Chapter 368: The Breakup, The Wrap, and the National Teacher's Request

Without a doubt, Zhang Weiping's hype campaign was a success.

In just a single day, the buzz surrounding *The Flowers of War* skyrocketed; the previously unknown lead actress, Ni Ni, saw her Weibo follower count surge by hundreds of thousands overnight, becoming an instant internet sensation.

If it were an average female artist, she might be secretly delighted, seizing this heaven-sent traffic.

But Ni Ni is different; she already has a ticket to the top, and with the successful precedents of several previous Mou Girls, she is absolutely not satisfied with being a "sex symbol."

You must know that in the entertainment industry, it is easy to become famous by stripping, but it is very difficult to put the clothes back on.

So, in one day, Ni Ni posted three consecutive Weibo messages to deny the matter.

But unfortunately, no one believed her at all, and the comments section was filled with nothing but filth.

If it were just malicious speculation from netizens, as an actress, Ni Ni could have endured it; at worst, she could just close the comments and delete the Weibo posts.

In fact, she had already done so.

But the dozens or even hundreds of calls from parents, friends, teachers, and classmates made her feel extremely humiliated.

With no other choice, Ni Ni picked up the phone to seek help.

"Teacher, I... what should I do?"

Ni Ni's voice was somewhat choked with sobs; according to the rules of the film circle, as a Mou Girl, it was only appropriate for her to call Zhang Yimou "Teacher."

"You stay at home for now, don't go anywhere; I will handle this matter."

Listening to the gentle voice on the phone, Ni Ni inexplicably felt a sense of security.

"Mm, I'll listen to you."

Hanging up the phone, Ni Ni finally let out a sigh of relief; she believed that Teacher would definitely be able to handle it well.

It was just that whenever she thought of those phone calls and certain remarks that seemed caring but were actually stinging, tears welled up in Ni Ni's eyes again.

On the other side, after hanging up the phone, Zhang Yimou's face was livid, and his eyes were still bloodshot.

He truly did not expect that after more than a decade of mutual support, Zhang Weiping would show absolutely no regard for his dignity.

Such hype tactics made Zhang Yimou feel incomparably angry and humiliated.

Closing his eyes, scenes of his acquaintance with Zhang Weiping flashed through Zhang Yimou's mind.

Opening his eyes, Zhang Yimou's gaze carried a sharpness, like a general about to head into battle.

"It is time to make a decision."

"You should have made a decision long ago."

Chen Ting, who was by his side, walked up and took Zhang Yimou's arm, showing her support.

In 1999, 18-year-old Chen Ting met Zhang Yimou while participating in the open auditions for *Happy Times*.

Although there was a large age gap, Chen Ting fell in love with the talented and world-renowned Zhang Yimou without hesitation.

But because of Zhang Weiping's interference, the two of them dragged it out until this year to finally get their marriage certificate.

So, regarding Zhang Weiping, Chen Ting was full of disgust and had long been hoping for Zhang Yimou to draw a line in the sand with him.

"Tingting, I'm sorry; these years, I've let you suffer along with me."

Looking at his young, devoted wife who had stayed by his side for 12 years and given birth to three children for him, Zhang Yimou was filled with guilt.

"Old Zhang, there's no need for us to say such things. Go on, handle the matter early; I'll wait for you to come home for dinner."

"Mm."

*Bottom-Tier Girl* filming set.

This scene was the female lead taking an exam, which was quite simple to shoot.

Jing Tian's performance had no issues either, and Wei Jin passed it in one take.

Taking advantage of the break, Wei Jin checked the news online.

The 48th Golden Horse Awards were about to begin.

Perhaps to mock the ridiculous maneuvers of the Golden Rooster Awards, the Golden Horse seemed quite inclusive this time.

*A Simple Life*, produced by Golden Harvest, received a total of 6 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

*Let the Bullets Fly* by Jiang Wen from Mainland China also received a total of 9 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor.

It was just that Chen Kexin's *Wu Xia*, a massive piece of trash, actually received 6 nominations as well.

Fortunately, they were all minor categories, so it didn't lower the overall standard of the nominees.

"Brother, do you think Hua Ge has a chance this time?"

Jing Tian snuck up behind Wei Jin, and after seeing the information on his phone clearly, she asked out of the blue.

After she and Liu Tianwang collaborated on *The Martian*, their relationship had been quite good, and Jing Tian was relatively concerned about whether the latter could win.

"It shouldn't be a big problem."

To be honest, among the four nominees for Golden Horse Best Actor this year, only Peng Yuyan was put there by the Taiwan side to make up the numbers.

The others, Wang Qianyuan for *The Piano in a Factory* and Ge You for *Let the Bullets Fly*, both had outstanding acting skills.

