The entertainment industry: My 99 future timelines!

Liu Yifei smiled, but the smile on her face no longer held the naivety of a young girl; her tone carried a sharpness and decisiveness beyond her years.

Regarding the investment conditions and the amount of funds available, I personally only have a little over three million in savings.

"But this isn't all I have. Some of my money is with my mom, and if needed, I can take out some more, bringing the total to about five million."

"However, I will definitely not give you this money all at once, nor will I give it blindly. We need a mature script, a detailed budget and production plan before I will sign off and make the payment."

"As for my mother and godfather..."

A complex emotion flashed in Liu Yifei's eyes. "I will persuade them, with the script, with your abilities, and with my determination."

As she spoke, she gently leaned against Li Xu's desk, her gaze meeting his with unwavering determination.

The warm light from the window subtly outlined her slender figure with golden edges.

"It sounds like someone who's desperate and has found a lifeline, so they want to hold on tight. That sounds interesting."

Li Xu looked thoughtful as he spoke slowly, his words still sharp, but without the previous sarcasm and distrust.

"It's not a lifeline, but rather grasping at a vine that looks strong enough to potentially get me ashore."

Liu Yifei corrected, her tone calm.

"Li Xu, our domestic film and television industry looks big and there seem to be many opportunities, but truly good opportunities, clean opportunities, opportunities that allow you to create entirely according to your own ideas... are very rare."

"When you graduate and want to make a feature film, when you run into rejections everywhere with your resume, when you have to smile and fawn over coal mine owners for investment, when you have to completely rewrite the script to get it approved, then you'll understand—"

As she spoke, she turned around, the light and shadow creating a play of light and shadow on her face, which also accentuated her ethereal and otherworldly气质 (qi zhi - a kind of refined elegance/aura).

"What I brought today is more than just a sum of money."

"The addition of a popular A-list actress can bring you attention and buzz for your film debut, as well as a platform that allows you to skip many tedious steps and stand directly at the starting line."

"Furthermore, I can promise that I will absolutely respect your creative will and will not easily interfere with your script and directing work."

Walking back to the table, her tone was calm and clear:

"My conditions are: first, for your first feature film, as long as the role is suitable, I will be the first choice for the female lead, and my personal investment share will be no less than 30%."

"Secondly, we need to sign a preliminary priority cooperation agreement, with a term of... three years."

"Within three years, under the same conditions, you have priority to direct my project, and I have priority to invest in and act in your project. We can have our lawyers discuss the specific commercial terms."

Looking into Li Xu's eyes, Liu Yifei said sincerely, "This isn't a contract of servitude, Li Xu, this is our alliance!"

"I'll provide the money, the fame, and the influence."

"You contribute your talent, your work, and your future. We each get what we need, but we share the same goal: to stand more firmly and go further together."

alliance.

Li Xu pondered the word without speaking, but his mind was racing.

It must be said that Liu Yifei's proposal, and the sincerity she showed, did indeed tempt Li Xu.

He certainly possesses the memory and vision for the future.

But at this moment, he was indeed still a sophomore at Beijing Film Academy with no connections whatsoever.

Startup capital, industry resources, public attention, distribution channels... these are all real obstacles standing in his way.

Five million!

In this era, it's enough to make a well-made low-to-medium budget drama or a genre film with good visual effects.

If he were to take charge and manage things well, he might even be able to create something truly remarkable.

Liu Yifei's joining will undoubtedly save him a lot of trouble, helping him access a lot of high-end film and television personnel and funding that he would never have been able to reach before, and saving him countless hours of bowing and scraping and flattering.

More importantly, she demonstrated respect for the creative process, which is far better than what investors might encounter.

However, this contract is also a double-edged sword.

This means that for the next three years, almost all of his best projects will be tied to her, and it also means that while he can reliably obtain resources from top actresses, his fate will become intertwined with Liu Yifei's.

After thinking for a while, Li Xu finally spoke again, a smile appearing on his face.

"I must say, Professor Liu, your conversational skills are much more mature than your previous on-camera performances. Your suggestion... I am indeed somewhat tempted."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei's breath hitched almost imperceptibly, and a faint glint flashed in her eyes.

However, the next second, Li Xu changed the subject:

"However, although I am inclined to agree, this is too sudden, and I need some time to process it."

"Let's digest why you, a big star, would come to 'help the poor' during the Lunar New Year. We also need to think about whether our alliance is a reliable starting point, or just a spur-of-the-moment idea from two... well, idealists."

He paused for a moment.

Li Xu held up three fingers: "Three days. Give me three days, and I will give you an answer then."

Liu Yifei looked at Li Xu, who was weighing his options.

