Chapter 236: Official Announcement

【Rebirth Begins in 2002 Chinese Entertainment】【】

The filming progress of New Liaozhai is very fast, as it's an anthology series with few overlapping plot points.

So the crew can film several episodes simultaneously, which is also why actors prefer anthology dramas.

After all, the pace is quick, and it allows them to be tied to big-name stars, greatly boosting their own visibility.

News of Cheng Chen's visit to Hengdian set spread quickly, and many entertainment reporters rushed over.

Fortunately, the security at the New Liaozhai set was decent, and director Wu Jinyuan was an old acquaintance of Cheng Chen's.

He previously collaborated with him as the B-unit director on Xianjian Qixia Zhuan.

Speaking of it, this director has worked closely with Tangren.

Besides Xianjian, he was involved in later projects like She Diao Yingxiong Zhuan, Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei, and Steps of the Heart.

He's a Gang Sheng director; his early works also include I Have a Date with a Vampire.

Over the years, Tangren has grown rapidly under Cai Yinong's leadership; having started out in Gang Sheng, she built connections with many Gang Sheng elders.

Wu Jinyuan was one of those she met back then, and when she returned to the Mainland, she naturally leveraged these accumulated connections.

She brought those renowned directors to the Mainland, producing wave after wave of high-quality TV dramas.

"So you came over just for Ceng Li?"

After finishing filming, Wu Jinyuan brought a bottle of liquor and some dishes to Cheng Chen's room.

Compared to other Gang Sheng directors, Wu Jinyuan's Mandarin is relatively standard.

"You know I'm currently working on a variety show and need a female lead."

Cheng Chen took the liquor and dishes from him and smiled:

"I won't drink the liquor—I've got things to handle later, need to keep my head clear."

"That's not like you at all. When we filmed Xianjian Qixia Zhuan, you got me and Guoli completely drunk."

"A little liquor like this is just a rinse for your mouth, hahaha."

Wu Jinyuan chuckled.

"Alright, Director Wu, after years in the Mainland, you've even learned the art of coaxing drinks? 'Rinse your mouth'? That's not something I'd expect from you."

Cheng Chen teased.

Wu Jinyuan had an air of scholarly refinement and always carried himself like a literati.

Coaxing people to drink was never his strength.

"You, you, with that mouth of yours."

Wu Jinyuan shook his head, poured himself a cup of liquor, and said:

"Drinking isn't forced—too much causes trouble. If it weren't for recent pressure, I wouldn't drink at all."

Cheng Chen nodded in understanding.

The schedule for New Liaozhai is extremely tight; investors are all waiting for this drama.

Earlier rumors claimed the series would air by year-end; though there's still time, no one knows what might happen later.

So relatively speaking, it's still too urgent—there's little room for adjustments.

The two talked at length, and Wu Jinyuan's words carried clear overtures of allegiance.

Cheng Chen squinted at this director belonging to the "young guard."

Tangren has been growing rapidly, especially after Cheng Chen's Xianjian Qixia Zhuan, which instantly boosted its visibility.

Then came an influx of resources; though it hasn't yet launched the slogan "Tangren Production, Guaranteed Quality."

But anyone with eyes can see that under Cai Yinong's leadership, this once-obscure little company has risen with explosive momentum.

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【Rebirth Begins in 2002 Chinese Entertainment】【】

Although Wu Jinyuan has grown very close to Tangren, his status in Cai Yinong's eyes still falls far short of that of "old-timers" like Li Guoli.

Cai Yinong's attitude remains ambiguous,

leaving Wu Jinyuan with a sense of insecurity.

The film and television industry in Gang Sheng is declining, while the Mainland is thriving.

How to choose—he knows clearly in his heart.

He always assumed he would join Tangren, but since collaborating with Cheng Chen on Xianjian Qixia Zhuan,

his thoughts have changed.

Although Starfire Media is still small, with just one movie and one TV drama, its visibility has rapidly caught up to companies like Tangren.

Of course, saying it's caught up is a bit exaggerated, but at the very least, its momentum is surging faster than Tangren's.

Especially its boss—Cheng Chen.

Never mind his current status in the entertainment circle; being an artist and running a company are two different things.

But he's made it thrive just the same. For a director like Wu Jinyuan, what matters most?

Money? Important, but not the most important.

Works come first. Tangren soared thanks to Xianjian Qixia Zhuan, but Cheng Chen was the Screenwriter and lead actor.

Moreover, given the strength Cheng Chen has shown so far, he's guaranteed to keep delivering quality projects.

That's exactly what Wu Jinyuan wants most.

Does a director sit around sleeping with female actors if he doesn't make films?

"Director Cheng, does your company still need directors?"

The address shifted from "Cheng Zi" to "Director Cheng."

Wu Jinyuan, having downed a gulp of liquor, asked—half-joking, half-serious.

