Chapter 503: Dust Settles (9,000-word update!)

"The copyright has been bought," Chen Ziyan said to Lu Yan He that day. "As soon as the author heard that you wanted to adapt it into a film and television drama, they immediately agreed."

Chen Ziyan was talking about the post on the Ye Mai website that Hu Siwei had taken a fancy to.

Lu Yan He asked: "Then when are we going to talk to Hu Siwei about this?"

"You don't need to show up first, I will," Chen Ziyan said. "I plan to play my cards openly with him, telling him that the project Beijing TV doesn't want to do, we are willing to help him do, as long as he comes to us."

Lu Yan He asked: "Will he come over just like that?"

"Difficult, it shouldn't be that easy," Chen Ziyan said. "It's impossible to poach Hu Siwei overnight. This is just an olive branch to express sincerity. In fact, the key to this matter lies in making Hu Siwei truly disheartened with Beijing TV, making him willing to leave Beijing TV."

"Sister Ziyan, what do you plan to do?" Lu Yan He asked, curious.

Chen Ziyan said: "I'm not planning what to do, I'm already doing it."

She gave Lu Yan He a smile that contained a lot of deep meaning.

Lu Yan He didn't know what Chen Ziyan had done, but the smile on her face made Lu Yan He realize that it probably wasn't a good thing.

"Hu Siwei really should have switched to another leader. You say if Hu Siwei had switched to Director Jiang, it would be completely different now."

"At that time, the *Friends* project was supported by Hu Siwei, it had nothing to do with Director Xu, do you know? Although now everyone says Director Xu had a sharp eye and picked this project, the fact is not like that at all."

"That's too much of a pity, didn't Director Xu take all the credit? I heard he still wants to wait for Director Shen to retire and take over Director Shen's position."

"Looking at it now, it feels like Director Jiang has more hope. With *Friends* failing, there is only the *Seventeen Layers* series left. Sigh, it's really a pity. Originally, our station had two ace series. Just relying on these two series, we could have eaten for many years."

"With *Friends* rotting like this, who can you blame? I'm really convinced. Finding a director from abroad to do it, they don't understand our domestic situation at all, filming blindly, filming into trashy dramas with people sleeping around everywhere. Who watches that? Do they really think we eat this in China?"

In the pantry, several girls came out while talking.

As soon as they came out, they didn't expect to run into Hu Siwei. One by one, they immediately changed their expressions, put away the smiles on their faces, and scattered like birds and beasts.

Hu Siwei walked into the pantry expressionlessly, but his mind was recalling what they had just said.

Actually, those girls didn't say anything negative about him. In fact, at Beijing TV, he had often heard such conversations recently, all praising his ability, regretting that he encountered a leader like Xu Bin, and feeling annoyed for him—he followed the wrong person.

The problem wasn't the content, but the fact that he heard it often recently.

Hu Siwei had worked his way up from the bottom of Beijing TV step by step. He was a doer, but that didn't mean he didn't understand interpersonal relationships, workplace ecology, and trends. If he didn't understand, he wouldn't have reached his current position. Hu Siwei was worried that such a wind was blowing too hard and would sooner or later blow into Xu Bin's ears, or rather, it had already blown into Xu Bin's ears.

Then, with Xu Bin's personality, what would he think?

Hu Siwei didn't need to ponder too much to know what Xu Bin would think.

His relationship with Xu Bin was already very bad.

Then what would happen next?

Hu Siwei took a deep breath.

Although spring had arrived, the city was still dominated by black, gray, and white tones. Green buds couldn't decorate the branches that had been frostbitten for a winter.

Hu Siwei drove to the entrance of the coffee shop called "In Spring," parked his car in a temporary parking space on the side of the road, and as soon as he got out of the car, he was slapped by a fierce wind.

He quickened his pace, pushed open the door of "In Spring," and entered the room, only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"Siwei, long time no see." Ma Sui from Ice Plains Video stood up with a smile when she saw him enter, greeted him, and even hugged him warmly.

