Huayu 2015, the Artist of Light and Shadow

Chapter 71: A $1.5 Million Masterpiece! The "Luminous Script" Spreads Its Fever! "You're So Beautiful, Chicken" Released! Action Girl Xiao Tian!

Magic City.

【Yun Jing Yan Ran】Inside the studio.

Nearly two months after his injury, Lu Yunzhou's condition has finally improved significantly. At least he looks like a normal person now and no longer needs to wear a sling on his arm all the time.

However, the doctor warned him not to exert any force.

Even when you're going to exercise, you should do it gradually. You can start by holding an apple and gently squeezing it as a restorative exercise.

"Knock knock!"

Inside the meeting room, Huang Yida tapped the table and said speechlessly, "You guys, focus! Stop staring at the apple in our CEO Lu's hand. Haven't you ever seen anyone eat an apple before?"

Seeing that all the screenwriters had turned their attention away, Huang Yida continued, "After a month of research, I can basically confirm that President Lu's new project—the dark romantic fantasy series 'The Abyss'—has a wide market worldwide."

Upon hearing this, everyone became focused.

Dark romantic fantasy?

That sounds sharp enough.

It easily evokes images of gothic fantasy dark films like those starring Tim Burton, John Depp, Edward Scissorhands, and Corpse Bride.

Tim Burton's style is beautiful yet eerie, romantic yet dark, making it truly unique in film history.

Is Lu Yunzhou capable of shooting in this style?

Many screenwriters were filled with doubts —

Most importantly, Tim Burton's new film, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, only grossed over $8000 million at the North American box office after its release.

It's almost identical to Lu Yunzhou's racing movies.

However, the production cost of *Racing Wild West* was only $3000 million, while the production cost of *Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children* was $1 million.

$100 million, nearly four times!

Lu Yunzhou makes films in his own style, with fast editing, sharp shots, and the use of Leonardo da Vinci's perspective to create depth and atmosphere—this style is also very unique.

Lu Yunzhou has just achieved some success and should be studying this style in depth. Why change his style?

"I'd like to interrupt for a moment."

Lu Yunzhou put down the apple.

When the boss spoke up, everyone stopped talking and looked at Lu Yunzhou intently.

Lu Yunzhou stood up, looked around at everyone, and then said, "I want to emphasize one point: the dark fantasy style that Uncle Da just mentioned is different from Tim Burton's."

"Tim Burton excels at creating 'outcasts,' many of his protagonists are marginalized individuals who don't fit into mainstream society—this isn't the style I'm looking for."

"I don't know who would like this type of movie. In short, I personally don't particularly like it."

"I like romantic hero themes."

"This hero can be lonely, great, or even obsessive, but he must be a hero who takes saving the world as his mission."

"You can use simple words to summarize this hero, or you can treat him as a hero from an idol drama. However, this hero cannot be perfect; he must have a weakness, or you could say a flaw."

"It is precisely because he has flaws that he needs a female character, namely our heroine, to achieve physical or spiritual redemption for him."

"This is called a two-way journey, which makes it more dramatic."

"If I had to make a specific limitation, I would hope that you would think in the direction of [Friedrich] and outline the protagonist's behavioral logic."

"What I need to create is a spirit of defying fate and challenging the gods. Remember, defying fate is the main theme; everything else is just ingredients."

"You are free to improvise the rest of the plot."

At this point, Lu Yunzhou sat back down and picked up the apple: "Let me emphasize again, this is completely different from Tim Burton!"

"Don't confuse the two."

"Gothic darkness and the bizarre are different from the Romantic style."

After speaking, Lu Yunzhou gestured for Huang Yida to continue.

Huang Yida clicked the mouse a few times, and several data points popped up on the PPT on the projector.

"According to our market research, the global fantasy film market is currently basically monopolized by Marvel and DC."

"Marvel is like KFC fast food: it's served very quickly, and the taste is decent. Occasionally, it can even surprise you a little."

"DC's style is completely different from Marvel's bright and fast-paced style. It is full of darkness, and the protagonist is also a bit bitter and resentful."

"Our director Lu's idea is to make a film that has the quality of an art film, the excitement of a commercial film, some dark and hateful elements, but more importantly, a romantic heroic spirit."

Huang Yida felt that his summary was very accurate.

The rest depends on the screenwriters' ability to understand and apply the material.

However, the screenwriters' heads nearly exploded when they heard what Huang Yida meant.

What does it mean to have the quality of an art film, the thrill of a commercial film, elements of darkness and hatred, and the heroic spirit of romanticism?

With so many demands, you might as well just kill us!

"I know it's very difficult."

"I've already decided on the female lead: she has a youthful appearance and a broken look, but she's a madwoman."

"To be symmetrical to the female lead, I need you to design a superior who is elegant and classical, full of rationality, always meticulous, and in complete control."

The character Lu Yunzhou was referring to is the male protagonist he created for himself.

"Remember, you have to be handsome."

"I wouldn't act if I wasn't handsome."

Being handsome is the most important thing.

Lu Yunzhou wouldn't play the role if it weren't handsome enough.

If he's making his own movies, would he really cast himself as a miserable loser?

How could that be?

He has to be incredibly handsome to motivate him to act.

Otherwise, he could just retire; he's already made enough money.

They have 9 million yuan now. Add to that the money they hid when they bought Bitcoin, and they can use it to buy shares of ICBC and earn tens of millions of yuan in dividends every year.

It's much better than being a miserable nobody in the entertainment industry.

"Got it, boss."

Although Lu Yunzhou's request was a bit unreasonable, as long as the bonus was there, everyone was willing to rack their brains and go to great lengths to create a super handsome character for their boss.

With so many people, if each of them creates a persona for Lu Yunzhou, they're sure they can find a suitable one.

