Chapter 25: Layout and Gifts

Time arrived at August, *Buried* had been in theaters for 29 days and was officially pulled, with a final box office of 35.82 million, failing to break 40 million.

The main reason was that *House of Flying Daggers*, released on July 16, took up too many screenings; this was another costume epic from Zhang Yimou following *Hero*.

The day after it was released, Ceng Li and Wei Jin also went to the cinema to watch it. How should one put it? The visuals were beautiful, but the story was very poor.

In fact, after the film was released, the word-of-mouth on the internet was also in tatters; the three-day box office was 33 million, surpassing *Hero*'s 31.9 million.

But if you think about it carefully, you will find that *Hero* was released 2 years ago, and the number of screens at that time was 30% less than now; it can be said that this film is not just a little bit worse than *Hero*.

As of August 2, it had slashed 150 million at the domestic box office in 18 days of release. For a time, Zhang Weiping clamored about breaking *Hero*'s record and creating a new high for Chinese-language films.

Just as *House of Flying Daggers* was a hit, an incident occurred that shook the entire entertainment industry.

A battery incident occurred on the set of *Proud Twins*; Hong Kong actors Zhang Weijian and Xie Feng beat mainland actor Wang Bozhao into serious injury while filming. After the news spread, it sparked collective dissatisfaction in the mainland entertainment industry toward the Hong Kong Circle.

Starting from the 90s, Hong Kong cinema gradually moved from glory toward decline. The original major box office hubs of Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong itself were successively conquered by Hollywood, and Hong Kong filmmakers embarked on a path of heading north to make money for the sake of survival.

Hong Kong people heading north was originally a good thing, promoting cultural exchange between the two places and stimulating the mainland entertainment industry; you make money and I earn money, it was a win-win situation.

But unfortunately, whether it was actors, directors, or even ordinary crew members, as long as they were from Hong Kong, they felt superior when working in the mainland. The treatment of mainland actors and Hong Kong actors on set was also worlds apart, not to mention their pay.

The key was that mainland film and television companies didn't take it seriously either, because in this era, it was generally believed that Hong Kong crews were simply more professional than mainland ones. To put it bluntly, the aura of the Hong Kong people from 30 years of glory had not yet faded.

The battery incident eventually triggered 38 respected senior artists to speak out collectively. Under pressure, Zhang Weijian and Xie Feng could only apologize. However, from then on, Zhang Weijian's career path was bumpy, and Xie Feng's image was also damaged, leading him to switch to films.

The outside turmoil did not affect Wei Jin. Since mid-July, he had begun to scout for talent.

For talent in film and television, Wei Jin would vigorously recruit seniors to join his crew for internships once school started, and they could sign with the Studio directly after graduation.

He had already communicated with school leaders about this, and the leaders were also very supportive; after all, in this day and age, how many students from the Director Department or photography majors could even solve their basic needs after graduation?

Today, Wei Jin was going to meet a talent in investment. This person was recommended by a headhunting company and was named Xiang Wenlong, born in 1971. He graduated from the Central University of Finance and Economics, started from the grassroots in a bank, and rose all the way to become a director of the investment department. He failed when competing for a manager position, so he simply decided to change environments.

The two agreed to meet at a coffee shop. Wei Jin arrived ten minutes early, and the other party had already arrived.

After some pleasantries, both sides sat down. Only then did Wei Jin size up the man in front of him: nearly 1.8 meters tall, a crew cut, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, but his eyes were bright and piercing, and he was wearing a well-fitting suit, giving off the vibe of a business elite.

After ordering a coffee, Wei Jin began to cut to the topic and chatted about the cultural and entertainment industry.

"Mr. Xiang, I see that your previous investment fields were mostly in the physical sector. I wonder what your take is on the cultural and entertainment industry?"

Xiang Wenlong had also made relevant preparations before coming. He paused slightly and then said:

"In a broad sense, the cultural and entertainment industry is divided into culture and entertainment. If these two are further subdivided, they will extend to include films, television dramas, games, books, audio products, cultural tourism, and so on..."