Ma Sui was also a colleague at Beijing TV. She worked at Beijing TV for two years before leaving.

Hu Siwei was one of the few colleagues she had a good relationship with when she was at Beijing TV.

Hu Siwei said with a smile: "Congratulations, *Star Shine* is doing well, it should have reached S-level results, right?"

"It's okay, the average viewership per episode broke 20 million," Ma Sui nodded with a smile. "You drinking a latte? Or an Americano?"

"Life hasn't been easy lately, it's too bitter, I need to drink something sweet," Hu Siwei ordered a cappuccino.

Ma Sui said: "We all know that the current situation of the third season of *Friends* is not your problem."

"Let's not talk about this, my heart aches when I mention it," Hu Siwei said in a joking tone.

Ma Sui laughed and nodded, "Okay, then what do you want to talk about?"

"I want to ask you, is it possible for the project *Flowing Light* to be broadcast on both TV and the internet?" Hu Siwei said. "I know this drama is mainly invested by your Ice Plains and is also prepared to be your big drama for exclusive broadcast."

Ma Sui looked at Hu Siwei with some surprise and didn't come back to her senses for a long time.

"Siwei, are you representing Beijing TV, taking the initiative to ask us, a web drama, if it can be broadcast on both TV and the internet?"

For many production companies, when they make a drama, they still want it to be broadcast on both TV and the internet, which means they can earn an extra copyright fee.

However, for online video companies like Ice Plains Video, the big dramas they invest in exclusively are generally sold to TV stations for broadcast after the online premiere ends, depending on the situation.

The reason for emphasizing exclusive broadcast is, of course, because everyone knows that exclusive broadcast can concentrate all the market into one point, erupting with greater effect.

Hu Siwei said: "Let *Flowing Light* have its TV premiere on Beijing TV. As soon as one episode finishes on TV, it goes online on your Ice Plains. You also know that TV ratings have almost no impact on online viewership now, and even have a promotional effect. This will not only not affect the broadcast results of *Flowing Light* on your Ice Plains Video, but will further expand its coverage. What do you think?"

Ma Sui didn't give her attitude immediately, but looked at him quite stunned.

"Siwei, based on my understanding of you, you shouldn't be so interested in the *Flowing Light* project, right? If we took the initiative to find you, wanting to sell the TV broadcast rights, you might be interested in passing, but to specifically make an appointment with me and specifically talk about this, what's going on?" Ma Sui looked at Hu Siwei in surprise.

In Ma Sui's understanding, this was simply not something Hu Siwei would do.

Hu Siwei lowered his head and smiled slightly, saying: "The higher-ups want a big project, so I'll bring him a big project."

As soon as Ma Sui heard this, she immediately sighed.

"So he gave you a task."

Hu Siwei smiled.

"Are you... really planning to work under him for the rest of your life?" Ma Sui looked at him suspiciously, and you could tell how much she didn't understand from her eyes.

Hu Siwei also knew why Ma Sui would look at him with such an uncomprehending look.

Wasn't the reason Ma Sui left Beijing TV at the time because she couldn't stand the interpersonal relationships and style of work at the station?

Now, Ma Sui had become a famous producer in the industry, capable of being solely responsible for big projects with hundreds of millions of investments like *Flowing Light*. Besides catching up with the rapid development of the streaming era, it was inseparable from her own ambition, fighting spirit, and hard work. Her personality wasn't suitable for a place like Beijing TV, so she could stand out in the era of wild growth of streaming media.

However, Hu Siwei's personality was exactly the opposite of Ma Sui's, it was the other side.

He was steady, cautious, conservative, and accustomed to working in a place that gave him a sense of security. All his ideas at work needed a stable platform for him to feel at ease to display them. Otherwise, he would constantly stare at whether the seat under his butt was stable, rather than focusing on work.

Ma Sui obviously also knew him very well.

Hu Siwei didn't speak.

