Pirates began to dominate the Chinese entertainment industry.

If you were to ask Ji Yun which day of his life was the luckiest, he would say it was now.

Night in Shanghai.

Ji Yun sat in the driver's seat, staring blankly at her surroundings.

The cold winter moonlight shone through the car window, and the air conditioning vents blew out warm air. A BMW logo with blue sky and white clouds adorned the center of the steering wheel. This was a white BMW 320i that he knew very well.

Everything seemed normal.

But the cramped screen and outdated center console design left him completely bewildered. Wasn't he driving the new X5 today? How come it's so outdated?

How can we discuss cooperation while driving this car!

Today, Ji Yun treated several executives from a major film company in charge of film investment to a lavish meal and drinks. Her hope was to raise some money to produce a feature film that she would independently direct.

Although he was a well-known assistant director in the industry, he never had the opportunity to move up the ranks.

Even though this was the 13th batch of potential investors he had met this month, and even though he was already exhausted, he could only patiently entertain them and give them gifts.

There is a very painful threshold to becoming a director.

If you don't want to be subservient and have to please others, you have to make a movie to prove your worth.

If you want to make a movie, you have to be subservient to the investors and watch their faces.

As a nobody without any backing from investors, Ji Yun could only cautiously curry favor with executives of film and television companies and internet platforms, hoping to raise some money to change his current situation.

But if he were to drive this nearly twenty-year-old antique now, he probably wouldn't even be able to get through the gates of a high-end club.

He took another look at the car's interior, and when he glanced at the rearview mirror, he was suddenly stunned.

In the mirror, my face, which should have been tired and listless, looked unusually young and youthful today.

In an instant, a flood of memories rushed into my mind.

"Night, crossroads, Universiade, running a red light, 'We are all trying our best to live...'"

He realized he had been reborn, and had returned to the most important crossroads in his life—

The vehicle's infotainment system displayed the date as December 31, 2007.

Ji Yun sat there blankly, a warm current of exhilaration, mixed with a touch of melancholy, welling up in her heart.

Memories of youth are not always pleasant.

Ji Yun lost his mother at a young age. Three months ago, he was a freshman in the acting department of the Shanghai Theatre Academy when his father passed away from late-stage lung cancer. Before his death, his father was so weak that he could barely move, but he still managed to pat his hand and say, "I don't have much to leave you, only this company. Take it and live a good life."

This was the first time that man had let down his guard and spoken to him.

From that day on, Ji Yun put aside her studies and began to take over the company left by her father—a pirated DVD company that was gradually declining.

While this starting point may not be glamorous, it's not low either.

At 18, he knew nothing about the piracy business. Under the repeated encouragement of his girlfriend, a classmate in college, and through the introduction of Uncle Wei, a veteran of the company, he found a production company with a stellar resume and spent 1000 million yuan to invest in the most popular anti-Japanese war drama at the time.

I was hoping to break even, at least enough to keep the company and employees afloat, so that I wouldn't let my father's life's work go to waste.

But that production company was utterly inhuman; they dared to price a straw hat at $1000 and a wig at $30…

Ji Yun later estimated that the actual production cost of that drama was less than 500 million.

When he went to check the accounts, the other party claimed that all the props were custom-made, and although they were worn out, the accounts were absolutely clear...

I'm completely fed up with being tricked by them.

What's worse is that the film was made in a terrible mess, it was just a ridiculous drama about tearing apart Japanese soldiers with bare hands.

In addition, these days, the buyers of TV dramas are all major TV stations. Those big shots in government agencies, without connections or backgrounds, can hardly sell even good shows for a good price.

Those bastards in the film and television industry really treated him like a coal mine owner, trying to rip him off.

Under this series of severe blows, the company lost all its investment. Then, its piracy business was cracked down on by the authorities, it was impacted by the internet, distributors absconded without paying final installments, and the financial crisis brought banks knocking on its door to collect debts...

The company simply couldn't hold on any longer.

After graduating from university, Ji Yun also wanted to become an actor, but his good looks became a problem. He would often receive suggestive or explicit advances from older men and women, which scared him into working behind the scenes and earning a meager living through his skills. He never had another chance to turn his career around.

In 2008, being cheated by people around him and the bankruptcy of his father's company became insurmountable obstacles in his life.

And now, the company is on the verge of bankruptcy.

Only a little over a month left!

Ji Yun breathed a sigh of relief. This time, after being reborn, it goes without saying that he will revive his family business, and those who have wronged him will not get away with it.

He leaned back in his car seat, pondering how to win the company's revival competition.

Pirated DVDs are definitely out of the question now, in the internet age, resources are everywhere.

To become an actor?

Actors only earn a pittance; they're just money-making tools for bosses. Whether they can even receive the final payment is a question. They've been reborn and have even encountered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make money—the financial crisis. Who would still want to suffer as an actor?

Should I take the photos myself?

Ji Yun sat up straight; wasn't this the opportunity he had always wanted?

As a seasoned assistant director, I've worked on dozens of film crews, big and small, and served as an executive assistant director for more than a dozen. I'm definitely experienced and have seen countless films.

Besides, if he doesn't make those films, others will, so he might as well pocket the money.

As for his family owning a pirated DVD company...

So what? We can learn from Tencent, where pirates turned around and acquired legitimate sellers.

Ji Yun didn't want to live that kind of life of being picked over again. He wanted to build his own capital, acquire those industry giants that had made their mark in film history, and have them make films for him to earn money so he could finally vent his anger... This time, his father should be able to rest easy.

