Jianlu was highly regarded in the industry. As long as he agreed, Zhang Guoli was not afraid that he would go back on his word. So he had already taken out his own money and started making full preparations, and the progress was very fast.

It would be a bit embarrassing to ask for more roles. Zhang Guoli once said that he planned to film four short stories in his "Kangxi's Private Visits". In Lin Jianlu's view, it is actually similar to a sitcom. Kangxi, Consort Yi, Sandezi, Fayin and Xiaotaohong are the five characters who are the regular characters. Each unit will introduce new characters and new topics. Basically, each unit will have a villainous boss and an important female supporting character.

Previously, Zhang Guoli and Zhang Zien had already gone to the Beijing Film Academy, almost like a targeted recruitment program, and selected Jiang Qinqin and Zuo Xiaoqian, both of whom were intended to be given the first female supporting role in a segment. Later, Lin Jianlu even called again and took the initiative to get a role for Jia Jingwen - obviously also the first female supporting role in a segment.

Calling now to ask for a role would be a bit unreasonable.

Looking through the scripts of the two episodes they had already produced, it's clear that the first female supporting role in this series wasn't simply a matter of being pretty. While the core story of the two Zhangs was simple and straightforward—a show full of bravado and excitement—they still had some standards when it came to the characters and the plot. Even if the role wasn't suitable, Zhang Zi'en was employed by Xi'an Film Studio and lived in the capital. He had been working with CCTV for the past few years, had a wide network of connections, and was well-informed. Asking him for information was still no problem.

Upon inquiring, it turned out there was indeed a suitable production crew casting for roles.

There was a female director at the Beijing Film Studio named Li Shaohong. It seems that last year, she and another female director named Li Xiaowan jointly invested and registered a company called Rongxinda Film and Television. The Beijing Film Studio was not doing well, there was no work and no money, so they could only find ways to make money themselves, which was the norm in those days.

The company was a typical shell company, because neither of them had much money, and they didn't even have any connections. Old Zhang said that Li Xiaowan was a close associate of the Beijing Film Studio. Her father was the production director of the film studio, and her mother was also a director. But, how should I put it, the Beijing Film Studio itself was about to go bankrupt. How useful were such connections?

Finding people and building a team to work with definitely requires connections, but these days no one is short of talent!

However, the two of them are quite resourceful. While taking on various small jobs to earn money to support the company, they are also actively preparing for their first project, planning to adapt a stage play into a television series, "Thunderstorm." Although things are difficult at the moment, progress is indeed being made, and they are currently casting.

That's settled then. Let's not bother two people at once. I'll just ask Zhang Zi'en to put in a good word for me.

But Zhang Zien reminded him that it was a small matter for him to ask for an audition opportunity, but if he really wanted to get the role, he might not have enough influence. This was someone's entrepreneurial project, and they were determined to succeed or die trying. They were very particular about every role and would first consider whether the actor was suitable. How could anyone have that much influence?
To actually get the role, Lin Jianlu himself would have to step in to make the necessary effort. However, there's some background information: Chen Kaige's family is also affiliated with the Beijing Film Studio, and they reportedly have a good relationship with Li Xiaowan's family!
Hey, it's no big deal. Just use my name to ask directors Li Shaohong and Li Xiaowan if they'd be willing to give the girl an audition, not for a role.

It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t work out.

If someone is a close friend of Chen Kaige, and they feel like cursing him as soon as you mention my name, that's fine too. Just consider it as clarifying who's friend and who's foe!
That made things simple, and Zhang Zien readily agreed.

Less than ten minutes after hanging up, Lin Jianlu's phone rang. As soon as he answered, a woman's voice came from the other end, trembling with excitement, "Hello, is this Lin Jianlu? Director Zhang Zien introduced me to you, and he gave me your number... My name is Li Shaohong!"

"Oh, hello, I'm Lin Jianlu."

After chatting for a while... hey, what a coincidence, Li Shaohong herself is actually in Shanghai!

Moreover, she came to Shanghai specifically to select actors—she said that "Thunderstorm" is about the lives of capitalists, and schools like the Beijing Film Academy and the Central Academy of Drama in the capital cannot cultivate this kind of capitalist temperament, so she specially came to the Shanghai Theatre Academy to select actors, and she just arrived today!
Okay, I don't quite understand this logic, but you're right!
They immediately arranged to meet and talk. After hanging up the phone, the other party arrived at the hotel lobby where Lin Jianlu was staying in just twenty minutes. She didn't know how old she was, but she looked to be around forty years old, slightly plump, and with a rosy complexion. As soon as she saw Lin Jianlu, she became even more excited.

