Chapter 234: Had Left

The production cost of "Wulin Waizhuan" was only 10 million, yet it sold for 24 million.

Not only did those present at the meeting shock, but the media did too.

And it was a revenue-sharing deal, not a one-time buyout.

Has television drama become this profitable now?

This became a mystery in many people's minds, and under the media's massive promotion,

many viewers grew increasingly interested in this wuxia sitcom.

Yu Sheng Satellite TV did not disappoint expectations: immediately after the finale of its current prime-time drama, it seamlessly transitioned into "Wulin Waizhuan."

This move also earned many viewers goodwill toward Yu Sheng Satellite TV.

On any other network, they would have dragged out the anticipation before slowly unveiling it.

Xu Min and Xu Qiming of Yu Sheng Satellite TV successfully met with Cheng Chen as planned.

The meal lasted about four hours, and both sides parted happily.

……

After the screening of "Wulin Waizhuan," Cheng Chen's side finally settled on his romantic partner for the variety show "Let's Fall in Love."

"Director Cheng, take a look—these are the female artists selected by our planning team. If any suit you, we'll confirm."

The head of the planning team handed a stack of female artists' profiles to Cheng Chen.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Looking at the stack of files, Cheng Chen felt a strange sensation.

It felt a bit like… selecting concubines?

Cheng Chen smiled and shook his head, then began flipping through the files—the first one was Fan Xiaopang.

It was no surprise the planning team placed Fan Xiaopang first; she was indeed very popular now.

After gaining widespread attention as the lead in the TV drama "Huan Zhu Ge Ge,"

she entered the film industry in 2002 by starring in the movie "Love at First Sight."

She also appeared in films and TV dramas like "Young Justice Bao" and "The Lioness of Hedong."

Last year, she won the 27th Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress for her role in Feng Dapao's film "The Mobile Phone."

It's said she's currently preparing an album, and besides that, she keeps appearing in TV dramas to maintain sufficient exposure.

Her buzz and popularity remain quite strong.

The planning team chose her because she played Tie Xinlan in "Little Fish and Flower."

She was paired with Cheng Chen's character Hua Wuque as a couple—this is a natural promotional angle.

The "Wuxin Couple" transitioning from TV drama to real-life romance—this gossip sounds incredibly compelling.

However, Cheng Chen did not stop; he continued flipping through the files—female stars, actresses, established and newly risen ones alike.

The planning team was truly bold—they even included the queen of pop, Wang Fei, as a candidate.

Cheng Chen shook his head; so far, not a single female artist had caught his eye.

When Cheng Chen reached the last page, he suddenly brightened, pointing at the file:

"Choose her. Send an invitation to her agency, and also list Fan Bingbing as an alternate."

"Have invitations been sent to the other two groups? What were their responses?"

Hearing Cheng Chen's question, the planning team immediately replied:

"For the male group, Deng Chao and Huang Xiaoming have both agreed to appear, though… Huang Xiaoming is currently filming "Langya Bang," so his schedule might be tight."

The planning team glanced at Cheng Chen—everyone now knew Huang Xiaoming was filming Cheng Chen's TV drama.

Now he's joining Cheng Chen's variety show—what's next? Will Cheng Chen sign him to his own company?

"Schedule isn't an issue—I'll speak with the drama crew. As long as the males are fine, what about the female group?"

Cheng Chen asked again.

Inviting Huang Xiaoming and Deng Chao, two rivals, Cheng Chen indeed had a spectator's intent.

Huang Xiaoming and Deng Chao seemed unrelated, yet through Huayi Brothers, many conflicts and entanglements emerged.

In 2001, Huang Xiaoming rose to fame through "The Son of Heaven."

In 2003, Deng Chao gained recognition through "Young Justice Bao."

These two future rivals both became famous by playing emperors—it was almost fate.

In later years, a topic arose: "Who is the top star of Huayi Brothers—Huang Xiaoming or Deng Chao?"

This year, 2005, Deng Chao and Huang Xiaoming's careers entered a phase of rapid growth.

Both were signed by Huayi Brothers, enjoying resources and being heavily promoted.

Although neither was yet the top star of Huayi Brothers at this time,

the battle for the title had already begun.

At this moment, they were both young, fiery men, similar in age, nearly identical in appearance, with comparable resources and nearly equal positions within Huayi.

The two most powerful figures at Huayi were Wang Zhonglei and Wang Zhongjun.

Though brothers, they formed two factions, placing them in opposition.

The elder brother, Wang Zhongjun, preferred grounded individuals and always took Huang Xiaoming with him.

Wang Zhonglei favored the more energetic Deng Chao.

Naturally, Huang Xiaoming and Deng Chao's relationship could not be good.

From then on, the two began a decades-long feud of grudges and passions.

In his past life, while filming "Happiness is Like a Flower," Deng Chao and Sun Li fell in love on set, becoming a hot topic in the entertainment industry.

In 2007, while Huang Xiaoming and Sun Li were filming "Shanghai Bund," rumors of a romance somehow surfaced.

Outside, rumors even claimed that Deng Chao and Huang Xiaoming were competing for the same woman.

This is also the origin of the saying "compete for resources, compete for the top spot, compete for women"…

Adding Cheng Chen, these three could be said to represent the rivalry among the new generation of actors.

Of course, in terms of status, Cheng Chen crushed them both.

Let these two novices fight it out among themselves.

"As for the female artists, Xu Jinglei and Lin Zhiling have both agreed. The artist you chose, Cheng Dao, we'll contact immediately after the meeting."

Said the planning team.

Xu Cainv is famous; at least under the leadership of the big shots in Beijing's circle, her reputation has grown louder.

As for the title "Cainv," part of it was built up by that group in Beijing's circle.

Of course, part of it is because she truly has talent and ability.

Last year, she won the Best Director award at the 52nd San Sebastián International Film Festival for her self-written, self-directed, self-starring film, "The Letter from an Unknown Woman."

She won the Best Director award at the 52nd San Sebastián International Film Festival for her self-written, self-directed, self-starring film, "The Letter from an Unknown Woman."

Since then, her status in the domestic entertainment industry has soared, and she is revered as a goddess by countless literary men and women.

As for Sister Zhi Ling, with her sweet voice and devilish figure, who wouldn't want to see what her romance looks like?

Hearing his words, Cheng Chen nodded in satisfaction and said:

"Hurry up and finalize it. Once the related promotional materials and personnel are all set, begin releasing them."

"Got it!"

Cheng Chen glanced at the stack of documents he had just flipped through; it still lay open to the last page, showing a woman of considerable poise sitting in a café, one hand propping her cheek, gazing blankly out the window.

In the name field, two characters were written:

Ceng Li.

…Detected your latest reading progress: "Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Seven"

Sync to latest? Disable sync

Offering you "The Ambition of Grandmaster Gelatiao": Rebirth Begins in 2002 China Entertainment