Chapter 306: Assistants' Roleplay: Worship

In the film market, the box office for *Let the Bullets Fly* has just crossed the 700 million mark, closing at 708 million, and is now being pulled from theaters.

Jiang Wen has leapt to become a major director with a 700 million box office hit, and this film has also become the runner-up on the domestic film box office chart; the internet is full of related reports.

Jiang Wen kept his word and personally wrote an invitation for the celebration banquet to be sent to the company, but Wei Jin chose not to attend, only letting Chen Zhiming go on his behalf; he is busy with the storyboards and pre-production for *Inception*.

Besides, he doesn't like business socializing; with this time, isn't it better to interact more with a few women? At the same time, *New Shaolin Temple* was released, with a first-day box office of 23 million.

Relative to the production cost and the cast, this result is undoubtedly substandard.

But even so, a group of experts jumped out to predict that the total domestic box office would reach 500 million, which seems quite laughable.

Sure enough, the market's slap in the face came quickly; in its first week of release, *New Shaolin Temple* brought in 102 million, but the single-day box office has already fallen below 10 million.

Crucially, the film's word-of-mouth has collapsed, and the internet is almost entirely filled with scolding.

Gu j: "After watching for 2 hours, the whole thing is full of affectation, deliberately expressing the tolerance and benevolence of Shaolin; it's nonsensical."

Yearning Unceasingly: "Chen Musheng, you should still go back to shooting action films; you can't handle such a blockbuster."

Hua Qian Yu Ye: "Shaolin Group really spent a fortune to shoot this promotional film; it wasted such a good cast."

Outside of work, Wei Jin shook his head while looking at the comments online, not knowing why the Buddha did not protect his followers this time.

According to this trend, it would be a miracle if the box office of *New Shaolin Temple* could pass 200 million. —— Lasting more than 3 months, the 200 million investment 3D martial arts epic *Flying Swords of Dragon Gate* has wrapped up.

In the office, looking at the travel-worn but spirited Xu Laoguai, Wei Jin felt some emotion; he is over sixty, yet his energy is truly vigorous.

"Director Xu, the Spring Festival is coming soon; you don't need to worry about the film's post-production. Go back to Hong Kong to accompany President Shi. You two living apart, it's rare to see each other a few times a year; it makes me seem a bit inhumane, haha."

Hearing Wei Jin's words, a slightly unnatural look flashed across Xu Laoguai's face.

"Mm, thank you, President Wei, I know."

"How was the harvest this time?"

"Very good. Cameron's team put forward many constructive suggestions. This shoot gave me a feeling of having found the direction for the future."

"That's good. We aren't afraid of spending money or falling behind; as long as there are gains, we can just catch up slowly."

Wei Jin nodded, then asked another person to the side.

"Old Dong, have you figured out 3D photography? You'll have to start in a few months, so don't drop the ball for me then."

Old Dong's full name is Dong Jinsong; he is a slightly honest-looking Shaanbei man with thick eyebrows and big eyes. Because of this connection, he joined Shanhe Media very early on and has been Wei Jin's personal cinematographer all these years.

After finishing the filming of *Whiplash*, Wei Jin arranged for Old Dong to join the *Flying Swords of Dragon Gate* crew to observe and learn related technologies, preparing for the subsequent *Inception*.

"Don't worry, President Wei, no problem."

Old Dong was concise; in fact, regarding 3D photography, he had already been studying it back when *Inception* was released. He wouldn't dare say he is a master, but he is definitely proficient.

"Good, everyone has had a tiring journey, so I won't do those fancy things; everyone go rest, we'll gather again at the annual meeting." —— As the year-end approaches, the entertainment industry is at its busiest, and major entertainment companies have begun holding annual meetings.

Many film and television companies and celebrity studios in the industry are posting on Weibo, showing off annual meeting photos, gifts, and year-end bonuses.

The celebrity studios under Shanhe Media are no exception. Qiao Zhenyu is gentle and treats the employees of his team very well; he gave out many laptops, mobile phones, and cash, and even held a car raffle.

Fan Bingbing is no less generous; despite being in Hollywood, she still arranged for Yang Siwei to hold an annual meeting event and specifically recorded a New Year's greeting video. Her spending was also quite lavish, with a 5,000 shopping card as a baseline for everyone, with other prizes calculated separately.