"I've prepared a 50 yuan bonus for this persona."

"You will all receive a share of this money, but how much each of you will get depends on your performance this month."

It's not enough to just make oxen and horses work without feeding them.

Lu Yunzhou not only fed them their fill, but also gave them extra food.

In such a work environment, who wouldn't work diligently and come up with brilliant ideas for Lu Yunzhou?

"Let's adjourn the meeting."

Seeing the renewed enthusiasm for work in everyone's eyes, Lu Yunzhou waved his hand gently, telling them to go back and work overtime voluntarily.

After everyone else left, Huang Yida took out a budget sheet and handed it to Lu Yunzhou: "Little Boat Brother, are we really going to use full 3D filming?"

"I don't think it's necessary."

"If we shoot in 2D, the production cost would only be $5000 million at most."

"If you shoot in 3D, and you also need that kind of dark fantasy style that's gorgeous enough, and you have to increase the brightness, the requirements for shooting skills and equipment are very high, and the production cost may exceed 1.5 million US dollars."

"It's three times the price."

"The box office figures definitely won't be that much different."

"I feel that shooting in 3D is a bit of a poor value for money."

Huang Yida had known Lu Yunzhou for so long, and at first he thought Lu Yunzhou was an artistic and cultured boy.

After getting to know him better, he realized that Lu Yunzhou was essentially a very calculating businessman.

He's very shrewd at accounting.

"Uncle Da, this time is different."

Lu Yunzhou was well aware that using 3D technology for filming would significantly increase costs.

However, he had no other choice.

At this moment, Lu Yunzhou said earnestly, "Uncle Da, we only have one chance."

"If we play it safe and pursue a lukewarm project, it's indeed easier to make money. However, our next project will be more difficult. At the very least, it will be hard to make a global impact again."

At this point, Lu Yunzhou pointed to his right hand: "This is something I earned with my life, a moment of the world's affection for me."

We cannot afford to waste it.

We have to make a blockbuster!

Let the whole world be shocked!

This is Lu Yunzhou's only chance to become a global sensation through his film work.

This window will be completely closed after 2018.

"As for production costs, you don't need to worry."

"Audi is willing to sponsor us with $1 million, but with such a large sum of money, President Weidler is under a lot of pressure."

"Although the German headquarters agreed, they had a hidden clause: they wanted us to film the main scenes of the movie in Germany, which would be a 'GG' for German culture and tourism worldwide."

Lu Yunzhou revealed a little secret to Huang Yida.

They reached a verbal agreement on this matter, but because no formal contract was signed, Audi could renege at any time.

Of course, the probability is not high.

Now, the whole world knows that Chinese people are very rich, but Germany is too unfamiliar and too far away for China.

Going to Germany for a trip is a bit overpriced.

Many Chinese people don't know much about Germany and have no motivation to travel so far to Germany for tourism.

If Lu Yunzhou were willing to give German cultural tourism a huge boost at this time, it might be able to stimulate tourism for a group of people.

"Brother Xiao Chuan, are the Germans really that generous? Willing to sponsor $1 million?"

Huang Yida was taken aback.

Surprisingly, the Germans have also come to the fore and are actually thinking of making a living through tourism.

"That's not all."

Lu Yunzhou chuckled softly and said mysteriously, "Our film is a co-production of China, Germany, and Italy."

Germany and Italy, on the other hand, offer a 30% subsidy for film production.

"In other words, if we keep the main filming locations for this movie in Germany and Italy, we can cut $1.5 million from the $4500 million production cost if we manage it well. In fact, around $1 million will be enough."

"The sponsorship fees from Audi are basically enough to cover it."

"In fact, our company only needs to contribute tens of millions of RMB. We can even offset this amount through some commercial placements."

What the hell!

If we calculate it this way, wouldn't we not have to pay for it ourselves?

Empty glove white wolf!

Now Huang Yida finally understood why Lu Yunzhou wanted to make a blockbuster film.

Damn it, I don't have to spend a single penny of my own money; everyone else pays for it.

If that's the case, then of course the production costs will be pushed up like crazy—after all, with movies, especially special effects, it's very obvious that you get what you pay for.

Can a movie that costs 5000 million be considered the same as a movie that costs 1.5 million US dollars?

"Little Boat Guy, it's you!"

Huang Yida gave Lu Yunzhou two thumbs up.

With Lu Yunzhou's money-making skills, he would be a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry.

Others, upon encountering an investor, would think of emptying that investor's pockets in a one-time, cost-free deal.

As for the future?

Let future generations use their wisdom to solve the problems of the future.

But Lu Yunzhou is different.

After he took money from Audi once, Audi eagerly begged him to take money a second time.

Last time it was about 1 million RMB.

This time it's a whopping $1 million.

This ability is unparalleled in the world.

Despite holding the title of "National Director," Zhang Yimou still has to beg and plead when he wants to make a film.

Look at Lu Yunzhou, people are rushing to give him gifts.

"Uncle Da, there are nearly 2 ancient castles in Germany. These were fortresses that defended against the Mongol cavalry in the Middle Ages and have been preserved to this day, making them the most suitable filming location for our fantasy movie."

"The German government only required us to film in Germany, but did not specify where we should film."

Do you understand the difference?

Lu Yunzhou gave Huang Yida a meaningful smile.

Huang Yida instantly understood and laughed heartily: "Germany has nearly 2 castles, and at least 100 of them are suitable for filming our movies, right? I think we should hold an auction for the state government subsidies for these 100 locations."

"Whoever offers the bigger subsidy, we'll use their castle as the main attraction for our filming, creating a Friedrich-esque sense of romance and sublimity for them —"

Huang Yida suddenly understood just how valuable Friedrich's romantic style was to Germans!

