Chapter 308: Liu Yifei: Jing Tian, you have to hold on!

Southern Hemisphere.

It was not yet dawn, but Wei Jin was woken up by a phone call.

"Hello, Hunter, if you don't give me a good reason for this, you're dead."

Wei Jin was severely grumpy from being woken up; there was still plenty of time before his biological clock, and more importantly, he had been running back and forth between two rooms last night and had only just fallen asleep.

"Boss, did I disturb you? But I calculated the time."

Hearing this, Wei Jin realized that Hunter thought he was still in the country.

"I'm traveling in Australia these days, just say what you need to say."

"Boss, *Pacific Rim* is about to wrap up within a week."

"Hm? Why so fast?"

Wei Jin was a bit surprised; according to this timeline, it was at least a week faster than originally estimated. Was Warner's plan that unreliable?

"Uh, the Huaxia team has been working overtime too intensely during the early stages of filming, so they've made up a lot of progress."

Hunter, on the other end of the line, swore he had never seen a team work such crazy overtime without asking for extra pay.

"Mm, alright, I see. Is there anything else?"

Thinking of that group of people back home who were like they had been injected with stimulants, Wei Jin felt it was only natural.

"*Source Code* is set for release on April 1st."

Perhaps sensing his boss's bad tone, Hunter was uncharacteristically concise instead of rambling.

"Alright, I know. Hunter, for the next half month, unless it's something extremely urgent, just send me an email."

Hanging up the phone, Wei Jin continued to sleep while holding Jing Tian—back in the country, this year's Spring Festival Gala was simply lackluster.

Surprisingly, Lin Chi-ling actually partnered with Zhou Dong to perform "Orchid Pavilion Preface," which gained recognition from the audience.

In addition, Old Zhao really seemed to be struggling; he brought a group of disciples to perform "The One Sitting Next to You." It was funny, but it completely lacked the depth of his previous sketches.

"What do you think is going on with the Zhao Family Troupe?"

Ning Hao said with some emotion to Huang Bai. Today was a small gathering after the New Year, held at Ning Hao's villa.

"It's normal, isn't it? How many years in a row have they been on? The pressure of the Spring Festival Gala is so high. Didn't you see that Old Zhao's hair has turned completely white?"

Huang Bai picked up a piece of pig's head meat, his mouth oily as he ate. He thought Xing Aina's cooking was truly excellent.

"By the way, why didn't you call Old Wei?"

"Hey, he went out to play before the New Year. I haven't even seen him since I got back from *No Man's Land*."

Ning Hao picked up his small wine glass, took a sip, and then said with some emotion.

"This movie is finally done. Damn, it's been nearly three years in total. If the box office isn't ideal, I'm going to lose a fortune."

"Hey, that makes it sound like I didn't put in any effort. I followed you through all that nonsense for so long for nothing."

Thinking of the sandstorms he had endured and the schedule he had sacrificed, Huang Bai couldn't help but complain.

"But if there's a loss, it's China Film Group's loss. As for you, at most you've lost a bit of your youth, haha."

Huang Bai was indeed an optimist; he realized it the moment he thought about it. Compared to Ning Hao, wasn't he much more relaxed?

"You're being heartless saying that. If I hadn't reshot your scenes in advance, would you have been able to catch up with Zhou Xingxing's casting?"

"Hey, Haozi, you can't be like that. I put in the effort for those reshoots, and you want to take the credit? Pfft."

Huang Bai considered that he had done enough in this matter and wouldn't let Ning Hao get away with it.

"Alright, alright, I acknowledge the favor. But you're really lucky, kid, being able to land a role as soon as you get back."

"Hehe, don't look at who you're talking to. I auditioned once and landed the role directly. How about that? Impressive, right?"

Huang Bai had drunk some alcohol and was starting to feel it.

"That's why you have to get out there more. If I stayed at home every day like you, I'm afraid I would have missed this opportunity."

Huang Bai didn't notice that Xing Aina, who was on the side, looked like she wanted to kill him.

"Bozi, it's not that your acting is amazing, it's that Zhou Xingxing is good at casting. He saw at a glance that you're just like the Monkey King, with a hairy face and a thunder-god mouth."

"Hey, hey, Xiao Na, your tongue is really sharp."

Huang Bai knew he had made a slip of the tongue and didn't want to bicker with a woman, so he raised his glass to toast with Ning Hao and then moved on to other topics.

"You know, Director Feng really knows how to play the game. I always feel like he's deliberately trying to attract attention."

Huang Bai's tone carried a hint of sarcasm.

If we're talking about the liveliest thing in the industry on New Year's Eve, it was Feng Dapao's Weibo. This guy directly and high-profilely announced:

"This year, my two movies grossed 1.1 billion. I'm a bit tired, so I'm going to take a good sleep on my laurels. See you next year!"

As a result, before the netizens could react, this guy posted another Weibo shortly after midnight: "Last year, everyone said the box office of *Aftershock* was selling misery and making a lot of money in the name of a disaster film. I thought about it for a long time and decided to make a truly thought-provoking film in the new year. This time, I won't bring in any other investors."