Only Zhou Xun is an exception; she doesn't seem to have gotten used to her identity as a boss yet, waiting eagerly for Wei Jin to provide the "big pot rice," which left her employees feeling both annoyed and amused. They didn't know what to say about having such an unreliable boss.

For this year's Shanhe Media annual meeting, Wei Jin didn't do any other fancy tricks and just waved his hand: cash lucky draw.

With tens of millions in cash piled together, the scene was quite spectacular.

Of course, Wei Jin didn't play the Huayi game of favoring some over others; everyone was treated equally.

From the 1,888 small red envelope to the 88,888 big red envelope, everyone got a share.

"Hahaha."

The receptionist Zhang Wen was overjoyed; she felt she was the daughter of destiny.

In the lucky draw session, she won the 88,888 super-sized red envelope, plus 10 days of paid vacation for next year.

Looking at the veteran employee who is already in her twenties grinning on stage, Wei Jin felt emotional inside; it has been a full seven years, and this girl has watched Shanhe Media come along step by step.

Zhou Xun is also really funny, bringing her own employees over to sponge off the food and drink, and even the lucky draw. In her words, they are all Wei Jin's wage earners, so they shouldn't be divided so clearly.

However, this sister's luck was not bad; she drew a 28,888 red envelope and immediately beamed with joy.

In a happy and festive atmosphere, the 2011 company annual meeting came to an end.

After the banquet ended, Wei Jin went to enjoy the new program prepared by the three assistants as usual; this has already become the thing he looks forward to most every year-end.

Sure enough, the three beauties did not disappoint him; the villa was decorated like a classroom, and the three of them also had different outfits.

Liu Yan wore a pair of rimless rose-red glasses, a white tight-fitting shirt, with an astonishing curve hooked at her chest, a pair of red high heels, matched with delicate, high-transparency black silk stockings + a 7B ultra-short hip-hugging skirt, holding a soft teaching pointer in her hand, completely incarnating as a Tokyo teacher, making one unable to stop.

Xiaobai was in a cool student outfit; under the ultra-short skirt was a pair of over-the-knee white silk stockings paired with small black shoes, a long ponytail, and that peerless face with a classical charm; she was truly both pure and seductive.

Wang Zixuan was dressed as a nurse; the pink slim-fitting gown could not hide her proud figure, and through the gap between two buttons, paired with black silk and high heels, charm was born naturally.

Looking at the teacher, student, and school doctor before him—all of them are hot categories in adult films—the corners of Wei Jin's mouth curled into a satisfied smile.

"Liu Yan, Xiaobai, Zixuan, not bad, you have truly won my heart."

"Teacher Liu Yan, I don't really know how to solve this problem about length."

"This is simple; calculate it mentally first. If you still don't quite understand, I'll help you measure it."

"Student Xiaobai, desk mates should help each other. I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable now; can you help me?"

"No problem, Student Wei, your body is so hot; let me help you cool down with water."

"Doctor Wang, I'm feeling a bit unwell and want to get an injection; which position do you think is more appropriate?"

"Student Wei, don't worry, I can handle this situation."

This night, Wei Jin experienced the joy that the Japanese are keen on. —— Near the Spring Festival, receiving a private invitation from Han Sanping, Wei Jin was a bit surprised.

But when he arrived at the place and saw the short-haired girl following behind Han, Wei Jin realized what was going on and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: human relationships and connections are truly everywhere.

Even a top big shot like Han Sanping has to pave the way for his daughter.

"Jia'nu, I don't need to introduce Wei Jin, right?"

After the host and guests were seated, Han Sanping said to his daughter.

"Of course, the youngest Palme d'Or winner, Golden Bear winner, Oscar-winning director, and 1-billion-box-office director in the country; there's no one in the entertainment industry who doesn't know you."

Good grief, Han Jianv's self-questioning and self-answering introduction, paired with the slightly worshipful look in her big eyes, made Wei Jin feel uncharacteristically embarrassed.

"Hello, Director Wei, I'm Han Jianv. I applied for the Director Department as a Graduate Student at Beijing Film Academy this year."

Han Sanping's daughter, Han Jianv, had facial features three parts similar to Han, and looking at her face alone, she naturally couldn't be considered a beauty.

But her slightly sharp features, paired with short hair, gave her an overall air that was fresh and crisp, with a hint of a strong woman's vibe.