Why is Lu Yunzhou so insistent on filming romantic dark fantasy?

This is completely tailor-made for the client.

"That's right."

Lu Yunzhou smiled and nodded, continuing, "If this prequel is successful, we can have filming locations for our next movie sourced from all over the world. You understand what I mean?"

"I completely understand!"

Huang Yida burst into laughter.

He suddenly realized that making movies didn't actually require him to spend his own money.

The bigger the movie, the more people rush to give it their money.

But the prerequisite is that the director can do a good job with the project.

At this moment, Huang Yida suddenly realized that he hadn't contributed any money to the three projects Lu Yunzhou had worked on.

The short film "Dream" was funded by Tang Yan, and the public relations were handled by Paradise Umbrella.

The TV series "The Day Is Coming" was funded by Tang Yan and Kiwi. When the Thai side learned that an award-winning director was coming to film it, they immediately paid an additional 3000 million yuan in copyright fees, which wiped out the cost.

Audi funded the movie "Racing Wilderness". If Lu Yunzhou hadn't needed to find a film distributor, Huace wouldn't even have had the opportunity to invest.

This time it's even more impressive. The German and Italian governments are both eager to provide subsidies, offering a 30% filming allowance, just so they can film more scenes in Germany and Italy.

"By the way, Little Boat, has anyone mentioned the female lead to you? The girl from Beijing Dance Academy is very good, but the girl from Shanghai Theatre Academy is also excellent—"

Huang Yida was also acting on someone else's behalf.

After all, we're all in the same circle in Shanghai.

Lu Yunzhou is now a top director in Shanghai's film industry, and he directs blockbuster films with a strong sense of fashion.

Regardless, the capital of Shanghai really likes Lu Yunzhou's film style.

In return, Lu Yunzhou received numerous fashion invitations, with organizers sending him invitations to any fashion gala.

There were always invitations he declined, but none he wasn't invited to.

From a certain perspective, Lu Yunzhou is now the number one fashion influencer in China.

If Lu Yunzhou doesn't turn down every fashion gala, he'll be attending at least two a month, plus some local government cultural forums, probably once a month as well.

"I understand. I'll go to the Shanghai Theatre Academy to choose someone later."

Lu Yunzhou understood immediately and agreed.

"The Speeding Racer" became an instant hit, especially in Shanghai, where it contributed nearly 200 million yuan to his box office.

At least 300 million people in the entire Shanghai area have seen "Crazy Racing".

Under normal circumstances, there wouldn't be so many people.

However, many companies still distributed movie tickets for this film as company benefits to their employees.

Even if the employees don't go to see the movie, the tickets have already been sold, and Lu Yunzhou's box office revenue has already increased.

The relationships here are complex, but the regional characteristics are very obvious.

And the state-owned enterprises in Xi'an are even more so—otherwise, how could Xi'an have become the third largest box office market for this movie?

It even surpassed Hangzhou and Wenzhou.

This is clearly not scientific.

Unless, someone used superpowers!

"After careful consideration, I realize I do need another female supporting role."

Whether there's one more or one less female supporting character doesn't really matter to Lu Yunzhou.

However, the movie "The Witch" originally had a male supporting role, but since Lu Yunzhou played the male lead, this male supporting role became dispensable.

Find a sweet-looking female supporting character to overpower Liu Haocun; that would create a greater sense of contrast.

"Brother Xiaochuan, thank you for giving me face."

Huang Yida gave Lu Yunzhou a gentle hug and said gratefully, "To be honest, I'm a little embarrassed to ask. After all, you were the one who organized this project from beginning to end. But when others come to us, we can't refuse."

Lu Yunzhou told Huang Yida not to worry about it.

His family is also in business, so he understands this principle.

When it comes to favors, there's always a give and take; you can't just take benefits from others without giving anything in return.

After finishing their business, Huang Yida winked at Lu Yunzhou knowingly, leaned closer, and said, "By the way, what do you think of the two new receptionists the company hired? Are their legs long enough? Don't you find them pleasing to the eye when they come to work every day?"

"What about the previous two?"

Lu Yunzhou had been wanting to ask this for a while: why did they change the receptionist every month?

Speaking of this, Huang Yida couldn't help but laugh: "Those two from before, while eating in the cafeteria, hooked up with the rich second-generation guys from the building across the street and went ashore to become housewives. However, they are very grateful to the company for providing this platform, and will buy more of the products you endorse in the future."

Great!

Indeed, everyone who can survive in Shanghai has their own unique skill.

"Hopefully, these two can last a little longer."

Lu Yunzhou murmured a sigh.

On his first day back at work after returning from Yanjing, he saw two unfamiliar faces at the front desk and thought he had gone to the wrong place.

11 month 9 number.

COSMO magazine held a beauty gala event at the Oriental Sports Center.

As one of the most popular celebrities in Shanghai, Lu Yunzhou was naturally invited.

Tang Yan was also invited.

Tang Yan will definitely attend this kind of event.

Over the past nine days, the box office for "The Speeding Racer" has increased slightly, bringing its global total to 43 billion.

In addition, the Japanese and Korean rights to this film have finally been sold.

It sold for nearly $800 million.

This allowed Tang Yan to make a small profit again.

After learning about this, the internet went crazy praising Tang Yan's good investment acumen, saying that she had already made a fortune without even signing any betting agreements.

Look at Yang Mi's side, she's made a complete mess of things.

All the movies they make are terrible, and they don't even make any money. They just rely on marketing themselves as a workaholic to play the victim.

This month was the highlight of Tang Yan's life.

As long as the movie is still showing, she will attend any event, not for any other reason than to show off.

Enjoy being praised by others.

"Yunzhou, are you going?"

