Huayu 2015, the Artist of Light and Shadow

Chapter 90 A Free Lunch! Recruiting the Oscar-Winning Special Effects Team in Advance

1 month 21 number.

Yesterday, Wang Ran had been on a plane for more than ten hours, and in addition, he wanted to open her birthday present early in the middle of the night.

Even when the sun was high in the sky, Lu Yunzhou was still asleep, and his health bar had not fully recovered.

In a daze, Lu Yunzhou felt someone lightly kissing his cheek.

He opened his eyes and saw a pair of clear, spring-like eyes looking at him with a smile.

"Xiao Meng, you're up so early?"

Lu Yunzhou smiled, touched Wang Ran's hair, pulled her close, and snuggled her into the blanket: "Sleep a little longer."

"Brother, what would you like for breakfast? I'll go downstairs and buy it for you."

Held in Lu Yunzhou's arms, Wang Churan was in a particularly good mood, even though she was still feeling a little unwell. She felt that the sunshine was especially bright today.

Moreover, this morning, a bird flew in from somewhere and kept singing on the balcony outside, as if congratulating her on finally getting what she wanted.

What made Wang Ran happiest was that the bird was wearing a crown.

Amazing.

It was the first time she had ever seen a bird wearing a crown.

Wang Churan felt that this was a very good omen.

At that moment, she pulled Lu Yunzhou, who was wrapped in the quilt, up, pointed to the balcony, and excitedly shouted, "Brother, there's a bird wearing a crown outside! How amazing!"

"Really?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yunzhou slipped on his slippers, took a look, and couldn't help but laugh: "The scientific name for this bird is hoopoe. Haven't you seen it before? There are many of them over at Century Park."

Whatever it's called!

It appeared wearing a crown; it came to give me a gift.

Wang Churan was feeling happy when she heard Lu Yunzhou chime in, "At the beginning of the new year, wearing a hoopoe and wishing for good fortune is truly an auspicious sign."

Lu Yunzhou turned to look at Wang Cheran and rubbed her cheek: "This is the first time I've seen Dai Shengfei come to our house. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll make a lot of money this year."

Wang Churan loved hearing Lu Yunzhou say "we" and never treated her like an outsider.

"Brother, I'm going downstairs to buy you breakfast. Go wash up quickly. Sister Ji seems to have made an appointment with the special effects company for you."

Wang Churan swore to God that she did not look at Lu Yunzhou's phone on purpose.

While Lu Yunzhou was sleeping, her phone kept popping up with messages, and she glanced at it by accident.

Hey.

My apologies, my apologies.

She really didn't mean it.

"Then put on your down jacket and come downstairs, it's quite cold outside."

Lu Yunzhou said something with concern.

He didn't take Wang Ran's phone look at it seriously.

Young girls who have just started dating are all like this, constantly worried and insecure. After a while, even if you give her your phone to play with, she won't bother looking at it.

"Thank you, brother."

Wang Churan shrank back like a quail. She keenly sensed that Lu Yunzhou must have guessed that she had been peeking at his phone, but he wasn't angry.

My brother is so good.

She hurried downstairs and went to the breakfast shop across the street to get two breakfasts to go. However, she inadvertently discovered that two people were acting suspiciously and fiddling with a Nikon electromagnetic railgun.

There are paparazzi!

She's really trained herself now; you can smell the paparazzi from a long way off.

However, the paparazzi didn't seem to recognize her.

Even so, Wang Cherish still put on the large hood of her down jacket and wrapped herself up in a scarf like a mask, leaving only her two big eyes showing.

"Do you think Lu Yunzhou has a girlfriend?"

Just as Wang Ran was about to leave, he overheard two paparazzi behind him mentioning Lu Yunzhou.

She slowed her pace, then pretended to have forgotten something she hadn't bought, and wandered around the area again.

The two paparazzi didn't recognize Wang Churan at all and continued chatting.

"He stayed abroad for two months; his girlfriend must have been incredibly lonely."

"Even if Lu Yunzhou can hold back, his girlfriend can't, and she'll definitely come looking for him. This is the best time for us to get the evidence."

"You said, if we could get a picture of his girlfriend, how much could we ask his agency for? Maybe 200?"

Is a hush money payment of 10,000 yuan a problem?

"It's a pity. Why can't Lu Yunzhou cause more trouble like Wu Yifan? I heard that someone photographed Wu Yifan and asked his company for 800 million."

"Do you think Lu Yunzhou is as brainless as Wu Yifan? He started from scratch and made billions for his family in just two years. If I had such a capable son, I'd be laughing in my dreams."

"Two million is just pocket money for him every day. I believe he would definitely be willing to pay us hush money."

"Seriously, what kind of girl could be good enough for him? She'd have to be as beautiful as an angel, right?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Ran stopped in her tracks, a smile playing on her lips.

That's right.

I am as beautiful as an angel.

You two paparazzi have a good eye.

But the next moment, Wang Ran's face darkened.

The two paparazzi continued chatting: "I heard that he had a little rumor with Dilraba, who works for Yang Mi, before, but I don't know if it's true. Anyway, that's what everyone's saying."

"What Dilraba? I heard it's Gulnazar? Someone photographed the two of them on a date at Dianshan Lake. But both of their agencies immediately denied it, saying they were discussing a new movie collaboration."

fake.

I've already said it's just a rumor, how could it possibly be true?

