Chapter 292

Several major investors held a grand opening press conference for Flying Swords of Dragon Gate.

After dragging on for more than two months, it was finally time to start filming; the long delay was mainly due to coordinating the schedule of Cameron's team.

However, the preliminary preparations were already quite thorough, and the filming location was set at the Tianmo Film and Television City within the province, a natural desert covering 1,300 acres located in Huailai County, adjacent to Beijing.

Of course, the production would later have to relocate to the Zhenbeipu Film and Television City in Yinchuan, where the scenery is unique and many films have been shot, including The Treasure Hunter and A Chinese Odyssey.

From the moment this film was greenlit, it attracted media attention; a 3D martial arts film with an investment of 200 million was a very high-profile topic.

Coupled with the prestige of the seven major production companies, the press conference was truly star-studded.

However, perhaps because the performance of Reign of Assassins made everyone less optimistic about traditional martial arts films, some media outlets at the conference actually spoke negatively about it.

"Director Xu, in this day and age when martial arts films are on the decline, do you think there is any room for profit with a budget of 200 million?"

Facing the questioning, Xu Laoguai kept a clear head.

"First of all, martial arts films are not on the decline; the Brotherhood of Blades series is a very good example;

Secondly, the script for this film was written by the screenwriting department of Shanhe Media, so the quality is absolutely guaranteed; furthermore, this 3D martial arts film is my breakthrough for traditional martial arts cinema, and the crew has even invited Cameron's team to assist with filming. I believe it will bring everyone a different experience;

Finally, look at the investors for this film. Do you think none of us considered this issue? Moreover, there is a saying in the industry: 'If it's produced by Shanhe, it must be a boutique!' I have great confidence in the project that Wei Jin favors."

Wei Jin nodded frequently as he listened on-site; this version of Flying Swords of Dragon Gate had addressed the flaws in the plot, so the results wouldn't be bad.

Subsequently, several main cast members spoke one after another, and when it was Li Lianjie's turn, the media raised a question.

"Mr. Li Lianjie, do you not think that participating in two films at the same time will affect the quality of the movies?"

"Everyone can rest assured, I am only making a guest appearance in The Sorcerer and the White Snake, which can be finished in three days at most, and it will not affect the filming schedule of Flying Swords of Dragon Gate."

Regarding this, Wei Jin and the other investors were also deeply convinced; unless Juli Pictures had the guts of a leopard, they wouldn't dare pull any tricks under the noses of the seven major investors. Leaving the press conference, Wei Jin arrived at the Golden House, where Liu Shishi was already waiting for him.

Having not seen her for a long time, Wei Jin pulled the young girl into his arms and kissed her fiercely.

Accompanied by the embrace and kisses, Wei Jin's hands flew up and down, fully demonstrating his excellent quality of being good at undressing.

Liu Shishi was not to be outdone, her small hands helping the man undress, and soon the two rolled onto the bed.

After more than an hour of pleasure, Liu Shishi leaned against Wei Jin's shoulder with a flushed face, showing a look of satisfaction; after several months, she had finally tasted the flavor of meat again.

"Shishi, congratulations on winning the Golden Eagle Goddess."

Playing with the girl's perky buttocks, Wei Jin suddenly spoke to congratulate her.

A few days ago, the biennial Golden Eagle Award came to an end, and Liu Shishi stood out from a crowd of competitors to capture the title of Golden Eagle Goddess.

Since Liu Yifei was elected in the first edition in 2006, the Hunan SARFT had made this award increasingly prominent, and it could be considered a must-contend spot for the young actresses in the industry.

There are three main criteria for the selection: television works, popularity, and a youthful and beautiful appearance.

Liu Shishi being able to win the Golden Eagle Goddess was very beneficial for her future development.

"Brother, it's all thanks to you, mua."

Regarding her election, Liu Shishi was very happy and took the initiative to kiss the man on the face.

She knew clearly in her heart that the competition this year was very fierce; Wang Luodan, Zheng Shuang, Bai Bin, Yang Mi, and Huang Shengyi were all hot favorites for the selection.

Except for Huang Shengyi, who was relying on the reputation of the Four Dan Actresses to force her way in, the other four all had hit television dramas to back them up.

If it weren't for starring in the female-led drama Palace, which was also a hit just a few months ago, her chances of winning would have been very slim relying only on Chinese Paladin 3 and a few works from Tangren.

"Shishi, if you really want to thank me, bring the Goddess costume next time."

Wei Jin had already tried being intimate with Liu Yifei in her Golden Eagle Goddess attire, and naturally, he didn't want to miss out on Liu Shishi; after all, it was an achievement.