Tang Yan saw that Lu Yunzhou had already removed his bandages and looked no different from a normal person, so he probably wouldn't refuse to participate in this fashion gala.

"I'm considering it."

Because this event isn't particularly important, it doesn't matter whether you go or not.

Lu Yunzhou felt the weather wasn't very good today and hesitated.

Upon hearing this, Tang Yan thought for a moment and said, "They are preparing to award you the title of Most Influential Idol of the Year and have you make the grand finale appearance."

The grand finale, the best idol of the year?

It seems pretty good.

Lu Yunzhou smiled and said, "Give me another reason."

Tang Yan instantly understood and covered her mouth, laughing heartily: "I have definite news that my old friend will also be coming. Without a doubt, the reporters will ask her about Liu Kaiwei's 'script reading in the dark' incident."

Watching the drama unfold?

And it's about eating this kind of super-sized melon?

How could I possibly refuse?

At worst, it's just a waste of one night.

Lu Yunzhou chose to get up and go with Tang Yan to attend this fashion gala.

12:30 PM.

Yang Mi and her entourage arrived at Pudong Airport.

Normally, Yang Mi enjoys being surrounded by countless people. Every time, it makes her feel like a superstar with unparalleled popularity.

She's way more awesome than Tang Yan.

But today, Yang Mi hopes to be just an ordinary passerby and not be recognized by anyone. She just wants to leave the airport quietly.

However, it is counterproductive.

As soon as Yang Mi appeared at the airport, her signature sunglasses, baseball cap, and slender figure made her instantly recognizable to countless people.

"Honey, let's chat for a bit."

"Yang Mi, how about we talk about the script reading in the dark?"

"Honey, I heard that Hawick Lau has cheated on you multiple times. Were you aware of this before?"

Hundreds of reporters had been stuck at the airport since 10 a.m.

As soon as Yang Mi appeared, they swarmed around her like madmen.

Fortunately, Yang Mi had made arrangements in advance. With the protection of several bodyguards, she managed to squeeze out of the airport after three long hours.

too frightening.

"Honey, are you alright?"

After getting into the car, the assistant noticed that Yang Mi was trembling all over and thought she was frightened, so she cautiously asked her a few questions.

Yang Mi raised her head, trembling with rage, her eyes turning green like a wolf's.

With a bang, Yang Mi slammed her phone onto the car floor, gritting her teeth and yelling, "Liu Kaiwei, you bastard! What a mess you've made of me! You've made me a laughingstock in the eyes of the whole world!"

"When I get back, I'm going to kill him!"

Wow!

Honey Sister is so scary!

The assistant immediately trembled and hid in a corner, not daring to have a single conversation with Yang Mi, for fear of being angered by her.

Oriental Sports Center.

Around 7 p.m., everyone had walked the red carpet, signed their names, and finished their makeup and styling before arriving at the awards ceremony venue, chatting casually.

"Director Lu, we meet again."

Zhang Tianai rose to fame with "Go Princess Go" and was nominated for the Breakthrough Idol of the Year. She also attended this fashion gala.

Before she came over to say hello, she looked around for a while to make sure that Nazha wasn't there today.

"Shhh."

Lu Yunzhou asked Zhang Tianai to sit down next to him, but not to make a sound.

Zhang Tianai was stunned for a moment, thinking that Lu Yunzhou wanted to whisper something to her, so she deliberately stuck her head out.

But soon she realized she had misunderstood.

Because Lu Yunzhou kept looking in Reba's direction.

This made Zhang Tianai a little suspicious.

Could it be that Lu Yunzhou likes Dilraba's type?

Also a possibility.

Because he seems to have a thing with Nazha, maybe he just likes this type.

However, Zhang Tianai soon realized that she had been overthinking things.

Just then, Tang Yan walked over and looked at Reba with feigned concern: "Reba, why hasn't Lao Mi arrived yet?"

Dilraba gave an awkward laugh and shook her head, saying, "I don't know."

What was she supposed to say?

Everyone knows what's been going on lately.

Now, the whole world is waiting to see Yang Mi make a fool of herself.

Yang Mi's scandalous life made Dilraba realize that she needed to be more discerning when choosing a man.

Besides, even if they are really in a relationship, they absolutely cannot make it official.

Because once it's officially announced, if the other party pulls any dirty tricks, you'll inevitably be implicated.

It's clearly Liu Kaiwei who was involved in the "script reading in the dark" incident, and Yang Mi is the victim, so why is the whole internet talking about Yang Mi's situation? It's because nobody cares about Liu Kaiwei.

Everyone just wants to see Yang Mi make a fool of herself.

Who told Yang Mi to be so arrogant and offend so many people?

At least half of the celebrities attending this fashion ceremony today are there to see Yang Mi make a fool of herself.

Tang Yan was no exception.

"Sigh, what a mess this is. Old Liu is such a worry. I hope Old Mi can get through this safely."

Tang Yan pretended to be very kind and said something.

In fact, she wished the matter would escalate even further.

Yang Mi stepped on her back then, this is retribution.

She was too embarrassed to step on Yang Mi herself, lest she dirty her long, now faded legs, but she didn't mind seeing Yang Mi fall into the mud.

"Thank you, Sister Tangtang."

Dilraba could tell that Tang Yan's concern was insincere, but in this situation, she still thanked Tang Yan on Yang Mi's behalf.

"You're welcome."

Looking at Dilraba in front of her, who was putting on an innocent and naive act, Tang Yan sneered inwardly.

Who are you putting on this for?

A couple of years ago, when you stepped on me, it wasn't like this.

You're no good either.

The company does all the bad work, but you reap all the benefits. How do you, so innocent and kind, manage to thrive in the hellish environment of Jiaxing Media? Do you have some kind of invincible shield?