Ma Sui: "Siwei, I'm serious. With your ability and the connections you've accumulated after working in this industry for so many years, if you are willing to walk out of Beijing TV, I believe you are fully capable of doing even better. The world outside is too big, unlike Beijing TV, with just those few people, a small stage, fighting for positions, intrigue, worrying about this and that, and in the end, the hard work might all go down the drain just because your superior is confused."

Hu Siwei smiled silently.

"The domestic film and television market is still in a very intense change. Lu Yan He started the trend of short dramas and weekly broadcasts, letting the industry see the commercial value of this type of drama, and took Chinese dramas overseas, opening up another market. The rules of the game will be adjusted a lot in the future, and similarly, the production industry is constantly washing away some shoddy goods," Ma Sui said. "You are the promoter of *Friends*, and *Friends* is one of the best-received dramas overseas in China in recent years. So far, so many people have tried to copy the success of *Friends* and make sitcoms, but all have failed. As long as you come out, believe me, there won't be a platform that won't throw an olive branch at you."

"It's not that easy to succeed," Hu Siwei said softly. "Even if it's me, I don't know if making another sitcom will succeed. It requires too much right time, right place, and right people."

"Of course, we all know that the success of a drama requires the right time, right place, and right people," Ma Sui nodded. "But at least you are an insider. Look, everyone in this industry calls me Sister Sui, saying I'm a gold-medal producer, but when *Friends* was so popular, Ice Plains Video asked me to make a sitcom, and I refused. Why? Because I don't understand, I can't do it. There are too few talents for sitcoms in China, and producers with representative works and experience like you are even fewer. You don't know how valuable you are. Xianxia dramas, suspense dramas, romance dramas, spy dramas... I'll be honest, these types don't lack producers or directors, because the market is too big, and a batch of people are eliminated every year. It has already formed such a cycle. Even if I am like this now, I dare not say my next drama will definitely be a hit, but I am confident that the dramas I make will definitely not be below the passing grade. I have this professional confidence. You are the same. You make sitcoms, maybe they can't become phenomenal dramas like *Friends*, but they won't be very bad."

Ma Sui's words were like a hook, hooking onto some thoughts in Hu Siwei's heart.

For some time now, these thoughts had been stirring many times.

After Ma Sui finished chatting with Hu Siwei, they parted ways. After getting into her car, she made a call to Chen Ziyan.

"Ziyan, I have successfully completed the task you gave me," Ma Sui said with a smile. "However, how did you know he would find me?"

"He suddenly inquired about the *Flowing Light* project these past two days, so I guessed he might find you, though I wasn't sure he would definitely find you," Chen Ziyan said with a smile. "However, it shows I guessed right now."

"Your news is always the most well-informed, even knowing what he cares about recently."

"That's for sure, if I want to poach him, of course I have to put in some effort and heart," Chen Ziyan said. "Tom White will come to China next month, I'll introduce you then."

"Thank you, dear," Ma Sui curled her lips. "However, I plan to find Zhang Lan to star in *Flowing Light*, you don't mind, right?"

"Why would I mind?"

"After all, she was an actress you brought before," Ma Sui said. "I heard you two didn't break up very happily."

"We didn't become enemies, so be it if it wasn't happy," Chen Ziyan said. "But your methods are still powerful, knowing how to strike at the seven inches. As soon as she heard that Jiang Yuqian also started paying attention to the *Flowing Light* script, she immediately signed a performance agreement with you."

"You even knew that."

"You used Jiang Yuqian as bait, of course Jiang Yuqian would notice," Chen Ziyan said. "In this industry, there are no walls without cracks."

"That's true." Ma Sui suddenly noticed that there was a drizzle, and soon, the windshield was hazy.

She turned on the wipers and said: "Ziyan, I also want to ask, when can we film a drama with Yan He?"

Chen Ziyan said: "Oh, it's not that I don't want to, but you also know that Yan He doesn't have time to film long dramas now. The dramas you make are basically over thirty episodes, and the filming time is too long."

