Chapter 228: Four Dan Actresses Unveiled

Lu Chuan truly did not live up to Qin Hong's expectations; within a single day, he spoke out through the media six times, condemning the "evil deeds" of Shanhe Media and Wei Jin.

However, he did not receive the expected results, because one piece of news occupied the headlines.

CCTV reported on the new generation of Four Dan Actresses, which was selected by hundreds of mainstream media outlets in the industry and millions of netizens.

Liu Yifei, Jing Tian, Huang Shengyi, and Yang Mi.

Many netizens did not agree with this result; the former two were simply streets ahead of the latter two.

Some indignant netizens directly dug up all the achievements of the four, attempting to accuse the selection of being unfair, and truth be told, they dug quite thoroughly.

Liu Yifei has extremely high national popularity in the country, and she simply has too many fans; among young actresses, she is almost in a league of her own.

In terms of television dramas, "The Noble Family", "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils", "Chinese Paladin 1", "The Return of the Condor Heroes", and "Zhu Xian"—every single one was a smash hit at the time, and every character left a deep impression on people's hearts; it is simply incredible.

In terms of film, her debut work "Those Years" was a nationwide hit, creating a box office miracle; although the Sino-US co-production "The Forbidden Kingdom" did not have good word-of-mouth domestically, it was considered a global box office success, and she also secured top-tier Hollywood resources like "Inception", which can be described as leaving others far behind.

Jing Tian is not far behind, developing in film, television, and music, all with impressive achievements.

In terms of television dramas, Bi Yao in "Zhu Xian" is still a source of regret in the hearts of many netizens to this day.

In terms of film, "Now You See Me" and "The Martian" both achieved extremely brilliant results; counting the yet-to-be-released female-led film "Lucy", her resources simply crush a crowd of established actresses.

In terms of songs, her Chinese singles are popular and have astonishing sales, while her English singles have even broken into the top three of the North American Billboard, and she has even performed live at the Oscar awards ceremony; in terms of global influence, Jing Tian is definitely ranked at the forefront domestically.

Among the Four Dan Actresses, compared to the brilliant achievements of the first two, what achievements do the other two have to show? In terms of film, Huang Shengyi only has "Kung Fu" to show for it, and it was just a bit part; in terms of television dramas, only "The Fairy Couple" had decent ratings.

Yang Mi is even more miserable; she hasn't even appeared in a film, and in television dramas, only her supporting role in "The Return of the Condor Heroes" was a bit outstanding; although "Wang Zhao Jun" is a serious drama, the ratings were not high; all in all, she really has no works to show for it.

Many netizens, after reading the data, expressed their agreement one after another.

"This is simply not on the same level, okay? Jing Tian, Liu Yifei, and the latter two are simply incomparable."

"Using Liu Yifei and Jing Tian to pair with these two is too insulting to them."

Many industry insiders, when interviewed, all acknowledged the netizens' point of view.

The large number of questioning voices also forced the organizers to come out and explain.

"The selection of the Four Dan Actresses is a continuation of the previous tradition, aiming to select the four most popular young actresses."

"Liu Yifei and Jing Tian are indeed the top young actresses at the moment, but to make up four, this kind of problem will definitely arise; we can only try our best to select those who meet the criteria."

This explanation was somewhat of a slap in the face to the latter two, but the netizens did not buy it.

"Then what about Bai Bin? Is my Ma'ertai Ruoxi not worthy? She is at least more suitable than Yang Mi, right?"

"What about Wang Luodan? She was also quite good in 'Struggle'."

"Why is there no Jiang Shuying? She has such a good figure, and 'Eye for an Eye' is currently a hit."

The internet is in an uproar, which shows that no selection activity can satisfy everyone.

Regarding this, the organizers were also helpless; it was all the result of a game. — The Four Dan Actresses are benchmarked against the Four Dan Actresses of that year, and it still attracted the attention of many female stars in the circle; as a party involved, Huang Shengyi was no exception.

Looking at the comments on the internet, her expression was very ugly, but she had to admit that in recent years, she had no works to show for it.

Since becoming popular with "Kung Fu", because of getting caught in a lawsuit with Starry Night, although her benefactor Yang Zi was trying hard to promote her, film resources never favored her again.

Thinking of this, she felt it was necessary to talk to Yang Zi; television dramas have too little added value for female artists, it still has to be the big screen.

Another party involved, Yang Mi, was also very concerned about this matter; although she didn't want to admit it, what was said on the internet was the truth.

Jing Tian and Liu Yifei are indeed in a league of their own among the crowd of female stars; they can only be each other's rivals, and others are not worthy.

"It is too much of a gap, but the gap is just Wei Jin."

Yang Mi remembered Wei Jin's words last time; this man is not impossible to conquer, and she was already a bit impatient.