Just wait, someone else will come along and crush you completely.

Out to mix, sooner or later have to repay.

To be honest, Tang Yan has never had a good impression of Dilraba, and thinks that Dilraba is more pretentious than Yang Mi.

"By the way, Dilraba, Yunzhou is preparing to shoot a super visual blockbuster. The investment may be around 1.5 million US dollars. There will be a lot of action scenes and many exciting characters. Do you want to give it a try? If you want to audition, I can just put in a good word for you."

Tang Yan extended a seemingly kind invitation to Reba.

Dilraba looked up, gave Tang Yan a deep look, and shook her head: "Thank you, Sister Tang. However, my schedule is already full for the next year, and I'm afraid I won't have time to refine the role, which may affect Director Lu's arrangements."

Dilraba isn't stupid either.

If Lu Yunzhou had extended the invitation to her, she would have gladly accepted.

But Tang Yan—

She always felt that Tang Yan had ulterior motives.

"I see. That's a bit of a shame."

Tang Yan smiled gently, said nothing, and turned to leave.

Sitting down next to Lu Yunzhou, Tang Yan said casually, "I asked Dilraba for you, and she's not available anytime soon."

Her biggest worry was that Lu Yunzhou might act impulsively and go to Reba.

That would be awkward for her.

Therefore, she chose to take the initiative and let Dilraba refuse, which would avoid the awkward situation that would follow.

"Even if she's available, I won't contact her."

Lu Yunzhou seemed to know what Tang Yan was thinking, and said with a smile, "Sister Tang, have you ever heard a saying?"

"If you hear bad things about someone, but after actually getting to know them, you find them to be quite nice, wouldn't you start to wonder if outsiders have a deep misunderstanding about them?"

Tang Yan nodded gently.

Rumors can be deadly; many people deliberately frame others and damage their reputations. Such things happen countless times in the entertainment industry.

"The fact that you believe this shows that you are a very kind person."

Tang Yan had just pretended to ask Reba a question, and Lu Yunzhou, watching from the side, found it somewhat amusing.

In the past two days, Tang Yan saw Yang Mi in deep trouble and inexplicably softened. She said she came to watch Yang Mi's misery, but she was probably thinking that if anything awkward happened, she could step in and help Yang Mi out.

But once Yang Mi gets through this ordeal, Tang Yan will soon discover that Yang Mi, in order to show that she is not the only unlucky person, will bring up some of Tang Yan's dirty secrets.

He used Tang Yan to cover for himself.

After all, they are best friends and have been in the Hong Kong entertainment circle together. Yang Mi knows all of Tang Yan's little scandals better than anyone else.

Others who want to mess with Tang Yan might not even know where to start.

"You think I'm very kind?"

Tang Yan never expected that she would be seen this way in Lu Yunzhou's eyes.

Shouldn't she be the shrewd Shanghai girl?

"Yes, you are very kind."

"Because you will believe that the rumors are false, and you will have more faith in your own judgment. This is the fundamental quality of a kind person."

"But I don't think that way."

Under Tang Yan's curious gaze, Lu Yunzhou stated his judgment: "In most cases, if someone's reputation in the martial arts world isn't very good, but they act perfectly in front of me, I won't believe anything based on what I see. My first thought will be whether they're pretending or preparing to deliver a fatal blow at a crucial moment."

Why should we try to understand the other person?

For Lu Yunzhou, there are so many things to deal with in the world, how could he have time to understand whether a person is a good person or a bad person?

If you treat 99% of the people in this world as bad people, you can avoid 99% of the trouble.

"What you said makes sense."

Tang Yan suddenly laughed and reached out to pat Lu Yunzhou on the shoulder: "Have you always been this cool? You're so charming."

In the midst of their banter, Tang Yan suddenly thought of Yang Mi.

Yang Mi has a bad reputation in the underworld, but Tang Yan has the impression of her as a good friend. But suddenly, at a crucial moment, Yang Mi delivers a fatal blow to her.

On the other hand, Zhang Tianai felt that Lu Yunzhou was mocking her, because her situation was worse than Yang Mi's.

Yang Mi's husband was just having some fun playing with scripts in the dark, which is understandable.

The man who almost became her husband went out to sell his chrysanthemums and played script-writing games with other women in the dark. It's an utter disgrace.

He glanced at me just now.

"Does he also think that I deliberately put on a perfect image in front of him just so I can betray him at a crucial moment?"

At that moment, Zhang Tianai's heart sank, and she felt unwell all over.

Lu Yunzhou's words were like a sharp knife, precisely piercing the past she least wanted to face.

She knew she had a bad reputation and that many people were saying behind her back that she rose to power by relying on men, that she had a sugar daddy, and that she had powerful backers.

She didn't want to explain anything.

In this world, you're either talking about others or being talked about by others.

Most importantly, you need to have works of art.

Because she has produced work, her fans will help clear her name.

Thinking of this, Zhang Tianai couldn't help but turn her head and take a deep look at Lu Yunzhou, secretly vowing to play the role well in Lu Yunzhou's movie.

It made everyone look at it with new eyes.

"It's over."

However, at that moment, Zhang Tianai suddenly realized something.

Before attending this event, her agent told her that it would be best to stand close to Lu Yunzhou.

The company has already bribed the photographers on site to take some intimate photos of her and Lu Yunzhou, which they will then use to create hype.

I reckon the photos are already taken, and the Weibo post is about to be published.

All I can say is that Lu Yunzhou has a very accurate eye for people.

"Yunzhou, tell me secretly, how did she manage to win you over, someone as rational and ruthless as you?"

Tang Yan really wanted to know how Zhang Ruonan gained Lu Yunzhou's trust and became his girlfriend.

Lu Yunzhou thought for a moment and gave a vague answer: "She is very considerate."