"With the continuous development of the domestic economy and the increase in per capita income, the ways of mass entertainment are also constantly changing. People used to read Jin Yong novels and play marbles; now people watch television dramas and play computer games. Consumption levels and concepts are completely different. With the development of the times, I believe the cultural and entertainment industry has great potential for development."

Xiang Wenlong spoke eloquently about his insights into the cultural and entertainment industry; it was clear that he was also full of confidence in this industry.

In fact, Wei Jin didn't need to recruit some investment genius; he knew what direction to invest in himself.

As far as the current situation was concerned, he needed an executor more.

Wei Jin also began to expound on his own understanding, but as an industry insider, he started more from the data and the industry's development trends.

"The cultural and entertainment industry is a virtual industry, more on the spiritual level. When material life is satisfied, the demand for spiritual life will become higher and higher, and the cultural and entertainment industry will inevitably usher in rapid development." Both were very satisfied with the first conversation; both had true insights, and their views on industry development were basically the same, so there would be no worries about working together.

After a simple chat about compensation, Xiang Wenlong officially became Wei Jin's employee.

Wei Jin established an investment company separately with a registered capital of 50 million. This investment company was named Qingtian Capital, and he even specifically rented a floor of a commercial office building for it.

Two days later, Xiang Wenlong officially joined the company with his team.

After joining, Wei Jin issued three directives in a row. The first was to scout for potential domestic literature websites and invest in them. Wei Jin indicated that the adaptation of best-selling novels into film and television would become more and more mature in the future, and by laying the groundwork in advance, they would have more room for project development in the future.

The second was to examine the domestic game industry and dig for talent in related industries.

The third was to investigate the distribution of domestic cinema chains, the market share of major cinema chains, and the market gaps existing in major first-tier cities.

The entire investment company fell into a busy state, while Wei Jin stepped away to prepare for his new film.

Time quickly arrived at August 22, the Qi Xi Festival on the lunar calendar; Wei Jin's 21st birthday had arrived.

On this day, Ceng Li carefully decorated the house and cooked a sumptuous dinner for Wei Jin herself.

The two had been together until today, and it already felt a bit like family.

After the meal, Ceng Li took out the gift she had prepared, a Cartier watch, which cost tens of thousands.

Wei Jin knew that in the few years since Ceng Li graduated, she hadn't saved much money. On weekdays, she didn't accept Wei Jin's pocket money, always saying that her expenses were small and her previous pay was enough to spend. The cosmetics she used were still the ones Wei Jin brought back from Berlin last time.

Looking at the first woman after his transmigration in front of him, Wei Jin felt a bit moved. At first, it might have been more about being attracted to her beauty and craving her body, but after being together until now, he had fallen for her unknowingly.

"Li Jie, I also prepared a gift for you."

Having said that, he took out the script he had prepared.

"It's not my birthday, why did you prepare a gift for me?"

Ceng Li took the script with some curiosity, only to see *World's Number One* written on the cover.

"Did you forget? Today, one year ago, you gave yourself to me. That was the best gift I ever received. Naturally, I have to return the gift today. Hurry and take a look, do you like it?"

Ceng Li picked up the script and flipped through it, saying after a long while:

"Am I the one to play this Shangguan Haitang?"

"Of course, for such a character who is skilled in martial arts, cool, and beautiful, if not Li Jie, then who?"

Wei Jin completely believed that Ceng Li could become an overnight sensation through this role. The initial premium investment was just to secure this role.

Hearing the man's words, Ceng Li was also moved beyond words. This man was fulfilling his promise step by step.

That night, Ceng Li put on the black hollow-out silk ultra-short pajamas that Wei Jin had been longing for, plus a pair of sexy black silk stockings, transforming into a dark-style seductive Queen. Wei Jin exclaimed, "Sister is killing me."

A newbie author writing a book for the first time, kneeling and begging for collections, follows, reading, and recommendations. Thank you everyone. A newbie author writing a book for the first time, kneeling and begging for collections, follows, reading, and recommendations. Thank you everyone.

(End of this chapter)