She felt quite disappointed. She was worried that Li Xu's hesitation would lead him to reject her three days later.

Even though she was a top-tier female star, Liu Yifei felt that if Li Xu were in the same situation as her, he would never refuse such an offer.

But she had no confidence in Li Xu.

Hesitant, Liu Yifei's mind raced as she considered how to bring up the topic and try to persuade him again.

At this time.

She suddenly heard a commotion downstairs, mixed with a loud voice, seemingly saying something like "making movies is unreliable" or "Li Xu's ambitions are too high."

"This is?"

A sudden idea struck Liu Yifei, and she spoke up.

Li Xu smirked: "One of my annoying relatives thinks I'm wasting my life studying film and is urging me to find a girlfriend."

Behind her sunglasses, Liu Yifei's eyes flickered, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up slightly.

She never imagined that Li Xu, the world-renowned director who stood at the pinnacle of the film industry in her future memories, would also have a period in his youth when he was so looked down upon and pressured to get married by his relatives.

She immediately recalled the disgusting words of the mean-spirited middle-aged woman when she followed Li Xu upstairs.

A thought quietly arises in my mind, and then quickly becomes firm.

There was no further persuasion.

She quickly took out a notepad from her small bag, picked up a pen from Li Xu's desk, neatly wrote down a string of numbers, and gently pushed it in front of Li Xu.

"This is my private number, only I can answer it. I'll wait for your call in three days."

talking.

Liu Yifei put her sunglasses back on, pulled her scarf up, and hid her stunning face again, transforming back into the elegant "crew member".

"If I didn't hit him, then let's just say that Teacher Liu came here today to experience life, or that we had a rather interesting dream together."

Picking up the note, folding it in half, and casually stuffing it into his jeans pocket, Li Xu smiled slightly.

Liu Yifei nodded, said nothing more, and turned to open the door.

Li Xu followed behind her, and the two walked down the stairs one after the other.

Downstairs living room.

At this moment, Li Xu's many relatives had not yet left. Having just finished their meal, their eyes were now all focused on him again, filled with curiosity and inquiry.

"Is that all?"

"Xiao Xu, is this movie production crew reliable? Don't get scammed; there are tons of people using the guise of making movies to fool others these days!"

Because of her previous dissatisfaction, Li Yufen, who was still shamelessly staying, couldn't help but let her voice ring out like a megaphone, her tone disdainful yet deliberately amplified with "concern."

Li Xu ignored this.

But Liu Yifei, who was walking in front of him, suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Amidst the astonished gazes of everyone in the living room, she turned around, faced the crowd, and casually removed her sunglasses and scarf, revealing her true face.

In an instant.

A stunningly beautiful face, once hailed as a "celestial being," that had appeared countless times on television screens, movie posters, and magazine covers, was now displayed without reservation and clearly in the living room of an ordinary family in this small town in southern Hunan.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

The rag in Wang Cuiping's hand fell to the ground.

Li Sanchuan stopped holding the teacup at his lips.

Li Xu's uncles and aunts stared wide-eyed.

Li Yufen's smile froze completely, her eyes widening as if she had witnessed the most unbelievable thing in the world.

The atmosphere was deathly still, broken only by increasingly heavy breathing.

Liu Yifei wore an impeccable, top-star-like friendly smile, looked at Li Sanchuan and Wang Cuiping, nodded slightly, and spoke in a clear, gentle voice:

"Uncle, Auntie, Happy New Year! Sorry to bother you today."

Then, her gaze slowly turned to Li Yufen, who was completely petrified and whose face had turned from red to white and then to green.

His smile remained unchanged, his voice was still gentle, but his words were clear and distinct, reaching the ears of everyone present:

"Auntie, there's something you said earlier that I think is a bit off."

"Junior Li Xu is not without ambition. I, Liu Yifei, really need his talent."

"I'm really looking forward to working with him on our next film. Making movies is a serious business, a very, very serious business."

After saying that, she nodded to Li Xu, gave him a smug look, adjusted her scarf, put on her sunglasses, turned around, and walked calmly out of the Li family's gate.

All that remains is a stunningly beautiful, tall, and elegant silhouette that inspires endless imagination.

Assistant Xiao Tang followed closely behind.

"Bang."

The gate to the Li family's courtyard was gently closed.

The atmosphere in the living room was deathly silent. All of Li's relatives seemed to be frozen in place, staring blankly at the courtyard gate that had just been closed not far away, and then at Li Xu, their minds completely unable to process this absurd information.

Liu Yifei?

That Little Dragon Girl, Liu Yifei?

Coming here during the Chinese New Year? Looking for Li Xu? Saying you need his talent? Hoping for collaboration?