"If Yan He is willing to star, I am very willing to tailor a short drama script for him," Ma Sui said. "Really, as long as he is willing to come."

Chen Ziyan: "I really can't promise you anything now, his schedule is too tight."

Ma Sui: "Okay."

"However, you can give Minglan a good role here. I am very relieved about the dramas you make."

Ma Sui: "You definitely won't look at the second female lead of *Flowing Light*, and I'm embarrassed to take it out. Just from the platform's perspective, I'm still a bit worried about letting Minglan play the big heroine in a big drama. If there are good second female leads or good ensemble dramas in the future, I'll pass the script to you."

"Okay," Chen Ziyan said.

"Speaking of which, the second female lead of *Flowing Light* is really worrying," Ma Sui laughed. "Zhou Ping'an has always wanted to send the actress named Fu Li under his hand, but her current popularity really can't support the second female lead. It just so happens that the male lead of our drama found Yan Liang, and if I don't give him this face, it's not very appropriate."

"Fu Li?" Chen Ziyan laughed as soon as she heard it. "It's okay, you don't have to be the bad guy. You pass this news to Zhang Lan's ears. After Zhang Lan searches for Fu Li's appearance on the internet, she will come to be the bad guy."

"Huh?" Ma Sui was a bit surprised.

Chen Ziyan: "I have never seen any actress in a drama starring Zhang Lan who is prettier than her."

Ma Sui understood instantly.

"Are you kidding me? They found Fu Li to play the second female lead to let her step on me to get ahead?"

Zhang Lan complained aggressively to her boyfriend and agent, Shi Zhou.

Shi Zhou also just heard the news.

He also knew Fu Li. They were all signed actors of Star Entertainment, and Shi Zhou knew Fu Li's conditions. She was known as the prettiest among the young actresses signed by Star Entertainment.

It was no surprise that Zhang Lan had such concerns.

Shi Zhou said: "I'll go negotiate with Ma Sui."

Zhang Lan: "Zhou Ping'an is someone who won't stop until he reaches his goal. You go negotiate with Ma Sui, Ma Sui may not be able to stop Zhou Ping'an. Don't forget, the male lead of this drama, Yan Liang, is also an actor brought by Zhou Ping'an. Zhou Ping'an has bargaining chips in his hands—when I wanted Yan Liang out, Ma Sui directly said Yan Liang was named by the investor."

Shi Zhou was silent for a moment and asked: "Then what do you want to do?"

Zhang Lan: "Give Ma Sui a reason that she has to reject Fu Li."

Hu Siwei frowned slightly.

Chen Ziyan said bluntly: "To tell you the truth, I heard you were interested in this story and wanted to adapt it into a TV series, but Beijing TV wasn't very attentive to this adaptation plan, so I paid attention to it. Indeed, I finished this story in one night. Once I got into it, I wanted to keep watching, chasing it."

Sitting in a restaurant downstairs from Beijing TV, the existence of Chen Ziyan and Hu Siwei was not eye-catching.

In this restaurant, you could often see various celebrity artists, agents, producers, and directors. After all, this restaurant was right next to Beijing TV, and most of the people who came here to eat were in this line of work.

Hu Siwei spread his hands and said: "So, are you planning to adapt it into a TV series?"

"If you take the lead," Chen Ziyan said frankly. "Our Linghe Film and Television currently doesn't have film and television production talent. The current people are all doing copyright management. If you come, you will be the first person in our company responsible for content production."

Chen Ziyan's implication was also very clear.

It meant that as long as Hu Siwei was willing to come, he would be the first person at Linghe Film and Television responsible for content production.

This meaning didn't need to be said much, just mention it, and Hu Siwei would understand what it meant.

Hu Siwei: "Ziyan, Linghe is indeed a company with great potential, but it's just starting. You know, all my work experience was accumulated at Beijing TV. Every project I did was made on such a platform, and I don't have much experience in doing projects in such a start-up company."

