Chapter 206: The Stubborn Zhou Yi and Yang Mi's Bestie Route

In early December, having completed filming for *The Hunt*, Wei Jin did not delay and returned directly to the country, accompanied by a large batch of equipment.

After resting for a day and adjusting to the time difference, Wei Jin planned to begin post-production.

Early in the morning, Wei Jin arrived at the company; many people saw him, stopped their work one after another, and stood up to greet him.

Wei Jin nodded in response to everyone and made his way to the editing room in the post-production center, only to unexpectedly run into Lu Yang there.

"You, just finished filming? This efficiency is a bit low."

*Eye for an Eye* was a film without any grand scenes; Wei Jin had assumed it was already finished, not expecting that post-production had only just begun.

"President Wei, um, it was mainly delayed by filming the snow scenes."

Lu Yang felt a bit embarrassed; for these scenes, the production crew had been delayed for a month or two, otherwise it should have wrapped before National Day. Fortunately, it was all the company's own staff, otherwise it would have gone over budget regardless.

"Fine, no need to explain, I was just saying. It's perfect, I'll take a look at your quality."

Wei Jin didn't say much more, gave the staff some simple instructions regarding the rough cut requirements for *The Hunt*, and then pulled Lu Yang to the screening room.

Raw footage without post-production really looks dull and uninteresting, but one can still see the director's skill from the use of camera angles and scene construction; in this regard, Lu Yang was still qualified.

"Hmm, not bad, barely qualified. For this post-production, you should follow along too; there's no rush on time."

A qualified director doesn't necessarily have to know how to edit, but they must have a clear editing plan, otherwise it is difficult to express the film's intent.

"Understood, President Wei."

After finishing, Wei Jin patted Lu Yang on the shoulder and turned to leave. The company had accumulated quite a few matters during this time, and he had to find time to handle them. — In the office, Chen Zhiming was reporting the project progress from this period to Wei Jin.

"President Wei, *If You Are The One* has already been negotiated with Jiangsu Province TV, and it will start airing in the latter half of this month."

This project was prioritized by the Variety Department because it was truly simple: a host plus two emotional guests, plus ordinary people selected through auditions—recording it was simply effortless.

The cooperation with Jiangsu Province TV was also simple: a guaranteed price of 10 million, a 50-50 split of the TV station's advertising revenue, and all revenue within the program belonging to Shanhe Media.

"It's just, with this name of ours, will Director Feng have any objections?"

"What objections could he have? Are these few words his exclusive property? Besides, when the program goes online, it increases the buzz for his movie; it's good enough that I'm not charging him."

If it weren't for the fact that his own company had invested in Feng Dapao's film, Wei Jin might have really wanted to collect some promotion fees from Huayi.

"What are the ratings for *The Voice* now?"

This variety show had been airing for over a month; Wei Jin had only paid attention during the premiere and had almost never asked about it since.

"It has already broken 8. Looking at this trend, it is very likely to break 9 or even 10 during the final stages."

Chen Zhiming's words carried a hint of excitement; every point higher in ratings meant tens of millions in profit.

"Hmm, not bad. It seems the Variety Department is the most profitable this year, haha."

Wei Jin was also very satisfied. One must know that the current wave of talent shows had long since begun to decline; for *The Voice* to make a strong comeback and become a new ace variety show when audiences were already tired of such programs, this achievement was already very dazzling.

"It is. You don't even know how excited the entire Variety Department is; the other departments are extremely jealous."

Hearing this, Wei Jin didn't speak. They were jealous now, but when the few variety shows for next year went online, who knows how envious they would be.

"How is the situation with *Snow Leopard*?"

"It has already wrapped and is still in post-production; it is estimated to be completed in January."

War dramas are like that; the filming cycle is not short, and post-production is relatively long.

"Hmm, by the way, has Zhou Yi still not relented?"

Ordinary people might not have heard the name Zhou Yi, but Zhou Yi's dramas should be familiar to countless people.

*Wulin Waishi*, *Love Across Time*, *Young Warrior*, *Water Moon Cave*, *Xiao Shilang*, and so on—they absolutely represented an era.

In the light costume drama market, Zhou Yi was absolutely in the leading position.

A long time ago, Wei Jin had set his sights on Zhou Yi's production team, wanting to slowly swallow them up through shareholding or investment. Unfortunately, Zhou Yi, this husband-and-wife boat, was very sturdy.

But in the last two years, they had suffered losses on two consecutive TV series, the investors had turned against them, and Zhou Yi's financial situation had gone from bad to worse; they hadn't had any works on the market for a long time. Wei Jin felt it was a very good entry opportunity.

