Chapter 396

Cliques are truly everywhere, and this is especially evident in the entertainment industry.

It's just that Wei Jin didn't expect the Beijing Film Academy (BFA) to stop even pretending.

The current school leadership at BFA is really good at stirring up trouble; they organized an alumni reunion for the 30th anniversary of the Class of '78.

They sugarcoated it as a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the first batch of students graduating after the resumption of admissions in 1978, and even scheduled it for a few days before the start of the new semester.

You have to realize that the BFA Class of '78 is currently the most formidable force in the domestic entertainment industry.

Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Gu Changwei, Li Shaohong, Wu Ziniu, and others are all big names from the Class of '78.

In addition, the school also invited a large number of directors, producers, and well-known actors who graduated from BFA.

Once the news spread, the industry was in an uproar.

Those from BFA who haven't been doing well were naturally overjoyed; this was their alma mater building connections for them.

Even prospective students who haven't entered BFA yet were thrilled, with many even camping out near the school in advance.

They did it just for a chance to catch the eye of the big shots, even though they knew the probability was slim to none.

But apart from these people, the reaction from the rest of the industry was quite dissatisfied.

Some media even publicly accused BFA of forming a clique, claiming it would completely destroy industry fairness.

The Central Academy of Drama and the Shanghai Theatre Academy, the other two of the "Big Three" institutions, were no longer silent this time and voiced their "condemnation."

Because in reality, BFA has basically monopolized the industry's directors and producers; if they form a clique, how are students from other schools supposed to survive? As the most prestigious director in the country, Wei Jin was naturally invited, and Jing Tian and Liu Yifei were also included as two of the "Four Dan Actresses."

After consulting with his mentor Tian Zhuangzhuang, Wei Jin declined the invitation on behalf of all three of them; as for the reason, it was easy to find.

Wei Jin himself was busy starting a new project, Jing Tian was busy with her concert, and Liu Yifei was still on a roadshow.

Honestly, Wei Jin still has feelings for his alma mater; after all, he really did receive a lot of support when he first started out.

So over the years, Wei Jin has never hesitated to win honors for the school, make donations, and even help solve some employment issues.

Under normal circumstances, he is also willing to let BFA use his influence.

But this time it's different; if Wei Jin were to participate, it would be equivalent to Shanhe Media taking a stance, which would be of no benefit to the company's development.

As for the artists and directors under his agency, Wei Jin wouldn't stop them if they wanted to participate.

However, Lu Yang is quite shrewd; he was planning to return to China, but upon hearing the news, he just kept wandering abroad.

Ning Hao also ran straight to Berlin, but Zhang Yimou, being one of the main figures of the Class of '78, found it hard to decline.

However, Wei Jin estimates that given the quality of BFA's current intake, even Zhang Yimou probably wouldn't be impressed. As February arrived, "20 Once Again" continued its strong momentum in the film market.

After the New Year, it raked in over 80 million in box office revenue during the three-day work week, with the total box office approaching the 400 million mark.

The situation for "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" seemed more normal, with daily box office falling back to around 10 million, but after three days, it finally crossed the 900 million mark, closing at 912 million.

If there hadn't been an extension, this would have been the final box office for "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate," which is slightly better than Wei Jin expected.

One can only say that these days, the gimmick of a 3D blockbuster is still enough.

Next, it depends on whether the 10-day extension will allow the seven major producers to get what they want.

At this point, Tsui Hark and the main cast are quite nervous; after all, 900 million and 1 billion are two completely different concepts.

For a time, from director Tsui Hark and producer Nansun Shi down to lead actors Jet Li, Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, and Wan Qian, everyone frequently appealed on Weibo, hoping audiences would go to the theaters to support the first domestic 3D martial arts film, which did manage to stir up the film's popularity once again.

Meanwhile, the roadshow for "20 Once Again" had ended, and Liu Yifei and the cast returned to Beijing.

After all, it was a roadshow during the New Year, and Wei Jin felt a bit bad, so he specially treated the crew to a meal.

"Boss Wei, Xixi has been well taken care of by me; she hasn't gained an ounce of fat."

Since becoming familiar with Wei Jin, Shu Chang has become increasingly relaxed in their relationship, and her intention to claim credit was quite obvious.

The others also smiled, clearly aware of the "depriving her of bubble tea" anecdote, only Liu Yifei pouted, feeling a bit unhappy.

"Not bad, you did a great job this time, you shall be heavily rewarded, haha."