Although Liu Tianwang's performance in *A Simple Life* was also brilliant, one couldn't say it surpassed the previous two, so Wei Jin's answer was purely cheating based on his memories from his past life.

However, Jing Tian believed Wei Jin's words one hundred percent; at this moment, a smile appeared on the young girl's face, happy for Liu Tianwang.

"Alright, Tian Tian, these are the last few scenes, let's go."

"Mm."

Beijing, New Picture.

"Delete the post now, immediately!"

Although Zhang Yimou's tone was calm, it carried an unquestionable weight.

"Why delete it? Don't you see how good the buzz is? This is absolutely a great thing for our movie..."

Zhang Weiping didn't care at all; wasn't it just using a little-known actress to create hype? As long as it could bring attention and increase the box office, he didn't care.

What's more, having a scandal with an Oscar Best Actor is something many people in the industry would beg for but never get.

"I said, delete it immediately. I mean immediately, right now, delete that disgusting thing!"

Zhang Weiping's expression gradually turned cold.

"Yimou, you've crossed the line. You should just focus on directing films; promotion and distribution are my business. You shouldn't be asking about them."

"But this is no reason for you to engage in such malicious hype. Ni Ni is only 23 years old. Are you trying to ruin her? You are slapping me in the face!"

Zhang Yimou's agitated state made Zhang Weiping lose his patience as well.

"You should know that the negotiations this time are not going smoothly. I must think of every possible way to build momentum for *The Flowers of War*. I can't afford to lose, and neither of us can afford to lose. By comparison, everything else is unimportant!"

Zhang Yimou was stunned. Zhang Weiping only saw profit in his eyes and never considered the feelings of others, even if that person was his partner of over a decade.

So be it. Zhang Yimou had originally wanted to preserve their relationship and have a decent, amicable parting, but seeing the situation as it was, he no longer had any reservations.

"After this film is finished, I will leave New Picture."

Hearing the gradually slowing voice, Zhang Weiping, accustomed to Zhang Yimou's repeated concessions, did not react for a moment.

"That's more like it. It's about to be released... wait, what did you say?"

Zhang Weiping suddenly raised his voice, his eyes wide, his face full of disbelief, then he looked at the calm Zhang Yimou, his tone turning grim.

"Are you threatening me?"

"I am not threatening you; I am simply telling you my decision."

"Why? Just because of this Ni Ni? What kind of love potion did she give you?"

Zhang Weiping's malicious speculation severed the last shred of affection in Zhang Yimou's heart.

"You want a reason? Fine, I'll tell you. Ever since *A Simple Noodle Story*, I've already had this thought; this incident just made me make up my mind. All these years, you have repeatedly interfered with casting, meddled in filming, and modified scripts. You not only owe me my remuneration and dividends, but you even want to interfere in my family affairs. I have had enough. Do you understand? Huh?"

After venting his long-held suppression, Zhang Yimou felt incomparably calm at this moment.

"I have said all I have to say. Take care of yourself..."

Watching Zhang Yimou's retreating back, Zhang Weiping wore a ferocious expression and instantly transformed into a "desktop cleaning master," sweeping his arm across the desk and shattering everything on the floor.

The Assistant outside the office heard the noise and walked up timidly.

"President Zhang?"

Although he had seen the boss and Director Zhang argue before, this was the first time he had seen them fight so fiercely; the Assistant's voice was trembling.

"Hm, it's nothing. Go back to your work."

Suppressing his anger, Zhang Weiping waved his hand.

"Then, Director Zhang's request..."

"Don't worry about him. Pin the post for me! Also, not a single word about today's events is allowed to get out. Do you hear me clearly?"

"Understood, President Zhang."

*Bottom-Tier Girl* filming set.

Wei Jin sat behind the monitor, conducting the final shoot.

On the screen, the female lead sat in the car, looking at the letter her tutor had given her, a smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.

"Cut."

Wei Jin gave the instruction, then began to check repeatedly, comparing it with the image in his mind.

Although it had been localized, one could judge which performance was better or worse.

After some comparison, Wei Jin nodded with satisfaction.

"This take is a wrap."

After saying this, amidst the expectant gazes of the crew, Wei Jin picked up the megaphone, making a full show of the ritual.

"I announce, *Bottom-Tier Girl* has officially wrapped!"

"Yay!"

"It's a wrap!"

After the cheering and jumping, seeing the crew looking at him with anticipation, Wei Jin waved his hand.

"Everyone, pack up. At tonight's wrap party, we won't stop until we're drunk!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crew erupted in cheers again.

Wei Jin's films had always been a focus of attention for media in the industry.

Although *Bottom-Tier Girl* had kept a low profile this time, such an event as wrapping could not be hidden.

