Chapter 863

Lang Xia and Lu Yan He have had quite a few clashes, both open and covert, in the past.

This matter is traceable within the industry and online.

If Lang Xia were to suddenly come under Chen Ziyan's management, it would definitely raise suspicions: were all those "back-and-forth" exchanges between the two of them previously staged?

Although these things are of no consequence to Lu Yan He now—

However, Chen Ziyan is also very clear that Lu Yan He possesses such status and influence in the industry now not only because he has achieved so much, but also because, to a certain extent, he is like a banner, encouraging many people in the industry that one can achieve success by doing their own work earnestly without relying on crooked paths.

Therefore, Chen Ziyan does not want such suspicions to be associated with Lu Yan He.

Chen Ziyan looked at He Yingzi, not knowing what to say for a moment.

A former opponent was about to leave just like this.

Lu Yan He and Chen Siqi were quietly enjoying their world for two in their New York home.

Ah, no, it was a world for three.

Zou Dong was still there too.

However, Zou Dong basically stayed in the room on the first floor and rarely came out. Most of the time, it was truly a world for two.

If it weren't for security concerns, and if they were back in the country, Zou Dong would definitely have gone to find a hotel nearby to stay at by now.

Lu Yan He and Chen Siqi were almost inseparable every moment.

Upstairs, downstairs, watching movies, cooking, going out shopping...

Lu Yan He and Chen Siqi rarely get to enjoy such a mundane life.

To them, this is almost a luxury.

Sometimes, Chen Siqi would stay by Lu Yan He's side and slowly fall asleep. Her head would rest gently on Lu Yan He's shoulder. At this time, all her usual expressions and looks would disappear, leaving only flawless innocence. Lu Yan He would always watch her like this, lost in thought.

Lu Yan He is not a person who is easily distracted.

But he has been frequently distracted these past few days.

Sometimes, he would even think about them becoming parents and having their own child.

Sometimes the child would be naughty, making her so angry that she would put her hands on her hips and scold, and he would step out to play the peacemaker.

Sometimes the child would be well-behaved, and as she watched the child sleeping, a gentleness that seemed to carry a soft glow would radiate from her; he would stand beside her, pull her into his arms, and they would quietly watch the child together.

Life stretched out in his imagination.

Coming back to reality, they are still "semi-adults" who have just broken free—or haven't quite broken free—from their youth.

Whenever this happens, Lu Yan He always feels that time passes very quickly, yet also very slowly. It is so contradictory, so sticky, and like amber, wrapping up many things in time, preserving them forever.

Chen Siqi stayed here with him for four days.

Afterward, Chen Siqi had to return to the country.

There was a huge pile of things waiting for her to handle at "Jump Up".

A new year, a new journey; no one would slack off at this time.

Lu Yan He took Chen Siqi to the airport, and then, while driving, he said nonchalantly: "No matter what, let's hold the concert this year, shall we?"

"Huh? Hold a concert?" Chen Siqi was stunned, taken aback, shocked by Lu Yan He's sudden idea.

"Yeah." Lu Yan He nodded, then realized what he had done.

Ah, crap.

He hadn't told Chen Siqi that he wanted to propose to her at his own concert.

It was supposed to be a surprise.

His mind had gone blank just now, and he had blurted it out.

Lu Yan He quickly said: "I was just thinking, I've released so many songs, and many fans have always wanted me to hold a concert. I haven't had time before, busy with filming, so I'll strive to get it done this year."

Chen Siqi suddenly understood.

"Holding a concert is fine, but I thought you didn't plan on singing anymore." She said with a smile, "I feel like your interest in singing isn't very high."

Lu Yan He nodded.

"When I'm not acting, I don't have that feeling of being blessed by the heavens." He smiled, "When I'm acting, I have a very inspired feeling."

Chen Siqi nodded. "Then do you love singing?"

"I do, of course I do, but only with the love of a singing enthusiast." Lu Yan He laughed.