Ning Hao picked up his glass and took another sip, a smile on his face.

"Director Feng isn't wrong either, 'see you next year,' haha."

"Impressive, great directors really have an art to the way they speak."

Huang Bai also reacted and gave a thumbs up.

"But according to Director Feng's logic, Director Jiang Wen can only sleep for 70%, Director Chen can only sleep for 20%, Old Wei can sleep for two full naps, and as for you, Haozi, you'll just have to pull an all-nighter, haha."

As soon as these words were out, Ning Hao's face turned black. Unlike Huang Bai's joy, Yang Mi was in a bad mood this Spring Festival.

She didn't expect that as one of the Four Dan Actresses, with the 300 million box office of *Brotherhood of Blades 2* under her belt, and the support of Shanhe Media behind her, she was clearly auditioning for the female lead, but Zhou Xingxing was only willing to offer the role of the second female lead.

And he even used the excuse, "Your figure is so great, playing this role will definitely be very brilliant."

But that thin script for the role undoubtedly told Yang Mi that this character didn't have many scenes.

"Jia Jie, what should we do now?"

Looking at the message on her phone, Yang Mi felt conflicted and couldn't help but ask her closest comrade.

"Mimi, in my opinion, we should just decline. Regardless of whether the role is brilliant or not, with your A-list status, playing a supporting role to Shu Qi is one thing, but the key is that there are too few scenes; it's too demeaning."

Ceng Jia's considerations were also very practical; after all, Yang Mi had already starred as the female lead in two films, and she was at a point where her commercial value was increasing rapidly, so there was no need to lower her own status.

"But, wouldn't this offend Zhou Xingxing?"

Yang Mi asked with some concern; after all, others had given her face by inviting her to audition, and the notification had already been sent, so refusing now seemed a bit like a slap in the face.

"No, you're overthinking it. It's true that Zhou Xingxing is a great director, but don't forget, we have Shanhe Media standing behind us."

Ceng Jia also increasingly felt the benefits of having a big tree to lean on; in less than a year, she had already gotten to know quite a few producers and directors in the industry, which was truly much better than before.

"By the way, Mimi, I heard some news earlier. You know about the project 'White Vengeance', right?"

"That historical film with an investment of over 100 million? Yes, it's said they initially approached Liu Yifei and offered a salary of 8 million, but she still refused. Currently, they are still looking for a suitable role."

Yang Mi's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Jia Jie, do you mean I should give it a try?"

Yang Mi felt no psychological pressure about picking up the resources Liu Yifei had left behind; after all, it was the female lead in a major production.

"Yes, your salary requirements are much lower, and you are one of the Four Dan Actresses, so your competitive advantage is still quite significant. Besides, Starlight International has to give President Wei some face, right?"

"Alright, then you ask first. If it doesn't work out, I'll call my senior brother to think of a way." — In the film market, the Spring Festival Film Season can be described as fiercely competitive.

"Wo Zhi Nu Ren Xin" and "Magical Couple" were both released on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Although Liu Tianwang spared no effort to ruin his image by wearing silk stockings, he still couldn't avoid the fate of being roasted by the audience.

According to an incomplete statistic from a certain enthusiastic netizen, the film contained advertisements for numerous big brands including Apple, Hermès, Lipton, Chanel, and Dior, comparable to "If You Are The One 2".

This film was also jokingly referred to by netizens as an extra-long commercial.

With the film quality being what it was, the box office was self-evident: the first-day box office was 6.8 million, and after seven days of the Spring Festival Film Season, the box office was only 38 million.

These figures were clearly unworthy of the status of Liu Tianwang and Gong Huang, and the former was once again crowned with the title of "box office poison."

Gu Xiaozhang's "Magical Couple" also flopped, with a first-day box office of no more than 5 million, while Huang Baiming's "The Strongest Wedding" raked in 70 million at the box office during the Spring Festival Film Season, which was considered a decent result.

But the production company, Guangxian Pictures, was not satisfied. This project was managed by Zhang Zhao and was originally aimed at being the king of the Spring Festival Film Season, but who would have expected the appearance of "My Own Swordsman," a film pieced together entirely from jokes, which snatched away 60 million in box office.

Zhou Dong's "The Green Hornet," however, had a first-day box office of 20 million, performing quite strongly.

For a time, discussions about Zhou Dong's powerful drawing power were rampant online, occupying the headlines of major portal websites and Weibo.

However, it wasn't long before it was overshadowed by another piece of news from across the ocean.

"Overseas news: 'Pacific Rim' has officially wrapped up filming today!"

"The 150 million USD Chinese-American co-produced blockbuster 'Pacific Rim' has entered the post-production process and is highly likely to be released in the second half of the year or at the end of the year!"

Looking at the news online, Yang Mi felt a bit uncomfortable; that was a 150 million USD major production, and she had missed out on it after all.

Ceng Jia, who was by her side, saw her expression and knew what Yang Mi was thinking, so she couldn't help but persuade her: "Mimi, we have to look forward. The producers and the crew of 'White Vengeance' have already agreed, and now we are just waiting for the company's reply. You will soon be the female lead of a 100-million-plus major production."

