Huayu: You were supposed to be a top star, but you've become capital?

Wang Zhonglei was looking at him with a smile on his lips, but his eyes... how should I put it, were a little strange.

It was as if they were scrutinizing or comparing, and it carried a somewhat ambiguous meaning.

Wu Yifan's heart skipped a beat.

He knew this young CEO Wang's reputation; who in the industry didn't know him? He was indiscriminate in his relationships with both men and women, and was famously a two-way partner.

Wu Yifan quickly looked away, picked up his wine glass and pretended to drink, feeling a little uneasy.

However, he quickly regained his composure.

What's there to be afraid of? I'm not an artist under Huayi Brothers.

No matter what, Wang Zhonglei can't openly do anything to me. At most, he can just give me a disgusting look, but I can just bear it.

He took another sip of wine, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Wang Zhonglei had already turned his head and was talking to Guan Hu.

Wu Yifan quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

But what he didn't know was that when Wang Zhonglei looked at him just now, he wasn't thinking about him at all.

Wang Zhonglei is comparing him to Lin Shen.

After comparing them, I still feel that Lin Shen suits my taste better.

That guy's looks, physique, and demeanor are all perfect for him. He'd seen him once before at an event, and he'd been itching to find a chance to get to know him.

When he was cast in "Mr. Six", Wang Zhonglei was quite happy, thinking he finally had a chance.

The results of it?

They simply didn't respond.

Forget flattery, they didn't even give him a second glance, which made Wang Zhonglei furious.

So when Feng Xiaogang led the charge against Lin Shen, he was happy to give him a push from behind.

On the one hand, it's about upholding the so-called rules; on the other hand, it's about letting that kid know that offending people comes at a price.

Wang Zhonglei picked up his wine glass and took a sip.

Lin Shen's face reappeared in my mind.

He licked his lips.

Pity.

What a fucking waste.

The drinking session continued.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, the conversation shifted from Lin Shen to the filming plans for "Mr. Six," and then from the filming plans to the latest gossip in the entertainment industry.

A group of people were laughing, cursing, and drinking, their smugness radiating through the swirling smoke.

Old Wang leaned close to Wang Zhonglei and reported in a low voice:

"Mr. Wang, everything's arranged online. Several marketing accounts will be releasing industry insider information over the next day or two, reigniting the controversy surrounding Lin Shen's lack of professional ethics. Director Feng can also release a few more articles if needed..."

Wang Zhonglei nodded without saying anything.

Old Wang understood immediately and stepped aside to continue sending messages and making arrangements.

Guan Hu raised his glass again: "Come on, let's have another one! Wishing our film 'Mr. Six' a huge success!"

"A huge success!"

The cups clinked together, making a crisp sound.

Wu Yifan raised his glass, and after finishing it, his gaze unconsciously drifted towards Wang Zhonglei.

This time, Wang Zhonglei didn't look at him; he was talking to the person next to him with his head down.

Wu Yifan breathed a sigh of relief and continued to drink with a forced smile.

Time quickly moved to the next day.

At 5:40 p.m., Lin Shen arrived at the private room 20 minutes early.

As long as there's no traffic, he's used to arriving early. No matter what the occasion, those who arrive first always have more time to relax.

What's more, he's the host of today's event.

The private room was on the third floor of a club near Liangmaqiao. The decor followed a new Chinese style, with contemporary ink paintings hanging on the gray brick walls, and the lighting was just right.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, traffic flows along the East Third Ring Road. The evening rush hour hasn't completely passed yet, and the long taillights slowly writhe in the night.

Lin Shen had just sat down when the door was pushed open.

"Lin Shen, I've kept you waiting for so long."

The man was dressed in a dark gray casual suit, in his early forties. When he smiled, his eyes narrowed into slits. He looked amiable, but Lin Shen knew how much power this man held.

Chang Bin, Vice President of Tencent Video, is responsible for the acquisition of drama copyrights and the production of self-produced dramas. He is one of the key executors of Tencent's comprehensive entertainment strategy.

He was the one who signed off on the 20 million yuan investment from Tencent.

Lin Shen stood up, smiling and extending his hand: "Brother Bin, I'm early."

The two shook hands and sat down by the tea table near the window. A waiter came in to pour tea, but Chang Bin waved him away.

"Aren't you bringing your little girl today?" Chang Bin asked casually.

"Mengyan?" Lin Shen smiled. "She's flying to Changbai Mountain early tomorrow morning; she's packing at home."

Chang Bin nodded without asking any further questions. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his gaze fell on Lin Shen's face. Suddenly, he smiled.

"Have you seen what's going on online?"

Lin Shen picked up his teacup and took a sip slowly: "I've seen it."

"Feng Xiaogang's side is really causing trouble." Chang Bin said with a half-smile. "These past few days, when I've been scrolling through Weibo, three out of ten posts are about you guys."

Lin Shen put down his teacup and smiled: "Just riding the wave of popularity. Their movie just started filming, so why not hype it up?"

"I don't think you've taken any of that online buzz to heart at all."

"Why take it to heart?" Lin Shen smiled. "Let them do their thing, I'll do mine."

Chang Bin looked at him; this young man was more composed than he had imagined.

He had met many artists before, some famous and some not so famous, but it was rare to see someone like Lin Shen who could be scolded to his face and still smile and drink tea.

Chang Bin put down his teacup: "I've heard about your promotional video. Don't worry, once the official release is out, we'll do everything we can to promote it for you."

Penguin's video splash screen, news app pop-ups, and featured placements in WeChat—you can have whichever you want.

Lin Shen smiled and thanked him, "President Chang is very generous."

"What's so chivalrous about it? It's only right." Chang Bin waved his hand, then changed the subject, "But Lin Shen, there's something I need to tell you in advance."

Lin Shen looked at him.

Chang Bin looked at him and said, "You absolutely mustn't bring Kiwi into that project in the ministry."

Lin Shen paused for a moment, then smiled.

Chang Bin sighed and didn't mince words: "What's our relationship? I'll be blunt. Tencent can handle serious projects like this, so you can't side with us."

Lin Shen nodded: "Of course. But Mr. Chang, this project is still a long way off. Professor Chen Yuxin is currently in Guangdong Province doing research, collecting case files from that year. The script is probably not ready until the end of the year."

Chang Bin's eyes lit up: "Can it be released by the end of the year?"

"Almost there," Lin Shen said. "Professor Chen's progress is quite fast; the outline is said to be finalized."

Chang Bin leaned back, smiling broadly: "Okay, I'm just letting you know in advance, so those other companies don't beat me to it. You have no idea how much pressure I've been under lately."

Lin Shen nodded: "Don't worry, I know what's going on with our own people."

As for his claim of being under a lot of pressure, Lin Shen knew what he meant.

The copyright war among video platforms has now reached a fever pitch, with iQiyi, Tencent Video, and Youku vying for top-rated dramas, driving prices sky-high.

What used to cost two million per episode now starts at four million. Copyright acquisition managers at various companies are either at the negotiating table or on their way to one.

But the most troublesome ones are not these three companies.

It's LeEco, that troublemaker.

Although Jia Yueting is not in China, LeEco's recent performance has been quite poor, with its stock price plummeting...

But LeEco still had a lot of money from financing and was rampaging through the copyright market.

They buy dramas without asking about the cost. For a drama, Tencent pays three million, and LeTV dares to pay five million. When Tencent follows with five million, LeTV directly asks for eight million.

That's how prices are driven up.

"A necessary period of growing pains." Lin Shen picked up his teacup. "Once our plan is complete, their methods won't last long."

"That's true, but the contractions are fucking painful."