Huayu 2015, the Artist of Light and Shadow

Chapter 94: Internal Strife at Jiaxing! Old Honey's Prisoner's Dilemma! Old Tang Reaps the Benefits! The Abyss is Full of Fate.

"Have you heard? Yang Mi fainted in her office? They say she's been filming too many shows lately and is overworked, so she's not feeling well."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you? An ambulance has already arrived."

Yang Mi fainting at the company caused chaos throughout the entire Jiaxing Group.

When the ambulance arrived, many people from other companies in the office building poked their heads out of their windows to watch the spectacle.

"Do you think the person in this video is actually Yang Mi?"

"I watched it more than a dozen times last night, I was almost exhausted from watching it—it must be Yang Mi. No other woman has this kind of charm."

"I also think it's Yang Mi. I have a friend who's a photographer. He's photographed at least 8000 to 10,000 beautiful models. He says that while a woman's appearance and figure can be altered with technology, no one but Yang Mi can give her that feeling."

"Besides the feeling, there's also that sweet, childlike voice. I've never heard anyone else speak with that kind of voice except Yang Mi."

"With so many coincidences coming together, it can't be a coincidence. Unless someone deliberately targeted Yang Mi, found a stand-in to film this kind of video, and even had Yang Mi do the voice-over—haha, unless Yang Mi is under a curse, it's absolutely impossible."

Although Yang Mi's official account and various die-hard fans have all denied that the person in the video is Yang Mi.

However, experienced drivers each have their own methods of judgment.

Anyway, they all assumed the person in the video was Yang Mi, because only Yang Mi could give them that unique feeling.

If you switch to an unknown model, it becomes boring after a few viewings.

Magic City.

Inside a high-end business hotel.

In the hotel's conference room was the vice president from Shiseido.

In one of the hotel rooms, there was also a negotiation team from L'Oréal headquarters, led by their chief marketing officer.

Shiseido was preparing to invite Tang Yan to become their makeup spokesperson for the Greater China region, but this was delayed due to the "Tang Yan indecent photos" incident.

I hesitated for a while.

At this very moment, Dilraba became a rising female superstar because of her role as Xiao Fengjiu in "Eternal Love" and her close relationship with Lu Han as the "Lu-Di Couple".

Moreover, Dilraba is younger.

It has a more international feel.

Therefore, after some hesitation, they put Dilraba into the pool of candidates.

Who knew that Dilraba and Lu Han's "Lu-Di Couple" hype would suddenly backfire—all because of that one sentence, "If I can't get into the Lu family, I can get into the Lu family," which caused Lu Han's fans to explode.

They strongly opposed the "Land Couple".

Even those who were purely fans of the couple found it extremely disgusting.

Originally, the "Lu Di Couple" was supposed to be a "romantic dream" for them, but after netizens dug it up, Dilraba first tried to create a CP with Yun Zhou but failed, and then she came to try to get involved with Lu Han.

This is like a scheming woman confessing her feelings to a super handsome guy, who then ignores her, so she chooses a backup option to show off her love.

The handsome guy still ignored her and went far away to Italy.

And this scheming woman and her backup boyfriend are showing off their love online like crazy —

This gives netizens the impression that Dilraba's pairing with Lu Han isn't because she likes Lu Han, but rather because she's trying to gain Lu Yunzhou's attention.

Even if Lu Yunzhou only glanced at him briefly.

Lu Han became the ultimate simp and backup in this story, while Dilraba became a scheming bitch.

Their public personas have completely collapsed.

Only Lu Yunzhou seemed like a wise sage, high above, who saw through all the truths.

Although Lu Yunzhou did not express any of his own opinions or views throughout the entire process, netizens could not help but imagine a scene.

Watching Lu Han and Dilraba frantically promote their CP (couple pairing), Lu Yunzhou most likely turned around at a 45-degree angle, put on that khaki Borsalino hat, gently pressed down the brim, and revealed a faint, cold smile full of mockery.

A sense of intellectual superiority arose spontaneously.

"Miss Tang, you look radiant lately. Is there some good news?"

When Shiseido's negotiation team entered, they were relieved to see that Tang Yan was completely unaffected by the indecent photos.

O

Tang Yan smiled: "Britain is preparing to leave the EU, formally triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. International gold prices have surged accordingly. Tell me, should I be happy?"

Instead of directly answering the Shiseido team's questions, she talked about some unrelated things.

But the person on the other end instantly understood and burst into laughter: "Congratulations, Miss Tang. You're going to make a fortune again this year."

LB Group's business model is very peculiar.