The meal was a pleasant affair for both host and guests.

After the crowd dispersed, Wei Jin took the young girl back to the villa and headed straight to the second floor.

Liu Xiaoli in the living room was already used to this, just wondering if she should get something for Wei Jin to nourish his body.

If Liu Yifei knew what Liu Xiaoli was thinking, the young girl would definitely not agree.

At this moment, she was already reaching her limit.

In the bathroom, Liu Yifei's long, snow-white legs were stretched straight, her waist and abdomen tucked forward, creating an alluring curve.

Wei Jin held her buttocks with one hand and her breast with the other, each movement striking deep within the girl.

Enduring the pleasure, Liu Yifei could only press her hands firmly against the wall, trying her best to steady herself.

After just over half an hour, Liu Yifei felt she had already lost several rounds, but the man's "cards" seemed far from exhausted.

Just as she felt she couldn't hold on any longer, the climax finally arrived.

Carrying the exhausted girl into the bathtub, Wei Jin began to enjoy the soothing effect of the hot water.

While caressing the girl's delicate body, Wei Jin started chatting with her.

"Yifei, what are your plans for the future?"

Still feeling as if she were floating in the clouds, Liu Yifei was stunned for a moment before looking up to answer.

"After I finish the school's art entrance exams, I'll be busy with brand endorsements; I was too busy last year to attend to them, and they're starting to get annoyed."

Speaking of this, a look of helplessness appeared on the young girl's exquisite face.

"Once I'm done with the endorsements, I plan to take a break; I'm not working anymore this year."

Wei Jin chuckled in surprise, but this was in line with the girl's personality; one film a year was definitely her limit.

Last year, over the course of several months, she was filming, doing roadshows, and even squeezed in a trip to Venice; she was indeed a bit too "diligent."

Wei Jin privately thought that if it weren't for Liu Xiaoli's prodding, this girl would probably be happy just lounging at home forever.

But this is fine too; Wei Jin was actually worried that the girl might have other ideas, and he wouldn't be able to find a suitable film for her for a while.

"Alright, as long as you're happy."

"By the way, Brother, Mom suggests that I take advantage of this art exam to see if there are any good prospects to sign to Red Star Dock, so I can be a boss myself in the future. What do you think?"

"Hmm, that's possible. Look at Chen Zhiming, Li Bingbing, Zhao Yanzi, and the others—haven't they all started signing artists? I couldn't tell, Auntie is quite sharp."

"That's right, Mom is amazing," the young girl said with a proud look, but she immediately felt a bit discouraged.

"But Brother, with my personality, can I really be a good boss? Sometimes I don't even want to manage myself."

Watching the girl's expression, Wei Jin pulled her closer into his arms, one hand holding her orange cat while the other caressed her snow-white, slender thigh.

"Yifei, everything can be learned slowly. No one is born knowing how to be a boss. You just need to not put pressure on yourself."

"Besides, no one dictates how many artists you must sign or how big you have to make your business. If you meet someone suitable and feel a connection, it's fine to sign them, isn't it?"

In truth, Wei Jin had no requirements for the careers of his women, but as long as they liked it, Wei Jin was willing to support them.

"Of course, Auntie and I are just making suggestions; your own happiness is what matters most."

"Hmm, I'll think about it some more."

After spending an intimate night with Liu Yifei, Wei Jin arrived at the company feeling refreshed.

Just as he entered the lobby, he saw Zhang Wen and another young girl chatting excitedly about something.

As he got closer, Wei Jin heard a familiar name, but he was also spotted by Zhang Wen.

"Hello, President Wei."

"Hello, President Wei."

"Hmm."

Wei Jin nodded kindly, then asked with some curiosity, "What were you two chatting about just now?"

"No, nothing..."

The two girls hurriedly shook their heads to deny it. This was work hours, after all; even if the boss was smiling, who knew if they would get in trouble? Capitalists are all cold-blooded and ruthless.

"Don't worry, I won't punish you."

Seeing Wei Jin's smiling assurance, Zhang Wen couldn't suppress the urge to share the gossip and handed over her phone.

"President Wei, something happened. The Chaoyang masses reported it, and the person is inside..."

Wei Jin took the phone, looked at it, and his expression darkened.

"Meng Ying, notify all departments in the company to come for a meeting. The same goes for the subsidiaries."

"Understood, Boss."

Huang Mengying replied immediately. She had been in the company for half a year, and this was the first time she had seen Wei Jin so serious; it felt like the calm before a storm.