"Once I take him down, I will definitely have a chance to catch up with them."

There are not a few female stars who have the same thoughts as Yang Mi, but unfortunately, the vast majority of people cannot even see Wei Jin's face.

On the other side, the crew of "Palace", Assistant Taozi was comforting her artist.

"Sister Shishi, don't think so much; they just debuted a little earlier. Since the selection has started this time, there will definitely be opportunities in the future."

Taozi was quite confident about this; after all, she knew about the matter between Liu Shishi and Wei Jin.

In her view, as long as Liu Shishi can grasp Wei Jin, she wouldn't dare say she could rival Jing Tian and Liu Yifei, but at least her chances would be much greater than the latter two.

"Mm, I know, I just miss him a little."

Liu Shishi's state at this time was a bit like Xiaobai when she was first developed—sensitive all over, having tasted the sweetness, and her longing for Wei Jin surged like a tide.

"Then why don't you make a call and invite him to visit the set?"

Liu Shishi was a bit tempted upon hearing this; her first time was given to the man when visiting the set—"Xiao Jin, why didn't you let Xiaobai be selected too?"

Ceng Li's belly was already slightly showing, and she asked curiously while lying in Wei Jin's arms:

In her view, with the energy of Shanhe Media, they should be able to help operate it.

"Li Jie, we can't take all the benefits. Tian Tian and Yifei are both considered to have been promoted by me; if we add a Bai Bin, what would other companies think? What would other artists think?"

Wei Jin stroked Li Jie's belly while sniffing her hair fragrance; time was getting tighter and tighter.

"Besides, Xiaobai's debut time is too short; forcing her to move up is not a good thing."

Although Bai Bin became an overnight success, to be honest, her audience affinity is still a bit weak; she still needs to accumulate more works, and next time it will be a matter of course.

Besides, Wei Jin doesn't think the title of Four Dan Actresses is of any use; haven't you seen that the Four Dan Actresses have to be a head shorter in front of Ceng Li? Having achievements is what's real.

"Li Jie, let Zixuan go with us this time; with her staying by your side, I can be more at ease."

Wei Jin is destined to be unable to stay in North America for too long, so it is very necessary to leave someone he can trust; at least she can help handle many chores.

"Okay, I'll listen to you." — For the premiere of "Painted Skin 2", many people came to show their support; the energy of several investors in the industry is just too great.

The red carpet of the premiere is definitely a place that artists must fight for; celebrity guests came in an endless stream.

As the protagonists of today, Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, and a group of film creators arrived very early. Watching industry insiders enter one after another, Han Sanping couldn't help but ask: "Why hasn't Wei Jin come yet?"

"Who knows? He seems to have been overly low-key recently, and I don't know what he's busy with."

Wang Changtian added, feeling a bit puzzled in his heart.

Although whether Wei Jin arrives or not does not affect tonight's premiere, most of the guests do not think so.

"They're here."

Yu Pangzi had sharp eyes; he saw Wei Jin from afar and shouted out.

Everyone was quite surprised to see Wei Jin arrive with a female companion, and today it was actually Gao Yuanyuan.

"What kind of looks are those? Don't you recognize me anymore?"

Wei Jin naturally knew what they were thinking; this was also him testing the bottom line step by step. As long as everyone got used to his philandering, he would never capsize.

"Ahem, no, aren't you here too late today?"

Han Sanping was somewhat impressed; this kid really played too wildly. It was fortunate that he hadn't lost his head back then and let a beauty throw herself into the fire pit.

"I am the producer, it's true, but I'm not going on stage to speak, so why come so early?"

Wei Jin hadn't originally planned to come, but since *Eye for an Eye* had gone, if he didn't come here, it would be a bit biased. Wu Ershan would likely feel uneasy. A society of human relationships is just like this; it's hard to avoid some superficial gestures.

Sure enough, seeing Wei Jin arrive, the main creative team all wore smiles on their faces.

Soon, the interviews on stage began.

Reporters were very good at finding news hotspots, and the questions right from the start were very sharp.

"Director Wu Ershan, may I ask if you have the confidence for the box office to exceed *Painted Skin*?"

"Director Wei's *Painted Skin* can be said to have opened a new era for domestic blockbusters. This time, being able to direct the sequel, I am also very grateful to the several producers, especially Director Wei, for being willing to give me the opportunity."

Although Wu Ershan was very worried, on an occasion like today, he had to show confidence no matter what.

"I am very lucky. Compared to 2005, the scale of the current film market has more than doubled. I think the box office should be able to catch up to the first one."

Wu Ershan's words were reasonable and well-founded, and the several producers on site also nodded frequently, all feeling very optimistic about the box office.

Immediately following, the lead actors began to accept interviews one by one.