After they made their money, instead of buying other assets, they bought gold from Swiss refineries and shipped it back to China—the more the merrier.

Last month, gold rose by 5% due to the impact of Brexit on the international situation.

This means that LB Group's gold, worth billions, increased in value by two or three hundred million without them doing anything.

Tang Yan was a minority shareholder, so of course she also made money.

Money always flows to those who don't lack money.

When these brands look for spokespeople, they naturally look for people with good fortune—Tang Yan has been so lucky lately, she seems like a perfect spokesperson.

Yang Mi's situation is so unlucky, let's just forget about it.

As for Dilraba?

Let's get rid of the "scheming woman" label first.

Now, the whole internet knows that beneath her seemingly cute and obedient exterior, she is a scheming woman.

"Ms. Tang, we've already discussed the specific terms. This trip is just to go through the motions."

Negotiations are usually handled by the agent team.

The step where Tang Yan needs to step in is basically just signing a document and having everyone take a few photos as an official announcement.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

After signing the document, Tang Yan shook hands lightly with the other party and smiled: "Next, I plan to collaborate with Kiwi Fruit to produce a travel reality show about the Alps, similar to Hunan TV's 'Divas Hit the Road.' Would your company be interested in sponsoring it?"

Tang Yan is getting a little tired of filming TV dramas.

Reality show —

Lu Yunzhou said that you shouldn't film other people's reality shows, because you'll easily get ruined by those unscrupulous directors and production teams.

TV stations might also maliciously edit it into various scenes of romantic pairings and fangirling.

So, after thinking about it, Tang Yan decided to collaborate with the kiwi fruit company to produce a travel reality show.

Play games and earn some money at the same time.

Most importantly, Tang Yan wanted to visit the locations where Lu Yunzhou was filming, as a way to promote Lu Yunzhou's movie.

"sure."

Tang Yan is very popular right now; no matter what she films, people will watch it.

Most importantly, Dilraba can't get close to Lu Yunzhou, but Tang Yan doesn't need to; netizens will automatically associate Tang Yan and Lu Yunzhou together.

"Will you go to Milan?"

The vice president of Shiseido couldn't help but ask, with great anticipation, "Many people want to know the behind-the-scenes story of how Lu Yunzhou painted 'The Last Supper'—if your reality show can delve into this story, I believe it will be a huge hit."

"I'll consider it."

Tang Yan nodded gently.

Sure enough, people prefer behind-the-scenes stories. After all, everyone sees what's happening in front of the camera.

But everyone wanted to know how Lu Yunzhou had acquired Leonardo da Vinci-like painting skills in just a few months.

After the Shiseido people left.

A short while later, L'Oréal's COO arrived with his team.

"Miss Tang, Estée Lauder will never catch up with L'Oréal. Their only advantage over L'Oréal right now is that the high-end fashion brand Tom Ford got lucky last year by acquiring Lu Yunzhou."

"But I believe that the moment Estée Lauder decided to sign Yang Mi, it was already saying goodbye to Lu Yunzhou."

""

"After the contract expires, I'll see what conditions they offer to keep Mr. Lu Yunzhou."

L'Oréal's COO didn't even bother to put on an act in front of Tang Yan.

They had their eye on Lu Yunzhou, so they signed Lu Yunzhou's good friend Tang Yan first.

Then, considering Tang Yan's feelings, after a year, when Lu Yunzhou's contract with Estée Lauder expires, under the same conditions, what reason would Lu Yunzhou have not to choose L'Oréal?

Estée Lauder selects Yang Mi.

They chose Tang Yan from L'Oréal.

Lu Yunzhou is so loyal, and besides, he's not short of money. If he had to sign a contract, he would definitely choose L'Oréal.

"Am I really that lacking in prestige?"

Tang Yan put on a pitiful look and said to herself, "Now you're signing me an endorsement contract, and you want me to be tied to someone else?"

"Oh, Miss Tang, you can't say that."

L'Oréal's COO chuckled: "Others might want to associate themselves with Mr. Lu Yunzhou, but he might not even give them the time of day. You know, he's an artist. Artists are very individualistic. Just look at how Mr. Lu Yunzhou never gives Yang Mi a friendly look; you can see how much he favors you."

"Even an artist like Mr. Lu Yunzhou has a strong preference for you—I can't imagine why consumers wouldn't have a preference for you?"

That sounds nice.

Tang Yan loved hearing this, and smiled sweetly, "It's a pleasure working with you. After Yunzhou's contract expires next year, I'll find an opportunity to ask him if he'd be willing to sign with L'Oréal."