As for now.

We must make a film!

Ji Yun unconsciously gripped the steering wheel tightly.

But as he thought about it, he frowned again.

He knows how to make films, but what kind of films can he make?

To generate revenue for the company to develop new businesses, high box office returns are naturally required.

However, his funding chain broke down, and he couldn't come up with much of his principal.

Then we can only choose films that offer high returns with low investment, and the smaller the investment, the better.

On the other hand, the total box office revenue of the film market in 08 was only 40 billion yuan, which is less than that of a single film ten years later. It would be a waste to make a film that would become a box office hit in the future at this time.

That means we can only choose from the next few years—

"Knock knock knock." Someone knocked on the driver's side window.

Ji Yun turned her head and rolled down the car window.

A girl who looked somewhat familiar was standing outside the window.

Her face was beautiful, and it was so white it seemed to reflect light under the lamplight. She was wearing only a long white dress, and her slender and graceful body shivered in the cold winter wind of Shanghai, exuding an endearing charm.

"I noticed you hadn't come up, so I came to check on you," the girl said in a gentle voice.

Ji Yun's brows furrowed even deeper.

He recognized the other person and remembered why he had driven here so late at night.

Bai Ying was his classmate in college. In terms of appearance alone, she was a beauty queen even in the Shanghai Theatre Academy's acting department.

She was also his first love.

Twenty years ago, mainland China was swept up by Korean and Taiwanese dramas, and the pure and warm-hearted male character became popular.

Ji Yun was also deeply affected by this, unaware that he would later be called a "simp." During their three months together, Ji Yun not only rented an apartment for her off-campus and provided her with a monthly allowance, but also reserved the lead role for her in the drama he invested in.

He's here so late at night because she said on the phone that she wanted to drink the signature old-fashioned chicken soup from that restaurant on Huangpu Road.

Unfortunately, women in the entertainment industry, though glamorous and charming, are far too materialistic. The moment his company went bankrupt the following month, this woman decisively broke up with him, and not long after, she appeared before him with a wealthy second-generation heir worth over 100 million.

He will never do something so foolish as to open his heart again in his life.

"What's wrong? Are you still worried about that drama? It's okay, the next one will be even better. I'll let you act in it for free." Bai Ying gave an innocent smile and reached out to pat Ji Yun's head.

In the past, as long as she showed even the slightest intimacy, Ji Yun would go along with everything she said, and it never failed her.

This time, however, Ji Yun glanced at her, but her heart remained completely unmoved.

Once she sees through someone, none of her tricks work anymore.

He was about to step on the gas and drive off when Bai Ying said, "The TV just said there will be a major snowstorm this year, and there will be heavy fog tonight. Trains and planes may be paralyzed. You need to be careful while driving. I'm worried..."

Are you worried about him, yet you still make him drive back and forth?

Suddenly, Ji Yun froze.

Dense fog, planes, trains, transportation paralyzed? 2008?

A flash of lightning seemed to strike my mind.

Got it!

He suddenly realized what he could make: a film that was absolutely the most relevant to the moment, would resonate with the audience, and could achieve big results with a low budget.

It's simple and easy to shoot, and it can also launch a movie series that could break box office records in the future.

"Honey, are you even listening? Seeing you like this makes me feel terrible too."

"I have to go to work." Ji Yun waved impatiently.

Bai Ying's eyelashes fluttered, and her tone became cheerful: "Is there any new plan? Then you should go and get busy. Give me a call when you're done with your script, and I'll bring you food."

Ji Yun didn't agree. Instead, she picked up the chicken soup and, in front of Ji Yun's astonished gaze and outstretched hand, threw it straight into the trash can through the car window. "This chicken is too bad, it's inedible."

After saying that, he closed the car window and drove away.

Returning the script, calling you again? Dream on.

However, Ji Yun didn't expose her directly, so that her illusions would be shattered and the impression would be more profound.

So that she can see clearly who the real sugar daddy is.

The entertainment industry has no shortage of hardworking and beautiful girls; aren't A-list female stars more appealing?

As for love, everyone's in the entertainment industry now, what need is there for true love?

far away.

The New Year's Eve fireworks exploded with dazzling light.

The eventful year of 2008 has arrived.

------

9 a.m. the next day.

Ji Yun drove her car and arrived at the company's parking lot on time.

Although I was physically exhausted from writing the script late into the night, I felt exceptionally energetic, filled with hopeful anticipation for the future.

Ji Yun stepped into the elevator, and just as the elevator doors were about to close, she was suddenly stopped by a hand.

The door then opened again, and three people walked in.

Ji Yun was also taken aback when he saw who it was; he actually recognized them all.

Leading the group was a career woman in her thirties, with delicate features yet a powerful aura; she was also a celebrity in the industry, Cai Yinong, the president of Tangren Media.

Behind him were a man and a woman.

The man was tall and thin, handsome, and a familiar face—Yuan Hong, the second brother of Tangren Media.

Following the other person's furtive glance, Ji Yun's gaze naturally fell on the last one.

Although her face still had a touch of youthful innocence, it was already captivating. Her appearance was like a younger, more refined version of President Cai. The two of them looked like sisters when they stood together. Her figure was tall and graceful, like a small tree swaying in the wind, and she exuded a pure and elegant temperament.

She is a rising starlet who is about to become a top-tier actress.

Tangren's top female star.

Liu Shishi.