Chapter 696: Xitu'er Night (7200-word update)

"I let you see a joke last time." Yang Zhouli took the initiative to mention the live broadcast room.

Lu Yan He smiled and didn't answer.

Yang Zhouli said: "Originally, after that incident, I wanted to invite you to dinner specifically to apologize, but your agent Chen Ziyan told me that you have been filming, very busy, and didn't have time, so we didn't make an appointment."

"It is very busy." Lu Yan He nodded, "Various jobs are running in a row, including this trip to Xitu'er, which was taken after asking the crew for leave, and only asked for four days."

Yang Zhouli: "I can imagine how busy you are usually. Besides acting and writing scripts, you also have a company of your own to manage."

"Oh, that, I actually didn't manage much." Lu Yan He shook his head and denied it directly, "If I still had the energy to manage company affairs, that would be a miracle."

Yang Zhouli asked with some surprise: "If you don't manage it, aren't you worried that the company will get out of your control?"

Lu Yan He said: "It's not that I don't manage anything."

Yang Zhouli nodded, "Actually—"

"And, I founded this company, speaking of which, you might not believe it, but I am not aiming to make money." Lu Yan He smiled at Yang Zhouli, "If I say that I have already earned enough money, for families like yours that have truly accumulated wealth for several generations, would you feel that I am just sitting in a well and looking at the sky, arrogant?"

Yang Zhouli was stunned for a moment.

What Lu Yan He said was always beyond his expectations, making him feel caught off guard.

Yang Zhouli said: "Of course not."

This was a subconscious reaction. He didn't have time to seriously think about the question Lu Yan He raised, and the current situation didn't allow him to think.

Lu Yan He smiled, "However, for myself, that's just how it is. So, what the company becomes, I actually don't have very high requirements. I don't plan to make it big and strong either. There is no need for that. As long as it can satisfy my own needs, that's enough."

Yang Zhouli smiled.

"However, now that Linghe is doing so well, I think there should be many people staring at you, right?" Yang Zhouli said.

"Yes." Lu Yan He nodded, "However, basically every week someone comes to talk about acquisition, even though we have already made it very clear that we do not accept acquisition, nor do we accept external investment."

Yang Zhouli: "I think it shouldn't be a question of price, right?"

"Mm, no." Lu Yan He said, "I hope it is pure."

Yang Zhouli: "We Shijin are currently negotiating the acquisition of Ye Mai Network, and they are very willing to be acquired."

"For many people at Ye Mai Network, this is an opportunity to get rich."

"Yes." Yang Zhouli nodded, "For Shijin, Ye Mai Network also has its value."

Lu Yan He: "Each takes what they need."

"Perhaps in the future, Linghe will also have a time when it takes what it needs with our Shijin." Yang Zhouli said, "Not just money."

"Perhaps." Lu Yan He nodded, "Everything is possible."

"I thought you would insist that Linghe must maintain its current appearance." Yang Zhouli said.

Lu Yan He shook his head and said: "I know there is nothing that can never change."

"If you have any film and television projects that need investment, you are welcome to find me at any time." Yang Zhouli said sincerely, "It is both my apology and my hope to cooperate with the most outstanding creators in the performing arts industry and understand this industry."

Lu Yan He looked at Yang Zhouli with some surprise.

He really didn't expect Yang Zhouli to say this.

Yang Zhouli: "Although I believe that you definitely don't lack investment, a lot of people are dying to give you more investment shares."

Lu Yan He's success rate and return rate of film and television projects are famously high. If it were Yang Zhouli, he would rather go to the bank to borrow money to do it than pull investment from outside.

However, in fact, every one of Lu Yan He's film and television projects has many sources of funds. Among them, there are even many investment amounts of millions or even hundreds of thousands, which are all left by Lu Yan He for his friends.

Yang Zhouli said: "But there is one thing you can rest assured, the money signed by me and invested in your project will be absolutely safe and steady, will not withdraw capital, and will not have any other purposes such as stuffing people into the crew. I don't have these ideas. Although I grew up under the wings of Shijin Group, however, like you, I hate the environment where everything is traded."

Lu Yan He asked curiously: "What is your relationship with Yang Zhoujin? Besides the brother relationship?"

"Do you want to hear it?" Yang Zhouli was a bit surprised, but still said, "This can't be considered a very warm story."