Soon, the movie began screening, and everyone stared at the big screen, wanting to see the caliber of this new director.

The two-hour movie ended quickly, and many companies in the industry began to re-evaluate Wu Ershan.

They had to admit that *Painted Skin 2* was really quite good. This unknown new director was about to become an overnight sensation again, and Shanhe Media was becoming increasingly powerful.

A premiere is destined to be a social occasion for industry insiders, but Wei Jin was focused on eating; his status no longer required him to socialize with anyone.

Gao Yuanyuan's demeanor was much more ladylike; she sat to the side, wearing a smile, and occasionally greeted acquaintances in the industry.

"Old Wei, *Passengers*, do you think I have a chance?"

Zhou Xun walked over and picked up a piece of cake to take a bite. Although she had never lacked film resources, when it came to Wei Jin's projects, whoever acted in them knew what they were worth.

Wei Jin put down the pastry in his hand, took Gao Yuanyuan's hand, and shook it toward Zhou Xun.

"Well, the female lead is here. If you are willing to play a supporting role, I will definitely give you the opportunity."

Wei Jin's words were naturally a polite refusal; with Zhou Xun's status, how could she possibly play a supporting role?

"Hey, Old Wei, it's true that Yuanyuan is pretty, but where am I lacking?"

Zhou Xun was very annoyed; this man really didn't think much of her. She then turned to Gao Yuanyuan and said, "Yuanyuan, why don't you share how you captured Wei Jin?"

Zhou Xun and Gao Yuanyuan had collaborated on *Seventeen Bicycle* and had known each other for seven or eight years, so she spoke without restraint.

"Young Master Zhou, it's useless, you are too small..."

"Hahaha."

Gao Yuanyuan was also holding back mischief; one sentence made Wei Jin burst into laughter, but it directly left Zhou Xun speechless. It took a long while before she managed to squeeze out a sentence.

"Humph, being too big is a burden."

The premiere ended, and media reports soon appeared online.

"New director Wu Ershan makes a bold claim: *Painted Skin 2* will not be inferior to its predecessor!" — May 1st, *Painted Skin 2* officially released.

Bearing the name of a 60-million-investment major production and being the sequel to a blockbuster film, *Painted Skin 2* was generally favored by theater chains, which successively gave it over 50% of the screenings.

The screenings for *Eye for an Eye* were reduced to 20%, and similarly, the screenings for *Nanjing* were repeatedly compressed, even falling below 20%. Although Xingmei had tried its best to protect it, theater chains ultimately had to rely on box office and attendance rates to speak.

Benefiting from the performance and word-of-mouth of the predecessor, *Painted Skin 2* performed violently on its opening day, with a box office of 28 million, 29 million on the second day, and 26 million on the third day.

It raked in 83 million over the three-day holiday, once again staging the astonishing feat of the original *Painted Skin*.

Media outlets were already predicting that *Painted Skin 2* would have no problem breaking 300 million; now it was just a matter of whether it could break the first one's record and enter the 400 million club.

But the capacity of the film market was limited after all. *Painted Skin 2* was eating big chunks of meat, so other films were bound to be affected. The first to bear the brunt was *Eye for an Eye*, produced by Shanhe Media.

Due to the squeeze on screenings and the fact that it had already been released for two weeks, *Eye for an Eye* had a box office of 18 million over the three-day holiday, with a cumulative box office of 141 million; its potential was almost exhausted.

However, looking at the box office results, everyone at Shanhe Media and director Lu Yang were very satisfied. This had already achieved the goal of sniping Lu Chuan and could be considered as having completed the mission.

The imported film *X-Men Origins: Wolverine* was released on the last day of the holiday, with an opening day box office exceeding 10 million, also seizing a significant portion of the market.

Under the pincer attack from three sides, *Nanjing* was miserable; over the three-day holiday, the box office was 14 million, and after 12 days of release, the cumulative box office was less than 80 million.

It could be foreseen that under the dual pressure of *Painted Skin 2* and *X-Men Origins: Wolverine*, there was basically no hope for *Nanjing*'s box office to break 100 million.

This also signaled that the plan to snipe Lu Chuan had succeeded. From this point on, Shanhe Media's prestige in the industry reached its peak, and no one dared to go and stroke Wei Jin's tiger whiskers again.

It is said that Lu Chuan was so angry he nearly vomited blood, cursing Shanhe Media and Wei Jin in his office as a tumor of the film and television industry, and even went on to rebuke Xingmei and Cheng Tian, saying, "These fools are not worth conspiring with."

Wei Jin had no time to pay attention to Lu Chuan's jumping about; he had long since accompanied Ceng Li to North America... I earnestly request all book friends to reward with subscriptions, follow-up readings, collections, monthly tickets, and recommendation tickets. Thank you all! (End of this chapter)