Do you guys even have brains?

"Make way!"

Wang Churan pretended to go in for breakfast, but when she turned around, she found that her seat had been taken by two paparazzi.

Seeing this, the owner immediately understood and coughed lightly, "It's peak dining time, please understand. Please give this young lady a seat."

Upon hearing this, the two paparazzi felt a little embarrassed, packed up their gear, and went to continue squatting on a bread cart nearby.

Depend on!

So well hidden.

Wang Ran felt fortunate that she had come out to buy breakfast; otherwise, if she had come out with Lu Yunzhou, they would definitely have been photographed.

As a big star, even if you're in a normal relationship, it's best not to expose it.

It will significantly impact one's commercial value.

Moreover, Wang Cheran also received a share of the money Lu Yunzhou earned.

She will definitely protect Lu Yunzhou's interests unconditionally.

After buying breakfast, Wang Ran hurriedly returned home and told Lu Yunzhou about the paparazzi staking out the area.

"That's normal. Don't worry."

Lu Yunzhou didn't take it seriously; as long as he wasn't photographed in bed, he didn't care about anything else.

Because, without realizing it, Zhang Ruonan and Wang Ran had become his online debunking experts—Zhang Ruonan was his biggest hater, and Wang Ran was his biggest true fan.

Neither of them would betray him.

"Brother, I'm not nervous. I just feel so excited."

In truth, Wang Ran secretly hoped that she would be photographed by paparazzi—then Lu Yunzhou's little fans would probably be green with envy.

She fought her way through countless people to become the eldest sister-in-law, which shows just how powerful her charm was.

of course.

She only thought about it in her mind.

But just thinking about it makes me feel so good.

Tian Xiwei was merely using the group chat to intimidate others and impersonate Empress Tian, ​​yet she enjoyed doing it every day—she was the real one.

Unfortunately, the fake empress Tian Xiwei can show off every day.

As the true empress, she couldn't flaunt her status casually, because if she revealed certain details, Lu Yunzhou would really get angry.

"Xiaomeng, why aren't you eating?"

Lu Yunzhou ate his noodles with his head down, occasionally taking a sip of soy milk, while quickly replying to messages on his phone.

He looked up and found that Wang Churan hadn't eaten a single bite. She was supporting her cheek with her hand, staring at him without blinking.

-

He would swallow his saliva every now and then.

This left Lu Yunzhou baffled: "You like my noodles? Want me to share some with you? Don't be shy, these noodles do taste pretty good."

"Thank you, brother."

Wang chuckled and lowered his head to eat his noodles, occasionally glancing up at Lu Yunzhou.

I wasn't actually craving this noodle dish.

I'm just craving you.

I finally got to eat it, and it was really delicious. I've been in a great mood all day.

A little while later, Lu Yunzhou finished his breakfast and prepared to go out.

"You rest well at home. I'll take you out for a big meal tonight to celebrate your birthday. Tomorrow, we'll go buy a house."

"Remember to bring your household registration booklet."

In 2017, Shanghai was under the strictest purchase restrictions, but this didn't matter to Wang Ran, as she was a local resident.

-

"Um.

""

Wang Churan nodded shyly.

She escorted Lu Yunzhou to the door, leaned against the door frame, and watched the elevator doors close until Lu Yunzhou disappeared from sight before she finally closed the door herself.

Then, she jumped and danced around the house all by herself.

so happy.

I've finally been promoted to a permanent position.

After enjoying herself alone for a while, Wang Cheran couldn't find anyone to confide in, so she couldn't help but go to the group chat and subtly show off: "Good afternoon, everyone."

I want to ask everyone something.

"If a guy were willing to buy you a house and put both your names on the deed, do you think he truly loves you?"

Today is Saturday, and many people are probably out having fun.

It's also possible that they're studying frantically at home because final exams are coming up soon.

Only Tian Xiwei, having nothing better to do, said sarcastically, "You never know. Maybe there's some kind of conspiracy waiting for you. For example, making you a legal representative or something, saddled with billions in debt. Boat Girl, you need to open your eyes wide and not be fooled by men."

You, Tian Dali, if you're jealous of me, just say so. Don't try to scare me with these kinds of words.

Tian Xiwei's sarcastic and unpredictable manner is her greatest badge of honor.

Wang Ran casually boasted, "Xiao Tian, ​​if you become a big star in the future and make a lot of money, and you want to buy a house, do you think a detached old villa on Yuyuan Road is better, or a large apartment on the Bund?"

Tian Xiwei already knew that Lu Yunzhou was looking at houses on Yuyuan Road; it turned out that he was preparing a love nest for Wang Ran.

At this moment, the supreme rebellious spirit within Tian Xiwei was about to sprout, and she deliberately nitpicked, saying, "The old houses on Yuyuan Road, apart from being located in the city center, I can't see any advantages. They're not even as nice as the farmer's houses in my hometown."

"To put it bluntly, even if you gave me those old houses for free, I'd still think twice. I'm afraid the drains would be clogged tomorrow, and it would take a lot of work to get someone to fix them."

"Even if I had to choose 100 times, I would definitely choose the big apartment on the Bund. The view there is so beautiful, the decoration is so gorgeous, and the facilities are so modern. If anything happens, I can just nag the property management in the group chat, and they'll probably have to come and serve me like a grandson."