L'Oréal's COO nodded slightly: "LB Group is a luxury goods company. Our cosmetics and skincare products can only be considered high-end brands, not luxury goods. Besides, they don't operate in this industry. We at L'Oréal are not direct competitors with them. It should be fine."

The two sides had a pleasant conversation.

Tang Yan hesitated for a moment before asking, "I have some doubts. I always feel that your attitude towards Yunzhou is a little different. Although he is very good at making money, has a very good personality, does things with great style, is very intelligent, and is very considerate of the client's needs, it shouldn't be to the point that you big brands are so—to put it bluntly, almost fawning over him?"

Tang Yan really didn't understand.

Although Lu Yunzhou is good at stirring up trouble, he is ultimately an artist, belonging to the service provider category. It's not like these clients are begging to work with Lu Yunzhou.

The COO of L'Oréal thought for a moment and said very seriously, "Ms. Tang, our brand has conducted a comprehensive evaluation of Mr. Lu Yunzhou."

"He is not an idol star, but the future godfather of the fashion industry, a figure like Emperor Caesar."

"His sudden emergence has a similar aura to Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel 30 years ago."

"You should know this history—in 1983, before Karl Lagerfeld took over Chanel, Chanel was already on its last legs."

"Before Mr. Lu Yunzhou took over Borsalino, Borsalino was already effectively bankrupt and owed the bank 2000..."

10,000 euros.

"After Karl Lagerfeld took over Chanel, he brought a completely new visual element to the brand, which revived Chanel in its early years. Over the past thirty years, he has transformed Chanel into one of the world's most profitable luxury brands."

"After Mr. Lu Yunzhou took over Borsalino, he made it the most popular luxury item in the world in just one month, with hats in high demand and short supply."

The global luxury and fashion circles have long regarded Lu Yunzhou as a super strong figure in the fashion industry.

Their debut was their peak.

Just like Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel back in the day.

Lu Yunzhou's painting "The Last Supper" caused a sensation around the world.

From then on, Borsalino hats became extremely rare and sought after.

Even within the fashion industry, many designers have begun to feel honored to own a classic Borsalino hat.

Ordinary luxury goods win over users.

Lu Yunzhou's Borsalino hat has won over top fashion designers.

It is the highest of the high-end.

Luxury among luxury items.

"Miss Tang, you are Mr. Lu Yunzhou's best friend. You should know that he is not like other idol stars who will gradually fade out of the fashion circle as their looks age."

"On the contrary, with the accumulation of time, he will create more miracles, and his family's LDC brand will become the next Bulgari, the next Van Cleef & Arpels."

"As long as he doesn't die young, even if he doesn't become a star or make movies anymore, he can still become a top figure in the art world simply by using his superb painting skills to paint some landscapes."

"I don't know what the Chinese art world is chasing after—but in Europe and America, his painting skills have already reached their pinnacle."

"If he wishes, the Florence Academy of Fine Arts will offer him a tenured professorship unconditionally."

Do you understand the value of this?

"The Florence Academy of Fine Arts, the best art academy in the world, offered him a tenured professorship unconditionally—and he was not even 30 years old!"

"He is unique in the global entertainment or art world."

At this point, L'Oréal's COO couldn't help but laugh: "Your domestic Weibo and some other social media only treat him as an idol star, constantly hyping up his scandals and relationships—that's very interesting. Absolutely very interesting."

"Hahaha----"

"I hope your domestic entertainment industry can produce a Hepburn. Whether it's Katharine Hepburn or Audrey Hepburn."

"Only Hepburn was qualified to have an affair with him."

Yanjing, Jinmao Mansion luxury residence.

Yang Mi was taken to the hospital after falling into a coma, and woke up after receiving an IV drip.

After a full physical examination, the doctor determined that she was simply overworked and emotionally agitated, and there was nothing seriously wrong.

Yang Mi was discharged from the hospital that afternoon.

She recently bought a luxury mansion in Jinmao Mansion, costing over 100 million yuan. The decoration is extremely luxurious, with even a toilet costing 60,000 yuan.

Several major shareholders of Jiaxing came to visit Yang Mi.

"Honey, I have some good news."

"Brands like Estée Lauder, OPPO, and Lux, which we have already signed contracts with, have no intention of terminating the contracts or demanding compensation for our reputation. Instead, they have comforted us and hope that we can clarify the situation as soon as possible and send lawyer's letters to those websites and media outlets that spread false information."

Zhao Ruoyao is in charge of most of the company's business negotiations.

She brought Yang Mi some good news.

