Chapter 297: Finale

"What exactly does Jingtai mean?"

"It was agreed before that it would be a TV exclusive broadcast, and they kept telling us to use this to raise ratings. Now, without telling any of us, they backstabbed us and considered a TV-online simultaneous broadcast on the day we started filming?"

"From that promotional clip before, to this incident, what exactly is your Jingtai doing?"

After that not-so-grand opening ceremony ended, Lu Yan He said to Bai Jingnian: "Director, the drama is in a mess now. I can't film under these circumstances."

Bai Jingnian also sighed.

"Yan He, you go and rest first." He looked at Lu Yan He helplessly.

For this kind of thing, Lu Yan He might be experiencing it for the first time, but he was not.

In an institution like Jingtai, Bai Jingnian, as a director, had long experienced too many such things.

A project is not decided by who has the final say, nor can just anyone have the final say.

It seems that Hu Siwei, him, and Lu Yan He are the main creators, but from the previous promotional clip incident, it can be found that many people can stick their hands into this matter.

Jingtai is an administrative institution.

They are just the production team.

Hu Siwei, as Jingtai's producer, also couldn't change this situation.

The person accepting interviews from reporters at the scene was a high-level executive at Jingtai responsible for market sales, named Long Bin.

The faction Long Bin belonged to within Jingtai was not Xu Bin's faction.

Therefore, he didn't buy Xu Bin and Hu Siwei's account. Hu Siwei couldn't immediately refute him for saying such things because Hu Siwei didn't know whether there was anyone's authorization behind Long Bin's statement, and whether it would cause a new impact on this drama.

Hu Siwei went to contact Xu Bin immediately.

After listening, Xu Bin only said "I know" and hung up the phone.

Hu Siwei knew that Xu Bin was going to solve this matter.

He went to find Lu Yan He.

Lu Yan He was sitting in the lounge, with Yan Liang accompanying him.

The two were talking.

Hu Siwei knocked and entered, calling out "Yan He."

Lu Yan He looked back at Hu Siwei and sighed.

"Producer Hu, what exactly is going on? What's the situation?"

Hu Siwei said: "I just called Station Manager Xu. He went to solve this matter. This matter... we were also caught off guard. We didn't receive any news in advance at all, and we don't know if it was the station's intention or if Long Bin was just shooting his mouth off on his own."

"This is the second time I've been backstabbed," Lu Yan He looked at Hu Siwei seriously. "Don't say that I'm just a small actor now; even if I were a Best Actor like Shang Yongzhou, I couldn't withstand your Jingtai tossing me around like this time and time again. Consuming me, backstabbing me, using me as a target. I trust you and the director, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to suffer this kind of thing again and again."

Hu Siwei nodded and said: "I understand. In this matter, I also feel sorry for you. Please believe that this is absolutely not our original intention, it's just... the infighting and factional struggles within the station have been going on for many years, and such situations emerge one after another, impossible to guard against."

"The contract I signed with you should have stipulated these things. Whether you want to do a TV exclusive broadcast or a TV-online simultaneous broadcast, it actually doesn't have much to do with me. But you shouldn't have put me on the fire saying you wanted to do a TV exclusive broadcast, making the whole city noisy and everyone questioning my decision, and now you're flipping the script, making it look like our previous actions were all just marketing for popularity," Lu Yan He said. "I am an actor, and I am also an artist. I have the obligation to promote this drama, but if you treat me like a fool and use me as a gun, and then the gun turns around and hits you in the head, that's your own problem."

Lu Yan He had already spoken very firmly.

Hu Siwei nodded repeatedly and said: "Yes, I know. Don't worry, we will definitely give you an explanation for this matter."

After Hu Siwei left, Lu Yan He sighed.

Yan Liang was also speechless and said: "To cause such a thing, is he really unaware?"

"Whether he is truly unaware or falsely unaware, I have to say these words to him," Lu Yan He said. "This is not the first time. They still haven't given me an explanation for the promotional clip incident. Because we have to film and still cooperate, I endured it. Enduring it once is fine, but I can't endure it a second time. Sister Ziyan said that the more you can endure, the more things you will have to endure."

Yan Liang frowned, shook his head, and said: "They did this too unethically."

He looked at Lu Yan He and sighed. "I used to think you were really amazing. You just started acting not long ago, and you could already start leading a project and decide on the actors. This is a great power. Now looking at you like this, I realize it's not like that at all."

Lu Yan He smiled. "I was the same as you before, thinking Jingtai was generous enough that even the choice of actors could be decided by me. I said there were two roles I wanted you and Wen Minglan to play, and they agreed in one breath without any difficulty. I was surprised. Now looking at it, it's just because they thought this drama would likely flop, so they didn't value it that much, and not many famous actors were willing to come and act. Now that this drama is making a huge noise, they see the popularity, see the value and benefits, and want to stick their hands in again."