"Besides, you said you're a big star—over there on Yuyuan Road, the old houses are so low, a drone could easily capture what you're doing."

, 7

"How can anyone live here?"

"I don't want to be looked down upon by drones every day and then make headlines. For example, a big star like Xiao Tian going shirtless at home, not wearing pants at home, keeping a dog at home, or kissing a handsome young man at home —"

"Besides, my school is near Yuyuan Road, where the alleyways are extremely narrow, and there's no parking space for cars. Am I, a big star, supposed to walk every day?"

Although Tian Xiwei was being sarcastic.

However, Wang Churan felt that what she said made sense.

Wang Ran felt he understood Tian Xiwei's meaning and asked, "Xiao Tian, ​​if you become a big star in the future and have a lot of money, would you choose a large apartment on the Bund?"

Tian Xiwei still gave a negative answer: "If I have a lot of money in the future, I will use all of it to invest. Housing prices in China are too expensive, even more expensive than in Italy. Housing prices in Shanghai are even higher than in Milan, which is illogical. I believe housing prices will definitely fall in the future. Therefore, I choose to rent!"

"Renting a place?"

Wang Ran never expected Tian Xiwei to give this answer.

"yes."

Tian Xiwei solemnly preached in the group: "Love is about mutual giving. How can you unilaterally take advantage of the other person?"

If a boy were to buy me a house, I would be incredibly happy and love him to the core. But at the same time, I would also rationally advise him to be frugal, as we have a long future ahead of us.

The girls in the group were shocked when they heard this.

"Xiaotian, I didn't expect you to be so righteous."

"Xiaotian, is that really what you think? If it were me, I'd want to collect all of their gold coins. Who cares, after collecting this coin, I'll just go find the next one."

"Oda is a man of great righteousness and has the qualities of an empress; he is worthy of being the mother of the nation."

"Xiaotian, are house prices in Milan really cheaper than in Shanghai? That's unbelievable. Have house prices in Shanghai really gotten that high?"

"What Xiaotian said is probably true. I checked Milan's housing prices, and apart from the central area being about the same as Shanghai's city center, other areas are much cheaper. Considering that Milan's income is three times that of Shanghai, I agree with Xiaotian's view that Shanghai's housing prices will definitely fall."

The entire building tilted to one side.

However, Tian Xiwei's insightful and righteous words made Wang Ran feel a little guilty.

She clutched her phone, her initial joy tinged by Tian Xiwei's words.

She suddenly realized that if Lu Yunzhou were just an ordinary boy, would she still take it for granted if he saved money to buy her a house?

This thought made her inexplicably a little flustered.

【Yun Jing Yan Ran】Studio.

Seeing Wang Ran fall silent, Tian Xiwei couldn't help but smile slightly.

But I couldn't help but feel envious.

Houses on Yuyuan Road cost tens of millions of yuan, yet Lu Yunzhou was willing to buy Wang Churan a mansion of this caliber.

That's incredibly generous of them.

However, Lu Yunzhou seemed to be even more generous to Zhang Ruonan, directly appointing her as the legal representative and executive director of LB Group.

This made Zhang Ruonan a rising star in the fashion world, the mysterious Ms. Zhang.

of course.

Lu Yunzhou treated her well too.

Tian Xiwei wasn't jealous of Zhang Ruonan and Wang Cheran; she was just a little envious.

"Xiaotian, aren't you on vacation? Why haven't you gone home yet?"

Just then, Lu Yunzhou walked into the company and quickly spotted Tian Xiwei sitting at the door, idly playing on her phone.

"Brother, I bought a train ticket for the day after tomorrow."

Tian Xiwei explained for a moment, then added as if remembering something, "Cunzi went home this morning. I was bored staying alone in the hotel, so I came to the company to see if there was anything I could help with."

"That's so thoughtful."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yunzhou smiled.

As he packed up his documents, he said to Tian Xiwei, "Wait a minute, I'm going out to discuss a collaboration. Why don't you come with me? I'll show you around."

"Thank you, brother."

Upon hearing this, Tian Xiwei immediately perked up, her whole being blossoming like a sunflower, radiating enthusiasm.

She circled around Lu Yunzhou: "Big brother, is this a business banquet? Should I go back and change into a prettier dress?"

'

Lu Yunzhou looked up and smiled: "Thinking about business galas all day? Want to show off? I understand how you feel. But don't worry, once you become a big star, you'll be throwing up at these kinds of business galas."

After Tian Xiwei became a big star, she was constantly attending various fashion galas all year round.

At that point, she'll only be thinking about how to hide.

"No need to change clothes. It's just a simple business negotiation, which can be done in two hours at most. You can just be my bag carrier."

Lu Yunzhou packed up the documents, put them in his briefcase, and handed them to Tian Xiwei.

"oh."

Tian Xiwei took it and followed Lu Yunzhou downstairs.

"Beep beep".

Today, Lu Yunzhou went out in that Audi R8 sports car.

With a press of his key, the silver tail fin slowly rose up like a mecha transforming, followed by the flowing taillights that shone with dazzling light.

One word: Cool!

"What are you standing there for? Get in the car."

Seeing that Tian Xiwei was impressed by his car, Lu Yunzhou laughed heartily.

Luxury cars are a man's second face, and this saying is indeed true.

Men who drive luxury cars are automatically twice as handsome in women's eyes.