"Ah? Don't, it's so ugly, like a moth."

Although she was elected, Liu Shishi was quite speechless about the organizer's aesthetics; many fans were complaining on Weibo about her outfit at the opening ceremony.

"What does that matter? Just think of it as a bit of fun between us."

Wei Jin didn't care; Xu Xian could sleep with a white snake, and Ning Caichen could sleep with a ghost, so what was wrong with him doing a moth? Thinking of this, Wei Jin seemed to be interested again, and the strength in his hands gradually increased.

"Fine, alright, but you are not allowed to laugh at me."

"I guarantee I won't."

"Mm~~ Brother, I want it."

Having been empty for several months, her body was quite sensitive, and feeling the heat from the man's large hands, she felt a bit itchy.

"Shishi, as the old saying goes, if you do it yourself, you will have plenty of food and clothing."

Wei Jin held his head with both hands, leaning against the headboard and saying calmly.

Upon hearing this, Liu Shishi rolled her eyes at the man and slowly moved downward.

"Hiss"—contrary to Wei Jin's expectations, Liu Shishi did not have any designs on Love is Not Blind, which made him feel relieved.

To be honest, Liu Shishi, who was not professionally trained, was indeed lacking too much. The small screen of television dramas did not have high requirements for expressions and eyes, so she could barely manage, but for movies, once the expressions and demeanor were magnified, it would truly make people lose immersion.

Shaking his head, Wei Jin busied himself with the storyboard for Whiplash; the script had already been submitted, and he only needed to wait for the approval to start casting.

Unfortunately, he was destined not to have peace today; before long, Chen Zhiming came to report.

"Mr. Wei, Juli Pictures really came knocking."

Wei Jin naturally understood Chen Zhiming's words; the other party was here to ask Shanhe Ink to do the Post-production Special Effects.

"Oh? Did you make the price clear to him?"

"I made it clear. You wouldn't believe it, that guy was acting so arrogant, with a stretched Lincoln and eight bodyguards, afraid that others wouldn't see the spectacle. As a result, once he heard the price, he chose the lowest tier, haha."

As if recalling the twitching expression on Yang Zi's face when he heard the quote, Chen Zhiming couldn't help but laugh.

"Just like that, he was still clamoring to see you, talking about making movies and investment cooperation."

Chen Zhiming had a look of disdain on his face; this guy didn't even look at his own worth, thinking he could act big in front of his boss with just a little money.

"Normal. These people crossing over think that just because they have some money, they are all that. The market will teach them how to behave." Wei Jin was not surprised; Lao Ma from Hangzhou was even crazier, always wanting to acquire Shanhe Media.

"Did you collect the deposit?"

Unless it was a top company in the industry, Shanhe Ink usually collected a deposit to prevent these unreliable crews from going bankrupt halfway or the Producer from running away with the money.

"Yes, according to the rules, I collected ten million from him."

"Fine, let's do that."

After dismissing Chen Zhiming, Wei Jin continued to bury his head in drawing storyboards. — Time entered late October; *Passengers* had been in theaters for 21 days, its domestic box office officially breaking the 800 million mark, closing at 816 million, with a global box office of 355 million USD.

The key was that the film's box office trend remained very strong, with daily box office still over 15 million, and the industry found it difficult to estimate just how far the film could go.

At the same time, after two months of preparation by a team of hundreds, the pre-production work for *Pacific Rim* had also been completed.

In the China Film Group conference room, all participating Chinese personnel gathered for a mobilization meeting before the start of filming.

"This is a co-production project, the investment is so large, and there are many aspects in which the Chinese side is involved. I hope everyone will bring their best state; do not be slack."

As the head of China Film Group, Han Sanping sat in the main seat as a matter of course and said to everyone with a serious face.

"According to the shooting schedule set by Warner, filming will start in Hong Kong in two days, with two months of outdoor shooting, followed by a transfer to a large studio in Hollywood for special shot filming, which will also take two months. The overall shooting cycle will not exceed four months."

Wei Jin stated the shooting plan once, and the reactions of the people on site varied.

Fan Bingbing, Zhang Yi, as well as the actors from the Art Troupe and Beijing Film Studio, and even Guo Fan, all appeared quite excited, clearly having looked forward to this for a long time.

Meanwhile, the engineers and technical personnel present were shocked by Hollywood's efficiency and began to whisper to each other.

"It's really hard to imagine that such a large project can finish filming in four months. The domestic film industry is indeed still far behind."

"Yeah, and I don't know when we'll be able to catch up."

Seeing everyone's conversation veering off-track, Wei Jin coughed to attract attention.

