Chapter 708

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

Wang Sheng Production Team

After the original novel was adapted, it was officially renamed, and Shen Yao recently joined the production team to handle screenwriting and other production affairs.

Fortunately, the novel she updated had officially concluded, and aside from this production team, she currently had nothing else on her plate; otherwise, she truly would have no time to rest.

"Screenwriter Shen"

"Mm"

"Screenwriter Shen"

"......"

Shen Yao smiled and nodded her way over, encountering Jiang Han Zhou looking rather disheveled on the road, and directly handed him the coffee she was holding.

Jiang Han Zhou:......

"Thank you, I just need coffee to keep going," Jiang Han Zhou said that pulling all-nighters truly wasn't something ordinary people could endure; he had stayed at the production team for three days, sleeping there every night, wasting the hotel room fees.

Shen Yao covered her mouth and laughed out loud, quickly waving her hand when Jiang Han Zhou looked at her, "Is the production team's business that troublesome?"

The previous production team hadn't required Jiang Han Zhou to pull all-nighters, but this one really had something going on.

Jiang Han Zhou was no longer that elite type, but instead complained that the main cast were difficult to deal with; although their acting was quite spot-on, they were especially particular about small details, and Jiang Han Zhou felt the thing he regretted most was signing the contract too quickly back then—now breaching the contract would require him to pay out of pocket, otherwise he would definitely replace the main cast.

Shen Yao didn't believe Jiang Han Zhou's ghost stories at all, thinking to herself that they had chosen this pair of main cast after a long time before finalizing them; replace them? Other main cast weren't difficult to deal with, but they had plenty of problems of their own.

She sympathized with Jiang Han Zhou in her heart and would say some nice words to encourage him, but asking Shen Yao to stay at the production team with Jiang Han Zhou pulling all-nighters? Impossible.

"Producer Jiang, go back to the hotel to rest early; there's the director and others during the day, nothing will happen," at least the main cast didn't have much energy to make a scene; people weren't made of iron—after a day and a night, they could still be full of life.

Jiang Han Zhou raised his hand and shook the coffee, smiling as he went around Shen Yao and left quickly.

Seeing the person leave, Shen Yao walked toward the director not far away; the director's beard was very stubbly, and he was currently impatiently instructing the assistant director to keep an eye on the props and set dressing—previously, because of such oversights, the footage they shot was completely unusable, forcing them to work overtime.

"Screenwriter Shen"

The assistant beside the director saw Shen Yao and hurriedly brought over another stool; the director also found time to greet Shen Yao.

Shen Yao said there was no need to pay too much attention to her; she had just come over to take a look.

Director:......

The director complained that the previous Producer Jiang who said that almost scared him into quitting; this Screenwriter Shen before him seemed to be cut from the same cloth as Producer Jiang.

Next time, no matter what, I won't take this job—too exhausting!

Shen Yao stayed at the production team for a full day, completely doing whatever was needed wherever; this side needed script changes, requiring Shen Yao's nod; that side needed to increase the budget, requiring Shen Yao's permission; even if the director wanted to take half a day off, he had to ask Shen Yao's opinion.

Shen Yao:......

Something seemed off—the vast majority of these tasks should have been handled by Jiang Han Zhou, so why was she doing more and more?

System:......

"Host, what other reason could there be? Of course it's the generous salary and the well-established production team operation; the Host wants to learn a thing or two, maybe it'll be useful in the future."

"But these things are too many and too miscellaneous—how did Jiang Han Zhou endure them back then?"

Even though Shen Yao was a Senior Tasker who had been around in various Task Worlds, facing these miscellaneous things all of a sudden still inevitably made her vexed and irritable.

Indeed, a person couldn't be too leisurely, otherwise they would definitely become more and more spoiled.

Look at this—she had been relaxing too much lately; in the past, when handling certain miscellaneous tasks, Shen Yao had never blinked an eye.

This production team wasn't much different from the previous "Palace Intrigue"; if anything had to be said, it was that the actors here were bigger stars—although their fans weren't as crazy and fervent as the new traffic stars, the crowds surrounding them every day still caused no small impact on the production team.

"Visiting the set? This isn't a variety show or a TV drama—letting fans into a movie that needs secrecy to visit the set, are you joking?"

Shen Yao sat expressionlessly beside Jiang Han Zhou, listening to this person discussing with the production team personnel; well, it should count as a one-sided warning.

