Chapter 198: Find the Director

It's said that after the fifteenth, it's no longer the New Year.

The sixteenth day of the first lunar month is a very traditional day in our country.

School's back in session!

Every year at this time, every family's little monster cries while the parents rejoice.

There's also no shortage of online discussions every year about the start of school.

Accompanied by the theme song of the school-opening blockbuster, "The Lone Brave," the children officially step into the classroom.

People's lives also return to normal with the start of school.

Of course, white-collar workers have long been back on the job.

Although Cheng Chen owns several companies himself, to him he's still just a white-collar worker.

And he's the kind who never takes a break—throughout the entire New Year period, he was busy running promotions.

He even stayed home for only two days during the Spring Festival.

Such intense work naturally drew complaints from Yan Danchen and Gao Yuanyuan.

Gao Yuanyuan hadn't seen Cheng Chen at all since returning from her trip out of town.

As for Yan Danchen, after the two had spent time together before the New Year, she hadn't seen Cheng Chen again.

Still, though both women complained, they were understanding enough, since they were both in the industry and understood Cheng Chen's work nature.

So now, Cheng Chen had come again to the set of Wulin Waizhuan to visit.

To be honest, he's been somewhat negligent as Screenwriter and Producer.

Since the production team was formed, he showed up only once—and never appeared again after that.

So when Cheng Chen appeared on set, both actors and crew members were taken aback.

"Oh, if it isn't our boss Cheng! Boss Cheng, any orders?"

Even Director Shang Jing couldn't help teasing.

"No, no, Director Shang, don't call me boss—just call me Xiao Cheng. Before you, I'm just a junior, just a crew member."

Hearing Shang Jing's tone of dissatisfaction, Cheng Chen did his best to soothe him.

"Don't be silly—we can't afford to have you as a crew member, you even hang up the director's calls."

Whenever Shang Jing tried to communicate with Cheng Chen about the script, he was almost always cut off mid-sentence.

There was nothing he could do—Cheng Chen was swamped then, either on tour promoting or giving interviews.

He couldn't just make a whole team wait for him—that'd be acting like a diva.

So he could only ask Shang Jing to bear with it, promising to call back later.

Though Shang Jing pretended to understand, he still harbored some resentment.

"Director Shang, please forgive me—I know I'm wrong, and I'm here now just to serve everyone!"

"Look at what I've brought for the crew…"

He gestured for his assistant Shi Qiang to distribute the items to everyone.

For this visit, Cheng Chen brought seven or eight people and arrived in a business van loaded with gifts.

Just snacks and drinks—nothing expensive, but in Pinggu, this godforsaken place.

It was already quite generous, since here you couldn't spend money even if you had it.

This place was truly remote!

Only after Wulin Waizhuan aired and became a hit did people start coming here, gradually becoming familiar with it.

But over time, people gradually forgot.

The original site of Tongfu Inn, left unattended, slowly became overgrown with weeds.

It gradually fell into disrepair and was eventually torn down.

Yet the demolition of the original site didn't mean the show was no longer loved.

People still loved Wulin Waizhuan.

Later, in Gan Sheng, a real-life version of Tongfu Inn appeared.

Many photos of people checking in at Tongfu Inn appeared online—this real-life check-in spot was in Gan Sheng.

The inn's many scenes were nearly perfectly recreated: the lobby, the kitchen, Tong Xiangyu's room, the servants' rooms.

Even the backyard, the streets, and all the signs were reproduced almost identically.

The interior set details made one feel instantly transported into the drama.

This inn was reportedly built by Pan Lipin's team while filming the Little Actors version of Wulin Waizhuan.

After filming ended, the Tongfu Inn was preserved as-is.

It later became a popular online check-in spot, with many people coming to visit.

"Wow, snacks! God knows how long it's been since I had any."

Seeing Cheng Chen bring so much, actors and crew had already gathered around.

Among them was Wang Shasha, who played Mo Xiaobei, running over in surprise.

Wang Shasha is only thirteen this year; she was selected for the cast last year.

Her performance in the drama doesn't fall short of Sha Yi or Yao Chen.

Everyone knows Wang Shasha played Mo Xiaobei, yet many

have overlooked her roles in other TV dramas.

For example, in 2004's Zhang Ga, Wang Shasha portrayed Yingzi.

