HuaYu: A Great Director Starting with Dream of the Red Chamber

After we finished discussing business, it was already past nine o'clock at night.

After seeing off Jing Tian, ​​who was so excited she wanted to drag him out for a late-night snack, Li Yan didn't go back to Doujiao Hutong. Instead, he turned a corner and went straight to the apartment on the edge of the East Fourth Ring Road.

The doorbell opens almost instantly when you ring it.

Before Li Yan could adjust to the light in the room, a soft, warm body, exuding a damp heat, crashed into his arms.

It carries the subtle fragrance of a post-bath scent.

"Big director, are you sure you can afford to give it up?"

Yang Mi's voice is both sweet and soft.

She was only wearing a silk nightgown, the thin straps hanging precariously on her rounded shoulders.

The neckline was very low, and the watery fabric clung to her body, outlining stunning curves. Large swaths of snow-white fabric shimmered under the warm light, making one dizzy.

She wrapped her arms around Li Yan's neck, clinging to him like a koala, her peach blossom eyes sparkling with tears, revealing a charm that she only showed in front of him.

Li Yan hooked his foot behind the door, lifted her up by her shapely figure, and carried her to the sofa in the living room, not forgetting to whisper a laugh in her ear:

"If I hadn't come, wouldn't Boss Yang have smashed my windows tonight?"

"Hmph, you know that much!"

Yang Mi gave a soft snort, opened her red lips, and bit his neck lightly.

"The latest news all seems to be about you stealing the spotlight in Venice, winning awards, criticizing people, and parading around with Nazario... Confess honestly, did you take advantage of the situation to sleep with some young girl?"

Li Yan threw her onto the soft sofa and pressed himself against her.

Looking down at her half-undressed, disheveled hair, he gently stroked her flushed cheeks:

"That little guy is still too young to compare to the 'victory celebration banquet' that Boss Yang specially prepared... I came straight here without even putting down my luggage!"

"Pah! Such a smooth talker..."

Yang Mi's cheeks flushed, and though she playfully scolded him, her body betrayed her by wrapping herself tightly around Li Yan's waist with her long, beautiful legs, her breath sweet as orchids in his ear:

"So... what do you think of this 'victory celebration banquet'? Was it surprising enough?"

"We'll have to wait and see!"

Li Yan chuckled softly, giving her no chance to speak, and leaned down to kiss her red lips that were still trying to retort, silencing all her protests and sobs.

……

Two days later.

The courtyard house on Huangsi Street still has the same flower hall.

This time, however, Jing Tian was not present. In addition to Lu Zheng and Li Yan, there was also a middle-aged man with a humble smile, Jiang Zhiqiang.

The atmosphere was noticeably more pragmatic, and it was also filled with an unspoken, tacitly commercial stench.

"Boss Jiang, I've long admired your name."

Although Lu Zheng is a man who is not short of money, he still maintains a proper attitude in front of Jiang Zhiqiang, a big shot in the industry.

"Mr. Lu, you're too kind. I've long heard about Starlight Brilliant's grand projects, but seeing is believing."

Jiang Zhiqiang exchanged pleasantries with a smile, then subtly glanced at Li Yan beside him.

This kid was right; he was quick on the uptake.

After a few rounds of drinks, Jiang Zhiqiang put down his chopsticks and took the initiative to get straight to the point:

"I've already spoken to Liang Jiahui and Wu Zhenyu. The script has been submitted, and the feedback has been very positive, especially from Wu Zhenyu, who is very interested in the driver role. As for the salary, I will try my best to keep it within a reasonable range; the package price should not exceed five million."

"Then thank you so much, Boss Jiang."

Lu Zheng raised his glass in a toast, his face full of smiles: "With you handling this, I can rest assured."

Five million to get two Best Actor awards? What a great deal!

Jiang Zhiqiang took a sip of his drink, then changed the subject:

"However, business is business! Since I've put in the effort and am optimistic about this project, I'd like to ask Mr. Lu for a lucky draw prize."

"Please speak."

