A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 186 Let's Settle This Off!
Lin Jianlu was stunned for almost three full seconds!

Hey……

"Hello, brother-in-law!"

I don't know how old she is now, but I guess she's about sixteen or seventeen. Anyway, I think she's a post-80s generation, but I'm not sure if it's 1980 or 1981. She's already grown up and is about the same height as Chen Hong, probably around 168 cm. She's a bit chubby and very cute, but she already shows the potential to be a beauty that will captivate the nation in the future.

"Oh, hello, Bingbing, right? That's nice."

Chen Hong continued, "Qiong Yao contacted Liu Xuehua before, you know her, right? She also works with Qiong Yao's productions. She mainly asked Liu Xuehua to recommend young actors, as Qiong Yao likes to use newcomers in her films. Liu Xuehua recommended Bingbing to Qiong Yao; they worked together on a film crew before, what was it called again?"

Fan Bingbing answered crisply, her eyes timid yet fixed intently on Lin Jianlu, "It's called 'Strong Woman,' with Sister Xuehua as the female lead and Shao Bing as the male lead." Her eyes were filled with the surprise and amazement of seeing a big star.

It has to be said that although the future beauty has not yet fully grown into her full form, her eyes are already truly captivating.

It is both tender and radiant.

At this moment, Chen Hong picked up the conversation, "That's right! Bingbing went to see He Xiuqiong the other day, and we were chatting together. When I saw her, I thought, 'Wow, this girl is really pretty!' He Xiuqiong slapped her thigh and said that all the main roles were filled and the cast was finalized. I thought, 'Hey, such a nice girl, it's pleasing to the eye to have her by my side.' So I asked her, 'Do you know me?' She said yes. This girl has such a sweet voice, she praised me a lot. I thought, 'Okay, you can be my assistant!'"

As she spoke, Lin Jianlu laughed.

Well, this was the first time he had ever seen the unfinished version of Fan Bingbing in both his previous and current lives. You can't really call it innate charm, but in short, the sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl was beautiful, pretty, and graceful. She also looked clever, intelligent, and had expressive eyes.

To be honest, she's the kind of girl that almost anyone would like.

He just hadn't expected that he had been worried that "My Fair Princess" wouldn't be able to get off the ground, and he didn't know when this girl would be able to seize the next good opportunity to stand out, let alone when he would be able to meet her again. The past few days had been too chaotic, with all sorts of things pushing him forward. First, he was busy with recording, then celebrating the return of the motherland, and he was busy recording programs and performing on stage everywhere. Then he rushed to America to prepare for promotion. He really couldn't take care of these things in China, and he was willing but unable to do so. As a result, even though "My Fair Princess" had been filming for a month or so, Lin Jianlu hadn't had time to ask about it even once.

Naturally, there's no need to pay attention to a little girl who hasn't even shown her face yet!

Unexpectedly, by sheer coincidence, this girl ended up in Chen Hong's hands.

This is a bit...difficult.

How could she possibly sleep with her assistant!
But ironically, this was actually one of the four dream lovers in his initial "ambition" when he first transmigrated, and she was only ranked after Gao Yuanyuan!
big head!

…………

After a brief chat to get to know each other, Chen Hong took Fan Bingbing downstairs to buy groceries. However, when she returned with the groceries, Fan Bingbing did not come back with her. Lin Jianlu was surprised and asked her about it. Chen Hong said, "I gave her a day off. She's been working non-stop with me every day. She's still a little girl. It's good that she gets a day off."

So it was not appropriate to ask any further questions.

The two of them went into the kitchen together, making clanging and banging noises.

Chen Hong tried to push him out several times, but he always crawled back in. Finally, after only halfway through preparing the food, Chen Hong leaned on the counter and groaned for a while. After resting for a bit, she cleaned up and went back to the kitchen to continue preparing the food. Only then did Lin Jianlu stop going in. Instead, she asked from a distance in the kitchen, "What's wrong? Xu Qing is on her period? That doesn't mean you're craving it like this. Zuo Xiaoqian is definitely here! Besides, you don't need anyone in Hong Kong!"

Lin Jianlu was drinking tea when she smiled and replied, "I'm drooling over you!"