After shaking hands, we ordered two coffees and found a seat in the hotel lobby.

While waiting for her coffee, she couldn't help but chatter on and on, "I never thought I'd have the chance to meet you. At the beginning of this year, I saw your poster on the street, and at first glance, I thought, wow, this face is so good-looking! It's simply the most standard, best-looking, and most masculine face of a Chinese man!"

What could Lin Jianlu say? He could only laugh it off.

Having debuted for just over half a year, and especially recently, he has begun to understand Rosamund Kwan's exhaustion and numbness—he has heard far too many similar compliments in the past six months!
After a brief chat and a couple of sips of coffee, she gradually calmed down, but still seemed remarkably straightforward. She stated directly that although she couldn't make a decision right now to use the person Lin Jianlu recommended, she would meet with them and, if they were generally suitable, she would definitely use them.

Lin Jianlu immediately thanked her, and clinked glasses with her, treating coffee as wine.

Then, she suddenly became reserved and hesitant. Lin Jianlu, being so clever, understood in the blink of an eye and asked with a smile, "Is the overall preparation going smoothly? I heard you have a company, what's it called again? Is this film your first project?"

The topic shifted, and she gave a slightly awkward laugh, then decisively took over the conversation, "Not very smoothly, mainly because we don't have money. Haha, anyway, my partner, Li Xiaowan, and I, who is also a female director, are just trying to find work and slowly saving up..."

This was not unexpected, but Lin Jianlu still hesitated for a moment. He had some impression of the name Li Shaohong, but no matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn't remember what she had acted in. He felt that she had acted in a very big drama, the kind with a great influence, but it seemed that her reputation had collapsed.

But then again, it doesn't matter—the fact that she had the opportunity to film that influential movie shows that she must have achieved a lot of success before filming it!
Furthermore, after spending so much time with the industry, Lin Jianlu has gained a fairly comprehensive understanding of the domestic film and television industry—the market is in a period of explosive growth, or rather, it's in the difficult, arduous uphill phase before that explosive growth. At this point, the talent pool is already in place; what's lacking is money! Funding! Capital!
He asked, "How much more do we need?"

Li Shaohong's eyes lit up instantly, and she quickly straightened her back even more. The man in front of her had become a household name in the capital's film and television circle in just six months. He was practically a timely rain in the film and television industry, like Brother Song Jiang. "We plan to shoot a total of twenty episodes. The script is already done, and the total investment is only about 160 million yuan. Now... hehe, we're still short 100 million yuan! We originally planned to shoot two episodes first, and then find a TV station to show them to see if we could get some investment from them."

Lin Jianlu smiled, thought for a moment, and said, "It's like this, I really like the film and television industry. Although I'm not good at acting myself, I still like to get involved. But I have a rule: I invest in people, not in films."

She immediately followed up, "What do you mean?"

"I've invested in the film, but my investment is in you. As for what you're going to film, I don't really care."

Li Shaohong was stunned for a moment, but quickly came back to her senses. Her face showed some emotion, but it soon turned into excitement and that feeling of "feeling at ease" – well, it was probably the feeling of having found a sugar daddy. Lin Jianlu had seen it once before at Zhang Guoli's place.

She sincerely thanked her: "Thank you!"

But for Lin Jianlu, it didn't really matter. His original intention was just to give Shen Aojun, this silly girl, an opportunity. Investing in the film was just a side thing.

Moreover, in this era, he is prepared to accept a huge success and even make a fortune from a certain drama, but he is also fully prepared to accept another drama that is a complete flop and lose everything.

So he waved his hand and said, "It's nothing! You can prepare whatever you need to. When you have time, just give me a bill or a plan."

She readily agreed, but hesitated for a moment before saying, "Well, as you know, the company I run with my partner is planning to produce this film. Since you think highly of me and are willing to invest in this film, would you like to also invest and become partners, or would you like to simply invest through your Forbidden City Film Company?"

Lin Jianlu was taken aback for a moment, but she quickly understood her thinking—one full meal means you can eat your fill at every meal!
This makes me hesitate again.

