Huayu: The Big Players Behind the Scenes

The lineup is set.

Zhuang Huai'an called Du Hua over and asked her to handle the signing of the contract.

"Okay," Du Hua nodded, then asked, "Boss, according to the company's plan, Red Cliff will be filmed first, followed by other scenes from the Three Kingdoms period. Should the cast remain the same?"

"No need," Zhuang Huai'an nodded to himself. As expected of his trusted general, he was indeed very thoughtful. "Movies are different from TV series. There is no need to deliberately pursue continuity. As long as Red Cliff is filmed, maintaining the original cast will not be a problem."

"Understood, I'll take care of it right away." Du Hua put away the documents and turned to leave.

Actually, there's something else Zhuang Huai'an didn't mention.

With its big-budget production, Zhang Yimou's expertise, and widespread popularity, the success of "Red Cliff" was inevitable.

However, the possibility of a sequel is also uncontrollable, because the scope of this subject matter is almost limited to the Asian region, and Zhang Yimou's reputation has reached its peak after the Olympics, so it would be a waste to have him make another historical romance.

According to the plan, he will only make four films based on the Three Kingdoms period: the Warlords' Campaign against Dong Zhuo, the Battle of Guandu, the Battle of Red Cliffs, and the Battle of Yiling.

Each has its own highlight and well-known scenes, such as the Three Heroes battling Lü Bu, passing five passes and slaying six generals, entering and leaving Changban Slope seven times, burning the Red Cliffs, and being defeated at Maicheng, etc.

It basically summarizes all the major battles in the entire Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Once Zhang Yimou has established a foothold, the three heroes of the "Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Chick" and the "High School Class Three Heroes" will have finished leveling up and will be ready to take over.

After spending the whole day at the company and finishing up his work, Zhuang Huai'an led Zhang Yimou and more than a dozen other directors on a trip south to Hero City. The group received a warm welcome from the local authorities, who even held a special reception party for them.

Those who know, know. At this time, Jiangxi Province was still winning, so it hadn't... cough, anyway, it was pretty good.

"Secretary, we just came to find a location for filming, why did you come all the way here?"

Looking at this slender, gold-rimmed-glasses-wearing big shot, Zhuang Huai'an was utterly flattered; this man was truly a pillar of strength.

"It's alright, I happen to have some free time."

The secretary had a refined and approachable demeanor. "You are a young talent who has come from Jiangxi Province, and your father is a well-known local entrepreneur. He always takes the lead in responding to and strongly supporting the organization's policies. Not to mention the contributions you two have made to education. Just for these reasons, I have to come here."

"You flatter me. My father and I are from this area, and this is what we should do."

"That shows your thoughtfulness, father and son." The secretary smiled and didn't elaborate, instead asking, "I heard from the head of the tourism department that you're here to film the Battle of Red Cliffs at Poyang Lake?"

"Yes, Secretary," Zhuang Huai'an's heart tightened. "Poyang Lake has a vast area, surrounded by both plains and hills, making it my primary target. However, whether this is feasible depends on the organization's considerations."

Poyang Lake has been a national protected area for migratory birds since the 1980s, but there is no scenic area yet. The surrounding area is basically a pristine water and meadow. In April of this year, the filming of The Promise in Shangri-La damaged the ecology, which was criticized by the Daily News. This shows that the local government is quite cautious about such matters.

"Since you've chosen this place, you must have already researched the situation. Tell me, what are your thoughts?"

When faced with questions, Zhuang Huai'an had prepared his answers in advance and responded fluently.

"Here's the thing, Secretary. My plan is to use movies to boost the tourism industry. Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake in China and the largest migratory bird gathering place. Although it is famous, the benefits it can generate are nothing more than some aquatic products. Few people know about its scenery and natural ecology."

To be honest, there are actually many suitable filming locations in China, but my first thought was this place. Through the film, I want to showcase the beauty of my hometown to the world, attract tourists, and then use that tourist traffic to support the local people, creating a tourism industry.

Upon hearing this, a smile flashed in the secretary's eyes. After receiving this news, he had already figured out the score in his mind.

Using movies to boost the economy is not unprecedented, and it happened in Jiangxi Province.

In 1980, Shanghai Film Studio went to Lushan to film the movie "Romance on Lushan Mountain". This movie was the first color landscape lyrical love story film in China after the reform and opening up, and it was hailed as "the first kiss on the screen of New China".

After the movie was released, the number of visitors to Lushan Mountain surged by 30. While the opening of the mountain was partly due to its reopening, many tourists admitted in interviews that they came because they had seen the movie "Romance on Lushan Mountain".

There are also a few historians, but we won't mention them here.

After a slight pause, Zhuang Huai'an continued, "Furthermore, I will ensure that the local ecological environment is not damaged. In addition, if the organization needs it, the sets we build after filming, such as the water fortress, warships, and the general's platform, can be given to the local area free of charge. It's my way of showing my support for construction."

These sets are mostly made of wood and stone. Although they are quite expensive, they are basically useless after filming. They are perfect for doing someone a favor.

"Supporting construction? That's a clever way of putting it; you've certainly put thought into it."

The secretary shook his head and chuckled, "As long as the filming process doesn't harm the environment, this project is indeed excellent. Very well, have your people go to the tourism department to coordinate tomorrow, and I'll inform them."

"That's wonderful," Zhuang Huai'an said with a sudden sense of relief. "With the support from the local government, I can finally feel completely at ease."

The secretary smiled without saying a word. As a local bigwig, he knew all too well how much the cultural sector and a certain foreign department valued this young man, but that wasn't enough to make him come in person.

After exchanging a few more words behind closed doors, the Party Secretary left first, leaving Zhuang Huai'an standing there looking depressed, unable to recover for a long time.

Some brands are difficult to remove once you put them on.

The next day, they kept Zhang Yimou and others behind to coordinate.

Zhuang Huai'an returned to his hometown in glory with his young wife. This time, they drove directly from Hero City back to their hometown. The four powerful brothers, Longhu and Qiangli, drove separately, and they arrived at Zhuang Village six hours later.

Liu Yifei was very curious. "Did Uncle prepare a welcome ceremony for us?"

"I guess so," Zhuang Huai'an thought for a moment and decided to explain it to her.

"According to family tradition, when bringing a new bride into the family, we first have to go to the ancestral hall to pay our respects, meaning that the ancestors know you won't have any taboos about these things..."

"No way," Liu Yifei interrupted him with a sharp look in her eyes. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time!"

"This is exactly how it should be; I think this custom is very good."

"That's good," Zhuang Huai'an said, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes, as he took her hand.

After Zhuang Village prospered, the village's various construction projects were also well done, and a road led directly to Zhuang Huai'an's home.

After getting out of the car, looking at the Hakka-style house with its four water features in the center, Liu Yifei exclaimed in surprise, "What a beautiful house! Brother Sanmu was right, you really are a young master."

"Then you must be the eldest young mistress."

Zhuang Huai'an laughed heartily, took her hand, and led her step by step across the gate and through the foyer.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, a strange breeze brushed against their faces. Following the direction of the wind, the trees and flowers planted on both sides of the courtyard swayed back and forth towards the two of them, as if they were bowing in greeting.

"Look,"

Zhuang Huai'an also noticed this delightful surprise and said, "This is our family welcoming you."

"Yes." Liu Yifei smiled sweetly and nodded, "I saw it."