Chapter 335: Living Off a Woman: The National Selection of Concubines

On the 10th, Shanhe Media held the premiere for The Piano Tuner.

Although it was only a low-budget film, quite a few industry companies and artists came to show their support.

For one, they wanted to maintain a good relationship with Shanhe Media, and for another, they were curious about this The Piano Tuner; after all, Shanhe Media had produced far too many blockbuster films.

Some friends of the creative team also came to show support, such as Jiang Qinqin's husband, Chen Jianbing, or Zhang Songwen's good friend Zhou Yiwei, as well as many teachers from the Beijing Film Academy.

However, Wei Jin was quite surprised to see Wu Jing at the venue.

"Director Wei, thank you so much this time."

Wu Jing's tone was very sincere; not only had Wei Jin mentored him, but after the film finished its theatrical run, he had even given him a red envelope of two million, and although that was nothing compared to his now-soaring market value, this generosity truly moved him.

"Alright, stop being so sentimental. I gave you the opportunity, but you had to be the one to seize it."

Wei Jin took no credit; whether he existed or not, Wu Jing was never one to be confined to a small pond.

What's more, the film The Raid had made Jiahe a fortune, with the film's box office profits alone reaching 60 million, and counting overseas copyrights, it was a net profit of over 100 million, not to mention the boost to their stock price.

Scanning the premiere venue, Wei Jin saw a familiar figure and a smile appeared on his face.

"Not bad, she came with you? You've completely won her over?"

Hearing this, Wu Jing scratched his head and grinned.

"Yeah, we just made it official a while ago."

"Then congratulations to you. Before SPL: Sha Po Lang 2 starts filming, spend some good time with Xie Nan. Hold on tight and don't let go, haha."

Wei Jin joked with a laugh, marveling at how timely Wu Jing's move was; one had to know that with FiberHome going public, Xie Nan and Bao Guangtou, as the top stars of the agency, held quite a lot of shares, and their net worth had definitely skyrocketed.

Beautiful and wealthy, Xie Nan was a quintessential "white, rich, and beautiful" woman; Wu Jing had essentially latched onto a rich woman, and even without the Wolf Warrior series, he could have lived off her wealth until he was stuffed.

"Don't worry, Boss Wei, I've got it firmly under control."

Watching Wu Jing's pretentious look, Wei Jin didn't expose him; what was wrong with Wolf Warrior caring about his image? As the two chatted and laughed, the premiere began. The host was still Liu Yan; such occasions were already her specialty.

On stage, Cao Baoping, along with Zhang Songwen, Kan Qingzi, and other members of the creative team, were sharing interesting stories from the filming process under the host's guidance.

Cao Baoping's remarks were standard and conventional.

"I really like Wei Jin's script. Although this is my first time directing a commercial film and the production budget isn't large, I have confidence that the audience will definitely like this movie."

When it was Zhang Songwen's turn, Wei Jin could clearly feel his nervousness, which was no surprise, as this was the first film he had starred in.

However, Jiang Qinqin looked exceptionally radiant on stage; despite being 36 years old, every look and smile exuded the charm of a mature woman, especially those eyes, which were particularly captivating.

It was a pity the beauty was already taken. Although Wei Jin was a romantic, he did not possess the "Wei Wu legacy" (a penchant for other men's wives), otherwise... As for the Beijing Film Academy junior Kan Qingzi, she had a pure and innocent look.

After the few creative team members finished speaking, they moved on to the main event and played the film directly.

Wei Jin was quite confident about the film The Piano Tuner; currently, there was actually a large gap in the market for this type of suspense work.

Although the cast was average, Wei Jin believed that compared to so-called star-studded lineups, audiences were more willing to see a brilliant story.

Without a doubt, the script for The Piano Tuner was brilliant enough.

After the 120-minute film ended, applause erupted in the venue, and the media and industry insiders present began to chatter and discuss; most of the evaluations were positive.

"The suspense and twists were done very well; I don't think it's any worse than The Invisible Guest."

"I feel it's still a bit lacking. There are enough twists, but the pacing seems a bit off. Besides, in terms of commercial films, Cao Baoping can't compare to the Wei Jin of back then..."

"I think this movie is quite good; it might become the dark horse of August."

Zhang Songwen's state had clearly improved by now; he had a smile on his face, and it was obvious he was very happy.

The signals from the guests present didn't seem like mere pleasantries to him; he really might become an overnight sensation because of this film.

After the premiere ended, the media's press releases came out.