The cause of the matter was rather boring: the main cast were competing in the production team—one sent food, the other wanted to visit the set, both feeling they had to suppress the other.

Oh, these two were relatives in the plot, but unexpectedly, off-camera they were so real and unpretentious.

Sending away the staff member who came to ask questions, Jiang Han Zhou turned to face Shen Yao, who was smiling broadly, and the words on his lips he didn't know what to say.

"There's a lot that can be said—for example, as long as a bit of media news is released, these two main cast will quiet down," a good script is hard to come by; even if they competed with each other, they should know the benefits this drama would bring them once finished—if they messed it up, everyone loses; even if these two were addled, the people around them wouldn't let them do that.

"No rush—I just want to see these two old people, adding up to nearly a hundred years old, just how childish they're going to be?"

When Jiang Han Zhou spoke, his eyes were cold without a trace of emotion; even the curve of his upturned lips was different from before.

Wow

He's really angry now!

But it was also rare—Jiang Han Zhou usually greeted everyone with a smile; even when cursing others as idiots in his heart, his face still wore a smile, and now there was even a flavor of the angrier he got, the more he smiled.

Tsk tsk tsk

This person was really suited to enter the circle and act—like some pervert, villain, or smiling tiger, all very suited to Jiang Han Zhou's positioning.

Jiang Han Zhou helplessly looked at Shen Yao, who clearly hadn't thought of anything good, and casually handed over a document in his hand.

"Palace Intrigue has already reached post-production—can it air by the end of this year?"

About a year's time—that's the progress of a normal TV drama; some with bad luck get shelved for several years, while some with good luck air as soon as filming is done.

Previously, there were several entertainment industry stars who diligently filmed quite a few works, but because people inside broke laws and regulations, they had to be shelved—in the end, besides the performance fees they had already received, they got nothing.

After all, for actors to survive long in the entertainment industry without lacking roles, they need to continuously produce excellent works above the average level; otherwise, their reputation collapses, and they're very likely to be unemployed.

Of course, it's also not good to keep filming but not be able to air for various reasons—because the entertainment industry makes money quickly, the people inside are also superstitious; think about it, who would want to often associate with someone unlucky? That would be delaying their own money-making, wouldn't it?

Jiang Han Zhou couldn't guarantee a drama would definitely air, so the works he invested in were busy non-stop until he earned back the money he had spent.

"A TV station has already made an offer, but we're considering this drama involves a wide scope, so we want to wait a bit longer for other TV stations' quotes."

The first round of bidding is crucial, and since Jiang Han Zhou has been with the crew the whole way, he believes this project won't lose money.

Shen Yao also felt her novel wouldn't lose money; the only pity was that at that time she lacked the ability to participate, otherwise she could have just waited to share a slice of the pie.

"We'll have many more opportunities to cooperate. Screenwriter Shen's talent is outstanding; you'll surely shine in this circle. I just hope that when the time comes, Screenwriter Shen will give Zhengzhou Chuanmei more consideration, and we'll all make money together."

Jiang Han Zhou didn't forget to advertise his own company, pulling in a potential future investor.

Shen Yao smiled, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Good. Being favored by Producer Jiang is my luck."

The two chatted and laughed, making the originally stifling atmosphere much more relaxed. Up front, the director was guiding several actors through blocking and rehearsal, same as always.

…………

Shen Yao's daily routine on set was simple: get up in the morning, eat breakfast, then clock in for work; return to the hotel in the evening and sleep on time to rest and recuperate.

Because there was temporarily no novel needing updates, Shen Yao poured most of her energy into the crew. Like the earlier squabbling between the male and female leads, they sobered up after Jiang Han Zhou lost his temper.

Now, aside from necessary location shoots, all other time was spent acting seriously.

Cold comes, heat goes; the weather turned hot.

This drama filmed from spring at start-up straight through to the end of summer — nearly half a year revolving around the crew — letting Shen Yao understand the crew's operations quite thoroughly.

Back in Jingcheng, Shen Yao met the editor who had been waiting for her for a long time.

The other party handed over a contract — the adaptation terms for the second novel, and also Jiang Han Zhou's sincerity.

Half a year together on set forged a deep bond; Jiang Han Zhou plans to go all in, investing fully in the production.

Shen Yao: ……

Anyone who didn't know better would think Jiang Han Zhou's family runs a money-printing machine — investing in projects every year, unafraid of losses.