As the two were talking, suddenly, both of their phones rang at the same time.

This inexplicable coincidence made them subconsciously look at each other, feeling a sense of foreboding.

Five minutes ago, Li Zhibai posted a Weibo: This TV station is also interesting. They keep saying they want a TV exclusive broadcast, pushing Old Lu to the front to take the cannon fire. For the past month, how many people in the industry have advised him not to act, not to take this drama? Because he promised others and believed in the script he wrote, he has been carrying it, holding his breath to do this drama well. Now that he has taken the scolding and suffered the questioning, the TV station suddenly changes its tune and wants a TV-online simultaneous broadcast? If you're so capable, why don't you go to heaven and set off fireworks?

Three minutes ago, Li Zhibai posted a second Weibo: The matter of using Old Lu as a sieve for the promotional clip hasn't been explained clearly yet, and now they are acting like they've lost their minds and flipping their words to say such bullshit. Which actor will dare to cooperate with your Jingtai in the future? Bullying customers because you're a big store, right? An actor who endured the grievances all by himself just to let *Friends* be filmed well and aired well, is just being treated like this by you, right?

One minute ago, Li Zhibai posted a third Weibo: Fuck you bunch of big idiots! -

"Hurry up and delete them!"

"Not deleting!"

Li Zhibai hung up the phone and sat in his seat at the filming site with a face full of frost.

All around were staff members coming and going. Everyone had clearly learned of his behavior and was carefully peeking at him.

Li Zhibai was furious.

He didn't even need to ask Lu Yan He what the situation was.

The live broadcast at the scene, after that idiot named Long Bin said those words, the surprise and disbelief on the faces of Lu Yan He and the others already explained the facts.

Li Zhibai couldn't swallow this anger no matter what.

Lu Yan He and Yan Liang had scruples, but he had no scruples at all.

And his three cannon shots on Weibo shook the entire internet.

An actor suddenly firing cannons at Jingtai, who would dare to imagine that?

Li Zhibai was just a bit nervous after posting the Weibo, not knowing if Lu Yan He would be a bit annoyed.

After all, he could be considered to have fanned the flames invisibly.

Sure enough, one minute later, Lu Yan He sent him a sentence: You're an idiot.

Li Zhibai grinned and smiled, said nothing, opened Weibo, and refreshed it. He had refreshed it about a dozen times.

Lu Yan He's Weibo came: Such a thing happened, there are many things I want to say, but they have already been said by a certain idiot. I have already signed the contract for *Friends*, and there is no way to withdraw from filming. It is a script I wrote very seriously, and its main creators are also a team we assembled very seriously. We will still use 100% focus and enthusiasm to complete it, but I will withdraw from the subsequent projects that were originally intended to be made into a seasonal drama, including both the actor and screenwriter identities.

In the afternoon, there was still no movement from Jingtai.

Lu Yan He said to Hu Siwei and Bai Jingnian: "Let's start filming in the afternoon."

A group of people gathered at the scene.

Studio filming.

There were more than thirty staff members at the scene, but there was almost no joyful atmosphere.

Lu Yan He's statement had already put *Friends* and Jingtai on the fire to roast.

No matter what the final result was, *Friends* had already fallen apart from the day it started filming.

Yin Xincheng and the other newcomers all looked panicked. Perhaps everything that happened today was too incredible for them.

Everyone's state was not quite right.

Hu Siwei and Bai Jingnian were fine. After all, they were veterans. Despite so many things happening, they didn't show anything on the scene and didn't expose any emotions.

The key was the state of the actors.

After another failed filming, Lu Yan He said to Bai Jingnian: "Director, why don't we pause for a moment?"

Bai Jingnian nodded.

Lu Yan He gathered several actors together.

"Everyone, I'm very sorry. Because of the things that happened these days, including my statement today, it has seriously affected everyone's acting state." Lu Yan He apologized to everyone first.

Yin Xincheng hurriedly waved his hand and said: "No, no, it's my own state that hasn't adjusted."

The other two girls also echoed.

"In any case, *Friends* is a very good drama. No matter how annoying the external factors are, I guarantee to everyone that as long as we seriously film this drama, it will definitely be a classic sitcom," Lu Yan He said. "Even if I don't act in it later, everyone can still continue to do this drama. If this drama can become popular as I expected, there will definitely be a second and third season later. This will be an important work in everyone's acting career—including me. So, no matter what happens, no matter what voices are outside, let's just do what we should do as actors on the set and act well, okay?"

Others nodded.

Although there were still concerns, everyone's state was much better.

"Little Lu is young and vigorous. Once he said it like that, there was no room for maneuver." Xu Bin said to Chen Ziyan.

Chen Ziyan: "Station Manager Xu, when you made that promotional clip incident and didn't feel any guilt toward Little Lu at all, did you consider the room for maneuver?"

Xu Bin looked at Chen Ziyan: "Are you comparing an actor's bit of reputation with the image of the entire Jingtai?"