Hmm, speaking of which, if people knew what Guazi would later do—selling alcohol and stealing dogs—would they still like him so much?

Later, this girl also appeared in other quality TV dramas like She Diao Yingxiong Zhuan and Shan Hai Qing.

He is a very low-key but talented actor.

"Can I eat this?"

Wang Shasha picked up a bag of chips and asked Cheng Chen with a smile.

The girl was currently losing her baby teeth; when she smiled, you could see a gap where her front tooth was missing, which was quite amusing.

"Of course you can. Take these too, and these… eat them all."

Cheng Chen bent down and selected several bags of snacks children loved, giving them to her.

"Thank you, big brother, Xiao Guo sister—this one's your favorite, here you go."

After thanking them, the little girl grabbed the snacks and dashed over to Yao Chen beside her.

"Don't let her age fool you—when she acts, she's utterly lifelike. A very talented little girl."

Shang Jing said with a smile.

"You can tell. She's truly sharp."

Cheng Chen said with a smile.

"There's plenty. Everyone, stop standing around—help yourselves to whatever you want."

"If there's not enough, there's more in the back. A few crew members, go with Qiang Ge and bring everything down from the truck."

Cheng Chen said to the crowd gathered nearby.

"Got it!"

"The crew's handing out treats!"

A few people ran off after Shi Qiang.

Cheng Chen, meanwhile, smiled and walked into the set with Shang Jing, Yan Ni, Sha Yi, and others.

In his past life, he had never visited the so-called Tongfu Inn filming location; now, stepping into this constructed set,

he felt a strange sense of temporal dislocation.

It was a peculiar feeling.

The Wulin Waizhuan set was small—just a main hall and a backyard, the primary locations for the story's events.

The servants' rooms and Tong Xiangyu's room were shot using borrowed scenery.

In fact, beyond the staircase leading to the top corner, there was nothing.

The rooftop where the characters talked—really just a black cloth set up behind the constructed set.

"Though the set is small, a sparrow may be tiny, but it has all its organs."

"And our chef here makes food that's especially delicious—the catering is very good."

Sha Yi explained beside him.

"Then I'm in for a real treat today."

Cheng Chen said with a smile to Sha Yi.

In his past life, he'd heard Sha Yi say on an interview show that the chef on set made delicious food.

He never expected to hear those words under these circumstances.

"Director Shang, how's our progress going?"

Cheng Chen asked.

"Hmm, progress is good—we've already shot three-fifths, and we expect to air during this summer slot."

Although setting up scenes for a sitcom is somewhat troublesome, once overcome, shooting progresses very quickly.

Shang Jing's ability to maintain such a fast pace is inseparable from this.

Moreover, Shang Jing is a veteran of sitcoms, with extremely rich experience.

"Hmm, that's good. Is there anything you need me to do?"

"Money!"

Shang Jing blurted it out without hesitation.

Never underestimate a director's hunger for money—once you have it, you want to indulge in personal flair.

Like the Sunglasses King of Gang Sheng.

Back then, investors gave the Sunglasses King 40 million to film Ashes of Time.

To make the movie perfect, the Sunglasses King brought in half the entertainment industry at the time.

But on the second day of shooting, the Sunglasses King suddenly realized the script still needed polishing.

So he left all those stars and big names stranded in the desert.

He went back to his room to study the script.

While the Sunglasses King was deep in script research, the actors' salaries kept being paid, and the investors were so furious they ended up hospitalized.

All that white, white money—but he didn't care; there were always suckers willing to pay.

Money gives you confidence!

The abandoned actors, meanwhile, enjoyed the leisure—playing cards, eating melons, having a blast.

As the investors were about to come after him, the Sunglasses King reluctantly compromised.

In just four days, he wrote Chinese Odyssey 2002 and told the actors stranded in the desert to start filming…

Besides the Sunglasses King, Jiang Wen the Old Ginger from the Mainland was also a character.

In this guy's eyes, was there such a thing as a budget? No!

Once, Old Ginger appeared on a show.

The host asked him:

"You went through all that trouble—building train stations as watchtowers, why bother being so serious? What if you go over budget?"

Sisikew

Who knew Lao Jiang glared:

"What do you mean budget? Making a movie is treating the audience to a meal—do you count the cost of rice? If you don't serve at least a couple of hearty dishes, how can you face the audience?"

Lao Jiang's films were extremely "money-burning."

