Huayu 02: The Days of Extreme Pulling and Rolling with the Fairy

The person making the call was Senior Brother Ning, whose voice was extremely manic, no better than Fan Jin's.

"Junior brother, good news! We're a couple!!"

Xie Jin's heart pounded: "What's wrong, Senior Brother? Tell me slowly, why did you suddenly go crazy?"

"It's insane! Ugh, we made it!! We made it to the Berlin competition!!"

"I don't quite understand. Can you explain to me what the competition section means?"

Ning Hao began to explain in a rambling manner.

The Berlin Film Festival has rather strict rules.

First, submitted films must be no more than 12 months old; in other words, older films are not acceptable, they must be freshly made and still in production.

The second requirement is that the film must not participate in other selections, and it must premiere in Germany with a runtime of no less than sixty minutes.

After the above conditions are met.

From nearly 500 films submitted worldwide, the judges selected more than 20 films to enter the main competition and compete for the Golden Bear and Silver Bear.

Basically, it's a 20-to-1 competition, and the remaining eliminated films are screened.

"That's great news! Senior, do you think we have a chance of winning an award?"

"Yes! Berlin's tastes have always been in social issues and people's livelihoods; they're inherently critical. Our film is a perfect fit!"

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I'm coming to find you.

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The film was just submitted to Berlin, and there are still two weeks until the awards ceremony.

Now, a thorny problem has stumped Xie Jin and Ning Hao...

"Junior brother, it seems we don't have enough money to go to Berlin..."

Xie Jin asked in surprise, "Didn't the department or the higher-ups offer any assistance?"

It would have been better if this hadn't been mentioned, because it made Ning Hao both angry and amused.

"Praise my ass! Our realistic dramas are all a bit sensitive. Do you know how difficult it is to get them approved? It's already a miracle that I wasn't banned from directing them."

"Actually, our film is definitely not going to lose money."

"As soon as we entered the competition section, European film distributors contacted us, offering us 14 euros for the European distribution rights."

"But now I'm thinking, isn't it a bit too early to sell?"

Xie Jin nodded, agreeing that it would be a waste to sell now, especially since they were hungry: "Let's wait until we get to Berlin; selling now would be too much of a loss."

Ning Hao's face fell. "So we need to get our visas sorted and raise the money before we go. I've calculated it, and we'll need 50,000 yuan."

After saying that, Ning Hao scratched his big head and started thinking about money.

"I just finished filming a music video and I can earn some money, but it's not enough. Lao Xing has a little bit of savings, but I don't want to ask her for it. We need to figure something out."

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Xie Jin's mind wasn't entirely on money right now; her future plans were more important.

"Senior, let's not talk about that for now. Take a look at this document. I'm thinking of starting this project in a while. Can you help me with it?"

"The script? Let me take a look."

Ning Hao lit a cigarette and glanced at it a few times: "It looks pretty good. Don't rush me, let me take a closer look."

It takes an hour to watch, which is a huge waste of cigarettes.

Ning Hao rubbed his nose, put down the script, looked at Xie Jin, and was thinking about something.

Given his directorial sensitivity, he could tell at a glance that this script, if filmed well, would definitely be a successful commercial film.

The story is very well-developed, with natural conflicts and tear-jerking moments, and the interweaving of the main and subplots is also very ingenious.

It also allows them to empathize with the vast majority of working people.

It's strange, isn't it? Are there really geniuses like me?

"Your notebook didn't cost much to make."

"Although it's not my type of realistic critique, it's still a good script, quite down-to-earth, and much better than those stories about wealthy families' feuds."

"If you film it well, it's very difficult to lose money."

"Tell me, how do you want me to help you?"

Xie Jin gritted her teeth and said, "After I raise the money, I want to try directing. You can be my producer. I feel more at ease with you here."

"Hey, I thought it was something serious. I don't have any money. I'm saving up the money from selling the films to make my next one. I can come anytime and give you my feedback, no problem."

Ning Hao turned to Xie Jin and worried, "But the problem is, even if the budget is low, you'll still need to find someone worth three or four million. Even if you act and direct yourself, it'll still cost three hundred thousand."

Xie Jin rubbed his face and smiled wryly, "The bold get rich, the timid starve. Let's find a way to make money. Maybe if we win the Golden Bear, we'll both be rich."

Ning Hao chuckled, "Hey, you really dare to dream."

Whether it's the cost of the trip to Berlin or the start-up capital for the new film.

Finding money became another problem for Xie Jin.

Even a hero can be brought down by a single penny.

It's a pity that Jing Tian is only fourteen years old now, otherwise there would be no need for all this trouble, just fooling her would have been enough.

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"Senior, who have you directed music videos for?"

When it comes to film and television directors, Ning Hao is definitely a newcomer.

However, in the music video industry, Ning Hao is a true veteran.

150 music videos, featuring artists including but not limited to Tu Honggang, Pu Shu, Jin Haixin, and Pi Ku Wang.

Why are you asking this?

Xie Jin didn't say anything, picked up his guitar from the corner of his dormitory, and tuned it briefly.

Unexpectedly, I ended up on the path of becoming a non-mainstream godfather.

"Senior brother, you look a bit sleepy, let me get you something invigorating."