A moment later, she peeked out from the kitchen doorway, a kitchen knife in her hand. Her eyes instantly captivated Lin Jianlu. "Wait, I'll feed you well tonight!" she said with a smile before retreating back into her clattering.

Before noon, four cold dishes and four hot dishes were already set out on the small dining table.

She also brought over a bottle of Xifeng liquor, unscrewed it, poured some for Lin Jianlu, and said with a smile, "When I went to Guanzhong Province to discuss cooperation with the TV station there, I asked someone at the TV station to put in a good word for me and get you ten cases of their special internal supply liquor. Everyone says you like Moutai and Xifeng the most. Here, have a taste."

"Hey...not bad, even better than the case Old Zhao gave me! Since you have ten cases, I'll give you an address later, and you can send two cases to Old Zhao so he can try them too! Ha...he's a local bigwig, and even the director of the Guanzhong Provincial Song and Dance Troupe couldn't get his hands on this special supply of liquor, and I'm giving it to him, hahaha, Old Zhao will probably be furious! I hope he'll learn from his mistake and get some special supply of Moutai to send to me!"

Chen Hong laughed at his childishness, "Maotai special supply is easy to get, I'll get it for you!"

However, Lin Jianlu waved his hand, "I was just kidding. Don't put your mind to these things. Playing with things will only distract you from your studies! You've done a great job in the last six months. In the capital, you're the one I trust the most. I can entrust anything to you. Keep focusing on getting things done. Once you've laid a solid foundation, in two years, you won't be young anymore. Didn't you say you wanted a child last time? Then take a year off and have a baby."

Chen Hong's bright eyes were fixed on him, and she couldn't bear to look away.

He stood there stunned for several seconds before finally nodding, his voice sounding strange and slightly hoarse, "Okay! I'll listen to you. I'll do whatever you say."

Lin Jianlu turned to look at her, suddenly took a sip of wine, grabbed her chin, and fed her a mouthful. She sipped it, swallowed, and the sweetness in her eyes almost overflowed.

So, in the end, night didn't come.

After dinner, Lin Jianlu made tea and went to tidy up the kitchen. When she finished, she came over and sat down. Before long, Lin Jianlu got angry again, so the two of them went straight back to the bedroom and messed around for a good thirty or forty minutes. Then they collapsed and took a shower together. Only after showering did they feel refreshed and comfortable. They then sat down, poured out the cold tea, brewed a new pot, and were finally able to sit down properly and talk about their feelings after being apart for so long.

It wasn't actually a love confession.

Her sweet words, on the contrary, were almost entirely devoid of emptiness. From the past to the present, except for that first time in New York when he was somewhat unable to suppress his emotions and thus said a lot about love, she had rarely spoken of those sentimental and affectionate things like "I love you" or "I miss you." Instead, she spoke entirely of her thoughts and ideas about the present and the future, and about the two businesses that Lin Jianlu had entrusted to her.

Well, she shouldn't even think about "Red Lovers." That would be a co-production between Forbidden City Films and Media Asia Films, and it would also be Lin Jianlu's first step in gradually integrating Media Asia Films into the mainland market.

However, she was allowed to enter the film industry.

Hong Kong films are actually getting colder and colder now. While there are various reasons for the shrinking market, the lack of progress of Hong Kong films over the years is definitely the main reason. However, even without progress, Hong Kong films still have a better understanding and skill in commercialization than mainland films.

Hong Kong film talents are now scattered everywhere, and going to America is obviously the best choice. However, only people like Tang Jili and Hong Jinbao can make a living in America by working on American TV series. Ordinary people can't even get a taste of that. Hong Kong films going north to find work in the mainland, relying on their experience and technical advantages, is almost inevitable.

On this point, Lin Jianlu has had many in-depth exchanges with Wang Jing, Xu Ke, and Zhuang Cheng, as well as with Derek Yee, Chen Kexin, and others. He has even had brief exchanges with Zou Wenhuai of Golden Harvest and Xiang Huaqiang of Win's Entertainment.

This is the future path that everyone agrees on.

It may even be the only way out.