Hearing Ceng Jia's words, Yang Mi nodded heavily. She believed that this film would definitely allow her career to reach a higher level.

"Yes, Jia Jie, I know. Being popular early doesn't mean being popular forever; sooner or later, I will catch up with them one by one."

"Right, that's the spirit. Keep it up, Mimi!" — In the Southern Hemisphere, inside a villa in New Zealand.

After a bout of entanglement, Wei Jin held the sweat-drenched Liu Yifei and was just planning to have some fun in the water when the phone rang unexpectedly.

Wei Jin had no choice but to let the young girl go into the bathroom first while he answered the phone himself.

"Old Zhang?"

"President Wei, sorry to disturb you, it's like this..."

Hanging up the phone, Wei Jin walked into the bathroom wearing his boxers and saw that Liu Yifei had already applied body wash and was playing with the bubbles.

As Wei Jin entered the bathtub, the girl asked with some curiosity: "Brother, what's wrong? Can you tell me?"

The warm water made Wei Jin feel completely comfortable, and he stroked the girl's delicate and smooth skin with both hands as he spoke.

"Well, come to think of it, this matter actually has something to do with you."

Liu Yifei stopped the boring game in her hands upon hearing this, looking a bit surprised.

"Hmm? It has to do with me?"

"Remember that 'White Vengeance'? Yang Mi refused the role in 'Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons' and took this film instead."

"Hmm? Why? That's Zhou Xingxing's film..."

"The screen time was too little; she felt her status didn't match. 'White Vengeance' is, after all, a female lead role."

Wei Jin could understand Yang Mi's decision. If she had no choice, that would be one thing, but since she had a female lead role, why would she insist on playing a supporting role for others and lower her own status? "Then did you agree?"

"Since she has the ambition, why wouldn't I agree?"

As he spoke, Wei Jin passed one hand under the girl's armpit, supported her perky buttocks, and began to knead them.

"But didn't you say this is highly likely to be a bad film? Why let her take it?"

Hearing this, Wei Jin felt it was somewhat amusing.

"Yifei, do you think film resources are really that easy to get?"

Perhaps because things had gone too smoothly since her debut, and because she had been protected too well, Liu Yifei was a bit out of touch with reality and had actually said something like "why don't they eat minced meat." Wei Jin felt it was necessary to have a good talk with her.

"You should know how fierce the competition is among female stars in the entertainment industry. For them, whether a film can sell well or whether it's a bad film is not the most important thing."

"On the contrary, a major production with an investment of over 100 million is a great opportunity, whether it's to raise their status or to pad their resume, so they naturally don't want to miss it."

Looking at the young girl's thoughtful expression, Wei Jin felt this was a good time to be affectionate. He pulled the girl onto his lower abdomen and wrapped his hands around her slender waist.

"So, Yifei, you understand my intentions now, right?"

Recalling how Wei Jin had taken care of her all along the way, Liu Yifei replied with some emotion: "Yes, Brother, thank you..."

"Silly girl, you are my woman, of course I have to support you."

Wei Jin kissed the girl's forehead lightly. After more than a week of getting used to each other, Jing Tian and Liu Yifei were able to stay in the same room, but both were still resistant to sharing a bed.

Wei Jin felt that this was a good time to push a little harder.

"It's just that you and Tian Tian are both the most important people in my heart. Don't make things difficult for me, okay?"

Wei Jin's words were earnest. Running back and forth in the middle of the night these past few days, he really felt it was too troublesome. Wouldn't it be better if everyone lived together harmoniously?

"Actually, your personalities are quite similar. I remember you two got along quite well on the set of 'Zhu Xian', didn't you? I really hope you can become good sisters and that our family can be together in harmony, okay?"

Seemingly recalling the time on set, that girl who was very well-bred and polite, and who often shared snacks with her, Liu Yifei wore a look of some inner conflict on her face.

From the bottom of her heart, she had a very good impression of Jing Tian; if it weren't for this man, perhaps they would have long since become very good best friends.

But even though she had already tried role-playing in private, Liu Yifei still felt somewhat awkward about the prospect of actually sharing a bed with Jing Tian.

Yet, even she herself had not noticed that after getting along all these years, she seemed to have become accustomed to Wei Jin's philandering, and that distant thought in her mind seemed to have hidden its tracks and vanished, her bottom line becoming lower and lower.

When she saw Jing Tian on the plane, Liu Yifei already had a premonition: unless she chose to withdraw, the man's intentions would absolutely not change, and even if he did not succeed this time, there would be endless probing in the future.

Sighing, Liu Yifei ultimately made a compromise, shifting the pressure onto Jing Tian and hoping the latter could hold firm.

"Brother, you should still persuade her first."

Hearing the girl's words, Wei Jin was overjoyed; he cupped the girl's pretty face and solemnly made a promise.

"Mua, Yifei, believe me, we will be together forever."

First update of the day.

(End of this chapter)