Chapter 237: Huayi Poaches Talent, Gao Yuanyuan Wants to Film Kissing Scenes

*The Hunt* is about to be released; despite the rushed scheduling, China Film Group still provided ample promotional resources.

"A Berlin International Film Festival Golden Bear Award-winning film!"

"A passionate masterpiece by great director Wei Jin, the realistic film *The Hunt* is about to be released."

"Hollywood top superstar, Berlin Silver Bear Award winner, Matt Damon gives his all."

At the same time, China Film Group, having obtained Wei Jin's consent, announced the overseas distribution price for *The Hunt*.

The staggering price of 36.1 million USD made industry peers exclaim, "Holy crap," as this price is a significant jump higher than the previous record held by Zhang Yimou.

Perhaps it was the overwhelming promotion, perhaps the gimmick of the Golden Bear Award, perhaps the drawing power of Wei Jin and Matt Damon, or perhaps there were simply no competitors in the same release window.

On the first day of the film's release, the box office was extremely eye-catching, raking in over 16 million, dazzling a crowd of industry insiders; they seemed to see a repeat of the scene back when *The Room* was killing it and caused *Curse of the Golden Flower* to suffer a setback.

Han Sanping looked at the first-day figures, his face nearly wrinkling from a smile; at this rate, breaking 100 million at the box office would be easy and pleasant. Buying it back for 30 million, even counting distribution costs, meant another big profit was coming. — Beijing, inside a teahouse.

"Director Wu Ershan, Huayi is very sincere; I wonder how you have considered it?"

Wang Zhonglei asked himself, believing the conditions he offered were already very superior; he was confident he could persuade the other party.

"President Wang, thank you for Huayi's high regard, but I have already signed with Shanhe Media, and the contract term has at least two more years."

Although many companies had already come to make contact, Wu Ershan did not expect that even Huayi would make a move, and that Wang Zhonglei would come in person.

The price offered was also very tempting: 8 million shares of Huayi's original stock for free. At market value, this was worth tens of millions; it was indeed full of sincerity.

So, even though Wu Ershan was refusing, his tone remained very tactful.

"That is not important; a contract is nothing more than a breach-of-contract penalty, and Huayi can cover it all."

Wang Zhonglei said without a care. Huayi was about to go public; if they could add another 300-million-yuan director to their ranks, he believed it would be of huge help to the path to listing and subsequent stock price increases. By comparison, what he was paying was mere pocket change.

As for the possibility of becoming enemies with Shanhe Media? That was even more of a fallacy; it was just business cooperation. As the saying goes, people move to higher ground; it is nothing more than that.

"President Wang, I have the achievements I do today because President Wei strongly recommended me and handed *Painted Skin 2* to me to direct. One must still know how to be grateful."

The filming of *Painted Skin 2* had not been smooth sailing. Wu Ershan knew very clearly that the major investors had quite a few opinions at the time, and it was only because the copyright was in Wei Jin's hands that they reluctantly agreed.

Therefore, he knew clearly that this was Wei Jin's grace of promotion. Even if he really wanted to switch to someone else, Wu Ershan would absolutely not do it within the contract period; otherwise, he would truly have no face to see anyone.

"Hmm, Director Wu Ershan, you are indeed a person of character, with both emotion and righteousness. I, Wang, appreciate you even more now, hahaha."

Regarding Wu Ershan's words, Wang Zhonglei did not mind; instead, he held the other party in higher regard. No matter which boss it is, they will like loyalty.

Since he could not secure a signed contract, Wang Zhonglei came up with other ideas.

"However, Director Wu Ershan, within the contract period, Shanhe Media wouldn't be so overbearing as to not allow you to take on outside projects, would they?"

"Of course, the company contract is very loose; it has almost no restrictions on me."

This was also one of the reasons why Wu Ershan had a strong sense of belonging to Shanhe Media; after all, directors do not like being bound or interfered with.

"Then we can sign a cooperation agreement..."

"President Wang, the company has already prepared a new project for me. For the time being, I am unable to spare myself. I can only accept Huayi's good intentions in my heart."

Wu Ershan lied. The matter of *Brotherhood of Blades 2* was not a secret in the company; he knew clearly that this was a benefit obtained after Lu Yang expressed his stance.

Regarding Wei Jin's script, Wu Ershan was also very greedy for it. At least until the former clearly stated there were no subsequent projects, it was impossible for him to cooperate with other companies, regardless of the form of cooperation.

At this moment, Wang Zhonglei was already cursing in his heart. Damn it, why is everyone so impervious to reason!

Ning Hao is like this, Lu Yang is like this, and Wu Ershan is still like this. Is Shanhe Media really that charming? Huayi is about to be a listed company; are these people's visions so short-sighted? However, he was a big shot after all, and his emotional management was very well-handled. A moment later, Wang Zhonglei took out a business card and handed it over with a smile.