Hu Siwei's words were already quite tactful.

He meant that Linghe company was just starting, and it was too immature in all aspects.

This was indeed the case. The resources Hu Siwei could mobilize at Beijing TV were not on the same order of magnitude as the resources he could mobilize if he came to Linghe Film and Television.

No matter how much the TV station declined, Beijing TV was still a behemoth with a thin camel bigger than a horse. When he did a project at Beijing TV, there were mature supporting mechanisms in all aspects. No matter which link had a problem, he knew who to find to solve it. It wasn't like that at Linghe.

Especially in a film and television market with such high risk, if a project had any problem, tens of millions or hundreds of millions would be stuck in this project, and the company might be paralyzed and unable to turn.

One or two hundred million looked like a not-so-small amount, but for a film and television production company, one project might make it go down the drain—

This was why many small and medium-sized film and television companies couldn't avoid the fate of being injected with capital by large companies and large platforms.

Almost no one would not encounter difficulties, would not encounter times when they needed others to inject capital to continue to survive.

Chen Ziyan said to Hu Siwei: "This is of course, but things have to be looked at from two sides. Siwei, only here with us can you get the greatest degree of freedom. You've been at Beijing TV for so long, have you ever really made your own decisions and done a project completely according to your own ideas?"

Hu Siwei was silent.

Chen Ziyan knew how to strike at the seven inches.

She never did things messily, and never spoke blindly, especially when it was necessary, almost every word, every action, had its intention.

Chen Ziyan said: "If this was the first or second year Lu Yan He started writing scripts, I wouldn't come to you to say these things, because finding you would be useless, without the confidence and capital to persuade you to come over. But these four years, you've also seen what kind of market Lu Yan He's scripts and projects are in, and what kind of results they have achieved. Not to mention anything else, just look at Linghe Film and Television's next arrangements: the movie *Love Letter*, this movie has been reserved by the Hexi Film Festival, and it is a certainty to be shortlisted for the main competition unit. The *Squid Game* series, although it is said that Northern Lights is doing it, the copyright is in our own hands. We will definitely participate deeply in the next two sequels. Another point is what I want to tell you today."

Hu Siwei frowned slightly, looked at Chen Ziyan, and asked: "What?"

Hu Siwei didn't know what other key points there were.

Chen Ziyan asked: "Are you willing to let the *Friends* series end so sloppily?"

Are you willing?

Of course not willing.

Watching a big drama that could be made into a classic series being messed up like this, how could he be willing?

But what can he do if he is not willing?

To describe these four words in one sentence, it is "the building is empty."

Of the three people who started this drama, only he is left supporting it here. The reputation of the third season is so rotten, the fourth season has almost no hope of starting, what can he do?

Hu Siwei looked at Chen Ziyan silently.

Chen Ziyan said: "If I tell you that if you join Linghe, you can reboot *Friends*, you are still the producer, Bai Jingnian is still the director, Lu Yan He is still the lead actor and screenwriter, and Yan Liang, Wen Minglan, Zhan Yun, Bo Jin, and Yin Xincheng all return, will you seriously consider joining Linghe?"

Hu Siwei looked at Chen Ziyan in disbelief and couldn't speak for a long time.

"You are—"

Chen Ziyan smiled slightly.

Hu Siwei's heart was in chaos.

He returned to Beijing TV in a daze, dazed and combing through the news he heard from Chen Ziyan.

Selling *Friends* to Yuehu TV was Xu Bin's idea, and Shen Tailin signed it. *Friends* had been sold to Yuehu TV and no longer belonged to Beijing TV.

Hu Siwei was the actual person in charge of the *Friends* project, but if Chen Ziyan hadn't told him, he would still be kept in the dark.

His mentality collapsed directly, out of control, and he rushed into Xu Bin's office.

Facing his questioning, Xu Bin only said: "This is the station's decision."

Hu Siwei wanted to ask him why the station would make such a decision.