Yang Mi sat on the sofa, casually drinking water. Her face was still a little pale, and she asked in a somewhat weary voice, "What about your brand endorsements for Gucci and LV?"

High-end luxury brands are what she values ​​most!

She's had countless endorsements for everyday consumer goods and mainstream brands throughout her life. But she's never landed a high-end luxury brand endorsement.

She's been eagerly waiting for this.

She doesn't own any high-end luxury brands, yet she's considered a top-tier celebrity? She's about to become a multi-billionaire queen, and she doesn't even own any high-end luxury brands. Isn't she afraid of being laughed at when she goes out?

"this----"

Zhao Ruoyao fell silent.

Just then.

Yang Mi suddenly saw some messages popping up on Weibo.

Not just one message, but three!

[Zhao Liying's Weibo studio officially announced: Congratulations to Ying Bao on officially becoming Dior's China Ambassador!]

[Congratulations to Zhao Liying on becoming a Tiffany & Co. brand ambassador!]

Congratulations to Zhao Liying on becoming Longines' Ambassador of Elegance!

Yang Mi immediately closed her eyes.

I don't want to look at it anymore.

That's terrible news.

Just when everyone thought Yang Mi was going to rest, she suddenly had an emotional outburst and threw her phone away.

The phone flew straight out and hit a refrigerator worth 14 yuan not far away.

"Bang!"

The refrigerator is fine; after all, it cost 14 yuan, so the quality is pretty good.

Yang Mi kept panting, taking deep breaths, afraid that she would faint again if she got too excited.

After a while, she felt herself recover and let out a deep breath: "I never thought that in the end, this country bumpkin would be the one to get the better deal—"

She and Zhao Liying have always disliked each other.

The main issue is that Zhao Liying dislikes her on her own.

Yang Mi has never taken Zhao Liying seriously—what kind of family does she come from, and what kind of family does Zhao Liying come from? How could she possibly respect Zhao Liying?

"High-end luxury brands are like radishes, each one a pitfall."

"That country bumpkin Zhao Liying stole my things, which means I'll always be one less—so tell me, whose endorsement should I poach next?"

Yang Mi is now so angry she's lost her mind, and her IQ is plummeting.

She looked at Zeng Jia and Zhao Ruoyao, hoping they could come up with a solution for her.

She was about to achieve great success, but just before her ascension, she was knocked unconscious by a blow and fell into a mud pit.

Now my whole body is yellow, even if it's not poop, it looks like poop.

Even if they didn't smell the stench, as soon as people saw that she was covered in feces, they all ran far away and didn't dare to come near her.

"Honey, I've already calculated it for you."

"We can't poach any of those high-end luxury brands."

"but----"

As Zhao Ruoyao finished speaking, she secretly glanced at Yang Mi.

Yang Mi raised her head and looked at him sharply: "But what? Speak your mind. I've weathered many storms, I'm not going to fall into this little ditch."

Zhao Ruoyao stammered, "Borsalino is now recognized as a top luxury brand. Although everyone knows it's Lu Yunzhou's brand, they don't have a brand ambassador. Why don't you try asking Tang Yan?"

"Hehe—hehe."

When people are speechless, they can actually burst out laughing.

Yang Mi thought Zhao Ruoyao must have gone mad or lost her memory to make such an absurd suggestion.

"Sister Zhao, have you forgotten?"

"You hired online trolls to post Tang Yan's indecent photos. Do you think she's really stupid? That she doesn't know anything?"

"How many times has she fallen for this?"

Yang Mi now has no doubt and is absolutely certain that those short videos online were posted by people hired by Tang Yan.

But what puzzled her was, where did Tang Yan get this video from?

Who threw it out?

It can't be —

Yang Mi's eyes narrowed immediately as she looked Zhao Ruoyao and Zeng Jia up and down, feeling that the two of them were highly suspicious.

The performance-based agreement has been finalized.

They and themselves are no longer a community of shared interests.

Do they want to kick themselves out?

The more Yang Mi thought about it, the more suspicious she became. She developed a deep distrust of Zhao Ruoyao and Zeng Jia, and waved her hand, saying, "You two go back and take care of things at the company. I'll adjust for a few days and then go back to work."

Zeng Jia nodded: "Sister Mi, then you should get some rest. Xiao Zhao and I will handle the company's affairs, so you don't need to worry."

.

Zhao Ruoyao helped Yang Mi put her phone away and placed it on the table. She smiled at Yang Mi and said, "Sister Mi, call me if you need anything."

Yang Mi saw the two of them to the door, her face suddenly turning cold.

Two bastards!

Normally, shouldn't they be around me, helping me handle the whole thing? Why did they leave immediately when I told them to?