So, whenever there's an opportunity, I'll introduce these big names in Hong Kong films to Chen Hong. Opportunities for collaboration will gradually increase in the future. Movies aren't an option for now, not because the current mainland cinema chain system doesn't allocate much revenue, but mainly because movie tickets are too expensive. In the next three to five years, they certainly won't become a mainstream consumption option for the general public, so we can postpone it.

Taking small steps, collaborating on one project a year, to test the waters.

However, the market for TV dramas in mainland China is truly enormous. Moreover, after so many recent productions have tested the waters, it's clear that mainland TV stations are starting to have money. They're now allowed to sell advertising revenue, so they're all making money. Therefore, in the next few years, we should focus on producing more dramas, collaborating more, learning more, and building up a strong team. While making money, we can also wait for the major reform of the film system that Han Shanping is currently promoting in mainland China.

…………

The next morning, I still accompanied Chen Hong to buy two large villas.

One set was one she had her eye on, and the other was one Yu Feihong had her eye on before she left; they bought them together.

After buying over $20 million worth of Yahoo stock in the US stock market, Lin Jianlu's personal account is now practically empty. He can't even come up with a million or two in cash, let alone tens of millions of RMB. But that's okay. He's a long-time HSBC customer, a super VIP. And since he spent so much money in the US stock market, two banks in America, Citibank and Wells Fargo, have been in contact with him. Recently, even Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong has contacted him.

If he needs money, he can make a phone call and four banks will be vying to send him money.

As for his current debt of nearly 100 million US dollars—sorry, compared to the wealth that the global pop star will have in the future, that 100 million US dollars in debt is nothing!

Since its release, anyone with even a slight understanding of the record industry knows that the direct market value of "21" will be between $6 million and $10 billion. Looking at the long term, if its value is managed by an experienced company like Columbia Records, the output value it can generate in the next ten years or so could be no less than $20 billion, and it's not impossible that it could even reach $30 billion!

Just from music copyright licensing and bundled broadcasting rights, the business alone could easily generate $100 million a year—which KFC or McDonald's in the world doesn't play this album? Throughout North America, how many restaurants, stadiums, public commercial events, and large and small chain supermarkets are playing this album on repeat every day? That's all money!
Unlike Hong Kong and Taiwan, where Chinese music records can be played freely in stores of all sizes without generating revenue, North America is different. In North America, playing music without authorization will result in immediate legal action, and every single case will be prosecuted!

Basically, any chain service organization of any size or large event organizer will purchase broadcasting rights from major record companies in advance, and "21" will definitely be the number one hit for many years to come!
And this is only the first English album of the new generation of global pop kings!

He carries within him a market worth tens of billions of US dollars in the future!
Outsiders don't know exactly how much his contract with Sony Columbia splits, but even just by making a rough estimate based on industry practice, it's not hard to figure out that in the future, just the album "21" alone could bring him a steady stream of income, potentially totaling hundreds of millions of dollars over the next ten years!
Not to mention, for a global pop superstar, the money earned from releasing records and licensing copyrights is only a small part! Concerts, residency performances, and brand endorsements—that's where the real money comes in!

For people like this, banks will only worry about why they don't take out loans, and would never question their repayment ability!

So, after agreeing on the price, Lin Jianlu simply made a phone call to a senior manager at HSBC's Beijing branch. He no longer needed to worry about the subsequent payments; he just needed to wait for the signature.

…………

I had a good rest for a few days. All my fatigue has dissipated.

On the morning of August 10th, I got up early, went for a run, had a quick breakfast, and then the driver took us to the Summer Palace. There were three cars in total, which could be considered a small convoy. Liu Xiaoli and Chen Hong were on the way, and Chen Hong also brought her assistant Fan Bingbing. A production manager from Forbidden City Film Company also accompanied us.

I went to visit the set of "My Fair Princess". I heard that they filmed a lot of scenes in the Grand View Garden landscape built by the Beijing Film Studio, and also went to Prince Gong's Mansion. Later, they went to the Feiteng Film and Television Base in Huairou to film for a few days, and just recently they moved to the Summer Palace.

It's a bit far, and unless absolutely necessary, Lin Jianlu wouldn't really want to waste so much time on the road to visit the set of a TV series. However, given the two reasons, he still couldn't refuse to go.