"A very interesting suspense film that tells the story of a piano tuner who pretends to be blind and encounters various unexpected experiences after accidentally becoming an 'eyewitness' to a murder case."

"The Piano Tuner, a suspense masterpiece that makes you shudder upon reflection."

"Low-budget film The Piano Tuner premieres to an enthusiastic response!"

After the media and guests left, Wei Jin specifically chatted with the creative team for a while.

"Teacher Cao, next, we just wait for the release in two days."

"Yeah, I don't know how much the final box office will be."

Although he had appeared very confident on stage just now, Cao Baoping was still very anxious inside; this was his first time directing a commercial film, and if it flopped, it would be hard to transition again.

Kan Qingzi, who was following along on the side, had a smile on her face and said with great confidence, "With Senior's name attached, it will definitely be a big hit."

"Everyone don't worry, I have confidence in this film. I won't say too much, but 100 million is absolutely no problem."

As soon as Wei Jin said this, the creative team was stunned. Wouldn't that be too exaggerated?

Seeing everyone's reaction, Wei Jin shook his head without explaining. The domestic film market was developing too fast, and many people hadn't wrapped their heads around it yet; breaking 100 million at the box office was now a basic operation. —— After the premiere ended, Wei Jin took the host Liu Yan back to his villa; after all, it had been a long time since he had experienced her talents.

In the bathroom, Wei Jin lay comfortably in the bathtub, with Liu Yan working diligently beneath him; the warm water and the gentle beauty made his whole body feel at ease.

It had to be said, although Liu Yan was already thirty, after being nourished all these years, her skin was still like a young girl's, firm and smooth.

The warm and delicate touch of her skin made Wei Jin sigh.

"Mmm~~~ That's just great."

As Wei Jin reached out to touch Liu Yan's ample "conscience" (breasts), he sighed; it had to be said, after years of getting used to each other, Liu Yan and he were a perfect match.

About ten minutes passed, and Wei Jin patted Liu Yan's pretty face; it was time for the main course.

"Alright, now it's time for the boss to serve you."

A blush appeared on Liu Yan's face; she hadn't received the boss's favor for several months, and she had been prepared for a long time.

"Boss, whatever you want tonight, anything goes~~~"

An hour later, Liu Yan lay limply against Wei Jin's chest, somewhat lost in thought; she had overestimated herself.

Lighting a cigarette, Wei Jin held it with one hand and began to puff away.

Soon the cigarette was finished; Wei Jin stubbed it out and adjusted his posture. Looking at the woman in his arms whose eyes were still hazy, Wei Jin brought up a topic.

"How are the ratings for this season of Keep Running?"

Liu Yan heard this, as if she had just returned from the clouds, and only answered after a moment of hesitation.

"It's not bad. Although the data can't compare to before, it's still ranked first for the same period. Breaking 4 is no problem, and if a hit point appears occasionally, it can break 5."

Wei Jin nodded to show he understood. Nowadays, there are more and more forms of entertainment, and audiences are becoming increasingly picky about television programs. Being able to achieve these results is already quite good.

"By the way, Boss, because Liu Feiren needs to prepare for the Olympics, he has already indicated to the production team that he will not participate in the next season of the program."

Wei Jin nodded to show he understood. No matter how popular *Keep Running* is, for Liu Feiren, it is only a place to temporarily recover from injuries and support his family; his true destination has always been the arena.

However, this news gave Wei Jin other ideas. This program has already been recorded for three seasons; perhaps it is time for adjustments.

"Hmm, do the others have any thoughts?"

"Luo Jin has also chatted about it in private. He feels that too much exposure is somewhat detrimental to his acting career."

Wei Jin nodded upon hearing this; Luo Jin's thoughts were very normal.

"Alright, I understand. Later, I will arrange for the Variety Department to talk with everyone and respect everyone's true thoughts."

Liu Yan nodded. After all, it is the company's variety show. Even if some people have thoughts in private, they might not dare to bring them up. Having everyone talk openly and honestly is perhaps the best way.

"By the way, Boss, is it confirmed that Zixuan is going to debut?"

"Yes, she is almost thirty. If she doesn't debut now, there won't be many opportunities in the future."

Speaking of this, Wei Jin wrapped his arms around Liu Yan's slender waist and pulled her tighter.

"Since you are willing to follow me like this, I should at least do something, right?"

Sensing the emotion revealed in the man's tone, Liu Yan felt a warmth in her heart. No matter what, the boss ultimately had a place for them in his heart, even if it was just a tiny corner.

Thinking of this, Liu Yan lowered herself down again.