To shoot the rooftop scene in "Evil Cannot Overcome Right," he built a 40,000-square-meter rooftop in Yunnan Province.

And all those tiles were transported from Jingcheng.

Actually, as early as "The Sun Also Rises," Lao Jiang had set a domestic director's film stock consumption record by shooting 250,000 feet of film.

"No matter how big the bill, it's just peanuts—not worth my putting in so much effort."

These were Lao Jiang's own words.

So, for certain directors,

as long as the film or drama achieves the effect they want,

they don't care how much money it costs.

Rather than spending exorbitant fees on celebrity stars,

some directors would rather pour the money into production.

Clearly, Shang Jing was the same—so when Cheng Chen raised this question, he had already been waiting for it.

"Ah, this…"

Cheng Chen regretted why he'd opened his mouth to ask this.

A director stays silent, but once he speaks, it's always about money.

Although they were filming the country's so-called lowest-budget sitcom,

Shang Jing gave Cheng Chen a sideways glance and teased:

"My dear Producer Cheng, what we need is real gold and silver support—we can't engage in formalism."

Cheng Chen smiled bitterly:

"I've invested every penny—I haven't held you back as Producer, but this money issue…"

"Cough, cough, cough—the landlord's granary is empty too—can the crew just tough it out?"

"Heh, I should've known you were a tightwad."

Shang Jing chuckled:

"Just kidding, Producer Cheng—I've got your crew, I'll give you back a drama."

Hearing this, Cheng Chen felt considerably more at ease:

"I knew you were reliable, Shang Director!"

Others nearby chuckled along, thinking: Shang Director truly is Shang Director—he dares to say it!

After touring the set of "Wulin Waizhuan" and having a meal with the actors,

Cheng Chen left Pinggu Feilong—he couldn't spend every day glued to this place.

…

"Producer Cheng, the Director Kong Sheng you asked me to find…"

"He's currently filming a TV drama in Yunnan Province called 'Tea Horse Road.' Should I make a special trip there?"

As soon as Cheng Chen returned to the company, Su Qingya reported to him.

"Is 'Tea Horse Road' a co-production?"

Cheng Chen suddenly asked.

"Yes, Director Kong and Wang Wenjie are co-directing. You know Wang Director well—why don't you speak to him yourself?"

"I thought the name of this drama sounded familiar—it's Wang Director!"

Cheng Chen slumped back in his chair, exhausted. Su Qingya immediately moved behind him and massaged his temples and scalp.

Wang Wenjie had previously collaborated with Cheng Chen on "The Great Dyeing Workshop."

Yes, the one he made with Brother Hou Yong.

Both Wang Wenjie and Kong Sheng were directors from Shanxi Film, and they must know each other well.

Thinking this, Cheng Chen glanced at the script for "Langya Bang" on his desk and made up his mind.

In his previous life, "Langya Bang" was co-directed by Kong Sheng and Li Xue.

Li Xue, in fact, started as a cinematographer—he began his career under Director Kong Sheng.

Later, the two collaborated on many beloved hits, such as:

"A Family in Wenzhou," for which he won the 19th Modu TV Festival's "White Magnolia" Best Director award, and "No War in Beiping."

Another example: his directorial debut, the suspense spy drama "The Disguiser."

It was wildly popular at the time!

Under the guidance of his senior Kong Sheng, he won countless awards.

Because he trained as a cinematographer, he had a unique pursuit of light and shadow.

His participation in dramas like "Chuang Guandong" and "Line of Life" gave him professional competence, dedication, and creative passion.

These two were a golden duo, nearly inseparable.

So when the "Langya Bang" script came out, Cheng Chen immediately had Su Qingya investigate Kong Sheng's whereabouts.

"Langya Bang" would be Xinghuo Entertainment's flagship project this year, so Cheng Chen wanted a director with solid strength.

At this point, Kong Sheng—with decades of filmmaking experience—was unquestionably qualified.

As for Li Xue, he was still too green—let him stay quietly as Kong's cinematographer.

Still, it wasn't impossible—he could poach both of them from Shanxi Film…

In the future, if he wants to build a television drama empire, this is the foundation and his capable right-hand man!

Thinking of this, Cheng Chen's heart grew warm, and he immediately dialed Wang Wenjie's number.

After it rang for a while, Wang Wenjie's distinctive voice came through at once:

"Hey, what made you think to call me?"