Chapter 451: New Records, Private Clubs

Inside the chairman's office at Shanhe Building, Wei Jin and Cao Baoping sat opposite each other.

"Teacher Cao, is that script finished?"

"Yes, after two or three months, it's finally polished, though it certainly delayed things on your end."

Hearing Cao Baoping's slightly apologetic tone, Wei Jin waved his hand.

"What are you saying, Teacher Cao? When inspiration strikes, you have to seize it, don't you? Besides, if you had started filming earlier, I wouldn't have known how to explain it myself, haha."

"Oh? Why is that?"

Seeing the look of curiosity on Cao Baoping's face, Wei Jin explained with a smile.

"It's like this: Ceng Li recommended this story to me. She cares deeply about these families and hopes to play a role in the film to do her small part."

In fact, even if Cao Baoping hadn't been busy with his own script, Wei Jin wouldn't have let him start filming so quickly; after all, it was rare for Ceng Li to make a request, so he naturally had to satisfy his big sister.

"So that's how it is. I suppose it was a happy accident, haha."

Cao Baoping's eyes lit up. Huang Bai, Zhou Xun, and Ceng Li—three Golden Horse Best Actresses and Actors; this lineup was heaven-sent, wasn't it? "Hmm, there aren't many female roles in the script. How about we have Ceng Li play Tian Wenjun's wife and partner her with Huang Bai?"

"Teacher Cao's suggestion is excellent. Ceng Li's image and temperament fit quite well. Let's settle on that."

"Alright, then I'll scout the remaining roles myself?"

"Of course."

Wei Jin didn't intend to take on everything; if the company's artists were interested, they would naturally compete for the roles themselves.

Just as he sent Cao Baoping off, Jiang Xuerou knocked and walked in. Looking at the script in her hand, Wei Jin shook his head and smiled.

"Director Jiang, you really can't sit still, can you? You've picked another script?"

Jiang Xuerou smiled at the words, nodded, and placed the script on the table, pushing it toward him.

"Yes, President Wei, these are the ones I've selected. Take a look first."

Since his employee was so motivated, Wei Jin didn't mind. He picked up the script from the table and began to flip through it, though he felt a bit curious when he saw the cover of one of them.

"Director Jiang, this *Dragon Snake* might be a bit difficult to film."

This was a National Martial Arts novel by Meng Ru Shenji, which could be said to have pioneered an era. Wei Jin himself had quite liked it in his past life, but the novel involved a lot of sensitive content regarding high-level officials, making it extremely difficult to adapt.

"President Wei, I understand what you mean, but this novel is really popular and the subject matter is very fresh. The ratings should be good if it's filmed. You should look at the script first; I feel the guys in the screenwriting department put a lot of heart into it."

Wei Jin opened the script with some surprise, and after about seven or eight minutes, he closed it again.

"Although it still borders on being controversial, it's worth a try. Take it to get approved first. As for the other one, let's settle on that."

Wei Jin spread out the scripts on the table and pointed to one of them.

"Understood, President Wei. I'll start the preliminary work immediately."

Jiang Xuerou came and went quickly, leaving only Wei Jin in the office to ponder.

To be honest, a script like *Dragon Snake* carried high risks. It was very possible to get a permit before filming, only to fail the final review afterward. Many small film and television companies had been stuck in agony exactly like that.

But Wei Jin wasn't worried. As long as the script could pass the review, even if the final product couldn't be broadcast on satellite TV, he could just release it online. It was merely a matter of earning more or less.

At Wei Jin's current status, he could afford to be a little willful occasionally.

As a youth film, the review for *Left Ear* went very smoothly, and the public screening permit was obtained in two weeks.

As expected, the moment she received the news, Lin Yufen came to Wei Jin's office to discuss the release schedule. It was clear that she cared quite a bit about the first film she had directed.

"Director Lin, do you have any thoughts yourself?"

Lin Yufen was taken aback, as if she hadn't expected Wei Jin to throw the question back at her. After pondering for a moment, she said, "President Wei, I don't know much about this. Do you have any good suggestions?"

"Hmm, this year's schedule is a bit tight, and there are many imported films in the second half. If you want good results, it's best to wait until next year. As for the specific time, I suggest March or April, as the competition is relatively less intense."

Hearing this, Lin Yufen nodded. As a newcomer director, she basically didn't need to consider the popular slots, just like Guo Fan and Lu Yang back in the day; they basically couldn't get any good slots either.