In the large conference room, Wei Jin sank into his boss chair, still digesting the news he had just seen.

The family of the veteran actor Zhang Guoli, with whom he had previously collaborated, had run into trouble; Zhang Mo was taken away directly while still on the set of *The Message*.

The incident happened two days ago, but because it was covered up well, no word of it had reached the circle.

But now it couldn't be suppressed; the police had already made their final decision on the punishment.

With things having reached this point, Zhang Guoli publicly apologized on Weibo, stating that he had failed in his duty to educate and felt deeply pained and guilty about the matter.

Feng Dapao, as a director and elder, also immediately came out to issue an apology.

All the actors in the *The Message* crew, including the big and small Wangs of Huayi, and even half of the Beijing Circle, apologized on behalf of Zhang Mo in the capacity of uncles and elders, while also pleading for the public to give him a chance.

In other words, half the entertainment industry was pleading for Zhang Mo! Honestly, Zhang Mo's acting skills were decent, and he had appeared with Zhang Guoli at social events a few times before. When *Whiplash* was first scheduled, Old Zhang had even called, and the intention to pave the way for his son was very obvious.

But although Wei Jin lived a wild life, he still had his bottom lines; he and gambling/drugs were irreconcilable! He would absolutely never cooperate with the "brothers from different fathers and mothers," the Dragon Prince and Zhang Mo.

Now that Zhang Mo had touched that stuff, he was finished. Who knew how much longer his good brother could hold on?

At this moment, Wei Jin felt some sympathy for Ma Ke.

Two days ago, at Han Sanping's place, Wei Jin had seen *Border Town Prodigal*, a film controlled by Ma Ke, scheduled for August; Zhang Mo played an anti-drug police officer in it.

Now that the actor had touched that stuff, how could the film's promotion even be done? Ma Ke could be said to have had an unlucky start.

However, *Whiplash*, which was about to be released, might also be affected; it was a disaster from out of the blue.

While Wei Jin was deep in thought, the company's senior management had arrived in the conference room one after another, but seeing his serious expression, they all became nervous.

Wei Jin tapped his index finger on the desktop, looked around, and said in a deep voice, "I called everyone here to give a reminder: from now on, for projects controlled by the company, background checks must be done in advance for all personnel. Anyone who is crooked, unclean, or touches this stuff, regardless of their connections or background, will be blacklisted. Don't lose the big for the small!"

Having said this, Wei Jin looked specifically at Zhang Xu, who immediately stood up.

"Zhang Xu, you are responsible for managing the company's artists. I don't want to see them appear in police reports one day, understand?"

"President Wei, rest assured. The company arranges physical exams every year and has emphasized this repeatedly. The liquidated damages in the contracts are astronomical; the artists know what's at stake. If such a situation really occurs, you can hold me accountable."

The boss was serious, and Zhang Xu felt a tremor in his heart as he hurriedly stated his position.

"In addition, the legal department needs to revise the company's external film contracts. Add a clause: if the company's projects are affected due to an artist's reasons, the liquidated damages will be paid at the highest standard! Do you all understand?"

"Understood, President Wei."

Including Chen Zhiming, all the senior executives nodded with serious expressions.

"By the way, Lao Chen, Zhang Xu, notify all directors and artists under our banner: no matter who asks for leniency, no one is allowed to speak out on this matter."

The entertainment industry's relationships were incredibly complex, and Wei Jin didn't want anyone in the company to lose their head and try to whitewash such a thing.

"Understood, President Wei."

"Alright, that's it. Meeting adjourned."

After briefly explaining this matter, Wei Jin instructed everyone to disperse.

"It's rare to see President Wei so serious."

"It's normal. Didn't you see that this clause has long been listed in the artist contracts? This is President Wei's bottom line."

"What do you think these second-generation stars are thinking, daring to touch that stuff?"

"Who knows? Maybe they have a good dad and are chasing thrills? But this time Feng Dapao has been screwed over badly. I wonder if the scenes in *The Message* will be deleted..."

"I'm not sure if they'll be deleted, but this film will definitely be affected."

"Old Zhang, send me a list of the artists you've done background checks on who have issues."

The group of senior executives began to discuss animatedly as soon as they left the conference room, while simultaneously using their brains to Search through the list of artists with prior records.

Without a doubt, these people had all entered the blacklist of Shanhe Media.

From now on, whenever it was a project controlled by Shanhe Media and Jiahe, they would never again have the opportunity to be involved.

(End of this chapter)