"Hello. By that count, you're my junior schoolmate. Are you born in the 90s?"

"Not at all, I'm from '86."

It was clear that Han Jianv was a bit excited, but thanks to her good upbringing, she quickly calmed down in such a setting and, after chatting for a couple of sentences, handed the topic over to her father.

She just curiously sized up Wei Jin; after all, the current Wei Jin had gradually become a myth in the film circle and even the entertainment industry.

Whether it was his achievements in film box office or his haul of top global awards, Wei Jin was destined to leave his name in global film history.

More importantly, such an all-around top-tier director was also the head of a behemoth company in the entertainment industry, and his exposed net worth alone already exceeded tens of billions. Han Jianv had intentions of developing in the film and television entertainment industry, so she naturally understood Wei Jin's weight.

After chatting briefly for a few sentences, Han Sanping gestured toward his daughter.

"Wei Jin, if there's a chance in the future, take her under your wing more."

"Han Dong, with you here, why would she need me to take her under my wing?"

Wei Jin sat in his seat in a carefree manner, not standing on ceremony, and picked up a bite of food.

"You brat, I'm at this age now; I'll have to retire sooner or later."

"Han Dong, you're being humble, aren't you? Not to mention your term is only half over, based on China Film Group's profits these past two years, maybe even after I retire, you old man will still be sitting firmly in your seat, haha."

Wei Jin wasn't speaking falsely; in these few years, China Film Group had reaped plenty of benefits following Shanhe Media, and with a few Hollywood projects added in, the profits were quite substantial.

Although it was a state-owned enterprise, Wei Jin believed that, regardless, people with achievements would always be favored; who knows, Han Sanping might really have a chance to be re-elected.

"Stop spouting nonsense with me, give me a straight answer."

Han Sanping knew his own situation; even if he could be re-elected, he would eventually have to step down. The so-called "when people leave, the tea goes cold" was as realistic as it gets.

But Wei Jin was different; he wasn't even thirty yet, and he was a person who valued loyalty and friendship. As long as he was willing to mentor Jianv, then his daughter would be worry-free for at least the rest of her life.

"Don't worry, if you really retire, I'll look after my junior schoolmate; she won't suffer any losses."

Wei Jin had no objections; Han Jianv was the screenwriter for Dying to Survive, so her level wasn't low. Moreover, Han had helped him quite a bit over the years, so if he could help out, he wouldn't be stingy.

"Good, with those words from you, I can rest easy."

Hearing Wei Jin's promise, Han Sanping's face, which was like an old farmer's and covered in the vicissitudes of life, revealed a gratified smile. He knew this kid valued loyalty and friendship, but it was a pity—if only he weren't so fickle, how good that would be.

Han Jianv, on the side, watching the way Wei Jin and her old man interacted, was a bit speechless. These two were decades apart, yet they got along so harmoniously; she felt like an outsider, so she couldn't help but interject.

"Senior Brother Wei, you've won so many international awards, can you tell me why it's so hard to win awards domestically?"

Wei Jin understood Han Jianv's question.

In the middle of this month, the Berlin International Film Festival announced its shortlist, and not a single Chinese-language film made it in; they were wiped out. Yesterday, the 83rd Oscar nominations were revealed in Beverly Hills; for Best Foreign Language Film, Aftershock, recommended by the General Administration, Echoes of the Rainbow, representing Hong Kong, and Monga, representing Taiwan, were all left out.

Being shut out twice in a row, the blow suffered by Chinese-language films was truly too great.

"Junior schoolmate, whether it's the European Big Three or the Oscars, they can't achieve absolute fairness and justice; you need to understand this point."

Picking up his teacup and taking a sip, Wei Jin continued:

"The European Big Three are fine; if you can't even get shortlisted, that just means the work isn't up to par, and you can't blame others. But the matter of campaigning for the Oscars is just the domestic producers' brains not turning the corner."

"Oh? How so? Is it that the film selection is wrong?"

It was no wonder Han Jianv had this question. After Aftershock was left out, Zhang Yimou directly expressed on Weibo with sarcasm: "For things like campaigning for the Oscars, you still need experienced old hands to do it. Some people are not worthy of their positions, so the result is naturally self-evident."

These words naturally caused a huge uproar online. Most people felt that perhaps if the spot had been given to Hawthorn Tree, the result would have been different. Clearly, Han Jianv was also on Zhang Yimou's side.