However, Xu Bin's calm face, as if nothing had happened, was like a moon in late autumn, hanging coldly in front of his eyes. Hu Siwei looked at it, and suddenly his anger leaked out.

Why?

What answer can he get?

*Friends* is just an asset. For Beijing TV, it is a non-profitable asset. Now, Yuehu TV is willing to spend money to buy it away to fill the hole of the third season of *Friends*. Why wouldn't the senior management of Beijing TV be happy?

It was on Xu Bin's calm face that Hu Siwei suddenly recognized a fact he had actually known for a long time but was unwilling to admit:

Here, only he had poured his heart and soul into the *Friends* series beyond financial returns. Or rather, only he was still thinking about whether he could remedy it and pull *Friends* back up.

Why did Xu Bin and the others turn a deaf ear to his opposition when the third season of *Friends* was being ruined and messed up?

Because they never understood from the beginning why *Friends* was liked by the audience. They didn't intend to understand either. Anyway, it was just a money-making thing. If it didn't make money, then take it off the shelf.

Hu Siwei walked out of Xu Bin's office in a daze.

He sat in his office for a long time, until the sunset, until the night flooded the world like an ocean.

When he woke up like a dream, he saw a high moon hanging outside the window, hanging on the distant horizon.

Yuming at night was also full of flowers and brocade, fire trees and silver flowers, lights like weaving.

Only that bright moon looked at this world from afar.

He wanted to ask the moon, the night in the world is already so bright, why do you continue to guard in the sky, shining coldly?

The world no longer needs you.

He didn't ask.

Because the bright moon wouldn't reply to him.

The next day, the program *Film and Television Critic* was officially announced on Yuehu TV.

A brand-new film and television commentary column jointly created by Yuehu TV and the *Jump Up* team, "We will use the sharpest viewpoints, the truest attitude, and the freshest information to interpret the current Chinese film and television."

*Jump Up* chief film critic Lin Yu, famous domestic entertainment critic Guan Sucheng, *Tomorrow Daily* film critic Chen Shu, and *Dream Back* lead writer Chen Miao formed the resident critic lineup. Moreover, in the fifteen-minute program every day, they would irregularly contact famous film critics from other countries in the world to interpret the latest Chinese film and television works and bring information commentary reports.

This news itself was not eye-catching. After all, for the public, except for Guan Sucheng who was often paid attention to because of his remarks on his personal social media, the other three were not people who were relatively recognized by the public.

However, such a commentary program was forwarded and officially announced by dozens of stars such as Lu Yan He, Li Zhibai, Yan Liang, Huang Kairen, Jiang Yuqian, Peng Zhixing, Liu Zhiyin, etc., even stronger than the promotional lineup of a movie to be released, which ultimately caused quite a stir.

Such a program seemed to have no direct relationship with Lu Yan He, but it made people know at the moment it came out that this program must have an inextricable relationship with Lu Yan He.

Yuehu TV and Lu Yan He really held hands and cooperated.

This was not a signal, this was a fact.

Just at this time, an even more explosive news came out: Yuehu TV was very likely to take over *Friends* and reboot this series.

Compared to *Film and Television Critic*, *Friends*' news was of course more eye-catching.

A match ignited the entire wilderness.

Some said Yuehu TV spent nine figures to buy the remake rights of *Friends*.

Some said Yuehu TV found leaders behind the scenes to apply pressure, forcing Beijing TV to resell *Friends* to them.

Others said the third season of *Friends* had bloody poor ratings, and Beijing TV had huge losses on this project, needing to rely on selling it to fill the account deficit.

All kinds of gossip, reliable, unreliable, seemingly reasonable, and impossible to be true, were flying all over the sky.

Until Yuehu TV and Beijing TV jointly issued a statement, the content of which included: Yuehu TV obtained the production rights of *Friends* from Beijing TV, and Beijing TV would act as a copyright partner to share subsequent benefits. In short, Yuehu TV did indeed get the production rights of *Friends*, but the copyright was still in the hands of Beijing TV, but how Yuehu TV did *Friends* had nothing to do with Beijing TV, and Beijing TV only had the right to get a share of the benefits.