Li Yufen's face had turned a deep purplish-red. Her lips trembled as she tried to say something, but she couldn't utter a single word.

All her previous sarcastic remarks and confident belittling of Li Xu now turned into resounding slaps, landing hard on her face.

Li Xu stood there, feeling the shocked, incredulous, and even horrified gazes behind him, and the corners of his mouth curved upwards almost imperceptibly.

He never expected Liu Yifei to do this.

However, the effect is amazing! He loves it!

Turning around to face a room full of dumbfounded relatives, Li Xu glanced especially at his third aunt, whose expression was a fascinating mix of emotions, and gave a perfectly timed, slightly helpless smile:

"Oh, sorry, I kept it a secret from everyone just now. Liu Yifei, this is my senior from Beijing Film Academy."

"She came to me to discuss a film collaboration. She wasn't a crew member. I originally wanted to keep a low profile."

As he spoke, Li Xu shrugged, his tone as casual as if he were discussing what to have for dinner:

"Third Aunt, now you believe me? I really don't like ordinary girls."

After saying that, without looking at the various interesting expressions on the faces of the people in the room, Li Xu put his hands in his pockets, whistled off-key, and walked briskly upstairs.

"Click".

The door upstairs was closed.

Downstairs in the living room, a deathly silence lasted for several seconds.

Then--

"My God!"

Wang Cuiping was the first to react. She grabbed Li Sanchuan's arm, her voice trembling, "Sanchuan! Just now... just now that was... Liu Yifei? The Little Dragon Girl on TV? I didn't see wrong, did I?"

Li Sanchuan's teacup wobbled, spilling some tea, but he seemed oblivious, only muttering, "It seems...so."

"My God!"

Uncle Li Xu slapped his thigh suddenly, "I'm sure it's definitely the real Liu Yifei! I've seen her on TV! Exactly the same! Even more handsome than on TV!"

"Xiao Xu... Xiao Xu, he..." Li Xu's aunt stammered, completely at a loss for words.

After a flurry of chatter, everyone's gaze soon turned instinctively to Li Yufen, who was still frozen in place.

Li Yufen felt as if the air around her had completely frozen.

She recalled her earlier remarks—"Making movies? You really take it seriously?" "Such celebrity airs." "Li Xu, you have high standards, you want Liu Yifei?"

Every word she uttered now became the most biting sarcasm, leaving her breathless.

She opened her mouth, trying to force a smile, wanting to say, "Maybe it's because we look alike."

But thinking back to Liu Yifei's stunning appearance after she took off her sunglasses, and her temperament, her voice, and her undeniable aura...

She opened her mouth several times, but ultimately couldn't utter a single word.

"I...I suddenly remembered there's soup simmering on the stove at home..."

Li Yufen couldn't stay any longer. Her face turned pale, and she suddenly stood up, the chair legs scraping against the floor with a screeching sound. She uttered a few incoherent words, then lowered her head and rushed to the door in a panic, forgetting even to take her coat.

"Hey! Yufen! Your coat!" Wang Cuiping called from behind.

Li Yufen acted as if she hadn't heard, opened the door, and disappeared as if fleeing.

In the living room, the remaining Li family relatives looked at each other, then burst into even more heated discussions, each with an incredulous excitement on their face.

upstairs.

Li Xu locked the door from the inside, leaned against the door panel, and stood quietly for a few seconds.

Listening to the noisy commotion downstairs.

He walked to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and looked down at the alleyway below. An inconspicuous nanny van slowly drove away and disappeared into the traffic of the county town streets.

He looked down, took out the folded note from his jeans pocket, and unfolded it.

The neat handwriting read "Liu Yifei" along with a mobile phone number.

Li Xu ran his fingers along the edge of the paper, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Everything that happened today had an absurd and bizarre feel to it from beginning to end.

It was as if the hand of God was manipulating things.

Memory awakening, a celestial being descends, investment offers made, and a public slap in the face...

All of this sounds like a poorly written script by a third-rate screenwriter.

But in any case, Liu Yifei's face is real.

The reaction of his relatives downstairs at that moment was genuine.

Moreover... Li Xu gently pressed his temples.

The jumbled fragments of future memories in my mind, though mostly from the movie, did include a fleeting glimpse of Liu Yifei, and those vague, regretful entanglements...

I thought about it for a while.

Li Xu shook his head, giving up on excessive and unnecessary thinking.

Carefully fold the sticky note and put it in the notebook in the drawer.

"One should become famous as early as possible."

He muttered to himself in a low voice.

A sharp, ambitious smile slowly curved the corners of Li Xu's mouth.