Huayu: I was immediately ensnared by Jing Tian as soon as I entered the industry.

After staying at home for a week, Wang Xuan boarded a plane back to the capital.

The deadline for submitting entries to the Berlin International Film Festival this year is in early December, and there won't be enough time for post-production on "The Hunt".

But even if the registration deadline has passed, there's no reason why we can't make an exception. Human relationships are universal; we can just have Lao Tian handle it and delay the submission of materials.

Furthermore, Wang Xuan is a direct descendant of Berlin, so it's entirely possible to make an exception.

Two hours later, we landed at Beijing Capital International Airport.

Wang Xuan didn't go back to school; instead, he took a taxi directly to the company.

As the year draws to a close, he has a pile of tax bills waiting for him to come back and sign, including year-end bonuses and other benefits.

"Hello, boss!"

The receptionist greeted us with a sweet smile.

Wang Xuan nodded slightly and walked towards his office.

I had just sat down when my assistant knocked on the door and came in.

"Boss, this is the invitation to the premiere of 'Mei Lanfang'."

Wang Xuan was quite surprised. His interaction with Director Chen was limited to reports from unscrupulous media outlets, so how did he end up sending over an invitation?

The cover, with its gold-stamped plum blossom pattern, is exquisitely crafted.

The inside page contained a formally written invitation: Spring flowers are like a dream, life is like a play, plum blossoms are in full bloom, let us appreciate art together. We sincerely invite you to take the time to attend…

That's definitely Director Chen's style.

They are always trying to project an image of being a cultured person.

"This is the revenue sharing report for 'Back to Youth' in South Korea."

The assistant handed over a document and then reported to the director: "China Film Group has transferred the adaptation copyright fee to the company account according to the agreed proportion."

Wang Xuan took the film and flipped through it. He saw that "Back to Youth" had surpassed one million viewers in South Korea, making it into the top five Chinese-language films.

Converted to RMB, it's 4500 million in box office revenue.

After deducting 10% VAT, 3% development fund, 55% of the revenue share for imported films from cinemas, and 15% from the South Korean company responsible for distribution.

The production company still has 17% left.

After deducting 4% from China Film Group, Xuancheng Film & Television earned 459 million yuan.

This money was essentially free. At the time, South Korea only wanted to buy the remake rights, and it was Wang Xuan who asked China Film Group to negotiate the distribution.

Including domestic box office revenue sharing, the film "Back to Youth" brought Wang Xuan an income of 30 million yuan.

This doesn't even include copyrights from other neighboring countries and regions, nor the subsequent revenue from the website's videos.

The company made money, and Wang Xuan wasn't stingy; he waved his hand generously:

"This year, all staff bonuses will be doubled, and year-end bonuses will be calculated as three months' worth of bonuses."

"The boss is brilliant."

The assistant happily offered her praise.

"Don't get too excited. Remember to prepare the [Hunting] banner and promotional materials in advance."

Wang Xuan learned a lesson from his lack of experience during his last trip to Berlin, so this time he needs to arrange all the promotional materials.

···

The next day, Wang Xuan went back to school.

The film academy remains the same as always, still a gathering place for handsome men and beautiful women.

It's already getting cold in the north; everyone's wrapped in coats or down jackets, and you look pretty much the same if you don't look at their faces.

As the school's most handsome man and an outstanding student representative, Wang Xuan has attracted the attention of many people.

However, they weren't just superficially attracted by his looks; they cared more about his status as a director.

"Senior, I've sent you so many messages, why aren't you replying?"

A female freshman, whom Wang Xuan had met during orientation, blocked his way and said something rather aggrieved.

"I rarely go online on QQ. There are too many messages, and I can't keep up with them all."

"Can I have your phone number? I have a lot of acting questions I'd like to ask you."

Cai Wenjing said softly, her head bowed, afraid of being rejected, and dared not look at Wang Xuan.

