Chapter 70: That Year I Walked With My Hands In My Pockets

Yang Mi was in a state of excitement all day today; tonight she was to attend the celebration banquet for the film *Painted Skin* with President Li of her company, and she would surely be able to meet many producers and directors in the circle to build up her connections.

For this opportunity, she had pestered and begged for a long time before President Li finally agreed; she heard that everyone invited from the circle this time were first- or second-tier popular stars and artists, and there were even many big shots from film and television companies—the opportunity was extremely rare.

Not yet 6:00 PM, Yang Mi, feeling she was dressed brightly and beautifully, arrived at the hotel with Li Xiaowan and Zhou Xun; the organizers of this celebration banquet attached great importance to it, booking an entire floor of the five-star hotel.

Just as she entered the lobby, Yang Mi saw many media reporters carrying long guns and short cannons, and she subconsciously straightened her chest, fearing she would be caught in an ugly photo with a hunched back; one had to know that many female stars had their reputations severely damaged because they were caught in ugly photos by reporters in public.

Watching the big stars coming and going, Yang Mi felt very envious in her heart, thinking that one day, she too would be invited individually, rather than tagging along on the company's credentials.

"Hello, President Li, Miss Zhou, please come this way; President Wei and the rest of the film crew have already arrived."

A man dressed in formal attire who looked like a staff member spoke up.

"Alright, thank you for the trouble."

Zhou Xun immediately apologized to Li Xiaowan and Yang Mi, then followed the staff member to one side.

"Godmother, is Sister Xun going to be with the film crew alone?"

Yang Mi was a bit curious; what kind of occasion was it that even President Li of the company couldn't be together with them?

"Hmm, it's like this; after all, they are the main creative team of the film and are the protagonists today. Let's just find a place to sit for now; later, you stay by my side, and remember to be cautious in your speech and actions."

Li Xiaowan was clear about Yang Mi's character, and giving a reminder was a matter of habit; one had to know that there were many instances where a single sentence could offend someone, and besides, on an occasion like today, the face of Rongxinda didn't count for much.

"Don't worry, Godmother, I have a sense of propriety."

Yang Mi had high emotional intelligence and naturally understood Li Xiaowan's care, answering obediently.

Before long, Li Xiaowan was seen taking Yang Mi to weave back and forth in the lobby; everywhere they went, Yang Mi naturally handed out her business card respectfully, looking like a well-behaved child.

After an opening segment by the host, Wei Jin appeared on stage with the entire film crew.

Today's host was a guest appearance by Liu Yan; Wei Jin was also happy to let this Assistant show her face, so that the big shots in the circle would know that Liu Yan was under his protection.

After taking the stage, Wei Jin and the film crew first expressed their gratitude to the guests present, saying that the box office achieving such results was thanks to everyone's support, a set of polite remarks blah blah, and then they answered many questions from the media.

Finally, he led the film crew to smash the ice sculpture; by now, this kind of ceremony had become a standard feature for celebration banquets of companies in the industry.

Soon the banquet officially began, and for a time, wine cups were exchanged and music and dance were everywhere.

This celebration banquet for the film *Painted Skin* was very grand; President Han of China Film Group even personally invited many high-ranking leaders, and even a big shot from the propaganda department came to show his face, chatting with Wei Jin for a few sentences and encouraging him to keep up the good work, which drew envy from others, while Wei Jin felt somewhat apprehensive.

Not long after, people from various tables began to move around, frequently offering toasts.

As the absolute protagonist of the day, Wei Jin was naturally the object of networking for everyone in the venue.

However, the opportunity couldn't be given to the male actors; Wei Jin saw that he was already surrounded by circles of female stars seeking to get ahead, each with half-exposed breasts, black silk stockings, and high heels, which made Wei Jin feel a bit dazzled.

Huo Siyan of Huayi was even bolder, sitting on Wei Jin's lap, her body twisting from time to time; Wang at the main table also joined in the teasing, asking the two to drink a cross-cupped toast.

Wei Jin's hands didn't stop moving, but in his heart, he was very clear that this must be Huayi's public relations at work.

Regarding the previous project of Summit Entertainment, Huayi had also called to seek cooperation.