Compared to last year, Yang Tiantian had become much more haggard. After signing the contract with Shen Yao, she chattered on about wanting to resign. Work pressure in Jing Shi is high, especially her job — low pay, heavy workload, and she still has to tread carefully in everything she does.

Shen Yao didn't say anything; instead she treated Yang Tiantian to a big meal. Just like when the two of them met before, Shen Yao was a good listener — she wouldn't give the other party any advice. The path of life must be walked by oneself; other people's words? They're unimportant in the face of life itself.

Returning to her residence after several months away, Shen Yao sighed that modern society is still convenient and efficient.

The already-cleaned room was spotless; the air carried the scent of freshener.

Shen Yao took a hot bath, then opened her computer and wrote her new novel.

Unlike the previous two, this novel focuses more on future technology: planets as numerous as stars, spaceships that can shuttle back and forth, strange-looking creatures with diverse abilities. Shen Yao combined the characteristics of several task worlds to create this novel's background.

Readers who had waited half a year were clamoring for more; not one of them wasn't longing for the author to appear. Seeing a new book on the shelf, they dove in to read immediately.

"Awoo awoo awoo, worthy of Tasker Da-da — the content written has such immersion."

"Yeah yeah, makes you want to keep reading, can't put it down!"

"Only a few chapters updated so far — nowhere near enough to read."

"……"

The many comments that popped up filled the content section. Shen Yao would occasionally pick a few to reply to; the vast majority she simply left to their discussion.

As long as they don't say anything violating site regulations, Shen Yao won't over-manage these comments — because this is the readers' freedom.

Yang Tiantian contacted her through her account. As an editor who hasn't resigned yet, besides handling daily work matters, she just occasionally keeps tabs on a few big authors.

An author like Shen Yao who writes a hit every book and can quickly sell adaptation rights is an important resource in their hands. Even after resignation, if they go into a related industry, they could still poach her privately.

However, Yang Tiantian doesn't currently have plans to return to the same line of work after resigning — showing that this kind of job, whoever does it long enough goes crazy.

Online, trailers for "Palace Intrigue" and all kinds of marketing began to appear.

The first broadcast rights were jointly bought by Toilet Station and Fruit Station. Jiang Han Zhou didn't state the specific price, but from the other party's barely concealed smiles and the red packets sent in the group, one could tell the drama had already recouped its costs.

Moreover, with today's advanced technology, online streaming is indispensable. Plus the ads inserted front and back — no wonder Jiang Han Zhou is happy. The operation on this drama is good; the money earned is simply unimaginable.

In the group, the director @-ed the actors and all personnel, grinning that they must promote to the fullest — especially the key creatives. Later there will be all kinds of interviews and variety shows to attend; they'll strive to get their faces seen enough before broadcast. This time they've got quite a bit of promotional budget — don't waste it.

Shen Yao is naturally on the promotion list too, but she doesn't need to run around like the stars. She only needs to attend a few fixed press events; the rest of the time she just greets fans on her online accounts or the novel page — which counts as doing her part.

Liu Jing stayed at home and, under her parents' hopes, passed a civil service exam. Though it can't compare to Jing Shi, it's enough to support herself. Moreover, being close to home lets her accompany her parents more. Aside from an occasional trace of unwillingness deep in her heart, the rest of the time is carefree and at ease.

One day, bored Liu Jing was browsing information online.

A trailer popped up — a woman in palace costume skirt hem, talking to herself in an empty room.

Liu Jing didn't recognize who this woman was, but she felt the woman's makeup and styling, as well as the room's furnishings, were all extremely meticulous.

Hm?

Palace intrigue drama?

Seems like a rare genre in recent years; when it airs, I'll definitely watch.

Moreover, this drama never changed its title. It attracted a batch of book fans during the novel's serialization; now the comment section even has organic posters rallying people, drawing in passersby who like dramas.

There are many people like Liu Jing — mostly young girls who usually like to binge dramas. Having watched too many lovey-dovey idol dramas, why not come taste what this so-called palace intrigue historical drama is really like?

Before "Palace Intrigue" aired, Shen Yao did offline appearances and online hype — she put in great effort, and the results were very good. At least among dramas airing in the same period, none could beat "Palace Intrigue."

When the ending theme of episode two rang out, the originally quiet group chat jumped out with several congratulations, quickly flooding the screen with such messages.

Ratings came out. Although not real-time updated, the playback trend rose all the way — showing that "Palace Intrigue's" broadcast performance is good.

Next is to press on with renewed effort, striving to push "Palace Intrigue" to an even higher level.