Wu still couldn't hold back anymore.

Cheng Chen smiled slightly; Xinghuo had grown rapidly, yet the only director was Ning Hao.

Moreover, Cheng Chen had trained Ning Hao as a film director—making TV dramas? Not only would he refuse, Ning Hao would be the first to protest.

So the TV director position remained vacant.

Cheng Chen had initially considered Lai Shuiqing, who had given him his first big break, but now it seemed Lai Shuiqing had little interest.

Cheng Chen wouldn't force the man.

Now that Wu Jinyuan had come forward on his own, there was no need for Cheng Chen to hold back—he had many TV dramas waiting to be produced.

And it seemed directors from Gang Sheng had more experience shooting TV dramas, especially costume dramas.

Cheng Chen had read some evaluations from his future life; on certain review sites, almost all costume works scoring above 8 or with over 200,000 reviews were directed by Gang Sheng directors.

Among them, Cheng Chen's old acquaintance Li Guoli, as production supervisor at Tangren Film and Television.

Had successively launched landmark hit costume dramas like the Xianjian Qixia Zhuan series, Bu Bu Jing Xin, and Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei.

Lin Yufen had successively directed The Journey of Flower, Eternal Love, and Love and Destiny, cementing her label as the "top female director" in the costume fantasy market.

Zhu Ruibing had won widespread recognition from young audiences with Ashes of Love and The Long Ballad.

Liang Guoguan and Ma Huagan were a well-coordinated "longtime duo," having successively collaborated on popular works like Spirit Realm, Zhu Xian, and The Bride with White Hair.

Jin Yong's She Diao Yingxiong Zhuan and Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre were being remade again, and they chose the highly experienced Gang Sheng director Jiang Jiajun to helm them…

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【Rebirth Starting from Huayu 2002】【】

If Gang Sheng directors "coming north" had fueled the thriving costume fantasy and wuxia market in the Mainland,

then in the future, the popularity of costume dramas had also elevated Gang Sheng directors.

Making them synonymous with Mainland hit dramas and granting them greater room to grow…

"Director Wu, Xinghuo warmly welcomes outstanding directors like you."

Cheng Chen smiled slightly and extended his hand to Wu Jinyuan.

Wu Jinyuan froze for a moment, then burst into laughter and gripped Cheng Chen's hand tightly.

"I knew it!"

Cheng Chen drank a toast with Wu Jinyuan to welcome him, after which Wu Jinyuan promptly took his leave.

The specific details of their cooperation didn't need Cheng Chen to handle—he'd let both sides send representatives to negotiate.

"Director Wu? Hello."

Hearing the commotion outside, Ceng Li had just run into Wu Jinyuan as he was leaving.

"Uh… Little Zeng, you're… heh, here to discuss the script with Cheng Chen? Don't mind me—I've had too much to drink, too much, hahaha."

Inside the room, Cheng Chen heard Wu Jinyuan's words and felt a headache—he's such a rogue, discussing a damn script? I'm not even part of your crew!

Still, Cheng Chen's mood was pleasant—he'd acquired a capable TV director, and now Ceng Li had come knocking, which meant that matter was almost certain.

Sure enough, the first thing Ceng Li said upon entering the room was:

"I've agreed to join that variety show."

Cheng Chen nodded and smiled:

"Welcome."

Actually, Cheng Chen wasn't surprised by her decision.

Some media public accounts in the future claimed Ceng Li wasn't popular because she was low-key and lacked ambition.

That was all nonsense—Ceng Li had always been active in the entertainment industry, releasing works every year.

Like Yan Danchen, she belonged to the "role-driven face" type.

Of course, this was an acknowledgment of their acting—each role they played felt completely authentic.

The next role bore no trace of the previous one—that's what "role-driven face" meant.

A classic case of "the drama is popular but the actor isn't"—this existed in both music and acting circles.

As Cheng Chen had said, sometimes a person only needed one opportunity.

Yan Danchen and Ceng Li had both encountered such opportunities before—it was merely an exchange of interests.

The four words "exchange of interests" sounded simple, but the corruption and gloom hidden within were far more complex…

…

Since Ceng Li had agreed to appear in We Are in Love, Cheng Chen had no reason to stay in Hengdian.

The next day, he flew straight back to Jingcheng.

"We Can Start Promoting We Are in Love. Also, finalize contracts with the guests immediately—the recording begins in two weeks." Cheng Chen immediately communicated with the Anhui Satellite TV team upon returning.

Soon after, people spotted the official Weibo account for We Are in Love.

Beneath the large blue "V," the program's description was written.

The production team immediately released an official poster, with romantic script reading:

"This summer will be hot—we'll get familiar sooner or later."

Immediately, comments flooded the Weibo comment section.

"What does this mean?"