"In any case, Huayi hopes to have the opportunity to cooperate with Director Wu Ershan in the future. If you have any needs, contact me at any time."

Wu Ershan was stunned for a moment, then felt some emotion. He is a big shot after all; this effort is truly thorough. He could not refuse again.

"In that case, many thanks for President Wang's good intentions." — Filming time passes quickly, and the date arrives at June 6th.

Sina Weibo officially went online. All artists under Shanhe Media moved in at the first opportunity and, at Wei Jin's request, posted their first Weibo posts one after another to attract popularity.

Wei Jin was naturally no exception; he called the main creators of the crew together and took a photo to serve as the opening business for his Weibo.

Although Weibo had just gone online, there were already quite a few users. Soon, careful netizens discovered the account Wei Jin had opened and flocked to it.

Current Events Absolute: "Caught a live Wei Jin."

Sky Blue Shoes: "Such a big studio; Director Wei is too stingy, not even letting us take a look..."

Center of the Palm: "Why is Nazha not in the photo?"

Mr. Zhu Xiongjiang: "Hahaha, the little girl still has to take the college entrance exam."

Xuan Xiaoluo: "Sigh, comparing people is truly infuriating. What was I doing at seventeen or eighteen?"

Besides netizens, quite a few actors and artists also took the initiative to say hello.

Young Master Zhou: "Old Wei, you must come to the celebration banquet..."

Mingjiao Leader: "Director Wei, wishing you a smooth shoot."

Only One Name in the Whole Bureau: "Boss, keep it up."

For a time, this drove a lot of their fans to follow, and Wei Jin's Weibo followers rose steadily. Sina subsequently increased its promotional efforts.

Seeing this, other stars also followed suit, transferring from blogs to Weibo, or using both.

Although everyone had not yet fully grasped the difference between Weibo and blogs, there was no doubt that Weibo was simpler, more convenient, and had more real-time interactivity than blogs, and its boost to the entertainment industry was even more enormous.

With blogs as a foundation, the support of a portal website, and the joining of numerous stars and artists, Wei Jin believed that the entire transition from blogs to Weibo would be very smooth. — China Film Group Digital Production Base, inside the *Passengers* studio.

Wei Jin was carefully watching the image on the monitor and comparing some details with the images in his mind.

In the lens, Qiao Zhenyu was wandering through various areas of the spaceship as if he had lost his soul.

He tried to open the door to the crew's hibernation area to let them out to solve the problem, but the spaceship was specially designed, and the doors to different areas simply could not be opened.

Until he arrived at the leisure area and saw Lei Jiayin behind the bar.

He ran over excitedly, but the moment he saw clearly, his mood instantly plummeted from the clouds. "Are you a robot?"

"No, to be precise, a top-tier artificial intelligence bionic robot. Is there anything I can help you with? Would you like some red wine?"

Then came the Q&A session, and the two quickly engaged in verbal communication.

"Cut."

"Datou, you didn't act out the feeling of a robot crashing."

Hearing Wei Jin's words, Lei Jiayin was a bit confused; for a human to play a robot, it was indeed a bit hard to grasp the essence.

"It's like this: after a momentary crash, you immediately make a judgment; only then can you reflect the uniqueness of top-tier artificial intelligence. What you just did was like a cheap, second-hand piece of junk."

Lei Jiayin rubbed his big head in embarrassment, and the others laughed when they saw this.

"Alright, all camera positions ready, action!" — The several major production companies of *Painted Skin 2* held a high-profile celebration banquet for the film.

This is the highest-grossing domestic film of the year so far, and it is worth celebrating.

When Wei Jin arrived at the hotel with Gao Yuanyuan, the scene was already bustling with noise and excitement.

Wu Ershan was undoubtedly the most handsome guy tonight, and many companies and Producers in the industry were circling around him.

When the cast and crew gathered together and smashed the ice sculpture symbolizing the film's 383,000,000 box office, the atmosphere of the entire scene reached a climax, and the media's cameras kept clicking away.

"Director Wu Ershan, may I ask how you feel about becoming the second director in the country to reach 300 million?"

The reporter's words made many people at the scene prick up their ears; public speeches are a great way to observe a person's character.

"I am very happy; after all, it is a very great achievement, far exceeding my expectations."

Wu Ershan was also mentally prepared for today's occasion; he looked around and continued his speech.

"I am also very terrified. In fact, the box office results come more from the foundation laid by the previous work, followed by the benefit of Director Wei's script, and also thanks to the ever-growing film market. Finally, it might be my own insignificant contribution. My peers have held me too high, and I'm afraid of falling, haha."