"What I want to ask is, when you said you wanted to apologize to me on his behalf before, was it sincere?"

"Sincere." Yang Zhouli nodded, "But I am not for him. I am just to clear the negative public opinion for the company as soon as possible. At least one person stands up, expresses an attitude, and compresses this matter from the negative news of Shijin Group to his own negative news. In fact, this itself is the scandal he made alone, which has nothing to do with the company. It's just that the label of Shijin on him is too deeply rooted, and the public always links his behavior with Shijin."

Lu Yan He nodded.

"That was indeed a very successful public relations act."

Yang Zhoujin became a mentally abnormal, irritable rich second generation, while Yang Zhouli became a calm, big-picture, able to pick up and put down, able to put down his status and apologize directly to calm things down "diamond king."

In the public's impression, these symbolic, labeled things are all business cards, and they also determine their basic impression of a person.

With such a dragging thing as Yang Zhoujin for comparison, Yang Zhouli appeared exceptionally outstanding.

Although Lu Yan He knew that Yang Zhouli was definitely not as simple as he looked, Lu Yan He also had to admit that this person had given people a sincere, spring breeze feeling from the moment he appeared in front of him, neither making him feel that his speech was floating, nor would it be too honest to make Lu Yan He feel that he was acting too much.

Life is like a play, everyone has their own performance components. So, to say acting, Lu Yan He knows that everyone has a little bit of acting more or less. So, Lu Yan He won't feel that a person is not worth making friends with once they start acting a little bit. Now Lu Yan He values more whether a person is sincere in some basic things, or honest.

Then Yang Zhouli at least passed the test in this aspect, making Lu Yan He feel that he passed. Especially in the matter of him apologizing for Yang Zhoujin, Yang Zhouli's answer made Lu Yan He satisfied.

The two chatted for more than ten minutes, and the conversation ended.

Lu Yan He took out an eye mask and earplugs, and then took out his electronic reader.

He prepared to read for a while, and if he was sleepy, he would sleep directly, which was very convenient.

Long-distance flight, the best way to pass the time is to sleep.

In the public's impression, Xitu'er is a somewhat gloomy city.

The reason for this impression is that its annual Xitu'er International Film Festival is generally held between February and March.

At this time, Xitu'er is located at the turn of winter and spring. The silver-clad heavy snow has melted, but the spring has not yet had time to decorate this city. So, everyone saw a Xitu'er in a near-bare-faced state.

Murderous, cold, classical buildings certainly have a beauty of time, but against the background of the gloomy sky, there is a bit more mottled feeling like rust.

However, no matter what, this city is world-famous because of a film festival.

Because of this film festival, the appearance of this city most known to the public is the appearance it welcomes the public the least.

When Lu Yan He arrived in Xitu'er, the film festival had already opened for several days.

Although the road was wet, as if the rain and snow of a whole winter had not yet been evaporated by the sun, the streets were full of tourists who came for the name.

In this world, there are always many movie fans with money and leisure.

Especially for this kind of top film festival, I don't know how many big stars can be seen, so there are always many people who choose to come to Xitu'er at this time.

It can even be said that Xitu'er's tourism industry is supported by this month.

Lu Yan He's trip this time was relatively relaxed, unlike the past with so many miscellaneous jobs.

No brand publicity activities, no wine parties that must be attended, and no work meals that must be eaten together.

He arrived at the hotel, simply accepted a short interview done by the film festival official, which was done in twenty minutes, and went to meet Wang Zhong, Chen Bige, and the others.

Wang Zhong came two days early.

Arriving at the restaurant, Lu Yan He found that the restaurant not only had them, but also "Small Eyes" boss Lan Tianqi and Yang Zhouli who had just said goodbye at the airport not long ago.

At the film festival, everyone often pulls you, pulls him, and pulls a circle of people together to eat, especially people from the same country, which is very common.

"President Lan." Lu Yan He greeted with a smile, "Yang Zong."

Yang Zhouli: "This is really too coincidental, if I had known, I would have come with you."

He turned his head and explained to everyone with a smile: "We two came on the same flight."

Lu Yan He sat down and asked Lan Tianqi with a smile: "President Lan, how many films are you planning to buy back this time?"

