Chapter 1779: Shen Ranran's Kind Intention

Han Sanping was a man of swift and decisive action, thoroughly straightforward.

Once the decision to invest was made, the project was immediately established, and personnel were assigned to liaise with Wang Yan.

That same day, Wang Yan summoned Cui Lin, instructing him to communicate with the producer assigned by the studio to meticulously list all filming requirements. He also recruited two more screenwriters from the studio to work alongside Xu Xu Shengli in refining the script.

Ironically, the screenwriters assigned were the very same people who had previously mocked Xu Xu Shengli when he repeatedly hit dead ends while delivering his script to the studio.

Of course, everyone was a shameless adult; forced by life's circumstances, they all had to bow their heads. Thus, they acted as if nothing had ever happened, coexisting peacefully with Xu Xu Shengli. Following the roles Wang Yan had defined, they accompanied Xu Xu Shengli to various schools in Jingcheng to converse with professors.

These included experts in geography, history, literature, and philosophy; philosophy was further divided into Eastern and Western schools, and there were even those related to religion, as well as, most importantly, scholars associated with great ideological thought.

Although the creative concept for the screenplay was copied by Wang Yan from the West, when it came to filling it with substance, Wang Yan was equally impeccable. Speaking of history naturally meant speaking of progress, naturally meant making comparisons, and naturally meant discussing both East and West.

As for the selection of actors, Wang Yan had no specific demands other than requiring an intellectual temperament. They could not afford big stars; suitability was enough. Having managed to arrange for Shen Ranran and Guo Zongbao to act, he decided to deliberate on the other main roles later.

Although the film and television industry was flourishing at this time, not every performer was thriving; Shen Ranran's predicament was not an isolated case. Many people were enduring bitter hardships.

But then again, the probability of success for those enduring hardships at this time was still greater than for those enduring hardships twenty years later. This was the difference of the era.

The elderly always liked to say that later generations were born in good times because material conditions had developed further, but from the perspective of individual happiness, it seemed that the elderly themselves were actually the ones born in good times.

Of course, this did not apply to elderly people farming in rural areas; it referred to city dwellers. They were all workers, all had work units, all could rely on pensions, and they were also the group most fond of pointing fingers and offering unsolicited advice.

Considering issues related to the West, they also invited two foreigners to discuss Jesus and Western philosophy. Eight main roles were finalized, more than in the original version, allowing for more topics to be explored, and consequently, the entire film's duration would be longer.

After all, the original version was completed with just ten thousand dollars, and that was after the new millennium. Here, Wang Yan had already raised the budget to six hundred thousand red bills, and that was the value in 1994; this could no longer be considered a low-budget production. A truly low-budget film would have sufficed with over one hundred thousand; primarily, Wang Yan wanted to make it better, to be worthy of the audience.

Especially since the current film market was relatively friendly, as there was not yet any so-called classification of commercial film attributes; many films from the eighties and nineties explored quite fierce themes, possessing a wildness that fit the characteristics of the era.

Wang Yan also planned to create some fierce work, using certain lines of dialogue and the imagery of some set designs to generate surprises.

Actually, this film was quite satisfying; casually mentioning anything involved hundreds or thousands of years of history. When asked, "Do you know so-and-so?" one would reply, "I drank wine with so-and-so, bragged with so-and-so, visited brothels with so-and-so, watched so-and-so compose a hundred poems over a cup of wine, said that so-and-so seemed never to grow up, was a crybaby child, personally went to bid farewell when they died, holding their hand at the time..."

Delivering these lines with an even more calm and ordinary tone, adding a slight touch of emotion, joyful yet sorrowful, sorrowful yet indifferent, the air of pretension would be maxed out.

Actually, Wang Mou was exactly like that; he truly drank wine and bragged with many people, truly visited brothels with many people, and truly knew many famous anecdotes that had not been passed down. Sometimes when he talked about people he knew with others, he spoke in roughly that manner. It was just that people thought he was joking and never took him seriously.

They worked busily until evening that day, finalizing all preliminary matters, eating dinner at the studio before dispersing.

When Wang Yan and Xu Xu Shengli returned to "Winter Departs, Spring Arrives," they saw a group of people gathered around the stone table in the courtyard.

"Why are you back so late?" Zhuang Zhuang stood up to greet them, taking the leather bag Wang Yan was carrying in his hand. "Have you eaten?"

"Aiya, who cares about eating now, Brother Yan, did it work out or not?" Tao Liangliang was the most anxious, paying no attention to the silent eye-roll Zhuang Zhuang gave him.

Wang Yan laughed heartily, putting his arm around Zhuang Zhuang's shoulder and patting it twice to show he had received her sentiment.

However, before he could speak, under the hopeful gazes of Tao Liangliang and the others, Xu Xu Shengli suddenly let out an "Aiya!" from the side, beating his chest and stamping his feet in despair.

