Chapter 584: Passed Review, Excited Investors, and an Invitation from the Top Beauty

Perhaps because Venice is about to open, Jiang Wen worked overtime to complete the casting for *Gone with the Bullets* and announced it on Weibo at the first opportunity.

As expected, it was still Jiang Wen's style, with an extremely luxurious cast.

Ge You, Shu Qi, Wenzhang, Wang Zhiwen, as well as the ever-present Jiang Wen himself, and his wife Zhou Yun.

Once the news broke, many stars and artists felt quite regretful.

Because there are only so many big directors in the circle, every opportunity seems precious.

Counting them up, the projects of Zhang Yimou, Ning Hao, Jiang Wen, and others have already been settled.

As for Chen Shiren's project, he plans to rely heavily on Hong Kong and Taiwan stars; Feng Dapao, as the general director of this year's Spring Festival Gala, is clearly unable to start a new film.

In other words, apart from Wei Jin's new project, there might not be any eye-catching big projects in the second half of the year.

Thus, such a strange scene appeared: it seemed the stars and artists in the circle were even more anxious than Wei Jin himself; almost every day he could receive many messages or calls from people coming to "show concern."

Only Young Master Zhou was relatively special; she actually hoped the script would be "held up" a bit longer.

"Why? Want to see your boss's good show?"

"No, although it's a bit inappropriate to say so, in terms of timing, if it were held up a bit more, maybe I'd have the schedule for it, hahaha."

"Yo, you're ugly but you think beautifully; *Operation Mekong*, which part of you looks like a police officer? If we're talking about a drug lord's woman, with your figure, I'm afraid it would have to be one in ten thousand for them to have a taste for you, right?"

Everyone knows that lies are not terrible; only the truth is the most hurtful.

As soon as Wei Jin said this, Young Master Zhou's defenses were broken on the spot.

"Get lost, what role can't I, your sister, handle? You really won't give me a chance?"

Wei Jin had a stern face: "Young Master Zhou, my female leads all have to sleep 【with me】."

Young Master Zhou was quite tough: "I didn't say I wouldn't let you sleep with me."

"What? I treat you like a brother, and you actually want to sleep with me?"

"Get lost, get lost, get lost~~ Damn it, I, your sister, really have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to end up with a boss like you."

Facing a series of ruthless roasts, Wei Jin could only surrender.

"Alright, Young Master Zhou, this script is basically a man's play; the female character's screen time doesn't exceed five minutes. I really don't need a 'Great Buddha' like you, a Three Gold Best Actress, to step in."

"Really?"

"A gentleman's word is his bond, and he never cheats the young or the old."

"Fine, seeing as you're so good at talking, I won't hold it against you."

"Hehe, I'll thank you then."

After some chatting and joking, Wei Jin inquired about the situation of the *Red Sorghum* crew; Jiang Xuerou was in charge of this, and usually, he was too lazy to ask.

"It's going quite smoothly; it's currently more than halfway filmed. According to Director Zheng's estimate, it should be wrapped up in about two more months."

Speaking of this, Young Master Zhou seemed to remember something and lowered her voice.

"By the way, Old Wei, I feel like Jiang Wenli and Huang Xuan might have something going on. That woman comes to visit the set too frequently. You have to be careful, don't let it happen before the crew wraps up..."

The words were not finished, but Wei Jin already understood the meaning and nodded immediately.

"Good, I will notify the crew to strengthen management."

"Alright, let's leave it at that then."

After hanging up the phone, Wei Jin sent a message to Jiang Xuerou.

"Director Jiang, notify everyone: starting from today, the crew will not accept set visits."

Perhaps the prayers of those stars and artists worked, or perhaps the Bureau wanted to suppress the matter early; this time, the efficiency was terrifyingly high.

Time had just entered late August, less than a week after the script for *Operation Mekong* was resubmitted, and there was actually a result.

The information about the script passing the review was published on the official website at the first opportunity, and appearing along with it was a rather inconspicuous personnel change.

At this, public opinion instantly boiled over.

"Awesome, three old guys voluntarily took early retirement; this is unprecedented."

"Does this mean the Bureau is admitting a work error? This is quite rare, isn't it?"

"What exactly happened? It's only been a week, and the attitude has completely changed? Is there anyone in the know who can explain this?"

"Do we still need to guess? It must have reached the ears of the heavens, otherwise the Film Bureau couldn't have handled it this way."

"To the person above, are you kidding? It's just a movie; reaching the ears of the heavens, how is that possible?"

"Honestly, I don't rule out this possibility. The only way to make those old things who always like to play dead rush to admit defeat is if there is pressure from a higher level."

"..."

Speculative, analytical, and deductive posts on the internet sprang up like bamboo shoots after a rain.

There were also many netizens who ran directly to Wei Jin's Weibo to ask about the specific situation.

But this was a tacit understanding between Wei Jin and Director Tong; how could he add fuel to the fire at this moment? "But when the filing information comes out, everyone will understand."