One had to know that Huayi had experienced the departure of the Wang Jinhua team, and its status in the industry had been affected; it was in urgent need of a big move to stabilize its position, and the Hollywood investment share in Wei Jin's hands was undoubtedly a very good choice.

As the host of the day, Wei Jin couldn't lash out at these female stars seeking to get ahead, so he had to give a wink to Lu Zheng at another table, signaling him to come over and resolve the situation.

Lu Zheng understood immediately, rose leisurely, and brought Jing Tian over to Wei Jin. Seeing a big shot approaching, the various female stars surrounding Wei Jin, despite their unwillingness, could only leave for the time being.

"President Han, fellow presidents, I don't need to introduce President Lu; this is Jing Tian, my younger sister, please take care of her in the future."

Wei Jin held Jing Tian's hand and introduced her to the presidents present; this could be considered a form of protection for her. The little girl was not good at using her background, and Wei Jin was afraid that someone blind would come to bully her again.

Jing Tian also greeted the presidents present with a well-behaved look, her heart feeling extremely sweet.

Taking the opportunity to let Jing Tian sit by his side to avoid any blind female stars taking the chance to crowd over, Wei Jin began to talk about business.

"President Han, how about leaving me one of this year's import film quotas for China Film Group?"

Every year, the domestic import film quota was limited, and the authority for entry was held in the hands of China Film Group; if *Taken* wanted to be released domestically, China Film Group was unavoidable.

"As long as the content meets the censorship standards, that's definitely no problem. By the way, regarding the investment?"

Han Sanping was happy to do Wei Jin a favor, but he was eyeing the investment share again.

"President Wei, you can't forget about us few."

Wang Changtian, Yu Dong, and President Deng of Western Film Group on the side also spoke up one after another.

Cooperating with Wei Jin this time, not only did they gain a huge reputation for breaking box office records, but they also made a lot of money; these few had made up their minds to get on board.

"President Wei, Huayi needs this project; just name the price, I won't bargain."

Once the big President Wang of Huayi said this, it shocked the whole room; this was an intention to invest at a premium, but after a little thought, the other companies understood the purpose of Huayi's move.

"My brothers, there is a total of 6 million USD in investment share, which is less than 50 million; there is really no way to split it."

Wei Jin had a look of difficulty on his face, but in his heart, he was somewhat proud; that year, I walked with my hands in my pockets, not knowing what an opponent was.

"Huayi can take it all. President Wei, we haven't been dealing with each other for just a day or two, but we haven't cooperated yet. Give us a chance?"

The big President Wang was a bit aggressive today, but that couldn't be blamed on him.

Every company present had basically established a relationship with Wei Jin; only Huayi hadn't landed a single project until now.

As the leader of private enterprises, if he didn't really need it, he wouldn't want to be so humble.

"Big President Wang is too polite; we can't say our two companies haven't cooperated. Your company's artists have helped me a lot. This time, I won't let President Wang down, rest assured."

Whether it was Wang Baoqiang or Fan Bingbing, they were still Huayi's artists, so Wei Jin's words were somewhat reasonable.

However, once Wei Jin's words were out, it basically extinguished the thoughts of the other companies; the share was really not much, and since Huayi was willing to invest at a premium, there was no need to fight for it.

The big President Wang smiled upon hearing this, thinking to himself that this kid Wei Jin was still sensible; taking the share this time was not for money, but only to stabilize the company's morale and market image.

As for the price, neither side discussed it at the dinner table.

Subsequently, there was more exchanging of toasts at the table; Wei Jin was naturally the absolute core, and Jing Tian on the side also felt honored, smiling beautifully.

After the banquet ended, Wei Jin received an unexpected call from his senior, Yan Danchen; could it be that this 1996-class beauty of Beijing Film Academy also wanted to make progress?

Wei Jin didn't probe too much; he told her the address of Golden House over the phone, leaving the choice to her.

He then instructed Liu Yan to drive there; after spending time together during this period, especially after the previous attack, Wei Jin discovered that Liu Yan did not reject some intimate contact with him, thinking that even if his senior didn't come, didn't he still have his Assistant? In short, he wouldn't be lonely tonight. New book is out, three chapters provided, I implore all book friends to reward me with subscriptions and collections, thank you everyone! (End of chapter)