Admittedly, a good slot would certainly boost a film's box office, but there were only so many popular slots, and they were all eyed by the big directors in the industry. Rather than joining the fray and going head-to-head, it was better to choose a suitable one.

"Alright, then let's go with President Wei's suggestion."

"Hmm, I'll find time to go to China Film Group and look into the specifics."

After dismissing Lin Yufen, Wei Jin also fell into deep thought.

As the company produced more and more films, choosing release slots was indeed a problem.

*Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons*, *Left Ear*, *Witch*, *Seattle*, *Big Shot*, *Kung Fu Jungle*, and *Shendu Longwang*—these seven films had either finished post-production or were currently in it, and they were definitely going to be released next year.

In addition, *Hidden in the Dust*, *Dearest*, and *The Devotion of Suspect X*—these three films would definitely finish shooting within this year.

Counting in the new film projects about to be launched by Ning Hao, Guo Fan, Tian Zhuangzhuang, and others, a total of 13 films was truly a bit crowded.

"Forget it, when the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a road. We'll talk about it then."

Shaking his head, Wei Jin stopped worrying unnecessarily and browsed through some industry news.

He hadn't expected that he had just seen Li Bingbing a few days ago, and today he was already seeing news about her.

That film, *Resident Evil 5*, had submitted an application to China Film Group, hoping to enter the Huaxia market in September to coincide with the global release.

However, it was a pity; the application submitted yesterday was rejected today, and the reason given by China Film Group was very direct.

"The quota of 34 imported revenue-sharing blockbusters for this year is full, and there are no plans to increase it."

It had to be said that China Film Group's move was very slick. The agreement signed was for at least 34 films with no upper limit, but by executing it at the minimum standard, North America couldn't find any fault with it.

Wei Jin also knew that China Film Group was doing this to reduce the competition for the films in the National Day Slot.

Of course, there was also the reason of protecting the interests of domestic films. After all, judging from the disclosed data, the box office share of imported films was simply too high, almost in a state of inversion compared to last year.

As the head of China Film Group, if Han Sanping couldn't turn the data around by the end of the year, he would likely be in trouble.

"His position isn't easy to hold either."

On the 26th, the eyes of the entire film industry were focused on the media headlines.

"The Sino-US co-produced sci-fi blockbuster *Pacific Rim* has officially ended its run, with a box office of 1.558 billion. A new box office record is born!"

"*Pacific Rim* has set a box office benchmark for the 2012 film market. Who will be the next to surpass this achievement?"

"Calculated based on a 47.5% revenue-sharing ratio, the producers' domestic box office share alone reached as high as 680 million. Shanhe Media, China Film Group, and Wanda can split 373 million."

"The overseas box office for *Pacific Rim* is 350 million USD. The specific revenue-sharing ratio has not yet been announced, but according to Warner, they have already achieved high profits from the box office alone, and subsequent ancillary rights will bring generous returns to the five production companies."

The overwhelming reports made companies in the industry green with envy.

You have to know, while this profitability cannot compare to *Inception*, for other domestic companies, it is an absolute gold mine; many listed companies cannot even earn this much in a whole year, which is truly mouth-watering. However, when the China Film Group sent out the invitations for the celebration banquet to the industry, a large number of companies responded one after another, stating they would absolutely not be absent, which is quite ironic.

Regarding the outside disturbances, Wei Jin had no time to pay attention; he was currently being pestered by Ning Hao, who was having a headache over casting.

"Senior Brother, why don't you just do it the way you always have, pull over all the actors you've worked with and have them audition one by one? Why are you asking me?"

Wei Jin never interfered with Ning Hao's films; casting itself is a troublesome matter, as it means one must have a deep understanding of the script and a rich list of backup artists in their head.

If he had that kind of time, Wei Jin would rather spend it on time management.

"Senior Brother, could it be that you've been 'wool-pulling' too hard these past few times, and now no one is taking the bait?"

"Cough, what nonsense are you spouting? Good relations are one thing, but be careful or I'll sue you for defamation."

Ning Hao felt a bit guilty and tried to save face, then continued.

"Junior Brother, this time is different. It's not a script I wrote, so I don't have a very good concept in my head. Why don't you offer some ideas first, and then I'll see from my perspective if they are suitable?"

Since Ning Hao had put it this way, Wei Jin found it hard to refuse. After pondering for a moment, he simply reported the names of several original actors; he felt the performances of the leads were actually quite good.

As expected, Ning Hao looked blank, "No, Chen Jianbin and Wang Yanhui are one thing, at least I know them, but what the hell are the others? Are they really all nobodies?"