Chen Siqi: "Back then, I was the one who arranged the music for that song, 'Commemoration'."

"Yeah." Lu Yan He nodded and smiled. "Luckily you helped back then, otherwise, that song wouldn't have been able to be sung."

Chen Siqi: "A twist of fate."

"That was all a long time ago." Lu Yan He was still smiling. "How does it feel like it just happened?"

"Just happened? So many things have happened since then." Chen Siqi turned to look at Lu Yan He, her eyes shimmering with a faint light. "Yan He—"

She suddenly called out.

"Yeah?"

"When you have time, let's go back to the Thirteenth Middle School and take a look." Chen Siqi said.

Lu Yan He nodded. "Sure."

Chen Siqi said with a smile: "Help me put on a bandage again; I want to experience that feeling from back then once more."

Lu Yan He nodded. "Okay."

After a two-second pause, Lu Yan He realized it in hindsight.

"So it was that time."

Chen Siqi: "What did you say?"

Lu Yan He shook his head, smiling so wide his teeth showed white.

"Nothing."

Just knowing something very important, yet actually irrelevant.

After Lu Yan He sent Chen Siqi into the airport, because there was still some time, Chen Siqi wasn't in a hurry to go through security, so the two sat down next to the security checkpoint.

Chen Siqi said: "Actually, there's something I wanted to tell you before, but I was thinking about work these past few days, so I haven't said it."

"Yeah?" Lu Yan He held Chen Siqi's hand and asked, "What is it?"

Chen Siqi said: "Linyu told me that Zixing's contract with Shijin is about to expire, and she seems to think Shijin won't renew her."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan He looked surprised.

"Why wouldn't Shijin renew her? Zixing should have at least doubled the number of registered members on Ye Mai Web in the last two years, right?"

Lu Yan He has been following the reports on Ye Mai Web; Ye Mai Web has been doing very well in recent years, especially in deep cultivation of various niche fields, almost turning the former largest literary platform into a TOP platform in more than twenty vertical fields.

Especially Zixing's cooperation with various film and television companies, allowing major companies to enter and release the latest information on various projects, and establishing a powerful media chain herself, including the film and television version of "Jump Up", intervening in this information release system simultaneously, making it the largest entertainment information platform—

This alone has added more than two million monthly active users to Ye Mai Web.

For Ye Mai Web, what could be more important than the number of users?

Chen Siqi said: "I don't know the specific situation yet; I might need to have an in-depth chat with Zixing to know. My thought is, if the current situation is really unclear, I want to strike first. I plan to invite Zixing to be in charge of the online media platform for 'Jump Up'."

Lu Yan He: "Are you planning to build an online website similar to Ye Mai Web?"

"Yes." Chen Siqi nodded. "Currently, the media under our 'Jump Up' banner, including signed influencer accounts and celebrity accounts, totals 748, distributed across various vertical fields. I have always wanted to create an integrated comprehensive platform."

"Doesn't that lean towards being a social networking site?" Lu Yan He asked immediately upon hearing this.

"That's right." Chen Siqi nodded. "Our original premium content resources can now be said to be at the TOP level of the entire internet, and the fields we cover are also extensive. In this case, not building a social-natured platform is a bit of a waste of resources."

"Does this require a large amount of capital investment?" Lu Yan He asked.

"Yes." Chen Siqi nodded. "Fortunately, 'Jump Up' has accumulated quite a bit of wealth over the years. It's the same as always: take it one step at a time. I don't expect it to be very big at the beginning. We are content creators; we don't need to chase trends and fads, and there's no need to squeeze into how much market share within three or five years."

Lu Yan He nodded and said: "Anyway, if you need it, you know that Linghe, Shi Huo, these companies would all be willing to continue investing and taking shares, including myself; I can support it in my personal name as well."

Chen Siqi: "We've reached this stage, and it's not a crisis moment, so let's try not to do this kind of 'many hands make light work' thing, so as not to affect our respective ecosystems. 'Jump Up' can support itself now; otherwise, I wouldn't make such a plan to try to become a 'fatty' in one breath."