It wasn't that Wei Jin insisted on collecting famous people; it was just that the company's TV drama production department was extremely lacking in talent. Currently, they could start at most three dramas a year, and cultivating talent themselves was still a bit too slow.

"No, Jiang Xuerou is too stubborn. They only accept project-based investment."

Chen Zhiming also had a headache. That woman was indeed strong-willed; even though Zhou Yi was already in decline, she still held onto the determination to burn her bridges, preferring to start three dramas a year to fight for that glimmer of hope rather than accept an acquisition by Shanhe Media.

"Then let's wait a bit longer. Good things don't come in a rush."

Wei Jin wasn't in a hurry; the best era for the TV drama market hadn't arrived yet, and he had plenty of time. — Palme d'Or director Chen Shiren's painstaking work, *Forever Enthralled*, has been released.

It was just strange that although it was scheduled for December 5th, it started screening in major theaters at 6 PM on the 4th.

In this way, the box office for these 6 hours would also be counted in the opening day box office, which was completely unfair to other films.

Many film and television companies and directors in the industry had objections, but they didn't dare to say it openly, after all, China Film Group was the investor.

Only Zhang Weiping, this guy who feared nothing, spoke out to bombard *Forever Enthralled*.

"Other people's premieres are all 24 hours, why should *Forever Enthralled* get an extra 6 hours?"

Since the Olympics, Zhang Yimou's reputation had reached its peak, and Zhang Weiping had also recovered his former arrogance; he didn't fear China Film Group.

With him taking the lead, many directors with objections jumped out to speak up for a time, which actually set off a wave of public opinion.

Regarding this, China Film Group did not respond, and Chen Shiren didn't make a sound either, probably feeling a bit guilty.

Seemingly to divert public attention, China Film Group announced the premiere of *The Martian*.

On December 11th, the location was the Great Hall of the People; this was a consensus reached by several investors, as it was the most suitable place.

Once the news was announced, it instantly occupied the headlines of major portals, and the matter of *Forever Enthralled* was instantly suppressed.

It was just that this domestic hard sci-fi film, which cost 400 million and took a year and a half to make, had fully earned the audience's expectations.

The guests invited this time had strict requirements; companies and artists in the industry who were not qualified were not on the invitation list.

For a time, companies and artists in the entertainment industry passively accepted a round of status evaluation. — Hengdian, *Chinese Paladin 3* crew.

"Everyone, work a bit harder these few days; hurry up and film the final scenes. We must wrap up before the 10th." Miss Cai first said to the main creators, then looked at the director.

"Li Dao, no problem, right?"

"No problem. There isn't much left anyway; rushing one shot a day, there is plenty of time."

"That's good, Shishi, come with me for a moment."

When Miss Cai took Liu Shishi aside to whisper, Yang Mi nudged Hu Ge with her elbow:

"Lao Hu, looking at this posture from Boss Cai, has Tangren received an invitation to *The Martian*?"

Yang Mi had a look of doubt on her face; Rongxinda hadn't received an invitation, so why would Tangren? "No, it's a private invitation sent by Boss Wei. Shishi and I are going as guest stars, so we decided to take the opportunity to wrap up early to avoid having to come back for reshoots later."

Hu Ge's words cleared up Yang Mi's confusion. Ceng Jia was right; Tangren was too small a pond and truly not a place to stay, so she would have to make other plans.

However, Yang Mi immediately began to fret again. Missing out on such a major occasion was a huge loss; that was all networking and resources.

It was just that Hu Ge and Liu Shishi were lucky to have a good private relationship with Wei Jin. Besides, Zhang Li and Wang Kai would definitely attend as artists from Shanhe Media. Looking at it this way, was she the only main cast member without the qualifications? Thinking of this, Yang Mi set her sights on Liu Shishi.

On the other side, Miss Cai pulled Liu Shishi aside and said earnestly: "Shishi, this time when you go to Beijing, no matter what, you must have a good talk with Wei Jin. It's been several months now; shouldn't he show some sign of commitment?"

Although she trusted Wei Jin's character, it had been several months, and Liu Shishi hadn't gained any benefits yet. Miss Cai was also afraid that delays would lead to complications.

"K Jie, he isn't that kind of person. He said he has arrangements, so I'll just wait."

Liu Shishi was still holding onto the idea of tying Wei Jin down and didn't want to appear too calculating, which would make her lose her competitive edge.