"The overseas and Hong Kong/Taiwan distribution of this film will be handled by Edko Films. In addition, I would like to exchange 10% of the investment share. As for the domestic distribution, if you have any difficulties, we can discuss it later."

Lu Zheng glanced at Li Yan.

Li Yan nodded slightly.

This was all expected. Anle's overseas distribution capabilities are undeniable. Giving them a share of the pie meant giving them a piece of the pie away, but it also made the pie bigger.

That 10% share was originally reserved for "our own people".

"No problem!" Lu Zheng readily agreed.

"As for the share... since Boss Jiang has spoken, let's calculate it based on the production cost, and we can all make a fortune together."

In just a few words, the distribution of profits was completed.

That's how efficient it is. There's not much bickering or roundabout stuff. As long as the benefits are right, the rest is all about "win-win cooperation".

After finishing their business, Jiang Zhiqiang glanced at his watch and smiled:

"Since everyone's so agreeable, I'll see this through. Fan Bingbing and her agent, Mu Xiaoguang, are at a nearby hotel. I've arranged afternoon tea with them. Director Li, would you like to go meet them?"

Li Yan's eyes lit up, he wiped his hands and stood up:

"I couldn't have gotten it."

……

Kunlun Hotel, Executive Lounge.

Shortly after Li Yan and Jiang Zhiqiang sat down, the heavy wooden door of the private room was pushed open.

A unique fragrance, a blend of ylang-ylang, black truffle, and smoked dark chocolate, wafted in first.

Rich, profound, and magnificent, it is full of mature desire and wild allure.

It should be TF's Midnight Orchid.

Only women with enough ambition dare to wear unisex perfumes that make their desires written all over their faces.

Fan Bingbing.

She wore a boldly cut royal blue deep V-neck dress, her wavy hair was casually draped over her shoulders, and her skin was so white it seemed to glow.

Even before she put on that famous "dragon robe," her stunning beauty, so captivating it was almost aggressive, was already incredibly alluring.

Beside her stood her agent, Mu Xiaoguang, a burly man wearing sunglasses. He was the driving force behind her independence from Huayi Brothers.

"Boss Jiang, it's been a long time."

Fan Bingbing took off her sunglasses, revealing a delicate and flawless face. She smiled and glanced at Li Yan, but only for a moment, without paying much attention to him.

"Bingbing, come and sit down."

Jiang Zhiqiang stood up to greet him, pointing to Li Yan, "This is the director Li Yan I mentioned to you, who just returned from winning an award in Venice."

"Director Li, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Before Li Yan could speak, Mu Xiaoguang spoke first:

"Winner of the Venice Short Film award, very promising! But Director Li, short films and commercial blockbusters are two different things... Don't blame me for being blunt, but Bingbing's time is very precious. If it's a project used for practice or to ride the wave of popularity, let's not waste each other's time."

They were very rude from the start.

In Mu Xiaoguang's eyes, he looked down on Lu Zheng, thinking he was just an outsider who knew nothing about the industry, let alone Li Yan, a lucky newcomer!

If it weren't for Jiang Zhiqiang's sake, he wouldn't have brought Fan Bingbing to this appointment at all.

The atmosphere in the private room instantly turned cold.

Jiang Zhiqiang held his teacup, smiling without saying a word, seemingly wanting to see how Li Yan would respond.

Li Yan didn't care. He leaned back on the sofa, walked straight past Mu Xiaoguang, and looked at Fan Bingbing, who was casually playing with her nails.

"Mr. Mu, let's not talk about money first."

His voice wasn't loud, and he didn't directly answer Mu Xiaoguang's question:

"I'm not here to talk about money today; I want to ask Sister Bingbing a question."

Fan Bingbing paused for a moment, then raised her head, her captivating eyes finally looking directly at Li Yan with a hint of curiosity:

"What's the problem?"

Li Yan sat up straight, looked into her eyes, and uttered her most classic declaration about the future:

"Everyone's saying you want to marry into a wealthy family, Sister Bingbing, haven't you ever thought about... becoming wealthy yourself?"