It's just that they have money.

Tong Jun is not from a professional acting background, but he has a good image and attitude, yet he has never been appreciated.

In Hengdian, there are quite a few people like him.

All you can do is persevere, either by taking it one step at a time until you succeed, or by waiting for your opportunity to come.

Fang Chen's appearance is an opportunity.

If you miss it, you don't know how long you'll have to wait for the next opportunity.

"I'll sign."

"Okay, that's more like it." Fang Chen grinned like a lecherous old man who had successfully seduced a young girl, then asked, "Have you ever filmed a short drama?"

"I did film it, playing the second male lead, but the drama flopped, so I didn't get any good opportunities afterward." Tong Jun's tone was calm; he wasn't complaining, but simply stating a fact.

"But that movie made me realize something."

"What is it?"

"The difference between short dramas and long dramas isn't in length, it's in pacing." Tong Jun put down his teacup and gestured with his finger in the air. "Long dramas can take their time to develop the plot. The first two episodes can introduce the characters, establish relationships, and lay the groundwork for future developments; the audience is willing to wait. Short dramas can't do that. If you can't grab someone's attention within two minutes, they'll scroll away."

Fang Chen nodded.

"If I asked you to act in another short play, and I'd polish the script and give you plenty of time and space, would you do it?"

"If I sign the contract, I'll be your person, and you'll have the final say."

On the day he signed Tong Jun, Fang Chen called a meeting with the screenwriting team of Firefly Pictures.

The three screenwriters sat in the conference room, all looking somewhat nervous.

When the new boss and the new boss officially hold their first meeting, no one knows what they will face.

"No criticism meeting today, and no discussion of KPIs." Fang Chen placed a stack of A4 papers on the table; it was the script for "The Silent Witness."

"I've read this script, and it's pretty good. I'm giving you a task: cut the word count down by a third, remove the unnecessary details, and turn it into a short drama, but aim for a high-quality production."

The screenwriter who wrote this script is named Lin Xiao, a 26-year-old woman. She wears round-framed glasses, pursed her lips, and didn't say anything, but her ears were already red.

Fang Chen noticed her expression and softened his tone.

"I'm not saying your writing is bad. Your dialogue writing skills are not bad. The lines are lifelike and you can clearly distinguish the characters' tones. But when adapting a long drama into a short drama, you have to make choices."

Lin Xiao looked up and glanced at him with some surprise.

"You've crammed too much into this notebook." Fang Chen flipped through the pages one by one. "Case clues, characters' backstories, emotional build-ups, discussions of social issues—you want it all, but the length and pacing don't allow it."

Lin Xiao bit her lip and nodded.

"Okay, I'll fix it. How long will it take?"

"You can revise it together. I won't set any limits for your creative work, but the sooner the better."

"OK."

Gao Jie listened to Fang Chen's conversation with the screenwriting team the whole time. After the team dispersed, she asked, "Mr. Fang, have you led a team before?"

"I don't think so."

Fang Chen thought about it. He had built the medical company team himself, but he hadn't really managed it.

I don't think I've really led a team much.

"When you scold people, you do it quite convincingly." Gao Jie sat down opposite him. "You don't yell at them, but you make them feel valued."

"Hmm..." Fang Chen pondered for a moment, but did not respond.

He thought to himself, "This is probably the innate ability of those in positions of power."

The difference is that Fang Chen's position as a superior in both companies was natural, rather than something he earned through hard work and connections.

Xu Wen then knocked on the door: "Boss, Mr. Huang said the blueberry orchard will open in mid-June, and he wants you to prepare promotional materials in advance."

Fang Chen looked at her and nodded: "Keep an eye on the promotional materials. I'll be back next week."

"Are you leaving next week?"

Gao Jie was somewhat surprised, as he thought Fang Chen would stay in Hengdian for a long time.

We'll stay here for at least this long period.

"Okay, I'll be leaving next week. I told you I wouldn't interfere with your creative process, so I'll leave the management to you."

"Okay... alright."

Next, Fang Chen roughly sorted out the matter of Firefly Pictures.

He talked to everyone in the company one by one. He wrote down the resumes, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the seven employees.

The two people in the production team, one handling external liaison and the other managing preparations, are both hands-on veterans who have worked on set together.

The three screenwriters each have their own area of ​​expertise, but all of them have a solid foundation.

The administrative staff consists of Gao Jie and two others; the finance department is outsourced; and there is currently no one in the marketing department.

Looking at the organizational chart, Fang Chen understood the situation.

The problem isn't a lack of people, it's a lack of projects.

Once the project is established, people will naturally come.

If the project can't be established, employing more people in the company is just a waste of their time.

After explaining the general details, Fang Chen received a call from Zhou Yaoguang.

"Mr. Fang, are you free tomorrow evening?"

"What is it?"

"There's a dinner party; some friends in the industry want to get to know you." Zhou Yaoguang's voice carried just the right amount of warmth. "They're all in this business; some are in distribution, some are in investment, and there's a top-notch producer with quite a few projects on his plate. Since you're new to the industry, it won't hurt to get to know more people."

Fang Chen thought for a moment and asked, "When?"

"I'll send you my location at 7 o'clock."

"OK."

After hanging up the phone, Fang Chen walked to Gao Jie's workstation.

"Sister Gao, come to dinner with me tomorrow night."

"From General Manager Zhou's group?"

"Yes."

Gao Jie hesitated for two seconds, then said, "President Fang, those kinds of dinner parties... you see all sorts of people. Just listen to what they say and don't take it to heart."

Fang Chen looked at her with a smile: "You don't really want to go, do you?"

"A little, but it's up to you."

"Let's go take a look. I need to find out more about it first."

"OK."

The next day, Fang Chen also brought Xu Wen along.

When the three arrived, there were already five people sitting in the private room.

Zhou Yaoguang was sitting next to the main seat. When he saw Fang Chen come in, he stood up and waved.

"Mr. Fang, come, come, sit here." He pointed to the seat next to him. "Let me introduce you."

He first pointed to a middle-aged man sitting opposite Fang Chen. "This is General Manager Li, the head of Starlight Culture, who is in charge of distribution."

Mr. Li, who was in his early forties, had his hair neatly combed and was wearing a dark blue suit jacket. He stood up and shook hands with Fang Chen.

His smile was perfect, and his handshake was light. "Mr. Fang is young and promising. I heard from Lao Zhou that you've acquired Firefly."

"Mr. Li, you're too kind."

Zhou Yaoguang then pointed to a fat man next to President Li: "This is President Wang, from Xinrui Film Industry, who does investment."

Mr. Wang's belly stretched his shirt taut, and he held a cigar in his hand. He nodded to Fang Chen but didn't stand up.

Fang Chen didn't mind and nodded in response.

"This..." Zhou Yaoguang pointed to a man on his left, his tone noticeably more subtle than before, "This is President Sun, Sun Yiming, known in the industry as the top producer."

Sun Yiming looked to be under forty. He was wearing a black polo shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing a gold chain. His hair was styled with hair gel and was slicked back and shiny.