Lu Yan He didn't force it; he just thought that at such a time, he needed to tell Chen Siqi and express his attitude. Just like every time he wanted to do something, there were many people around him expressing their support for him.

A new year.

Zhou Ping'an took two days off, and on his first day back at work, he drove to a hotel to meet with Lang Xia.

To avoid prying eyes, they had to choose a hotel for the meeting. Otherwise, whether it was a private club or a coffee shop, there was a possibility of running into people from the circle.

Lang Xia actually wanted to sign under his management—

This was something Zhou Ping'an had never expected.

Lang Xia can be considered a model of starting high and staying steady. Shortly after his debut, he became an overnight sensation with "Golden Terrace". At that time, he and Lu Yan He were considered evenly matched. Later, Lu Yan He's upward trend was obvious, showing a stance of "breaking ten thousand laws with one force". Lang Xia didn't sink because of this; instead, he constantly consolidated his popularity, with constant works and topics. Later, he relied on several youth romance films by Yu Jiang to continuously achieve box office results of over 100 million, becoming one of the few in the new generation who could carry the box office.

If Lu Yan He hadn't been too monstrous, simultaneously driving the status of a group of male actors of the same age like Li Zhibai, Yan Liang, Liu Zefan, and Yin Xincheng to soar, Lang Xia should have been the most prominent male actor in this age group. But even so, he still firmly occupied a first-tier position. Even among male actors of the same age who had little to do with Lu Yan He, he was the one with the most outstanding achievements. This also made the industry recognize his strength even more; others had more or less benefited from Lu Yan He's light, but he had not.

Behind this, naturally, was He Yingzi's promotion.

Zhou Ping'an's mindset toward this peer was the same as his mindset toward Chen Ziyan.

While facing a formidable enemy, he also admired their methods. In the agent business, you can't rely on background; if your own methods aren't tough enough, it's useless even if the King of Heaven comes.

The more this was the case, the more they felt a sense of mutual appreciation amidst their battles.

Zhou Ping'an was puzzled as to why Lang Xia wanted to change his management. With an agent like He Yingzi who had connections and resources, and who was wholeheartedly pushing Lang Xia upward, what else could he be dissatisfied with?

If he wasn't satisfied enough with He Yingzi, who could he be satisfied with?

After meeting him, and after some small talk, Lang Xia told the truth.

"In the past few years, my career has been a bit stagnant, and I haven't been able to take another step forward," Lang Xia said. "So, I want to come to Shijin. Shijin is currently lacking first-tier actors, and I think we have a basis for cooperation."

Zhou Ping'an asked: "But the resources Shijin can give you, He Yingzi can also fight for you; the resources He Yingzi can't fight for you, Shijin might not necessarily be able to fight for you either. You should know that He Yingzi is already one of the top agents in the circle. If you want to take your career to the next level, He Yingzi is one of the people in this industry who can best achieve this goal."

Lang Xia nodded.

"Yes, I know she is a top-tier agent, and she has been a great help to me. However, she has been in charge of my work for a long time, and so far there has been no improvement. I think it's time to change agents." Lang Xia looked directly at Zhou Ping'an. "Are you not interested in managing me?"

Zhou Ping'an laughed.

"Lang Xia, I don't think any agent could say they aren't interested in you. But you also have to know that if even He Yingzi is disliked by you, I don't think any agent would take you on without any reservations. No one has the confidence to say they can do better than He Yingzi."

Zhou Ping'an's words made Lang Xia frown.

Lang Xia was silent for a moment.

Zhou Ping'an didn't urge him either; he knew that what he had just said was a bit sharp.

Falling into Lang Xia's ears, it must have been harsh.

Lang Xia might need time to accept this statement.

Lang Xia seemed to struggle for a moment.