Firstly, Lin Qingxia, one of the producers, was almost never on set from beginning to end. Although Forbidden City Film Studio sent someone else to serve as executive producer, in Lin Jianlu's view, "My Fair Princess" had a certain degree of representative significance. Whether it was a cross-strait co-production or not was a minor matter. It was Forbidden City Film Studio's true entrepreneurial work, which he himself spearheaded. It was nothing special. More importantly, it would inevitably bring a strong social impact after it was broadcast in the future. The people sent by Forbidden City Film Studio could not possibly suppress the combination of producer and director from Qiong Yao's side. Therefore, Lin Jianlu needed to show his face and put on a show.

Secondly... alas, it was lust that caused this trouble.

On one side is Jiang Qinqin, and on the other is Jia Jingwen.

Yeah, it's a big headache.

I arrived at noon and met He Xiuqiong, and then I met director Sun Shuping.

There was also the executive producer sent to the film crew by Forbidden City Film Company.

The filming progress is not slow. According to He Xiuqiong, the progress is not only not behind schedule, but also two days ahead of schedule. There is no problem with finishing filming on time. Lin Jianlu came with a large entourage and many people. As soon as he arrived, he talked with He Xiuqiong and Sun Shuping. Neither Jia Jingwen nor Jiang Qinqin dared to rush over directly.

On the contrary, Huang Lei took the initiative to move closer to them.

He had shaved his head and was now sporting a long braid reminiscent of the Qing Dynasty, which looked rather comical. He bypassed the group of crew members and actors, and took the initiative to come over, seemingly showing off his connections, to greet them, "Jin Lu is here."

Lin Jianlu smiled and nodded at him, but didn't say anything.

After chatting with He Xiuqiong and the others, it was time to talk about the actors and the crew. Hey, the flowerpot-shaped shoes in the Qing Dynasty imperial harem were really good props. The thickness could be freely controlled. As a result, when Jia Jingwen, who is 160cm tall, stood next to Jiang Qinqin, who is 166cm tall, and Lin Zhiling, who is 175cm tall, they were about the same height.

After greeting Jiao Enjun, Chen Zhipeng, and the Emperor, Lin Jianlu lowered his head to examine the platform shoes of the actresses and asked Jia Jingwen, "Can you stand steadily?" — Jia Jingwen was shrewd and immediately sensed the teasing in his words. Her face flushed slightly, but she was also a little proud and spoke in a slightly coquettish tone, "Of course I can stand steadily! Flat!"

As she spoke, she even lifted the sole of her shoe to show Lin Jianlu.

Okay, it really is flat.

But I still went over to greet the major supporting actors first.

Rong Momo was a little flattered and quickly shook hands, "Oh my, you're even more beautiful in person than in the poster!" Lin Jianlu waved her hand, "Hey! You flatter me!" Without mentioning the group photo, she first called Chen Hong over and took a picture of the two of them together, "Grandma, I've read the script. You're very powerful in this drama. Don't be afraid, these maids are not well-behaved. Just do it for me and teach them a lesson!"

Grandma Li Mingqi chuckled but didn't respond.

The old lady was shrewd—the two leading ladies came from the same background, and they had been at odds ever since the crew first came together and started working on their relationship. Everyone on set knew about their various overt and covert rivalries.

…………

She stayed that day. The crew was still filming night scenes at nine o'clock. Lin Jianlu was not in a hurry to go to the hotel. She just sat there calmly on set. For several hours, Jiang Qinqin and Jia Jingwen did not dare to approach her.

Before coming, he was so fierce when he called to complain, but now that he realized Lin Jianlu was angry, he became so cowardly.

Chen Hong sat down next to him with great interest, took a large palm-leaf fan, and fanned him and herself. She looked at the two girls who were clearly out of luck but were each huddled in a corner, and she wanted to laugh.

"That's enough, there are so many mosquitoes, don't get bitten here!"

"You go back first, I'll wait for you, I'll treat you to a late-night snack later."

It wasn't actually about the late-night snack. If it were just to scare the two little girls, there wouldn't have been such a show of force. The main thing was that with him there, the executive producer of Forbidden City Films on the mainland suddenly became more assertive and dared to go head-to-head with He Xiuqiong.