To please Lu Yunzhou, Zhang Ruonan would go to Lu Yunzhou's mother every weekend to show her filial piety.

-

Eventually, even his mother couldn't stand it anymore and took the initiative to create opportunities for Zhang Ruonan.

"Honey, say something!"

"Honey, what do you think of the 'script reading in the dark' idea?"

The two were chatting when suddenly a commotion broke out at the door, followed by a barrage of flashes from cameras.

It goes without saying that Yang Mi has arrived.

All the celebrities present turned their heads at that moment, and many even stood up and tiptoed to go and see what was going on.

At this moment, there are no celebrities or idols.

We're all just bystanders.

In the interview area outside, Yang Mi, dressed in a sexy black outfit, faced the reporters and said in a seemingly calm tone, "I know everyone is concerned about my feelings and condition. Thank you for your concern. No matter what happens, I believe in Lao Liu."

Believe that for a second.

Because after saying that, Yang Mi didn't participate in the event at all. She apologized to the organizers and went straight back.

At the same time, Tang Yan received a text message: "Tangtang, I'm going back now. Could you please collect the trophy for me?"

Dilraba doesn't deserve this trophy.

Because Tang Yan was the last female celebrity tonight, and like Yang Mi, she won the Most Influential Idol of the Year award.

There are four people who received this award.

Besides Lu Yunzhou, Tang Yan, and Yang Mi.

There is another person, Wang Kai.

Wang Kai is Tang Yan's junior at the Central Academy of Drama, and he became very popular last year because of "Nirvana in Fire".

Meanwhile, Wang Kai is also Zhang Han's classmate—and Zhang Han's ex-girlfriend, Gulnazar, is currently thinking about how to become Lu Yunzhou's girlfriend!

Perhaps because their professional circles are too small, celebrities often encounter acquaintances with whom they have somewhat awkward relationships during certain events.

"Hello, senior sister."

"Hello, Director Lu."

Wang Kai, being the least famous, took the initiative to greet Lu Yunzhou and Tang Yan.

The two nodded slightly to Wang Kai in greeting, and then sat down.

After sitting down, Tang Yan privately told Lu Yunzhou, "My friend asked me to accept the award for her. To be honest, I really want to refuse and let Dilraba accept the award in her place—"

If that happens, the whole world will know that Yang Mi's marriage failed, and she also broke off her friendship with Tang Yan.

It means she has failed in both friendship and love, and the whole internet will laugh at her for being abandoned by everyone.

Tang Yan sighed: "However, in the end, I still can't bear it."

It's okay if Yang Mi is ridiculed, but Tang Yan feels that if she does this, and Yang Mi comes out later saying that she asked her to help collect the money on her behalf that day, then the whole internet will say that Tang Yan is disloyal and watched her sister make a fool of herself.

We should still help them if we can.

This is called the principle of yielding to the happy.

"Yunzhou, you're so smart. People you shouldn't mess with, no matter how beautiful or kind they are, just treat them like a blue datura flower, admire them from afar, and never get a single drop on them."

As she spoke, Tang Yan gave Reba a deep look.

Yang Mi and Reba are typical examples of blue datura.

It looks nice, but it's poisonous; whoever gets in contact with it will be unlucky.

This fashion gala unexpectedly became the most talked-about fashion event of the year due to the "script reading in the dark" incident.

The total exposure across the internet exceeded 10 billion views!

The hashtag "[Yang Mi, script reading in the dark]" instantly became a trending topic on Weibo, attracting countless people to watch the spectacle that night.

The hashtag "[Yang Mi believes in Liu Kaiwei]" became a trending topic on Weibo that night, reaching number one in discussion within 10 minutes.

The hashtag "[Tang Yan accepts award on behalf of Yang Mi]" instantly rose to third place on the trending topics list, and the topic "[China's best girlfriend]" began to dominate social media.

However, as soon as this topic gained traction, it was quickly debunked by others.

"China's best friend? That's hilarious."

"How come Yang Mi was putting down Lao Tang back then? Do you really think we fans are as stupid as Lao Tang, forgetting everything just because we got a bowl of porridge?"

"Everything Yang Mi is going through now, in my opinion, is retribution for stepping on our Lao Tang back then!"

"Looking back at our Lao Tang, he's had a smooth two years. Not only has he redeemed his acting skills, but he's also made a fortune in real estate speculation and has access to fashion resources—"

He was on a spending spree, going to Belgium one minute, New York the next, Italy the next. He casually invested in a film studio and got carried to success, earning 9600 million. That's what you call good deeds being rewarded—abalone and bird's nest porridge every day!

"Wow, Liu Kaiwei still has the nerve to say he was filming in a place with bad signal? Bad signal and he was doing a live stream? He should at least prepare a script before lying. This couple is such a good actor, they're a perfect match."

"Yang Mi probably already knows what Liu Kaiwei is like. She's just pretending for the sake of profit. It can only be said that her off-screen acting is much more captivating than her on-screen performance."

"Did everyone see that tonight, when Zhouzhou went on stage to accept his award, he tried very hard to hold back his laughter and wanted to seriously act along with everyone? But, after all, he's not a professionally trained actor. He's very talented as a director, but as an actor, his talent is really just average. He couldn't keep up the act at a mere awards ceremony."

"Zhouzhou, laugh if you want to—you're injured and not feeling well, we understand! I'll laugh with you—"

Hahaha!"

"Hey Zhouzhou, write one too!"

"Zhouzhou, how about you make an art film? Include the 'late-night script reading' plot, and try to win one of the three major awards in Europe, what do you think?"

Yang Mi and Dilraba desperately tried to discredit Tang Yan back then.