Zhou Ping'an immediately realized that it seemed Lang Xia had other hidden reasons for wanting to end his cooperation with He Yingzi—hidden reasons Lang Xia couldn't speak of.

Zhou Ping'an continued to wait patiently. After a long while, Lang Xia said: "I can't continue to cooperate with He Yingzi because... because of personal matters, I can't cooperate with her anymore."

A look of shame and anger appeared on his face.

"In short, no matter how capable she is, it's impossible for me to cooperate with her." Lang Xia glared at Zhou Ping'an with an almost reckless look in his eyes. "If you think it's inappropriate, then forget it; I'll go find someone else."

Only then did Zhou Ping'an say: "Of course I don't think it's inappropriate. It's just that for an artist as popular as you, this matter involves a wide range of things, so I can't help but want to know more. You said you can't continue to cooperate with He Yingzi because of personal matters; will it affect your career development? Will there be any repercussions?"

Lang Xia: "It's purely a personal matter; it won't become a future scandal, don't worry."

"Then do you mind—" Zhou Ping'an paused, "if I go and find out what personal matters you have between you?"

Lang Xia sneered.

"Do you still need to find out? Haven't you heard the rumors about her and my father?"

Zhou Ping'an was stunned.

That was really a long time ago.

After He Yingzi brought Lang Xia into the industry, Zhou Ping'an had assumed that Lang Xia had known about this for a long time and had accepted it. How could it look like Lang Xia had just found out recently?

Lang Xia sneered: "Actually, many people are treating me as a joke, aren't they?"

"It's not quite a joke." Zhou Ping'an shook his head. "Those rumors back then were just things before your father got married. They were just hearsay; even if there was something, it's a thing of the past. You've been in the entertainment industry for so long, you should know very well that in this business, who can say for sure how many things are true or false?"

Hearing Zhou Ping'an say this, the twisted mockery on Lang Xia's face softened a little.

He whispered: "Maybe only you think so."

"I'm certainly welcoming if you're willing to come here," Zhou Ping'an said. "However, I hope you can part with her on good terms, so as not to make her angry and ashamed later. After all, she has managed you for so many years and put in so much effort."

Lang Xia: "My contract is just expiring, and I'm ending it normally; I'm just not renewing it."

Zhou Ping'an: "Has she talked to you about renewing the contract?"

"No." Lang Xia shook his head.

Zhou Ping'an was a bit surprised.

Generally speaking, for a popular artist of Lang Xia's level, renewal negotiations should start a year before the contract expires.

Why hadn't He Yingzi discussed this with Lang Xia?

Zhou Ping'an hesitated for a moment.

He said: "How about this: tell me your requirements, and I'll think about what conditions I can meet for you. If you can accept the conditions I offer, we'll continue to talk."

Lang Xia said: "I hope you can personally be in charge of my work, and I hope Shijin can tailor a career development plan for me."

Zhou Ping'an laughed.

"Is that all?"

"That's all." Lang Xia nodded. "In this circle, many people say that your greatest skill is having a good eye, always being able to pick the most suitable projects for the artists under your banner. Coincidentally, this is what I need most."

Zhou Ping'an said: "You are already very popular, and your projects have a high success rate."

"The homogenization is too serious, and it's even completely limited to one type, unable to break through." Lang Xia said. "If I want to transform and break through, don't I need your skills?"

Zhou Ping'an hesitated for a moment and said: "I would advise artists not to transform easily; transformation more often than not means failure."

Lang Xia: "But I can't keep playing the 'school hunk' in youth romance movies. I'm almost thirty years old. If I don't transform, the audience will abandon me. I don't mind being an idol-type actor, but I can't stay this young forever."

Zhou Ping'an looked at Lang Xia in surprise and didn't speak for a long time.

Sometimes, he often lamented whether it was because a Lu Yan He had appeared that he had driven this generation of artists to be more rational and clear-headed than the last? It seemed everyone knew very clearly what they wanted, what they were facing, and what they should choose.