Wei Jin muttered a sentence, then heard the phone on the table start to vibrate; it was Ning Hao calling.

As soon as the call connected, he heard Ning Hao's excited tone on the other end.

"Damn, Junior Brother, you're fierce enough; you quietly took down three old guys. How did you do it?"

"Hehe, Senior Brother, don't talk nonsense. I just resubmitted the script according to the rules; the early retirement matter has nothing to do with me. Perhaps the Bureau felt that killing a mainstream theme had a bad influence."

"Stop bullshitting me. *Qian Xuesen* and *Xinhai Revolution* were also mainstream themes; didn't they have the same shady operations? Besides, even if it was sent back and passed, what does that have to do with early retirement? I don't believe these old guys are that concerned about their faces. Tell me quickly..."

Listening to Ning Hao's impatience, which felt like a hundred claws scratching his heart, Wei Jin didn't play riddles anymore; after all, not sharing such things with someone always felt dull.

"I brought in Golden Shield this time, and the GA Department, hehe."

"Damn... You're awesome. No wonder, no wonder these people not only slapped their own faces but also took the initiative to admit their mistakes. You requested the Imperial Sword for Director Tong; refreshing! Too refreshing!"

"Senior Brother, don't be a big mouth..."

"Rest assured, I know the gravity of the situation. Junior Brother, I have to thank you; this time you've helped me take revenge!"

"Oh? How so?" Wei Jin felt slightly surprised.

"Do you still remember that old stubborn guy from back when *No Man's Land* came out, who posted on Weibo to mock me, saying I was immersed, narcissistic, and lost in the glory of *Crazy Stone* and *Crazy Racer*, and couldn't recognize reality?"

"Hmm, I have an impression."

Wei Jin recalled the topic he had chatted about with Ning Hao during the *Brotherhood of Blades 2* celebration banquet, but he quickly reacted and said with some uncertainty: "Senior brother, do you mean he is also on the list?"

"Yeah, it's this old geezer surnamed Zhao. He's almost 70, for crying out loud, and still won't step down. He's disgusted me for so long; I'll finally not have to see him anymore. It's so satisfying, hahaha."

Wei Jin was also amused; he hadn't expected an unexpected gain, so he immediately teased him.

"Senior brother, for such a happy occasion, why not find a few girls to come out and celebrate?"

"Cough, your Na Jie is already preparing in the kitchen; there's plenty to be busy with tonight."

"Hahaha." Just as Wei Jin hung up the phone, Jiang Wen called as well, also to gossip.

However, this guy Jiang Wen has a bit of a big mouth, so Wei Jin didn't dare tell him the inside scoop and just brushed him off.

Including many familiar stars and artists, they all sent messages to congratulate him, but the subtext of their words was all about probing for roles.

Regarding this, Wei Jin didn't reply either; he just called for Chen Xi.

"Chen Xi, you notify Jindun, China Film Group, Wanda, Enlight Media, Shanghai Film Group, and Western Film Group in person later. Tell them to come to the company on Friday morning to discuss the shares for *Operation Mekong*."

Hearing this, Chen Xi was a bit confused, "Boss, for a 240 million investment, do we need so many investors?"

"Hehe, of course we don't, but I have my own considerations. Go ahead and do it."

Seeing that Wei Jin didn't explain, Chen Xi had no choice but to nod.

"Alright, Boss, I'll go do it right now."

Shanghai, Shanghai Film Group.

"Han Sanping retiring is a good thing, a good thing. That kid Wei Jin finally remembered Shanghai Film Group..."

After listening to the secretary's report, Ren Zhonglun had an undisguised smile on his face.

In his view, the fact that Wei Jin could take the initiative to invite Shanghai Film Group this time was definitely due to that phone call last time.

The secretary on the side was a bit puzzled, "Chairman Ren, haven't we already participated in several Shanhe Media projects? Also, what does this have to do with Chairman Han?"

If someone else had asked this, Ren Zhonglun might have been annoyed, but this secretary had been with him for seven or eight years, so he didn't mind satisfying his curiosity, or perhaps he was also analyzing it for himself.

"Eh, you don't understand. Can other directors be the same as Wei Jin? Although they are mainstream themes, his projects are guaranteed to aim for over 1 billion at the box office, maybe even breaking box office records. Can this be the same?"

The secretary nodded; this was indeed different. Shanghai Film Group was also a state-owned enterprise, and if they could participate in a film that topped the box office, it would be a glorious political achievement.

Especially since Chairman Ren had just been re-elected and was already being envied by others, being able to produce such results would allow him to speak with more authority.

"As for Han Sanping's retirement, hehe, it's hard to say whether La Peikang can grasp Wei Jin's pulse. Without Han Sanping, we'll be on the same starting line as China Film Group from now on, hahaha."

Thinking that he had caught the ride this time and wouldn't have to look at China Film Group's face at the year-end summary meeting in the future, Ren Zhonglun became even more excited.