"You, oh you, you're still too green when it comes to dealing with men. Let me tell you..." — The main cast of *The Martian* had already received notification to keep their schedules clear for the premiere and the subsequent roadshow.

Among them, the busiest was Zhang Ziyi, as *Forever Enthralled* was currently a hit in theaters.

Jing Tian was already picking out clothes, planning what to wear to walk the red carpet with Wei Jin that day.

The young girl's aesthetic sense was quite on point, and being in the prime of her youth and nourished by Wei Jin, she quickly selected a few outfits.

"Brother, what do you think of this one?"

In Jing Tian's hands was a black dress with a bow, which made her skin look even fairer.

Gently wrapping his hands around the girl's waist, Wei Jin planted a light kiss on Jing Tian's red lips: "No need for such trouble. In my eyes, whatever Tian Tian wears looks good."

"Hee hee, Brother, you're so cheesy."

"Then Tian Tian, do you like it?"

Wei Jin set the clothes in Jing Tian's hands aside, his hands already climbing onto the young girl's proud assets.

"Mm, I like it. Brother, kiss me." — Just as Wei Jin and Jing Tian were getting intimate, inside a hotel somewhere in Hengdian, two women were also keeping each other warm.

"Mimi, move over a bit, don't squeeze me."

The idea of sleeping together tonight was proposed by Yang Mi. Thinking that they were almost done filming and might not have many chances to meet in the future, Liu Shishi had agreed.

But feeling the massive scale of her best friend's chest, Liu Shishi regretted it. Why bother making herself uncomfortable?

"Oh my, we're both girls, what are you afraid of?"

Yang Mi was determined to make a breakthrough through Liu Shishi, so naturally, she wouldn't give up just like that, even rubbing against her.

"Shishi, I don't know when we'll be able to see each other again after we part ways."

Yang Mi's voice sounded a bit low; she was best at playing the emotional card.

"It's okay, Mimi. You're in Beijing and I'm in Shanghai; it's not that far apart. We can just set a time."

Liu Shishi's words were mostly for comfort. One had to know that in the entertainment industry, meeting rarely and parting often was the norm; an artist's schedule was never under their own control.

"Stay in Beijing for two more days when you attend the premiere this time. I can take you around to play."

"Okay, okay."

Liu Shishi went along with the flow. Since she had to meet her lover in Beijing anyway, wasn't this the best cover? "It's a pity I can't accompany you to the premiere, can't see your style on the big screen firsthand, and can't applaud for you at the scene."

"What style? I'm just a bit player."

Liu Shishi was a bit embarrassed by her best friend's flattery, and seemed to remember something.

"How about I help you ask? You'd be going to show support, after all."

"Won't it have any impact on you?"

Although she was pleasantly surprised inside, Yang Mi still maintained the appearance of looking out for her best friend.

"There shouldn't be any problem. Brother is still very fond of me."

Thinking of the tenderness Wei Jin showed when he was with her, a smile appeared on Liu Shishi's face.

"That's good."

Where she couldn't see, a smile also appeared on Yang Mi's face. What a truly good best friend. — *Forever Enthralled*, as an art-house film, had very eye-catching box office figures, with the first three days of the opening weekend reaching as high as 43 million.

It is worth mentioning that perhaps because the results were good, the box office for those 6 hours was not recorded by the producers, which served to calm the public opinion.

Wei Jin also accompanied Jing Tian to watch it once. It had to be said that Chen Shiren still had great attainments in aesthetics, and the dialogue details could be called beautiful.

However, like most domestic directors, he had problems with his scripts. The plot of this film became more hollow as it went on, and one wondered if it was because Ajiao's scenes were cut.

But the outside world's evaluation of this film was not low. Most people in the industry believed that the great director Chen, who had single-handedly created the classic *Farewell My Concubine*, was returning to form.

Of course, there were dissenting voices, but they were quickly drowned out.

Amidst the praise, Chen Shiren became increasingly carried away. Facing media interviews, he publicly stated that being shortlisted for Berlin was a certainty, and the probability of taking home the Golden Bear was fifty-fifty.

Never before had a director dared to make such a definitive public statement. It had to be said that when one hears too much flattery, it is easy to lose oneself.

Quite a few reporters wanted to interview Wei Jin. After all, he was also aiming for Berlin, and the drama of two major directors staging a dragon-and-tiger fight would surely bring extremely high heat.

To this, Wei Jin only had one short sentence:

"See you at the film festival."

The first update of the day. I humbly request all my book friends to reward me with subscriptions, follow-up reads, bookmarks, monthly tickets, and recommendation votes. Thank you all! (End of chapter)