"It's truly a pity! I thought the newly appointed director of the Capital Film Studio would have great capabilities, but it turns out his vision is just like this? He doesn't recognize treasure at all! I think this is as far as he goes!"

The flame of hope in the eyes of Tao Liangliang and the others extinguished; one by one they slumped back into dejection, their minds racing with thousands of thoughts: Why? Why did they always hope only to be disappointed? Why did the world treat them this way?

"It doesn't matter!"

Shen Ranran, who had remained silent until now, slammed her hand on the table and stood up. "I secured an investment!"

Everyone's gaze fell upon Shen Ranran; at this moment, her face was flushed peach-red, and she swayed even while standing.

Tao Liangliang beside her quickly supported her: "How much have you drunk? Stop talking nonsense. It's not that I want to say this, but your circle is really... how could they let a Miss drink so much wine? They are simply hooligans, worse than hooligans! They act with malicious intent!"

However, Shen Ranran abruptly shook off Tao Liangliang's supporting hand, walked unsteadily toward Wang Yan with a few stumbling steps, where she was then caught by Wang Yan, and subsequently supported by Zhuang Zhuang.

Shen Ranran said: "Brother Yan, I drank wine several times with that big boss I mentioned to Brother Cui. Didn't you say that Brother Xu's story framework was fine? So I showed him the discarded drafts Brother Xu wrote previously. He was extremely satisfied, especially upon hearing that you struggled from nothing to something; he feels even more that whatever you do will succeed. Therefore, he said he could invest two hundred thousand!"

"Really?" Tao Liangliang jumped up first. "Ranran, then your drinking wasn't in vain. This isn't fake, is it?"

Shen Ranran glared at him, ignoring him, and said to Wang Yan: "Brother Yan, you can make your movie."

Xiao Xiao Dongbei, who had been watching the spectacle, and Cao Ye, who had been suppressing himself while seated, both stood up; they were also very happy.

Only Xu Xu Shengli felt rather awkward; standing there, the righteous indignation he had just feigned was gone, a forced smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he looked toward Wang Yan.

Zhuang Zhuang said: "Can't you tell? Brother Xu was teasing you; the studio definitely invested. I said before that if it hadn't worked out, they would have returned long ago; you just wouldn't believe it."

Xu Xu Shengli quickly clapped his hands: "Zhuang Zhuang is right; I was just joking with you. Everything is settled; the studio is investing four hundred thousand. Today we were preparing for subsequent matters; a film crew is so large, involving every aspect, and all of that must be well prepared. That is why we stayed at the studio for most of the day, ate dinner, and then worked a while longer before returning."

"You don't know, the studio's cafeteria is quite mediocre; I thought it would be much better. Compared to the food at Brother Yan's factory, it is truly far inferior..."

He engaged in banter, attempting to alleviate the current awkward situation.

Shen Ranran looked at him eagerly: "Really? Brother Yan?"

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "It is true. But you too, since the opportunity was already there, why go pulling in more investment for me? It would have been better for you to secure a role for yourself directly."

"No good, not good at all. Ranran, don't have any rash thoughts; let me tell you, those rich people are very bad." There was a slight hesitation in Tao Liangliang's speech; obviously, he had weighed his words carefully before finally only saying that rich people were very bad.

"None of your business." Shen Ranran did not like Tao Liangliang.

Fate between people is always strange; in the original story, the two of them ending up together was largely attributable to Tao Liangliang's persistent pestering, as well as his entering the music team to study, and having Shen Ranran pretend to be his girlfriend to trick his parents back home; fear likely also played a role. After all, Shen Ranran herself had no father, and her biological mother was biased and terrible, so he was quite yearning for Tao Liangliang's family relationships, which might subsequently influence his judgment of Tao Liangliang.

At this current stage, although Tao Liangliang was still persistently pestering her, he had not yet moved Shen Ranran, and furthermore, Wang Yan himself was indeed a benchmark.

They were all people around her; it was hard not to compare. Looking at Wang Yan's lightning-fast awesomeness, and then looking at Tao Liangliang's treachery, laziness, gluttony, and slipperiness, it was likely very difficult for her to be moved...

Shen Ranran explained to Wang Yan again: "Brother Yan, I was solely aiming to secure investment. Making a movie, surely the more funds the better; with another two hundred thousand, we will have eight hundred thousand, wouldn't that be even better?"

"Actually, we don't need that much; our film doesn't have any grand scenes, nor are we hiring famous actors. Actually, my own two hundred thousand would be enough to shoot it; six hundred thousand is already sufficient for meticulous perfection. Adding another two hundred thousand, I wouldn't even know where to spend the money."

Seeing Shen Ranran look somewhat disappointed, Wang Yan patted her arm and comforted her: "This was just a two-pronged preparation of yours; it's just that we didn't end up using it. Since this boss is willing to invest, if this film of mine succeeds, perhaps I'll make another one in the future, and then we can seek him out again. I was wondering recently why you kept coming home drunk; it turns out you were out securing investment. You've really worked hard."