"The time is Friday morning, right? Book me a flight for the night after tomorrow."

"Chairman Ren, are you going there in person?"

"Yes, go in person. Regardless of the share size, raise the level of importance. By the way, did you ask Chen Xi which production companies are involved?"

"I asked. Besides China Film Group, Wanda, and Enlight Media, this time Jindun, us, and Western Film Group are added."

"Jindun, huh? No wonder that kid didn't take my calls before, hehe."

Hearing the first half of the sentence, Ren Zhonglun showed a self-deprecating smile; no matter how strong his connections were, they couldn't compare to Jindun, which was directly under the GA Department.

But hearing the second half, he was immediately stunned, "You mean Western Film Group?"

"Yes."

"That makes no sense. What does Western Film Group have?"

Not to mention Ren Zhonglun not understanding, even Chairman Deng of Western Film Group himself was a bit confused.

Ever since they collaborated on *Painted Skin*, for a full eight years, Western Film Group had never been able to catch a ride on Wei Jin's coattails.

As the head of Western Film Group, he had been rejected countless times and had already given up hope.

Including this matter of *Operation Mekong*, he had also received the news, but firstly, the two sides had no cooperation, and secondly, Western Film Group couldn't exert any influence on this matter, so he hadn't even made a phone call, just sent a message.

Chairman Deng himself was very clear that Western Film Group really couldn't participate in Wei Jin's projects; from production to distribution, and then to theater scheduling, Western Film Group really couldn't help at all.

But why was Western Film Group participating this time?

After thinking to no avail, Chairman Deng simply stopped racking his brain; anyway, it was good to be on board.

Besides, Western Film Group didn't have anything else worth people thinking about; maybe Wei Jin just suddenly remembered his hometown enterprise?

"Little Zuo, help me book a flight for the night after tomorrow. I want to go there in person."

"Alright, Chairman Deng."

Whether Shanghai Film Group and Western Film Group were excited or confused, Wei Jin didn't know; he had just received an extremely unexpected call at this moment.

Ever since *The Hunt* won an award and he had dinner with Chen Shiren and his wife in Beijing as promised, Wei Jin had rarely had any contact with them, at most just nodding when they met at premieres.

But he never expected to receive a call from Chen Hong today.

Originally, Wei Jin thought it was someone speaking on behalf of Cao Huayi again; after all, New Classics Media was deeply tied to Chen Shiren, and the two sides had many intersections in both private friendship and projects.

As a result, he didn't expect the content of the call to surprise him even more.

"President Chen, if I haven't misunderstood, you are representing Director Chen to invite me to attend the Tokyo International Film Festival?"

"Yes, President Wei. To tell you the truth, Director Chen has already received an invitation from the organizing committee and will serve as the jury president for this film festival, so he also hopes that Chinese-language films can have better results at this Tokyo International Film Festival..."

It must be said that this woman Chen Hong indeed had high emotional intelligence; her way of speaking made people very comfortable, and her words elevated Wei Jin to a very high position.

But in the end, Wei Jin still didn't give a clear indication; after all, *The Fault in Our Stars* was Liu Yifei's work, and he still had to seek the young lady's opinion.

In the evening, Wei Jin came to Liu Yifei's place and told her about the matter.

After the latter tilted her head and considered it for a while, she asked, "Brother, if we go to the Tokyo International Film Festival, is the probability of winning an award higher?"

"Hmm, although the Tokyo International Film Festival is also an international A-list film festival, in terms of the standard of the participating works, it is certainly not as good as the European Big Three. In other words, the probability is indeed a bit higher."

Sure enough, there was no actor who didn't crave awards; the young lady's eyes lit up, "Brother, then let's go."

"Oh? Not considering it anymore? What if you win the Cannes Best Actress next year? That would be suppressing your peers."

"Brother, I'm not stupid; is a Cannes Best Actress really that easy to win?"

Liu Yifei rolled her eyes in a pretty way; she knew very well that the acting awards at the European Big Three were fiercely competitive.

Even Ceng Li's breakthrough performance in *Hidden in the Dust* failed to successfully defend the title, so her own hopes were even slimmer.

As the saying goes, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Rather than chasing a pipe dream, it would be better to choose the Tokyo Film Festival, where the difficulty level is slightly lower.

After all, she had envied Jing Tian's Golden Horse Awards trophy for a long time.

As for the question of prestige, a Tokyo Film Festival Best Actress is at least no worse than a Golden Horse Best Actress, right?

"Fine, I'll reply to her in two days."

Seeing that the girl had thought it through, Wei Jin nodded in agreement immediately, then his hands began to climb onto her small, perky breasts, a playful smirk appearing at the corners of his mouth, "Yifei, I've done what I promised you; what are you prepared to reward me with?"

"Bad brother, you only know how to bully me."

Liu Yifei's face flushed with shyness, but she soon lowered her elegant swan-like neck.

"Hiss~~ Oh~~~"

(End of this chapter)