This was not a norm for young people, but among the few young artists he had come into contact with, it had become a norm.

Perhaps it was because the cases he chose were all successful young artists, so this was a common trait required for success?

It didn't seem to be like this before.

In a conference room at Linghe, Liu Yuhuai was sitting inside nervously.

He received a call from a Linghe staff member yesterday and was told that Chen Yin invited him to the company to have a face-to-face chat with him.

Since the last time he met with Lu Yan He, there had been no news about the development of the script for "Weather Forecast Explosion".

Suddenly receiving such a call, Liu Yuhuai, who was already feeling guilty, didn't sleep well all night yesterday, tossing and turning endlessly. Today, with two dark circles under his eyes, nervous, mentally agitated, and exhausted inside, he came here. The other party just invited him to this conference room first and asked him to wait a moment.

The environment here made him even more uneasy.

Quiet, no one else but him. However, inexplicably, he began to worry if someone was observing him from behind some disguised mirror wall.

Did Chen Yin already know that the creator of the "Weather Forecast Explosion" script wasn't Shi Hui, but him?

Would Linghe investigate that he was actually a student of He Shi?

Thinking about it, it wouldn't be difficult for Linghe to investigate this matter.

Liu Yuhuai wandered constantly, and he didn't know how long it had been before the door to the conference room was opened.

Chen Yin walked in from outside.

"Liu Laoshi, sorry to keep you waiting." The smile on Chen Yin's face was still as bright as ever, and it seemed nothing had changed.

This made Liu Yuhuai feel a little relieved, and he stood up to shake hands with Chen Yin.

"Mr. Chen, why did you call me over?"

Chen Yin looked at Liu Yuhuai with warm eyes and asked back: "Shouldn't I have invited you over?"

Liu Yuhuai didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Chen Yin: "Didn't we say last time? We can explore the possibility of cooperation."

He smiled: "Sit."

Liu Yuhuai sat down.

Chen Yin glanced at the door to confirm it was closed before he continued to speak.

"Then I'll be frank, Liu Laoshi. There are only the two of us here now; no cameras, no recordings. Only the two of us know the content of the conversation." Chen Yin looked at Liu Yuhuai, his hands resting on the table in an open position—this was a gesture that made people feel "accepted" and "included." "I know that 'Weather Forecast Explosion' was written by you, and that you participated in some script writing at He Shi's studio as his student."

Liu Yuhuai's heart sank suddenly.

Chen Yin had hit him with a hammer right from the start, leaving him at a loss for how to handle it.

"Mr. Chen—"

Chen Yin raised a hand, signaling Liu Yuhuai not to explain for the time being.

"I know you probably have your own difficulties, so you couldn't sign it in your own name and could only borrow your wife's name." Chen Yin nodded. "I also know that if possible, with such an outstanding script that we have taken a fancy to and want to develop into a movie, it would be impossible for you not to want to put your name at the beginning of the film."

Liu Yuhuai lowered his head in silence.

"I just want to ask you one thing now." Chen Yin asked, "If I need you or your wife to sign a long-term contract with Linghe, can it be done?"

Liu Yuhuai was stunned.

"Although I am willing to think of everything in a positive light, I must also be prepared for the worst." Chen Yin said. "You must know that He Shi publicly criticized Mr. Lu for finding a ghostwriter to help him write scripts on a show, although we don't know why this is, after all, we haven't had any conflicts or contradictions with him—"

"Because your evaluation of the 'Earth Flying Eagle' script spread in the industry, Shijin couldn't find any first-tier actors to act in this movie, causing this project to be shelved indefinitely, and the final payment for the script hasn't been settled." Liu Yuhuai suddenly raised his head and said, "So, he is very angry and wants to take revenge on you on the show."

Chen Yin raised an eyebrow.

"So that's how it is."

"That script, the main part in the middle, happened to be written by me." Liu Yuhuai said.

Chen Yin looked at Liu Yuhuai in silence for a long time.