It's like I'm covered in poop.

not good!

Did I guess right? They're going to kick me out!

The thought sent a chill down Yang Mi's spine.

At that moment, Yang Mi suddenly realized that if she continued to trust Zeng Jia and Zhao Ruoyao, the two of them might drain the company of everything.

However, if she doesn't trust the other party, the company's operations will face significant problems.

No matter what she does, she seems to be in a dilemma.

"It's over."

"I'm in a prisoner's dilemma."

Between two evils, choose the lesser.

At this moment, Yang Mi, following the game theory of the prisoner's dilemma, chooses not to trust the other party in order to avoid maximizing her own losses.

However, this would inevitably plunge the company into endless internal strife and suspicion, and from then on, the company would never be able to develop smoothly again.

Why?

"Tang Yan—Why doesn't Lu Yunzhou betray you?"

"He's so smart, and you're so stupid. He can manipulate you completely, so why doesn't he betray you?"

"Why are Zeng Jia and Zhao Ruoyao doing these dirty tricks behind my back? Haven't I been good enough to them?"

"I single-handedly led the entire company to success."

At that moment, Yang Mi felt like her world had collapsed.

She always considered herself a smart person, and she was always the one taking advantage of others, rarely letting others take advantage of her.

She took advantage of Tang Yan countless times.

But looking back now—

Tang Yan still has people protecting her, and some people have developed a bias towards her.

No matter what trouble Tang Yan encountered, Ji Rujing favored Tang Yan, and Lu Yunzhou also favored Tang Yan, easily helping Tang Yan overcome all difficulties.

And what about her?

Not only does she have to overcome her own tribulation, but she also has to guard against her teammates betraying her!

She carries a double burden of pressure.

"Am I really such a failure as a person?"

"I'm so smart. Why does everyone want to betray me? Why don't they try to unite around me and let me lead them to success?"

"Liu Kaiwei is like that. Zeng Jia and Zhao Ruoyao are like that too."

Suddenly, Yang Mi thought of one of her loyal subordinates: "What about Dilraba? Could she be thinking of betraying me too? I've been so good to her, I've used all my resources to promote her, and I've even taught her how to ride on other people's popularity."

But soon, Yang Mi shook her head and couldn't help but sneer.

As the saying goes, "Teach your apprentice well, and you'll starve."

This is how their lineage has been passed down.

Unsurprisingly, Dilraba is just another version of herself.

Looking around, Yang Mi suddenly realized that in her company, which she had been running for so long, she couldn't find a single person she could trust.

Feeling annoyed, she casually scrolled through her phone and saw a post on her WeChat Moments from "Dai Si," who had disappeared from Jiaxing's online community. He was back in his hometown, dressed in ethnic clothing, riding horses and singing and dancing with his friends.

The photos were taken with great enthusiasm.

Dai Si smiled beautifully, and seemed to be in a very good mood.

What made Yang Mi most jealous was that Lu Yunzhou jokingly commented under Dai Si's photos on WeChat Moments: "I'm going to sell my house and wander the world with you."

If it were Dilraba, she would probably respond with a lot of shy emojis.

However, Dai Si honestly replied, "Little Boat, wake up. Your house is rented. The landlord won't allow it."

Tang Yan: "Hahaha. Someone's rent is being paid by someone else."

Li Qin: "Little Boat Bro, I didn't expect you to be living in such dire straits. Come work for our company; we offer luxury dormitories."

A bunch of people were sharing their WeChat Moments, watching the spectacle unfold around Lu Yunzhou.

Yang Mi couldn't help but smile.

But soon, her smile vanished, and she looked out the window, letting out a long sigh.

This honest girl, who doesn't know how to say pretty words, how to flatter, or how to act cute, suddenly made Yang Mi feel as if she had missed something.

"Wait? What's this?"

Yang Mi scrolled to the top of Dai Si's WeChat Moments and found the background photo.

The background photo was edited by Dai Si, but Yang Mi could still vaguely recognize it—this was the moment when Lu Yunzhou, after finishing "The Last Supper," turned at a 45-degree angle in the crowd, slightly lowered the brim of his hat, and revealed a faint smile on his lips.

Dai Si also wrote a motto for this photo.

I believe a person's beauty lies in their smile: if a smile enhances their charm, it is beautiful; if a smile diminishes it, it is ugly.

Without a doubt, Lu Yunzhou's smile was incredibly charming.

That's practically the most handsome smile in the world in 2016.

Yang Mi walked up to the mirror and slowly raised the corners of her mouth—she looked at herself in the mirror, and although she was smiling, the lower half of her face was completely stiff.