"Small Eyes" is different from many companies engaged in film production in China. It basically does not engage in film production directly, but does distribution. However, such a company that does distribution rarely does the distribution of domestic films, mainly doing the distribution of foreign films in China.

Generally speaking, the box office of foreign films in China—especially these films at the film festival, will not be too high. Those films with high box office are basically dominated by special effects blockbusters, and it is not the turn of "Small Eyes" to do distribution.

But in such a situation, "Small Eyes" can maintain profitability every year and has always survived, in a way that is not very close to the domestic film circle but is closely related, which shows its ability.

Of course, Lan Tianqi also has a very poisonous eye. In the situation where many people think that these film festival films cannot sell at the box office in China, he can almost make a big-selling film every two or three years. For example, *Capernaum*, which took 1 million RMB to win the Chinese distribution rights a few years ago, won 230 million box office in China. Last year, a Thai film *The Heritage List* they distributed also sold 170 million box office.

Lu Yan He felt that Lan Tianqi is a very rare person who can understand what kind of movies Chinese audiences want to watch. Now many filmmakers in the film circle who occupy high positions by relying on the dividends of the times actually don't know what the audience wants to watch now—

Lu Yan He has a very strong feeling about this.

Regarding Lu Yan He's question, Lan Tianqi said with a smile: "Currently, I have already taken a fancy to two, and I am talking to people."

Lan Tianqi does distribution, has a very distinct feature, just like Lu Yan He making movies, until now, he is determined not to make big-cost movies. Lan Tianqi is determined not to spend a lot of money to buy the distribution rights of a film, even if it is a famous director's film.

Lan Tianqi once said directly on a forum in China: "In China, not every famous director is really a famous director. The overseas famous directors who can really drive a group of audiences to walk into the cinema by their own names, I can say without hesitation, can be counted on two hands."

Lan Tianqi said with a smile again: "And, this time with Yang Zong's support, if I encounter good films, I can buy two more back."

Lu Yan He looked at Yang Zhouli with some surprise.

"Yang Zong and President Lan have cooperation?"

"It can't be considered cooperation, this is a little investment of mine personally." Yang Zhouli smiled, "Mainly, I admire President Lan for introducing good foreign films into China for ten years like one day. There are actually very few people in China doing this, especially in these few years, there are basically no companies doing foreign art films."

Lu Yan He nodded.

"I am just a businessman, who happens to like movies, so I can do what I like, and can also make some money by the way, so I am very happy, don't put hats on me." Lan Tianqi said with a smile.

When he smiles, his eyes will narrow into a slit, giving people a gentle feeling, like a clear breeze, without the oppression of a high-ranking person.

Lu Yan He said: "You are too humble, domestic film companies should all learn from you, how to study the market, how to judge what the audience wants to watch."

Lan Tianqi: "I am a small company, where can I give lessons to those big companies? It is not easy to manage my own stall."

"He acquired Ye Mai Network, and is interested in Lan Tianqi's company. It seems that Shijin is really interested in the cultural and entertainment industry."

As soon as this lunch was finished, Lu Yan He called Chen Ziyan to tell her about this.

Chen Ziyan said: "It is not surprising that Shijin wants to lay out the cultural and entertainment industry, it just depends on the extent they want to achieve. With their group, what they care about is definitely not the flow of those three melons and two dates of one or two film and television projects."

"Mm." Lu Yan He said, "Their first step is to acquire Ye Mai Network, from this you can see it."

"I am very surprised that he didn't directly open his mouth to talk to you about cooperation."

"He is a very smart person. After I met him on the plane, I felt that I actually talked to him about a lot of things, but in fact, when I think back, the things we talked about were me directly hinting to him not to mention the acquisition of Linghe, I won't agree, and the things he talked about were that he knew what I wanted, what I would insist on, so he has been saying what kind of person he is. In short, in fact, he will definitely not force it, a twisted melon is not sweet. Whether to say it or not, his attitude made me breathe a big sigh of relief."

"It seems that his level is very high." Chen Ziyan said with a smile.

"Mm." Lu Yan He said, "I don't know what Shijin Group is planning. If they really have big goals, then the cultural and entertainment industry, which has finally been relatively stable, will face new shocks and changes."

"It's also quite good, an industry can only innovate and progress if it keeps changing." Chen Ziyan said, "The most feared thing is that there is no fresh blood entering this industry, or it cannot enter. Over time, those who occupy resources and positions think about defending the achievements, rather than continuing to innovate."