As a result, after Tang Yan discovered Lu Yunzhou in the past two years, her career took off and she became a typical wealthy woman in Shanghai.

Because Tang Yan's career has been going smoothly, her fans have become quite arrogant.

After all, the internet is more ruthless than reality; the strong have the right to speak, and the weak are not entitled to speak.

Especially since Yang Mi and Dilraba had previously criticized Tang Yan, it was a case of old grudges and new hatred all piled up together.

Today, Tang Yan's fans were overjoyed after seeing the excitement surrounding Yang Mi.

Lu Yunzhou and Tang Yan are practically inseparable; their fans mostly gravitate towards whichever topic is trending.

While they were stepping on Yang Mi, someone suddenly shouted.

Holy crap!

"Zhang Tianai has gone mad. At this critical juncture, she's released another press release claiming she outshines everyone."

"What's most infuriating is that she also posted a photo of her and Zhouzhou cheek-to-cheek during an awards ceremony!"

Zhang Tianai's management company loves to create hype.

Because Zhang Tianai started out acting in web dramas, if she doesn't maintain her popularity, she will soon disappear from the public eye.

The reason why Zhang Tianai chose to get close to Lu Yunzhou is mainly because she is about to join Lu Yunzhou's film crew to play a role.

In this situation, Lu Yunzhou will be very generous. No matter what Zhang Tianai tries to hype up, as long as Lu Yunzhou's privacy is not exposed, Lu Yunzhou himself will not pay attention.

Because all this traffic will eventually become hype for the film itself, benefiting the work.

"This is the second time in a week."

"Could there really be something going on between Zhouzhou and the Crown Princess?"

Zhang Tianai, a minor celebrity, dared to create hype with Lu Yunzhou twice in a row, which made some fans suspect that there might actually be something between the two.

Because they've been seen together far too often.

Fortunately, among Lu Yunzhou's fans, there is still a pillar of strength.

About half an hour later, the account 【小章鱼大长腿99】 commented: "Fake."

Immediately, all the little fans breathed a sigh of relief.

Sister Octopus's denial is a golden rule on the internet.

At least regarding Lu Yunzhou's case, Sister Octopus has never revealed any false information.

At the same time, the account 【船桨只三寸】 also chimed in, saying, "It's fake! My brother told me that Zhang Tianai would be a supporting actress in his movie. Their interactions were probably about discussing the movie."

Following that, the account 【船桨仅三寸】 also posted some content about the relationship between Zhang Tianai's company and Huace, as well as the relationship between Huace and Lu Yunzhou.

In conclusion, this is a normal business collaboration.

It was completely devoid of any personal feelings.

A new fan, unfamiliar with the account, asked admiringly, "Excuse me, who is this big shot? The information they provided is so detailed. It's even more convincing than what Sister Octopus revealed."

Someone said dismissively, "New here, huh? You don't even know the famous boat girl?"

A kind-hearted longtime fan introduced her: "Chuanmei used to be the group leader of Zhouzhou's Shanghai No. 1 group. After winning the first prize in the National Middle School Drama Competition last year, she was scouted by Zhouzhou's studio and worked as an intern for two months. During this time, she was spotted by a producer from Huace Media and is currently filming the campus drama 'A Love So Beautiful'—Chuanmei is truly the pinnacle of idol worship, the collective idol of our 3000 million Zhouzhou fans!"

"I see. But what does 'the oar is only three inches long' mean? Her online name is so strange."

"Idiot! Can't you understand this? Boat Girl is the ace of the opera academy, the kind of leading lady who sings opera, with a figure as delicate as a willow in the breeze, and steps as graceful as smoke, the so-called 'three-inch golden lotuses,' understand?"

"So that's what 'three-inch golden lotus' means? Wow, such small feet! Boat girls must be incredibly cute in real life, right?"

Of course!

Seeing someone start praising themselves for being petite and cute, delicate and graceful, with bound feet, Wang Churan felt herself floating on air.

A little while later, a netizen with the ID "【杀鸡焉用小田】" sent Wang Ran a message: "Boat Girl, this morning, the teacher suddenly told us that Zhouzhou will be coming to our class in a couple of days to choose a female supporting actress for the new project?"

This is Tian Xiwei's pseudonym.

At this moment, Tian Xiwei was extremely excited.

Because she felt that someone must have pulled some strings behind the scenes.

Whenever Lu Yunzhou appears in their classroom, ostensibly to select a person, in reality, this female supporting role has already been decided in advance.

It must be her, Tian Xiwei.

As for why she was chosen, Tian Xiwei?

Still need to ask?

It must have been Wang Ran who helped.

"Xiaotian, just keep this to yourself. Don't tell anyone else."

This matter does indeed have something to do with Wang Ran.

Lu Yunzhou inexplicably chose a student from the Beijing Dance Academy, who was said to be only 16 years old and had exceptionally long legs. This made Wang Ran feel a great sense of crisis.

She hasn't even become the eldest sister-in-law yet, and she already has a rival in love?

Is this still available?

She needed to find someone to oppose Liu Haocun.

Ideally, Liu Haocun should be beaten half to death, so that Lu Yunzhou would realize that Liu Haocun is not a female fighter at all, and is not his muse.

With so many students at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, who among them meets this criterion?

Tian Xiwei is definitely the best choice.

Feeling that she knew the truth, Tian Xiwei was extremely excited. Her ten chubby fingers typed rapidly: "Boat Girl, I'll go through fire and water for you! Tonight, I'll go and kill Cai Xukun to add some excitement for you."

"No. I have a better idea."

Wang Ran chuckled and said, "Xiao Tian, ​​do you know that this brat secretly released a new song a couple of days ago? But nobody listened to it."

During this period, Cai Xukun's boy band secretly released some singles, without making a fuss.

There wasn't even a ripple.