From Lin Jianlu's perspective, he actually understands very well that people are never satisfied with making money, and once they embark on the road to success, most people are more willing to believe that they can achieve even greater success!

Especially in the arts and culture sector, and especially in the entertainment industry!
Starting out is incredibly difficult. If someone is willing to lend a helping hand, you'd be so grateful you'd kneel down and kowtow twice, vowing to never forget them, even unto death. But once you succeed, you quickly realize how amazing your talent is, that you can do it all without anyone else—which leads to the inevitable split up and parting ways! And often, it ends up looking pretty ugly!
Therefore, Lin Jianlu is not really willing to partner with someone to start a company, unless it's like the group that Han Shanping and Zhang Heping put together, where there was no focus from the beginning and it was just about making investments.

Zhang Guoli had previously suggested that everyone pool their money and start a joint venture to produce "Kangxi's Private Visits." Lin Jianlu agreed at the time, but later, with the Forbidden City Film Studio as a shell, he simply threw the project into it and left everything to this shell to handle. How could a mere contract and a small company possibly confine an artist?
What was originally a good thing—helping others succeed while also making a little money for yourself—why drag so many interests into it!

But that was just his own way of thinking—a way of thinking that naturally formed by someone who had seen so many dramas in later generations, where people fought each other over interests and where longtime friends turned against each other.

However, this is not the mindset of the current group of filmmakers in China.

These days, everyone wants to curry favor with a powerful figure, everyone wants to find a sugar daddy!

I'm poor, I have no money, and I can't earn any! Who can guarantee they'll succeed? Everyone has art, ideals, and ambitions; but not everyone has money!

Artists need to eat too!
"You mean, you want me to invest in your company?"

"Yes! Although Rongxinda has just been established, please believe me, we sincerely want to produce good products. To be honest, we just don't have the money. If we had money, we wouldn't have started the company last year, and our first film is still in preparation! You just said that you are an investor, not an investor in the film, and I am very grateful for that. If you are willing to invest, the three of us can pool our resources and work together! We can both be directors and producers. We don't lack ideas or concepts; we lack money. Once your money comes in, we can get started, and your connections in Hong Kong and Taiwan can also help us a lot!"

Lin Jianlu pondered.

So she continued, "For example, in the play 'Thunderstorm' that I'm currently preparing, I really want an actress from Taiwan to play the role of Lu Shiping. I don't know if you know her, her name is Gui Yalei... But if we invite her, I'm afraid she won't even look at our small production team!"

Believe it or not, Gui Yalei actually knows her!

When I spent a few days filming Zhou Linggang's "Four Daughters," I got to know quite a few Taiwanese actors, including Jia Jingwen and Gui Yalei! We even exchanged phone numbers and made a promise that I would treat her to a meal if she came to the capital to film, but she never actually came.

Now that's great, if "Thunderstorm" is filmed in the capital, then this meal can finally be arranged.

"That's easy, I'll get it for you later."

In fact, most mainlanders can't go to Taiwan and have very little contact with people there, so they often think of Taiwanese actors as too high-class—as for making money, if there's money to be made, they are all willing to come to the mainland to film. Moreover, although Gui Yalei is considered famous, she is already playing old female roles and doesn't earn much in Taiwan!
No kidding, as long as you're willing to reimburse your airfare, accommodation, and meals, those young, beautiful women there are so popular that they'd be scrambling to take on any job, even one music video for NT$6,000. The Taiwanese market is too small. Although TV dramas can be exported to Southeast Asia, the sales are only so-so. A small market means less money, and with less money, actors can't expect high salaries!
"Oh my! Thank you so much! This has solved a huge problem for me!"

"It's nothing! Is there anything else I can help with?"

"Nothing else for now, it's just about the shareholding..."

"Hmm...okay! I don't mind!"

"Oh my, that's great! With you as the boss, we feel much more at ease filming this movie!"

"Ha... Just focus on making good films and productions. If there's anything I can help with, just let me know! I'm investing in you and your company not just so you can make me some money. I don't care about the cost of a TV series. I've just talked to you this far and I simply believe you can definitely do it!"

Li Shaohong was stunned for a long time, pursed her lips, and her eyes suddenly reddened. She was over forty years old.

As she spoke, her voice choked with emotion without her realizing it.

"Yes! I understand! Thank you for valuing me so much!"

***
I'm too lazy to break down this long chapter, so I'll just keep asking for your guaranteed monthly votes!
(End of this chapter)