Chen Ziyan: "It is you who are comparing the so-called image of a traditional TV station that is already setting like the sun with the reputation of a rising star of tomorrow."

Xu Bin narrowed his eyes. "Setting like the sun?"

"Isn't it?" Chen Ziyan was aggressive, even overbearing. At this moment, she even looked a bit like He Yingzi. "Originally, when you brought out a project like *Friends* to save your ratings, I thought you finally had some courage and started thinking about fighting for it. Now it seems that you never thought *Friends* could win from the beginning. You just made such a show of fighting to add chips to your official career?"

A hint of sarcasm even appeared in Chen Ziyan's eyes.

Xu Bin: "Chen Ziyan, do you know what you are saying?"

"I know." Chen Ziyan looked at him coldly. "You also know that from small to large, I have seen too many people like you. Why have I been staying in the entertainment industry? Because no matter how dark or dirty it is, it is not something that so-called power, wealth, and class can cover with one hand. Here, as long as the audience likes it, people from the slums can also reach the sky in one step. As long as the audience doesn't like it, even if you are a princess, you can only be a latrine pit and have stones thrown at you. Many people don't know why I am so tough. You must know. So do you know what I am saying, Station Manager Xu?"

Xu Bin's face changed, the corners of his mouth twitched, and he was silent.

Chen Ziyan said: "You also tell Jiang Lan that if she continues to play tricks behind the scenes, there will be no need for future cooperation."

After Chen Ziyan finished speaking, she looked at Xu Bin. "Station Manager Xu, in any case, since *Friends* has already started filming, you are the biggest boss behind this project. You should let it be filmed and aired smoothly. Even the airing time has to be fought for by your subordinates. Don't avoid suspicion to the point where you avoid all the achievements."

Jingtai was like dead. Such a big thing happened, and public opinion was so surging, but they acted as if nothing had happened. There was no response, and no one stood up to respond, as if everyone had been gagged.

And *Friends* entered normal filming.

Because it was studio filming, all scenes were filmed in the studio, unlike other dramas that were filmed in one go.

Lu Yan He basically only filmed for about two days a week, which didn't affect his classes.

*Phoenix Terrace* also finally ushered in its finale at this time.

On the day of the finale, a torrential rain suddenly fell.

Lu Yan He sat in the dormitory and watched the live broadcast of the *Phoenix Terrace* finale online with everyone.

The moment he saw the character he played die, Lu Yan He's heart also skipped a beat.

When filming this scene, Lu Yan He didn't have the pain of his heart being torn apart. At that time, he was in the role, all in the task state. Now, watching it as an audience member, he felt a sense of helplessness and sadness about "fate."

After the finale aired, it was the online connection activity.

Lu Yan He had already received notice from the production team in advance to participate in this connection activity after the finale aired.

Nine main creators appeared in the live broadcast room.

Because *Phoenix Terrace* indeed aired very well, everyone benefited a lot from this drama, so almost everyone was full of joy, with a happy face, and Lu Yan He was the same.

It's just that his situation was much more complicated. It could be said that the past two months were like ice and fire. If it weren't for the *Friends* incident, during the airing of *Phoenix Terrace*, Lu Yan He should have been in high spirits relying on the dividends of this drama, but the actual situation was not the case.

Originally, Lu Yan He thought that because of his conflict and turmoil with Jingtai, he wouldn't be allowed to participate in this connection activity. Unexpectedly, they still insisted on letting him participate.

"Today we are talking about *Phoenix Terrace*." Producer Huangcheng said at the beginning of the live broadcast, "Our drama aired so well, thanks to the support and love of all the audience. If you have any questions you want to ask, you can also send them to the bullet screen room. Later, our assistant will collect everyone's questions and answer some of them. Now let's talk first. Director Chen, what feelings do you have to share with everyone after watching the finale tonight?"

Chen Lingling said: "In fact, everything I want to say has already been put into the drama. Preparing a drama, from preparation to filming to post-production to airing, consumes a lot of energy. However, this drama can be considered relatively smooth. Every link is relatively smooth, and no particularly big problems appeared."

Huangcheng asked: "What about Brother Qiao?"

Zeng Qiao smiled and said: "My eyes were red when I watched the finale just now, sigh."

Lang Xia also said: "Me too. When everything came to an end, I felt very sad."

Zeng Qiao asked: "Yan He, what did you feel when you saw the moment your character died?"

Lu Yan He said: "It's very strange, completely different from when filming. When I filmed this scene, I wasn't that uncomfortable, but when I watched this drama, probably standing from the audience's perspective, I suddenly felt that his life's fate was very helpless, but it seemed there was no other choice. I understand his struggle, but I actually hope he can let go of his hatred. Of course, in fact, we all know that it's easy to say, but hatred is not that easy to let go of." ===== CHAPTER 298 =====