"Mm... you should take it easy; I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it." — In the television drama market, *Sword Snow Stride* is still being broadcasted hotly.

The current peak viewership rating has reached 3.87%, and the peak viewership share has reached 14.59%, defeating a host of competitors to become the national number one in the same time slot. It can be called the most outstanding television drama this summer.

The media are all scrambling to report on this television drama, and the ending theme song, *Not a Hero*, has quickly become popular all over the internet.

The cast and crew of *Sword Snow Stride* have already started a crazy second and third round of promotional activities.

As a workaholic, Yang Mi naturally dared not fall behind. From the promotion before the drama aired until now, she has not rested for almost a month.

Even Ceng Jia was afraid she would collapse from exhaustion and couldn't help but speak up to persuade her.

"Mimi, why don't you rest for a few days?"

Yang Mi picked up the honey water on the table and took a big gulp.

"Jia Jie, I'm fine. This kind of life is what I want."

A hit television drama has an incomparable boost for an actor; Yang Mi has deep feelings about this point.

Thinking back to when *Palace* first aired, she was much more popular than Liu Shishi.

Unfortunately, with the broadcast of *Palace* and that song *Amour* becoming popular, she and Liu Shishi were no longer in the same tier; otherwise, last year's Golden Eagle Goddess would not have fallen to the latter.

"It's just a pity there isn't a song suitable for me to sing; otherwise, like old Qiao, I would be making money until my hands went soft."

Yang Mi had a look of regret on her face. She also wanted to replicate Liu Shishi's achievements, but unfortunately, the company's music director did not think highly of her at all. That sentence, "You have no talent for singing," had dealt her quite a blow.

"Mimi, it's already very good. The recent endorsement quotes are already 30% higher than before. But let's not be in a hurry; wait for your next two movies to be released, and then it will be another scene."

Yang Mi's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this. One movie as the female lead, one big production with a 200 million budget as the female lead—this year, she, Yang Mi, is destined to be popular across the country. By then, wouldn't piles of money come flying over? — In the film market, *The Piano Tuner* has been released.

Although it is only a movie with a production cost of 15 million, Wei Jin's scripts have created too many miracles over the years, and he has already established a golden reputation in the hearts of the audience.

Therefore, the cinema lines are also quite optimistic about the film, and the scheduling is quite supportive. Both Shanhe Cinema Line and Wanda Cinema Line gave more than 30% of the screen share.

The remaining cinema lines also withstood the pressure of *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows* and managed to carve out 20% of the screen share.

Thanks to this, on its first day of release, *The Piano Tuner* actually erupted with energy beyond the industry's imagination, with a box office of 16.6 million.

More importantly, the word-of-mouth online is quite explosive, with the Yinxiang Net rating as high as 9.2, which is simply beyond imagination.

You must know that since Yinxiang Net was launched more than 4 years ago, the number of works with a rating of 9 or higher is very few, and every one of them is a classic masterpiece.

This means that *The Piano Tuner* will usher in a box office explosion later on.

Many netizens are leaving comments in the comment section and recommending their friends and family to go to the cinema to watch it.

Barefoot Shopping: "Wei Jin is awesome! Another suspenseful, brain-burning film. It has the flavor of *The Invisible Guest*. Highly recommended!!"

Fleeting Ignorance: "Is my IQ too low? There are several places I didn't understand. Is there a plot analysis?"

Emperor Xian Sheng: "Watch it again. I've already watched it twice, and I still have a few questions. I'm going to buy a ticket first."

jin1978: "The actors' performances are also wonderful. Jiang Qinqin's femme fatale is so flavorful."

Mustard Kiss: "To the one above, is that flavor of yours... proper?"

At the same time, the official website of Shanhe Media announced a piece of information, causing a nationwide sensation.

The chairman of Shanhe Media Group, the great director Wei Jin, is recruiting a new assistant! You must know that the competition among female stars in the entertainment industry is very fierce, and the main reason lies in the fact that their "flowering period" is too short.

Therefore, having a good starting point is very important, which means that within the limited flowering period, one can go further.

Undoubtedly, the position of Wei Jin's assistant is definitely a very high starting point.

Whether it is the popular host Liu Yan, the young starlet Bai Bin, or Wang Zixuan, who was able to participate in a Wei Jin movie just after her debut, they have all proven this fact to the circle.

So, as soon as this news came out, female students aspiring to develop in the entertainment industry from the three major art academies and many well-known universities across the country all went crazy.

Resume after resume drifted toward Shanhe Media like snowflakes, like a national selection of concubines.

(End of this chapter)