That's right! That's exactly how it should be!

Cooperation is fine, it can be about learning and making money together, but it should never involve a huge investment in a film where the producer you send only dares to echo the other party.

What deserves respect should be respected, and what should be upheld should be upheld.

Chen Hong glanced at him but didn't try to persuade him further. Only when the director yelled "cut" and announced the end of today's filming did she lean over and whisper in his ear, "The suite I booked for you has a big bed, but the girls are all young and have their pride. Don't go too far!"

Lin Jianlu said irritably, "It's none of your business!"

Chen Hong covered her mouth and laughed.

The film crew had finished shooting, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They were applying Tiger Balm again, making the set smell like Tiger Balm everywhere. He Xiuqiong, however, had already strode over.

In one afternoon, she had already understood what Lin Jianlu meant.

However, this was a reasonable power struggle within their respective jurisdictions, so she couldn't say anything. Instead, she asked Chen Hong, "How many more days are you going to stay here?"

Chen Hong laughed; her shrewdness was in no way inferior to her best friend's. "I don't know. They said they're free lately and want to stay a few more days! What, aren't you welcome?"

He Xiuqiong smiled wryly and turned to look at Lin Jianlu, "Alright, Alu, you've done your part. From now on, I'll try my best to respect your executive producer and give your two girlfriends a good talking-to. Now go back! If you stay here, the girls will be secretly watching you, which will affect the filming schedule!"

Lin Jianlu laughed, neither confirming nor denying, "Let's go, greet everyone, it's my treat for supper!"

…………

Night, hotel room.

The bed was indeed very big.

Even the living room is over 30 square meters.

There was enough room for two people to stand there and be scolded—but to their disappointment, neither Chen Hong nor He Xiuqiong got scolded. Instead, Lin Jianlu put his arms around each of them and patiently listened to them criticize each other to their faces. He would side with whoever said what, but once one finished speaking, the other would take their turn.

If you sue me and I sue you, in the end everyone will have a lot of bad habits.

Then, Lin Jianlu pretended to be a peacemaker, "Oh dear, look at you two. You're both girls I like, and you both love acting. I may lack many other things, but I have no shortage of acting opportunities. So, you'll probably be meeting up on this set or that set all the time. Are you going to become mortal enemies? Besides, it's not a big deal! Qinqin, Wen is your senior, you go first. Apologize and don't call her short anymore! Say... Hey, that's right! Wen, it's your turn. Apologize and don't call her big anymore! What's so big about it? Nonsense!... Hey, that's right!"

Anyway... let's smooth things over!
After scaring him, I smoothed things over and made a promise: "Once this movie is finished, you two will go to Hong Kong together. As long as you don't fight anymore, even if you're not friends anymore, and you get along well and neither of you causes trouble for the other, then when you go to Hong Kong, I'll take you on a cruise. We'll charter the whole ship and have a blast!"

"Really?"

Both girls were very tempted—not to mention Gao Yuanyuan and Jiang Qinqin, who are so-called "country bumpkins" from the mainland and particularly admire the fact that Hong Kong's rich and powerful often take cruise ships out to sea, Jia Jingwen also longed for it!
"Of course it's true! Not just the cruise ship, but when you go to Hong Kong later, I'll have my assistant accompany you shopping. Each of you will have a limit of one million Hong Kong dollars. Bags, cosmetics, perfumes, clothes, whatever you want, go on a shopping spree!"

"it is good!"

"So? Can we stop arguing? Can we stop being so stubborn?"

The two girls looked at each other, and then both calmed down and nodded.

Hey, mission accomplished!

Through their clothes, Lin Jianlu kissed Jiang Qinqin on the chest, then leaned over and kissed Jia Jingwen on the chest. "To help you guys strengthen your friendship, the three of us will take a bath together today!"

"do not want!"

The two girls spoke in unison.

"What do you mean no?! You absolutely have to!"

After saying this, he, who was already holding the two slender waists on either side, used his arm strength to easily lift them up and carry them on his shoulders. Each side weighed about 90 pounds, and the other even less than 90 pounds.

"Let's go take a bath!"

(End of this chapter)