Xie Jin sweeps the strings

"Will we ever be able to meet again...? I'm here..."

Ning Hao went crazy for the next half hour.

Xie Jin sang everything from "Seeking Buddha" to "Autumn Never Returns," then "The Funeral of Roses," and "Gray Avatar."

Xie Jin sang until she was drenched in sweat; it was incredibly satisfying.

If we're talking about what's really fun to sing, then singing catchy ringtones is definitely the most fun!

"Don't tell me you wrote all of this. If there were an award for the most vulgar Chinese-language writing, I doubt anyone would even compete with you for it."

Xie Jin blushed, a wave of embarrassment washing over him. He said, embarrassed and annoyed, "Forget about whether it's vulgar or not, just tell me if it's exciting or not!"

"It's really cheesy, but it's incredibly catchy. Where did you get all this scheming from, kid?"

"You don't understand, I have an excess of artistic talent."

The two chatted for a while, and Ning Hao shook his head vigorously when he learned that Xie Jin wanted to sell his songs.

Having directed so many music videos, he knows that while these songs may be a bit cheesy, they all have the potential to become hits.

Selling songs won't bring in much money at all. Although it might solve the immediate problem, you'll definitely regret it later!

"I'd rather die than buy it; listen to your senior brother."

"These songs are sure to be hits and make money. I've got someone record them for you. Release them when the time is right, but whatever you do, don't buy them."

Seeing his junior brother's difficulty in trying to sell his song, Ning Hao gritted his teeth and said, "Don't panic about the money. If it really doesn't work, I'll try to borrow some from someone. I'll give it a shot."

Sure enough, Lao Ning's friends were just as poor as he was.

He made eight phone calls in half an hour and borrowed a total of five thousand.

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Liu Yifei had just changed out of her costume when the wire work made even her own crew dizzy...

"Sisi, get some sleep, and remember to eat your fruit."

As soon as Liu's mother left the room, Miss Liu secretly pulled out a pack of Brazilian barbecue-flavored Magician instant noodles and a comic book hidden in the crack of the bed.

Buzz

Hey, someone's calling me.

Ms. Liu answered the phone with a bright and clear voice.

"Hello, who is this?"

On the other end of the phone, Xie Jin was squatting in the stairwell, her face flushed.

Adults' breakdowns often begin with borrowing money.

Instead of borrowing hundreds of dollars from a roommate who's broke, why not try going all in with a rich girl?

Who knows, maybe when I'm in my early twenties, I can fool a fifteen-year-old sucker.

"Ahem, Liu is me... Xie Jin."

On the other end of the phone, Liu Yifei lay in bed, giggling, "Watermelon Monk, why didn't you add me as a QQ friend? I even waited for you for a while the other day!"

As she spoke, Miss Liu took a big bite of her instant noodles, her little feet dangling back and forth.

"I haven't bought a computer yet. I'll get one when I have the money. Sorry, I forgot to call and tell you."

Miss Liu happily munched on her instant noodles, squinting as she waved her hand, "It's nothing, it's nothing. Has your hair grown back yet?"

"It's already grown a finger's length, it's sprouted a long time ago."

Miss Liu chuckled as she recalled his comical bald head.

"Is that movie finished being edited?"

"The haircut went smoothly. My call with you this time is related to this... I'd like to ask you for a favor."

"Congratulations! What's up?"

.........

Xie Jin hesitated for a moment, then said, "The hardest thing for an adult is borrowing money."

He stomped his foot and gritted his teeth.

"Borrowing money"

Ms. Liu never expected that Xie Jin's phone call would be about this.

"Oh~"

Overwhelmed with embarrassment, Xie Jin quickly added, "Our film has been submitted to the Berlin Film Festival and has entered the main competition. I need to go to Berlin with the director, but we don't have enough money for the travel expenses."

"But trust me, I can give it to you soon. European film companies have already contacted us."

Ms. Liu's focus was strange; she neither said she would lend the money nor that she wouldn't.

Instead, they asked curiously, "Berlin? You've made it into the competition? Doesn't that mean you might be able to compete for the Golden Bear or Silver Bear awards?"

"Yes, that's true. But I'd be very satisfied with just a nomination in the competition category."

"Watermelon Monk, you're amazing! You're the first one from our class to go to Berlin, right?"

Xie Jin couldn't help but smile. Hehehe, she praised me...

But when I think about my financial situation, there's nothing to be happy about... I'm so pathetic!

Miss Liu thought for a moment, twirling her hair with her fingers. "I have a secret stash of money that my mother doesn't know about, but I can't get out... How much do you need?"

"It might cost tens of thousands of yuan..."

Miss Liu patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief: "Hey little watermelon...you scared me to death. I thought it would be much more; my New Year's money is enough."

"If you come to Shidu tonight, I'm afraid my mom will see you, so I'll sneak out to give it to you."

"it is good"

They didn't ask when it would be repaid, nor did they ask Xie Jin to write a note. Xie Jin felt it was all a bit unreal...

Is that all?

After hanging up the phone, Xie Jin couldn't contain her joy. She walked around the tree, circling left and right... she was so happy she felt like jumping for joy.

Xie Jin felt that he was becoming more and more captivated by the young girl.

I'm actually so happy just because she praised me...

This is a dangerous sign.