Undoubtedly, her smile is ugly.

Living in the Jinmao Mansion, which is worth over 1 million yuan, Yang Mi suddenly felt incredibly lonely that day.

However, she quickly became convinced that she had not done anything wrong.

"If I'm wrong, how did I am able to amass such a huge fortune?"

"Their betrayal of me is a problem of their loyalty, not mine. I will deal with them one by one!"

'

"Dai Si, I don't believe an honest person like her can survive in the entertainment industry."

"I still have faith in Dilraba. How can you survive in the entertainment industry without a bit of cunning? How can you become a top star if you don't know how to ride the wave of popularity? Do you really think that acting well is all it takes to reach that level?"

Italy.

Near the Alps.

There is a Vaian Dam here, which was once the highest dam in the world.

-

In the 60s, a horrific tragedy occurred here. Floodwaters breached the valley to the right of the dam, and in a short time, countless floods poured down, submerging numerous villages below and swallowing 2000 villagers in their sleep.

50 years later.

The dam still stands, but the area below is devoid of life, like an abyss, eerily silent.

"Director, is this the end of the scene?"

Lu Yunzhou filmed several versions of the final ending, but he was still not satisfied. The entire team had been wasting a week near the dam.

Actually, all it takes is a few shots.

However, Lu Yunzhou got stuck.

The team included assistant director Lao Dong, producer Huang Yida, several directors of photography and art direction, as well as Chad Hoover, who was "tricked" by Lu Yunzhou from his Montreal studio.

These few people would gather together for meetings every day.

"I have a new idea."

-

Suddenly, Lu Yunzhou made a decision that sent chills down everyone's spines: "I want the male lead to die here."

In an instant, a kind of coldness and romance, like that of a creator god, seemed to emanate from Lu Yunzhou.

Everyone else's brains went blank.

Richard Hoover immediately clutched his head, looking utterly bewildered: "Director, why did you do this? Why did you have the male lead die here? This completely goes against our original intentions."

Everyone else looked over, but they didn't object, because Lu Yunzhou was the boss and the project was brought in by him.

Lu Yunzhou can do whatever he wants.

It's just a matter of changing the ending; as long as the story's framework remains the same and the narrative logic doesn't collapse, it's fine.

"This is what I think."

Lu Yunzhou called everyone over, while he himself paced back and forth on the dam.

He pointed to himself with his left hand: "I'm the villain, and I'm also the protagonist—so, I have a question: why aren't we the same person?"

"What I mean is, the villain was also designed by the male protagonist."

"Everything he did was to fully awaken the heroine's [witch's] power—her [patricide complex], you understand?"

"Kill me, your mentor, so the female protagonist can complete her final rite of passage."

"Besides, you're looking at the abyss below the Alps—that's the theme of our film, isn't it?"

"Below the abyss, there lies another mysterious world."

"Our male and female protagonists both come from that mysterious world. After leaving that world, they lost some of their memories."

"Why don't we think about it the other way around—the real abyss is not a physical abyss, but a kind of inner wasteland."

Why did the male protagonist lose his memory? Because he killed his beloved with his own hands, and he has forever lost that part of his memory.

"As for why the female protagonist, the witch, lost her memory—from the audience's perspective, it's unknown. But we fill the void in her heart through an ending."

"Because she will kill the male protagonist here, burying her beautiful memories forever in the abyss of her heart, leaving her heart empty."

"In this way, the beginning and the end form a perfect structural symmetry."

"The male and female protagonists form a perfect symmetry in terms of their minds and identities."

After Lu Yunzhou finished speaking.

While the others were still in a daze, he shouted to Liu Haocun, who was resting in the distance, "Xiao Cun, come here."

"They're here."

Liu Haocun rushed over: "Director, what's wrong?"

"Xiao Cun, put on the wig. The white one."

Lu Yunzhou put the male lead's wig on Liu Haocun's head and pointed to the front of the dam: "Stand there and enjoy the breeze for a while."

95

"oh."

Liu Haocun was moved around by Lu Yunzhou like a prop.

"Come and take a look."

Lu Yunzhou called over the "creative team" of the production crew, pointed at Liu Haocun, and said, "Several years later, the witch stands here again, the wind blowing her long white hair and her black dress—"

"That was the male lead's outfit a long time ago."

"Doesn't it resemble a cycle of reincarnation?"

After saying that, Lu Yunzhou suddenly snapped his fingers: "Almost there."

He walked over to Liu Haocun, set up an umbrella at a distance, and hesitantly asked, "Excuse me, is this necklace the one you lost?"