Cai Xukun didn't dare to say anything, because he was worried that if the song flopped, it would embarrass him.

Little did he know that Wang Ran had been secretly watching him all along.

As Cai Xukun's future sister-in-law, Wang Ran always believed that she should occasionally show some concern for her younger brother Cai Xukun and not be confrontational all the time.

To avoid putting Lu Yunzhou in an awkward position.

So, the moment Cai Xukun's group released their single, Wang Ran bought 100 copies to support Cai Xukun.

To prevent the song from completely flopping, causing Cai Xukun to become depressed and eventually contract fowl cholera.

"Wang Ma, Tian Dali!"

"My new song is a hit—one fan placed 100 orders!"

While the two were chatting, Cai Xukun chimed in, excitedly boasting, "I've told you guys before that I'm incredibly musically talented, a born musician. You always said I was bragging. Now you see? There are people who recognize my talent."

Cai Xukun posted the purchase figures for the single.

"I'm about to become a superstar, the best idol in the hearts of millions of fans—when I hold my concert, you two will be my backup dancers, and I'll take you both flying."

Wang Churan watched Cai Xukun acting crazy and a meaningful smile appeared on her lips.

Tian Xiwei looked at the single sales figures posted by Cai Xukun, her face full of confusion: "There can't actually be any fan so stupid as to place 100 orders for you, right? What song did you release? Let me hear it."

Cai Xukun swaggered up and posted the link: "It's the song 'Just Because You're Too Beautiful,' I wrote the lyrics. Go listen to it and place 100 orders for me! I'll transfer the money to you later."

Unlike Wang Churan, Tian Xiwei didn't have much money.

Cai Xukun is quite particular about this; as a second-generation rich kid, he never takes advantage of his friends.

If Wang Ran was treating, Cai Xukun would accept the entire bill without hesitation.

Because Wang Churan wanted to take advantage of him and wanted to be his sister-in-law, he couldn't let Wang Churan succeed so easily, and he had to make up for it in some way.

"You're so beautiful, chicken—Oh baby."

"You're so beautiful, chicken!" — 0haby.

""

Tian Xiwei opened the music software. The first two lines were full of electronic hip-hop rhythms, which were fine.

But these lyrics completely stunned Tian Xiwei.

She watched Cai Xukun happily sharing his creative experiences in the group chat, and couldn't bear to say anything.

Finally, Tian Xiwei chatted privately with Wang Ran: "Have we been too harsh on him? He seems a bit driven crazy by us? What kind of song did he write? It's too abstract."

Wang Churan said with deep agreement, "You're only just realizing this? Ever since I told him that the tall girl in our dorm likes him, he's gone crazy. It's just that his condition has worsened recently."

"Ha ha!"

"Wang Ma, Tian Dali, I'm going to be famous!"

"Just a moment ago, thousands of people placed orders for my single!"

Within minutes of Wang Ran and Tian Xiwei's private chat, Cai Xukun saw that the sales data for his single on the music app had skyrocketed.

It was like a rocket launch, making him incredibly happy.

"Really?"

-

"Has everyone's musical taste reached such an abstract level now?"

Wang Ran and Tian Xiwei found it unbelievable. They opened the music app and took a look, only to find that not only had sales skyrocketed, but comments had also increased dramatically.

They felt a little dazed.

However, they soon discovered something.

"Listen to your brother, come and support him. Go Kun Kun!"

"So the short film 'Dream' was a project you and your brother did together. Thank you for supporting your brother's dream. By the way, Tang Yan has become the top female star among the post-85 generation thanks to your brother, why don't you follow him to make movies? Why go and sing? Even if you look like Wang Baoqiang, your brother will still make you successful."

"Chicken You're So Beautiful? What are you singing? I really can't listen to it anymore. Consider this 10 yuan as my treat for you to milk tea."

"A little disappointed. This is the first time my brother has recommended a song, and I thought it was some kind of masterpiece. Oh well, I'll give you a good review for your sake."

"7

After reading the comments in the comment section, Wang Ran and Tian Xiwei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

-

It turns out that Lu Yunzhou gave Cai Xukun a "GG" on Weibo, which is why the single suddenly appeared on the charts.

However, the comments in the comment section were mostly advising Cai Xukun to give up music and instead go and make movies with Lu Yunzhou.

If Cai Xukun is not good-looking, he can wear a helmet.

Since it's a racing movie, you don't need to be very handsome.

Regardless, after learning that Cai Xukun had sponsored Lu Yunzhou, helping him embark on his directorial dream and film that award-winning short film, they generally held Cai Xukun in high regard.

Although Cai Xukun isn't a great singer, he's my brother's younger brother, so how could I not support him?

"Ah Kun, why are you so quiet?"

Cheer up.

"You don't have much talent for singing, just like your brother doesn't have much talent for drawing. Don't take it to heart. Everyone can find their own value."

Seeing that Cai Xukun had fallen into a long silence, Wang Ran felt a pang of conscience and kindly comforted Cai Xukun with a few words.

"Cheer up for what?"

"Wang Ma, what are you saying?"

"My junior high school classmates' group chat suddenly came back to life, and everyone was congratulating me on becoming a superstar singer."

Many singers, after releasing a new song, may experience self-doubt when it is not initially understood by the times.

Cai Xukun never doubted himself.

As a singer, Cai Xukun believes that he has an advantage that others do not possess: unparalleled resilience.

He knew that one day, the times would prove him right.

He will be a world-class artist in the Chinese music scene.

"Oda, I can't take it anymore, let's sharpen the knife!"

Wang Churan felt that her good intentions had been used by Cai Xukun as a source of pride, which made her feel extremely murderous.

[Why use Xiao Tian to kill the chicken?]: "Received!"