Wu Ershan's words drew good-natured laughter from everyone at the scene, and Wei Jin, who was off-stage, also nodded; this person still has a clear head and can still be put to important use for now.

"Wei Jin, you kid really has a sharp eye; how did you know he could make it?"

Han Sanping walked over with a wine glass and asked with some curiosity.

You have to know that Ning Hao, Lu Yang, and Wu Ershan were almost all discovered by Wei Jin. Regardless of whether it was because of his scripts, at least these people's abilities were qualified. This eye for talent could be called unique in the circle.

"Han Dong, I didn't know if they could make it either; I just had a bit more courage. I can afford to lose."

Wei Jin was telling the truth. Although he had heard of these people's names in his past life, the timing was completely different. Letting them take the lead was, frankly speaking, gambling on an opportunity; in any case, he could afford to pay for it.

"Then your gambling nature is quite big; it's tens of millions."

Hearing this, Wei Jin gave Han Sanping a direct side-eye.

"Han Dong, you shouldn't say that. China Film Group has gambled much bigger than me over these years."

One sentence choked Han Sanping. Counting them up, from *The Promise* to *Three Kingdoms*, and then to *Mei Lanfang*, China Film Group had indeed gambled big, and the key was that they hadn't won any of them.

For a moment, Han Sanping was unhappy and wilted — the celebration banquet was a Vanity Fair. Although Wei Jin was not the protagonist today, he couldn't hide his high status, and people came over to toast him from time to time. Wu Ershan also came over with a wine glass.

"President Wei, thank you for your trust. Now I can finally sleep well."

Wu Ershan kept a very low profile with these words. He knew very well in his heart that even though he was a 300-million-box-office director now, he was nothing in front of Wei Jin.

Even someone like Lu Chuan, who had a deep background in the circle and incredibly complex connections, couldn't withstand a backhand strike from Wei Jin, let alone him, who had just made a name for himself? "It's also because you have the ability yourself; the results this time are good."

Noticing the expectation in Wu Ershan's eyes, Wei Jin laughed in surprise; everyone was in a hurry to make money for him.

"The company plans to start *Ghost Blows Out the Light*. If you are interested, go to the screenwriting department to get the script."

The TV series *Candle in the Tomb* had already had its premiere rights bought by Shanghai Television and Jiangzhe Satellite TV, reaching a record high of 2.4 million per episode. It is expected to be broadcast in two months, and it is time to start the film series as well.

"Of course, I am very interested. Thank you, President Wei."

Wu Ershan's excitement did not seem fake. He really liked this series, and combined with the capabilities of the Shanhe Media screenwriting department, he believed he would create another blockbuster film and completely consolidate his status in the circle.

At this moment, Wu Ershan felt a bit fortunate that he had stuck to his original intention in the face of temptation and had not wavered; otherwise, this project might not have fallen to him.

"Alright, you are the protagonist today; go enjoy the flowers and applause that belong to you." — After the banquet ended, Wei Jin accompanied Gao Yuanyuan back to the Yanjiao Villa.

As soon as they entered the house, Yuan Yuanjie kissed Wei Jin, her movements somewhat intense and greedy.

Although the two had been inseparable these days, a thirty-year-old woman always tends to be more passionate and uninhibited.

Amidst the kissing, Wei Jin's hands flew up and down, and their clothes fell to the floor.

The two went from the doorway to the living room sofa, and then to the window where the breeze was blowing. Gao Yuanyuan hadn't had time to change her shoes yet, her fair little feet stepping on the back of Wei Jin's feet as they kissed all the way there.

Finally, she pulled the translucent sheer curtains, then stood by the window, and under the witness of this breeze, she finally tilted her head back and let out a long sigh, feeling completely satisfied.

Carrying Gao Yuanyuan to the bathroom, the warm water gradually restored their vitality. Wei Jin sniffed the tips of the beauty's hair, somewhat fascinated.

"Yuan Yuanjie, your scenes are coming up in a few days. Are you ready?"

"Hmm, I am someone who possesses both beauty and strength; don't underestimate me."

"Of course, you are the female lead I personally designated."

"However, Xiao Jin, I'm acting in romantic scenes with Zhen Yu; aren't you jealous?"

"What's there to be jealous of? It's all for the sake of art."

"Then can there be kissing scenes and bed scenes?"

Gao Yuanyuan's face was full of provocation; she didn't believe Wei Jin would be so generous.

"Ahem, Yuan Yuanjie, I feel like I wasn't satisfied just now; let's play all night tonight."

"Come on, come on, am I afraid of you?"

Gao Yuanyuan ultimately overestimated her own strength; in less than two hours, she started calling him 'Daddy'. Wish everyone a Happy New Year's Eve, and may you have great luck in the New Year!!

(End of this chapter)