"Everyone, don't belittle yourselves. Our film industry does have shortcomings, but our development speed is also very fast. Given time, we will definitely catch up. Besides, isn't this co-production the best opportunity for everyone to learn and catch up?"

Seeing that everyone had listened a little, Wei Jin continued to speak.

"In this cooperation, both sides are in a relationship of equality and mutual assistance. When communicating and interacting with the Hollywood team, you must maintain an attitude of neither humble nor arrogant, and don't let the foreigners look down on you."

At this stage, the moon abroad is still considered rounder. Wei Jin was also giving a preventive shot in advance, fearing that some people might do something that would disgrace the nation, which would go against his original intention of making a co-production.

"Right, President Wei said it very well. Learning is learning; you can lower your posture, but you must pay attention to the degree."

Han Sanping had high awareness and quickly understood the meaning of Wei Jin's actions, casting a look of approval.

Afterward, everyone dispersed and left, but Wei Jin was kept behind by Han Sanping.

"Wei Jin, the General Administration is going to hold a seminar."

"The association couldn't handle it, so now it's the General Administration's turn? I say, Han Dong, if they have this much free time, they might as well retire early and enjoy their old age."

Wei Jin was truly impressed by the thoughts of these old guys. They had just finished the seminar for *Aftershock*, and now they were starting to study *Passengers* again. It seemed that if they didn't hold a seminar every day, they couldn't show that they were doing something.

"You kid, it wasn't me who stirred this up. Besides, I didn't say I was going to let you attend."

Once these words were out, Wei Jin was even more speechless. This wave of flashy operations was simply impressive; it turned out they hadn't intended to invite him, the main person involved, at all.

"Fine, Han Dong, don't tell me about this kind of face-saving project in the future, so I don't have to be annoyed."

"Haha, you have to understand the old folks, otherwise how can they sit firmly in their positions?"

Although Han Sanping was laughing, the sarcasm in his tone was obvious—a bunch of people occupying positions without doing their jobs. — The moment Wei Jin left China Film Group, new reports appeared on major portal websites and news media.

"The film *Pacific Rim* will start filming in Hong Kong in 2 days!"

"The Chinese lead cast will board a plane to Hong Kong tomorrow!"

For a time, many young starlets in the circle felt heartache again. A 150 million USD big production! Just how well did that vixen Fan Bingbing serve Wei Jin? At the same time, Zhang Weiping was unwilling to be lonely and high-profilely announced to the outside world: "The male lead for *Sacrifice* has been decided; it will be played by the actor who plays Batman, Christian Bale."

When the news spread, it caused a huge stir.

Chen Shiren also came to join in the fun. This time he didn't recite poetry, but he was equally confident and appeared very high-profile:

"I believe everyone has been looking forward to *Sacrifice* for a long time. This historical costume drama is my painstaking work. I can guarantee that it will definitely not disappoint everyone. If we talk about box office, it would be vulgar; I hope everyone can appreciate the artistic attainments within it."

Just after this statement, the publicity team immediately started running. Borrowing the tailwind of *Pacific Rim*, they crazily hyped up Fan Bingbing's role as Zhuang Ji in the drama, which attracted a lot of attention.

Later, they even released exclusive news that when Fan Bingbing was filming, she had extremely fine gold threads embedded in every strand of her hair, and the jade hairpin on her head was worth millions.

"Chen Shiren is playing this big this time?"

Looking at the news on the internet, Wei Jin was curious and turned his head to verify with Fan Bingbing, who was still lying limp on the bed.

Since she was about to join the crew, Wei Jin was afraid she would be itchy during filming, so he gave her a preventive shot in advance.

"It's true. When we were filming, seven or eight bodyguards followed me to watch over me at all times. I didn't even dare to look down when I went to the bathroom; I was very nervous."

Fan Bingbing said with lingering fear. Of course, she could afford millions, but after all, it was the crew's property; it would be heartbreaking if she really broke it and had to pay for it.

However, thinking of the several projects she participated in this year, as well as the project investment shares given by Wei Jin, Fan Bingbing felt that this year's profit situation would definitely be very good.

Immediately, Fan Bingbing looked somewhat passionately at the man who was surfing the internet. Any project that flowed out of his hands could let her Meitao Entertainment eat until full; she must seize it.

Fan Bingbing got up from the bed, pressed her body tightly against Wei Jin's back, and coquettishly whispered in the man's ear:

"Uncle, let's rest early."

"What? Haven't fed you enough yet?"

"I want it."

Cursing "vixen" under his breath, Wei Jin turned off the computer and began to subdue the demon.

"Hey, vixen, take my rod."

First update of the day.

(End of chapter)