"It has little to do with the film selection. Do you know when Hollywood is the busiest every year?"

Wei Jin looked at Han and his daughter and asked pointedly.

"Awards season?" Han Jianv answered with some uncertainty.

"That's right. And do you know who the busiest people are?"

Without waiting for Han Jianv to answer, Wei Jin said the answer himself.

"It's not the actors, nor the production companies. The busiest are those thousands of judges and the people from PR firms. No matter how good a film is, it still needs PR. Do you know how much money I spent last year to get The Hunt an award?"

Speaking to this point, Wei Jin paused and held up his left index finger.

"Over ten million—in US dollars."

After Wei Jin finished speaking, he ignored the shocked Han father and daughter and went back to eating his meal.

Regarding the domestic operations, Wei Jin was truly a bit speechless. Every year they signed up for the Oscars full of confidence, and after signing up, they just waited expectantly for the results. They didn't even understand the rules of Hollywood, so they were destined to not even have the qualifications to be a runner-up.

"But... but Senior Brother, it's just Best Foreign Language Film, is it necessary?"

Han Jianv truly couldn't imagine that over ten million US dollars in PR funds brought two Oscar Little Gold Men for The Hunt. Was this really worth it? "What's wrong with foreign language films? Yes, the competition for foreign language films isn't as intense, but as the saying goes, 'too much politeness never hurts.' Running PR doesn't have any downsides, right? What? In the country, you're always 'running to the departments for money,' but once you go outside, your skills get rusty?"

Wei Jin's sarcastic remarks left Han Sanping, who was within the system, speechless. But after pondering it, it seemed to be the same logic. These thousands-of-years-old traditional skills—how did they get lost once they went outside?

Halfway through the meal, Wei Jin suddenly remembered his own business.

"By the way, Han Zong, why hasn't Dixing Yinxing been approved yet?"

Wei Jin found it a bit strange; it had been over twenty days, and the script still hadn't passed review. By logic, for this type of sci-fi film, no one should be blocking the review.

"Ahem, things within the system, you have to understand. Before the new year, everyone is having meetings and doing summaries; it's estimated it will be after the new year."

Han Sanping was also a bit embarrassed. Those old guys were just occupying their positions without doing their jobs. Every time around holidays, they were just drinking tea, reading newspapers, and socializing; where would they have the energy to do real work?

"But it'll be soon; it's estimated it can be approved after the new year starts."

Speaking to this point, Han Sanping slapped his head, as if he had remembered something.

"By the way, I almost forgot to tell you, there's a seminar after the new year; you come participate too."

"Han Dong, I won't go. You know I don't like these kinds of occasions."

Wei Jin had participated in these seminars many times; it was nothing more than a bunch of film and television company bosses and big directors in the circle sitting in rows.

A group of leaders took the stage one after another, starting off by saying, "I'll just say a few brief words," and then proceeding to talk for hours on end.

The key was that these leaders were all laymen who couldn't hit the main points, spouting nothing but empty, meaningless jargon; it would have been better to stay home and have fun with the women.

"You can't run away this time, kid; Director Tong specifically requested your attendance."

Han Sanping set down his chopsticks and said with a smile:

"Last year, the domestic film box office exceeded 12 billion; Shanhe Media and Golden Harvest combined accounted for 2 billion. Tell me, if you don't go, is that appropriate?"

Since things had reached this point, Wei Jin could only smile bitterly and shake his head; he still had to give Director Tong some face.

"Fine, but let's get this straight: if the timing doesn't work out, you can't blame me."

"It'll be around after the Lunar New Year, but where are you planning to go again, kid?"

Han Sanping suddenly perked up; could this kid have another project in North America?

"I bought an island in Australia and plan to spend the Spring Festival over there."

After the Oscars last year, Wei Jin had arranged for William to be in charge of this matter, and the construction of the island in all aspects had already been completed; taking advantage of the Spring Festival, he planned to take a few women out to cultivate their relationships.

Upon hearing this, Han Sanping immediately lost interest, though he couldn't help but tease him.

"Your life is truly decadent, kid."

Wei Jin immediately protested upon hearing this.

"Han Dong, we may be on good terms, but if you say that, I'll have to sue you for slander; every single cent was earned through my own hard work. What, am I not allowed to enjoy myself?"

"Haha."

First update of the day.

(End of this chapter)