"Aren't you a dating show? Why are you talking about cooking? Boiling raw rice into cooked rice?"

"I'm dying laughing—this is a homophone! Can't you even get that?"

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【Rebirth Starting from Huayu 2002】【】

"What a clever copy—impressive."

"Very humorous and evocative—has the broadcast date been confirmed for summer?"

"No wonder it's Cheng Chen's show— even the promotion is this interesting!"

Afterwards, Cheng Chen reposted this Weibo to his own account and wrote:

"Seaside, electric car, short sleeves, wind in your hair, sunset, staying up late, taking photos, night market, barbecue, and drinks.

I want to share all these beautiful things with you—let's fall head over heels this summer."

As soon as Cheng Chen posted his Weibo, fans immediately liked it en masse.

"Aaaah I'm dead, it's so beautiful."

"Of course it's you, boss—I'm so excited for this summer!"

"What kind of girl could possibly be worthy of you, boss? I'm genuinely struck by the beauty of the scene you described."

"I declare, 'Let's Fall in Love' will be my favorite variety show this year—even though it hasn't aired yet, I'm Cheng Chen's blind fan."

"Does this mean the boss is also participating in 'Let's Fall in Love'? I'm so excited!"

Cheng Chen's fans are terrifying—he reposted it three hours after the official 'Let's Fall in Love' Weibo post.

Yet, in terms of topic discussion, likes, comments, and shares, Cheng Chen generated more than ten times what they did.

The 'Let's Fall in Love' crew, seeing this scene, felt both heartbroken and delighted.

Better than zero exposure, right?

"'Let's Fall in Love' Episode One Guest: Cheng Chen!"

Riding the wave of popularity from Cheng Chen's Weibo post, the production team promptly announced his participation.

After all, it couldn't be hidden forever—most fans had already guessed.

Besides, it was part of the marketing plan.

Reveal one participating artist every two days, and announce the premiere date on the fifteenth day.

During the wait for broadcast, release behind-the-scenes footage as trailers.

Overall, Cheng Chen had already maxed out all promotion for the variety show…

"Your dating variety show's been pretty hot lately."

Inside the 'Nirvana in Fire' set.

Yan Danchen walked over, dressed in court attire.

"Are you jealous?"

Cheng Chen smiled.

Yan Danchen was truly perfect for historical costumes—her features were exquisitely beautiful.

In a lady's robe, she looked gentle and wise; in armor, she appeared cool and striking.

She portrayed the role of Nihuang Junzhu, the female lead in the drama.

Her performance didn't disappoint Cheng Chen—she understood the character deeply and delivered a layered portrayal.

"I'm not jealous—I just want to know who you'll be paired with on the show. Your Yuanyuan sister?"

She claimed not to be jealous, but her hands showed no mercy.

While the crew wasn't looking, she twisted her fingers around the soft flesh on Cheng Chen's waist.

Fortunately, Cheng Chen's character Mei Zhangsu was frail and sickly, his costume thick—so it didn't hurt much.

But women need to be coddled, so Cheng Chen obediently put on a pained expression.

"Stop acting—I know your clothes are thick, and I didn't even use much force."

Yan Danchen smiled sweetly.

"Hehe, just playing along with your act. Yuanyuan didn't join this show—I don't know who my partner is. I'll leave it to the production team."

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【Rebirth Begins in 2002 China Entertainment】【】

Cheng Chen smiled.

Hearing it wasn't Gao Yuanyuan, Yan Danchen finally exhaled in relief.

She knew Cheng Chen was famous, and many women had been linked to him in rumors.

But knowing Cheng Chen as she did, none of those outside women could ever get close to him.

Only Gao Yuanyuan!

Remember, when Cheng Chen and Gao Yuanyuan first met, she didn't even know him yet.

Their close relationship was common knowledge in the industry.

She didn't care about others—but Gao Yuanyuan gave her a sense of threat.

No reason, just instinct—the saying goes:

A woman's sixth sense.

"Enough thinking. Who else could match your charm, Chen-jie?"

"By the way, I haven't had your soup in ages. Work stress is getting to me—I'm starting to feel worn out."

Cheng Chen soothed her.

"Worn out? Then why were you like an ox last night?"

Yan Danchen gave him a look.

Hearing her words, Cheng Chen broke into cold sweat.

"Sis, lower your voice! What if someone hears? It ruins your Chang'e image!"

Honestly, that sentence just now made Cheng Chen think of last night's events in the hotel with Yan Danchen…

And for some reason, hearing it come from Chang'e's lips made it feel so thrilling.

Thinking of these things, Cheng Chen felt a flicker of excitement again.

Seeing his eyes darting slyly over her, Yan Danchen rolled her eyes and said:

"Let's go, we're moving on. All day long thinking about that—what's even in your head?"

"All I've got in here is you, hehe."

……