Chapter 438: Networking

"Thank you, Director Jiang, for letting a nobody like me, a newcomer, play the lead female in a big‑screen production. Really, I've always been extremely grateful…!"

In the banquet hall of a five‑star hotel, the Battle Through the Heavens production team is holding a dinner to entertain the creators and guests who arrived today.

As for the reporters from the major media, they naturally received their travel allowances and rushed back to write their articles.

Speaking of the dinner, eating is secondary; the important part is drinking to network and build relationships, and after a short while the toasts began.

First came the assembled guests, then the actors from the Battle Through the Heavens crew.

In terms of star power, the biggest in the crew is naturally Chen Daoming.

But despite his age and status, he won't take the initiative to toast Jiang Heng.

So Gao Yuanyuan starts, followed by Zhang Wei, who plays the male lead; he's a complete newcomer with no acting experience.

During filming, they rely entirely on Jiang Heng's direction, a little bit of coaching; fortunately he has talent, and his looks and demeanor match the novel's description, making him a perfect embodiment of Xiao Yan.

At the banquet, Zhang Wei, a bit shy, raises a glass to Jiang Heng, then spends the whole time laughing naively while watching others perform.

An older guest watches and mutters that such a personality won't get far in the entertainment world, better than those girls! The girls indeed need to be bolder; Gu Lianaza, who plays Xiao Xun'er, lifts her glass, eyes reddening, looking tearfully grateful, calling Jiang Heng a mentor and talent scout! Someone jokes that the little girl would be better off learning from Jiang Heng's side than at the Beijing Film Academy, guaranteeing she'll learn more and more useful things.

Gu Lianaza thinks to herself, I do want it, but he has to be willing to take me!

Then someone jokes that Director Jiang, in the filmmaking realm, has taken Director Guo Fan as a disciple, so the acting lineage should be passed on; the little girl has such a future, so take her as a disciple!

Jiang Heng just chuckles, staring at Gu Lianaza without saying a word.

The latter instantly feels immense pressure and hostile gazes; after all, once you enter the entertainment industry, everyone scrambles for chances and tries every way to cling to a big leg.

She barely thinks and blurts out, "Director Jiang, I could perform well in this drama thanks to your guidance; may I call you teacher and ask you some acting questions in the future?"

Jiang Heng chuckles, "Sure, but you have to work things out yourself; you can't keep running to me for everything, I don't have that time!"

Liu Yifei, standing nearby, suddenly says, "If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me; since we're all in the same company, we're like family, no need to be formal."

After a pause of a few seconds, she adds, "Later we'll run more sessions of the company's artist training class; anyone who feels their acting needs improvement can attend. Director Jiang is so busy; don't bother him with simple questions!"

Those words cause a brief lull at the table.

Fortunately, someone quickly steps in to smooth things over, and the atmosphere becomes lively again.

Gu Lianaza naturally feels uneasy but also excited, after all Jiang Heng agreed.

With this connection, future interactions will be a bit more convenient.

As for Liu Yifei's hostility, she doesn't take it to heart.

Nearby, Zhang Tianai is a bit frightened; she originally wanted to go along with Gu Lianaza's suggestion and also regard Jiang Heng as a teacher, but alas, alas!

The meal lasted three to four hours, and they didn't disperse until after nine p. m.

Jing Tian says she needs to go home to be with her parents and leaves early.

Jiang Heng, with Liu Yifei, returns to their residence in Jingcheng.

They enter the room; Liu Tianxian tosses her shoes in the hallway, walks barefoot into the living room and lies on the sofa. Jiang Heng steps forward, pinches her chin, and smiles, "What, jealous?"

"Just a little!"

"There's nothing between us!"

"I know, but looking at her, I'm afraid something might happen later!"

Jiang Heng laughs, "You, always worrying about nothing. The company has signed so many female artists; it's normal to get along, nothing else!"

"Who knows!" the young lady pouts, with a look that says 'Who knows what's up with you?'

Jiang Heng says, "Hey, you actually dare to question me?"

Liu Yifei quickly puts on a pitiful face, "I'm sorry, uncle, really sorry!"

The nickname from when they first met surfaces, and Jiang Heng's thoughts drift back a few years, exclaiming, "Time really flies!"

Liu Yifei, also full of emotion, immediately recalls the scene where Gu Lianaza wants to recognize Jiang Heng as a teacher, and thinks to herself, "Don't think I don't know what scheme you're plotting; with me here, you won't get away with it!"

But by late night, reviews of Battle Through the Heavens from the major entertainment media have basically been released.

Xinlang Media states: "Battle Through the Heavens is the most successful recent adaptation of an online novel into film and television. The whole movie has a tight pace, distinct characters, dazzling fight scenes, and maxed‑out special effects. We believe more and more classic internet novels will be adapted into screen works in the future…"

Penguin Net, because of its novel‑site affiliation, goes all out in praising the film, calling it "the best movie work in Jiang Heng's career."

Perhaps the praise is excessive, some netizens aren't convinced; after all, every new Jiang Heng film is lauded by the media as "the best of his career," "the best in recent years," "the universally recognized best," and the term "cover‑up" in the later self‑media era has become overused, causing irritation.

Of course, the vast majority of viewers are still very satisfied with the film's content.

These people flood the Battle Through the Heavens forum, posting their viewing impressions and strongly recommending the IMAX3D version, saying the visual effects are incredibly shocking, just like Xiao Yan during the "Three‑Year Pact" when he fought at Yunlan Sect, and you could watch from the side.

This prompts a swarm of book fans to comment, saying they'll go watch the movie as soon as it releases.

The viewers who flood Douban mostly write long reviews, quoting classics and sprawling 1,800‑word essays; overall, the tone remains largely positive.

Of course, there are always haters.

Some post that Battle Through the Heavens was a nutritionally void web novel to begin with, and Jiang Heng's adaptation made the plot even trashier, with side‑stories chopped messily and the storyline progression illogical—a whole lot of blah‑blah.

The result naturally is a flood of angry comments from Jiang Heng fans and original‑novel fans—a lively uproar indeed.

When the next day began, the Battle Through the Heavens crew started preview promotions in the country's major box‑office cities; Jiang Heng went to Shanghai, then flew to Japan and the United States for the premiere ceremonies.

Time flies, and soon it was the first day of the Lunar New Year in 2012.

Because it was the first day of the New Year, there were no midnight screenings; audiences had breakfast before leaving home to go to the cinema.

Except for some families with kids opting for cartoons, most audiences chose Battle Through the Heavens without hesitation.

After all, Jiang Heng's reputation is there, so it definitely won't be a rip‑off! (End of chapter)