Tian Xiwei got into the car rather reservedly. It was her first time sitting in the passenger seat of Lu Yunzhou's car, especially in this signature vehicle.

To the best of her knowledge, no female celebrity has ever ridden in the passenger seat of Lu Yunzhou's car.

She was the first.

Tian Xiwei's mind wandered in the car—unfortunately, her wandering thoughts were short-lived.

10 minutes later.

Lu Yunzhou parked the car on the side of the road and led her into a hotel conference room.

"Yunzhou, you've arrived."

Ji Rujing had been waiting at the door for a long time. When she saw Lu Yunzhou and Tian Xiwei coming over, she only glanced at them briefly and didn't say anything.

Before Lu Yunzhou came to the company, they mainly made money through Tang Yan's artist management.

Because of the "Diamond Lover" incident, Ji Rujing and Tang Yan realized that they also needed to keep control of the TV series.

Although TV dramas don't make much money, they can provide Tang Yan with at least one drama a year to maintain her popularity.

With popularity, celebrities can earn money through commercial activities.

But in less than two years, their company’s profit model completely changed—they skipped the middlemen and ran the luxury goods company themselves to make money.

The profit is enormous.

If production weren't so slow, Borsalino hats could earn them hundreds of millions a year.

Although production has already been expanded, at Lu Yunzhou's request, the annual output of Borsalino hats cannot exceed 30.

The average price of each one is around 300 euros.

In other words, Borsalino's annual turnover is at most 1 million euros.

Even so, the profits from this luxury hat are quite substantial, approaching 3 million RMB.

In the next phase, they plan to acquire a century-old tailor shop in Italy, promote it as a top Italian designer, and then launch the clothing production line.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, their clothing sub-brand will be featured in next year's Paris Spring Fashion Show.

Not to mention, they also have the even more profitable Swan Tears gold jewelry production line, which brings in at least 20 million in profits annually.

More than 100 million RMB.

Ji Rujing has been completely carried away by Lu Yunzhou.

She didn't care about the company's artists at all—the artists under her only needed to act when they had roles to play, and go out to do promotional activities when they didn't.

She is now wholeheartedly serving Lu Yunzhou alone.

"Yunzhou, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Zhao from Wentou Holdings."

"Sitting across from him is Richard Hoover, the chief artist at Framestore."

Ji Rujing introduced today's guests to Lu Yunzhou.

"Hello, Mr. Zhao."

Lu Yunzhou walked in, first shook hands with General Manager Zhao, and said with a smile, "Wen Tou Holdings, what a generous move."

They acquired a 75% stake in Frame Store for €1.5 million.

"When I was in Italy, several European media outlets had headlines like 'Chinese capital buys up the Oscars' on their front pages."

Framestore, founded in London in 1986, is one of the world's top visual effects companies, having won two Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects.

He has participated in almost all Hollywood A-list blockbusters, including "The Golden Compass," "Gravity," "Avatar," "Harry Potter," and "Doctor Strange."

Wentou Holdings was originally a bankrupt car company called "Songliao Automobile," which many people probably haven't heard of.

Just before 2015, this company underwent a major asset restructuring, injecting Yaolai Cinema and Duwan Network, transforming into a film and television culture company, and gaining access to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Beijing.

Riding the wave of the entertainment industry boom, this company went public and raised more than 60 billion yuan.

Then came the crazy shopping spree.

At the beginning of 2017, the company's market value peaked—but it wouldn't be long before the company's stock plummeted by 90%.

It dropped from 20 yuan to 2 yuan.

Lu Yunzhou didn't know President Zhao at all, but since exchanging a few pleasantries was free, he was willing to use this opportunity to boost his emotional intelligence.

Because Mr. Zhao is truly a good person.

They spent a fortune to acquire a 75% stake in FrameStore, but couldn't manage things with the British side—the two sides will continue to clash over the next year.

This brought FrameStore to the brink of bankruptcy.

Having known this news in advance, how could Lu Yunzhou possibly let go of this opportunity that was practically handed to him?

His emotional intelligence is very valuable.

"Mr. Lu, you're the real master who doesn't show off."

Mr. Zhao, the general manager of Wentou Holdings, had no idea what Lu Yunzhou was thinking. At this moment, he joined in the mutual flattery: "I've seen many rich second-generation people in the entertainment industry, but many of them only enter the entertainment industry as a hobby because they can't inherit their family business."

"Mr. Lu, you came up with a unique idea and went against the grain. You first used your talent to make a name for yourself in the entertainment industry, and then used your cultural influence to enter the luxury goods market, expanding the scale of your family business dozens of times."

"The entire Chinese community in Italy is proud of you."

"I firmly believe that if you leave the entertainment industry and run for office in Italy, you can easily enter the Milan City Council."

Lu Yunzhou waved his hand, indicating that they should stop, as this was getting more and more outrageous.

"Mr. Zhao, communicating with British companies must be exhausting, right?"

Lu Yunzhou was fully aware of the problems Wentou Holdings was facing.

Framestore is a good visual effects company, but it also has a lot of problems.

The company's original major shareholder was a Malaysian investment company, which had been looking for a buyer for the past two years because it had been unable to make a profit.

In addition, Framestore's founder, William Sutkin, is getting old and preparing to retire.

He needs a pension.

After all, the company had been established for 30 years, and William Sutkin didn't want to continue, so he planned to cash out a sum of money and run away.