"You should ask your teacher for help. You've paid tuition, so just ask boldly."

Wang Xuan smiled and refused, then walked towards the teachers' office building without waiting for her reply.

Students who are good at seizing opportunities, are bold, and have courage will definitely make a name for themselves in the entertainment industry in the future.

Watching her retreating figure, Cai Wenjing stomped her foot in frustration and then ran away.

···

"Oh, the big director is back. Is he here to report back from his vacation?"

As Wang Xuan walked into the office, his class advisor, Wang Chunzi, started teasing him.

"No matter how great a director I am, you are still my teacher."

Wang Chunzi was pleased with these words and personally poured Wang Xuan a cup of tea, placing it in front of him.

"Chrysanthemum tea is good for clearing heat and relieving internal fire."

Wang Xuan took a sip; the aroma was very rich.

"This tea is really good, please give me some."

"They've come to me to freeload."

Wang Chunzi said irritably, then, as if remembering something, she smiled and said:

"Applications for the art college entrance exams have started this year, and the number of applicants has increased significantly compared to previous years. Would you be interested in being an art college entrance exam judge?"

"Am I qualified to be a judge?"

"You are a Berlin Film Festival Best Actor and a director whose films gross over 100 million yuan. You are very qualified."

Wang Xuan thought about it for a moment. It seemed like a good idea to experience being a judge, but the [Hunting] event required going to Berlin, which conflicted with the schedule.

"Teacher, my new play is going to Berlin..."

"Look at my brain, how could I forget that?"

Wang Chunzi belatedly realized what was happening and diligently added hot water to Wang Xuan's cup. Wang Xuan was startled by this and reached out to take the teapot, but was prevented from doing so.

Then she said in an expectant tone:

Are you confident this time?

Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan could hardly believe his ears. What did he mean by "are you confident this time"? It was as if he had been so confident last time.

He shook his head with a wry smile: "Teacher, even if Zhang Yimou came, he wouldn't dare say he was absolutely certain of the answer."

Of course, Director Chen dares to say that, and he has already identified the Golden Bear as the strongest contender.

Wang Chunzi also regretted asking the question. At the three major European film festivals, even well-known domestic directors are not guaranteed to be nominated, let alone win an award.

That's a competition among filmmakers from all over the world, and behind the scenes, there are all sorts of undercurrents, with countless power-for-sex deals.

"Keep a calm mindset. No matter the outcome, consider it as gaining experience."

Wang Xuan smiled and nodded, as if he had heard these words somewhere before.

···

Back in his dorm, Gao Wenfeng, as always, was wearing headphones and engrossed in a fierce battle.

Wang Xuan saw the entire process of him being instantly killed by a pay-to-win player with a single skill from behind.

"Old Gao, if all else fails, let's top up some money."

When Gao Wenfeng turned around and saw that it was Wang Xuan, he was overjoyed.

"When did the big director get back? He could at least let me pick you up."

Wang Xuan sat on his bed, the blankets still neatly folded as before, clearly well-protected.

"I've been watching you play games for quite a while."

Gao Wenfeng slid his chair over to Wang Xuan's bedside and asked with a fawning smile:

"Old Wang, now that you're a big director and have your own studio, do you have any plans to sign any artists?"

Wang Xuan hadn't really considered this question.

Thanks to Feng Xiaogang, Huayi Brothers managed to sign a number of stars, minimizing the impact of Wang Jinhua's departure and remaining the largest film and television company in mainland China.

However, Wang Xuan has no plans to sign any players at the moment.

Signing actors means finding resources for them, which inevitably involves swapping with other film and television companies and could potentially interfere with the selection of actors for their projects.

In addition, actors' salaries are not high now, so signing someone is just asking for trouble.

"I don't plan to sign anyone; it's too much trouble."

Wang Xuan could see through Gao Wenfeng's intentions. As a friend, he would help him this once in a while, and that was enough about signing him.