"Mm." Lu Yan He nodded.

"How do you feel about going to Xitu'er this time?" Chen Ziyan asked.

"It's okay, I've been here a few times, and I have a little less freshness." Lu Yan He said, "And coming here this time, there is no time to walk around this city properly."

"There is nothing good to walk around at this time." Chen Ziyan said bluntly, "Just two days, if you have time to rest, take a good rest."

This time, Chen Ziyan didn't accompany him.

One is that Wang Biao has fully grown up and can stand on his own, Chen Ziyan can rest assured. The second is also because Lu Yan He's work here this time is very simple, not so complicated, Chen Ziyan has many things on her side, so she didn't follow.

After hanging up the phone, Lu Yan He rested in the hotel for about an hour, and Wang Biao brought the styling team over.

In this process, there was also a domestic media that obtained the opportunity for exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

Lu Yan He cheered up, finished work, and in the evening, Lu Yan He went to a restaurant outside with Wang Biao and the others to eat.

Just them themselves.

After eating dinner, Lu Yan He went back to the hotel by himself, let others go shopping if they wanted to, and he stayed in the room, opened his laptop, and wrote a script for a while.

Not long after, Chen Bige came over.

She held a bottle of wine and said: "Have a drink together, chat?"

Lu Yan He was a bit surprised, but still nodded and let Chen Bige in.

Chen Bige said: "A bit uncomfortable recently."

"Ah?" Lu Yan He was stunned.

Chen Bige sat down directly, put the wine on the table, didn't rush to open the wine, leaned back on the back of the sofa, sighed, and said: "I feel that my work intensity has been too high in the last two years, basically filming all the time, no time for myself, and I haven't talked about love."

Chen Bige's production in these years is indeed higher than her previous filming speed. She and Shang Yongzhou both need about a few months to study the script after receiving the script, prepare for the role, and it takes some time to get out of the play after filming, not just the time in the crew.

Lu Yan He asked with a smile: "You wouldn't be feeling uncomfortable because you haven't talked about love for too long, right?"

"It's possible, just feel it's meaningless, always working, always filming, I don't have any space to breathe." Chen Bige said, "I suddenly don't want to film Feng Yu's movie so much."

"Sister Bige, could it be that you just finished filming *Raise the Red Lantern* not long ago, are currently filming *Seventeen Layers*, and have to come out to participate in Xitu'er, which happens to be the most tiring time, so you have such a feeling?" Lu Yan He said, "When you told me about this film by Director Feng Yu before, you were clearly still quite excited. I could feel it, you yourself very much want to film this movie."

"I don't know if I really want to film it, or if a rational voice in my brain tells me that I should film it." Chen Bige said, "Because it is a good script, Director Feng Yu will also film it into a good film. For me, she is also a character worth challenging."

Lu Yan He understood what Chen Bige meant.

Even if there are various reasons telling her that she should film it, in fact, a person can also use one reason to tell themselves, don't film it, that is, for a period of time, I don't want to act.

People are ultimately not machines, not just by giving it a set program, it can run tirelessly.

Lu Yan He also has times of fatigue, but he believes that Chen Bige's sense of fatigue must be deeper than his. Because Chen Bige has been an actor for longer.

"It is also possible." Lu Yan He did not deny what Chen Bige said.

Chen Bige: "You say, should I stop for a period of time?"

Lu Yan He said: "This depends on yourself. Everyone's thoughts are different. Look at me, I have been doing projects one after another with great passion until now, because I still have great enthusiasm, and I cannot empathize with what it feels like to be in a bottleneck period like you."

Chen Bige: "I thought you would persuade me to persist for a while."

"If you were an ordinary actor, I would indeed persuade you to persist for a while, but the problem is, you are not this kind of actor." Lu Yan He said, "Compared to acting with a mood of consuming yourself, I support you in adjusting your state, and then shaping a character of yours. You don't have to worry about what will happen if you leave for a period of time. You are already the top actress. As long as you are willing to film, there will always be plays for you to act in."

Chen Bige exhaled a long breath.

"I really didn't expect at all that you would say these things to me."

"Is it because I am very hard-working, so I will definitely persuade you to work hard too?" Lu Yan He asked with a smile.