Meanwhile, the company's other management team was extremely eager to enter the Chinese film market, but they had been unable to obtain the qualifications for independent operation.

Although Framestore has a branch in Yanjing, it only has 15 people and can only do some background removal work for KFC.

Since Wentou Holdings is willing to pay, this company is naturally willing to sell itself.

Firstly, Malaysian investment companies can take their money and leave.

Secondly, founder William Satkin could cash out his retirement funds.

The company's management believed that by selling themselves, they could enter the Chinese film market, expand the company's scale, and pursue top companies like Industrial Light & Magic and Weta Digital.

However, a contradiction arose!

Wentou Holdings wants to move the company's technology and distribution channels to China, turning the UK into an outsourcing hub.

The management team is definitely not happy about this.

"These British people are too greedy."

Mr. Zhao didn't care at all that Richard Hoover, the chief artist of Framestore, was sitting in the office drinking tea.

He bluntly complained, "Our company acquired Framestore, which is owned by them. We asked them to move their technology center to China, but they kept making excuses. It's been almost a year, and the Beijing branch still only has 15 people."

Wentou Holdings acquired this company in the hope of developing the special effects industry in China.

As a result, the British company was quite cunning; it refused to bring its core business and technology to China, only providing some outsourcing services.

"President Zhao, please don't be angry. I understand what they're thinking."

Although Mr. Zhao appeared very angry, Lu Yunzhou knew that what Mr. Zhao said was not a secret at all.

He can find out with a simple lookup.

The real secret is that Wentou Holdings signed a performance-based agreement with Framestore.

Framestore's net profit must not be less than £1000 million over the next three years.

In order to fulfill the performance-based agreement, Framestore took on many bad films, which led to a decline in its reputation within the industry.

Ultimately, the valuation continued to decline.

The two sides competed fiercely, but in the end, both lost.

Their rivalry gave Lu Yunzhou an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

At that moment, he said with a smile, "Mr. Zhao, why don't you consider how many orders you could help Framestore secure each year if it moved its R&D and technology centers to China?"

"Considering that your company spent nearly 1.5 million euros to acquire shares in this company, the premium is a bit high."

"Your company's shareholders must have high expectations for performance."

"And your company has set a net profit target of no less than £1000 million per year for Framestore. Conversely, this means that the company needs to take on at least £1.5 million in orders per year."

After analyzing the situation, Lu Yunzhou couldn't help but ask, "Could we get this many orders domestically?"

It's simply impossible to get it.

Only Hollywood movies give out so many special effects orders every year.

Wentou Holdings is definitely going to lose money on this investment.

However, this money was originally raised from the stock market, and Mr. Zhao probably didn't care too much about it. He was just worried that the valuation bubble of the entertainment company was about to burst.

"Hey bro, isn't there someone here for you?"

Mr. Zhao suddenly laughed and said to Lu Yunzhou, "You have one order worth 7000 million US dollars. If you give us one order every year, and I find a few other companies to pool our resources, wouldn't that cover our annual revenue?"

"With orders secured, what reason do they have to hesitate to move their technology center to China?"

You wish!

Lu Yunzhou scoffed inwardly, then turned to Richard Hoover and switched to English, asking, "Richard, are you from London or Montreal?"

"Montreal".

Richard Hoover couldn't understand a word Lu Yunzhou and General Manager Zhao were saying in Chinese.

All he knew was that this middle-aged man called General Manager Zhao was his boss's boss's boss.

Richard Hoover is the lead artist at Framestore’s Montreal studio, and his boss is, of course, the head of the studio.

The Montreal studio is just one of several studios under Framestore's umbrella worldwide.

Therefore, he didn't know General Manager Zhao at all.

Last night, Richard Hoover received a call from his company informing him of a last-minute business trip and arranging an express flight from Canada to Shanghai, China.

He had only slept for three hours, and he appeared before Lu Yunzhou today to help the company finalize that $3500 million order as soon as possible.

"Richard, your company looks to be in trouble."

Seeing the other person's tired face, Lu Yunzhou couldn't help but joke, "Blade Runner 2049, your Montreal studio lost at least $1000 million for Framestore. If nothing unexpected happens, you'll all be laid off after this project is finished."

"In addition, your head office boss, Mr. Zhao, is very dissatisfied with your company's current management."

"The investors and management are currently engaged in a fierce internal struggle."

Do you think this kind of company has a future?

Lu Yunzhou chuckled softly, "If you didn't think you still had some value to be used, Satkin, your current boss, that old British man, wouldn't have made you rush to China overnight to beg me, the client."

After speaking, Lu Yunzhou shrugged and asked, "Does my analysis make sense?"

Richard Hoover glanced at Lu Yunzhou, then turned to look at General Manager Zhao beside him.

Mr. Zhao could obviously understand English, and his face was now extremely dark.

"Mr. Lu, what do you mean by this?"

A flash of anger crossed Zhao Zhong's face as he stared at Lu Yunzhou.

"Mr. Zhao, please calm down and let me finish."

Lu Yunzhou turned to Richard Hoover and continued, "The Montreal studio should also seriously consider its future. And what President Zhao just said makes a lot of sense; you need a wealthy client."

Upon hearing this, General Manager Zhao's expression softened slightly.

He felt that Lu Yunzhou was speaking on his behalf, helping him win over people, and incidentally sowing discord between these key technical members and the framework.