The fans of *Friends* were puzzled.

Beijing TV had already filmed the third season like this, rotting to the core, and Yuehu TV was still taking over, why?

Subsequently, another more explosive news came out.

Yuehu TV was actively negotiating with Lu Yan He, inviting Lu Yan He to return and reboot the *Friends* series.

For a time, it was boiling.

Entertainment critic Guan Sucheng was still on the front line of eating melons and expressed his views: Lu Yan He actually left *Friends* after the first season ended, but two years later, the third season had finished airing, and Lu Yan He was still a name that couldn't be bypassed by *Friends*. It was conceivable what kind of existence Lu Yan He was to the audience of *Friends*. Beijing TV made the third season of *Friends* like this, almost to the point where no one could save it, but if Yuehu TV could really invite Lu Yan He back, could this reignite the audience's confidence in *Friends*?

She launched a vote: If Lu Yan He returns as a screenwriter and lead actor, will you give *Friends* another chance?

In the vote she launched personally, more than 30,000 people voted, and in the end, 82.3% of people chose yes.

This matter also became the most concerned thing in the entertainment industry recently.

Chen Ziyan communicated with Yuehu TV about when to announce the news of Lu Yan He's return, and finally decided unanimously that the heat was so high now, no need to respond.

After all, from reboot to broadcast, it might take another one to two years. Then they all needed to keep this project in the audience's vision, let everyone keep expectations for this project, so this news could be announced later.

"Compared to this, let's negotiate with Bai Jingnian about returning to direct as soon as possible," Chen Ziyan said to the people at Yuehu TV with a smile. "It's best to let the Golden Triangle reunite in the reboot version of *Friends*. I think this is the key to making the audience truly willing to give it another chance. Oh, by the way, there are those lead actors, negotiate them down as soon as possible, the schedule is very difficult to gather."

For such a project, there were too many things to be busy with inside and out.

Chen Ziyan and Lu Yan He officially made an appointment with Hu Siwei again.

"Brother Siwei, come, the reboot of *Friends* needs you," Lu Yan He said sincerely to Hu Siwei.

Hu Siwei smiled helplessly.

From Lu Yan He's intention, to so many things happening in the middle, to now, it had actually only been more than a month.

But for Hu Siwei, it seemed like a magnificent era had passed.

Chen Ziyan said: "Siwei, the *Friends* series, and the couple story you want to adapt, including the *Chinese Paladin* written by Yan He later, all need you."

Hu Siwei took a deep breath.

"Do you have so much confidence in me?"

"Of course," Lu Yan He nodded decisively and said: "*Friends* was made by you personally. I know best how much you paid behind the success of this drama."

Chen Ziyan took out a contract and pushed it to Hu Siwei from the table.

"This is the condition we provide for you, a base salary of two million, excluding project bonuses and shares," Chen Ziyan said. "We know that you came out of Beijing TV, without a stable platform with huge resources, there will be a gap. But we have the best projects, the greatest trust, and full support. We really can't provide you with huge resources like Beijing TV, but you can build your team here."

Hu Siwei picked up the contract Chen Ziyan pushed over, his eyes falling on it.

"Will Bai Jingnian come back?" he asked.

Lu Yan He laughed with relief. Hu Siwei was willing to ask this, which meant he was willing to come.

"I believe if you are willing to come, he will definitely be willing too," Lu Yan He said while raising his glass, "Cheers!"

Hu Siwei and Chen Ziyan clinked glasses with Lu Yan He and drank it in one gulp.

They actually didn't understand the meme in Lu Yan He's sentence.

But it didn't matter.

Lu Yan He knew that after the script came out, they would know.

After going around and around, *Friends* still became *Friends*. ===== CHAPTER 504 =====