"I understand, but still, the same thing: although I am willing to believe you, I still have to leave myself some defensive measures." Chen Yin said. "In case this script is indeed created by you and you own the full copyright, so that we don't fall into controversy when this project enters formal preparation and production."

Liu Yuhuai: "... Do you want me or my wife to sign a contract with Linghe?"

"That's right." Chen Yin said. "Of course, we can also provide you with another option: we can choose to void the previous script transfer agreement, return the script to you, and you return the authorization fee to us—the part before tax, just treat it as the delay fee we paid for this period."

Liu Yuhuai fell into silence.

Liu Yuhuai said: "I signed a contract with He Shi's studio, which doesn't expire until the end of this year. There is still a year left. If I sign a contract with Linghe, that would be a breach of contract."

"So, you don't own the copyright to your own work?" Chen Yin asked.

Liu Yuhuai hesitated for a moment, then said firmly: "Yes, within the contract period, the copyright of the scripts I create belongs to He Shi's studio. Therefore, 'Weather Forecast Explosion' is not a script I created; it was written by my wife."

Chen Yin nodded.

"Thank you for telling me the truth." He smiled slightly. "Actually, you are a very talented screenwriter, but we cannot take this risk. We will return the script for 'Weather Forecast Explosion' to Teacher Shi Hui. If you trust us, we can talk about this script again when your contract with He Shi's studio expires."

Liu Yuhuai was completely stunned.

"Mr. Chen, this—'Weather Forecast Explosion' is really—"

"Liu Laoshi." Chen Yin interrupted him in a calm tone. "It's only a year. Our liking for the 'Weather Forecast Explosion' script is undiminished. Doing this is good for you and for us."

Liu Yuhuai asked: "What if my wife signs a contract with you?"

Chen Yin showed a look of surprise.

He spread his hands, expressing helplessness.

"Sorry, for a project that will cost at least 100 million, we will not allow any problems with its copyright ownership. If a dispute arises, or even a dispute unfavorable to us, the subsequent compensation is not something you can afford."

Liu Yuhuai looked dejected.

Chen Yin: "Liu Laoshi, the olive branch we extended to you will still be valid after a year. At that time, you can sign a contract with Linghe. Whether it's 'Weather Forecast Explosion' or other scripts you create, they will receive our priority support. This is beyond doubt."

Liu Yuhuai nodded.

Chen Yin didn't know if he had taken these words to heart.

In the United States, the precursor battle for the awards season has entered a white-hot stage.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards, one of the four major indicators, saw Lu Yan He miss the nomination as expected, while Wen Shengming overcame the overall bias of the Oscars against Asians and entered the nomination list for Best Supporting Actor.

Following closely, the British Academy Film Awards were the same; Lu Yan He did not make the list, while Wen Shengming firmly entered the list.

The public relations strategy worked; the PR fees spent in the early stages were effective.

At this point, Wen Shengming has firmly occupied the nomination list for all four major indicators.

Lu Yan He breathed a long sigh of relief.

Judging from the situation of the precursor awards, Wen Shengming's Best Supporting Actor and "Storm Calmer No. 1"'s Best Foreign Language Film should be guaranteed nominations.

The basic goals have all been achieved.

The PR results of "Storm Calmer No. 1" in the awards season this time have given Lu Yan He a faint feeling of having grasped the pulse of the awards season.

In the end, this is also a game. As long as you grasp those hidden rules, you can get twice the result with half the effort.

Darren was still regretting that if Lu Yan He had registered for Best Supporting Actor at the beginning, this nomination would have been a sure thing this year.

Because "Storm Calmer No. 1" has reached this stage, its attention is already very stable, and both its discussion and recognition have formed a certain scale. Its trend in the awards season exceeded many people's expectations, including the PR company. After all, it is a Chinese-language film, and there are too few cases to refer to. Instead, it has become a case study for future foreign-language film PR.

Of course, the premise of PR is to have a superstar like Lu Yan He who can attract attention.