The relationship between store management.

Richard Hoover, feeling he understood, shrugged and said, "Sorry, sir, that's not my concern. I just want to know what kind of special effects you require? I'll bring my team to help you complete it, and give you a reasonable quote along the way."

Lu Yunzhou nodded slightly: "We'll discuss the special effects requirements in detail later."

Lu Yunzhou turned to look at President Zhao: "President Zhao, is the funding going through your company's account or through Frame?"

What about the store account?

Haha!

Mr. Zhao came all the way from Yanjing specifically for this.

Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Of course, it's through our Wentou Holdings' account. We are the head office; after receiving the order, we distribute it to Framestore. They have no choice but to accept the order, and they should thank me for my help."

Lu Yunzhou turned to the representative from the Montreal studio: "Richard, what do you think?"

Richard Hoover shrugged. "That's a management issue, not my responsibility. I only handle technical matters."

.

Before Lu Yunzhou could speak, General Manager Zhao jumped up and said, "I am the CEO of the company. Framestore is just a subsidiary of our company. I have the right to sign this order on behalf of Framestore."

Lu Yunzhou stood up and shook hands with President Zhao: "President Zhao, I look forward to your good news."

"Don't worry, Mr. Lu."

Mr. Zhao felt that Lu Yunzhou had done him a great favor, establishing his prestige and showing those arrogant British people the strength of Chinese film and television companies.

A $3500 million order is not something Framestore can easily secure, even in Hollywood.

"Mr. Lu, I will give you an answer in three days at most."

After finishing his speech, Mr. Zhao left in a hurry.

Inside the office.

Only Lu Yunzhou and Richard Hoover from the Montreal studio remained.

Lu Yunzhou handed the other party a bottle of mineral water: "Richard, I looked at your information, and you only joined Framestore in 2015. It seems you've had bad luck; the company was acquired by another company right after you joined."

There is an old Chinese saying: "A new emperor brings a new court."

"Do you think your talents will be able to shine in a company rife with internal strife?"

After a few lighthearted banter, Lu Yunzhou suddenly posed a crucial question: "Richard, between me and director Niki Caro, who do you think makes more popular sports movies with audiences?"

Niki Caro is a renowned female director in Hollywood.

She is about to film "Mulan", which is currently in preparation, and Liu Yifei has been selected to play Mulan.

Niki Caro and Richard Hoover co-starred in "North Country" and "McFarlane".

Both of these films are based on true stories.

Lu Yunzhou's previous film, "Crazy Racing," was also adapted from a true story.

"Lu, don't make that comparison. It's unfair to Nikki."

Richard Hoover thought for a moment and tried to save face for his friend, saying, "Niki is a very good director, but she can't find actors who can carry her films to the box office—so that limits her box office success."

"Yeah?"

Lu Yunzhou couldn't help but laugh and say, "Charlize Theron starred in 'North Country,' Robin Hood played the lead role in 'McFarlane,' and for the upcoming 'Mulan' project, she invited Jennifer Lopez to co-star with Liu Yifei—"

Is this lineup really that bad?

The movie "Crazy Racing" directed by Lu Yunzhou featured only unknown actors.

Before he made this film, he was not famous at all, even on a global scale.

However, its box office performance is quite outstanding for a drama/action film.

"Lu, you and she are different."

Richard Hoover didn't know how to explain it either, because he felt that Lu Yunzhou was not a normal human being.

They're really good at creating entertaining content.

After Lu Yunzhou replicated Leonardo da Vinci's image, his popularity among movie fans worldwide became almost on par with that of Tom Cruise.

It has a stronger box office appeal.

Most importantly, Lu Yunzhou exudes a mystical aura, which piques the interest of European occult enthusiasts.

No matter what he films, his fans will always come to take a look.

"Richard, you went from being a top Hollywood production designer to an production designer at a studio under Framesstore. You should reflect on your actions. What exactly happened?"

"Or rather, have you met a good mentor?"

Lu Yunzhou was quite familiar with Richard Hoover's strength.

He never expected that this guy, who was making Hollywood movies and working as an art director in 2015, would drop so low in status just one year later.

Even if he did the special effects for Blade Runner 2049, his name would never be listed as the head of the outsourced studio in the art direction section.

The entertainment industry is a place of fame and fortune.

Fame brings profit.

Clearly, Richard Hoover has fallen behind in the fierce competition of Hollywood.

But for Lu Yunzhou, he didn't need Richard Hoover's artistic abilities; he just needed an experienced contractor to manage people and keep the team in order.

Richard Hoover was very experienced in this area.

He has a special effects team of at least 150 people under his command.

"Lu, I know what you're thinking. But—"

Richard Hoover began to hesitate.

Lu Yunzhou chuckled softly, "What are you thinking? I didn't ask you to switch jobs right away. Focus on your project and put more of your energy into 'The Abyss,' which is my project."

"As for Blade Runner 2049 — trust my gut feeling, a movie that drags on and on is likely to flop."

"Besides that, I can tell you a little secret. I know about Wentou Holdings, which is your company's parent company; they won't last long."

"In two years at most, Framestore will be back on the shelf—your Montreal studio may be disbanded, or it may be sold off as a package."

"In short, the ending won't be good."

"However, you don't need to worry. Because you've met me."

