Reborn in the Chinese Entertainment Industry: You're a Director, But You're a Casanova?

"Brother and sister, don't be angry. I never take advantage of others for free."

Liu Yuehua pulled out the newly drafted contracts. This film, tentatively titled "Perfect Strangers," guaranteed a minimum salary for everyone present.

"And your faces and acting skills will all be converted into a percentage of the film's net profit from its global distribution."

"If the box office exceeds 5000 million, you will split 15% of the total net revenue."

"If the box office exceeds 100 million, this percentage will increase to 25%."

"Ladies and gentlemen, this means that you are no longer laborers exploited by capital; you are the ones in charge of this film."

"You guys work your butts off making a movie and get seven or eight million at most. But this film grossed over 100 million, so each of you will get tens of millions!"

"I'll take all the risks and give you the lion's share of the profits."

"Because what I want is not this money, but to use this phenomenal masterpiece to completely shatter the rice bowls of those so-called big directors."

"I want to prove to the world that you don't need grand scenes or funding support; you can still make a commercial film to its fullest potential just by chatting in a room."

Liu Yuehua quietly unleashed his amplified desires.

"I provide the concept and the channels, you provide the image and the acting skills. We are now a community of shared interests in the same trench."

"Once this movie is released, you all don't have to do anything. Just lie back and wait for the company to deposit your share of the profits into your private accounts."

"Of course, if anyone objects, I'll burn the tape right now, and everyone else's future box office revenue will go down the drain."

Looking at this seemingly flawless and generously lucrative betting contract, the expressions of the bigwigs shifted from anger to deep shock.

Leslie Cheung was the first to burst out laughing. He loved Liu Yuehua's arrogance. He picked up a pen and was the first to sign his name on the contract.

"Count me in too. It's been a long time since I've acted in such a fun movie, and I can even get a share of the box office revenue. Only a fool wouldn't do it."

Maggie Cheung smiled slightly and signed her name second.

Immediately afterwards, everyone else's names were neatly listed on the betting agreement.

……

A few days later, the mainland film and television industry fully recovered as the pandemic and flu restrictions were lifted.

The filming location for the TV series "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" was a large and hierarchical place with a diverse cast of people.

In this small community of a few hundred people, the drama of praising the powerful and belittling the weak plays out every day.

Liu Xiaoli stood under a dilapidated sunshade, her eyes red.

On the film set not far away, Liu Yifei was wearing heavy ancient costume and was suspended in mid-air by wires.

The little girl was deathly pale and sweating profusely. She had been filming for three hours straight without a break.

"Director Zhao, Xixi is a little afraid of heights, and she has already filmed three consecutive night shoots. Now there's not even a dressing room left. Could you please let her come down and have a drink of water?" Liu Xiaoli pleaded with a middle-aged man next to the monitor.

The production manager, surnamed Zhao, was fiddling with a walnut in his hand, not even glancing at Liu Xiaoli.

The power structure of the production team is very clear: the director is in charge of art, the production manager is in charge of food, drink, and scheduling. If Director Zhao wants to torment an actor, he doesn't even need to lift a finger. He just needs to schedule all your scenes for the early morning and give you the worst makeup artist, and he'll make you suffer.

Director Zhao is a protégé promoted by General Manager Ma of China Film Group. General Manager Ma has recently been suppressed in Beijing by Han Shanping, who has used the momentum of "Comet" to his advantage.

Director Zhao learned that Liu Xiaoli and her mother were backed by Liu Yuehua. In order to show his loyalty to President Ma, he deliberately tormented Liu Yifei to death on the set.

Liu Yuehua had never worked on a large film crew before, and he was curious to understand how such a large film crew with hundreds of people operated.

He first slipped away to the crew's living quarters area.

By the end of June, although the flu had been brought under control, the authorities had very strict requirements for the resumption of work by large film crews, and allocated special prevention and control subsidies to purchase masks, safe and healthy boxed meals, and disinfectant.

Liu Yuehua opened a newly delivered boxed lunch at the dining table and glanced at the masks piled up next to it.

"Interesting." Liu Yuehua quickly did some mental calculations. According to national standards, the price difference between the boxed meals and masks alone could amount to several thousand yuan a day.

This production manager surnamed Zhao is not only suppressing his own protégé, but also frantically exploiting the country for personal gain.

This is the real reason why the production manager deliberately scheduled Liu Yifei's appearances until the early hours of the morning. By taking advantage of the second female lead's late-night extra scenes, he inflated the crew's night shift expenses and generator fuel costs, thus balancing the embezzled accounts.

People who don't know the situation might think Liu Yifei is building a planetary engine.

Having grasped this economic lifeline, Liu Yuehua headed towards the filming area.

……

"Ms. Liu, the production schedule is built with real money every day. We need to race against time. How can young people not suffer?" Director Zhao mocked sarcastically.

"Weren't you hoping that director surnamed Liu would protect you? He's barely holding on in Hong Kong now, do you really expect him to fly over and save the day?"

"Who says I can't even protect myself?" A haughty voice suddenly rang out behind Director Zhao. Director Zhao turned around sharply and saw Liu Yuehua walking into the film set.

"Yuehua." Liu Xiaoli finally saw the face she had been longing for.

"Hey, isn't this Director Liu? What brings you here to visit the set?" Director Zhao said with a forced smile. After all, this was his territory. What kind of trouble could a young director cause?

Liu Yuehua ignored him and didn't rush up to argue like a hothead.

After all, in principle, a staff member of Director Zhao's level is not qualified to speak with him.

Physical violence is also not an option, mainly because there are many of them. Although he might feel good hitting people, he would inevitably end up in jail.

Liu Yuehua took out his phone from his pocket and dialed Han Shanping's number directly in front of more than a dozen people, pressing the speakerphone button.

"Mr. Han, I'm going back to the mainland." Liu Yuehua said casually.

Han Shanping's warm laughter came from the other end of the phone.

"Yuehua, you're back just in time. Comet is gaining momentum."

"Do you have a script for your next film yet? China Film Group will give you the green light; you can name any funding you want."

Director Zhao started to tremble.

The phone call came from Han Shanping, the powerful head of China Film Group, a tycoon who holds the power of life and death over all domestic film and television productions.

"Quickly, put Liu Yifei down and let her rest for a while."

Liu Xiaoli quickly ran over to feed Liu Yifei water, and before leaving, she didn't forget to move a chair for Liu Yuehua.

"I brought back the tapes for the next movie. It has a cast of Hong Kong film stars. I'll show them to you when I get back to Beijing." Liu Yuehua sat down in the chair.

"However, Mr. Han, I am currently visiting the set of the TV series 'Tianlong'. There is a production manager surnamed Zhao in the crew who is on Mr. Ma's side."

"His act of cutting off my sister's job posting is a minor matter; my sister is young and can endure hardship."

"But Mr. Han, I just went to check on the crew's logistics department, and all the special funds allocated for epidemic prevention and control have been replaced with substandard boxed meals and unqualified single-layer masks."

"If a cluster infection were to break out on the set, involving more than 500 people, that would be a major incident. Your team, Mr. Han, would be in charge of overseeing it."

"If Mr. Ma's people are embezzling money down there, you'll probably be the one to take the blame in the end."