"Almost." Chen Bige nodded, "Actually, I want to let myself stop, there is another reason."

"What reason?"

"*Love Letter* made me nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Globes. I actually want to think about this and that." Chen Bige said, "It's not that I didn't have such and such plans and ambitions before, but I haven't had such obvious inner fluctuations for a long time. I tell you, I'm a bit confused, I like Director Feng Yu's film so much, is it the rational voice in my brain or the emotional voice? It's just because of this female image, in fact, it is the type that is easy to win awards."

"Mm? Is there anything bad about this?"

"You have to know one thing, once a person wants to get something utilitarianly, and then makes a decision out of such a purpose, it will often affect your own objectivity because of utilitarianism." Chen Bige said, "I am willing to believe my emotional judgment, because I know my aesthetics are good, and emotional judgment is the judgment that can find the best in art. But rational—perhaps I just feel that this script, this character, is easier to win awards, so subconsciously I think I like this character very much?"

Lu Yan He understood.

Chen Bige: "Acting to this point, and still having such self-doubt, I didn't expect it either."

"But I think this is very normal." Lu Yan He said, "And only an actor like you will have such self-doubt, because you have artistic pursuit."

Chen Bige: "It's all your fault, suddenly making my acting career, which had already reached a stable stage, suddenly advance triumphantly again."

"If you didn't have the strength to advance triumphantly, I would give you more scripts and you wouldn't be able to enter. Don't blame me, if you want to blame, blame yourself for not being able to hide your brilliance on the screen once you get a good role." Lu Yan He said, "You are the best actress. Unless you don't act, otherwise, you have no way to stop your acting career from advancing triumphantly."

"Heh." Chen Bige glared at Lu Yan He angrily, "Little mouth."

Lu Yan He said with a smile: "I'll ask if Director Wang Zhong is asleep. If he is not asleep, call him over to drink together. We can't just chat about life, and he sleeps a big sleep."

Chen Bige: "Then you go call, I dare not disturb him."

Lu Yan He: "I call, I call."

His eyes turned, "How about don't call, we take the wine directly to his room to find him, so he can't refuse."

Chen Bige's eyes widened.

Lu Yan He picked up the wine and left.

Five minutes later, Wang Zhong looked at the two people who appeared at his room door in shock, and didn't come back to his senses for a long time.

An hour later, Lu Yan He and Chen Bige were full of wine, each holding a cup, and began to sing love songs in front of Wang Zhong.

Wang Zhong hugged his chest with both hands, watching them go crazy with wine silently.

Lu Yan He and Chen Bige didn't care about his serious, unsmiling expression at all, finished singing the love songs happily, and began to sing other songs.

While singing, Lu Yan He suddenly roared out a sentence "Look at this mountain, ten thousand gullies and thousand rocks, connected to one river after another—"

Chen Bige stalled directly, looking at Lu Yan He in a daze.

"What are you singing?"

"Don't you know?" Lu Yan He was stunned, "Oh, right, you haven't heard this song."

Chen Bige asked: "Is this a song you just wrote?"

Lu Yan He went "uh," "You can say so."

Chen Bige: "How are you so talented! You can write scripts and write songs!"

Lu Yan He: "Haha."

Chen Bige suddenly leaned closer, stared at Lu Yan He, and said: "Sometimes I doubt whether you are a real person."

"Ah?"

"You are simply a monster." Chen Bige reached out, pinched Lu Yan He's cheek, and smiled brightly.

It was after seeing this smile that Wang Zhong's heart suddenly missed a beat.

Looking at these two people in front of him, a story took shape in his mind as if fireworks were blooming, without even needing to conceive, it spread out.

He immediately picked up his mobile phone and began to type in the memo.

Lu Yan He and Chen Bige didn't notice him at all.

Lu Yan He pulled Chen Bige's hand away.

"Sister Bige, stop pinching, you have to be on camera tomorrow."

Chen Bige let go of her hand, as if her strength had suddenly loosened, she hiccuped and said: "A bit sleepy, I'll squint for a while."

As the words fell, she lay on the sofa and closed her eyes.

"..." Lu Yan He looked at her, then looked at Wang Zhong.

"Director." He shouted.

Wang Zhong didn't lift his head, "Don't disturb me."

Lu Yan He: "..." ===== CHAPTER 697 =====