An LDC necklace appeared in Lu Yunzhou's hand.

This necklace is a key visual prop connecting the male and female protagonists' emotions—and in the end, after the male protagonist dies, he uses this necklace as an emotional link.

Does this imply that the male protagonist may not have died, but was reincarnated?

Huang Yida and assistant director Lao Dong were still frowning, considering whether the plot was feasible.

Richard Hoover, who had won an Oscar for Best Production Design, suddenly brightened up and said, "Boss, I understand what you mean."

Paradoxes in ancient Greek mythology.

"A person's strength often comes from their trauma."

"The more a person wants to be powerful, the more they will lose their humanity."

"The inevitability of fate, ritualized sacrifice, the mirror-like tragic heroism—Boss, you're a genius!"

"This is the ultimate in tragic aesthetics!"

After Richard Hoover had figured out this connection in his own mind, he suddenly became excited, rushed forward, and exclaimed with great enthusiasm, "Love and sacrifice, loneliness and redemption, power and cost—these are eternal philosophical topics—"

"Boss, we originally just wanted to make a commercial film for German cultural tourism."

"And now, our male lead may become the most classic tragic hero in film history. Our female lead may become the most charismatic female superhero."

"Gothic romance, ancient Greek tragic aesthetics, commercial special effects, plus a core sense of fatalism—this is a completely new style of fantasy film!"

"Boss, we don't know how much the movie will gross at the box office yet—but the LDC necklace, as an emotional symbol of this tragedy, will definitely be a huge hit!"

That's fine then!

Upon hearing this, the others immediately stopped objecting.

They make movies as long as they don't lose money at the box office.

The main purpose is to sell products.

For our client, number one, we're promoting German cultural and tourism products.

For client number 2, promote Audi.

At the same time, they promoted the LDC necklace from Lu Yunzhou's home.

"Director, what are you talking about?"

Just then, the female lead, Liu Haocun, turned around, her face full of confusion.

Richard Hoover chuckled: "Congratulations, our Miss Anna. The boss casually changed a small part of the ending, giving the whole film an artistic flair."

"Well, let me give you an example—have you heard of 'The Riddle of the Sphinx'?"

Liu Haocun shook his head slightly.

But then, she suddenly remembered something: "I think I've seen this cartoon before. Isn't there a sphinx sitting on a cliff, asking passersby a riddle? If they answer incorrectly, it eats them?"

"That's right."

Richard Hoover smiled and nodded: "But you've missed a part. And a crucial part. If the riddle of the Sphinx is solved, the Sphinx must die."

17

"In our movie—you, the female lead, keep asking one question from beginning to end: why does our male lead always look so sad and melancholy?"

"You always tell him to smile more."

"Your heart is always secretly wondering if he's hiding something from you?"

"Until the very end—you finally know the answer, which is the riddle of the Sphinx that we mentioned at the beginning."

"And the whole riddle was designed by our male protagonist: your fate, and his fate—just like the riddle posed by the Sphinx."

"And his death was the price of solving the riddle."

"At the same time, once you have the answer, you will become the next him, and you too will be trapped by riddles."

"What a beautiful loop structure, what a beautiful mirror symmetry—I can't wait to see this movie."

You're such a riddle person!

What nonsense are you spouting?

Liu Haocun frowned slightly, wondering what Richard Hoover was talking about.

Richard Hoover didn't care. For a visually stunning film like this, full of artistic qualities, the actors were all fools, and there was no need to care about their opinions.

"Boss, if this were 10 years ago, you could definitely sweep the Oscars with this movie and take home half of the awards. But unfortunately, it's much harder now."

As for the reason, everyone knows it.

The rivalry between Dongda and Xida has begun. In terms of ideology and public opinion, it's impossible for Lu Yunzhou to win the award.

"It's okay."

"We made a great film—no force can stop good things from spreading throughout the world."

The reason for slightly changing the ending is that Lu Yunzhou suddenly realized what to do if the movie couldn't get enough 3D screens in Europe and America.

He must win over audiences through the plot, making most European and American viewers, even those watching via mobile streaming, feel the charm of this film.

Therefore, he has to make the plot even more exciting!

The framework of the movie "The Witch" was actually quite good, but for Lu Yunzhou, it was far from being that impactful.

He added an extra layer.

It incorporates the sense of destiny that I like, and the atmosphere unique to ancient Greek tragedy: resisting fate is also part of fate.

"Boss, although this setup can greatly make your character and Liu Haocun's character become classic characters in film history."