"When you get back, help me stabilize your team and tell them that no matter what happens in the future, they don't need to rush to switch jobs."

Because you've already arranged a new boss for them. A generous, handsome boss.

Upon hearing this, Richard Hoover's eyes lit up.

This is equivalent to Lu Yunzhou having already bought them unemployment insurance.

The next job for their entire studio is already secured.

Honestly, before Richard Hoover came, many of his colleagues at the Montreal studio hoped he would come to China to find out what was going on with Wentou Holdings and Framestore London.

When investors and management fight amongst themselves, employees will also suffer.

it's good now.

No matter how these two sides fight, it has little to do with their Montreal studio anymore—he found a new boss for the 150 brothers at the Montreal studio.

And this new boss is quite capable.

Two months ago, few people knew about the luxury brand Borsalino—but now, some Canadian singers have started wearing this hat.

"Mr. Lu, rest assured, we will do our utmost for your project."

Richard Hoover thought for three seconds and immediately chose to pledge allegiance to Lu Yunzhou.

If Lu Yunzhou were his current boss, he might not be so concerned—because they know how their current boss treats them.

But Lu Yunzhou is their future boss —

Everyone has high hopes for the future and is willing to do their best for it!

After all, when people make a wish, they always think in a positive light.

"Richard, now that we've covered the business aspects, let's talk about the specifics of the business."

Lu Yunzhou went to great lengths to reassure the other party and mobilize their initiative, hoping that Montreal Studio could create his special effects 120% accurate.

Instead of treating it as an ordinary job and casually dismissing it.

"For the 'Abyss' project, I designed several special effects."

"First, Cologne Cathedral—I want it to become a dark dragon, both orderly and ferocious!"

"Yes, in the process of change, all architectural features must be preserved, just like when Transformers transform, giving people a sense of order, a sense of physical reconstruction, and a sense of metamorphosis from machinery to life."

"At the same time, you must retain the unique grandeur, austere, and all-encompassing Gothic atmosphere of Cologne Cathedral—so that people can immediately tell that it is a super villain."

"You know what I mean."

"Munich, Cologne Cathedral, is naturally the villain. The whole world knows why."

During his week in Munich, Lu Yunzhou passed by Cologne Cathedral several times, and each time he was awestruck by its appearance.

From afar, he seemed to see two azure dragons rising from the earth, trying to break the seal and conquer the world anew.

He decided to hold the final showdown at Cologne Cathedral.

He imagined himself playing the villain, transforming Cologne Cathedral into two giant black dragons, their black flames blotting out the sky and burning everything in their path.

"Mr. Lu, have you ever heard the story of 'The Three Kings' Adoration'?"

"There is a story in the Gospel of Matthew that the wise men from the East observed the stars at night and learned that the new king of the Jews, Jesus Christ, was about to be born. So they rushed to Jerusalem to visit him."

"Cologne Cathedral is the only cathedral in the world built to house the Shrine of the Three Kings."

"In 1164, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I looted the legendary relics of the Three Kings of the East from Milan. The Archbishop of Cologne spent 632 years building this massive Gothic building to house these relics."

After hearing Lu Yunzhou's story outline and the location of the final battle he needed to depict, Richard Hoover even offered some of his own opinions.

"Richard, thank you for your suggestion. It's a truly brilliant idea."

Lu Yunzhou pondered for a moment before speaking, "It is indeed very interesting. In the movie 'The Abyss,' my female lead is like Jesus Christ."

"And we, a few faces from the East, are much like the three wise men in mythology, who, in order to find the birth of a new king, did not hesitate to cross time and space and come to Munich in the 21st century."

"I've got the hang of it—we need to spend some time discussing the specific special effects in detail. We need to bring it to fruition."

"If all goes well, this will be one of the most stunning monster designs in film history. We've imbued this created monster with a sense of historical weight and mythological power."

"Richard, if you'd like, I'll add your name to the film's art direction. Thank you for your suggestion today."

Fame and fortune will be bestowed upon you.

Let's see how you refuse.

"Oh my god—how can I put this? I just rambled on a bit, and I certainly didn't create one of the most shocking monsters in film history."

"In short, thank you for your guidance, boss!"

Richard Hoover, being quite old, suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

In the end, although he hadn't switched jobs yet, he had already changed his way of addressing Lu Yunzhou, calling him "boss" repeatedly, and showing his complete respect.

Seeing this, Lu Yunzhou turned his head, winked at Ji Rujing and Tian Xiwei, and a confident and composed smile appeared on his lips.

Ji Rujing knew this would happen today.

Although she had seen it countless times, she still found it amazing every time. Lu Yunzhou possessed a special power that always filled him with confidence.

They can easily win over everyone.

"Xiaotian, let's go get a big meal."

After everything was settled, Lu Yunzhou handed over the finishing touches to Ji Rujing.

Today is Wang Ran's birthday. Cai Xukun has already booked a luxury private room at a hotel across from the school and ordered a table full of dishes. The banquet is about to begin.

"Xiaotian, when is your birthday? Next time it's your birthday, your big brother will throw you a birthday party. Let's celebrate properly."

Lu Yunzhou made a promise casually while driving.

Today, we've gained another valuable asset, especially in the field of special effects, which is extremely important for Lu Yunzhou.

He was naturally in a very good mood.

"Thank you, brother."

This feeling of being pampered is truly intoxicating.