"I didn't really help much..."

"Your intention is enough; besides, you've already helped to this extent, how much more could you possibly help?"

"I'm going to act in it too; strictly speaking, Brother Yan, your desire to make a movie was influenced by me in the first place, so I definitely must do my utmost and cannot let your money go down the drain."

Zhuang Zhuang supported Shen Ranran away from Wang Yan: "Alright, hurry and sit down; your speech is already slurring."

Wang Yan smiled slightly and said nothing; Shen Ranran blinked her eyes, looked at Zhuang Zhuang, and was then smilingly led away by Zhuang Zhuang...

Tao Liangliang asked: "Brother Yan, then when should I take action?"

"The script still needs some polishing; once the script is ready, it will be your turn. Someone will guide you then, so no need to rush."

"What about me? Brother Yan? I've already painted two pieces; how about it, can they be used?" Cao Ye's eyes sparkled brightly.

"Yes, you still need to find a few more replicas of famous foreign works; additionally, paint some traditional Chinese paintings, and if you can't paint them, ask your friends. Have them help out; similarly, find some replicas of famous paintings. Also, you can paint a few more of your own favorites; perhaps if your state is good, you might produce an impressive piece. The consumption of materials for painting will be reimbursed by the crew, and the purchase of the final paintings will be calculated separately."

"No, no, Brother Yan, I don't want money; I'll paint it for free."

"Right, Brother Yan, I don't want money either; please, absolutely do not give me any. Just having the chance to showcase my saxophone is already a stroke of immense luck; if you give me money on top of that, what kind of person would I become?"

"I don't want acting fees either; I'll act for free."

Cao Ye, Tao Liangliang, and even Shen Ranran all got emotional and refused to take any money.

Wang Yan clicked his tongue and shook his head: "I know you're trying to save me money, but you still haven't distinguished between the film crew's funds and my personal funds. If I were the sole investor, I'd actually be delighted if you refused payment. But now, the film studio has invested four hundred thousand; this expenditure isn't just my money anymore."

"Not just you; I'm even paying myself a salary. Isn't this money earned openly and honorably? Six hundred thousand is more than enough to shoot this film; let everyone involved earn some money—it's a great thing. Enough of this pushing and shoving; it's meaningless. I'm the director; whatever I say, you just listen. To celebrate securing investment for the film, let's have another drink to celebrate..."

This proposal won everyone's support; Wang Yan took the money, they went out to buy wine and dishes, and upon returning, everyone ate and drank merrily.

The other tenants watched the commotion over here, each with different feelings. They had all tasted Wang Yan's lamb skewers, watched Wang Yan rise to prominence, and now saw him making a film, even securing investment from a film studio.

Such a legend living right beside them was truly too hot to bear; envy, jealousy, and hatred were inevitable. They kept wishing Wang Yan would hurry up and leave Winter Goes, Spring Comes, so they wouldn't be constantly pricked by his success.

In reality, Wang Yan had often stopped sleeping at Winter Goes, Spring Comes, instead staying shamelessly with Zhuangzhuang in the factory dormitory. It was just that he had only recently opened the factory, and with the film matters lately, he had been at Winter Goes, Spring Comes constantly, so the innocent tenants felt as though Wang Yan never left.

But in truth, they had all subconsciously ignored just how brief the past two-plus months were relative to the achievements Wang Yan had already attained. They all believed Wang Yan had been successful for a very long time...

It was another lively night; Shen Ranran joined in the drinking again and became thoroughly drunk. By the next day, enduring her hangover, she called the Big Boss to report that Wang Yan had secured investment, and then, unable to refuse the Big Boss's invitation, she went drinking with him again the following day to express her apologies.

When she returned sober that day, she waited until evening for Wang Yan to come back.

"Brother Yan."

"Oh, didn't you go drinking with the Big Boss? Why do you look like you haven't drunk much today? What happened, did the Big Boss have a sudden attack of conscience?" Wang Yan responded with a chuckle.

"I didn't want to drink anymore, and Boss Chu didn't force me," Shen Ranran said. "Brother Yan, Boss Chu wants to treat you to a meal; he holds you in very high regard and wants to meet you to have a proper chat."

"I'm quite busy compiling the script; let's talk about it another time when there's an opportunity."

Shen Ranran blinked her big eyes: "Brother Yan, Boss Chu runs a huge business, not just in films; getting in touch with him would be beneficial. And it's just one meal; it won't take much time."

Wang Yan stared into her eyes for a few seconds until Shen Ranran became slightly embarrassed: "Brother Yan, are you going or not? Why are you staring at me? Say something."

"Since you've put it that way, how can I refuse? I know you're just trying to help me by introducing me to the Big Boss; you've really gone to trouble for me."

"It's no trouble at all, Brother Yan; I only fear I can't help you enough."

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