While the crew was still packing up, news about *Bottom-Tier Girl* wrapping was already reported by the media.

"Youth inspirational film *Bottom-Tier Girl* wraps today!"

"Great director Wei Jin's new film finishes shooting smoothly."

"【Fast Gunner】 Wei Jin lives up to his name, completing the film shoot in 28 days. Can he go even faster?"

The atmosphere at the wrap party was excellent, with the crew frequently raising their glasses to Wei Jin.

Relying on his good physical condition, Wei Jin took on the whole room alone, fearless, drinking the crew members until they were swaying.

Lu Yang, that guy, even crawled under the table directly; it was estimated he wouldn't be able to participate in the entertainment activities for the second half of the night.

Of course, with Jing Tian, the little girl, around, Wei Jin naturally wouldn't participate in the crew's leisure activities.

After the wrap party ended, Wei Jin took Jing Tian back to Dongshanshu.

Just as they entered the house and Wei Jin was planning to have a bath with the girl, the phone rang.

Looking at the caller ID, Wei Jin's expression was quite interesting.

"Hello, Director Zhang?"

Jing Tian, on the side, saw that Wei Jin had serious business and walked toward the bathroom on her own.

"Director Wei, there is something I would like to ask for your help with..."

Zhang Yimou's voice on the other end of the phone was a bit hoarse, revealing a trace of exhaustion and helplessness.

"Mm, go ahead, Director Zhang."

The fact that Wei Jin holds shares in Weibo is no secret within the industry.

However, for Zhang Yimou to ask him for help regarding the New Picture post, the implications of this are worth deep consideration.

Without a doubt, the two Zhangs have already had a falling out, and the time to recruit the National Master has arrived.

Therefore, Wei Jin agreed without hesitation; he believes that once this favor is delivered, as long as the conditions offered are appropriate, Zhang Yimou becoming a contracted director for Shanhe Media is almost a certainty.

Picking up his phone, Wei Jin found Cao Guowei's number and called him.

"President Cao, I feel that post, 'My Bed Scene with Bale,' is too explicit. As a public social media platform, Weibo cannot become a medium for spreading such things. What do you think?"

On the other end of the line, Cao Guowei was stunned; Wei Jin's words were clearly somewhat exaggerated.

However, since it involved a famous director and was published on an official Weibo account, it was somewhat justifiable.

Plus, with a shareholder speaking up, Cao Guowei agreed quite readily.

After chatting for a while, Wei Jin hung up the phone and strode toward the bathroom; he couldn't keep his beauty waiting too long. Inside the bathroom, Wei Jin held one of Jing Tian's breasts in one hand and supported her slender waist with the other, beginning to sway.

At this moment, Jing Tian's body leaned slightly forward, her hands gripping the specially made handrails on the wall tightly, outlining a perfect curve.

Her stunningly beautiful face was flushed with red, her alluring red lips were slightly parted, her large eyes were slightly unfocused, and her snow-white, long, beautiful legs were trembling slightly.

I don't know how much time passed, but following a low roar from Wei Jin, Jing Tian suddenly opened her eyes wide, as if she were struggling to breathe, having been choked by the throat.

Afterward, Jing Tian let go of the tightly gripped handrails and slowly slid into the bathtub. Wei Jin was quick-eyed and fast-handed, catching her in his arms and lying in the bathtub, enjoying the post-coital moment.

Ten-plus minutes passed, and Jing Tian seemed to return to her senses from the clouds, raising her head to look at Wei Jin.

"Brother, what did Director Zhang want with you just now?"

"Oh, it was about that post."

Wei Jin toyed with Jing Tian's perfect, milky-white breasts and laid out the whole story of what had just happened, not hiding his thoughts about recruiting the National Master.

"In the future, when there's an opportunity, I'll have Zhang Yimou direct a movie for you."

"Mm? Is that really possible, Brother?" Jing Tian looked pleasantly surprised.

"Of course, when have I ever lied to you? Although Zhang Yimou is quite picky when choosing roles, as long as the script is suitable for you, I believe he won't refuse."

Regarding this point, Wei Jin still had confidence.

"Mua, Brother, you're so good."

"Tian Tian, when you express your gratitude, you need to be sincere."

Sensing the man's hand placed between her perky buttocks, Jing Tian's pretty face flushed slightly.

"Brother, why are you like an ox, never getting enough?"

Wei Jin pulled the girl tighter into his arms and lifted her chin with one hand.

"Who told my Tian Tian to be so charming?"

Listening to the man's blatant sweet nothings, Jing Tian felt both sweet and helpless in her heart. Giving Wei Jin a roll of her eyes, the girl slowly lowered her head.

"Hiss... oh."

(End of this chapter)