But Tian Xiwei also knew that Lu Yunzhou's feelings for her were like taking care of a little sister, and he didn't have any other thoughts about her.

She felt a little disappointed, but dared not show it. At this moment, she could only open her phone and casually scroll through messages in the group to pass the time.

Suddenly, someone started shouting frantically in the group chat.

"Aaaaaah!"

"I'm going to kill that bitch!"

"Zhouzhou's relationship has been exposed—he's been photographed!"

"This afternoon, he drove a girl with long hair and bangs to a hotel—and they were photographed by paparazzi!"

"Xiaotian, Chuanmei, Liliang's position as queen has been stolen!"

Upon seeing these messages, Tian Xiwei felt a sudden pang of anxiety, sensing an ominous sign.

She clicked on the photo and took a look.

Sure enough it was her!

When they got off the bus, Tian Xiwei helped Lu Yunzhou carry his bag because she was concerned that his right hand injury had not yet healed.

But in the photo, the two of them look like they are embracing sweetly.

Well done!

This is a paparazzi taking pictures of the house; the angle is just too good!

Looks like I'm going to be rumored to be dating my older brother too.

Tian Xiwei was incredibly excited.

At that moment, Wang Ran was summoned by dozens of people in the group. He glanced at the chat and calmly typed two words: "Fake."

Lu Yunzhou was so exhausted from his own antics that he almost couldn't get out of bed in the morning. If he still had the energy to go find someone else to book a room in the afternoon, Wang Ran would have to admire his stubbornness.

Bu Kuang, the person in the photo, although a bit blurry, that iconic Qi Baohai is just too eye-catching —

Wang Churan recognized her at a glance; it was Tian Xiwei.

"I'm not pretending anymore."

At this moment, Tian Xiwei also jumped in, posting a GIF of herself smoothing her hair: "I'm coming clean—my brother's rumored girlfriend today is me!"

Upon hearing that it was Tian Xiwei, the group chat immediately lost its excitement.

If that were true, Tian Xiwei would probably have left the group by now, instead of swaggering out like this.

If someone dares to come forward and admit it, it can't possibly be true.

"Empress Tian, ​​spare my brother."

"Look at Li's thick thighs. Even from this distance, the paparazzi can tell his thighs are very strong. I'm afraid Li might accidentally kick his brother to death."

Other group members' comments were fine, but Tian Xiwei didn't take them to heart.

However, Wang Churan also chimed in, "Xiao Tian, ​​has Li been going to the gym again lately? His thigh muscles are getting stronger and stronger, they look all muscle."

At this point, Tian Xiwei couldn't hold back any longer and retorted sharply, "Sister Chuan, Li is still talking about me. With so much muscle in his arms and such a large frame, he looks incredibly strong, a natural-born warrior. I really don't know if Li Yu's friend can handle it?"

Wang Churan instantly understood the implied meaning and said fiercely, "So what if you can't handle it? What does that have to do with Li? Li shouldn't even think about it."

Inside a private room at the hotel.

Today is Wang Ran's birthday, and Cai Xukun helped order a large table of dishes to properly honor his second sister-in-law.

However, of the four people in the private room, only Lu Yunzhou was enjoying the food.

Everyone else was glued to their phones.

"Hahaha—Zai Zai!!"

Cai Xukun watched as the "Shandong Female Chiyou" and the "Sichuan-Chongqing Female Tyrannosaurus" were arguing wildly in the group chat. Then he glanced at the table and saw the two of them eating, looking as delicate as Lin Daiyu.

He couldn't help but burst into laughter, but accidentally got a bone stuck in his throat, making him blush red.

Lu Yunzhou handed him a glass of water, which Cai Xukun gulped down before he recovered.

"Don't read jokes while you're eating."

Lu Yunzhou himself couldn't quit playing on his phone while eating, so he couldn't lecture others. He could only tell Cai Xukun not to laugh at him, as he might easily choke to death.

"Big brother, I was wrong."

Cai Xukun's eyes darted back and forth between Wang Ran and Tian Xiwei before he gently patted Lu Yunzhou's shoulder: "Brother, I suddenly remembered a saying that I think makes a lot of sense."

"Playing dumb is a survival strategy."

The Sichuan-Chongqing female tyrant and the Shandong female Chiyou were pretending to be innocent and naive in front of Lu Yunzhou—Cai Xukun felt that Lu Yunzhou definitely knew their true nature.

However, Lu Yunzhou pretended not to know.

Cai Xukun only now realizes that this was a very smart decision.

In this way, whether it's Wang Ran or Tian Xiwei, they can only continue to play the gentle and cute girl in front of Lu Yunzhou.

After all, they still wanted to leave a good impression on Lu Yunzhou.

Once Lu Yunzhou finds out their true nature—they might stop pretending and just reveal their true colors, perhaps even starting a fight in the private room.

And now, while they're furiously hurling insults at each other in the group chat, they continue to act all gentle and cute in the private room, even wiping their mouths with such delicacy.

That was a really good performance.

It's truly a feast for the eyes.

"Big brother is indeed worthy of being called big brother. I must remember this move."

Cai Xukun had heard a famous saying.

Women are all tigers; if you think they're cats, it's only because you haven't gotten close enough.

Lu Yunzhou's strategy is quite interesting.

Keep them far away, never get too close.

In this way, they will always be as gentle and lovely as cats in front of him.