"But there's a problem: what about the sequel?"

Richard Hoover couldn't help but ask his own question.

His career thereafter was entirely carried by Lu Yunzhou—the fantasy film "The Abyss" still has great potential.

The main reason is that Lu Yunzhou has very high requirements for special effects, and the budget allocated to him is also very high.

It gave him a glimpse of a bright future.

However, Lu Yunzhou's decisive finale, which forcibly elevated the theme, makes a sequel difficult to sustain.

That's how Batman 3 is.

After Nolan forcefully elevated the theme, it became very difficult to film the rest.

"Sequels aren't important. Let's focus on the present. Things will work out in the end."

The sequel was a promise Lu Yunzhou made to the client.

He presented Audi with facts and reasoning, stating that in addition to the Harry Potter and Marvel series, he could create an extra dark fantasy visual blockbuster.

Moreover, it has a large market.

After hearing this gimmick, Audi and the German government poured money into him.

However, Lu Yunzhou himself has never said that there is a 100% certainty that a sequel will be made!

After all, the sequel to "Racing Wilderness" is still waiting for him.

Making a sequel for someone else is like working for them—but Lu Yunzhou's main purpose is to promote his family's brand.

If the first one is enough, the goods will be flown away.

Is there any need to make a sequel?

Holy crap!

"Big brother, come quick and see what's going on!"

Just then, Tian Xiwei and Liu Haocun huddled together and suddenly discovered something new, completely forgetting the rule of calling someone "director" while working.

They ran over excitedly, pulling Lu Yunzhou along, saying, "Big brother, Lu Han couldn't stand being forced into a CP relationship with Dilraba Dilmurat every day anymore—he officially announced it!"

Tian Xiwei couldn't help but shake her head and sigh: "Lu Han actually dared to make an official announcement? As a popular celebrity, he doesn't even understand how things work."

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he's going to collapse! Actually, he's not a bad person.

Liu Haocun snorted and said, "Lu Han is alright, but when Dilraba was forcibly paired with him, he seemed quite happy about it. It shows that he doesn't have a good eye for talent. He's far inferior to our big brother."

Tian Xiwei laughed heartily: "How can he compare to our eldest brother? Our eldest brother has a discerning eye, and the people around him are all good people."

Upon hearing this, Liu Haocun did not refute it, but chuckled.

Because she was also praised.

Stop watching the show.

"9

Lu Yunzhou turned to look at Liu Haocun: "Tonight, prepare yourself properly and imagine that tomorrow you will stab me to death with a sword—and then you will be immersed in the joy of victory."

Suddenly, I reached out and gently touched your cheek, calling out your nickname.

"Imagine how you should perform—pay attention to the details: your breathing, your furrowed brows, the trembling of your pupils, the muscles at the corners of your mouth, and all the expressions on your face—go back and think about it carefully."

"Tears alone won't do."

"There needs to be a deeper level of expression."

"Of course, I'll help you."

"Let's create miracles together!"

"In an era where Hollywood superhero movies have swept the world, we're making a visually stunning film that will pierce your heart."

.

"I promised you I'd make you 3000 million this year, and I won't go back on my word!"

Lu Yunzhou gently patted Liu Haocun's shoulder, telling her to think it over carefully tonight, and that they would see how it went tomorrow!

After Lu Yunzhou left.

Tian Xiwei exploded, relentlessly questioning Liu Haocun, "Big brother said he'd let you earn 3000 million this year? When did he say that?"

Why didn't you tell me?

You're discriminating against me!

I'm not convinced!

Liu Haocun glanced at Tian Xiwei and said quietly, "I thought my brother was joking with me. I didn't expect him to take it so seriously and keep it in mind all this time."

Liu Haocun subtly demonstrated his special place in Lu Yunzhou's heart, then took Tian Xiwei's hand and said softly, "It's all my fault, little Tian. I'm sorry. Don't blame your brother. He didn't tell you for your own good."

You, Granny Liu, are so tacky! You're even more tacky than Dilraba Dilmurat!

Tian Xiwei glanced at Liu Haocun, then suddenly laughed: "It's okay, I forgive you. I hope you can forgive me too. Just now, I secretly cast a Miao curse on you."

Liu Haocun's eyes widened in surprise: "What Miao witchcraft? You know about this?"

"It's nothing. It's just a curse that liars will always have A-cup breasts."

Seeing Liu Haocun's smile freeze, Tian Xiwei said in a teasing tone, "Don't worry, my Miao Jiang Gu curse doesn't have a high hit rate."

You've hit the nail on the head!

You, Tian Dali, are utterly rotten!