"Senior Brother, for this Ren Suxi, you can go watch her stage play live. You know *Don't Want to Be Your Milkman*? It's been very popular lately."

The play *Don't Want to Be Your Milkman* began its premiere in Beijing in June. Less than ten minutes after the first show ended, the word-of-mouth online exploded, to the point that before the second performance even began, tickets for the third and fourth shows were already sold out, which can be called a miracle in the theater world.

"Fine, I'll find time to go see it. What about the others?"

"Zhang Yu played a supporting role in *Big Shot* before, and his performance was quite good. His acting skills are solid; you could say he's cheap and easy to use."

Wei Jin had a good impression of Zhang Yu; he was steady, hardworking, and his acting was up to par. If there was an opportunity, he wouldn't mind giving him a boost.

"Also, that Pan Binlong, he graduated from the Central Academy of Drama and is a professional comedian. His performance in the Heilongjiang TV variety show *Laughing Room* was very good; you can take a look."

"Fine, I'll arrange for the Casting Director to contact them later. Any other suggestions?"

"Hmm, right, for the role of Li Haigen's girlfriend, let Shu Chang do it."

Since he had previously promised Liu Yifei that he would look after Shu Chang, Wei Jin felt this role was quite suitable for her. Although the screen time wasn't too much, if performed well, it could still be very brilliant.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Junior Brother, she and Yifei are best friends. Don't play with fire."

Wei Jin rolled his eyes and returned the previous words to him exactly as they were, "Senior Brother, good relations are one thing, but be careful or I'll sue you for defamation."

"Hahaha."

After finishing the serious business, Ning Hao was no longer in a rush and sat in the office chatting with Wei Jin.

"Junior Brother, you received the invitation, right?"

"Yeah."

Wei Jin nodded; Ning Hao was talking about the opening of the private club.

"What kind of card is attached?"

"Gold card."

"Damn, why am I only a silver card? So stingy."

Ning Hao's grumbling made Wei Jin laugh.

"Senior Brother, just be content. As far as I know, only big directors, big producers, and top artists who have one foot in the capital world have them."

"The rest, even first-line actors, have to pay membership fees. The entry fee alone is over a million, and the annual fee is hundreds of thousands. Second-line actors have to pay even more."

"Damn, so expensive? Who goes there to spend money?"

Wei Jin gave Ning Hao a look of 'caring for the mentally challenged,' and the latter paused for a moment before quickly reacting.

"This is meant to be a broker for the circle?"

"Heh heh, what else? It's a club, so it must be for talking business. What kind of business can there be in the entertainment industry? You think this card was given to us for free?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, these two brothers really know how to play."

Ning Hao could already imagine that flesh-trade business would definitely be inevitable inside this club; after all, that is the hidden rule of the circle.

But to do it so blatantly, it really is damn exciting.

"Then Junior Brother, are you going tonight?"

"Go? I'm not going."

Wei Jin shook his head. Such places have too many people and too much gossip. Even if he really wanted to eat some 'wild game,' he wouldn't choose to do it on someone else's turf; that would clearly be asking for trouble.

But soon he reacted and looked at Ning Hao.

"Senior Brother, are you going?"

"Cough, Brother Dagou has already called, so I'll go over and take a look tonight."

Wei Jin stared at Ning Hao, looking as if he were saying, 'Please, continue your bluffing.'

"Tsk tsk tsk, Senior Brother, aren't you afraid Na Jie will come to your door with a knife?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm just going to join in the fun."

After leaving the company, Wei Jin went to see Liu Yifei.

As expected, when Wei Jin told her the news about the role in Ning Hao's film, the young girl looked pleasantly surprised.

"Brother, thank you. Changchang will be very happy when she finds out."

Liu Yifei knew that this was entirely for her sake.

"Whether she is happy or not is not important to me."

Wei Jin wrapped his hands around the girl's slender waist, which could be spanned by a grip, and whispered in her ear, "I only care that you are happy."

Feeling the breath coming from her ear, a blush appeared on Liu Yifei's face, and she gently bit her lip, "Brother, I am very happy."

After speaking, the girl took the initiative to offer a sweet kiss, passionate and affectionate.

Tasting those red lips with a jelly-like texture, Wei Jin's hands began to move up and down.

Very quickly, with the cooperation of Liu Yifei, the two of them became one under the moonlight.

"Oh~~"

Accompanied by a long and satisfied sigh, Wei Jin's daily life of immortal cultivation began. (End of chapter)